By Alan Wooten (The Center Square)
Ten points of enhancement or change are being recommended by the national transportation secretary nearly three weeks after a train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio.
Pete Buttigieg, in a release early Tuesday morning, also issued five requests specifically for Norfolk Southern. His 10 action items include five focuses for the U.S. Department of Transportation and five measures requested of Congress.
Norfolk Southern’s train carrying hazardous materials derailed in the small town of just under 5,000 along the Pennsylvania border on Feb. 3 and news coverage escalated in the last seven days.
The rail industry, in defense of its safety record, said 99.9% of hazardous materials reach their destinations without incident. The accident rate involving hazardous materials has declined 55% since 2012, said a message posted to Union Pacific’s website.
Five of the cars in Ohio were carrying vinyl chloride, a colorless gas that is hazardous. A decision for a controlled release and burn on Feb. 6 was heavily criticized.
Related: A Train Derailed in Ohio Releasing Toxic Chemicals Into the Air, So Naturally Pete Buttigieg is Focused on White Construction Workers
Buttigieg, who separately wrote a letter to Norfolk Southern CEO Alan Shaw on Sunday, on Tuesday asked the rail company to work with rail car owners to phase in sooner a safety measure with a 2029 mandate. He also asked the company to be proactive in giving notice to first responders of hazardous materials transports through states, rather than first responders having to look up the information after an incident.
Buttigieg’s other three points involved workers. He asked for human elements of inspection to remain despite lobbyists wanting more use of technology; protection “from reprisal” for workers who spot and call attention to safety issues; and paid sick leave.
USDOT, Buttigieg says, will initiate two inspection programs, one dealing with routes and another with legacy tank cars. He said the agency will use Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act funds to modernize and improve tracks and crossings; and it will pursue rules changes, including a train crew staffing standard.
Related: Joe Rogan Slaps Pete Buttigieg Down For Whining About White Construction Workers, Says Hiring Based on Diversity Leads to ‘Disasters’
Congress is being asked to allow more fines by USDOT; to strengthen regulations involving hazardous shipments, and to hasten the phase-in of the hazardous materials rule that is not mandated until 2029. Lawmakers are also asked for more modern breaking regulations in the rail industry, and to expand hazardous materials training for first responders.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
The post Norfolk Southern, USDOT, Congress All Targeted In Buttigieg’s Requests appeared first on The Political Insider.
Author: adler
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Norfolk Southern, USDOT, Congress All Targeted In Buttigieg’s Requests
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Supreme Court Cancels Oral Arguments On Title 42
By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)
The U.S. Supreme Court canceled oral arguments scheduled for March 1 in a case filed by Arizona and 18 other states against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and several federal officials and agencies.
President Joe Biden has said the national public health emergency issued by former President Donald Trump over COVID-19 will expire May 11. Once the national public health emergency expires, so also will Title 42 enforcement. The public health authority was implemented to curtail the spread of the coronavirus by expanding expulsions of illegal foreign nationals.
On Feb. 16, the court removed the case from its calendar for March 1 after the Biden administration filed a motion arguing the lawsuit was moot.
Last December, Chief Justice John Roberts issued an administrative stay of a lower court’s ruling requiring the termination of Title 42 pending the court’s decision after it heard oral arguments scheduled for March 1. This was after the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention last May attempted to terminate Title 42 but were halted from doing so by a federal judge after attorneys general led by Arizona sued. While Title 42’s been one tool used by Border Patrol agents to expel foreign nationals, it was never designed to be used in lieu of enforcing federal immigration laws, critics have argued.
U.S. Rep. Carlos Gimenez, R-Florida, has pointed out that Title 42 hasn’t really been effective in preventing illegal entries as a record number of people have been unlawfully released into the U.S. by the Biden administration, at a rate of 7 to 1. He told Fox News last December, “for every one person that’s sent back for Title 42, you have got seven people that are released into the United States.” Title 42 has been “better than nothing,” he said. “But the whole problem is actually the policies that have been implemented by the Biden administration, and that have caused this tremendous influx” of illegal foreign nationals into the U.S.
Gimenez, like Texas and Arizona congressmen, has called for Mayorkas to be impeached.
Related: Chief Justice Roberts Suspends Biden Plan to End Title 42 Immigration Rule
CBP officials have said they’re preparing for an unprecedented deluge of people arriving at the southwest border and overwhelming Border Patrol agents once Title 42 ends. Their plan includes releasing those entering the U.S. illegally en masse into local communities. Rio Grande Valley Sector Chief Gloria Chavez said she was working with local NGOs to facilitate moving them north into Texas and the U.S.
Since Biden’s been in office, over 5 million foreign nationals have been apprehended or reported evading capture from law enforcement, including over 3.3 million in fiscal 2022 alone. While Mayorkas repeatedly claims “the border is closed,” he’s also announced a plan to increase the processing and release of even more people into the U.S. once Title 42 ends. The president also said he plans to make it easier for people to get here, using an “asylum” phone app.
When meeting with the presidents of Mexico and Canada in early January, he said his administration was working “to make it easier for people to get here.”
In a speech in Mexico City, he said, “right now the cartels make a lot of money, which they use for drug trafficking as well. People make it through jungles and … a long journey to the border. Many are victimized, not only in terms of what they have to pay, but victimized physically in other ways. We’re trying to make it easier for people to get here, opening up the capacity to get here, but not having them go through that … awful process.”
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott proposed five policies the president could implement to secure the border immediately and called on him to designate Mexican cartels as Foreign Terrorist Organizations. Abbott says he hasn’t heard back.
Related: CBS News Admits Biden Admin Won’t Allow Media to Film Inside Illegal Immigrant Detention Centers
In the federal government’s absence, Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, Texas’ border security mission, in March 2021, and the state legislature also allocated more than $4 billion for border security efforts. Abbott’s made border security an emergency legislative item this legislative session, including allocating nearly $5 billion to border security over the next two years.
His plan includes passing legislation to impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence for anyone caught smuggling people in Texas, enhancing the minimum penalty for operating stash houses to a third-degree felony, enhancing penalties for foreign terrorist organizations operating in Texas, among other measures.
Texas, which shares the longest border with Mexico, has borne the brunt of cartel and illegal activity stemming from the border. Texas law enforcement officers working through OLS are thwarting the smuggling of people and drugs north from Mexico and the smuggling of weapons, cash and other contraband south. They’re also seeking to prevent, detect, and interdict transnational criminal behavior between ports of entry.
Since Abbott launched OLS, Texas law enforcement officers have apprehended more than 350,000 illegal foreign nationals and made over 24,000 criminal arrests, with more than 22,000 felony charges reported, according to state data. They’ve also seized over 362 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill more than everyone in the U.S.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
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Adam Kinzinger’s New Book ‘Renegade’ Will Be Released in October
Of course, Adam Kinzinger is releasing a new book. And of course, it’s called ‘Renegade.’
Kinzinger, the former Congressman-turned-CNN contributor, and perpetual attention whore, is set to release the book – whose full title is Renegade: My Life in Faith, the Military, and Defending America from Trump’s Attack on Democracy – in October.
The book will be published under The Open Field, a Penguin Random House imprint overseen by Maria Shriver. They describe it as “part memoir, part searing examination.”
They describe the author as having to make a decision to break with his party following the January 6th riot at the Capitol “not just for the sake of the soul of his party, but for the very future of our country.”
“Renegade offers a searing account of one of the most tumultuous events in recent American history — and the devastating consequences of letting extremism go unchecked,” the summary reads.Former US Rep. Adam Kinzinger to release book in October via ABCNews https://t.co/dzzlpxfE9M
— Jeffrey Levin (@jilevin) February 21, 2023RELATED: Never Trumper Kinzinger Reduced to Selling Autographed Copies of the January 6th Committee Report
Adam Kinzinger: Renegade in His Own Mind
There is no bigger fan of Adam Kinzinger on this planet, no individual who views him more as a ‘renegade,’ than Adam Kinzinger himself.
This is the same man who compared himself to 9/11 Flight 93 hero Todd Beamer. The same guy thought he was going to have to turn Rambo on January 6 and start shooting rioters. The same guy who falsely pretended he lost his job because he ‘stood up for the truth.’
He’s basically AOC without the dress… that we know of.Adam Kinzinger is such a ‘renegade’ that he joined the majority party in painting a narrative that a vast swath of the media was helping to push because it was easier to go along with their version of events.
If this book is ever turned into a movie, we’re quite certain we know how one of the scenes will play out, and who the lead actor will be playing Kinzinger.RELATED: HA! Never Trumper Adam Kinzinger IMMEDIATELY Hired By CNN
Kinzinger’s Other Book Sale
Well, we suppose this book effort is slightly nobler than Kimzinger’s last one. The Political Insider reported in January that Kinzinger was hawking autographed copies of the January 6th select committee final report online for just $100.
After he was called out, the faux Republican was forced to add an addendum that proceeds from his signed copy of the final report would go to the U.S. Capitol Police Memorial Fund.Former anti-Trump Rep. Adam Kinzinger removes, and reposts listing for signed copies of Jan. 6 committee report https://t.co/v1WlS3nnPe #FoxNews
— Jon Nicosia (@NewsPolitics) January 18, 2023The title of Adam Kinzinger’s new book might be apropos after all.
The Oxford Languages Dictionary defines ‘renegade’ as “a person who deserts and betrays an organization, country, or set of principles.”
Or, alternately, “having treacherously changed allegiance.”
Kinzinger, an Iraq War veteran, most certainly betrayed his principles when he decided to change allegiance to the America Last Democrat party. Jumping ship to join the pro-abortion, anti-Second Amendment, pro-lockdown Democrats, all because of one man.
But he still views himself as a hero and even a conservative.
“Ever since my final falling-out with the GOP, on the day of the deadly January 6 attack on the Capitol by Donald Trump’s followers, I have wanted to tell the inside story of how my party and also my faith have been hijacked by extremists who represent a real danger to our democracy,” Kinzinger said in a statement.
“This book is the result, a full telling of my experience from a pilgrim with genuine values to a conservative who has no home but is determined to play a role in our recovery from a devastating political war,” he added.
If, as we suspect there will be, a lot of copies of Kinzinger’s book ‘Renegade’ go unsold, at least he’ll be able to use them to sit on when he’s making appearances on CNN panels and trying to convince people he’s the same height as a real boy.
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The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post Adam Kinzinger’s New Book ‘Renegade’ Will Be Released in October appeared first on The Political Insider.
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Rosie O’Donnell Slams Government Response to Ohio Train Derailment, Drops 9/11 Comparison
Former talk show host and always outspoken liberal Rosie O’Donnell took aim at the government response —and more specifically the EPA’s response — to the disastrous train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. O’Donnell underscored her rant with a reminder of the devastating toll that followed 9/11.
It’s extremely blunt when Rosie O’Donnell openly admits there are problems and lies regarding Ohio and 9/11 concerning these toxins that aren’t safe.
— @TamyraUSA (@tamyrausa) February 19, 2023Rosie O’Donnell Tells Ohio Don’t Trust the EPA
“I’ve been reading all the news about this horrible train derailment and chemical spill – toxic poisoning – in Ohio. Fish dying, chickens dying and animals getting sick and people getting sick, and then the EPA comes out with a very non-alarmist ‘Everything’s okay. Don’t worry about a thing’ statement, and it’s infuriating,” O’Donnell said in her Friday TikTok video.
“There’s poisoning. They’ve poisoned hundreds of thousands of people. Their lives [are] ruined… they don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“I don’t trust the EPA. I don’t trust them. After 9/11, I don’t know how anyone could,” she added.
You might recall that it took 15 years for the EPA head under George Bush to admit that she was “wrong” to tell New Yorkers the air was safe around Ground Zero following 9/11.
Just three days after the Twin Towers fell, then EPA head Christine Todd Whitman reassured the public, telling reporters: “The good news continues to be that air samples we have taken have all been at levels that cause us no concern.”
For 15 years, Whitman maintained that she was simply passing along assurances given to her by government scientists. Sound familiar?
As of the 20th anniversary of 9/11, more people had died from 9/11-related illness than in the attacks. A tragic 2,996 lives were claimed on 9/11. As of 9/12/2021, the CDC World Trade Center Health Program reported 3,311 deaths and the Victims Compensation fund had received over 3,900 claims for death due to 9/11 related illnesses.Remembering all those who lost their lives on 9/11. Thinking of their families and friends. Also thinking of all those now suffering with illness whilst helping the recovery efforts at Ground Zero #NeverForget #911Memorial pic.twitter.com/NZDxzO3SVF
— Alison Wright (@AlisonWCats) September 11, 2021RELATED: More Train Derailments Spur Calls for Pete Buttigieg to Resign as Transportation Secretary
The ‘Left is Screwed’ When You ‘Lose’ Rosie O’Donnell
O’Donnell’s TikTok video quickly amassed over 400k views and thousands of comments. Many applauding the liberal celebrity for finally starting to “wake up”.
One commenter suggested O’Donnell should add other “3 letter government agencies” like the FBI and CDC to the list of agencies you can’t trust.
Houston freedom fighter Merissa Hansen tweeted O’Donnell’s video with the caption: “You know the left is screwed when you lose Rosie.”You know the left is screwed when you lose Rosie.
H/t @Yolo304741 pic.twitter.com/CaNWO7I2EL
— Merissa Hansen (@merissahansen17) February 18, 2023The Gimme a Break! star took note of the responses and posted a second clarification video. O’Donnell contends she’s not waking up but rather always feels this way in the wake of a national tragedy citing Columbine, 9/11, and Hurricane Katrina.
O’Donnell describes her feelings as, “Compassion for my fellow man. Disappointment in a government that doesn’t take good enough care of its people. And frustration at the way corporate entities seem to have impunity.”
The latter being a nod to a comment in her original video: “This is a tragedy of epic proportion, and its criminal negligence by that chemical and train company. And nothing’s being done about it.”
Notably, O’Donnell is not the first celebrity to shine a light on the train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio. Last week, comedian Tom Green also took to TikTok with his own warning about trusting the government.
The Canadian suggests Americans not get so caught up in the recent objects shot down that they miss what’s happening in Ohio or with the unsealing of Epstein court documents.
RELATED: Comedian Tom Green Warns UFOs Are Distraction From Epstein, Ohio Train Derailment
Biden Visits Ukraine; Trump Visits Ohio
As the Ohio train derailment garners increasing national attention from celebrities and mainstream media using terms like “full-blown crisis“, the Biden administration’s focus remains elsewhere.Republican Ohio Senator J.D. Vance is faces pushback after releasing official statement on the status of East Palestine 10 days after a train derailment release of hazardous materials.#OhioChemicalDisaster #OhioChernobyl #OhioRiver #Ohio #OhioCoverup https://t.co/VOdVyTOXqq pic.twitter.com/zffhpzLsOm
— SANTINO (@MichaelSCollura) February 16, 2023While Biden was making his impromptu “historic” visit to Ukraine – at least that’s what MSM is calling it – and prompting Russia to rescind its nuclear treaty with the US, Trump unveiled plans to visit the citizens of East Palestine, Ohio on Wednesday.
Of course Joe Biden is in Ukraine and not Ohio…Because screw Americans.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 20, 2023Fox News first broke the news that Trump would be visiting Ohio. Trump confirmed the visit on Truth Social declaring, “Great people who need help, NOW!”
Donald Trump, Truth Social
Trump then continued to ratchet up his support for the people of Ohio.
Donald Trump, Truth Social
Trump, Ohio Mayor React to Biden’s Ukraine Visits
Donald Trump Jr. used the divergence to take a pot shot at Biden, “If our ‘leaders’ are too afraid to actually lead real leaders will step up and fill the void.”Breaking News: Trump will visit East Palestine, Ohio next week. If our “leaders” are too afraid to actually lead real leaders will step up and fill the void.
— Donald Trump Jr. (@DonaldJTrumpJr) February 18, 2023Trump Jr. isn’t the only one critical of Biden. East Palestine, Ohio’s mayor Trent Conaway sees Biden’s Ukraine visit as slight.
The Ohio mayor, who appeared on Fox News’ Jesse Watters Primetime Monday night, said, “That was the biggest slap in the face. That tells you right now he doesn’t care about us.”East Palestine Mayor: Biden ignoring us is a slap in the face #FoxNews pic.twitter.com/1YmnkPrOnF
— Jesse Watters Primetime (@jesseprimetime) February 21, 2023Trump posted a strong response calling Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine dangerous, “If you watch and understand the moves being made by Biden on Ukraine, he is systematically, but perhaps unknowingly, pushing us into what could soon be WORLD WAR III. How crazy is that?”
Donald Trump, Truth Social
It’s no wonder that America is going to hell in a handbasket. We’ve got a disaster here at home and yet Biden puts Ukrainians ahead of Ohioans. All the while pushing us closer to global conflict.
There’s a saying that comes to mind:
Grass is greener where you water it. Tend to your own garden.
For so long as the Biden administration continues to put America last from his high castle, the rest of us will be stuck deep in the weeds.
You can watch the full Ohio train derailment rant by Rosie O’Donnell in the original TikTok video below.@rosie train derailment ohio #ohio #chemicalspill #epa #toxic #tragedy #criminal ♬ original sound – Rosie ODonnell
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Cammack Blasts Texas Democrat Who Claimed Operation Lone Star Is ‘Waste Of Money’
By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)
U.S. Rep. Kat Cammack blasted a Democratic witness at a U.S. House subcommittee hearing last week after she refused to answer questions under oath and laughed when she was asked if Texas law enforcement officers seizing enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the United States was a waste of money.
After Democratic Brooks County Sheriff Benny Martinez testified about the record number of dead foreign nationals in his rural county, Democrat Rochelle Garza, president of the Texas Civil Rights Project, testified that Gov. Greg Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star, is illegal and a waste of taxpayer money.
She also said, “our Governor is wrong about how fentanyl enters the United States. The vast majority of fentanyl seized at the border is intercepted at either U.S. ports of entry or through U.S. mail, with most smugglers being U.S. citizens.”
Garza also said, “Operation Lone Star has not resulted in any reduction in fentanyl deaths” in the districts of the members of Congress who presided over the hearing.
Garza, an attorney, ran against Attorney General Ken Paxton in November and lost. She, Martinez, and two others testified at a U.S. House Committee on Energy and Commerce’s Joint Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee and Health Subcommittee hearing in Weslaco, Texas, on Feb. 15.
Related: New Operation Lone Star Task Force Now Tracking And Apprehending Gotaways
Since March 2021, when Abbott launched OLS, Texas law enforcement officials alone have seized more than 360 million lethal doses of fentanyl between ports of entry and throughout Texas.
Cammack asked Garza if OLS was a waste of money and wasn’t stopping fentanyl deaths, “how do you explain the 361 million lethal doses that have been confiscated? And in your opinion, what is the price of a life?”
Garza replied, “we are talking about billions of dollars that have further militarized this region and the state of Texas. It has been a waste of taxpayer dollars.”
When Cammack repeated her question, Garza continued to talk over her and Cammack said, “I’m going to reclaim my time. When I reclaim my time that means you have to stop talking.”
When Cammack asked Garza again if the confiscation of 361 million lethal doses of fentanyl was a waste of taxpayer money, Garza laughed and wouldn’t answer the question.
At one point, Garza said, she “didn’t know why we are here at the border, there is no connection to fentanyl.”
In response, Cammack said, “let me show you the connection” and held up a photo of a 958-gram brick of fentanyl seized in Marion County, Florida, after it had been trafficked across the border by illegal foreign nationals. “That is the connection,” she said. “And it’s not just my district. Every single one of these members today have illegal substances in their district as a result of [President Joe Biden’s] open border policies. Every single one of us has constituents who have been poisoned as a result. To say that there’s no connection is wildly inappropriate, unacceptable, and [to] the families who’ve lost loved ones as a result of the open border policies, you should apologize.”
She also pointed to data stating that only 5-10% of the fentanyl seized is documented; “that’s what we know of,” she said.
She then asked Garza if she believed that Biden “taking $130 million from homeless veterans programs under FEMA and redirecting it to the border crisis” was social justice.
Garza replied by accusing her of “using the border as political talking points” and refused to answer the question.
Related: Abbott Expanding Operation Lone Star in Effort to Secure Southern Border
Cammack tweeted a clip of the exchange, saying, “I shut down some of the most insane commentary I’ve heard in my time in Congress.” Garza’s comments “weren’t defensible,” she said, adding, “She owes every family an apology that has lost a loved one including those who have been abused at the hands of the cartels.”
Prior to Garza’s testimony, Border Patrol chiefs refuted the claim that fentanyl isn’t being smuggled between ports of entry. Law enforcement officials have also told The Center Square they’re apprehending foreign nationals who’ve entered between ports of entry carrying fentanyl and other drugs in their backpacks. Known as gotaways, they’re largely single military-age men intentionally evading capture by law enforcement who aren’t claiming asylum. Many are armed and dangerous, committing robberies and other crimes.
The DEA announced last year that its agents had seized enough fentanyl to kill everyone in the United States and identified Mexican cartels as facilitating the fentanyl crisis. Its seizures occurred nationwide, not just at ports of entry, and excluded those made by state law enforcement agencies and U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
Last year, Paxton’s campaign paid for billboards claiming Garza defended human traffickers, saying she was “working to enable these criminals by defending them in court.” Garza’s spokesperson didn’t deny that Garza represented alleged human traffickers, arguing everyone is entitled to a defense. She told The Houston Chronicle that Garza “withdrew herself as legal counsel within days from the cases to which the billboards are referring. In one case, she never even served as attorney of record. In the other, her representation was withdrawn within a matter of days.”
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
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Virginia State Senate Rejects Updated Communism Curriculum Because it is Apparently Racist to Asians
The last few years have been a wake-up call for American families across the country on what their children have been learning and, at the same time, have not been learning in our nation’s public schools. From failing math scores to plummeting literacy rates, the state of our education system is perhaps the worst since the creation of the public school construct.
Thanks in part to the COVID lockdowns, parents got to see what their students were learning in place of arithmetic and phonics. Everything from critical race theory to gender ideology has been funneled into the national curriculum due mainly to the teacher’s unions and diversity consulting firms making bank on brainwashing our children.
So it is no wonder that so many young Americans from school age to my age cannot function in regular society, let alone understand the difference between Communism and socialism. Some states have put in place mechanisms to right this ship. However, the Virginia state Senate’s objections to teaching the dangers of Communism are bizarre, to say the least..@DelJAvoli presented HB 1816, requiring that students learn about the dangers and victims of communism. What did @VEA4kids have to say?
Just listen. We can’t do it justice. You can’t make this stuff up. https://t.co/5Akexs58yD pic.twitter.com/MUabRPOnMe
— VA House GOP (@vahousegop) February 15, 2023RELATED: Indian Immigrant Mother is Accused of Being Aligned With ‘White Supremacists,’ Then Booted From Education Board by Virginia Democrats
We Wouldn’t Want to Offend
Virginia Delegate John Avoli proposed House Bill 1816, which would include not just basic knowledge of Communism in History and Social Studies courses in the state but also the dangers associated with Communism. The bill would also require the Governor to proclaim November 7th a Victims of Communism Day, requiring the state’s public schools to honor the over 100 million victims of Communism.
It seems reasonable. After all, we have entire months dedicated to other particular aspects of history; how could it be considered harmful to ensure that one day out of the year, public school students take time to understand the actual impacts of Communism over the years?
According to one of the state’s teacher’s unions, to do so could discriminate against Asian Americans. Research coordinator for the Virginia Education Association (VEA) Emily Yen said of the bill, “Four out of the five current communist regimes are countries that are in Asia. We are concerned that this bill would subject Asian American students to anti-Asian sentiment and we think that we would oppose this bill.”
And just like that, politicians folded to Big Education, as usual.If your child attends the University of Minnesota, you may want to check in on them.
Parents you need to spend some extra time teaching your children about the real dangers of socialism and communism. It has caused tens of millions of deaths worldwide. pic.twitter.com/myYcr58lYl
— Serenity (@polishprincessh) February 11, 2023RELATED: Trump Sends Special Message to January 6 Prisoners, Says America Skipped Socialism and Went Straight to Communism
Flawed Argument
The idea that we shouldn’t teach aspects of history and current events because it may lead to discrimination against a demographic of students would require our society to cease teaching any part of history or current events. But, unfortunately, we live in a time when anyone from any group can find offense with anything, including food.
Ms. Yen’s argument is nonsensical and implies that our children are incapable of understanding the difference between what communists have done and currently do in the name of their flawed political construct and their Asian-American peers. Not only is that insulting, but quite telling if true.
On the flip side, some arguments against passing this bill were based more on the current state curriculum standards that claim Communism is already taught. Currently, in Virginia, Communism is taught in two sections:the rise of totalitarianism and the conflicts and revolutionary movements in Asia
prominent leaders, including Mao Zedong, Chiang Kai-Shek, and Deng Xiaoping in China and Ho Chi Minh in VietnamSo why the push to codify the teaching of the dangers of Communism?
“All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than the others”- George Orwell’s Animal Farm. Best allegorical novella on the reality and dangers of Communism to this day.
— Ravi Soysa (@RavindaSoysa) February 20, 2023RELATED: Chuck Norris Issues Dire Warning: Biden And His Neo-Marxist Liberals Are Leading America ‘Down The Slippery Slope To Communism’
A Cold Civil War
Recent polling proves that you can teach basic facts of a concept, but unless you include critical thinking and analysis, you can still miss the mark completely. For example, in 2019, a YouGov poll found that more than a third of millennials approved of Communism.
Before you brush that off as just young and dumb ‘kids,’ remember that your favorite spicy political commentator is a millennial. It’s true, I’m considered a millennial, and I’m certainly no spring chicken.
In that same poll, 57% of 23 – 38-year-olds believed the Declaration of Independence better “guarantees freedom and equality” than the Communist Manifesto. That’s just over half of those in my age group who think one of our most important founding documents is a better blueprint for freedom than the Communist Manifesto.
Fast forward to 2021, and 28% of Gen Z Americans have a favorable view of Communism, with another 30% favorable of Marxism. Only a third of this same generation of Americans understand that the Chinese Communist Party has killed more than Nazism.
Think about that for a second. That essentially means that statistically, some of that third still views Communism favorably, even knowing the extent of killing in its name has taken place.
This surge in popularity for Communism has prompted some on the right to claim we are in the midst of a ‘cold civil war’ against ‘woke communists.’ Interesting to think that the term ‘woke’ and ‘communism’ would be such cozy bedfellows.WOKE IDEOLOGY North Korean defector says USA universities are brainwashing students with #Communist aka #Woke ideolgy pic.twitter.com/lgXclEzr7Z
— UnJabbed Male MyBodyMyChoice (@crouchendcom) February 18, 2023RELATED: Joy Reid Works Overtime to Stoke Flames with Race-Based Attacks on DeSantis, Mocking Jesus
Conformity, a Tempting Drug
Virginia isn’t the first state to attempt the push to dedicate a day to victims of Communism or codify teaching the dangers of Communism in school. Last year Governor Ron DeSantis signed a bill requiring Florida public schools to dedicate at least 45 minutes to teaching the dangers of Communism.
This coincides with his proclamation that November 7th be dedicated to “Victims of Communism Day.” For those of you who also had a terrible public school that taught little to nothing about history, November 7th marks the Bolshevik revolution and, thus, the founding of the Soviet Union.
Among other things, the Florida bill requires teaching how Communism leads to “poverty, starvation, migration, systemic lethal violence, and suppression of speech.” All valuable lessons given the left’s push to silence speech and demonize hard work and wealth.
Arizona has a similar bill, and recently Louisiana Senator John Kennedy submitted a similar proposal. But will any of this be enough to change the minds of millennials and Generation Z?
Doubtful, given the stronghold Big Education has on our youth. As one political science professor said, “…capitalism is clearly and undeniably failing. It’s directly responsible for the climate catastrophe and everybody knows it.”
That is an interesting argument, given that China produces far more pollution than the United States. But, the truth is capitalism is challenging, as most things in life that are worthwhile tend to be.
My generation and those that follow have been taught to dislike hard work and perseverance. We lack the ability to understand that life isn’t meant to be fair and that resilience is taking the hits and getting back up again.Bill Maher rips “gullible” millennials for their “stupid” ideas:
Defunding the police is “less of a policy position and more of a leg tattoo.”
“Pining for communism is like pining for Betamax or MySpace.” pic.twitter.com/KlWa4V2vfC
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) April 25, 2021So naturally, relinquishing responsibility for our lives and futures to allow Big Government to control our destinies is alluring. But, unfortunately, my generation and those that follow don’t understand the price you must pay for this drug.
Adlai Stevenson said, “Communism is the death of the soul. It is the organization of total conformity – in short, tyranny – and it is committed to making tyranny universal.” So the question remains, are we too late, or are we all losing our souls to the woke communists?Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post Virginia State Senate Rejects Updated Communism Curriculum Because it is Apparently Racist to Asians appeared first on The Political Insider.
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Fiscal 2023 Q1: 260 Prosecuted For Human Smuggling Into Arizona
By Bethany Blankley (The Center Square)
In the first three months of fiscal 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona brought criminal charges against nearly 1,456 foreign nationals who’d illegally entered and then reentered the U.S. They also filed 260 cases against individuals charged with smuggling illegal foreign nationals in Arizona.
The cases are from the Tucson and Yuma U.S. Customs and Border Protection Sectors in Arizona, which cover the entire Arizona-Mexico border. The numbers only include U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecutions and exclude CBP prosecutions.
The Yuma Sector covers the southeast corner of Arizona – approximately 181,670 square miles of primarily desert terrain divided between California and Arizona and 126 miles of the U.S.-Mexico border from the Imperial Sand Dunes in California to the Yuma-Pima County line in Arizona. The Tucson Sector covers most of the state of Arizona from the New Mexico State line to the Yuma County line and 262 shared border miles with Mexico. Both sectors saw more than 816,000 apprehensions and gotaways in fiscal 2022, a record high.
Tucson Sector Chief John Modlin recently testified before Congress that the “vast majority of encounters are single adult males attempting to avoid detection. The smuggling organizations to our south are very well organized and resourceful,” Modlin said, referring to Mexican cartels. “Each and every person crossing through the Tucson Sector must pay these criminal organizations. These criminal organizations employ various tactics to move thousands of migrants illegally across the border.”
Related: Texas Sheriff Testifies To Record Number Of Dead Bodies Recovered In His Rural County
The U.S. Attorney’s Office prosecuted the cases in partnership with officials from CBP Tucson and Yuma Sectors, Homeland Security Investigations, and others.
“Reducing migrant smuggling and mitigating the risk to communities impacted by these offenses continues to be a priority” of the office, it said in a statement. “Some of these prosecutions are directed against leaders and coordinators of non-U.S. citizen smuggling organizations, “ referring to Mexican cartels. “Other prosecutions are aimed at deterring young adult drivers, often recruited over social media platforms, from engaging in this dangerous activity. Prosecutions against young drivers include three cases brought against juvenile smugglers during this time period.”
Law enforcement officials have told The Center Square they’ve identified a trend of increasingly apprehending young adults responding to social media posts to pick up and transport illegal foreign nationals along the border and drive them north to drop off points with the hope of making several thousand dollars a carload. When caught, instead they are charged with multiple felony counts of smuggling of persons, which can carry a sentence of multiple years in prison.
Related: What Invasion Looks Like: Video Shows Hundreds of Single Adults Calmly Marching Across the Border, Meeting No Resistance
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott has proposed increasing penalties for violating the state crime of human smuggling to a minimum of 10 years in prison. Others have proposed five years in prison per count of smuggling. On Thursday, Abbott said, “Illegal smuggling is being aided and abetted by U.S. residents. That must stop. We must impose a mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least 10 years for anyone caught smuggling illegal immigrants in Texas.”
Texas law enforcement officials and residents of border communities have told The Center Square they support the state increasing stronger penalties for human smuggling.
Syndicated with permission from The Center Square.
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DeSantis Slams Biden’s ‘Blank Check’ Policy For Ukraine After President’s Surprise Visit to Kyiv
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis heavily criticized the Biden administration’s “blank-check policy” for Ukraine following the President’s surprise visit to Kyiv.
Biden visited the war-torn country on Monday, his first such trip since Russia’s large-scale invasion last February. DeSantis called out the President for not having any clearly defined goals or endgame when it comes to supporting Ukraine.
“They have effectively a blank-check policy with no clear, strategic objective identified, and these things can escalate, and I don’t think it’s in our interests to be getting into a proxy war with China, getting involved over things like the borderlands or over Crimea,” he said.
“So I think it would behoove them to identify what is the strategic objective that they’re trying to achieve, but just saying it’s an open-ended blank check, that is not acceptable,” added DeSantis.WATCH: Gov. Ron DeSantis says U.S. has no “interest” on getting involved in “proxy war,” slams “blank checks” from Biden admin to Ukraine
“What is the strategic objective? […] Just saying it’s an open-ended blank check [to Ukraine] is unacceptable.” pic.twitter.com/aXq7g4Epnz
— Florida’s Voice (@FLVoiceNews) February 20, 2023RELATED: Mitch McConnell Feels He Needs to ‘Explain to the American People’ Why Ukraine is the ‘Most Important’ Thing in the World
DeSantis Slams Biden For Caring About Ukraine’s Border, Not America’s
DeSantis’ claims about a proxy war were heightened when US ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield declared on CNN that China would be crossing a “red line” if they provided lethal military aid to Russia.
Which is exactly what the Biden administration is providing to Ukraine.The US ambassador to the United Nations said that China would cross a “red line” if the country decided to provide lethal military aid to Russia for its invasion of Ukraine https://t.co/R47CzEZmJi
— CNN (@CNN) February 19, 2023We “have to be clear that if there are any thoughts and efforts by the Chinese and others to provide lethal support to the Russians in their brutal attack against Ukraine, that that is unacceptable,” Thomas-Greenfield declared. “That would be a red line.”
DeSantis stated Russia isn’t quite the geopolitical problem China represents.
“The fear of Russia going into NATO countries and all of that and steamrolling… that is not even come close to happening,” DeSantis said. “I think they’ve shown themselves to be a third-rate military power. I think they’ve suffered tremendous, tremendous losses.”
“I don’t think that they are the same threat to our country, even though they’re hostile,” he added. “I don’t think they’re on the same level as a China.”DESANTIS: “He had millions of people pour in…and we just suffered a national humiliation of having China fly a spy balloon clear across the United States. So we have a lot of problems accumulating here in our own country that he is neglecting,” https://t.co/cOScYKIqCS
— Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) February 20, 2023DeSantis slammed Biden for focusing on Ukraine rather than the many issues his administration is overseeing stateside.
“So I think while he’s over there, I think I and many Americans are thinking to ourselves, okay, ‘He’s very concerned about those borders halfway around the world. He’s not done anything to secure our own border here at home,’” the potential GOP candidate for President explained.
“We’ve had millions and millions of people pour in, tens of thousands of Americans dead because of fentanyl, and then, of course, we just suffered a national humiliation of having China fly a spy balloon clear across the continental United States,” added DeSantis.
“So we have a lot of problems accumulating here in our own country that he is neglecting.”
DeSantis’ criticism comes as Biden announced yet another roughly $500 million in aid for Ukraine’s war effort.Biden is in Ukraine in a surprise visit.
He has pledged another $460 million in Ukraine assistance.
Today is President’s day in America. pic.twitter.com/0py7zpznTL
— unusual_whales (@unusual_whales) February 20, 2023RELATED: Trump Makes Impassioned Plea Calling for Peace, End to War in Ukraine
Biden Supports Ukraine Over Southern States, Ohio
Think about that for a minute.
On President’s Day in America, in the midst of an ongoing humanitarian crisis at the southern border, and as a massive toxic chemical disaster has been affecting East Palestine, Ohio, Joe Biden decided to instead visit Ukraine to offer them his support.
It’s flat-out gross.pic.twitter.com/EiApmnHmxM
— DJ (@05dj05) February 20, 2023DeSantis’ comments ally him somewhat with former President Donald Trump – who has repeatedly called on negotiations for peace between Ukraine and Russia – and are in contrast with Senator Mitch McConnell, who believes the war in Ukraine is the most important thing in the world today.
“I’m going to try to help explain to the American people that defeating the Russians in Ukraine is the single most important event going on in the world right now,” he told Fox News host Dana Perino last week.
Biden is likely nodding his head in approval.pic.twitter.com/dm4zfzzyOe
— Edward (@edwardrussl) February 21, 2023Do you agree with DeSantis that this “blank-check policy” for Ukraine has to end, or it the most important thing in the world as Mitch McConnell claims?
Recent polls seem to suggest Americans’ support for sending aid to Ukraine is waning.Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post DeSantis Slams Biden’s ‘Blank Check’ Policy For Ukraine After President’s Surprise Visit to Kyiv appeared first on The Political Insider.
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EXCLUSIVE: Author Creates Dating App For Unvaccinated Conservatives Who Feel Shunned by Others
Award-winning entrepreneur Laura Wellington spoke to The Political Insider regarding a new dating app that pairs up individuals based on their preferred vaccination status.
Wellington, author of the romance novel Be Careful What You Wish For, said she created the Zneex app out of her own personal experience in dealing with the attitudes that were being exhibited by those based on a personal medical decision.
“I created the ZNEEX app because like many unvaxxed Conservatives, I lost a ton of friends when the pandemic hit and I refused to get vaccinated,” she said.
But, she also notes the same thing happens when the roles are reversed.
“My app solves this dilemma,” she explained.The Trenches WithTeddy Daniels Interviews Laura Wellington About ZNEEX app
“It’s A Game Changer!” says Teddyhttps://t.co/ddL1lXsspt pic.twitter.com/OrvU8sjQ89
— Laura J Wellington (@TheFourStarDiet) February 15, 2023RELATED: Pfizer Employee Completely Flips Out After Being Shown Undercover Video of Him Claiming Company Wants to ‘Mutate’ COVID to Profit Off Vaccines
What is the Zneex App?
Wellington launched the Zneex app in December of 2022 and said the revenue generated by the app, as well as its number of daily users, has been “growing daily.”
In a column for the American Thinker two months before launch, she outlined her belief that a large contingent of unvaccinated individuals would not consider dating vaccinated men.
Wellington said she further knew the app “would be successful” after she initiated a video query about potential demand and received over 80,000 responses.
“Plenty of unvaxxed Conservatives, not unlike myself, were being shunned by their friends for their stance and so we all felt like islands in a storm,” she explained.
“The app would help to rebuild new friend groups around them, make them feel less alone, and also insulate them from further crazy given they needed others like them to rely on when shit went down,” added Wellington.𝗚𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗭𝗻𝗲𝗲𝘅 𝗮𝗽𝗽 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲: https://t.co/c3zxT5sBmp
The No-Problem Parenting Podcast I EP. 94 Find Your Like-Minded Walking Partner with ZNEEX with Special Guest Guest Laura Wellington; check it out!
https://t.co/cocbIRQmeh pic.twitter.com/SBwvXuhoyU
— No-Problem Parenting (@helloworldmn) October 15, 2022RELATED: DeSantis Calls For Grand Jury Probe Into COVID Vaccines: Says CDC Info ‘Not Worth the Paper It’s Printed On’
The App is for Both Sides of the Vaccine Argument
The Zneex app currently boasts a “90% successful relationships” stat on their website and, as Wellington notes, that’s for people on both sides of the vaccine argument.
“As one’s health, wellness, and longevity is reliant upon positive relationships in one’s life, unvaxxed Conservatives needed to re-establish them,” she states.
“On the other side of it, plenty of vaxxed people didn’t want to associate with the unvaxxed so giving them the means to find new friends as well that they were comfortable with would help them too,” Wellington said.Larry Elder Interviews Laura Wellington, Founder of ZNEEX app, Today at 2:30pm PT/5:30pm EThttps://t.co/1ea1E1IdYP
— Laura J Wellington (@TheFourStarDiet) January 11, 2023The author though, notes that choosing a relationship based on vaccine status isn’t about dividing people.
“What I didn’t want to do is to create a platform of hate and divide but rather a model for living individual lives, accepting differences, and moving forward as a unit,” she told The Political Insider.
It’s “what this nation could be doing if it so chose,” she insists.
“Supporting people, empowering them through positive relationships, and getting them outdoors in the fresh air when meeting, can only help improve sanity, understanding, and awareness,” Wellington remarked.
What do our readers think of the app or even the idea of pairing up based on vaccine status, and to some extent, political beliefs?Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post EXCLUSIVE: Author Creates Dating App For Unvaccinated Conservatives Who Feel Shunned by Others appeared first on The Political Insider.
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James O’Keefe Ousted From Project Veritas, Suggests Its Due to Undercover Pfizer Video
Conservative journalist James O’Keefe has been ousted from Project Veritas, the conservative media group he founded over a decade ago.
Various reports have surfaced accusing O’Keefe of running a toxic work environment, with the Post Millenial reporting on “vague charges” that he was “a brutal taskmaster who demanded perfection.”
The National Review also claims there were “apparent conflicts between O’Keefe and other leaders of the conservative watchdog group,” while other reports indicate there had been disputes over his spending tactics.
The conservative firebrand was placed on paid leave earlier this month as the board of the organization sorted through their next course of action.
The suspension was reportedly due to O’Keefe’s attempt to fire the group’s chief strategy and financial officers over alleged conflicts over fundraising.BREAKING: O’Keefe has been ousted by PV’s board. He had risen to prominence during Trump era as Trump and his followers embraced his controversial tactics. Project Veritas is under federal investigation by SDNY for purchasing Ashley Biden’s stolen diary.https://t.co/HCRHHbOiIF
— Michael S. Schmidt (@nytmike) February 20, 2023RELATED: Conservatives Speak Out on Possible Ousting of Project Veritas Founder James O’Keefe From Organization
Project Veritas Ousts James O’Keefe
Following his ouster from Project Veritas, O’Keefe posted a video on social media announcing the move, explaining what he believed had happened.
“I don’t know why this has happened now or why this is happening suddenly right now,” O’Keefe told staff in the video.
That said, he strongly insinuated that an undercover video allegedly showing a Pfizer official losing his cool, destroying an iPad, and getting into a physical altercation with O’Keefe after being confronted with footage of his own statements, posted last month, was the breaking point.
In that video, the Pfizer employee claimed the company wanted to ‘mutate’ the COVID virus to make new vaccines and profit off of them.The most watched video in Project Veritas history and it hasn’t even been 24 hours… pic.twitter.com/xaRvlD5qTo
— Project Veritas (@Project_Veritas) January 26, 2023The undercover sting is described by O’Keefe as “the biggest story in our organization’s history” and the “only thing” that has changed in his working tenure with Project Veritas in recent days.
“That is the only thing that has changed,” he said of the Pfizer video. “And then, suddenly, an unusual emergency happened just a few days after that.”Since it’s already out there, here are my heartfelt remarks to my staff this morning.
I need to make clear I have not resigned from the company, Project Veritas, I founded 13 years ago. I was stripped of my position as CEO and Chairman.
I came to the PV pic.twitter.com/NwHivwR1EM… https://t.co/X1lKCnwuif
— James O’Keefe (@JamesOKeefeIII) February 21, 2023RELATED: Wild Video: Pfizer Employee Completely Flips Out After Being Shown Undercover Video of Him Claiming Company Wants to ‘Mutate’ COVID to Profit Off Vaccines
Outrage Over O’Keefe’s Removal
James O’Keefe has defended himself over accusations that he is a difficult “taskmaster” to work with, admitting his faults but noting he cares about his staff even if he doesn’t show it at times.
“I haven’t always been the most compassionate leader, and that is admittedly a fault of mine, something I need to work on,” he states in the video.
“I do love many of you. I never said it, those words, but I’ll say it now.”BREAKING VIDEO: James O’Keefe addresses Project Veritas staff as he exits from the organization he founded following a high-profile board dispute. “Our mission continues on. I’m not done. The mission will perhaps take on a new name…” pic.twitter.com/0fZov5AXa3
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 20, 2023Conservatives on social media were passionately furious over O’Keefe’s ouster from Project Veritas.
“[O’Keefe] is Project Veritas. Project Veritas is nothing without James O’Keefe,” writes political commentator David Freiheit. “I will continue to support James. But Never again Project Veritas.”Over 100,000 unfollowed @Project_Veritas today. @JamesOKeefeIII is Project Veritas. Project Veritas is nothing without James O’Keefe. I will continue to support James. But Never again Project Veritas. pic.twitter.com/rmVaMusdRQ
— Viva Frei (@thevivafrei) February 20, 2023Fox News contributor Ben Domenech argued that if there were a way, right-leaning media would have ousted another “creative genius” like the late Andrew Breitbart.
James O’Keefe out at Project Veritas is yet another example of how right media and the donor class have a deep intolerance for creative genius.
If Andrew Breitbart had lived, they’d have found a way to ditch him, too.
— Ben Domenech (@bdomenech) February 20, 2023Turning Point USA founder Charlie Kirk asked his followers if they thought Project Veritas would continue to “thrive” without James O’Keefe at the helm.
The overwhelming response was some form of the word ‘No.’LEAKED Project Veritas board email argues that Project Veritas will “thrive” without James O’Keefe.
Do you agree? pic.twitter.com/RMT7ZjO8m9
— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) February 21, 2023Podcast host Kyle Becker declared Project Veritas “dead to me.”
After watching James O’Keefe’s farewell video, I can declare that @Project_Veritas is dead to me pic.twitter.com/kwQZUhkXVL
— Kyle Becker (@kylenabecker) February 20, 2023O’Keefe, in his farewell speech to staff, hinted at his future.
“I’m announcing to you all that today, on Presidents Day, I’m packing up my personal belongings… and I’m intending to start anew,” he told staff.
“So, our mission continues on. I’m not done,” he said in a veritable Jerry Maguire moment.
“The mission will perhaps take on a new name, and it may no longer be called Veritas, Project Veritas,” O’Keefe added. “I will need a bunch of people around me, and I’ll make sure you know how to find me.”Now is the time to support and share the sources you trust.
The Political Insider ranks #3 on Feedspot’s “100 Best Political Blogs and Websites.”The post James O’Keefe Ousted From Project Veritas, Suggests Its Due to Undercover Pfizer Video appeared first on The Political Insider.