Thedailyconnect

Author: adler

  • Gov. Glenn Youngkin Claims Communist China Attempted to Use a ‘Trojan Horse’ to Obtain U.S. Taxpayer Benefits

    Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin made an alarming claim during an interview with Fox News host Maria Baritromo over the weekend stating China was attempting a “trojan horse” strategy to obtain access to U.S. taxpayer benefits.
    This information came out during their discussion regarding his decision to deny a multi-billion dollar electric car factory from Ford to move to the Commonwealth due to it’s tight connections to China.
    According to Youngkin, the factory would have been overseen by a Chinese-based company called Contemporary Amperex Technology, and would have been a “Trojan horse structure to gain access to taxpayer incentives” provided by legislation which was passed under the previous Democrat majority which currently still gives tax credits to electric vehicle owners and manufacturers alike.
    The Governor stated that “this is using taxpayer money to further enrich a Chinese company at the expense of America. It’s just not happening in Virginia. This should be an American supply chain that’s trusted, not one that’s outsourced to the Chinese Communist Party.”

    RELATED: Legislation Would Block Hostile Actors From Land Purchase Near U.S. Military Bases
    Shifty Deal
    The Ford plant, which was already under consideration to have been constructed in Pittsylvania County, would have constructed the lithium iron phosphate batteries required for electric vehicles, and was predicted to have employed up to 2,500 estimated workers. However, Youngkin upon further investigation rejected the $3.5 billion effort in January.
    “The consortium of of Ford and CATL were hoping to build a plant, as reported and confirmed by Ford, where Ford would build the building, but a company that is majorly influenced by the Chinese Communist Party was going to operate the plant, and the employees were going to work for the Chinese Communist Party controlled company,” Youngkin said last month when justifying his decision.
    Youngkin continued, stating “They were going to use that in order to try to tap into taxpayer benefits at state level as well as the federal level that were specifically designated for non-Chinese Communist Party entities.” He added that the details of the proposed deal were “a bit deceptive.”
    The Virginia based Cardinal News reached out to Ford regarding the claims and obtained a response from Melissa Miller, the government and public policy communications manager for Ford who stated that the details of the potential plan discussed were “inaccurate.”
    “Ford had not yet made a site decision,” Miller said to Cardinal News.
    In a text message to reporters at the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Youngkin said that “Virginia did not win the project” because “We removed ourselves from consideration in an ongoing process.”
    Still, whether Virginia was a potential contender or not, Ford has still not commented on the claims regarding its ties to the CCP controlled company which would have managed the plant.
    Youngkin’s spokeswoman Macaulay Porter also spoke out on this issue when asked by the press.
    “While Ford is an iconic American company, it became clear that this proposal would serve as a front for the Chinese Communist Party, which could compromise our economic security and Virginian’s personal privacy,” She said. “Virginians can be confident that companies with known ties to the Chinese Communist Party won’t receive a leg up from the Commonwealth’s economic incentive packages. When the potentially damaging effects of the deal were realized, the plant proposal never reached a final discussion stage.”

    YES! Gov. Glenn Youngkin said he will sign a bill that will block the Chinese Communist Party from buying farmland in Virginia.
    — Cassandra (@CassyWearsHeels) February 27, 2023

    RELATED: Senator Ted Cruz Calls Out Washington Post Fact-Checker Over China Lab Leak Theory After New Report Indicates it to be True
    Democrats Deflect
    Virginia Democrats blasted Youngkin for killing the discussions with Ford, claiming that he intentionally tried to highlight the Chinese connection at a time when tensions between the United States and China are at an all time high in order to boost his name recognition nationwide for a potential White House run in 2024.
    “To deny [people in the community] jobs because you’re in last place in Republican presidential primaries [is] gubernatorial malpractice,” said state Sen. Scott Surovell to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. “I mean, this is clearly just obvious to me that the governor’s in some kind of out-China-bashing-contest with [Ron] DeSantis and Governor Greg Abbott out of Texas.”
    Do you think Youngkin made the best call regarding pulling out of the conversations with Ford? Let us know in the comments below and across social media.

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    The post Gov. Glenn Youngkin Claims Communist China Attempted to Use a ‘Trojan Horse’ to Obtain U.S. Taxpayer Benefits appeared first on The Political Insider.

  • Pentagon Commissioned Report Recommends Restricting Gun Rights of Service Members to Curb Suicide Rates

    My husband and I collectively dedicated 37 years to the United States military. During that time, we both witnessed and experienced the loss of fellow brothers and sisters in arms. It’s bad enough to lose one of your own in battle, but it’s exponentially worse to lose one to suicide.
    Between the two of us, we witnessed and knew a total of six suicides. In just over a year since my retirement, I know of one fellow veteran who couldn’t cope with life outside of the uniform and chose to end it prematurely. Unfortunately, the decades-long scourge of military and veteran suicide has yet to be adequately answered. Those of us who served in the last two decades know that the endless cycle of ineffective methods to curb this dark trend is a mere checkbox that does nothing to save the lives of those who have given so much.
    A recent report commissioned by the Pentagon has some suggestions on possibly bringing down the suicide rate of those younger troops, but are these recommendations anything new? Are they even going to be effective? Let’s take a look.

    Notice, the concern here isn’t about military suicides, but how those suicides are commited. Why is that? Because it’s not about suicides, it’s about using them as an emotional vehicle to advocate for control. https://t.co/4ivwB7fnt8
    — AlofsActual (@AlofsActual) February 27, 2023

    RELATED: Leaked Military Records of GOP Candidates Goes Largely Ignored by Mainstream Media
    A Bandage at Best
    The Department of Defense formed the Suicide Prevention and Response Independent Review Committee (SPRIRC) in 2020. The SPRIRC’s recent report to the Pentagon had some eyebrow-raising suggestions, including “On DOD property, raise the minimum age for purchasing firearms and ammunition to 25 years.”
    Currently, military members and veterans can purchase firearms on base at what is known as Base Exchanges, where items are often cheaper than off base at places like Cabela’s, for example. The idea here would be that if you want to purchase guns or ammo on base, you must be 25 years or older, which is different from the rule of the land everywhere else.
    Additionally, the report recommends implementing a “7-day waiting period for any firearm purchased on DOD property” and a “4-day waiting period for ammunition purchases on DOD property.” The Data shows that two-thirds of active duty members and veterans commit suicide with guns.
    Panel member and safety expert Craig Bryan explain the intent of these recommendations, stating they are “taking steps to slow down convenient access to highly lethal methods like firearms is the single-most effective strategy for saving lives.” But would these Constitutionally questionable at best measures get to the root cause of suicide in the military or does it merely attempt to kick the inevitable can down the road?

    Nearly 3/4 of military suicides involve a firearm. Just as they do for motorcycle safety, we recommend DoD establish firearm safety training requirements. We also offer a series of recommendations regarding the sale and storage of personally owned firearms on installations.
    — Rajeev Ramchand (@RRamchand) February 25, 2023

    RELATED: Military Families Need Food Banks to Feed Families While Illegals Throw out Food
    Deeper Than Access
    To the committee’s credit, they acknowledge the complexities of this problem, stating “In this report, the SPRIRC emphasized that effectively preventing and responding to suicide will require a multifactorial approach, as deaths by suicide among service members are complex; thus simple or singular strategies will not work.”
    As someone touched by suicide numerous times while in uniform, as a random bystander whose new roommate opted to end their life, a friend whose coworker chose the same, and as a leader who dealt with it in their unit, I can tell you that there is no easy way to prevent or respond to this trend.
    The reasons service members and veterans choose to end their lives range from financial issues, relationship issues, being overworked, grappling with sexual assault, and harassment. In some instances, there are no warning signs or apparent reason for the act, which I can assure you acts not just as a wrecking ball for the family but as if a magnitude nine earthquake hits the unit.
    A common trend I found in my life experience with suicide in the service might surprise some of you who have never served. As counselor Kayla Arestivo explains, “Any family that I speak with that has lost a service member to suicide has always some story about how their loved one was really struggling with toxic leadership.”
    As a leader, I was always forced to balance holding those troops who either broke the law or didn’t cut it in the service with my Commanding officer’s fear that they may choose to take their lives if we took any action. That often meant piling on more work on those troops who would follow the rules and work hard.
    The effect that had on a friend of mine, the pressure of carrying the weight of her own job coupled with that of two others, was too much for her to bear, and the world is lesser for it. On the flip side, many of us, including myself, have been on the receiving end of ‘leaders’ high on their rank who take part in workplace bullying that often blurs the lines into hazing. 
    Is anything being done to solve the underlying reasons why young heroes opt to take their lives?

    I think we’ll see fewer suicides in the military if we had access to actual therapists. Not just some dude who is going to advise me to buy a therapy workbook off Amazon. https://t.co/PKgDjQPlAk
    — StrippingSnorlax (@StripingSnorlax) February 26, 2023

    RELATED: Record-Breaking Defense Budget Still Does Nothing to Help Soldiers Who Can’t Afford Enough Food
    By the Numbers
    The suggestions I touched on sound an awful lot like gun control and have many wondering why we would restrict the constitutional rights of service members who are actively protecting and defending this same right for the rest of us. Another suggestion that I think is the most alarming is for the DOD to “develop a national database for recording serial numbers of firearms purchased on DOD property.” 
    A firearm registry that some of these toxic leaders can access and carte blanche make decisions on members’ access to their legally purchased firearms doesn’t seem like a sound idea to me; if anything, I think it opens up the possibility for more problems versus solutions. Our country has a mental health problem, and gun control won’t solve it.
    Mr. Bryan states, “About half of all military suicides are among 17 to 25-year-olds.” In the United States, the third cause of death for Americans between the ages of 15 and 24 is suicide.
    Essentially, we are recruiting and enlisting Americans who are already hurting and expecting them to be able to work in an environment that is meant to push you to your limits with a spattering of other challenges, such as the inability to afford groceries, leaders who have no business holding the rank they do, and living conditions that are subpar at best. Then, if you survive your time in uniform, you become a veteran.

    YESTERDAY: The Pentagon says it will implement new recommendations to prevent suicide within the military. pic.twitter.com/dTkdki5j9A
    — The Hill (@thehill) February 25, 2023

    Veterans are 1.5 times more likely to die by suicide than nonveterans. We need to take better care of our service members, which means having uncomfortable conversations about how we, as Americans, treat those in uniform and veterans.
    America is hurting, and because of that, our best of the best are also hurting. Gun control isn’t the answer; a national soul-searching would be better. 
    To those I’ve lost to suicide, I think of you every day, the world was better with you, and we should’ve done more for you. 
    If you have suicidal ideations please call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline: 988

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    The post Pentagon Commissioned Report Recommends Restricting Gun Rights of Service Members to Curb Suicide Rates appeared first on The Political Insider.

  • Military Leaders Called To Testify About Impact Of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate

    By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)
    Military leaders will testify on Tuesday before the Military Personnel Subcommittee of the House Armed Services Committee about the impact of the Department of Defense’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on DOD employees and military service members.
    DOD Under Secretary of Defense for Personnel and Readiness Gilbert R. Cisneros Jr., Under Secretary and Chief Management Officer of the Army Gabe Camarillo, Under Secretary and Chief Operating Officer and Chief Management Officer of the Navy Erik Raven, and Under Secretary of the Air Force Gina Ortiz Jones are scheduled to testify Tuesday afternoon.
    The hearing is being held after Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin had until Feb. 21 to provide information to the committee requested by Chairman of the House Armed Services Committee Rep. Mike Rogers, R-AL, and Chairman of the Subcommittee on Military Personnel Jim Banks, R-IN.
    After Congress passed the National Defense Authorization Act requiring the DOD to end the COVID-19 vaccine mandate and President Joe Biden signed it into law last December, Rogers and Banks sent Austin a letter requesting that he provide them with his plan to implement the statutory requirement.
    They received a four-sentence reply one month later, which didn’t respond to their question. The DOD also continued to ignore committee staff repeatedly asking “for answers to many COVID-19 rescission questions critically important to the retention and recruitment of men and women in each of the armed services,” the congressmen said.
    Related: Researchers Say City-Wide Vaccine Mandates Did Nothing To Stop The Spread Of COVID-19
    As a result, they sent another letter on Feb. 8, requesting Austin provide answers to 14 questions by Feb. 21 ahead of the hearing scheduled for Feb. 28.
    “We write to express our concern over the lack of clarity provided to the Armed Forces and to the American people related to your memorandum announcing” Austin’s mandate rescission, they wrote. “While we acknowledge and appreciate your rescission memorandum writ large, many questions remain and have gone unanswered regarding the implementation of the rescission.”
    They also emphasized, “Please note, many of the questions or requests for information presented above have gone unanswered for weeks, if not months. The Department and the Biden Administration must no longer refuse to respond to requests for information from this Committee.”
    Subcommittee members will address back pay and lost benefits to service members who were punished for refusing to comply with what they argued was an unlawful order requiring them to take an experimental drug or be discharged, and who claimed the DOD COVID-19 vaccine mandate violated their sincerely held religious beliefs and their religious accommodation requests (RARs) were denied.
    Subcommittee members requested Austin and witnesses answer questions about a range of issues including how many service members were separated because of the mandate, how many have been required to pay back signing or re-enlistment bonuses to their respective branches, the average amount service members are being required to repay, and the amount that’s already been repaid. They will also address whether DOD policy still requires service members to repay bonuses, how many service members who were forced out have been reinstated, and what military branches’ plans are to reinstate separated service members who wish to return.
    Related: DeSantis Calls For Grand Jury Probe Into COVID Vaccines: Says CDC Info ‘Not Worth the Paper It’s Printed On’
    Because the NDAA only required the DOD to rescind its mandate, many other concerns remain, which is also why the nonprofit religious freedom legal aid organization, Liberty Counsel, isn’t backing down from its lawsuits representing military service members whose RARs were denied.
    One former Marine and Liberty Counsel client was required to pay $17,878.23, the remaining balance of a bonus he was given for reenlisting, after he also lost his last paycheck after his RAR was denied. He isn’t the only one facing hardship after being discharged for refusing to take the vaccine. Nearly all RARs were denied across all military branches and service members faced “cruel and unusual punishment,” demotion and dishonorable discharge, according to briefs filed with the court.
    To address ongoing problems in the military associated with the mandate, Republicans in Congress recently filed bills to require the DOD to reinstate service members separated solely for COVID-19 vaccine status who want to return, credit their retirement pay, restore their rank, and compensate them for pay and benefits lost due to demotions, among other measures. In the meantime, Congress is holding hearings and lawsuits are continuing.
    Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
    The post Military Leaders Called To Testify About Impact Of COVID-19 Vaccine Mandate appeared first on The Political Insider.

  • Dick Morris Predicts DirecTV’s Censorship of Conservative Outlets Likely on the CPAC agenda

    Dick Morris Predicts DirecTV’s Censorship of Conservative Outlets Likely on the CPAC agenda

    The Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) is set to kick off tomorrow in Washington DC with prominent name guest speakers and various conservative-centered panel discussions that will undoubtedly spark outrage and handwringing by left-wing talking heads. Like every year, they have quite a bit to discuss, from extensive tech censorship to the weaponization of the federal government.
    A recent move by DirecTV to cut Newsmax from its service is rumored to have a fair amount of time allotted to it. With former President Donald Trump as one of the guest speakers and a fair amount of his campaign team in attendance, it is no wonder. Putting aside the Trump campaign’s affinity for the network, the discussion is worthy as the concerning trend of silencing opposing political views has picked up steam over the last few years.
    So for those of you who have cut the ties of cable and DirecTV long ago in favor of streaming services, let’s review what happened to Newsmax a little over a month ago and what might be discussed later this week at CPAC.

    . @CPAC URGES DIRECTV TO REINSTATE NEWSMAX pic.twitter.com/yjJ55yWXKq
    — Matt Schlapp (@mschlapp) February 16, 2023

    RELATED: Rep. McCarthy Promises Congressional Hearings Over DirecTV’s Decision to Remove Newsmax
    Suspicious Cut
    Last month DirecTV announced it was cutting Newsmax from its service to save money. It’s no wonder, with more and more families like mine switching to streaming, the traditional cable business needs help to maintain its relevancy.
    DirecTV’s argument for cutting Newsmax was an allegation that the network was demanding “excessive fees” that would cost “tens of millions” of dollars for DirecTV. However, Newsmax argues that just isn’t true.
    According to Newsmax, they were asking for $1 per cable subscriber per year, which is among one of the lowest fees requested in cable. Meanwhile, as Newsmax is cut, DirecTV continues to carry 22 left-leaning channels.
    A fair amount of these left-leaning channels have lower ratings than Newsmax, and all receive license fees. If you were a business looking to cut costs, you’d cut channels with lower ratings and keep the ones that are doing well…such as Newsmax.
    Interestingly Newsmax isn’t the first conservative channel that DirecTV has cut recently. The AT&T owned business also cut the One America News (OAN) Network.
    My, that’s awfully suspicious.

    As Ranking Member of the @SenateCommerce Committee am demanding answers from DirecTv and AT&T on why Newsmax was censored and taken off the airwaves. pic.twitter.com/Pr8AcItdy5
    — Senator Ted Cruz (@SenTedCruz) February 27, 2023

    RELATED: Slack Suspends Libs of TikTok For ‘Violations of our Acceptable Use Policy’ While Liberals Celebrate
    The Trump Outlet
    Political strategist Dick Morris on Newsmax’s Saturday Report bets that a lot of chatter at CPAC this week will focus on the network’s censorship.
    “I’ll bet that about 20% of the audience out there has been cut off by AT&T, and by DirecTV, and can’t watch Trump on Newsmax,” said Morris.
    Morris also pointed out the service Newsmax provides that others do not, saying “You see the issue here is that Fox does not cover Trump; Newsmax does.”
    Morris called out Fox News owner Rupert Murdoch’s bias against the former POTUS as a key reason for his lack of coverage on the network, saying “He refuses to mention his name. You’ll hear the coverage, and there’s DeSantis, there’s Pence, there’s all the other people, but never Trump.”
    He continued, stating “the only vehicle Trump has for getting his information out there to the American people — and talk about what he’ll do as president — is Newsmax.” As someone who watches a peppering of all news outlets, including Fox News and Newsmax, Newsmax covers Trump more extensively; however, to say that Fox News doesn’t cover Trump at all is a bit of hyperbole.
    The issue of Newsmax getting cut from DirecTV for dubious reasons still raises a valid concern; the increased public and private acceptance of political censorship.

    DID YOU KNOW?: @NEWSMAX is the 4th highest-rated cable news channel in U.S., and the 16th highest-rated cable channel overall for daytime viewers.
    Call @DirecTV at 877-NEWSMAX to demand that they return @NEWSMAX to its channel lineup!
    Visit https://t.co/PhYvR88ppy or more. pic.twitter.com/KrMmeY1Fm6
    — NEWSMAX (@NEWSMAX) February 27, 2023

    RELATED: Senator Ted Cruz Calls Out Washington Post Fact-Checker Over China Lab Leak Theory After New Report Indicates it to be True
    A Dangerous Marriage
    After the removal of Newsmax, over 40 Republican lawmakers wrote a letter to DirecTV stating that in addition to the OAN removal, “taken together, these two actions lead us to believe that DirecTV…is actively working to limit conservative viewpoints on its system.” I generally roll my eyes at any strongly worded letter from a politician, let alone a group of them, so I remain pessimistic that anything with real teeth will come from that note.
    However, perhaps the best description of what this move from DirecTV illustrates came from Republican Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, who has said “There’s this new hybrid of corporate power and state power that together is doing what neither one can do on it’s own.”
    Ramaswamy explains, “This is the invisible fist of government, using companies like AT&T through the back door to get done what government could not get done through the front door under the Constitution – censor disfavored viewpoints.”
    After DirecTV announced its decision to cut Newsmax, Morris said “The interesting thing is that censorship is no longer a government action; it’s a private action,” adding that “They don’t control the Supreme Court, they don’t control the House of Representatives” therefore leaving the left to use the corporate world to push their agenda.
    Morris summarizes that “What they can do is use the power of the marketplace to stop us from projecting our message, and that’s what they’re trying to do by cutting off Newsmax from those outlets.” 

    In any democratic society, free speech is essential.
    Sadly DirecTV does not agree and wants to censor conservative voices.
    Call up DirecTV and tell them to bring back @NEWSMAX and stop supporting censorship! pic.twitter.com/IK27z1qYLk
    — Oli London (@OliLondonTV) February 23, 2023

    RELATED: Former Fox News Host Kimberly Guilfoyle Announces New Show Exclusively on Free Speech Platform Rumble
    Stay Tuned
    In addition to the letter from Republican lawmakers, DirecTV received a letter from CPAC Chairman Matt Schlapp, which stated that “The cancelation of Newsmax is another example of woke CEOs, tech oligarchs, government bureaucrats, and left-wing activists have engaged in information warfare to silence those with whom they disagree.” So it’s fair to say that at least some discussion on this controversy will occur at CPAC this week.
    In fact, according to the CPAC schedule, it has its own hour allotted for it on Thursday. The discussion titled ‘Death by Dish’ will feature Matt Schlapp and the CEO of Newsmax, Chris Ruddy.
    In a world where information is power, and the control of that information is lopsided and increasingly centralized within government, we should all be interested and concerned with what happened to Newsmax, whether we are active viewers or not.
    As Tulsi Gabbard said of the move, “Democracy means not just tolerating opinions we don’t like, but actively defending their right to exist.”
    It’s comforting that at least one person understands the principle behind free speech.

    Dick Morris is 100% correct. The upcoming #CPAC conference will feature many conversations about big tech/big media censorship of conservative media in America – especially @DIRECTV @ATT’s censorship of @NEWSMAX! @CPAC @CPAC_TV https://t.co/KzKQIdfdZT
    — Bryan E. Leib (@BryanLeibFL) February 27, 2023

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    The post Dick Morris Predicts DirecTV’s Censorship of Conservative Outlets Likely on the CPAC agenda appeared first on The Political Insider.

  • Lawyer for El Chapo and Jeffrey Epstein Now a Ranchera Singer Who Goes by ‘The Attorney’

    In a move almost directly out of a dark comedy, one of the lawyers for notorious cartel leader Joaquín “El Chapo” Guzmán and his family has decided to expand her career by becoming a ranchera singer.
    Mariel Colón, who goes by the stage name “La Abogada” (“the Attorney” in Spanish) isn’t completely leaving the legal field behind. Colón, who also had worked on the legal team for criminal sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein before his “suicide,” still currently represents El Chapo’s wife Emma Coronel.

    RELATED: Shotgun Found 30 Feet From Body of Epstein-Linked Clinton Aid Whose Death Was Ruled a Suicide
    Art Mimics Reality?
    Colón recently debuted her first music video, which is, well, inspired by her career as an attorney… an attorney who has a thing for bad guys.
    In the video, Colón portrays an attorney who is in love with her criminal client who is facing some pretty hefty time behind bars. Some of the lyrics include, “Good morning your honor, may I speak: Today I’m here to defend my heart.”
    Is it kinda weird because she also happens to be a lawyer? Or is it weird because she’s a lawyer who has worked for a cartel leader and one of the most high profile sex traffickers in modern history? Either answer is acceptable.
    The video continues and shows Colón visiting her client in jail, where she tells him in dramatic fashion that “I’m no longer your defense attorney” since she has fallen in love with him and therefore can’t ethically be his attorney.
    It’s good to know that at least in her art, there is an ethical line she’ll draw in these fictional scenarios.

     

     

     
     

     
     

    View this post on Instagram

     

     
     
     

     
     

     
     
     

     
     

     
    A post shared by Mariel Colon Miro, Esq. (@marielcolonmiroesq)

     
    RELATED: Arizona Troopers Seize Enough Fentanyl To Kill Nearly 800,000 People
    She’s Got Friends in Peculiar Places
    What came first? The singing or the passion for the law? 
    According to Colón in an interview with Univisión, she said “I’m a singer who became a lawyer. I’ve always had a passion for singing and I thought this was the perfect moment to launch my career as a singer, because I know I have a big talent.
    “My plan was to become an attorney for the music industry, but ended up being a criminal attorney and that changed everything.”
    In 2017, Colón moved to New York where she became part of El Chapo’s legal team after graduating college. Sow did a recent college graduate end up working for the family of one of the most dangerous criminal families in the world? She applied for an assistant attorney job posted on Craigslist, and the rest was history.
    “I think El Chapo is proud of seeing me as an artist,” Colón said in her interview, “and Emma Coronel is very happy with my transformation and I’m impatiently waiting for her to get out of prison and start new projects together.”
    El Chapo is currently behind many, many bars at ADX Florence, a supermax prison in Colorado where he’ll be living the rest of his days. Despite this though, Colón is currently one of three individuals allowed to have daily access to Guzmán.
    Coronel, on the other hand, is serving only three years for helping El Chapo escape from prison in Mexico in 2015. At least when she’s out though, she’ll join Colón in her journey to superstardom.
    Happy ending? A strange ending for sure.

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  • Interest Payments On National Debt Will Exceed Defense Spending This Decade, CBO Says

    By Casey Harper (The Center Square)
    The cost of interest payments on the national debt will continue to grow as a financial burden for the U.S. over the next decade, even surpassing what the nation spends on national defense within a few years, a newly released budget analysis shows.
    The national debt hit $31 trillion last fall and is well on its way to $32 trillion this year. As that debt grows, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office projects that the federal government will shell out over $10 trillion in the next decade on interest payments alone.
    “To put this $10.5 trillion total in perspective, this means that spending on net interest will exceed all defense spending over the next decade,” the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget said in its analysis of CBO’s data. “In addition, we estimate the net interest spending will surpass all federal spending on children this year, meaning that we will be paying more to service our debts of the past than to invest in future generations.
    “For every dollar that the U.S. government will borrow over the next decade, 50 cents will be just to pay interest on our national debt,” the group added.
    CBO also projects that the debt as a percentage of GDP will hit record levels in that time and average $2 trillion deficits.
    Related: CBO: Federal Debt Is Growing Faster Than Expected, Deficits Will Average $2 Trillion
    The latest debt projections are based on current spending obligations. That means new spending from Congress without offsetting tax increases or spending cuts will accelerate that growth of the debt beyond those projections.
    “After jumping from $352 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2021 to $475 billion in 2022, annual net interest outlays will triple, reaching $1.4 trillion by 2033,” the CRFB said. “As a share of the economy, net interest will rise from 1.9 percent of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in FY 2022 to exceed its record as a share of GDP – 3.2 percent set in 1991 – by 2030 before reaching a high of 3.6 percent of GDP by 2033.”
    CRFB said the cost of interest on the national debt will soon surpass entitlement spending if nothing changes.
    “Unfortunately, the decades to follow 2033 are projected to be in even worse fiscal shape. With deficits continuing to grow unsustainably over time, interest on debt will eventually become the largest part of the federal budget,” the group said. “Net interest will surpass defense spending by 2028, Medicare spending by 2044, and Social Security spending by 2050, becoming the largest single line item in the budget. By 2053, net interest will consume approximately 7.2 percent of GDP – nearly 40 percent of federal revenues.”
    Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
    Read Next: Lawmakers Grill Biden’s IRS Chief Nominee Over New Army Of Agents, Backlogs, More
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  • Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin Announces 2024 US Senate Run To Replace Outgoing Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow

    Michigan Rep. Elissa Slotkin announced this week her intentions to run for Senate in 2024 to replace retiring Sen. Debbie Stabenow.
    Slotkin’s announcement comes as other viable candidates passed on the opportunity to run after Stabenow stated she would not run again.
    “Today, I’m announcing my run to be Michigan’s next U.S. Senator,” Slotkin tweeted. “We need a new generation of leaders that thinks differently, works harder, and never forgets that we are *public servants*.”
    In her first commercial, Slotkin discussed her career up to this point, as well as what she brings to the table.
    “Look, we all know America is going through something right now. We seem to be living crisis to crisis. But there are certain things that should be really simple. We need a new generation of leaders that thinks differently, works harder, and never forgets that we are public servants.”

    Today, I’m announcing my run to be Michigan’s next U.S. Senator.
    We need a new generation of leaders that thinks differently, works harder, and never forgets that we are *public servants* pic.twitter.com/L8cLgEUwnA
    — Elissa Slotkin (@ElissaSlotkin) February 27, 2023

    RELATED: Major Survey Results Show Biden Loses to Trump Again and Again in Potential 2024 Matchup
    The Field so Far
    While Slotkin had teased a potential run weeks prior, the real surprise is who chose not to get into the race.
    Prominent Michigan Democrats including Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, Rep. Haley Stevens, and state Sen. Mallory McMorrow all declined the opportunity to compete to fill Stabenow’s seat.
    As of now, no Republican competitor has entered either. Some potential candidates to have had their names floated around include former Rep. Peter Meijer and former gubernatorial nominee Tudor Dixon.

    Democrat Elissa Slotkin votes with Joe Biden 100% of the time.
    We have her to “thank” for rapid inflation, lower wages, higher crime, and an open border.https://t.co/wzCYFIkPQt
    — Ronna McDaniel (@GOPChairwoman) February 27, 2023

    RELATED: Nikki Haley Embarrassingly Trails Behind Trump in South Carolina According to Voter Survey
    Another Ultra-Liberal Pushing the Biden Agenda
    If Slotkin somehow manages to win in a general election, no one should expect her to bring some kind of “moderate” or “centrist” flavor to Washington since her record in the House of Representatives shows anything but someone who could vote alongside conservatives.
    FreedomWorks has scored her with a lifetime score of 2%.
    Heritage Action was harsher, they gave her a lifetime score of 0%, while Club for Growth was kinder with 4%.
    What are your thoughts on her record? Let us know in the comments below.

    Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
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    The post Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin Announces 2024 US Senate Run To Replace Outgoing Michigan Senator Debbie Stabenow appeared first on The Political Insider.

  • Whistleblower Video Confirms Chicago Housing Authority is Leaving Homeless Americans on the Streets in Favor of Illegal Aliens

    Whistleblower Video Confirms Chicago Housing Authority is Leaving Homeless Americans on the Streets in Favor of Illegal Aliens

    Project Veritas on Tuesday released whistleblower video confirming the Chicago Housing Authority is leaving homeless Americans on the streets in favor of illegal aliens.
    “The mayor [of Chicago] has not signed the bill for Americans to be permanently placed.” – one homeless whistleblower told PV.
    “They told me that those [migrant] families were a priority over us.” – another homeless man told PV.
    “I went to check my status for housing. I was number 20 on the list, but now it went to 67 because they had to prioritize the illegal immigrants, and I’m like, that’s so unfair. I’ve been waiting three years on this list,” he said.
    Via Project Veritas:
    Project Veritas released a new video today showing the harsh conditions that the American homeless population endures because of limited resources that are being prioritized for the influx of illegal immigrants in the city.
    Beatrice, who is a whistleblower with concerns for how the American homeless population is being treated, told Veritas journalists that Chicago has prioritized illegals over citizens. She also alleges that the city’s mayor, Lori Lightfoot, may be partially to blame.
    “The mayor has not signed the bill for Americans to be permanently placed,” Beatrice said.
    “They are prioritizing immigrants over Americans,” she said.
    In a conversation with a homeless shelter worker, Beatrice asked how the system currently prioritizes housing applications:
    Beatrice:You’re placing Americans?
    Homeless Shelter Worker:Yes…So, once those [spots] open up and we get their services started, it’s going to house locals and-
    Beatrice:So, they don’t just get placed first.
    Homeless Shelter Worker:Well, they [immigrants] get placed first because they got nothing.
    Beatrice:They get placed first because they have nothing, but how about the homeless Americans?
    Homeless Shelter Worker:They will get placed after, once it’s open.
    Beatrice:They get placed after.
    Homeless Shelter Worker:Mhm.
    WATCH:

    BREAKING: Whistleblower Video Confirms @theCHAtweets Leaving Homeless Americans on Streets in Favor of Illegal Immigrants in Housing Application
    “We can’t let them in yet because the @chicagosmayor hasn’t approved it.”#AmericansLast pic.twitter.com/FEuZskAs4J
    — Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) March 1, 2023

    Editor’s note: This project was in the works while James O’Keefe was still leading the organization. The Gateway Pundit supports James O’Keefe and our friends who are still a part of the organization.
    The post Whistleblower Video Confirms Chicago Housing Authority is Leaving Homeless Americans on the Streets in Favor of Illegal Aliens appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

  • Oregon Considers Bill That Would Give Homeless People ,000 a Month – No Strings Attached

    Oregon Considers Bill That Would Give Homeless People $1,000 a Month – No Strings Attached

    Lawmakers in the state of Oregon are considering a bill that would provide homeless people with $1,000 a month with no strings attached.
    Is there any wonder why so many people in Oregon are trying to secede to the state of Idaho?
    If Oregon wants to become the homeless capital of the country, this is an excellent way to do it.
    FOX News reports:
    Oregon bill would pay homeless people $1,000 a month
    The state of Oregon is weighing a bill to give homeless and low-income people $1,000 a month in universal basic income.
    The Oregon legislature is considering a bill to establish a People’s Housing Assistance Fund Demonstration Program through the state’s Department of Human Services.
    Oregon’s bill is the latest in blue states looking to give handouts to people in universal basic income (UBI) programs.
    According to Bill Track 50, the legislation would “provide 12 monthly payments of $1,000 to individuals who are experiencing homelessness, are at risk of homelessness, are severely rent burdened or earn at or below 60 percent of area median income.”
    The bill would require a study on who is receiving the money broken down among a few demographics, including race, veteran status and risk of domestic violence.
    Additionally, the bill sunsets in January 2026.
    The $1,000 payments can be used at recipients’ discretion, but supporters say it will be used toward rent and other living expenses.
    Anyone with a brain knows that much of this money will be spent on alcohol and drugs, not rent and living expenses.

    As if we haven’t paid enough of our tax money to the homeless.
    Why don’t we give them $1000/mo in housing vouchers? Housing First, right?
    Most of this will just end up in the hands of drug dealers.https://t.co/PievuzR4eq
    — PDX Real (@PDXReal1) February 28, 2023

    How many people can the three West Coast States afford to lose to outward migration? Are they expecting illegal aliens to make up for lost revenue?
    Oregon bill would pay homeless people $1,000 a monthhttps://t.co/lua5e1xazp
    — 1ByLand2BySea (@1byLand2ifbySea) March 1, 2023

    We’re going to give homeless folks $1,000 a month for a year. After that we’ll be granting extensions so the drug dealers don’t go out of business.https://t.co/baWZDmkxsq
    — Not Tina Kotex (@NotTinaKotex) February 28, 2023

    Absolute madness, and it’s being done on purpose.
    The post Oregon Considers Bill That Would Give Homeless People $1,000 a Month – No Strings Attached appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.

  • Stacey Abrams Goes to Nigeria As An Election Observer – And Then Both Major Parties Call for a Do-Over (VIDEO)

    Stacey Abrams Goes to Nigeria As An Election Observer – And Then Both Major Parties Call for a Do-Over (VIDEO)

    Two-time election loser and election-denier Stacey Abrams went to Nigeria as a part of a 40-member crew from the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute to “observe” the 2023 Nigerian Presidential Election. But major problems arose after the ballots were cast.
    Before the votes were counted, however, Abrams was quite content and optimistic about the election. She hailed the “orderly lines,” “strong enthusiasm,” and “patience” among voters.
    WATCH:

    Stacey Abrams just won Nigeria’s election! pic.twitter.com/g6khnm6mpv
    — Dr. Jebra Faushay (@JebraFaushay) February 28, 2023

    Unfortunately for her, Nigerian politicians must have caught wind of her arrival because both opposition parties in Nigeria are now alleging a stolen election and demanding a revote.
    One could say they learned from the best because Abrams is the epitome of a sore loser. Why not mimic her to see if you’re more successful in a country with far weaker institutions than America?
    Recall Abrams narrowly lost the race to then-Secretary of State Brian Kemp and immediately whined the election was rigged. For years she kept claiming she actually won the election and was the real Georgia governor.
    National Democrats then echoed her frivolous claims with little pushback from the corporate media.
    The Daily Wire reported:
    Twice-failed Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams popped up in Nigeria this week, serving as part of a 40-member crew observing polls in the African nation’s elections, and now parties that appear to have lost the election are claiming that it was rigged.
    Abrams, who is traveling with the International Republican Institute and the National Democratic Institute, told the media on Saturday that there was much excitement on the ground amongst voters.
    “I would say that despite a slow start with the [violence]” Abrams said over the weekend, “we have seen orderly lines, we have seen long lines, signaling strong enthusiasm. But we’ve also seen a great deal of cooperation and a very peaceful conversation among voters. They want to be heard, and they are willing to stand in line and have patience, because they know that’s their path to progress.”
    Well, as of Tuesday, both opposition parties in Nigeria’s presidential elections were calling for a do-over claiming that the results were corrupted in part because voter ID technology was stolen from certain polling places, causing delays and glitches.
    The People’s Democratic Party, Labour Party, and African Democratic Congress released a joint statement claiming that they had lost confidence in the electoral body chairman, Mahmood Yakubu.
    “We call on the international community to note that the results being declared at the National Collation centre have been heavily doctored and manipulated and do not reflect the wishes of Nigerians expressed at the polls on February 25, 2023,” the statement said.
    Abrams’ posse appeared to concur with that evaluation.
    “The election fell well short of Nigerian citizens’ reasonable expectations,” a spokesperson for the International Republican Institute (IRI) and National Democratic Institute (NDI) told the press.
    With people like Abrams in your corner, who needs enemies? One can only feel sorry for the Nigerian people.
    The post Stacey Abrams Goes to Nigeria As An Election Observer – And Then Both Major Parties Call for a Do-Over (VIDEO) appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.