Good morning! Here is your news briefing for Friday December 17, 2021
1.) THE DAILY SIGNAL
December 17 2021
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Happy Friday from Washington, where some lawmakers turn a blind eye to the real reasons violent crime is skyrocketing. Amy Swearer won’t be silenced on the issue. What does the Pentagon need to keep Americans safe? Heritage Foundation defense analysts share their list. On the podcast, John Suarez outlines how the U.S. can support pro-democracy activists in Cuba. Plus: Dennis Prager on the advantages of an eternal perspective; Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen misleads the Senate; and New York counties rebel against mask mandates. Ten years ago today, North Korean dictator Kim Jong Il dies of a heart attack at 69, leading to the official succession of his second son, Kim Jong Un, the following April. |
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2.) THE EPOCH TIMES
WORDS OF WISDOM “There are no foreign lands. It is the traveler only who is foreign.” ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON MORNING BRIEF TOP NEWS Take advantage of our Holiday Sale that gives you a $10 Amazon.com Gift Card, 4 months of complete access, and so much more for only $1. Give yourself the gift of FACTS reported in Truth and Tradition. Get 4 Months for $1
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POSITIVE NEWS EPOCH OPINION THE READER’S TURN If you’re wondering if there is still a rational, fact-based news source that employs courage, integrity and persistence in seeking the truth, then I believe this is it. I quite enjoy picking up an actual paper once more without sensing that I am subsidizing the agenda of a heavily-biased battery of editors. As a rare bonus, I find that after reading The Epoch Times, I am well informed. Read two or three articles for yourself and see if you don’t agree. I’m sure it hasn’t been easy for you over the years, but you did it. And so can we, by helping get the word out. God bless all of you! ANNALISA HOUGHTON EPOCH TV EPOCH FUN If this email has been forwarded to you and you would like to sign up, please click here. Copyright © 2021 The Epoch Times, All rights reserved. The Epoch Times, 229 W 28th St, Fl.5, New York, NY 10001
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3.) DAYBREAK
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4.) THE SUNBURN
Sunburn — The morning read of what’s hot in Florida politics — 12.17.21
Here’s your AM rundown of people, politics and policy in the Sunshine State.
Good Friday morning.
Christmas just wouldn’t be the same without the highly awaited holiday greetings from The Southern Group.
The lobbying firm — officially the top shop in Tallahassee two quarters in a row — releases a Christmas card each year that offers a fun take on the year’s most significant political stories, something always guaranteed to bring a buzz — not to mention a few snickers — throughout Florida’s Capitol.
This year it appears Santa Claus got himself a smartphone as the card features a gloved hand with iconic Kriss Kringle cuffs scrolling through Twitter.
“He sees you when you’re tweeting. He knows when you DM,” the card reads.
The phone in Santa’s hand, of course, is overflowing with messages, many of them from politicians and celebrities, listing what they want for Christmas this year.
U.S. Sen. Joe Manchin is itching for a stocking full of coal, President Joe Biden hopes Santa can change his name to Brandon, and Bucs QB Tom Brady wants the same thing he got last year — another ring.
As ever, the card features genuine well wishes from The Southern Group team.
“We hope your holidays are full of likes, shares, retweets, and truly perfect moments of joy,” it says.
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Spotted at the Governor’s Mansion for a “State Leaders Holiday Reception” — Secretary Laurel Lee and former Sen. Tom Lee, Secretary Simone Marstiller, Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo, Sen. Dennis Baxley, Reps. Linda Chaney, Elizabeth Fetterhoff, and Jason Fischer, Meredith Beatrice-Ivey, Beau Beaubien, Adam Callaway, Stephanie Kopelousos, Brad and Deanna McVay, Chris and Gina Spencer, Skylar and Lindsey Zander.
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The Reading Rainbow theme doesn’t apply to prisoners. They can’t fly or be anything they want, and, by definition, they can’t go anywhere. They can, however, take a look in a book — and you can help.
The Florida Department of State’s Division of Library and Information Services and the State Library of Florida launched its first-ever Holiday Book Drive on Thursday.
Through February, the public and make book donations at a dropbox in the main lobby of the R.A. Gray Building at 500 South Bronough St. in Tallahassee. The lobby will also be open for donations from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. on Saturdays, and noon to 4 p.m. on Sundays.
All books received through the drive will be distributed to libraries within correctional facilities throughout the state, as well as to the library within the Florida State Hospital in Chattahoochee.
“Book donations received through the State Library’s Holiday Book Drive will make a positive impact on the lives of Floridians statewide,” Secretary of State Laurel Lee said. “The State Library is honored to collaborate with the Florida Department of Corrections and the Florida Department of Children and Families on this invaluable program.”
Drive organizers said prison libraries are clamoring for pretty much anything — yes, that includes the decades-old college textbooks you weren’t able to sell back. If you want to brighten a prisoner’s day, they are craving books in the sci-fi, fantasy and Western genres in particular. Board games, puzzles and movies (G through PG-13) are also accepted.
More information on the drive is available online.
— SITUATIONAL AWARENESS —
—@ElonMusk: Please don’t call the manager on me, Senator Karen
—@MarcATracy: An oral history of the afternoon when everyone realized they were probably going to get COVID soon
—@harmancipants: Feels like something has changed basically overnight in NYC. COVID wave is here!
—@SullyDish: A modest proposal. Make rapid testing kits for COVID as ubiquitous as possible. Approve the Merck COVID pill ASAP and allow it to be sold over the counter, no prescription needed. Give us tools to protect ourselves.
—@goni_lessan: COVID UPDATE: Mark O’Bryant, the TMH president, said there were only 3 people in the hospital for COVID today, said it’s the lowest it’s ever been. Omicron in the community? “My guess is there is some.” Said vaccines help in the severity of omicron cases.
—@revrrlewis: touch down in Ft. Lauderdale and a man is wearing a shirt that says “the final variant is communism”
Tweet, tweet:
Tweet, tweet
—@SteveBousquet: If there’s one thing North Florida does not need, it’s another road — especially a toll road. The first thing anybody in South Florida notices when they go upstate is: What nice roads and no gridlock. We have I-10, I-75, U.S. 90, U.S. 27, U.S. 441, many more. That’s plenty.
—@JHendersonTampa: To those who expect #UrbanMeyer to return to a top college program after his disastrous @Jaguars experience, consider this. Can you imagine this control freak dealing with the agent of a high school kid under NIL rules?
Tweet, tweet:
— DAYS UNTIL —
’The Matrix: Resurrections’ released — 5; ’The Book of Boba Fett’ premieres on Disney+ — 12; Private sector employees must be fully vaccinated or tested weekly — 18; final season of ‘This Is Us’ begins — 18; CES 2022 begins — 19; Ken Welch’s inauguration as St. Petersburg Mayor — 20; NFL season ends — 23; 2022 Legislative Session starts — 25; Florida’s 20th Congressional District Election — 25; Special Elections in Senate District 33, House District 88 & 94 — 25; Florida Chamber’s 2022 Legislative Fly-In and Reception — 25; Florida TaxWatch’s 2022 State of the Taxpayer Day — 26; Joel Coen’s ’The Tragedy of Macbeth’ on Apple TV+ — 28; NFL playoffs begin — 29; ‘Ozark’ final season begins — 35; ‘Billions’ begins — 37; XXIV Olympic Winter Games begins — 49; Super Bowl LVI — 58; ‘The Walking Dead’ final season part two begins — 65; Daytona 500 — 65; Special Election for Jacksonville City Council At-Large Group 3 — 67; CPAC begins — 69; St. Pete Grand Prix — 70; ‘The Batman’ premieres — 76; The Oscars — 102; ’Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ premieres — 145; ’Top Gun: Maverick’ premieres — 164; ’Platinum Jubilee’ for Queen Elizabeth II — 167; ’Thor: Love and Thunder’ premieres — 204; San Diego Comic-Con 2022 — 215; ‘The Lord of the Rings’ premieres on Amazon Prime — 259; ’Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse’ sequel premieres — 294; ‘Black Panther 2’ premieres — 329; ‘The Flash’ premieres — 332; ‘Avatar 2’ premieres — 364; ‘Captain Marvel 2’ premieres — 427; ‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania’ premieres — 588; ‘Dune: Part Two’ premieres — 672; Opening Ceremony of the 2024 Olympic Games — 952.
— TOP STORY —
“CDC issues grim forecast warning that weekly COVID-19 cases will jump by 55% to 1.3 MILLION by Christmas Day and that deaths will surge by 73% to 15,600 a week as omicron becomes dominant strain” via Mansur Shaheen of the Daily Mail — Grim new figures from the CDC have predicted that U.S. COVID-19 deaths will soar by 73% to 15,600 a week by Jan. 8, and that cases will rocket to 1.3 million a week by Christmas Day. The agency revealed projections on Wednesday afternoon that show America will suffer up to 15,600 new COVID-19 deaths a week as of Jan. 8 — or 2,228 deaths per day — a 58% increase from 8,900 deaths currently being recorded each week, equivalent to 1,285 deaths a day. Another CDC prediction estimates that between 620,000 and 1.3 million Americans will have been diagnosed with COVID-19 by the week that ends on Dec. 25 — Christmas Day.
“Ron DeSantis delivers trucking education funds to Nassau County” via Renzo Downey of Florida Politics — DeSantis has put in an order for additional trucker training in North Florida. DeSantis granted $3.2 million to the Florida State College at Jacksonville to establish the Nassau County Transportation Education Institute, a commercial driving facility at the school’s Nassau campus. The facility will be able to support 120 graduates per year. New truckers who went through the training can “make a lot of really good money right off the bat,” the Governor told reporters. Department of Transportation Secretary Kevin Thibault joked the education dollars aren’t for “zombie studies.” Trucking is one of the bottlenecks preventing cargo ships from offloading at ports across the country, including in Jacksonville.
“DeSantis chides 6th Circuit for not taking up vaccine mandate case as full-court” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — DeSantis is calling attention to a potential threat current truckers could face if a federal vaccine mandate currently stayed temporarily goes into effect. Speaking in Yulee, DeSantis said he was a “little bit surprised” and “disappointed” to see the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit‘s 8-8 vote to refer the case to a three-judge panel. With the composition of that three-judge panel in doubt, DeSantis warned the current stay on the OSHA vaccine mandate could be lifted, at least for a time. The rule would affect major companies after the beginning of the new year, compelling companies with at least 100 employees to require full vaccination or weekly testing for those deemed not fully vaccinated.
“Initial UF accreditation investigation finds possible ‘significant noncompliance’” via Aaron Adelson of WGFL — Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) informed UF President Kent Fuchs that, “There may be sufficient factual information supporting significant noncompliance with the Principles of Accreditation.” The University of Florida needs accreditation from SACSCOC to receive federal funding. SACSCOC wrote Dr. Fuchs on Nov. 2, requesting a number of documents related to academic freedom. The investigation began when three UF professors came forward, sharing how the university blocked them from testifying as experts in cases involving the state of Florida. “The decisions that have led to the media reports were all made internally,” Fuchs wrote SACSCOC in late November.
“Frank Artiles’ lawyer again trying to shield records from public view in sham candidate case” via Samantha J. Gross of the Miami Herald — Former Sen. Artiles’ defense team is asking a Miami District Court judge for the second time to hold back releasing potential evidence — including photographs, videos, emails, text messages and call logs — to the public because it would infringe on Artiles’ right to a fair trial and violate the privacy rights of people like Artiles’ wife and daughters. The Wednesday motion refers to copies of data downloaded from electronic storage items seized in March, including an iPhone, laptop, and hard drives, Artiles’ lawyer Frank Quintero said. “There is nothing there that we can see is of evidentiary value …,” he said, noting that he “has no issue” with the state disclosing what he deems relevant items.
Personnel note: Emily Mahoney named Political Editor at Tampa Bay Times — Tampa Bay Times journalist Mahoney will take over as the paper’s Political Editor on Jan. 3, she announced Thursday. I’m humbled by this opportunity, and I can’t wait to jump back into the world of Florida politics,” Mahoney said on Twitter. “It’s been a privilege covering real estate during this critical period, a time of eviction freezes, a white-hot housing market, massive development decisions & vanishing affordability. Thank you to all the people who helped me better explain this world to our readers.” Tampa Bay Times Senior Deputy Editor Amy Hollyfield praised the pick, describing Mahoney as “a fierce, amazing journalist who covered Gov. Ron DeSantis from the outset of his rise. Watch out for this one, world.”
— DATELINE TALLY —
First on #FlaPol — “Board of Education Chair Tom Grady found not guilty of federal misdemeanor” via Ryan Nicol of Florida Politics — Officials accused Grady of excavating the water near his former Islamorada property in 2017 without obtaining the proper permits. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers oversees the waterway near 87429 Old Highway in Islamorada. Grady’s attorneys, David Oscar Markus and Margot Moss, said Grady did apply for local, state and federal approval to begin the project and disputed the charges from the get-go. The U.S. Southern District Court agreed in Thursday’s ruling. “Unfortunately, the federal government’s position is that any existing federal permits were insufficient,” Markus and Moss said. “This case should never have been brought, let alone four years after the fact. Mr. Grady has always acted in good faith and believes he had the appropriate approvals.”
“Chief Justice Charles Canady orders review of ‘vexatious litigants’ law, Florida Bar rules” via Christine Jordan Sexton of Florida Politics — Noting that a review of current policies is necessary to “ensure the ongoing effective and efficient administration of justice,” Chief Justice Canady issued an order Dec. 9 creating the Workgroup on Vexatious and Sham Litigation and named Circuit Judge Carol-Lisa Philips its chair. The Canady order directs Philips and seven other judges appointed to the workgroup to review current rules and statutes regarding vexatious and sham litigation and make recommendations by June 1 on any proposed rule enhancements or statutory changes they think may be necessary. In addition to reviewing current rules and laws, the workgroup has been directed to survey judges, staff, and clerks on their use of existing regulations and the obstacles they have encountered.
“Shevrin Jones says DeSantis wants to stop teaching Black history” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — A Democratic state Senator from South Florida slammed DeSantis‘ proposed “Stop W.O.K.E. Act” Thursday in front of a national audience. The Governor’s latest move seeks to crack down on “pernicious” critical race theory concepts in educational and workplace settings. But Sen. Jones said Thursday the Governor wasn’t trying block teaching critical race theory, rather Black history itself. “It’s talking about racist policies that were created years ago during even the Jim Crow era that have put us in the position we are in now,” Jones said. In his remarks, DeSantis did not explain who “some of these people were” but soon after that focused heavily on decrying the “cultural Marxism” at the heart of critical race theory.
— CORONA FLORIDA —
“As omicron variant spreads, Miami-Dade hospitals ordered to report bed availability” via Douglas Hanks of the Miami Herald — In November, as Miami-Dade County’s COVID-19 pandemic seemed to ease, Mayor Daniella Levine Cava lifted a July emergency order requiring daily bed inventories and COVID patient counts from hospitals across the county. This week, as the omicron variant sweeps across the world, Levine Cava reinstated the order, with the first COVID-19 patient counts due on Friday. COVID is spreading again in Miami-Dade, with 7% of tests administered across the county coming back positive for the virus. That “positivity” rate was 1% just 30 days ago.
“Orange County will offer free drive-thru COVID-19 testing, vaccination through Jan. 31” via Stephen Hudak of the Orlando Sentinel — Located at 4801 W. Colonial Drive, the vaccination site in Barnett Park can administer up to 2,000 doses a day. More than $20 million has been spent operating all county-run testing and vaccination sites. More than $19 million came from federal CARES Act funding. According to statistics compiled by the county, Health Services has given 25,139 shots at the Barnett Park vaccination site since April 12. Health Services, which began offering nasal-swab COVID-19 tests at the park on Nov. 9, 2020, has administered about 492,000 tests. Health Services vaccinated 339 people at the park Monday through Wednesday, including 13 youths aged 12 to 17.
“Spokesman files whistleblower lawsuit against Sheriff Gregory Tony over COVID pandemic” via Rafael Olmeda of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — A spokesman for the Broward Sheriff’s Office is filing suit against the agency and his boss, accusing them of retaliating against him for blowing the whistle about the agency’s failure to protect deputies and the public at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to the lawsuit filed Wednesday afternoon, Donald Prichard, a 20-year veteran of the county’s largest law enforcement agency, was suspended with pay on Dec. 7 and placed under an Internal Affairs investigation. Prichard is also a bargaining unit member for the deputies’ union.
“DeSantis dominates another 2024 GOP Primary poll sans Donald Trump” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — That’s one takeaway from the latest round of monthly polling from Echelon Insights. Though 70% of the 439 registered Republican voters say they would “probably” or “definitely” vote for Trump were he to run again, DeSantis continues to build momentum should the former President not jump in. DeSantis is the choice of 30% of those surveyed in a field, not including the 45th President, up four points from the same survey in November. Former Vice President Mike Pence is in an increasingly distant second place, down three points to 12%. Donald Trump Jr. and U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz tied for third place at 8%, ahead of U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney at 4% and U.S. Rep. Liz Cheney at 3%.
“2021 breaks political ad spending record as most expensive off-election year ever” via Paul Steinhauser of Fox News — Campaigns, party committees, and outside groups shelled out an eye-popping $1.23 billion this year to run political ads on television, digital and radio. Off-election years have traditionally been relatively sedate in the political ad wars, but 2021 was anything but quiet. So far, the price tag for 2021 far exceeds $425 million spent in 2017 on ad spending. It even eclipses the $1.08 billion dished out in 2019, when roughly $405 million was spent on ads during the early and middle stages of the 2020 Presidential Primary campaign.
Eric Lynn touts more endorsements for CD 13 bid — Former U.S. Reps. Howard Berman and Mel Levine, both California Democrats, endorsed Lynn in the Democratic Primary for CD 13 on Thursday. “Eric Lynn has the experience and determination to be an excellent Member of Congress on Day One. His work representing the United States to allies and leaders around the world will be very effective in Congress,” said Berman, a former Chair of the House Foreign Affairs Committee. Levine added, “Eric Lynn is an effective advocate who isn’t afraid to take on the toughest issues.” Lynn, a national security adviser in the Obama administration, faces state Reps. Ben Diamond and Michele Rayner-Goolsby in the Democratic Primary for the seat, which currently covers part of Pinellas County.
“Ex-Citrus County Commissioner Rebecca Bays joins HD 34 race” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics — Bays is running for Florida House District 34. Bays, an Inverness Republican, joins what is likely to be a crowded field in a newly redrawn district with no incumbent. Rep. Ralph Massullo is giving up his seat to run for Senate District 10, where the incumbent, Senate President Wilton Simpson, is running for Agriculture Commissioner. Bays is running to continue Massullo’s legacy and said she promised him, a Lecanto Republican, she would not get in the race if he chose to run for re-election. Bays has glowing opinions of both Massullo and Simpson, and said it would be her goal to continue in their footsteps. She also said Citrus County can play a role regionally and statewide, offering the turnpike extension as an example.
“2022 elections: Races set in North Palm, Lake Park while Palm Beach Gardens cancels election” via Katherine Kokal of The Palm Beach Post — Palm Beach Gardens has canceled its March 8 election because no candidates filed to run against incumbent City Councilmembers Marcie Tinsley and Carl Woods. North Palm Beach’s Village Council has three seats up for election. All three incumbents are running again and facing challengers as the council attempts to overhaul its building code and handle development that some say is out of character with its appearance. Four seats on the Lake Park town Commission are up for re-election. Those elected will shepherd in a new era of development in the town. The 24-story Nautilus 220 project is planned for U.S. 1, and the town is also considering changes to the zoning around Park Avenue to encourage growth. The elections will be held on March 8.
— CORONA NATION —
“Omicron is about to overwhelm us” via David Wallace-Wells of New York Magazine — The speed of spread with omicron is so fast that, when it comes to case growth, at least, the warnings are being validated already. The relative virulence of the new variant is still clouded by enormous amounts of uncertainty. Only one patient has died with omicron, thus far, and it is not entirely clear if the coronavirus was even the true cause of death. But in part, this lack of severe outcomes reflects just how early in the wave we still are, even in South Africa; the variant was first identified there just three weeks ago, which means many of the early cases are still running their clinical course, and we don’t yet know what the outcomes will be.
“New York area bears the brunt of omicron on top of delta” via Faye Flam of Bloomberg — The change of expert opinion was sudden. Researchers at Harvard Medical School now say the omicron variant, not delta, is likely fueling the current surge in COVID-19 cases in the northeastern U.S. That’s cause for alarm, because they still don’t know much about the variant, and it’s unclear how well vaccines will protect people. Harvard’s labs are optimized for speed, but omicron spreads faster than they can track it. Though the CDC had reported just a few days earlier that omicron probably made up just 3% of U.S. infections, that’s probably a considerable underestimate as cases grow by the day. In New York and New Jersey, the percentage from omicron was estimated at 13% as of Wednesday.
“Inside ICUs and ERs of flooded hospitals, an endless loop of preventable tragedies” via Annmarie Timmins of New Hampshire Bulletin — Hospital leaders from around the state sound the alarm as the state hits record high hospitalizations (454 on Monday) and heads into what they say will be the worst four to six weeks of the pandemic. They point to a perfect storm of the more contagious and deadly delta variant and decisions to forgo vaccination and masking while moving large gatherings indoors. Already out of staff and space, hospitals are sending patients out of state and boarding others in hallway emergency rooms. They say it’s preventable surges like these — not vaccine mandates — that most threaten their ability to retain workers. “We’re all experiencing moral distress,” said Martha Leighton, Elliot Hospital’s chief nursing officer.
— CORONA ECONOMICS —
“U.S. economy poised for strong end to 2021; labor market tightening” via Lucia Mutikani of Reuters — The number of Americans filing new claims for unemployment benefits increased moderately last week, keeping the trend at levels consistent with tightening labor market conditions. Other data on Thursday showed economic activity gathering speed as the year draws to a close. Manufacturing production rose to its highest level in nearly three years in November while homebuilding accelerated to an eight-month high. The tightening labor market and strengthening economy encouraged the Federal Reserve to announce that it would end its pandemic-era bond purchases in March and pave the way for three quarter-percentage-point interest rate increases by the end of 2022. Fed Chair Jerome Powell said the economy was “making rapid progress toward maximum employment.”
— MORE CORONA —
“COVID-19 deaths for pregnant people spiked during delta: Data” via Katie Kindelan of ABC News — As the delta variant of COVID-19 spread across the United States this summer, the virus appeared to take a particular toll on unvaccinated pregnant people, with deaths dramatically increasing in the summer months. The number of pregnant people who died of COVID-19 spiked sharply in August and September, with more than two dozen deaths recorded in each of those months. More than 40% of the 248 deaths among pregnant people since the start of the pandemic occurred since August.
“Roger Goodell, chief medical officer Allen Sills respond to whether recent COVID-19 outbreak will postpone NFL games” via Jori Epstein of USA Today — NFL leaders gathered in North Texas for owners meetings and labor summit discussions. A substantial focus of their arguments: the sharp spike in COVID-19 cases across the league this week. Since Monday, roughly 100 NFL players have tested positive for COVID-19, the league’s most significant outbreak since the coronavirus pandemic began in spring 2020. NFL staff members have also contracted COVID-19, including Cleveland Browns coach Kevin Stefanski, who the Browns announced is both vaccinated and boosted. Nonetheless, the league does not anticipate postponing Saturday’s Las Vegas Raiders-Cleveland Browns contest. The NFL postponed games in 2020 when it felt playing could further expand an outbreak but believes the current vaccination state of the league has changed the parameters.— PRESIDENTIAL —
“In Senate that ‘sucks,’ Dems wait for Biden’s word” via Burgess Everett and Marianne Levine of POLITICO — Senate Democrats are waiting on direction from Biden as the year comes to a frustrating close, with both elections reform and Biden’s sweeping spending ambitions stumbling ahead of the holiday break. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer told Democrats on Thursday that Biden should put out a statement addressing the dual stalled priorities later that day. Senate Democrats met for one of their last party meetings of the year, which became an “intense” discussion, in the words of Sen. Elizabeth Warren. Schumer did not pull the plug for the year on either elections legislation or the spending bill. Democrats are bracing for Biden to acknowledge the political realities that the party is not yet close to a deal with Sen. Joe Manchin on Biden’s spending bill.
“Kamala Harris says she and Biden haven’t discussed running for re-election in 2024” via Tarini Parti of The Wall Street Journal — Harris said that she and Biden have never discussed whether he plans to run for re-election and that it isn’t a topic she thinks about as they near the end of their first year in office. Biden, 79 years old, was the oldest President to be sworn in, and since the start of his term, some Democrats have privately questioned whether he would mount another campaign. The White House has repeatedly said he plans to seek re-election in 2024. “I’m not going to talk about our conversations, but I will tell you this without any ambiguity: We do not talk about, nor have we talked about re-election, because we haven’t completed our first year and we’re in the middle of a pandemic,” Harris said.
— D.C. MATTERS —
“All eyes in Washington and West Virginia are on Joe Manchin as child tax credit, spending bill hang in balance” via Yeganeh Torbati of The Washington Post — As Democrats in Washington scrambled on Wednesday to prevent Biden’s $2 trillion spending package from derailing, a group of West Virginia parents gathered on a video call as part of a last-minute effort to turn up the heat on one of their senators, Democrat Manchin. It was just the latest instance of a monthslong, grassroots effort to cajole Manchin as he decides how to vote on the tax-and-spending measure. He’s under pressure not only from Biden and congressional Democrats but also from a range of constituents in his home state. The intensity of the debate has reached a fever pitch as Chuck Schumer has said he wants to pass the bill by Christmas, and it’s increasingly looking as if that timeline has slipped out of reach because of Manchin’s demands.
“The pandemic disrupted ‘Dreamers.’ Can Biden’s spending bill get them back on track?” via Vanessa G. Sánchez and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel of The Washington Post — Undocumented immigrants have limited resources to finance their education. While they can apply for state scholarships in some parts of the country, they are shut out from federal student loans and grants that keep many of their peers enrolled. That could soon change if Democrats shepherd Biden’s Build Back Better plan through Congress. A provision in the $2 trillion legislative package, which is now before the Senate, would open financial aid eligibility to undocumented students shielded from deportation under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. The Barack Obama-era program for immigrants brought illegally to the United States as children has allowed young people, known as “Dreamers,” to live and work in the country but without a path to citizenship.
“Crackdown on China’s treatment of Muslim minority headed to Biden’s desk” via Andrew Desiderio of POLITICO — The Senate on Thursday unanimously passed a bill to crack down on the Chinese government’s genocide targeting Uyghur Muslims, sending the measure to Biden’s desk for his signature. Despite the bill’s overwhelming support, it faced a long and complicated road to final passage as its co-authors, Sen. Marco Rubio and Rep. Jim McGovern, encountered obstacles from the White House and the private sector. The Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act effectively bans all imports from China’s Xinjiang region, where the U.S. government has said that the Chinese Communist Party is perpetrating a genocide against the religious minority, including slave labor, forced sterilizations and concentration camps.
“Rick Scott acknowledges ‘real concerns’ about controversial Missouri Senate candidate” via A.G. Gancarski of Florida Politics — Scott, who heads the National Republican Senatorial Committee, was asked about Eric Greitens, a former Governor steeped in scandal. Greitens resigned amid what NPR called “an investigation of claims that he tried to dodge the state’s campaign disclosure laws and to blackmail a former lover.” He is among the leading candidates for Senate. Scott acknowledged “real concerns that (Greitens) might not be able to win in the General.” Scott expects “good primaries where people have to talk about the issues” and for the “right person to come out.” Scott predicted someone else would prevail. “I think that what you’re going to see is one of the other candidates is going to win. I think that you can already see it.”
— CRISIS —
“Facing subpoenas, Trump allies try to run out the clock on Democrats” via Jonathan Weisman and Luke Broadwater of The New York Times — On Tuesday night, as the House prepared to hold Trump’s former chief of staff Mark Meadows in criminal contempt of Congress, a federal judge ruled that the Treasury Department could provide the former President’s tax returns to the House Ways and Means Committee. It was a sign of progress for Democrats, for sure, but Meadows could find comfort in the fact that the ruling took nearly two and a half years. And even then, Judge Trevor McFadden of the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia stayed his judgment for 10 days to give the Trump camp time to file yet another appeal. The twisting saga of that case indicates how Trump’s aides and allies are trying to run out the clock on the current Congress and hope for Republican control in 2023 when new House leaders would simply drop the inquiries.
“Did Mark Meadows texts include communications with Matt Gaetz?” via Jacob Ogles of Florida Politics — Will U.S. Rep. Gaetz’s communications with the White House ahead of a Jan. 6 “Stop The Steal” rally soon become part of a congressional investigation? U.S. Rep. Bennie Thompson, chair of the House Jan. 6 Committee, said he would decide soon whether to release texts by those in Congress who communicated with Meadows on Jan. 6. “At this point, it is just House members,” Thompson said. Additionally, Thompson said fewer than 10 lawmakers whose texts with Meadows have been obtained by the committee. “There won’t be any surprises as to who they are,” Thompson said. The committee in August asked telecommunications companies to preserve phone records from a group of representatives, including Gaetz.
“The Jan. 6 puzzle piece that’s going largely ignored” via Kyle Cheney of POLITICO — As Trump and his allies squeezed then-Vice President Mike Pence to single-handedly stop Biden’s presidency in the weeks ahead of Jan. 6, they used one particular tool that’s been largely ignored ever since. Rep. Louie Gohmert sued Pence on Dec. 27, just as Trump was ratcheting up his pressure campaign against his Vice President. Backed by a squad of lawyers associated with Trump ally and conspiracy theorist Sidney Powell, Gohmert argued Pence should assert unilateral control over certification, governed only by the vague wording of the Twelfth Amendment. Gohmert’s move forced Pence to publicly resist Trump’s subversion of the election, only a week before the fateful Jan. 6 joint session of Congress. When the Justice Department stepped in to defend Pence from the lawsuit on Dec. 29, it marked the first time Pence signaled he wouldn’t fold to Trump’s demands.
“Jan. 6 rioter charged with assaulting Capitol police in fight that left officer unconscious” via Holmes Lybrand of CNN — Two Texas men, Lucas Denney and Donald Hazard, who prosecutors say formed their own militia group called the “Patriot Boys of North Texas,” were arrested Monday for allegedly assaulting police officers during the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. Hazard and Denney attempted to recruit others to their seemingly small militia before traveling together to Washington, DC. During the Capitol riot, Hazard grappled with police officers “as he fell down a set of stairs” and one officer who fell with Hazard “was knocked unconscious and suffered injuries to his head, foot, and arm.” Denney tried to pull down police barriers, attempted to hit police officers with a long metal pole, tried to take away crowd-control spray from an officer, and attacked an officer with his fists.
“Over 80 of those charged in the Jan. 6 investigation have ties to the military” via Eleanor Watson and Robert Legare of CBS — At least 81 current or former service members face charges and are accused of participating in the mob that led Congress to temporarily halt its counting of the 2020 presidential election’s Electoral College votes. The Justice Department has so far charged more than 700 individuals in connection with the Capitol breach. While an overwhelming majority of those with military ties were veterans when they were charged, at least five were currently in the military when they participated in the attack. One was an active-duty Marine, and four were part-time troops.
“Brad Parscale says Jan. 6 panel subpoenaed his phone records” via Roger Sollenberger of The Daily Beast — The Jan. 6 Committee now appears to be looking into Parscale, with Parscale saying the committee investigating the attack on the Capitol had subpoenaed his phone records from November through January. Parscale said he had received a notice from his phone carrier earlier in the day and “just agreed.” Asked about the prospect of testifying, Parscale said, “All of this makes me think they want me to turn on him.” The “him” in that statement would be former President Donald Trump, Parscale’s boss for nearly two-and-a-half years. Asked whether he would appear if asked to testify, he did not reply.
— EPILOGUE TRUMP —
“Role as Trump’s gatekeeper puts Meadows in legal jeopardy — and at odds with Trump” via Ashley Parker, Josh Dawsey and Jacqueline Alemany of The Washington Post — From his time as Chief of Staff for Trump, Meadows has provided a gold mine of information to the House Committee investigating the deadly Jan. 6 insurrection: urgent texts from the President’s son, pleas from GOP lawmakers and exhortations from Fox News hosts calling on him to get Trump to stop the attack. But now his proximity as Trump’s former gatekeeper and top aide has thrust Meadows into legal jeopardy — even as the revelations in the texts and his new book also threaten his standing with Trump. Meadows in recent weeks has veered between steps aimed at bolstering his former boss and actions that, intentionally or not, have undermined him.
“GOP candidates are flocking to Mar-a-Lago to pay Trump for the privilege of hosting their events” via Josh Dawsey and David A. Fahrenthold of The Washington Post — As his guests sampled short ribs and chocolate cake at a Dec. 1 reception held in Mar-a-Lago’s gilded ballroom and others mingled at another event held by the pool, U.S. Senate candidate Herschel Walker of Georgia raised more than $1 million for his campaign and an allied super PAC. The following evening, Trump dined at his private Florida club with about 20 couples, each of whom paid $250,000 to the Make America Great Again Again super PAC, a group run by close allies of the former President. Two days later, Turning Point USA, a conservative group for young Americans, held a sprawling event at Mar-a-Lago, where organizers said Trump’s presence was the key to attracting 750 guests.
“Trump-Bill O’Reilly event at Amway Center sold just 5,406 tickets, despite predictions of sellout” via Steven Lemongello of the Orlando Sentinel — The Trump-O’Reilly “History Tour” just sold 5,406 tickets for Sunday’s event at Amway Center in Orlando, city records show, despite earlier predictions of a sellout by organizers. The listed capacity for the event of 8,700 didn’t include vast swathes of the upper bowl covered with a tarp before the event started, said Orlando spokesperson Samantha Holsten, despite tickets for those seats being listed as available all the way until Sunday morning. Tickets started at $100 and rose into thousands for VIP packages, but were selling for as little as $40 the morning of the event.
— LOCAL NOTES —
Incredible reporting — “‘It’s breaking them’: Amid guns and poverty, Black teens often wind up in survival mode” via Ana Goñi-Lessan and Christopher Cann of the Tallahassee Democrat — The violence among Tallahassee’s youth in 2021 has prompted anti-gun violence rallies at schools and emergency town hall meetings. Law enforcement says guns stolen out of unlocked cars are one reason for the increase of both shootings and guns confiscated on school campuses, of which there were seven since the 2021-22 school year began. That marks a startling 600% increase that spurred school officials even to consider adding metal detectors in schools. Deaths and threats of gangs were around before COVID-19, but they say the pandemic made Leon County’s poorest even poorer; kids who had nothing before COVID-19 and struggled are now angrier, isolated and more desperate, leading them to sell drugs, rob and join neighborhood-based gangs in search of solidarity and support.
“Former Miami police chief lands CNN job. In Miami, we’re still shaking our heads” via the Miami Herald editorial board — Former and brief Miami Police Chief Art Acevedo has landed on his feet. Acevedo, whose troubled six months as Miami police chief ended with his termination in October, is now a CNN analyst. This week, he made his debut in a segment of “The Situation Room With Wolf Blitzer” to discuss gun violence in America. That’s a good gig for the former chief. As 2021 closes, we consider the rise and fall of Acevedo as one of the most baffling Miami stories of the year. We’re still scratching our heads about how quickly things went South for Acevedo. Blame it on Miami politics, blame it on plotters and schemers within the Miami police department rank and file, blame it on the process and vetting not being followed for such a big job, and blame it on Acevedo for not grasping the intricacies of Miami-Dade.
“2 local County Commissioners accused of lying under oath” via Sarah Wilson of WFTV — According to Marion County arrest affidavits, Oren Miller and Gary Search are both accused of lying while making statements under oath to the state attorney as part of a criminal investigation related to possible Sunshine Law violations. The state attorney’s office said two citizen complaints in March and another from an attorney in June led them to investigate allegations that the two Commissioners were communicating outside of official Commission proceedings. Phone records obtained by the state attorney’s office showed Miller and Search used their personal cellphones to communicate more than 40 times between November 2020 until June 2021. When questioned about the phone records under oath, investigators said both men lied. Miller said the two hadn’t spoken on their cellphones since Jan. 2021, and Search said they hadn’t spoken on the telephone at all.
“No ‘jeering, hissing, booing.’ Here’s how a school board facing threats over masks could limit public comments.” via Brooke Baitinger of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Public input sections of recent meetings have stretched to more than three and four hours, about the same amount of time entire meetings used to take. On more than one occasion, frustrated speakers screamed threats at the school board members. To limit the combative turn, the School Board attorneys drew up a proposal to bar comments from being broadcast on television and ban them from criticizing individual board members. They suggested limiting speakers’ time based on the number of people who will speak. Attorneys also specifically banned “shouting, heckling, applauding, jeering, hissing, booing, engaging in speech that defames individuals or stymies or blocks meeting progress,” all of which constitute a disturbance, they said.
“Citrus County Commissioners take wait-and-see approach on turnpike” via Mike Wright of Florida Politics — Citrus County Commissioners have heard from constituents about the proposed Florida Turnpike extension, and the reactions are mixed. They’ve heard from people who think it’s a great idea to connect Citrus County regionally with Orlando, from an economic standpoint and for hurricane evacuation. They’ve heard from those who think it’s a lousy idea to bring yet another toll road through the county. Commissioner Ruthie Davis Schlabach raised that issue this week, and the board’s collective thinking was not to get out in front until more is known. The Florida Department of Transportation is proposing four alignments, including two through Citrus County. FDOT had public meetings last week in Citrus and Levy counties; the Legislature requires a final report by the end of 2022.
“Escambia County School Board, parents want to slow plans for homeless center near Pensacola High” via Colin Warren-Hicks of the Pensacola News Journal — Parents and school officials are pushing back against the decision to locate a holistic day center for the homeless less than half a mile from the Pensacola High School campus. Escambia County School Board members have started a dialogue with the Pensacola City Council to better understand the plans for the center and have said they will take whatever steps necessary to stop the center if they believe students are at risk. The City Council voted Dec. 8 to set aside $3 million in American Rescue Plan Act money to fund future homelessness programs, with $400,000 to a new holistic homeless day center at 2200 N. Palafox St.
“Will Siesta Key become its own town? Odds aren’t good for incorporation” via Zac Anderson of the Sarasota Herald-Tribune — The question of whether to incorporate Siesta Key into its own municipality has emerged as one of the biggest issues local lawmakers are grappling with in advance of Florida’s 60-day Legislative Session, which begins Jan. 11. Incorporation advocates want to create a new town so they can gain control of land development on Siesta amid concerns that proposed new hotels will hurt the quality of life there, but there are many obstacles in their path. Adding another layer of government with additional taxing authority is something Republican leaders may balk at. Getting an incorporation bill across the finish line appears to be a long shot.
“Two dead, over 40 in Florida hospitalized with severe bleeding after smoking synthetic marijuana” via Brett Clarkson of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Two people have died, and more than 40 people in the Tampa area have been hospitalized with severe bleeding after smoking synthetic marijuana, also known as spice. Tests showed that some of the spice was contaminated with rat poison, according to 10 Tampa Bay. Florida Poison Control issued a warning to emergency departments asking them to report new cases of bleeding related to synthetic marijuana use. In a Dec. 6 Facebook post, Florida’s Poison Control Centers urged anybody who experiences bleeding after using synthetic cannabinoids to go to the nearest emergency room or call the poison control centers at 1-800-222-1222.
“‘We’re putting people who are visiting Disney in danger.’ Firefighters say they are short-handed at theme park” via Katie Rice of the Orlando Sentinel — A woman at a hotel within Walt Disney World had a heart attack in the middle of the day this past Sunday. The call came from the Bay Lake Tower hotel near the Magic Kingdom while the only rescue vehicle for the area was on another call, according to union members of the Reedy Creek Fire Department, which serves the resort. A call log from the department showed a medic team arrived within nine minutes of dispatch, but it took over 13 minutes for a rescue unit from another zone to arrive and 20 minutes before the woman was given epinephrine, a critical treatment. The woman died that afternoon. Had more people initially responded, she likely would have received the drug sooner and had a better chance of survival, said Jon Shirey, president of the Reedy Creek Firefighters Association.
— TOP OPINION —
“Build Back Better’s freeze puts the bow on Biden’s very bad year” via John Podhoretz of the New York Post — Is Biden doing anything — and I mean anything — right? The news that his multitrillion-dollar swing for the historical fences, the Build Back Better bill, is being shelved just put a bow on his mostly horrible first year in office. Early on, he got a COVID-19 relief bill. Later in the year, he got an infrastructure bill. These were real legislative accomplishments. The problem for Biden is that it’s far too early to claim any results from infrastructure spending. The even greater issue is that the COVID-19 relief may have created more problems than it solved. Biden’s party will have to go out there next year and see whether it can do anything to stave off the tsunami that will sweep it away 11 months from now on midterm Election Day.
— OPINIONS —
”How to tell when your country is past the point of no return” via Thomas Edsall for The New York Times — Today, polarization has become self-reinforcing. Most of that decentralization is gone — state parties are more linked to national parties; so are many very powerful interest groups; so is the media (especially for the GOP). Everything gets fed into the existing lines of division rather than producing something crosscutting. Defection from one’s party “team” becomes harder to contemplate because a victory for the team has become so important, and defection is more likely to result in swift retribution. There is nothing in the system “pulling things back to the middle” or disrupting lines of division. This situation is truly novel for the United States. In a very real sense, it is a new and quite different political system.
“On DeSantis’ march to the White House, Whites are victims of racism. OK …” via the Miami Herald editorial board — The new frontier in the civil-rights movement is the threat White people and children are facing from “Black communism,” “cultural Marxism” and, the biggest monster: “Woke ideology.” White folks have found a new civil-rights leader in DeSantis, who, in a buzzword-filled news conference on Wednesday, rolled out his proposed “Stop W.O.K.E. Act.” The phrase stands for “Stop Wrongs Against Our Kids and Employees Act.” Unlike Martin Luther King or John Lewis, DeSantis doesn’t seek to unify the country behind the call for equal rights. He seeks to divide it by stoking resentment of racial-equity efforts at schools and workplaces, which he equates to critical race theory, the new enemy in the GOP’s culture wars.
“DeSantis wants to deal with Florida’s sea level rise without ‘left-wing stuff’” via Craig Pittman of the Florida Phoenix — At his news conference in Oldsmar last week, DeSantis emphasized how much of the taxpayers’ millions the state was going to spend on “resilience.” That’s a politician code word for coping with the symptoms of climate change, but not doing anything about what’s causing it. Still, he did all right talking about that, although DeSantis couldn’t keep his numbers straight ($270 million for 76 projects or $276 million for 70 projects) and seemed as allergic as Scott to speaking the words “climate change.” The problem came when a reporter asked him what he was doing to combat the causes of climate change, rather than just spend money over and over treating its symptoms. DeSantis’ genial tone changed.
“The importance of immigration rules in Build Back Better“ via Annette Taddeo for the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — Our nation is still recovering from the effects of the COVID-19 epidemic that has taken so much from us. Here in the Sunshine State, we know full well the consequences of this deadly virus that has taken the lives of over 62,000 Floridians and has thrown the lives of so many others into turmoil due to the negligence and often recklessly irrational actions of DeSantis. After the election of Biden, Democrats got to work and launched legislative measures to provide relief to millions of American families, getting millions back to work and helping ensure our small businesses got back on their feet. Crucial to those efforts were countless immigrant essential workers who put themselves at risk during the darkest days of the virus. They were the nurses, doctors, farmworkers, teachers, janitors, meatpackers, sanitation workers and other vocations that kept our country going and still do so day after day.
“Endorsement: In Democratic primary for Senate District 33, vote for Rosalind Osgood” via the South Florida Sun-Sentinel editorial board — Voters in central Broward will soon elect a new state senator to replace one of the Broward legislative delegation’s most experienced members, Perry Thurston, who resigned in the middle of a term to run for Congress. In a special primary election on Jan. 11, Democrats in District 33 will choose between Osgood and Terry Ann Williams Edden. The superior choice is Osgood, a nine-year member of the Broward County School Board and its current chair. Osgood was targeted for political retribution by DeSantis for her insistence that teachers and students wear masks at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Osgood was right to make public health a priority, and she will be an advocate for improved public education in Tallahassee.
— WEEKEND TV —
Battleground Florida with Evan Donovan on News Channel 8 WFLA (NBC): Florida Politics Publisher and Editor-in-chief Peter Schorsch.
Facing South Florida with Jim DeFede on CBS 4 in Miami: The Sunday show provides viewers with an in-depth look at South Florida politics and other issues affecting the region.
Florida This Week on Tampa Bay’s WEDU: Moderator Rob Lorei hosts a roundtable featuring PolitiFact Managing Editor Katie Sanders; POLITICO Florida senior reporter Matt Dixon; Democratic political consultant Maya Brown; and Deborah Tamargo, President of the Florida Federation of Republican Women.
The Usual Suspects on WCTV-Tallahassee/Thomasville (CBS) and WJHG-Panama City (NBC): Host Steve Vancore will talk with Dr. Ed Moore.
This Week in Jacksonville with Kent Justice on Channel 4 WJXT: Rep. Sam Garrison, Jacksonville City Council member LeAnna Cumber, and Chris Ragucci, CEO of Worldwide Terminals, Port of Fernandina operator.
This Week in South Florida on WPLG-Local10 News (ABC): A discussion on COVID-19, critical race theory, the Surfside grand jury report and more.
—JINGLE, JINGLE —
“Kraft will pay you $20 not to make cheesecake for Christmas” via Danielle Wiener-Bronner of CNN — For just a few days this holiday season, a limited number of people will be able to spend $20 on dessert and charge it to Kraft, owner of Philadelphia Cream Cheese. The premise: People who can’t bake cheesecakes because they can’t find cream cheese can get another baked good on Kraft’s dime. People interested in the offer can visit a special website set up by Kraft. On Dec. 17 and 18, up to 18,000 of them will be able to nab the right to get reimbursement for a holiday treat. They’ll be able to submit receipts to the company a few weeks later. For Kraft, the campaign is a way to soften the blow of empty cream cheese shelves and keep customers thinking about Philadelphia cream cheese, without souring on the brand.
— ALOE —
“Florida soldier awarded nation’s highest military honor by Biden” via Larry Spilman of WFLA — Biden posthumously awarded Army Sgt. 1st Class Alwyn Cashe of Oviedo the Medal of Honor Thursday for repeatedly going back into his burning Bradley Fighting Vehicle in Iraq in 2005 to rescue soldiers under his command. “Alwyn Cashe was a soldier’s soldier,” Biden said. “A warrior who literally walked through fire for his troops.” The vehicle had been turned into an inferno by a roadside bomb. “With second- and third-degree burns covering almost 75% of his body, his uniform mostly burned away, the sergeant saw there were still two soldiers and their interpreter unaccounted for, so he went back into the inferno for a third time and got everyone out of that inferno.” Cashe suffered severe burns and later died at a military hospital in Texas. He’s survived by his wife Tamara, two daughters and a son.
“How Hard Rock behemoth is expanding to Las Vegas with another guitar hotel, and what it means for sports betting in Florida” via David Lyons of the South Florida Sun-Sentinel — As the deal was unveiled on Monday, Mirage executives called the plan “transformational” for their company. But at the end of the day, it was Hard Rock driving the transformation, displaying its ability to create thousands of jobs, spark millions in economic activity and change the face of gambling landscapes in Florida and elsewhere in the U.S. “What it means to the company is it underscores their financial power,” said Daniel Wallach, a gaming and sports betting attorney in Hallandale Beach. “They’re one of the most profitable gambling operators in the entire world. Their revenue generation is $2 billion annually. This is an acquisition that is commensurate with their financial might.”
“Carol Baskin yanks lawsuit against Netflix and ‘Tiger King’ producers over sequel” via Jesse Scheckner of Florida Politics — Baskin and her husband, Howard Baskin, have dropped a lawsuit against Netflix and production company Royal Good Productions aimed at blocking the release of the “Tiger King 2” documentary series, a month after the full series debuted on the platform. On Wednesday, lawyer Frank Jakes filed a notice of “voluntary dismissal” of legal action on the Baskins’ behalf with a U.S. District Court in Tampa. Judge Virginia Hernandez Covington approved the dismissal “without prejudice.” The lawsuit centered on the Baskins’ argument that Netflix, director Rebecca Chaiklin and producer Eric Goode had no right to use footage leftover from the Emmy-nominated, 13-part docuseries “Tiger King: Murder, Mayhem and Madness,” which launched on the streaming platform at the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020.
What Kathy Mears is reading — “Is pickleball the new shuffleboard? Or is it something for everyone?” via Frank Cerabino of The Palm Beach Post — Shuffleboard, like early-bird dinners, has long served as one of those comedic code words for old. These days, most shuffleboard courts are empty. Those stereotypical older people are now playing pickleball. In 2001, pickleball made its debut at the Arizona Senior Olympics in an RV park in Surprise, Arizona. It drew 100 players. Since then, it grew like crazy, mainly in the southwest and Sunbelt states, becoming the most popular game in senior communities. The National Senior Games Association now has to cap pickleball participation in its annual contests to 1,400 players. But unlike shuffleboard, it didn’t only appeal to aging baby boomers. Younger players have discovered pickleball, and it’s changing the game.
— HAPPY BIRTHDAY —
Best wishes to Holly McPhail, Kim Rodgers, Michael Tuthill, and our friend, Andrew Wiggins.
___
Sunburn is authored and assembled by Peter Schorsch, Phil Ammann, Renzo Downey and Drew Wilson.
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Happy Friday! Smart Brevity™ count: 1,177 words … 4½ minutes. Edited by Zachary Basu.
🇻🇦 Pope Francis is 85 today. Go deeper.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
Demand for tech-infused toys is growing — and raising alarm about kids’ privacy and safety, Erica Pandey writes for Axios What’s Next.
- Why it matters: Action figures that talk back, robots that follow kids around and dollhouses that resemble smart homes will be common holiday presents.
What’s happening: “You can go to Target and find a whole aisle that is almost entirely smart toys,” says James Zahn, senior editor of the trade publication The Toy Insider.
- Some tiny toys, aimed at preschoolers, have the advanced tech of a smartphone.
What’s already out there:
- KidKraft and Amazon have partnered on a toy kitchen and supermarket set that’s Alexa-enabled.
- Huge! Play has an animatronic figurine called GameBud Talking Tom that talks in real life, and also interacts with kids in mobile games on their devices.
Between the lines: Kids are spending more time on screens than they ever have, and parents want to engage them with exciting, tech-infused toys that often have educational value instead of leaving them to browse the internet on iPads, according to the Toy Insider editor.
- “The demand is really driven by parents, especially younger parents,” Zahn says.
Threat level: Smart toys come with the same data privacy concerns as the rest of the “Internet of Things” ecosystem.
- “These toys can come with cameras or microphones, they can connect kids to the internet or other users, and they can create personalized online accounts for kids,” says Hannah Rhodes, a consumer watchdog associate with the U.S. Public Interest Research Group.
Adults know how voice assistant technologies work, but kids “may not understand that they should be careful about what information they share with the toy,” says Melanie Subin of the Future Today Institute.
- They “could give out details such as their address or date of birth that pose a risk if the toy company’s systems were ever compromised.”
Flashback: In 2015, a data breach at smart toymaker VTech exposed millions of kids’ data.
Schools nationwide issued warnings — and some went remote — because of what a leading anti-gun-violence group called a “national TikTok challenge” threatening school shootings today.
- Why it matters: The threat is rattling students on what for many is the last school day of the year, with exams and Christmas fun on the docket. Instead, schools are cutting back and locking down, with last month’s attack in Michigan renewing fears of shootings.
Sandy Hook Promise, a nonprofit organization founded by families who lost loved ones in the Sandy Hook school shooting of 2012, tweeted:
- “A national TikTok challenge promotes school shootings on December 17. Gun violence is not a subject for jokes or pranks.”
Reality check: The threats don’t name specific schools and local authorities say many of them lack credibility, Bloomberg reports.
- The University of Wisconsin at Oshkosh (UWO) said: “We do not believe the threat is credible.”
- Oshkosh K-12 schools said in a letter to students, families and staff: “[T]here is no information that these warnings are directed toward any Oshkosh schools … However, in an abundance of caution, there will be increased police presence.”
Schools in Arizona, Connecticut, Illinois, Montana, New York and Pennsylvania are among those stepping up security today, per AP.
President Biden acknowledged yesterday what Axios has been telling you for weeks: It looks like his (<) $2 trillion Build Back Better package, expanding America’s safety net, will be punted into next year.
- “We will advance this work together over the days and weeks ahead,” Biden said in a written statement. “Leader Schumer and I are determined to see the bill successfully on the floor as early as possible.”
Why it matters: The White House badly wants this as a Year 1 accomplishment — it’s easier to pass something big in odd-numbered years: Election years are always more complicated.
What’s happening: Sen. Joe Manchin (D-W.Va.), the singular roadblock, has said since September he might prefer the bill in ’22. Now he’s deadlocked in talks with Biden. Rising inflation bolstered his resistance.
State of play: Asked Wednesday whether Dems should move on to voting-rights legislation and put off BBB to next year, Biden replied:
- “There’s nothing domestically more important than voting rights. It’s the single biggest issue.”
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
The new COVID wave is crashing into a health care system with workers at a breaking point, Axios health care editor Tina Reed writes.
- Why it matters: Hospital workers have had little relief from COVID over the past two years. That burned-out, dispirited workforce is facing yet another wave from Omicron.
“We’re facing a national emergency,” Rick Pollack, CEO of the American Hospital Association, told Axios.
- “Just think about it: When America shut down, our folks stepped up,” Pollack said. “And for two years now, they’ve been going absolutely full throttle.”
🚨 President Biden warned yesterday: “For unvaccinated, we are looking at a winter of severe illness and death — if you’re unvaccinated — for themselves, their families, and the hospitals they’ll soon overwhelm.”
Visa applications show 62,000 Afghan interpreters and others who worked alongside American forces still remain in Afghanistan, a State Department official told The Wall Street Journal (subscription).
- Why it matters: “This is the first time that the State Department has provided a number on those left behind since the Afghanistan government collapsed this summer,” The Journal reports.
About 33,000 Afghans have cleared vetting requirements and are eligible for evacuation. The 29,000 other visa applicants are in earlier stages.
- U.S. evacuation flights have increased recently.
States and the U.S. government carried out 11 executions this year — the fewest since 1988, as support for the death penalty continues to decline, AP reports.
- 18 people were sentenced to death in 2021, matching last year’s number — a record low since the death penalty’s modern era began in 1972, according to the Death Penalty Information Center.
Go deeper: Year-end report on the death penalty (45-page PDF).
Emma Broyles, Miss Alaska, is surrounded by contestants after being crowned last night as winner of the 100th Miss America Competition — no longer a “pageant” — at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Conn.
The first Miss America contestants, wearing sashes over swimsuits, on the boardwalk in Atlantic City, N.J., in September 1921, when the pageant was launched to try to extend the beach season.
- The winner was Margaret Gorman (second from left), Miss District of Columbia.
Go deeper: “100 years ago, the first Miss America pageant was as messy as today’s,” by The Washington Post’s Amy Argetsinger, adapted from her new book this year, “There She Was: The Secret History of Miss America.”
This Berlin public transport “hemp ticket,” being sold only this week, is edible and infused with hemp oil.
- The city’s transport authority is marketing the ticket to bring patrons down from holiday-shopping-induced stress once they eat it.
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Morning Headlines
Senate Parliamentarian Elizabeth MacDonough rejected Democrats’ third attempt to include immigration provisions in their social spending plan, dealing a potentially fatal blow to the party’s efforts to protect millions of undocumented immigrants for the first time in years. Read more…
President Joe Biden and Democratic leaders reluctantly acknowledged Thursday that the Senate would soon recess for the year without passing their sprawling $2.2 trillion social safety net and climate spending bill or voting rights legislation. Read more…
Senators float new bipartisan Violence Against Women Act outline
Sens. Richard J. Durbin, Dianne Feinstein, Joni Ernst and Lisa Murkowski announced Thursday a bipartisan framework for the Violence Against Women Act, the closest the law has come to reauthorization since it lapsed in 2019. Read more…
Click here to subscribe to Fintech Beat for the latest market and regulatory developmentsin finance and financial technology.
Jan. 6 panel subpoenas Phil Waldron, who briefed members on election fraud theories
Phil Waldron, the man who helped circulate a PowerPoint plan to challenge the 2020 election results, was subpoenaed by the Jan. 6 select committee on Thursday. Read more…
Government talks on migrant family settlements break down
The Justice Department has ended settlement negotiations with attorneys representing migrant families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border under the Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy, a lawyer representing the families said Thursday. Read more…
FDA loosens restrictions on medication abortion drug
The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday it would permanently change two requirements related to medication abortions that would expand how widely the drug could be administered nationwide. Read more…
Listen: The politics of equity 2021
In this year-end episode of “Equal Time,” Mary C. Curtis speaks with New York Times columnist Charles Blow about what he considers the dramatic rollback of the nation’s civil rights, inequity and whether President Joe Biden has been proactive enough to help stem inequity. Listen here…
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25.) POLITICO PLAYBOOK
POLITICO Playbook: ‘This is a real f—ing problem’
DRIVING THE DAY
SEE YOU IN JANUARY — NYT: “Democrats’ $2.2 trillion social safety net, climate and tax bill faced new setbacks on Thursday as President [JOE] BIDEN conceded that the measure was stalled for the moment and a top Senate official decided that a section granting legal status for millions of undocumented immigrants must be dropped from the legislation.”
BREAKING THURSDAY NIGHT: DOMINION DEFAMATION SUIT VS. FOX CAN PROCEED — Bloomberg: “Fox News probably had enough information after the 2020 presidential election to know a conspiracy theory claiming Dominion Voting Systems Inc. rigged the contest was false, a judge said in denying the network’s request to dismiss a defamation lawsuit.” Fox “maintains the lawsuit is baseless and an assault on the First Amendment.”
POLITICS READ OF THE DAY: LONG LIVE MITCH — “DONALD TRUMP has hit a wall in his efforts to oust MITCH MCCONNELL as GOP leader,” Natalie Allison and Burgess Everett report. “Despite months of attacks, the Trump-led campaign to depose the Senate minority leader has resulted in firm pledges from just two Republican candidates, no senators and has failed to turn up a formidable challenger to run against McConnell.”
‘THIS IS A REAL F—ING PROBLEM’ — That’s how one vulnerable House Democrat summarized growing discord between members in battleground districts and the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. That member and five others Playbook spoke with in the past week alleged that the Democratic organization whose purpose is to help the party keep the House next year is instead hurting their chances of reelection.
We granted the members and their staff anonymity to speak freely about their frustrations with the strategy DCCC Chair SEAN PATRICK MALONEY (N.Y.) has adopted in dozens of competitive districts. The complaints fall roughly into three categories.
1) BOTCHED MESSAGING — Universally, we heard that there’s been too much Trump talk, not enough focus on pocketbook issues. TERRY MCAULIFFE banged the anti-Trump drum constantly on his way to losing the race for Virginia governor. But at-risk members we spoke with worry that Maloney is still embracing the Trump-as-boogeyman strategy, blasting Republicans as extreme for seeking his blessing or otherwise supporting him.
“This is crazy to me that the DCCC is rolling out a playbook that they know doesn’t work and that they encouraged people in 2018 not to use,” said the member who dropped the f-bomb to describe the situation. The person argued that in 2018, the committee gave the opposite advice — focus relentlessly on pocketbook issues and let Trump’s antics speak for themselves — and Democrats flipped more than 40 seats to take the chamber.
The messaging issues extend beyond Trump. As cases challenging Roe v. Wade have reached the Supreme Court, the DCCC has sent dozens of press releases attacking Republican candidates and lawmakers for opposing abortion rights. But one front-liner called abortion “a lightning rod” in their district — and said the DCCC should steer clear of it as a campaign issue.
“We should leave it up to Planned Parenthood and all the reproductive organizations to get in there and support candidates that are pro-choice and leave it at that,” the member, who like other vulnerable Democrats supports abortion rights, told us. “I’m not going to go out there and start bashing people for being pro-life. It would be a big mistake in my district.”
2) JAMMING THEM ON POLICY — Previous DCCC Chair CHERI BUSTOS (Ill.), who represented a Trump district, was known for pushing back on leadership in private in order to protect vulnerable members from tough votes. But Maloney has taken the opposite tack: In August, as Speaker NANCY PELOSI was trying to corral moderates to vote for a $3.5 trillion budget, the DCCC infuriated members by threatening to withhold campaign money from them if they opposed the resolution. (The DCCC denied this.)
Then this fall, Maloney routinely sided with leadership over at-risk members who wanted Pelosi to allow a stand-alone vote on the infrastructure bill. He attacked one of the members, JOSH GOTTHEIMER, on Twitter after the New Jersey Democrat criticized Pelosi for “breach[ing] her firm, public commitment” to do so.
One member relayed another anecdote to Playbook: During the fall, liberal outside groups spent millions on TV ads pressuring vulnerable House Democrats to back Build Back Better. The members pleaded with the DCCC to get the groups to back off, but committee officials refused. (The DCCC says it’s illegal for the committee to tell an outside group how to spend money.)
3) FRUSTRATIONS WITH THE DCCC CHIEF — Maloney often says he understands the travails of front-liners firsthand: Trump barely won his district in 2016 — though Biden carried it by 5 points in 2020. But several of the members he’s charged with protecting don’t see it that way, and argue that his more left-leaning views are coloring the work of the committee.
“What’s problematic is not only is he pushing the wrong strategy. … The biggest problem is that he’s attacking front-line members for taking a different perspective,” the first lawmaker said. “If you want to win purple and red seats, you have to distance yourself from other Democrats. He is a part of this ‘party purity’ march that is just going to ensure that we are DEEP in the minority.”
Several of the members suspect Maloney is trying to use his DCCC perch to climb the leadership ladder — essentially raising his own profile at the expense of their political fortunes. Doing the job right, these members say, means sometimes having to back them over progressive members in safer districts.
“I think Sean Patrick’s ‘leadership’ — and please use air quotes on that — at the DCCC is the reason why we should not have elected colleagues running that organization,” said the first member. “Because it’s not about protecting the majority; it’s about Sean Patrick Maloney. … We’ve got a vanity project.”
DCCC PUSHBACK: The committee strongly refutes any suggestion that Maloney is focused on anything but keeping the majority. In response to Playbook, they sent a dozen examples of Maloney saying in interviews that at-risk members will win by highlighting their legislative achievements.
“We agree completely, this election will be won on our record of results, not by talking about Trump,” said DCCC spokesman CHRIS HAYDEN. “That’s why Chairman Maloney has been fighting like hell to pass the president’s transformative agenda, which enjoys supermajority support in swing districts.”
The committee asked vulnerable Democrats to send Playbook positive statements about Maloney. About a half-dozen did, and so did Pelosi. “Sean is an incredible leader who listens to front-line members on our battle-tested strategies for success and encourages us to run the best campaigns for our districts,” said Rep. ELAINE LURIA (D-Va.).
Happy Friday. Thanks for reading Playbook. Drop us a line: Rachael Bade, Eugene Daniels, Ryan Lizza, Tara Palmeri.
BIDEN’S INFLATION WHISPERER — In many ways, the economy is humming, with unemployment dropping and wages rising. But spiraling inflation is jeopardizing all those gains — and threatening Biden’s political standing heading into 2022. In this week’s Playbook Deep Dive podcast, Ryan talks with JARED BERNSTEIN, a member of the Council of Economic Advisors, about the Biden administration’s increasingly urgent efforts to stem rising prices, Morning Money author Kate Davidson also joins to break it all down. Listen and subscribe to Playbook Deep Dive
BIDEN’S FRIDAY:
— 6:50 a.m.: The president will leave the White House and fly to West Columbia, S.C., arriving in Orangeburg at 9:25 a.m.
— 10 a.m.: Biden will speak at South Carolina State University’s fall commencement ceremony.
— 12:55 p.m.: Biden will leave Orangeburg and head to Wilmington, Del., via West Columbia and Philadelphia, ultimately arriving at 3:25 p.m.
Press secretary JEN PSAKI will gaggle on Air Force One on the way to South Carolina. The White House Covid-19 response team and public health officials will brief at 11 a.m.
THE SENATE is in. THE HOUSE is out.
PHOTO OF THE DAY
PLAYBOOK READS
THE WHITE HOUSE
HARRIS: NO DISCUSSION OF 2024 WITH BIDEN — VP KAMALA HARRIS told WSJ’s Tarini Parti in an interview Wednesday that she and the president have not talked about reelection in 2024: “I’m not going to talk about our conversations, but I will tell you this without any ambiguity: We do not talk about nor have we talked about reelection, because we haven’t completed our first year and we’re in the middle of a pandemic.” When she was asked about Biden running again in 2024, she said “I’ll be very honest: I don’t think about it, nor have we talked about it.”
ALL POLITICS
MAGA WORLD HAS DOUBTS ABOUT OZ — While MEHMET OZ is pitching himself as a pro-Trump candidate in the Pennsylvania GOP Senate primary, a number of influential supporters of the former president have started to attack the doctor as a MAGA pretender, Daniel Lippman reports. Referring to Oz, STEVE BANNON recently said that Fox News was “non-stop pimping out the single biggest anti-MAGA candidate — the pick of the Australian MURDOCH and McConnell.” JACK POSOBIEC, senior editor of Human Events and an alt-right conspiracy theorist, has called Oz “a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” MAGA pundits have also questioned Oz’s views on abortion and gun control, among other issues.
“He’s a squish, at best, with no track record of conservatism and with no discernible conservative views whatsoever. In the off chance he gets elected, he would make MITT ROMNEY seem like LAUREN BOEBERT,” conservative columnist KURT SCHLICHTER wrote in Townhall last week.
An Oz campaign official responded: “Dr. Oz is the only candidate with America First bona fides,” adding that the candidate “has the support of many from within the MAGA movement” as well as two Trump veterans who are working on the campaign or advising him.
— JOHN CATSIMATIDIS, a longtime friend of Trump, and his wife MARGO hosted a private lunch for Oz on Thursday at Smith & Wollensky in NYC, according to an invitation obtained by Playbook.
AD WARS — The U.S. Chamber of Commerce launched an ad campaign to ratchet up pressure on Sens. JOE MANCHIN (D-W.Va.) and KYRSTEN SINEMA (D-Ariz.) to oppose BBB, Caitlin Oprysko writes. The two lawmakers’ resistance to the package has put its fate in doubt.
DEMOCRACY WATCH
THE EPICENTER — The dispute over the 2020 presidential election results has heated up in Wisconsin, but WaPo’s Rosalind Helderman and Josh Dawsey note that “the inquiry makes little pretense of neutrality and is being led by figures who have shown allegiance to Trump or embraced false claims of fraud. … In Wisconsin, a state that is likely to see some of the nation’s most competitive races in 2022 for governor and U.S. Senate, there are now multiple efforts underway to scrutinize how the last election was run, including a recommendation by a county sheriff to prosecute and jail state election officials.”
DOJ FILES
JOURNALISM OR DIRTY TRICKS? — NYT’s Adam Goldman and Michael Schmidt unearth new details on the DOJ’s investigation of how the diary of ASHLEY BIDEN, the president’s daughter, landed in the hands of Trump allies. “Extensive interviews with people involved in or briefed on the investigation and a review of court filings, police records and other material help flesh out elements of a tale that is testing the line between investigative journalism and political dirty tricks.
“The investigation has focused new attention on how Mr. Trump or his allies sought to use the troubles of Mr. Biden’s two surviving children to undercut him. The inquiry has also intensified the scrutiny of Project Veritas. Its founder, JAMES O’KEEFE, was pulled from his apartment in his underwear and handcuffed during a dawn raid last month by the F.B.I., two days after a pair of his former employees had their homes raided. The group — which purchased the diary but ultimately did not publish it and denies any wrongdoing — has assailed the investigation.”
POLICY CORNER
BIG ABORTION NEWS— The FDA on Thursday “ended a long-standing restriction on a medication used to terminate early stage pregnancies … [meaning] abortion pills can be prescribed through telehealth consultations with providers and mailed to patients in states where permitted by law. Previously, the pills could not be mailed, though that regulation had been temporarily suspended by the FDA,” WaPo’s Laurie McGinley and Katie Shepherd write.
The pair notes that while the federal agency did away with the restriction, it could have less of an impact in some states that have their own restrictions on mailing abortion pills. The FDA’s move comes as the Supreme Court considers a Mississippi abortion case that could reverse Roe v. Wade.
MEDIAWATCH
POST-TRUMP SLUMP — WaPo is navigating a steep decline in readership following the spike it saw during the Trump administration. WSJ’s Benjamin Mullin and Alexandra Bruell report that in a newsroom leadership meeting, the Post’s “executive editor SALLY BUZBEE said she was struck by a presentation showing that in one stretch of 2019, nearly all of the 50 most popular articles on the Post’s home page were related to politics, whereas in the same period of 2021, just three of the top 10 were related to politics. … Ms. Buzbee weighed in with her conclusion: When political news falls out of favor with Post readers, the news organization needs to be in position to excel with other types of stories.”
THE PANDEMIC
PLAYBOOK METRO SECTION — via NBC Washington’s @TomLynch_: “DC Health tells News4 that the 508 cases reported [Thursday] is the highest positive case count reported throughout the entire pandemic, 21 months to the day since pandemic shutdowns began in the District.”
TV TONIGHT — PBS’ “Washington Week”: Ashley Parker, Eva McKend, Sabrina Siddiqui and Nicholas Wu.
SUNDAY SO FAR …
-
ABC
“This Week”: Rep. Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.). Panel: Yvette Simpson, Sarah Isgur, Robert Costa and Rachael Bade.
-
FOX
“Fox News Sunday”: New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy … Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan. Panel: Doug Heye, Jennifer Griffin and Marie Harf.
-
MSNBC
“The Sunday Show”: Rep. Cori Bush (D-Mo.) … D.C. A.G. Karl Racine … Martin Luther King III … Laurence Tribe … Sophia Nelson.
-
CBS
“Face the Nation”: Hamdullah Mohib … DEA Administrator Anne Milgram … Scott Gottlieb.
-
Gray TV
“Full Court Press”: Catherine O’Neal … Donna Berrent … Donna Talla.
-
CNN
“Inside Politics”: Megan Ranney. Panel: Jonathan Martin, Seung Min Kim, Catherine Lucey and Jeremy Diamond.
-
NBC
“Meet the Press”: Panel: Donna Edwards, Amna Nawaz, John Podhoretz and Philip Rucker.
PLAYBOOKERS
Jill Biden hosted a virtual tour of the White House’s holiday decor (theme: “Gifts from the Heart”).
Chuck Todd is producing his first scripted TV show, a presidential assassination anthology series called “American Assassin” on Peacock.
Brian Schatz presided over the Senate as the gavel wore a Santa hat.
Bill Clinton is hosting a Masterclass session on “how to inspire diverse teams, manage criticism, and mediate conflict.”
Donald Trump again took credit for people using the phrase “Merry Christmas,” and told Mike Huckabee that “America loves Christmas. Whether you’re Muslim, whether you’re Christian, whether you’re Jewish — everyone loves Christmas.”
TALES OF AN ANTI-VAXXER — Robert F. Kennedy Jr. is one of the most prominent anti-vaxxers in the country. So it came as a surprise when an invitation to a holiday party at his home in California last week urged attendees to be tested or vaccinated beforehand, two people familiar with the matter told Daniel Lippman.
When we called up Kennedy for comment, he pinned it on his better half, actress Cheryl Hines of “Curb Your Enthusiasm” fame. Kennedy said the party was for her entertainment industry friends and cast members, and he was unaware of what the e-vite invitation said before the day of the party.
“I guess I’m not always the boss at my own house,” Kennedy told Lippman. There was also no effort to verify vaccination or testing status of the attendees before entering, he said. (Hines didn’t respond to a request for comment.)
Just this week, Kennedy was the subject of a major AP profile titled “How a Kennedy built an anti-vaccine juggernaut amid COVID-19.” The article reported that the revenue of his charity, Children’s Health Defense, more than doubled in 2020 to $6.4 million. Last month, he released his new book, “The Real Anthony Fauci: Bill Gates, Big Pharma, and the Global War on Democracy and Public Health,” which continues to be a best-seller on Amazon.
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENTS — At a wedding last weekend at Mar-A-Lago, Donald Trump told the crowd he changed the start time of his (reportedly sparsely attended) event with Bill O’Reilly to make it to the wedding of Brian Schottenstein and Toria Aronoff, scions of two prominent Ohio families.
“We had a hell of a time, and the crowd was massive and everybody was happy and I said, ‘I have to go,’ ‘no no no, you can’t, you have to stay.’ ‘No no, I have to go, friends of mine are getting married, I’m sorry I have to go,’” he said to applause in a video obtained by POLITICO. “And what nobody knows is that [the O’Reilly event] was supposed to be at 7 o’clock in the evening and because of this wedding, I moved it to 3 o’clock in the afternoon and everyone said, ‘Where did you get the 3 o’clock in the afternoon stuff?’” (h/t Daniel Lippman)
SPOTTED at Cafe Milano on Thursday night: Terry McAuliffe and Norah O’Donnell.
FIRST IN PLAYBOOK — James Braid is now chief of staff for Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.). He most recently was a government affairs fellow at the Conservative Partnership Institute, and is a Trump OMB, House Freedom Caucus and Ted Budd alum.
MEDIA MOVE — Fox News Radio’s Jared Halpern was elected chair of the Radio & Television Correspondents’ Association on Thursday evening.
TRANSITIONS — Mia Woodard is joining the Hub Project as director of federal and external affairs. She most recently was a legislative affairs and policy counsel for Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington. … Joe Karwacki is now digital specialist for Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas). He previously was a digital production assistant with Fox News, and is a Trump digital alum. … Hamilton Place Strategies is promoting Andrea Christianson, Bryan DeAngelis and Christina Pearson to partners. They all previously were managing directors. …
… The Center for Security Policy is reshuffling its leadership as president and CEO Fred Fleitz departs for the America First Policy Institute. Don Woodsmall is taking over as interim president and CEO. SCOOPLET: There appears to be other upheaval at the organization. Victoria Coates, who was deputy national security adviser under Trump, has resigned as senior fellow at the Center for Security Policy effective Jan. 1 to pursue other private-sector opportunities. (h/t Daniel Lippman)
WELCOME TO THE WORLD — Bridget Bartol-Versteegden, deputy director of public affairs at the Department of Energy, and Keith Versteegden, EVP at OneVision, on Tuesday morning welcomed Madison Catherine Versteegden, who came in at 6 lbs, 14.9 oz. Pic … Another pic
HAPPY BIRTHDAY: Pope Francis … Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pa.), Donald Payne Jr. (D-N.J.) and Tracey Mann (R-Kan.) … RNC’s Tommy Hicks … Chelsea Manning … Randall Gerard of Cogent Strategies … Kelli Arena of the NSA … Shannon Russell of AARP … POLITICO’s Sabrina Rodríguez, Allan James Vestal, Kam Burns and Samantha Bailey … E&E News’ Claudine Hellmuth … Olivia Shields of the House Energy & Commerce GOP … Adam Finkel of Rep. Tom O’Halleran’s (D-Ariz.) office (4-0) … Noah Rothman of Commentary and MSNBC (4-0) … Taylor Foy … Eli Pariser of New_ Public … Shane Smith of Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s office … Holly Harris of the Justice Action Network … former Reps. Steve Knight (R-Calif.) and Rick Nolan (D-Minn.) … Cyrus Krohn … Carlson Teboh … Venable’s Tom Quinn … Emma Vaughn … Sheppie and Mike Abramowitz … Michelle Morgan … Doug Landry … Bailey Childers … Joe Ballard of KPM Group (24) … Clare Gannon … Jessica Lovejoy of 50+1 Strategies … Sara Benabdallah (41) … Carol Thompson O’Connell … Emma Brereton … Jessica Stone … Aryeh Bourkoff
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26.) AMERICAN MINUTE
27.) CAFFEINATED THOUGHTS
28.) CONSERVATIVE DAILY NEWS
29.) PJ MEDIA
30.) WHITE HOUSE DOSSIER
31.) THE DISPATCH
The Morning Dispatch: What Comes Next for Build Back Better?
In a statement, President Biden concedes it will not be passed any time soon.
The Dispatch Staff |
Happy Friday! Let’s get right to it.
Quick Hits: Today’s Top Stories
- The Centers for Disease Control on Thursday recommended Americans seeking COVID-19 vaccines and boosters choose the Moderna or Pfizer shots rather than Johnson & Johnson’s, as the latter has been linked to a rare blood clotting issue that has led to between nine and 11 confirmed deaths. Approximately 17 million doses of the J&J vaccine have been administered in the United States, compared with a combined 470 million doses of the two-dose Moderna and Pfizer vaccines.
- The Senate voted unanimously Thursday to pass the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act, sending the legislation—which would prohibit all imports from China’s Xinjiang region unless it can be proven they weren’t made with forced labor—to President Joe Biden’s desk. The White House said this week Biden will sign the bill into law.
- The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday it will lift a regulation requiring abortion pills “be dispensed only in healthcare settings,” allowing providers to prescribe the pills—used up to 10 weeks’ gestation—via telemedicine and send them to women in the mail. Nearly two dozen states, however, have preemptively banned the practice.
- The Justice Department has reportedly broken off settlement negotiations with the lawyers representing families separated at the U.S.-Mexico border during the Trump administration, opting instead to adjudicate the lawsuits in court.
- One day after the Federal Reserve signaled a trio of potential interest rate hikes in 2022, the Bank of England announced Thursday it will increase its benchmark interest rate to 0.25 percent to combat inflationary pressures, becoming the first major central bank in the world this year to do so. The European Central Bank, meanwhile, announced yesterday it will leave interest rates unchanged for now while gradually tapering its asset purchase programs.
- The Treasury Department announced Thursday it is prohibiting American investment in eight Chinese tech companies—including drone-maker DJI Technology Co.—after determining they “actively support the biometric surveillance and tracking” of ethnic and religious minorities in China at the behest of the Chinese Communist Party.
- Initial jobless claims remained near pandemic lows but increased by 18,000 week-over-week to 206,000 last week, according to the Labor Department. The measure’s four-week moving average is now at its lowest point since November 1969.
- Ohio-based Christian Aid Ministries announced Thursday that all 17 of its missionaries taken hostage by the 400 Mawozo gang in Haiti two months ago have been released.
- The Senate voted 75-18 Thursday to confirm Nicholas Burns as the United States’ ambassador to China.
- Democratic Rep. Alan Lowenthal of California announced Thursday he will not seek a sixth term in 2022, becoming the 20th Democratic member to announce his retirement from the House this cycle.
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The BBBeginning of the End?
When 13 House Republicans broke ranks last month to help Democrats get $550 billion in new infrastructure spending across the finish line, it sparked outrage on many segments of the right—in part over the bipartisan infrastructure framework’s (BIF) various provisions, but primarily because of what the bill’s passage supposedly meant for Democrats’ larger Build Back Better (BBB) legislation.
“13 Republicans swooped in to rescue Pelosi, provide Biden with the biggest victory of his presidency, and put the rest of his reckless agenda on a glide path to passage in the House,” National Review’s Philip Klein wrote at the time. “[BIF’s passage will] help grease the wheels for the passage of the larger multi-trillion welfare bill that will expand Medicare and Obamacare, initiate a federal takeover of preschool and child care, and impose economically devastating tax increases on individuals and businesses.”
A few days later, however, we reported that many of the House and Senate Republicans who supported BIF did so precisely because they believed its passage would hinder Democrats’ ability to move forward with BBB. By playing ball on physical infrastructure, the argument went, a handful of Republican negotiators had successfully delinked the smaller, more popular bill from the larger, uber-progressive BBB. Centrist lawmakers who wanted an infrastructure deal but weren’t on board with all of BBB’s provisions—Sens. Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema—no longer felt like they had to stomach the latter in order to ensure their priority became law.
“The fundamentals were always: Dems were united around infrastructure, mostly, but divided on ‘human infrastructure,’” a senior Senate GOP aide told The Dispatch yesterday, referring to Democrats’ alternative branding for BBB. “That’s why they were separated and never came together. The idea that one would pave the way for the other never made sense because it could never provide any explanation for why they were split up in the first place.”
Back in November, that same GOP aide predicted the delinking would imperil BBB’s chances. “I think that we still have a lot of ability to just kick the crap out of the reconciliation bill over the next few months and give ourselves a fighting chance that maybe it never passes at all,” the aide told The Dispatch at the time. “Or it passes in a very, very, very weakened state so [Democrats] can say that they did something.”
Slightly more than one month later, it’s hard to argue with that theory of the case. Congress has been productive in December—funding the government, raising the debt limit, passing the National Defense Authorization Act, advancing the Uyghur Forced Labor Prevention Act—but progress on Build Back Better has been minimal to nonexistent, despite Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer repeatedly setting a Christmas deadline to get it to Biden’s desk. In an evenly divided Senate, it takes only one Democratic defection to tank the reconciliation bill—and Manchin has thus far proven more than willing to do just that if his demands for the legislation are not met.
Party leaders have been working the West Virginia Democrat for weeks, looking for ways to mitigate his concerns about the size and scope of the bill without scaling it so far back as to provoke a progressive revolt, but to no avail. And in a lengthy statement released last night, Biden finally conceded what had become obvious to congressional junkies weeks ago: BBB will not be passed any time soon.
“I believe that [Sen. Manchin and I] will bridge our differences and advance the Build Back Better plan, even in the face of fierce Republican opposition,” the president said. “My team and I are having ongoing discussions with Senator Manchin; that work will continue next week. It takes time to finalize these agreements, prepare the legislative changes, and finish all the parliamentary and procedural steps needed to enable a Senate vote.”
Democrats have pared back their social spending bill over the fall in hopes of securing Manchin’s support. In response to Manchin’s objections, the White House removed a provision that would have required employers to provide workers 12 weeks of paid family and medical leave (though the House added a four-week requirement back into the version of BBB it passed last month), and the legislation’s topline number has been whittled down from $3.5 trillion to about $1.75 trillion—at least on paper.
Worried about inflation, Manchin is wedded to that dollar figure—and adamant that the bill be fully paid for. “We have $1.75 [trillion] to work within,” he told CNN earlier this week. “So pick your priorities and let’s do it.”
But as we’ve noted in recent weeks, the two parties disagree on how to calculate the true cost of the legislation. From Monday:
The lawmakers who crafted the legislation included a series of expiration dates and sunset clauses—the bill’s child tax credit boost lapses after just one year, for example—that serve to reduce the topline cost of the package. Republicans—channeling their inner Milton Friedman—expect those programs to become permanent.
“These permanent programs are typically done in two steps. First, you pass the temporary bill, and then later you get often a bipartisan vote to extend the programs without pay-fors, because nobody wants to be accused of taking away an existing benefit,” [Manhattan Institute economist Brian] Riedl said. “Nobody believes that Congress would let the Child Tax Credit expire after one year, or let brand new entitlements expire after three or four years.”
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office has scored the legislation both ways—exactly as written, and under the assumption all its programs are extended for a decade. In the first scenario, it adds about $160 billion to the deficit over 10 years. In the second, $3 trillion. The main driver of the difference is the enhanced child tax credit, which the CBO estimates would cost $185 billion through 2022, but $1.6 trillion if extended.
Worth Your Time
- In the Washington Post, Kentuckian Cole Douglas Claybourn recounts his experience living through last weekend’s tornadoes—and how his community rallied in response. “This was the first time in my life I’d felt any unease about a storm. It was also the first time that I took the official warnings and directions seriously, and that probably is what saved my life,” he writes. “When daylight broke, the true magnitude of the devastation was visible. A hundred yards or so from my house, my neighbor B.J.’s house was leveled. By 7 a.m., B.J. was more concerned with helping his neighbors than dealing with his own home’s destruction. B.J. embodied the spirit that this entire community has shown in the days since the storms hit. By Saturday afternoon, a team of church volunteers whom I’d never met had arrived to clean the debris and tree limbs out of our yard. Others brought food and water. Colleagues drove their cars to me so I could charge my phone. All over the state, Kentuckians have shown up—whether it was with a chainsaw, a wallet, or a hug—to take care of their own. Scores of local sports teams, school organizations, and churches have flooded the streets with volunteers.”
- If you’re a sports fan, you’re likely aware that COVID-19 is currently tearing through the NFL, NBA, and NHL. The Chicago Bulls, for example, had both their games this week postponed because nearly 60 percent of their roster—and two of their broadcasters—had entered the league’s health and safety protocols, which require those who test positive to stay away from the team for 10 days. But the whole team is vaccinated, and coach Billy Donovan said “a lot” of the players testing positive were completely asymptomatic. In his latest “House of Strauss” newsletter, basketball writer Ethan Strauss wonders if the NBA should update their pandemic rules and set an example for the country as an Omicron surge looms. “The NBA actually has an opportunity here to end the precautionary moment, or at least signal its ebb,” he writes. “If commissioner Adam Silver steps forward and announces that his league is ending test protocols and treating this admittedly terrible disease in much the same way we deal with some other respiratory illnesses, that’s a potential cultural shift. The basic plan would be to test players and team officials only if they’re obviously sick (and sit said players if they test positive). And no more of the contact tracing that’s gummed up work behind the scenes of a highly mobile industry. The message could be simple: Look, we can’t functionally operate like it’s 2020; now that the disease is endemic, and vaccines are widely available, we must move into 2022.”
- In his latest column, former Treasury Secretary Larry Summers welcomed the Federal Reserve’s pivot this week but argued the moves announced are “not sufficient” to combat inflation and sustain economic growth. “Restoring monetary policy to a normal posture, let alone applying restraint to the economy, will require far more than the three quarter-point rate increases the Fed has predicted for next year,” he writes. “Even with its actions this week, the Fed remains well behind the curve in its commitment to fighting inflation. If its statements reflect its convictions, this is a matter of serious concern. To be fair, though, there is another possibility. Perhaps the Fed’s restraint reflects less conviction about what ultimately will be necessary than a desire to avoid being itself a source of economic shocks. We should hope that what we have seen is just the first part of what will be, if necessary, a more radical policy redirection. Time will tell.”
Presented Without Comment
Asked if she assumed Mr. Biden would run again, Kamala Harris told @tparti: “I’ll be very honest: I don’t think about it, nor have we talked about it.”
Also Presented Without Comment
NEW: The Republican Party has pledged to pay ***$1.6 million*** of Trump’s private legal bills, related to investigations of his biz in NY. That’s 10 times more than was previously known.
Toeing the Company Line
- On Thursday’s episode of Advisory Opinions, David and Sarah discuss the Supreme Court’s decision not to block New York’s vaccine mandate for health care workers. Afterward, they’re joined by Virginia Solicitor General Michelle Kallen for a conversation about the Equal Rights Amendment.
- Psychiatrist Sally Satel stopped by The Remnant yesterday to discuss the state of medical science. How has psychotherapy changed over the years? Is wokeness harming the practice of medicine? What can be done to address the opioid epidemic? And will people only get crazier as the COVID-19 pandemic refuses to end?
- A retired Army colonel named Phil Waldron is being subpoenaed by the January 6 Select Committee. His name might be newly familiar to the public, but he’s been part oof the Stop the Steal Movement since the early days, Khaya reports.
- Speaking of the January 6 Select Commttee, Gregg Nunziata looks at Mark Meadows’ claim of “executive privilege” in ceasing cooperation with the committee. He writes that the courts have recognized such a privilege but that it is limited and qualified.
Reporting by Declan Garvey (@declanpgarvey), Andrew Egger (@EggerDC), Charlotte Lawson (@lawsonreports), Audrey Fahlberg (@AudreyFahlberg), Ryan Brown (@RyanP_Brown), Harvest Prude (@HarvestPrude), and Steve Hayes (@stephenfhayes).
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An essential daily news roundup, TMD includes a brief look at important stories of the day and original reporting and analysis from The Dispatch team, along with recommendations for deeper reading and some much-needed humor in these often fraught times.
32.) LEGAL INSURRECTION
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34.) DESERET NEWS
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44.) WORLD NET DAILY
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48.) NBC MORNING RUNDOWN
To ensure delivery to your inbox add email@mail.nbcnews.com to your contacts Today’s Top Stories from NBC News FRIDAY, DECEMBER 17, 2021 Good morning, NBC News readers.
This morning we take a closer look inside the fight to regulate one of the deadliest consumer products. We also have a look at the year in pictures and the unexpected rise of professional cornhole.
Here’s what we’re watching this Friday morning. Portable generators can save lives after major storms by powering medical equipment, heaters and refrigerators when the grid collapses. But desperate residents who rely on the machines to keep their families safe sometimes end up poisoning them, instead.
The devices can emit as much carbon monoxide as 450 cars, according to federal figures. They kill an average of 70 people in the U.S. every year and injure thousands more, making them one of the most dangerous consumer products on the market.
As climate change and the country’s aging infrastructure combine to cause worsening storms and longer power outages, experts warn that more people are turning to portable generators every year — a trend that benefits manufacturers’ bottom lines while putting more people at risk.
Read our in-depth story on this dangerous trend here. Friday’s Top Stories
New York City, once the epicenter of the pandemic in the U.S., is experiencing some unwelcome echoes of 2020. Newly reported Covid-19 infections are spiking, with the percentage of people testing positive doubling in just three days over the past week. Recent outages at Amazon, Comcast and other internet services have caused widespread disruptions with global consequences, highlighting internet availability and reliability issues. Doctors say they’re seeing the human impact of extreme weather coming through the doors of emergency rooms in the U.S. and Canada. Seven years after fans saw him explode and disappear on the big screen, Foxx’s Electro is back among the other villains who have faced off against Spider-Man over the years. Also in the News
Editor’s Pick
In a year of change, deep division and an unrelenting pandemic, tenuous signs of hope emerged. See the images, curated by our photo editors, that best capture the pain, fear, sadness and joy that 2021 brought us. Select
From equipment like exercise bikes and ankle weights to clothing like leggings and sports bras, there are a plethora of options you can gift to the fitness fanatic in your life. One Fun Thing
Did you know cornhole — the game you might have played at a tailgate, bar or in a backyard — has turned pro?
There’s multiple professional circuits with elite players, and top tournaments pay $20,000 or more for first prize.
To get a peek inside the professional game, NBC News went to rural Virginia to spend a day with two of the best in the world.
Check out the video here. Want to receive NBC Breaking News and Special Alerts in your inbox? Get the NBC News Mobile App 30 Rockefeller Plaza New York, NY 10112 |
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50.) CBS
51.) REASON
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55.) REALCLEARPOLITICS MORNING NOTE
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56.) REALCLEARPOLITICS TODAY
57.) CENTER FOR SECURITY POLICY
58.) BERNARD GOLDBERG
59.) SARA A. CARTER
60.) TWITCHY
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62.) 1440 DAILY DIGEST
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73.) POPULIST PRESS
He’s given them a pathway to federalize all of these elections which is the only way they can win and they understand that. They understand. They’ve seen the polls.
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TOP STORIES:
-
BREAKING: Bannon Drops a Bombshell… 2024 Steal Underway NOW!
-
General Flynn Assembled This Military Team… ‘Large Scale Operation’
-
Federal Judge Makes Final Ruling On Lin Wood…
- 86 Million Americans Put On High Alert…
- Cornell Abruptly Shuts Down Entire Campus…
- Schiff Doctored J6 Texts Between Mark Meadows And Jim Jordan
-
Democrat Whistleblower Explodes Election Fraud Coverup… DOJ Complicit
- White House Confirms Repayments Will Start In February
- Judge Rules On Trump Giving Dems His Tax Returns
- Two Dems Indicted For Vote-Buying In Election… Facing 5 Years In Prison
- Elon Musk Just Destroyed Senator Warren… Must See
- Salvation Army Faces ‘dire Situation’ After Telling White Donors To Face Their Racism
|
IN DEPTH:
|
- The Best & Worst States for Honest Elections 1 hour ago
- Apple to Require Masks in All Stores Nationwide 1 hour ago
-
Clinton 2024 Is looking Like a Reality After Latest Move 1 hour ago
- NY Attorney General Letitia James Accused of ‘prosecutorial misconduct’ 2 hours ago
- Supermarket Chain Strips Unvaccinated Employees of Benefits 2 hours ago
- JFK assassination: National Archives releases nearly 1,500 confidential documents 2 hours ago
- Biden Laughs and Walks Away From Questions… 3 hours ago
- Pelosi rejects stock-trading ban for members of Congress… 3 hours ago
- South Korea, Australia Adopt Joint Statement on South China Sea Disputes 3 hours ago
- Judge Denies Trump Lawsuit Aimed at Shielding Tax Returns… 3 hours ago
- Joe Biden: Demander in Chief 3 hours ago
- Gov. DeSantis Introduces ‘Stop WOKE Act’ 3 hours ago
- Congress Approves $2.5T Debt Ceiling Increase 27 mins ago
- COVID: Ontario announces stricter nursing home measures 2 hours ago
- Dems Plan Vote on Omar’s Islamophobia Bill 2 hours ago
- Psaki blames greedy ‘meat conglomerates’ for rise in prices 2 hours ago
- ESPN spreads Bubba Wallace noose hoax AGAIN 3 hours ago
- Airlines to defend $54 billion COVID bailout 3 hours ago
- SF ‘Defund’ Mayor: ‘HELP! We Need Police!’ 3 hours ago
- Romo calls Brady ‘slow,’ Brady Drills him 3 hours ago
- Las Vegas to host Super Bowl LVIII in 2024 3 hours ago
- Rocked by Covid, Rams Close Down Practice Facility 3 hours ago
- Denzel Washington Talks About His Christian Faith 3 hours ago
- While Biden Slept: Appeasement & Accommodation 3 hours ago
- Blinken Vows More Military in Indo-Pacific 3 hours ago
- Marjorie Taylor Greene rips Jan. 6 jailer 3 hours ago
- Newt Gingrich – Abolish Georgia Income Tax 3 hours ago
- State, Pentagon reviews Afghanistan withdrawal 3 hours ago
- Supply Chain is Perfect Asymmetric Target 3 hours ago
- How Ukraine Can Strengthen Itself 3 hours ago
- Nikki Haley’s Christmas Present to America 3 hours ago
- Don’t Buy China’s Hypersonic Head-Fake 3 hours ago
- Thousands of Migrants from 30 Countries at AZ Border 3 hours ago
- UN: Afghans Face “Avalanche of Hunger & Destitution” 3 hours ago
- Real estate search engines nix ‘racist’ crime data 3 hours ago
- Trump: ‘Crazy Wokeness’ vs ‘Merry Christmas’ 4 hours ago
- Liz Cheney, Daily Beast Prove There Was No Insurrection 4 hours ago
- Psaki: Biden BBB bill will pay for GOP tax cuts 4 hours ago
- Is Increased VA Spending Helping Veterans? 4 hours ago
- Thanks, Brandon. U.S. Tied For World’s Highest Inflation 4 hours ago
- Top Dem economist: Biden admin downplaying inflation 4 hours ago
- Trump’s media company to partner with Rumble 4 hours ago
- Banks reconsider overdraft fees 4 hours ago
- WaPo ‘Fact Checker’ Defends Tax Avoidance by Bidens 4 hours ago
- Elon Musk calls Elizabeth Warren ‘Senator Karen’ 4 hours ago
- Americans See Inflation as Huge Risk to Retirement 4 hours ago
- Claire McCaskill: Red states will ’round up’ foreign looking people 4 hours ago
- Portland gives $12 MILLION to SJW company run by fraudster ex-con 4 hours ago
- Tucker Carlson SLAMS Liz Cheney as ‘power drunk 4 hours ago
- Home prices at 45-year high 4 hours ago
- Dems pressure Biden to end Trump program to catch Chinese spies 4 hours ago
- Rep: 2 million could lose health plans under Biden bill 4 hours ago
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TOP STORIES:
-
Supreme Court Opinion Rocks Biden’s Agenda
-
Trump Beats Out Biden on List of the ‘World’s Most Admired’ Men
-
Epstein’s cellmate reveals his SHOCKING final movements…
-
Epstein Gave His Cellmate Disturbing Advice On Women…
-
Fight Breaks Out On Fox News… Geraldo Rivera Crossed The Line
- Hillary Gets Devastating News About Her 2024 Campaign
- Judge Delivers Huge Election Ruling…
-
Major Threat To The Supreme Court of The United States….
- President Liz Cheney? Tucker Carlson Breaks Major News
- ‘Mitch Is Biden’s B*tch’, Rep. Greene Goes Off
- Decorated Army Vet ARRESTED by NYPD for Not Showing Vax Proof… INSANE VIDEO!
- Bannon Drops a Bombshell… 2024 Steal Underway
- Meteorologist Put 86 Million Americans On High Alert
- General Flynn Assembled This Military Team… ‘Large Scale Operation’
|
IN DEPTH:
|
- Rare photos of Kim Jong Un… 2 hours ago
- NYC Council Votes to Prohibit Natural Gas… 2 hours ago
- Generic Drugs’ Ability to Fight COVID-19 Are Suppressed 2 hours ago
- Biden Signs Debt Ceiling Increase, Averting Default 2 hours ago
- Biden plan to boost truck driver workforce… 2 hours ago
- Ghislaine Maxwell Defense Begins Making Their Case… 2 hours ago
- Trump Beats Out Biden on List of the ‘World’s Most Admired’ Men 2 hours ago
- US imposes sanctions against China over abuse of Uyghurs | AP News 2 hours ago
- Biden signs debt ceiling increase, averting default 2 hours ago
- Rate at which people stopped moving to California surprised researchers: ‘Statewide phenomenon’ 2 hours ago
- Biden Sends Warning To Republicans… 3 hours ago
- Melania Launches Incredible New Initiative… 3 hours ago
- Why Is the Left Suddenly Worried About the End of Democracy? 15 mins ago
- J6 Confirms Rep. Schiff Presented Doctored Text Message 15 mins ago
- Governors Request DoD Cancel National Guard Vax Mandate 15 mins ago
- Largest Hospital System Still Distributing Unapproved Pfizer vax 1 hour ago
- Airlines CEOs: ‘Don’t need masks on planes’ 2 hours ago
- BofA sues Portland Commish over credit card debt 2 hours ago
- Special Prosecutor seeks Report on Smollett Investigation 2 hours ago
- Biden’s Agencies Purge the Term ‘Alien’ 2 hours ago
- Dems attack CBO for scoring Biden’s Socialist bill 2 hours ago
- Biden’s BBB: Americans ‘Twice As Likely’ To Get Audited By IRS 2 hours ago
- Deadly Delays 3 hours ago
- Nikki Haley’s Christmas Present to America 3 hours ago
- Cryptos bounce as Powell calls them speculative 3 hours ago
- Federal Debt? About $287,859 Per Household 3 hours ago
- Trump Has Earned a Friend 3 hours ago
- Bidenflation Stole Christmas 3 hours ago
- Why hedge funds are warming up to crypto 3 hours ago
- Elizabeth Holmes closing arguments 3 hours ago
- Evictions rising ahead of Christmas 3 hours ago
- Putin and Xi cement partnership 3 hours ago
- Biden: Israeli Settlements = Iran Nukes 3 hours ago
- Lithuania closes embassy in China 3 hours ago
- Air Force Preparing for War with Russia or China 3 hours ago
- Navy Needs First Fleet for South China Sea 3 hours ago
- Declaration to End the Korean War: Why Now? 3 hours ago
- China conducts live-fire drills 3 hours ago
- Idiot Pelosi On Rampant Crime In SF 3 hours ago
- Derek Chauvin pleads guilty in civil rights case 3 hours ago
- Few Border Patrol Agents Patrolling Yuma Sector 3 hours ago
- Pelosi: No ban on members of Congress trading stocks 3 hours ago
- MTG Calls McConnell ‘Biden’s Bitch’ 3 hours ago
- CIA: Briefing Trump Was A Challenge, Worse After Steele Dossier 3 hours ago
- Biden Casts Doubt on BBB Bill Passing Soon 3 hours ago
- Senate Expected To Push BBB Vote Into 2022 3 hours ago
- Pompeo Slams Biden Over Commie Olympics 3 hours ago
- Biden to donors: “We’re going to win ’22.” 3 hours ago
- Biden Could Arrest Inflation… If He Wanted To 3 hours ago
- Joe Rogan: Why the Left Hates Chris Pratt 3 hours ago
- Jussie Smollett’s Problems Continue 4 hours ago
- Matthew McConaughey: Run for office not off table 4 hours ago
|
TOP STORIES:
-
🔥🔥BREAKING: Third CNN Employee Busted IN SICK ACT!
-
Supreme Court Opinion Rocks Biden’s Agenda
- Trump Beats Out Biden on List of the ‘World’s Most Admired’ Men
-
Epstein’s cellmate reveals his SHOCKING final movements…
-
Epstein Gave His Cellmate Disturbing Advice On Women…
- The Insane Plot To Federalize Elections…
- Biden Actually Said This: ‘Winter of Death is coming for the Unvaccinated’…
- Tucker tells an inside story on ‘a$$hole’ Mitch McConnell…
- Nancy Pelosi In Crisis Mode…Hauled Into Court
-
Mike Lindell Says He Just Blew $25 Million… And He’s Not Finished…
- Fight Breaks Out On Fox News… Geraldo Rivera Crossed The Line
- Hillary Gets Devastating News About Her 2024 Campaign
- Judge Delivers Huge Election Ruling…
- Major Threat To The Supreme Court of The United States….
|
IN DEPTH:
|
- Rare photos of Kim Jong Un… 2 hours ago
- NYC Council Votes to Prohibit Natural Gas… 2 hours ago
- Generic Drugs’ Ability to Fight COVID-19 Are Suppressed 2 hours ago
- Biden Signs Debt Ceiling Increase, Averting Default 2 hours ago
- Biden plan to boost truck driver workforce… 2 hours ago
- Ghislaine Maxwell Defense Begins Making Their Case… 2 hours ago
- Trump Beats Out Biden on List of the ‘World’s Most Admired’ Men 2 hours ago
- US imposes sanctions against China over abuse of Uyghurs | AP News 2 hours ago
- Biden signs debt ceiling increase, averting default 2 hours ago
- Rate at which people stopped moving to California surprised researchers: ‘Statewide phenomenon’ 2 hours ago
- Biden Sends Warning To Republicans… 3 hours ago
- Melania Launches Incredible New Initiative… 3 hours ago
- Why Is the Left Suddenly Worried About the End of Democracy? 15 mins ago
- J6 Confirms Rep. Schiff Presented Doctored Text Message 15 mins ago
- Governors Request DoD Cancel National Guard Vax Mandate 15 mins ago
- Largest Hospital System Still Distributing Unapproved Pfizer vax 1 hour ago
- Airlines CEOs: ‘Don’t need masks on planes’ 2 hours ago
- BofA sues Portland Commish over credit card debt 2 hours ago
- Special Prosecutor seeks Report on Smollett Investigation 2 hours ago
- Biden’s Agencies Purge the Term ‘Alien’ 2 hours ago
- Dems attack CBO for scoring Biden’s Socialist bill 2 hours ago
- Biden’s BBB: Americans ‘Twice As Likely’ To Get Audited By IRS 2 hours ago
- Deadly Delays 3 hours ago
- Nikki Haley’s Christmas Present to America 3 hours ago
- Cryptos bounce as Powell calls them speculative 3 hours ago
- Federal Debt? About $287,859 Per Household 3 hours ago
- Trump Has Earned a Friend 3 hours ago
- Bidenflation Stole Christmas 3 hours ago
- Why hedge funds are warming up to crypto 3 hours ago
- Elizabeth Holmes closing arguments 3 hours ago
- Evictions rising ahead of Christmas 3 hours ago
- Putin and Xi cement partnership 3 hours ago
- Biden: Israeli Settlements = Iran Nukes 3 hours ago
- Lithuania closes embassy in China 3 hours ago
- Air Force Preparing for War with Russia or China 3 hours ago
- Navy Needs First Fleet for South China Sea 3 hours ago
- Declaration to End the Korean War: Why Now? 3 hours ago
- China conducts live-fire drills 3 hours ago
- Idiot Pelosi On Rampant Crime In SF 3 hours ago
- Derek Chauvin pleads guilty in civil rights case 3 hours ago
- Few Border Patrol Agents Patrolling Yuma Sector 3 hours ago
- Pelosi: No ban on members of Congress trading stocks 3 hours ago
- MTG Calls McConnell ‘Biden’s Bitch’ 3 hours ago
- CIA: Briefing Trump Was A Challenge, Worse After Steele Dossier 3 hours ago
- Biden Casts Doubt on BBB Bill Passing Soon 3 hours ago
- Senate Expected To Push BBB Vote Into 2022 3 hours ago
- Pompeo Slams Biden Over Commie Olympics 3 hours ago
- Biden to donors: “We’re going to win ’22.” 3 hours ago
- Biden Could Arrest Inflation… If He Wanted To 3 hours ago
- Joe Rogan: Why the Left Hates Chris Pratt 3 hours ago
- Jussie Smollett’s Problems Continue 4 hours ago
- Matthew McConaughey: Run for office not off table 4 hours ago
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74.) THE POST MILLENNIAL
75.) BLACKLISTED NEWS
76.) THE DAILY DOT
Did a friend forward this? Subscribe here. Welcome to the Friday edition of Internet Insider, where we’re looking back at internet culture that shaped 2021. TODAY:
BREAK THE INTERNET The top memes of 2021 Did the pandemic change how we consume memes? I think so. More and more memes originate on TikTok. Main character energy continues to flourish. And we’re using memes to cope with stress related to COVID-19.
In 2021, the top memes were a mix of catchphrases, celebrity gossip, viral photos, and references to TV shows and movies. I’m defining a “top meme” as a meme that people still remember at the end of the year—or one that had a notable cultural impact. I’m including the first half in today’s newsletter; the next half will be included in the Dec. 24 newsletter. Sit back and enjoy this tour through 2021 via memes.
By Tiffany Kelly Culture Editor SPONSORED If you want to avoid decision fatigue at dinnertime, we’ve got a grocery shopping hack for you. With stores like Sam’s Club, the unbelievably large selection can keep you busy for a long time. But if you shop already knowing what you’re looking for, you’ll spend less time browsing or buying things you don’t need.
Here are three easy meal planning tips that can help you make fewer decisions in your life – which means less burnout from your day-to-day. TIKTOK ‘SNL’ TikTok sketch deemed ‘accurate’ Saturday Night Live has a special connection with TikTok, and the show has previously produced app-related sketches that ended up flourishing on TikTok (musical performances, too). In last weekend’s episode, hosted by Billie Eilish, SNL went all in with a parody of TikTok that could double as an ad.
In the 4-minute sketch, a father is trying to get his teen to take out the trash, but they’re too busy scrolling TikTok. We see their text exchange as well as the teen’s FYP, which includes Eilish as a nurse doing popular dances; “Homer Simpson ASMR”; and parodies of the widely mocked self-defense guy and spiky Island Boys.
Read the full story here.
—Audra Schroeder, senior writer
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77.) HEADLINE USA
78.) NATURAL NEWS
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Webseed, 3820 Central Avenue Unit #109, Cheyenne, Wyoming 82001, United States
79.) POLITICHICKS
80.) BLACKPRESSUSA
81.) THE WESTERN JOURNAL
82.) CNN
Friday 12.17.21 Economic disaster averted: Yesterday, President Joe Biden signed the debt limit increase passed by Congress earlier this week, avoiding a catastrophic default. Here’s what else you need to know to Get Up to Speed and On With Your Day. Activists hold photos of Supreme Court justices during a demonstration earlier this month. SCOTUS
Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch has sent the controversial Texas abortion law to a conservative federal appeals court to determine next steps, a move that all but suspends abortion rights in the state and perpetuates concerns that the high court could gut the tenets of Roe v. Wade. The Supreme Court allowed the law to stay on the books last week, and with a similar law in Mississippi on the court’s docket, abortion rights activists are preparing for the worst. As the battle heats up, access to medical abortion, administered via pills, could become a critical conversation. Yesterday, the FDA said it’s lifting a requirement that patients seeking medication abortion had to pick up the medication in-person, instead allowing the pills to be sent by mail.
Coronavirus
The CDC has changed its recommendations for Covid-19 vaccines to clarify that shots made by Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech are preferred over Johnson & Johnson’s vaccine. A CDC advisory committee endorsed the recommendation after hearing new data indicating that a rare blood clotting syndrome is more common among people who recently received the J&J vaccine than previously thought. However, the severe side effect is still very rare. Both the UK and South Africa have broken single-day Covid-19 case records recently due to the rapidly-spreading Omicron variant. Now, health experts and President Biden are warning unvaccinated Americans that Omicron will make the next few months very difficult, not just on their health, but on a health care system struggling to handle the new surges. Kentucky
Workers at a candle factory in Kentucky that was struck by last week’s deadly tornadoes have filed a class-action lawsuit alleging they were told they would be fired if they left work ahead of the storms. More than 100 people were working at the Mayfield factory when a tornado swept through, killing eight. US Rep. James Comer, who represents the area, said workers had been going “24/7” to meet Christmastime candle demand. A spokesperson for the company denied that workers were threatened with termination. Yesterday, Comer joined President Biden on a tour of devastated areas in Kentucky. Biden pledged the federal government would cover 100% of the costs of emergency work for the first 30 days of recovery. At least 71 people died in the state as a result of the storms. Afghanistan
House lawmakers are calling on the Biden administration to help avert a looming economic collapse in Afghanistan. Humanitarian organizations have warned that Afghanistan is on the brink of disaster as its economic and medical systems collapse and millions face starvation in the months since the Taliban takeover and US withdrawal. Billions of dollars in the country’s central bank reserves, much of which is held in the US, have been frozen since August. The group of mostly Democratic House members wants the administration to release funds to an appropriate UN agency to help pay for things like teachers’ salaries and meals for schoolchildren. They also recommend clarifying sanctions exemptions for humanitarian aid so more capital can be injected into the economy by international donors.
Cybersecurity researchers have uncovered a vast international network of surveillance-for-hire firms that they claim has used hacking tools and hundreds of fake personas on Meta platforms to monitor journalists, dissidents and politicians around the world. The investigations from Meta, the parent company of Facebook, and the University of Toronto’s Citizen Lab reveal more about the booming private spy business that the Biden administration has tried to crack down on out of concern for human rights. As a result of the investigation, Meta took down hundreds of Facebook and Instagram accounts tied to different identified spy organizations. Meta researchers said that while these organizations claim to only target criminals or terrorists, their research shows otherwise. Paid Partner Content Why This Mascara Has Over 15,000 Five-Star Reviews For a fraction of the cost of salon lash extensions, this award-winning mascara beautifully lengthens lashes to mimic the look of extensions. CNN readers get 15% off.
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Lock in a 2.03% APR Refinance Rate Before The Fed Meets Economists are urging Americans to refinance to take advantage of historically low refinance rates. These low rates are not going to last much longer. People are talking about these. Read up. Join in. Betty White is turning 100 and we’re all invited
There’s a reason we can’t help but love holiday songs They’re basically scientifically engineered ear worms.
Young people are ditching skinny leggings for loose, flared ones
Ancient sheep poop reveals an unknown population on Faroe Islands before Vikings
The first true millipede has been discovered in Australia. It has the most legs of any living animal Who was named Time magazine’s Person of the Year for 2021?
A. Jeff Bezos
Take CNN’s weekly news quiz to see if you’re correct! 10,350 That’s how many terawatt-hours in coal-generated power the world is expected to use by the end of this year. That’s a 9% increase over last year’s coal consumption, driven by a rapid economic recovery that’s pushed up demand for electricity. Experts say that demand may increase next year, despite global goals to reduce coal use. What I’ve been able to accomplish, I hope it inspires women, young girls, men … I would hope that they see representation. And representation matters.
Keechant Sewell, who will soon become the first woman to lead the New York Police Department and the first Black person to lead the department in nearly 30 years. Brought to you by Vault by CNN Drop 8 commemorates the Hubble Space Telescope Vault by CNN is a series of limited edition collectible NFTs commemorating pivotal moments in history. We are taking our collectors to outer space for our next Moment in history. CNN Vault Collectors can purchase a Hubble Telescope Pack containing a special edition NFT. Each one features a video with Hubble’s launch in 1990 and a look at 1 of the 15 most iconic images taken during Hubble’s 31-year history. Shine kindly here 5 THINGS You are receiving this newsletter because you’re subscribed to 5 Things.
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83.) THE DAILY CALLER
84.) POWERLINE
Daily Digest |
- 10 thoughts on Chauvin’s plea
- Deep meaning of supply chain, cont’d
- How will evangelicals react to Trump’s attack on Netanyahu?
- Responsible? Who, Me?
- Jay Rosen’s dishonest double game
10 thoughts on Chauvin’s plea
Posted: 16 Dec 2021 05:04 AM PST (Scott Johnson)The Department of Justice sent out a press release yesterday afternoon on the Chauvin plea deal following the hearing before Judge Magnuson yesterday morning. It is posted online here. The release fabricates this quote for Attorney General Garland:
I have a few comments and observations, increasingly tentative, that reflect points I have not seen raised elsewhere. I think they are at least worthy of mention. • Chauvin had already been convicted of murder in state court. The prosecution of Chauvin in the Floyd case has little justification beyond politics. The press release identifies no separate federal interest in the civil rights case against Chauvin. It doesn’t even try. It is simply silent on this point. • The Department of Justice Manual devotes a section to principles of federal prosecution. The subsection on Initiating and Declining Charges — Prosecution in Another Jurisdiction takes up the question posed in this case. The factors stated support the silence of the government on this point. • Chauvin was sentenced to 22 and 1/2 years on the state court conviction and agreed to imposition of a sentence between 20 and 25 years in the federal case. Judge Magnuson noted during the hearing, however, that federal sentences generally result in service of 90 percent of the term imposed whereas Minnesota state sentences generally result in service of 2/3 of the term imposed. • The sentences in the state and federal cases are to run concurrently. The federal case may result in a slightly longer term of incarceration for Chauvin, but the federal case also disposed of a separate federal case against Chauvin involving a former juvenile. • The plea agreement provides that Chauvin is to serve his sentence in federal custody. I would guess that this is at Chauvin’s insistence and that he deems it a benefit of the agreement. • The Supreme Court sees no double jeopardy issue in state and federal prosecutions of an individual for the same offense. I believe its most recent opinion on the subject is in Gamble v. United States (2019). The Harvard Law Review note on the case is posted online here. • The prosecution of the three other officers on the civil rights charges is set for trial before Judge Magnuson next month. Their prosecution on the state court charges has been delayed in light of the federal prosecution. Were it not for the federal case, the state court charges against the officers would already have been tried. The federal case has disrupted the state court proceedings. • The plea agreement is silent on Chauvin’s possible testimony in the case against the three officers. • Chauvin’s appeal of the state court convictions continues. Chauvin’s Fifth Amendment right to remain silent continues as well. • Chauvin’s strongest issue on appeal of his state court convictions must be the venue of the case in Hennepin County. If not the strongest issue, it is certainly one of the strongest. If Chauvin were to secure a retrial in another judicial district on appeal and be acquitted on retrial, then what? It’s highly unlikely to happen. Moreover, the dual sovereignty doctrine set forth in the Supreme Court’s double jeopardy jurisprudence should protect the plea agreement and any convictions entered on it from attack. In that sense, when Judge Magnuson enters convictions based on the plea agreement, the federal case against Chauvin should achieve finality that the state court case lacks at this point. |
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Deep meaning of supply chain, cont’d
Posted: 16 Dec 2021 03:31 AM PST (Scott Johnson)Harvard Professor Robert Barro is Paul M. Warburg Professor of Economics at Harvard. He is a prominent member of the economics profession. AEI has posted his December 4 Project Syndicate column “Big-state inflation.” In the column he addresses the attribution of responsibility for our current inflation to “supply chain” issues. Professor Barro does not entirely discount the contribution of these issues as a contributing factor. Focusing on the contribution of the Federal Reserve Board under Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, however, he writes:
Barro has more, including good words for Jimmy Cater and Bill Clinton. Whole thing — all of it worth reading — here. |
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How will evangelicals react to Trump’s attack on Netanyahu?
Posted: 15 Dec 2021 08:02 PM PST (Paul Mirengoff)The paper edition headline to this Washington Post article is “Trump’s outburst over Netanyahu shocks allies.” I wrote about that outburst here. Why is anyone shocked that Trump said what he said? The outburst is vintage Trump. Netanyahu is the umpteenth former ally Trump has thrown under the bus for “disloyalty.” Trump’s absurd claim that he prevented the destruction of Israel is fully consistent with his “I alone can fix it” boasting. And how is it surprising that Mr. Art of the Deal expressed frustration with Netanyahu for being fussy about deal making with Israel’s enemies? The Post’s article considers whether Trump’s attack on Netanyahu will hurt him among evangelicals. The Post quotes Mike Evans, one of Trump’s early evangelical backers, who says he was “horrified” by Trump’s statements which, he believes, will offend significant numbers of evangelical voters. According to the Post, Evans, once an adviser to Trump, sent a letter to the former president imploring him to “understand that Benjamin Netanyahu has much greater support among evangelicals in America than you.” He added: “There is no possibility you can win again if Bible-believing evangelicals see you as the ‘F–k Netanyahu’ president who . . . blames the State of Israel, and not the Palestinians, for not making peace. One can only imagine Trump’s delight at reading that Netanyahu is more popular than he is among committed evangelicals. Talk about disloyalty! Is Evans’ statement true? Other evangelical leaders suggest that it isn’t. Johnnie Moore, a former Liberty University official who helped organize Trump’s evangelical advisory board in 2016, told the Post:
So I would imagine. The influential pastor Robert Jeffress said: “Even if the alleged comments are true, it doesn’t diminish in the least that President Trump’s policies have been the most pro-Israel in history.” True. But we can get even stronger pro-Israel policies from certain other conservative Republicans who aren’t so eager to make a deal with the Palestinian leaders and who don’t blame Israel for being reluctant to enter into one. I’m not qualified to speculate about the extent to which Trump’s attack on Netanyahu and his expression of sympathy with the Palestinian Authority (and indeed his reference to something like a father-son relationship with its head) will cost the former president evangelical support. My assumption is it that it will cost him such support only at the margin, but that’s just an uneducated guess. Trump doesn’t rely much on support from Jews, of which he gets little. Nonetheless, it may be worth a moment to consider whether his support among politically conservative Jews will diminish after his remarks about Netanyahu and the Middle East. Joel Pollak, a senior editor at Breitbart and, I’m told, an Orthodox Jew, wasn’t pleased with what Trump said. He noted that the Palestinian Authority, the subject of Trump’s praise, “currently provides stipends to convicted Palestinian terrorists in Israeli jails, and the families of Palestinian terrorists killed by Israel.” It also “names public buildings and parks after famous Palestinian terrorists.” Pollak added:
Pollak also made the same point I did above — that “many potential Republican candidates for the presidency. . .have strong records on Israel, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas, Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas, and others.” I think Trump’s ill-advised remarks will cause many conservative Jews to lean towards another pro-Israel candidate, assuming one is willing to take on Trump in the 2024 primaries. But again, the importance of Jewish support pales in comparison to the importance of evangelicals. |
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Responsible? Who, Me?
Posted: 15 Dec 2021 08:01 PM PST (John Hinderaker)Joe Biden ran for president largely by blaming President Trump for the fact that people were dying from (or more often, with) covid. Biden said Trump was responsible for all of those deaths. But now, of course, more people have died with covid during the Biden administration than during Trump’s. So is Biden responsible for those deaths? One White House reporter–I assume it was Peter Doucy–had the temerity to ask that question, and he followed up with a question about China’s role. Biden’s response? A smirk and a wave of the hand:
It is a sign of the times, I suppose, that no one takes seriously the idea that the same standard that Biden applied to Trump should be applied, in turn, to Biden. And speaking of China: I think most scientists in the relevant disciplines now think that the lab leak hypothesis, derided as a conspiracy theory in the early days of the epidemic, when it was merely suggested as a possibility worth looking into, is the most probable explanation for the covid-19 virus. Yesterday an eminent scientist told the British Parliament’s Science and Technology Select Committee that a lab leak is the most likely explanation of the virus’s origin, and there are strong indications that it was deliberately engineered:
It isn’t just a guess, there is strong evidence that the virus was engineered:
More:
The left’s attempt to suppress scientific inquiry into the origins of covid, as well as into the most effective treatments for the virus, is a scandal. |
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Jay Rosen’s dishonest double game
Posted: 15 Dec 2021 06:22 PM PST (Paul Mirengoff)Jay Rosen is a journalism professor and media critic. Like most who make their living this way, he’s a hardcore partisan leftist. Rosen considers the GOP an authoritarian party. He views it as abnormal, unlike the Democrats. He believes, therefore, that it’s a mistake for journalists to report on politics as if there are two normal parties. Rather, their reporting should reflect the fact (as Rosen sees it) that we have one genuine political party that’s clashing with an authoritarian force seeking to destroy American democracy. What does this mean in practice? When Ross Douthat raised this question during a podcast, Rosen said:
He also suggested that journalists set up a clock to inform readers just how close we are to a Trump-induced “collapse.” Clearly, then, Rosen doesn’t want journalists to cover Republicans and Democrats the same way. It’s not just the ludicrous Trump clock. If journalists criticize Biden, they should offset that criticism by reminding readers of the “larger context” — that Biden is what stands between America and collapse due to a rogue figure who leads an authoritarian movement. No such offsetting or discussion of larger context — for example, that Republicans are trying to prevent the radical transformation of America’s economy and its institutions (e.g., the Supreme Court and the Electoral College) that many Democrats avowedly seek — is in order when journalists attack the GOP. There’s nothing original in this view. Similar thoughts have been expressed by more important media critics than Rosen, for example the Washington Post’s Margaret Sullivan. And, indeed, the kind of journalism they call for is practiced quite often at organs like the Post. Rosen may not “always see it,” but often enough it’s there for all to see. If Rosen deserves points for originality, it’s because, at the same time he advocates that journalists cover Democrats and Republicans differently — because one is a normal party and the other is not — he also says “I don’t think journalists should put their thumb on the scale for the Democrats.” John Sexton calls this an incoherent position. I call it dishonest. The kind of coverage Rosen desires, as described above, obviously amounts to putting a thumb on the scale for the Democrats. Sexton’s piece draws from Rosen’s podcast encounter with Douthat. The two of them — Sexton and Douthat — do an effective job of exposing Rosen’s incoherent partisanship. I want to add two points. First, Trump isn’t the first Republican president whom Rosen deemed abnormal — an affront to norms. In this rambling 2007 post, Rosen accused George W. Bush of leading “a retreat from empiricism.” He claimed that under Bush and Dick Cheney, “reality-based policy-making—and the mechanisms for it—ha[s] gotten dumped.”
As he does now, Rosen claimed to see something in the Bush 43 presidency that departed from the norms established by past presidents, Republican and Democrat:
Rosen’s screed did not include any analysis to support his claim that Bush’s use of the tools of the presidency differed appreciably from that of Nixon, Reagan, or even Bush 41. He simply asserted a difference so he could pretend that his attack on Bush 43 wasn’t based on party favoritism, but rather on the alleged abnormality of the current Republican president. Now, Rosen is trying to do the same thing with Trump. Rosen has a better case with Trump and some of his Republican supporters than he did with Bush. However, he vastly and shrilly overstates that case, while disregarding Democratic abnormalities (it’s been the better part of a century since Democrats seriously contemplated packing the Supreme Court, to cite just one example). This is the second point I want to make. For a good discussion of how abnormally Democrats are behaving, I recommend this piece by Michael Lind. Unlike Rosen, a committed, long-time leftist, Lind has, at different times in his career, been on both sides of the political/ideological divide. He has two of the traits Rosen lacks — perspective and a measure of objectivity. Lind makes a persuasive case that Democrats are departing, in important ways, from constitutional norms. He cites Barack Obama’s unconstitutional re-writing of immigration laws, once Obama concluded he couldn’t accomplish the re-writing in the normal way — by persuading Congress to make the changes and then signing them into law. He also cites Joe Biden’s unlawful reliance on OSHA as the basis for an executive order that requires employees of roughly two-thirds of the American workforce to be vaccinated against the coronavirus or be fired. One can agree or disagree with Lind’s discussion of these two acts and with his contention that American leftists have become “Jacobins.” But Lind at least makes an argument. With Rosen, it’s all invective in service of the proposition that journalists should cover the two political parties differently, coupled with the dishonest claim that this isn’t really what he’s calling for.
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On Thursday’s Mark Levin show, Kathleen Landerkin, the foul-mouthed Deputy Warden of the DC jail housing January 6th detainees, must be thrilled to mistreat the ‘white racist’ inmates at her facility. According to a recent report, these detainees are suffering because of the Deputy Warden’s political bias. Afterward, the U.S military is employing Gender Advisers to advance the leftwing culture within the military. Later, the public’s pressure on Congress has succeeded in killing the provision to allow women to be drafted for war. The Build Back Better plan has been blunted and the radical element of the Democrat Party is now attacking Sen. Joe Manchin for holding the line thus far against the far left. Then, Liz Cheney continues her fake news fabricated narrative that Trump’s refusal to act for 187 minutes was an extreme dereliction of duty, despite the fact that a review of Trump’s timeline has revealed that there was no such delay. Trump in fact addressed the demonstrators and thanked law enforcement just 25 minutes after the first breach, according to the FBI as reported by the Washington Post. Afterward, China is infiltrating American college campuses through Beijing-controlled Confucius Institutes. China is a dangerous enemy that must not be taken lightly. Finally, Bret Baier calls in to discuss his book, To Rescue the Republic: Ulysses S. Grant, the Fragile Union, and the Crisis of 1876.
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J6 Committee Fabricates More Evidence, Says Trump Waited 187 Minutes To Call For Peace. It Was Actually 25
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McConnell, Emblematic of Republicans’ Past, Is The Least Popular Politician In America
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AOC demands amnesty for millions.
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Multiple people were arrested in NYC for trying to order from Applebees with vaccine passes.
Dems Want to Go Scorched Earth on the Parliamentarian for Nixing AmnestyThe Senate parliamentarian ruled Thursday that Democrats can’t add a legalization program for illegal immigrants into President Biden’s Build Back Better bill. Sen. Richard Durbin, Democrats’ lead immigration negotiator, said… | |
Fentanyl Deaths of Young Americans Exceed COV Deaths But Biden Won’t Close the BorderFentanyl overdoses are the number one cause of death of Americans, ages 18-45, and it is described as a national emergency. Between January 1, 2020, and December 15, 2021, 53,000… | |
Chinese Communists Are Spreading Propaganda on Social MediaJohn Solomon reported on Just the News that Joe Biden ended Trump’s efforts to ban TikTok and other China-owned apps despite the fact that we know TikTok is used to… | |
Sen. Sinema Crushes Dems Hopes of a GOP Christmas Present, Ending the FilibusterWe are acting as though this White House has options. They can either make this a priority or their voting base will not make turnout a priority for them next… | |
Study Shows Bidenflation Will Cost Average Families $3500 in ’21A new study out of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School indicates that Americans on average will have to spend $3,500 more in 2021 to sustain their consumption of 2019 and 2020. The study also… | |
Biden Calls for an End to the Filibuster [So Dems Can Do Whatever They Want]Figurehead Biden held private talks with a cadre of Senate Democrats on Thursday in an effort to mobilize support for blowing up the filibuster to pass a sweeping overhaul of the nation’s voting laws,… | |
Black Rock Wants Racial Discrimination for Top Jobs in US CompaniesTop asset manager BlackRock Inc (BLK.N) on Tuesday demanded US companies aim for a board that is 30% diverse with one member from an underrepresented group. They are putting people into positions… | |
Investigation of Civil Servant Nancy Pelosi & All That WealthWatter’s World investigates Nancy Pelosi’s insider trading in this clip. How did Nancy accumulate so much wealth as a civil servant? Watch: Please let us know what you think after… | |
Biden Asks “What’s the Big Deal” About FreedomWith the nonchalance of a complete buffoon, Joe Biden wonders what the big deal is about forced vaccinations. He tried to make it into a patriotism issue when the opposite… | |
CNN Wants Fox Out of Psaki Press Briefings with “Real News Organizations”Fake News CNN, which can barely get a million viewers on their primetime shows, is quite upset that Fox News is allowed in to the White House to ask questions… | |
Sen Manchin Discovers the MSM Is “BULLSHIT” & Tells Them SoSen. Joe Manchin has been under siege for not signing off on the communist/socialist BBB bill that fundamentally transforms the US into a welfare state. The media has taken to… | |
Migrants Can’t Get COV Vaccines Because Manufacturers Fear LawsuitsRefugees can’t get COVID vaccine shots because the manufacturers are afraid they will get sued. Tens of millions of migrants may be denied COVID-19 vaccines from a global program because… | |
Dems Look to Voting Rights for Dems & Ending the Filibuster by ChristmasSocialist Senate Democrats are waiting to get the welfare/socialist climate bill passed but in the meantime, they are considering blowing up the filibuster to force through their partisan overhaul of the… | |
DC -Epicenter of Corruption- Awaits the Coming of the NWOIt feels like the order we have all taken for granted since the end of the Cold War is badly decaying, and has gotten so fragile that it might well… | |
Our Nation’s Capital & Most Cities Are Sanctuaries for AnyoneWhen they tell you they want to keep the collective you safe so give up your guns and your freedoms, look around and realize none of that is true. They… | |
Multiple People Arrested for Trying to Eat in NYC Without a Vax PassThe right to travel is a part of the liberty of which the citizen cannot be deprived without due process of law under the Fifth Amendment. Internal passports enforcing segregation are not allowed. While criminals roam… | |
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Here’s a suggestion for those who think that partisan redistricting — or, as is often the case with these plaints, partisan redistricting by Republicans —… Kamala Harris’ speech at a Democratic National Committee fundraiser is being slammed. Insurgent Conservatives PO Box 8161 Greenwood, IN 46142 If you no longer wish to receive these emails, you can unsubscribe here. |
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