News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Deputies: Worker fatally stabs Trump-loving boss in fight
Mason Toney, 28, was charged with first-degree murder for the killing of William Knight on Monday, according to an arrest affidavit from the Orange County Sheriff’s Office.
Co-workers told investigators that Toney and Knight were friends outside of work despite their political differences. Knight was an “outspoken American” who was “pro-Donald Trump,” while co-workers described Toney as “anti-government and very outspoken in his beliefs that the government is bad and out to get him,” according to the arrest affidavit.
Workers at the Florida Turnpike construction site in metro Orlando told detectives that Knight had picked up Toney for work and they had been driving to different job sites when they began arguing.
After arriving at the Turnpike site, the workers heard Knight yelling for help by an excavator.
They ran over and saw Toney standing over Knight, stabbing him with a trowel, according to the arrest affidavit.
2 more inmates killed in troubled Mississippi prison
Department spokeswoman Grace Simmons Fisher verified to The Associated Press that the information is accurate.
Five inmates were killed and an undisclosed number of others inmates were injured during an outbreak of violence in Mississippi’s prison system between Dec. 29 and Jan. 3. Three of those five deaths were at Parchman.
In addition to those deaths and the two on Monday, another inmate was found hanging in his cell Saturday night at Parchman. Sunflower County Coroner Heather Burton said she was called Sunday to the prison, where Gabriel Carmen was found hanging the night before.
She said corrections officials reported he had been irate and throwing feces before his death.
Veteran NJ cop fatally shoots himself while first responders attempt to free him from car wreck: reports
Roselle Park Police officer Edward Nortrup, 39, was driving in Matawan Sunday afternoon when he reportedly lost control of his vehicle, crashing into two parked cars before partially rolling over in front of the Matawan Municipal Community Center, NJ.com reported.
“As first responders left the vehicle to get equipment to help with the extraction, the driver located a firearm and fatally shot himself,” a spokesman for Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office told the New York Post in an email.
New Jersey saw 17 police suicides last year and 37 since 2016, NJ.com reported.
This has prompted the Attorney General’s Office to launch a program requiring every officer in the
Coronavirus: health officials announce first known US case
Photograph: Axel Schmidt/Reuters
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) has announced the first known case of a new strain of the coronavirus in the US.
In a Tuesday press conference, a CDC spokesman said a US citizen returning from a trip to central China had been diagnosed in Seattle.
According to the CDC, the man is in his 30s and is in good condition at a hospital in Everett, Washington after returning to the area last week.
The US is the fifth country to report a case of the illness.
Nearly 300 cases have been reported in China, Thailand, Japan and South Korea. US authorities have begun screening air passengers coming from central China.
Supreme Court refuses to hear expedited ObamaCare appeal
Tuesday’s ruling was simply on the motion for expedited consideration of the petition, not on the petition itself, which means the Supreme Court could still hear the case as the blue states are asking it to.
It just means that if the court agrees to hear the case, it most likely won’t be until October at the earliest.
In the meantime, the case will continue in district court, with that court’s ruling almost certainly being appealed by the party that loses.
It is unclear, however, when or whether the Supreme Court will decide to hear this case and rule on the ACA’s constitutionality.
U.S. Supreme Court lets Flint, Michigan residents sue over water contamination
The justices turned away two appeals by the city and the state and local officials of a lower court ruling that allowed the lawsuit to move forward.
The lower court rejected a demand for immunity by the officials, finding that they violated the residents’ right to “bodily integrity” under the U.S. Constitution by providing the tainted water after switching water sources in a cost-cutting move in 2014.
Lawsuits over Flint’s water have proliferated in recent years.
The number of people who have reported being harmed through exposure to contaminants in Flint, including lead and bacteria, or who experienced ailments such as rashes and hair loss, has reached more than 25,000, including more than 5,000 children under 12, according to court records.
The cases center on the Constitution’s 14th Amendment guarantee of due process under the law, which can protect people from government-induced harm to their personal security or health, a legal principle known as “bodily integrity.”
U.S. Supreme Court decision in Montana case could alter school choice restrictions across U.S.
Many legal scholars expect the U.S. Supreme Court to reverse a Montana Supreme Court ruling based on one of the state’s constitutional amendments, the Blaine Amendment.
The case, Espinoza v. Montana Department of Revenue, is considered by many to be a landmark religious liberty and school choice case dating back to 19th century law, which many argue is unconstitutional because it requires governments to prohibit public funding from being directed toward religious schools.
“The ruling by the Montana Supreme Court discriminates against and punishes parents who choose to send their children to religious schools,” the attorneys’ general joint statement says.
“If upheld, it has far-reaching consequences that could threaten school choice programs nationwide, depriving religious, low income and disabled children of a quality education of their choice.”
Politics:
To See America’s Democrat Future, Look At California Now
Commentary/Opinion:
Consider the current condition of this state that once had the wisdom to elect Ronald Reagan to two terms as their governor.
The horrible problems of homeless concentrations in San Francisco and Los Angeles (including increasing public health dangers) are out of control.
California’s state and local governments are helpless at best and responsible for many of the problems at worst.
Consider the scorecard. California has the highest poverty rate in the country.[1] According to a recent Congressional study, California has over 40% of the U.S.’s welfare recipients despite having only about 12% of its population.[2]
Every instinct of the leadership of California is wrong. Those who consume more than they produce are rewarded while those who produce more than they consume are punished.
The state keeps raising taxes and wasting the money. The politicians generate waste wherever they take control.
Potentially Hundreds of Illegal Immigrants Voted in Illinois in 2018
In Illinois, Democrats have implemented policies that enable immigrants who are not citizens to obtain a driver’s license or state identification.
These policies, combined with a “programming error” in the state’s automatic voter registration process, added 574 illegal immigrants to the voter rolls.
Now that Democrats have confirmed that potentially hundreds of illegal votes were cast, House Republicans are calling for Secretary of State Jesse White to testify before investigative hearings.
In 2018, these illegal votes could have impacted the results of several close elections, including the Macon County Sheriff’s race that was decided by one vote.
Ocasio-Cortez: We don’t want billionaires’ money, ‘as much as we want your power’
Ocasio-Cortez was talking to author Ta-Nehisi Coates during an event called MLK Now.
Coates asked Ocasio-Cortez to elaborate on how the existence of billionaires is problematic toward efforts to provide services like health care to the masses.
The congresswoman said billionaires don’t need to simply ask what they should do with their money, but they should surrender the power they have over various industries and institutions out of ethical responsibility.
“So I don’t want your money as much as we want your power,” she said. “The people, not me.”
Pete Buttigieg to Black Voters: ‘Racism Woven into the American Story’
Buttigieg was participating in the VICE News 2020 Brown & Black Democratic Presidential Forum in Iowa, held to coincide with Martin Luther King Day, featuring several contenders for the 2020 Democratic presidential nomination.
The former mayor was asked specifically what his mental health policy would do “for black children and trans people specifically.”
He spoke about his proposed mentorship program, and a “crisis of violence against black trans women.”
He was asked a follow-up question: “Do you think the president has made young kids of color, and transgender people — do you think he’s made their mental health worse?”
Florida cop suspended for wife’s Facebook posts against Rashida Tlaib
Cpl. Lima shared a news story on Facebook about the incident and liked five comments expressing support for his wife.
However, these posts also contained provocative statements regarding Tlaib, including suggestions that she “took her [congressional] oath on the Koran,”
Lima, however, didn’t post any comments himself.
Lima, who has served in law enforcement for nearly four decades, was a candidate to take over as the next police chief of Bay Harbor Islands; this may have ruined his further career.
Taking to Facebook, Lima-Taub wrote a long post supporting her husband in the face of “corruption” in southern Florida, as well as the work of an unnamed lobbyist.
#Expose2020 Part 3: 2nd Bernie Staffer “I’ll straight up get armed” “Guillotine the rich”
(Charleston, SC) In last week’s videos, Project Veritas Action Fund exposed the shocking comments of an Iowa Field Organizer for the Bernie Sanders Presidential Campaign, Kyle Jurek.
In today’s new video, a South Carolina Field Organizer for the Sanders Campaign, Martin Weissgerber, is secretly recorded praising the Soviet Union, admitting his fantasies about forcing a violent overthrow of the United States federal government, and speaking favorably about forcing Americans into “Re-Education Camps.”
He even speaks of decapitating people once his socialist revolution succeeds.
Weissgerber, who also describes himself as a Communist, reveals that he has been radicalized from a very young age by both of his parents.
The recordings of Weissgerber combined with the recordings released last week of Kyle Jurek, give insight into the mindset of many Sanders staffers and what they truly believe.
Tucker: Republicans shouldn’t get too confident about 2020
Commentary/Opinion: Republicans think Trump’s victory in 2020 is assured.
World News:
East Mediterranean conflicts and alliances – Jerusalem Studio 481
Earlier this month, leaders from Israel, Cyprus and Greece held a trilateral meeting in Athens, to discuss further developments in common energy and security interests in the Eastern-Mediterranean.
In parallel, Turkey has enlarged its penetration of Libya, in efforts to secure its claim to what Ankara considers to be: its Exclusive Economic Zone.
Davos World Economic Forum 2020 – in pictures
The 50th annual meeting of the World Economic Forum takes place in Davos from 20 to 24 January, 2020.
The event brings together entrepreneurs, scientists, corporate and political leaders to discuss the topic under the spotlight: ‘Stakeholders for a Cohesive and Sustainable World’
Trump reprises NATO spending complaints at World Economic Forum
In response to a question on whether he would impose auto tariffs on European cars, Trump said he did not expect to because he believed the U.S. and Europe could come together on a trade deal — though he left the door open to imposing such tariffs if talks fall apart.
He then turned to NATO spending, reprising a complaint that other countries aren’t contributing as much to the alliance as the U.S.
“NATO also if you look at what happens what with NATO, we’re spending a vast predominance of the money,” Trump said. “This has gone on for years.”
Trump continued: “We’re protecting Europe and that’s fine but they can’t do it to us on trade. So, they know they have to do something and if they’re fair we’re not going to have a problem.”
Iranian lawmaker announces $3 million cash bounty on President Trump in speech to Parliament
The comments came Tuesday during a session of Iranian Parliament in Tehran, Reuters reported, citing the ISNA news agency.
In response, U.S. disarmament ambassador Robert Wood dismissed the bounty as “ridiculous,” reportedly telling reporters in Geneva the comments further demonstrate the Iranian government’s “terrorist underpinnings.”
According to Reuters, Hamzeh did not say whether the bounty had any official backing from Iran’s rulers.
Glenn Greenwald: Brazil accuses journalist of cyber-crimes
After news about the accusations against him was published, Mr Greenwald issued a statement via The Daily beast news site, in which he noted that Brazil’s Supreme Court had ruled last year that the administration should drop its investigation into him because it violated his press freedom rights.
“Less than two months ago, the federal police, examining all the same evidence cited by the public ministry, stated explicitly that not only have I never committed any crime but that I exercised extreme caution as a journalist never even to get close to any participation,” he added.
“We will not be intimidated by these tyrannical attempts to silence journalists.
“I am working right now on new reporting and will continue to do so.”
President Trump Delivers Opening Remarks at the World Economic Forum
The White House: Davos, Switzerland.
Commentary/Opinioin:
Why Criminal Prosecution Might Be The Least Of Ilhan Omar’s Legal Concerns
Specifically, in 2009 the Obama administration assessed the viability of re-employing a Bush-era pilot program that unearthed widespread immigration fraud.
It found that as many as 87 percent of applications claiming familial relationship were fraudulent.
If the reports are ultimately found true, the immigration consequences would be severe, including loss of citizenship and the institution of removal proceedings.
Moreover, there may be no defenses to removal in an immigration court setting to stop her deportation.
If she is convicted for tax evasion where loss to the government exceeds $10,000, she will be removable for having an aggravated felony conviction, which also precludes her from applying for asylum.
If she is convicted for marriage fraud, she would be ineligible to be sponsored if she were to marry a U.S. citizen. Needless to say, the worst-case scenario is very bleak.
Virginia Gun Rally: Is Gun Ownership a Right?
Tens of thousands of gun rights activists protested the left’s assault on the 2nd Amendment in Virginia. A HUGE turnout!
On the 70th anniversary of Orwell’s death: The danger of third parties “curating” and “fact checking” our info
It is a dangerous practice: Government, corporations, universities, news outlets and “experts” curating our information so that we cannot access, see or believe that which they determine we should not access, see or believe.
If anyone had suggested to Orwell, or the American founders, that we would invite this sort of manipulation and control of our information, they wouldn’t have believed it.
The idea was first introduced on the national stage by President Obama in October of 2016 right before the presidential election.
He insisted that somebody needed to step in and “curate” our information in the “Wild, Wild West” internet environment.
Nobody had been clamoring for any such thing.
Jordan Peterson Educates Climate Activist
Dr. Jordan Peterson educates a climate activist on personal responsibility and she is not happy about it. 😅
How do you want to improve America? By focusing on improving and refining yourself? Or by transforming society?
The answer to that question will reveal whether you’re on the Left or the Right.