August 18, 2023 Good morning, Welcome to today's top news. Leading the
News . . . Inside Oliver Anthony's 'Rich Men North of Richmond' and its path to Billboard's Hot 100 chart . . . Country music's summer on top of Billboard's all-genre Hot 100 chart continues as Oliver Anthony — a previously unknown, rural-born, red-bearded country artist —
has surged from seeming anonymity to potentially reaching the pinnacle of Billboard pop stardom via his new acoustic guitar-driven lament "Rich Men North of Richmond." Tuesday's Billboard Hot 100 chart could find Anthony's politically charged blue-collar anthem, which levies anti-taxation, anti-welfare and anti-Washington-based Federal government claims in the same Top 5 of Billboard's pop singles chart Nashville Tennessean Below is a Fox News Commentary about Oliver Anthony - very insight full. VIDEO: Country song about working class struggles goes viral: 'An American anthem' Listen to the actual song. This is delightful. Listen to the lyrics please. Prosecutorial Bolshevism . . . The victims this time are Trump and his friends. But it could be you next
time, and it will be. In the United States of America, there are roughly 3,150 counties. Most of them have prosecutors or district attorneys. Each one of these can usually empanel a grand jury. These grand juries can, with rare exceptions, meet in secret to consider indicting anyone at all. There need be no publicity at all, but there usually is. These grand juries can call witnesses and even require Americans to testify for days or even weeks on end on matters that took place years before. The
“defendants” in these matters are not allowed to have lawyers, although sometimes they do. They are sometimes kept from their families and colleagues for long periods. At any point the prosecutors can issue indictments for crimes, real or imagined, felonies or misdemeanors based on the proceedings of the grand juries. In many jurisdictions, but not all, the mere fact of being indicted bars an American from holding public office or even running for public office. Spectator
Biden May Have
Used Secret Pseudonyms as Vice President . . . While vice president of the United States, Joe Biden allegedly used an alternate email account, and now, House Republicans want to read all his old messages. Rep. James Comer, chairman of the House Oversight Committee, requested Thursday that the National Archives and Records Administration turn over a tranche of emails from President Biden’s time as vice president. More specifically, Comer wants “all unredacted documents and
communications” to and from the then-vice president and his son, Hunter Biden, and his son's business associates. Republicans have been scouring records for months as part of their investigation of Hunter Biden. The newest wrinkle: a pseudonym that the vice president used to set up an obscure but official government email account, a practice not uncommon among cabinet secretaries at the time. Biden went by “Robert L. Peters” and, as vice president, could be reached at “Robert.L.Peters@pci.gov.” “Joe Biden has stated there was ‘an absolute wall’ between his family’s foreign business schemes and his duties as Vice President, but evidence reveals that access was wide open for his family’s influence peddling,” Comer said in a statement. Real Clear Politics Vivek Ramaswamy shares 10 commandments of 2024 campaign, starts with 'God is real,' 'There are two genders' . . . Presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy shared a list of what he called 10 truths to social media Thursday, with references to faith, gender, and capitalism. Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur who is seeking the Republican nomination, shared the ideals on X, starting with, "God is real" and "There are only two genders" — the latter being a contentious
claim by those on the Left. Fox News VIDEO: Vivek Ramaswamy's exchange with LGBTQ+ activist goes viral Read Ron DeSantis' Leaked Debate Strategy in Full . . . What appears to be a debate strategy for Ron DeSantis, urging the Florida governor to "attack Joe Biden and the media 3-5 times" and "defend Donald Trump in absentia" has been posted on the website of Axiom Strategist, a company closely connected to pro-DeSantis Super PAC Never Back Down. The document's existence was first uncovered by The New York Times, after which it was deleted
from the website. On August 23 the first Republican presidential primary debate is scheduled to take place in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Eight GOP candidates have qualified for the debate, though Trump has refused to say he plans to attend. Newsweek
hint Water doesn't have to be boring Hint Water specializes in purified flavored water, offering a refreshing and tasty alternative without sugar or diet sweeteners. By using natural fruit essences, Hint Water provides 8 surprisingly accurate and incredibly delicious fruit flavors to choose from. Try Hint Today! New customers, get over 45% off your first order + FREE Shipping!
Russia arrests
US citizen on espionage charges: report . . . Gene Spector was previously convicted in a bribery case last year and sentenced to 3.5 years in prison, according to Russian news reports. An American citizen of Russian origin has been arrested in Russia upon accusations of espionage, according to local reports. The Lefortovo Court of Moscow
had authorized the arrest of Gene Spector, but it wasn't clear if he had been taken into custody. Fox News Space Force Gets Its First Targeting Squadron. Here’s What It Will Do . . . A new unit activated recently at Peterson Space Force Base, Colo., is the branch’s first-ever targeting squadron, designed to scope out adversary space capabilities and present options to the joint force on how to neutralize them. “Today is a monumental time in the history of our service,” Lt. Col. Travis
Anderson, commander of the 75th Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Squadron, said in a press release about its Aug. 11 activation. “The idea of this unit began four years ago on paper and has probably been in the minds of several U.S. Air Force intelligence officers even longer.” Air and Space Forces
Finally. The Russians stood up theirs back in 2001. China conducted its first anti-satellite test in 2007. But anyways, this is a big and welcome development. China-US Tech War Spirals Over Smart Devices . . . China has responded angrily
to calls by a U.S. Congress committee for scrutiny of Chinese-made internet modules that are increasingly embedded in devices that range from vital U.S. first responder systems to electronic cars to smart refrigerators. The Chinese comments follow Newsweek's exclusive reporting on the presence of the modules in the systems used by firefighters and police as well as on the congressional demands for investigation of their ubiquity in the so-called Internet of Things. The quarrel over the devices
has opened another front in the increasing war over technology between the United States and China. Newsweek International
U.S.
intelligence says Ukraine will fail to meet offensive’s key goal . . . The U.S. intelligence community assesses that Ukraine’s counteroffensive will fail to reach the key southeastern city of Melitopol, people familiar with the classified forecast told The Washington Post, a finding that, should it prove correct, would mean Kyiv won’t fulfill its principal objective of severing Russia’s land bridge to Crimea in this year’s push. The grim assessment is based on Russia’s brutal
proficiency in defending occupied territory through a phalanx of minefields and trenches, and is likely to prompt finger pointing inside Kyiv and Western capitals about why a counteroffensive that saw tens of billions of dollars of Western weapons and military equipment fell short of its goals. Washington Post The CIA is preparing you for the realization that all those billions of your hard-earned dollars didn't make a difference after all. Kim Jong Un stealing deceased grandfather's political title, North Korean observers say . . . Dictator Kim Jong Un is using an esteemed political title once thought to "eternally" belong to his deceased grandfather. North Korean media has
referred to the dictator as "Great President" approximately 26 times in the last seven months — a political title that is, according to the nation's laws, exclusive to the country's founder, Kim Il Sung. The communist government approved an amendment to the national constitution in 1998, declaring Kim Il Sung the "eternal president" and abolishing the office. Fox News Taliban
says women lose value if men can see their faces in public: 'should be hidden' . . . The Taliban believe that women lose their "value" if men can see their uncovered faces in public, a view shared by Afghan religious scholars. Molvi Mohammad Sadiq Akif, the spokesman for the Taliban's Ministry of Vice and Virtue, told The Associated Press Thursday that there is the possibility of "fitna," or falling into sin, if women’s faces are visible in public. "It is very bad to see women (without
the hijab) in some areas (big cities), and our scholars also agree that women's faces should be hidden," Akif said. "It's not that her face will be harmed or damaged. A woman has her own value and that value decreases by men looking at her. Allah gives respect to females in hijab and there is value in this." Fox News The country US spent 20 years trying to democratize.
Money Mortgage Rates Hit 7.09%, Highest in More Than 20 Years . . . The average mortgage rate rose to 7.09%, its highest level in more than 20 years, according to data released Thursday by mortgage giant Freddie Mac. The increase extends a lengthy stretch of high
borrowing costs that has slowed the housing market to a crawl. This marked the first time since last fall that the rate on a 30-year, fixed-rate mortgage rose above 7%. A year ago, rates were around 5%. The housing market is the part of the economy hit most directly by the Federal Reserve’s high-rate policies. The resulting slowdown in refinancing and purchase activity has battered some mortgage lenders, leading to tens of thousands of layoffs in the industry and weighing on economic growth. Wall Street Journal How Mexican narcos use remittances to wire U.S. drug profits home . . . Mexican mother walked into a bank in her home city of Culiacán in the Mexican state of Sinaloa, where an $8,000 remittance from the United States was waiting. She withdrew the funds in local currency, then strolled across town and deposited nearly all of it into accounts at two different banks. Money sent home by migrant workers is a lifeline for millions of Mexicans. But the woman had
never met the person who wired her the funds, nor the owners of the accounts where she took the cash. What she did know: The deal had been carefully arranged by the Sinaloa Cartel, one of the world’s largest drug trafficking groups, to repatriate profits from U.S. drug sales back to Mexico disguised as a routine remittance. Her cut: $230 worth of Mexican pesos. Reuters
The Daily Upside is a business newsletter that covers the most important stories in business in a style that’s engaging, insightful, and fun. Traditional investment news is littered with jargon and filled with fluff. Started by a former
investment banker, The Daily Upside delivers quality insights and surfaces unique stories you won’t read elsewhere. Sign up here
Culture Logos & Literacy Feature Film . . . Jordan Peterson. Embark on an enlightening journey as Dr Jordan B Peterson leads us through the Museum of the Bible in this must-see feature-length documentary. Get ready to delve into the
depths of the Bible's impact on society, as we explore its influence on our worldview and how it shapes our understanding of the world. Join Jordan as he meets with experts in history, theology, and philosophy to uncover the rich history of the Bible and its continued relevance in shaping our beliefs and values. Daily Wire
Hunter
Biden stayed at White House for two straight weeks after agreeing to ill-fated plea deal — without most staff knowing . . . Hunter Biden was able to get in two weeks of father-son time with President Biden, unbeknownst to most White House staffers, before his plea deal on federal tax and gun crimes collapsed. The president’s embattled 53-year-old son began what ended up being a two-week stay at the Executive Mansion on June 21 — one day after he reached a doomed plea agreement with US
Attorney David Weiss, the Washington Post reported on Thursday. New York Post Video | Trump assails Biden’s $6B ransom payment Iran Hawaii’s Green Agenda — And Questionable Decisions — Primed The State For One Of The Deadliest Wildfires In History . . . While climate hawks were quick to blame the tragic Hawaiian fires on climate change,
some of the state’s green policies and questionable decision-making before and during the tragedy helped set the stage for a disaster that has so far claimed over 100 lives. For years before the fires, government agencies understood that Western Maui, the hardest-hit area, was particularly susceptible to wildfires because of high concentrations of non-native grasses in the area, according to The New York Times. An assessment report from 2020 stated that the region had a 90% chance of wildfires
each year on average, a percentage calculated with the pervasive non-native dry grasses in mind. Daily Caller Everytime there’s Hunter Biden trouble, Trump gets indicted . . . Look here, not there! White House Dossier Vivek Ramaswamy With Tucker Carlson: "There's A Bipartisan Consensus That 'We The People' Can't Handle The Truth" . . . GOP presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy spoke with Tucker Carlson about the
"void' he is trying to fill in American politics with this conversation posted Thursday on Twitter. Tucker Carlson says Ramaswamy is "one of the best-versed voices in policy" he has spoken with. Their first topic of conversation was Ramaswamy's recent comments questioning the official story of 9/11: Real Clear Politics
Joe
Rogan derides climate activists' impact compared to China, India: 'You're not saving jack s---!' Rogan mocked activists for telling Americans, 'Don’t eat meat, because we’re going to save the world'. Podcaster Joe Rogan slammed climate activists Wednesday, arguing that their methods would restrict American life while failing to save the planet. Rogan spoke with former CIA officer Mike Baker about the uneven playing field between America and China on a recent episode of his podcast "The
Joe Rogan Experience." Both agreed that America’s home-grown liberal activists serve as a fifth column for foreign spies, especially those who advocate reorienting American society to prevent climate change. Fox News
Do you love Cut to the News? Forward it to you family and friends! They'll thank you for it. Spread the word . . .
By Email - use the message that pops up or write your
own.On Twitter - ditto Have a great day. Rebekah
Got this from a friend? Subscribe here and get Cut to the News sent to your Inbox every
morning. |
|
|