Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
April 15, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Dems to propose legislation expanding the Supreme Court, to 'pack it' with liberal justices . . . Several House Democrats are set to unveil legislation Thursday to expand the number of justices on the Supreme Court. Supporters of the proposal plan to hold a news conference on the steps of the Supreme Court building. They include U.S. Sen. Ed Markey of Massachusetts and U.S. Reps.
Jerry Nadler and Mondaire Jones, both of New York, and Hank Johnson of Georgia. Given Democrats' control of the White House and Senate, the legislation could allow the party to supersede the court's current conservative majority by "packing" the Court with liberal justices. Fox News
Biden UN Ambassador: “White supremacy is weaved into our founding documents and principles” . . . Biden UN Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield believes the United States has some explaining to do before it asks other countries to stop killing their own people. “When we raise issues of equity and justice at the global scale, we have to approach them with humility,” Thomas-Greenfield said. “We have to acknowledge that we are an imperfect
union and have been since the beginning,” she said. “I’ve seen for myself how the original sin of slavery weaved white supremacy into our founding documents and principles.” White House Dossier
Well, Nikki Haley has definitely left the building. Jeane Kirkpatrick and Daniel Moynihan too, for those of you who remember.
Schumer lays groundwork for future filibuster reform . . . Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) is asking Democrats to look for GOP dance partners, both as a defense for attacks next year that his party is unwilling to work with Republicans, and as a step toward possibly limiting the filibuster. The initial reason for seeking bipartisan opportunities is next year’s midterms. Democrats want to bolster their defenses for the coming GOP
attacks that voters should deliver a GOP majority in the House or Senate as a check on President Biden, and to punish Democrats for not working on a bipartisan basis. But the effort is also a way to convince Democratic senators to agree to reform the filibuster. The Hill
'Border-crisis Czarina' Kamala Harris has gone 22 days without a news conference . . . Vice President Kamala Harris on Wednesday addressed what she called the "root causes" of the migrant crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border – and revealed she has plans to visit the so-called "Northern Triangle" countries of Central America. But for the 22nd consecutive day since being appointed President Biden’s manager of border-crisis issues, Harris
did not face reporters at a news conference to take sustained questioning over the role. Harris has been vague about her plans to someday tour border states in the U.S. Fox News
Republican lawmakers reintroduce bill to ban TikTok on federal devices . . . Sen. Josh Hawley led a group of Senate Republicans on Thursday in reintroducing legislation to ban the use of social media app TikTok on federal government devices, citing potential national security concerns. The No TikTok on Government Devices Act would ban all federal employees from using the popular app on government devices. “TikTok is a Trojan horse
for the Chinese Communist Party that has no place on government devices—or any American devices, for that matter,” Hawley said in a statement Thursday. “My bill is a straightforward plan to protect American government data from a hostile foreign power, which, less than a year ago, passed the Senate unanimously.” The Hill
Well, this is not the first time the feds have "hosted" a Trojan horse on its systems, which they constantly whine about as being attacked by foreign hackers. It took Trump to ban, from US government networks, a Russian "anti-virus" software Kaspersky Labs, which was developed by a company owned by a "former" KGB officer. Can't make this stuff up.
‘Handing A Propaganda Tool To The Taliban’: Dana Perino Blasts Plan To Set Afghanistan Exit For 9/11 . . . Fox News host Dana Perino criticized President Joe Biden’s plan to withdraw all American troops from Afghanistan by September 11, 2021. Perino argued that, while there might be a good argument for going ahead with the troop withdrawal — which actually began under former President Donald Trump — choosing the 20th anniversary of the
9/11 terrorist attacks would be “handing a propaganda tool to the Taliban.” Perino went on to say that many — from service members in uniform to the intelligence services and the diplomatic corps — had made great sacrifices to keep Americans safe. Daily Caller
Biden claims credit for taking out Bin Laden after opposing raid . . . President Biden seems to have forgotten his lousy advice to Barack Obama not to make the raid that killed Osama Bin Laden. No matter. He needs to suggest he knows what he is doing as he pulls U.S. troops out of Afghanistan. White House Dossier
CIA shocker: Obama fundraiser says he was U.S. intel asset, alleges spy agency 'abuses' . . . Congress notified that CIA inspector general has received allegations from fund-raiser Imaad Zuberi, including targeting of U.S. lawmakers and misuse of news organization for spy operation. Imaad Zuberi, a major Democratic fundraiser facing 12 years in prison, has filed an extraordinary complaint with the CIA's chief watchdog alleging he witnessed
"flagrant problems, abuses, violations of law" while working as an asset for U.S. intelligence, according to documents and interviews. to review his case and help to appeal his conviction on a plea deal with federal prosecutors. After reviewing evidence, including secret communications between Zuberi and his alleged CIA handlers, Zuberi's attorney, the CIA's retired acting general counsel Robert J. Eatinger Jr., prepared and delivered two complaints to the CIA inspector general
earlier this month. Just the News
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Russia-US standoff: Putin announces live-fire drills in Black Sea as US warship expected to arrive . . . Ukraine has accused Moscow of preparing to store nuclear weapons in Crimea amid soaring tensions in the region as the first of two US warships is expected to arrive during live-fire drills from the Russian navy. Ukraine's defence minister Andrii Taran warned that Moscow could attack, to ensure water
supplies for the annexed peninsula and said he could not rule out a possibility that Russian forces in Crimea could 'undertake substantive military provocations' this year. 'Crimea's infrastructure is being prepared for potentially storing nuclear weapons,' Taran told the European Parliament's sub-committee on defense. 'The very presence of nuclear munitions in the peninsula may spark a whole array of complex . . . problems.' Daily Mail
US to Retaliate Against Russia Over Cyber Attacks, Election Interference, Violation of Ukraine's Sovereignty . . . The Biden administration will impose a range of retaliatory measures against Russia on Thursday in response to Moscow’s alleged election interference, a widespread hacking campaign and other malign activity, according to people familiar with the matter. Using
a new executive order, the measure will expand the existing prohibitions on U.S. banks trading in Russian government debt, two of the people said. That order prohibits U.S. financial institutions from buying new bonds directly from Russia’s central bank, finance ministry and the country’s massive sovereign-wealth fund after June 14. Among other measures, 10 Russian diplomats will be expelled, including some due to allegations that Russia offered to pay bounties to militants in
Afghanistan to kill U.S. military service members. Sanctions will be imposed for Russia’s cyber intrusions, election meddling and occupation of Crimea. Wall Street Journal
Kremlin pledges to respond in kind to any 'illegal' new U.S. sanctions . . . The Kremlin said on Thursday it would respond in kind to any new “illegal” new U.S. sanctions on Russia and warned any new measures would reduce the chances of a US-Russia presidential summit taking place. Biden, in a phone call on Tuesday, proposed a summit with Putin to tackle a raft of disputes and told Moscow to reduce tensions over Ukraine triggered by a Russian
military build-up. The Kremlin has so far responded coolly to the summit idea making clear it will be contingent upon U.S. behavior towards Russia. Reuters
NATO Wargame Examines Cyber Risk to Financial System . . . One of the world’s largest cyber wargames is, for the first time, specifically exploring how banks and other financial institutions might respond to a widespread physical and cyber conflict. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization is running its annual Locked Shields exercise from April 13 to April 16 through its Estonia-based Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence. The
wargame includes scenarios exploring how widespread attacks on a fictional nation’s infrastructure might strike at activities critical to keeping the economy going, in a society reliant on technology for daily life. Financial industry helped plan scenarios in which widespread disruption would hit banks and other firms. Wall Street Journal
US intelligence chiefs: 'We don't know' Putin's reason for military buildup on Ukrainian border . . . Russian President Vladimir Putin’s reason for a major military buildup on Ukrainian borders remains a mystery, US intelligence officials told lawmakers. “The Russians have positioned themselves to give themselves options,” Army Lt. Gen. Scott Berrier, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, told a Senate panel Wednesday. “We
don't know what the intent is right now.” Washington Examiner
DIA and CIA have have been conducting a 'pre-publication security review' of the manuscript for 5 months now, which has resulted in the delay of the book's release, which was originally scheduled for this past January. My most recent request to DIA to grant approval to publish Putin's Playbook remains unanswered. DIA, please let me inform the American people what Putin is up to.
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Coronavirus triggers epidemic of cyber fraud . . . Since early last year, when the virus began its worldwide spread, individuals and corporations have faced ever more sophisticated online deceptions, which caused a growing volume of losses. Analysis of billions of online transactions by cyber security company Trend Micro found that the start of the pandemic was marked by a significant rise in spam messages, malware
attacks and phishing emails. Spam messages multiplied 220 times between February and March 2020, according to the company, while malicious URLs — links leading to malware downloads or scams — increased 260 per cent. Fraudsters have leveraged several aspects of the pandemic to trick victims. Financial Times
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State Dept. Denounces Attack on Hong Kong Epoch Times Printing Press . . . The State Department on April 13 denounced the assault by masked intruders on the printing facility of the Hong Kong edition of The Epoch Times and is urging officials in the city to investigate the incident. On April 12, four masked men barged into the printing facility, smashing equipment with sledgehammers and spreading construction debris
from a bag. The extensive damage on printing equipment, among them multiple computers and a transmitter, forced the Hong Kong edition to temporarily halt operations. Press freedom in Hong Kong has been in steady decline in the years since the former British territory returned to Chinese rule in 1997. Epoch
Times
Russian military vehicles with ‘invasion stripes’ descend on Ukraine border . . . Russian military vehicles with ‘invasion stripes’ descend on Ukraine border . . . More than 100,000 Russian troops in assault vehicles painted with “invasion stripes” were headed to Ukraine’s border Wednesday, intensifying fears of war between the neighboring nations. The advancing force includes 1,300 battle tanks, 3,700 drones, 1,300 artillery and
mortar units and 380 multiple launch rocket systems, according to leaked documents. New York Post
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BLM Threatened Legal Action Against Local Black Activist Who Called For Investigation Into Its Finances . . . A spokesman for the national Black Lives Matter organization suggested a New York-based Black activist who called for an independent investigation of the group’s finances is illegally using the BLM name. Hawk Newsome, the leader of an unaffiliated organization called Black Lives Matter Greater New York, criticized BLM co-founder
Patrisse Cullors, a self-identified “trained Marxist,” for presenting herself as a socialist while at the same time purchasing four homes across the U.S. since 2016 for a total of $3.2 million. “If you go around calling yourself a socialist, you have to ask how much of her own personal money is going to charitable causes,” Newsome said, adding that “black firms and black accountants” need to audit BLM Global Network Foundation (BLM), the group that Cullors co-founded and currently
leads, and “find out where the money is going.” Daily Caller
I'll tell you where the donations made to socialist organizations go. To the same accounts that they go in any totalitarian socialist regime - the corrupt leaders' personal bank accounts. That's why socialist economies, such as that of the USSR and Venezuela eventually collapse. The socialists run out of other people's money!
World stocks stay high, Russia's rouble buckles under sanctions stress . . . World stocks were on course to extend a five-day run of record highs on Thursday, while Bitcoin took a breather after its latest surge and Russia’s markets tumbled at the prospect of the harshest U.S. sanctions in years. The U.S. dollar was at a four-week low ahead of March retail sales data with investors increasingly convinced that U.S. interest rates
will stay low, whereas in Europe a deluge of debt issuance lifted German bond yields to four-week highs. The Russian rouble had already fallen as much as 2% on reports the United States would announce sanctions later for alleged interference in U.S. elections and malicious cyber activity. Reuters
This is the Orwellian logic Democrats are using to justify their $2.2 trillion spending bill, which they are trying to term an “infrastructure” bill even though only a minority of it is devoted to actual infrastructure.
After Bernie Madoff’s Death, Legal Efforts to Recover Ill-Gotten Funds Will Go On for Years . . . Bernie Madoff died Wednesday in a prison medical center in North Carolina. For many of the victims of Mr. Madoff’s Ponzi scheme and lawyers still pursuing his ill-gotten assets, the fallout continues to affect their lives. More than a decade has passed since Mr. Madoff confessed to his crimes and began serving a 150-year sentence. In
time, a court-appointed trustee learned the scheme had taken an estimated $17.5 billion of client money, of which more than $14 billion has been recouped and distributed to account holders at Mr. Madoff’s now-defunct investment firm. Wall Street Journal
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Daunte Wright had open warrant for choking, threatening to shoot woman for $820 . . . When Daunte Demetrius Wright was pulled over Sunday by police in Brooklyn Center, Minnesota, an expired registration tag and a forbidden air freshener were the least of his problems. The 20-year-old Wright had an open warrant for a Dec. 1, 2019, attack in which he allegedly tried to rob a female acquaintance by brandishing a handgun and threatening to
shoot her, choking her twice and reaching into her bra to grab $820 as she screamed, according to court documents. According to Hennepin County District Court documents, Mr. Wright had been charged with aggravated armed robbery, a felony that carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $35,000 fine. His release on $100,000 bail was revoked July 30 over two violations: “Failure to not possess a firearm or ammunition” and “Failure to maintain contact with probation.” Washington Times
Ex-Minnesota police officer charged with second-degree manslaughter in the death of Daunte Wright . . . Kimberly Potter, the former Minnesota police officer charged in the shooting death of a Black motorist, was released from custody Wednesday, according to jail records. Potter, 48, was released from a Hennepin County jail just before 5:40 p.m. local time after posting a $100,000 bond. She is charged with second-degree manslaughter in
the death of Daunte Wright. Her first court appearance is scheduled for Thursday. Fox News
Officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt in Capitol riot won't face charges, Justice Department . . . Federal prosecutors determined there was insufficient evidence to support a criminal prosecutor against the officer. The U.S. Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt in the Jan. 6 Capitol riot will not face criminal charges, the Justice Department said Wednesday. The 35-year-old Babbitt was attempting to enter a broken
window on a door into the Speaker's Lobby on the House side of the U.S. Capitol Building when she was shot, in a chaotic scene, when demonstrators were trying to get into the lobby, off the House floor, where members frequently gather. Just the News
76 Non-Military, Non-Law Enforcement Federal Agencies Stockpile Weaponry . . . Last week, President Joseph Biden expressed his interest in gun control by directing the Department of Justice to take several steps to prevent more mass shootings, while his own federal agencies continue to stockpile guns and ammunition. Critics contend he is far too interested in limiting gun access to regular Americans while federal administrative and
regulatory agencies continued stockpiling hundreds of thousands of guns. Results of the recent audit by Realclear Policy of non-military use of weapons were documented in its report "Militarization of the U.S. Executive Agencies,” which looked at the last two years of President Barack Obama’s administration and the first three years of President Donald Trump’s administration. The report revealed that almost $1 billion was spent on guns, ammunition, and military-style
equipment in the 103 federal agencies outside of the Department of Defense between 2015 and 2019, the latest year available. RealClear Policy
Facebook spent $23.4M on security for Mark Zuckerberg in 2020 . . . Facebook shelled out roughly $23.4 million in 2020 to protect its founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg. The massive amount includes about $13.4 million for personal security for Zuckerberg, along with an additional annual $10 million pre-tax allowance for the protection of his family. Zuckerberg’s company-instituted security program includes protection for the billionaire
while traveling and at home, also covering the costs of installation and maintenance of security measures at his residences. “We believe that the scope and costs of these security programs are appropriate and necessary,” Facebook said in a Proxy statement filed last Friday. New York Post
But don't you, Deplorable Neanderthals, dare to own your personal firearms to protect your families.
Facebook’s Oversight Board Will Remove Posts Flagged By Users . . . An independent panel created in part to stop Facebook from censoring content now has the ability to remove posts in response to user complaints, the company announced Tuesday.
Facebook created the Oversight Board in October 2020, in response to complaints that the social media giant was stifling free speech. The board was originally meant to determine whether content that Facebook had banned should stay up. Now, it will also be tasked with the reverse, determining whether content that Facebook has allowed to remain on the site should be removed.
Facebook faces political pressure from the left to censor more content for misinformation. Washington Free Beacon
Yet another sign of the Sovietization of America - instilling fear in citizens who dare to speak the truth by encouraging their fellow citizens to snitch on those who think "incorrectly." Soviet citizens lived in constant fear of being turned in to authorities by a zealous neighbor who may have overheard their complaints about and criticism of the totalitarian Soviet socialist government. The punishment ranged from losing your job to serving time in a Gulag.
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7 Ways The World Would Be Better Without Police . . . Police are part of a system of systemic oppression, as our rich white sociology professors are telling us. It's time not only to defund the police but re-imagine" policing all together, ushering the world with no cops! Here are 7 reasons the world would be better without police. 1. There would be more doughnuts available for the rest of us. 2.
Vigilante justice is way more fun. 3. With speed limits not enforced, you can finally test the limits of your 2013 Honda Odyssey - Always wanted to see what this puppy could do! 4. There would be much more liberation of TVs, high-priced goods, and liquor from Walmart! 5. Unlimited loitering outside 7-Eleven. 6. You can yell in the library now - Not only that, but you can check out unlimited books and never bring them back with complete impunity. 7. All problems in
the black community will go away!
Now, all we have to do is vote in politicians who will promise to make all the cool things in our imagination come true. Get on it, people! This may soon become a non-satire. ;-) Babylon Bee
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Rebekah Koffler
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