 |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 My son has narrated the last book I wrote. Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too. (Click HERE) World & Nation House Passes Bill to End Historic Shutdown, Sending Measure to Trump  The House passed a bill Wednesday to end the nation's longest government shutdown, sending the measure to President Donald Trump for his signature after a historic 43-day funding lapse. That disruption saw federal workers go without multiple paychecks, travelers stranded at airports and people lining up at food banks to get a meal for their families. House lawmakers made their long-awaited return to the nation's capital this week after nearly eight weeks away, with Republicans using their slight majority to get the bill over the finish line by a vote of 222-209. The Senate has already passed the measure. Trump has called the bill a “very big victory." Treasury aims new sanctions at Iran’s missile, UAV programs  The U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control announced new sanctions on Wednesday targeting 32 people and entities that facilitate Iran’s production of ballistic missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles. Those named in the sanctions operate global procurement networks that threaten regional security by helping Iran reconstitute its missile and UAV programs, according to a release from the OFAC. Much of Iran’s missile production capacity was wrecked amid Israeli and U.S. bombs in June. “Across the globe, Iran exploits financial systems to launder funds, procure components for its nuclear and conventional weapons programs, and support its terrorist proxies,” Undersecretary of the Treasury for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence John K. Hurley said in a release. ICE and Florida arrest 230 criminal illegal aliens in 10-day operation Operation Criminal Return included 150 sexual predators with convictions for assault of minors, rape and exploitation  Hundreds of criminal illegal aliens, many of whom are child sex predators, have been arrested in a 10-day operation across Florida, state and federal law enforcement officials announced Thursday. Operation Criminal Return launched on Oct. 25 and resulted in the arrests of 230 criminal illegal immigrants, including those who are registered sex offenders and have extensive criminal histories, officials with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Florida Department of Law Enforcement said. The operation, also dubbed Operation Dirtbag, targeted child predators, rapists, and violent criminal illegal immigrants with convictions that range from sexual assault of minors, rape, lewd and lascivious conduct, and child exploitation to battery and attempted homicide, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a press release. US Mint in Philadelphia Presses Last Pennies as Coin Is Canceled  The U.S. Mint on Wednesday ended production of the penny, a change made to save money and because the 1-cent coin that could once buy a snack or a piece of candy had become increasingly irrelevant. The last pennies were struck at the mint in Philadelphia, where the country's smallest-denomination coins have been produced since 1793, a year after Congress passed the Coinage Act. Officials said the final few pennies would be auctioned off. "God bless America, and we're going to save the taxpayers $56 million," U.S. Treasurer Brandon Beach said just before hitting a button to strike the final penny.
Ukraine’s wartime government shaken by $100 million energy sector corruption scandal  Ukraine on Wednesday suspended a top official in President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s wartime government amid concerns about his role in a sweeping $100 million energy kickback scam that has led to charges against at least five people. One of those facing charges served as an adviser to the now-suspended justice minister, Herman Halushchenko, who previously served as energy minister in Mr. Zelenskyy’s government. Another is Mr. Zelenskyy’s longtime political ally Timur Mindich, co-owner of the television studio that was instrumental in the president’s earlier career as an entertainer. The case threatens to undermine Kyiv’s credibility with its Western partners, its anti-corruption credentials and the cohesion of Mr. Zelenskyy’s wartime leadership. Democrats Escalate Calls for Schumer's Ouster as Minority Leader  Dissent is intensifying among Senate Democrats as House lawmakers and activist groups call for Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., to resign. They say he failed to maintain party unity in the wake of a deal with Republicans to end the government shutdown. After eight members of the Democratic caucus voted in favor of a continuing resolution to fund large parts of the federal government, a measure viewed by critics as a capitulation that left key healthcare subsidies unresolved, pressure is mounting on Schumer to step down. The deal drew sharp rebukes from fellow Democrats, who argue that the party leadership failed to defend its core priorities. Schumer voted against advancing the stopgap funding measure but stands accused of allowing it by not preventing defections among his Senate colleagues. China planning to block U.S. military contractors from rare earth imports: Report  China is reportedly working on a plan to block U.S. defense contractors from accessing rare-earth metals, despite efforts to ease import restrictions for other Western companies. The plan includes a “validated end-user” system, which will allow Beijing to quickly deliver rare-earth metals to approved companies in the U.S., while blacklisting those with connections to the U.S. military, The Wall Street Journal reported this week. Companies approved under the validated end-user system typically don’t need to apply for licenses for new shipments but instead receive a general authorization for most exports. It remains unclear which companies would be approved under the validated end-user system, The Journal noted. The Chinese approach is likely based on the U.S.’ existing validated end-user system, which is part of Washington’s broader export control program. Another government shutdown, another pointless waste of time No stoppage has ever given the instigator its aim Given the noise from the left, it is now obvious that a pretty significant chunk of the Democrats didn’t really have a plan, or even the intention, to end the government shutdown. They simply wanted it to continue as long as it was damaging Republicans, irrespective of who else was hurt. That makes this particular shutdown not terribly different from most other shutdowns, which have been typically instigated by one side that wants policy outcomes it hasn’t been able to secure through regular order, or what passes for regular order nowadays. This now-ritual pointless waste of time did not disappoint. It was, as all of its antecedents, a pointless waste of time, punctuated by an auto-da-fe imposed on some sacrificial lamb (this time, Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer). A little history might be useful. No shutdown has ever resulted in the adoption of a specific policy advocated by the team that wanted the shutdown. This go around was no different. BBC: The biased broadcasting corporation Media company's editing of Trump speech was no mistake Two friends emailed from London about the editing scandal that led to the resignation of two top officials from the British Broadcasting Corp. The resignations followed the exposure of the splicing together of two parts of a speech by President Trump on Jan. 6, 2021. The edits made it look and sound like the president was urging his followers to violently attack the Capitol. One emailer said the first “B” in BBC should stand for bias. That reminded me of what some conservatives called CNN during the Clinton administration (the Clinton News Network) because of its perceived bias. The second writer said the edit was only a “mistake.” It wasn’t a mistake. It was deliberate, and it was made with the intention of having viewers accept the BBC’s desired negative opinion of Mr. Trump. In another country and in another era, this would be called propaganda. If this sounds like the editing of the CBS “60 Minutes” interview with Kamala Harris to make her sound articulate, it should. Both flowed from the same liberal worldview. |
|