News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Many Studies Find That Cloth Masks Do Not Stop Viruses Like COVID
In the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak, Dr. Anthony Fauci told us masks probably weren’t going to help protect us from the Wuhan virus. Joe Biden’s COVID-19 adviser Dr. Michael Osterholm similarly agreed that wearing masks is “largely” nonsense and that “trying to stop the flu [another respiratory virus] is like trying to stop the wind.”
Fauci and Osterholm were also likely aware of numerous studies concluding that masks during surgery don’t prevent wound infections from particles doctors emitted from their mouths and noses. One study found that tracer particles placed on the inside of a surgeon’s mask ended up in the surgical wound.
In favor of a few new, poorly designed studies, government leaders are ignoring the previous solid research that clearly demonstrates the typical cloth masks don’t work. The researchers in these new inferior studies somehow conclude that masks help, but you have to read the fine print:
Pipe dreams leave U.S. energy firms caught in climate trap
In remote northern Michigan a propane shortage in early 2014 caused prices to nearly double, squeezing about half of the families there who rely on the fossil fuel to heat their homes.
Now the future of the Enbridge Inc owned line supplying the region is under threat, as climate activists widen their campaign to cut U.S. fossil fuel dependency from new pipelines to the refurbishment or expansion of older ones.
Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer this month revoked a decades-old easement allowing the Enbridge line to operate, saying that its location and age means it poses a major risk and vowing to shut it after a transition period.
Millions stick to Thanksgiving travel plans despite warnings
And the crowds are only expected to grow. Next Sunday is likely to be the busiest day of the holiday period.
Many travelers are unwilling to miss out on seeing family and are convinced they can do it safely.
Also, many colleges have ended their in-person classes, propelling students to return home.
GM to recall 7M vehicles globally to replace Takata air bags
The automaker had petitioned the agency four times since 2016 to avoid recalls, contending the air bag inflator canisters have been safe on the road and in testing.
But the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration on Monday denied the petitions, saying the inflators still run the risk of exploding.
Owners complained to the NHTSA that the company was placing profits over safety.
Exploding Takata inflators caused the largest series of auto recalls in U.S. history, with at least 63 million inflators recalled. The U.S. government says that as of September, more than 11.1 million had not been fixed. About 100 million inflators have been recalled worldwide.
Cancel culture hits Rockefeller Christmas tree for ‘American exceptionalism’ and its ‘toxic relationship’ with nature
“In its previous home … [the tree] had an iota of dignity lost completely once it was transported to Midtown Manhattan,” Kahn argued.
He also insisted that the Rockefeller tree is nothing more than another “icon of American exceptionalism.”
“The Rockefeller tree is an icon of American exceptionalism,” Kahn wrote. “Its story has humble roots in the Great Depression when workers building Rockefeller Center decorated a tree as a pick-me-up for a beleaguered city.
It has since morphed into a made-for-TV spectacle to sell ads against and draw onlookers, wowed by a towering Norway spruce set at the center of the beating, concrete-and-steel heart of capitalism.”
The Battle Below | Full Measure
During the Cold War, there was the nuclear arms race. Today, there’s a lesser known race that’s taking us to the bottom of the ocean.
We’ll tell you why we need the rare minerals that lie beneath, and the boost they provide for our technology and weapons.
Al Sharpton Paid His Family Over $80k From His Charity
Last year the Network raised $7.8 million and spent $7.5 million, meaning that compensation for Sharpton alone that year totaled 14% of total expenses.
Perhaps that’s defensible if we’re to assume that the Network is also a charity for Sharpton himself. A quarter of all expenses that year were related to transportation, with $777,623 paid to the high-end car service Carey International.
The Network has been no stranger to controversy before. Like Sharpton himself, the charity has had tax troubles – in 2006 having owed the IRS over $1.9 million in payroll taxes and penalties.
The Network has also been criticized by the NY Post for operating like a mafia – allegedly threatening to protest and boycott certain companies that they’d then solicit donations and sponsorships from.
Smiling woman holding pro-police sign infuriates Black Lives Matter protester who threatens, bullies her: ‘Baby girl, you’re not walking away anywhere!’
WOWT-TV said two women were arrested during Saturday night’s protest outside the Omaha Police Department headquarters — and that the arrests stemmed from assaults against a man and woman who came to the protest with pro-police signs.
Earlier on, protesters were chanting “Black Lives Matter” before arriving at police headquarters, KETV-TV said.
And the man and woman arrived at the protest about 10:20 p.m. holding their signs but not obstructing the protest against cops, WOWT reported.
Five minutes later, protesters used a large cloth sign to block officers’ view of the pro-police people, WOWT said, adding that when officers repositioned themselves, they saw the pro-police people being assaulted and their signs torn.
Porn star and three US Marines charged in federal gun conspiracy
Paul Kryscuk, a 35-year-old reported porn star, sold multiple manufactured weapons to 21-year-old then-Marine Liam Collins, the feds said. Kryscuk mailed the illegal DIY weapons from his homes in New York and Idaho to Collins in North Carolina.
Kryscuk and Collins were regulars on the online neo-Nazi forum Iron March back in 2017 before the site was shut down, according to the feds.
During that time, they recruited Jordan Duncan, a 26-year-old ex-Marine and military contractor, and Justin Hermanson, a 21-year-old current U.S. Marine.
‘You’re such a [bleep!]: Watch women confront governor eating maskless
Video footage posted by the Twitter account Breaking 911 showed the New Jersey governor eating outside a restaurant with five other people the account identified as his family members.
The video shows Murphy putting on a mask as the footage ends.
It was not immediately clear when the video was taken, though it was posted late Sunday evening, the same day that Murphy announced that he is extending the state’s public health emergency declaration due to continued spikes in coronavirus cases.
Tracking Coronavirus Relief | Full Measure
Billions of taxpayer dollars are being spent on coronavirus relief. And with big spending comes a big chance for fraud.
We follow the money and the criminal charges spreading from the pandemic.
Billions of taxpayer dollars are being spent on coronavirus relief. And with big spending comes a big chance for fraud.
We follow the money and the criminal charges spreading from the pandemic.
Full Measure with Sharyl Attkisson
Some of today’s news media seems to love censorship and hate journalism, even bending the facts to fit a specific narrative. A look at my new book, “Slanted,” and the disturbing trend to silence the truth and push narratives.
Gov. Andrew Cuomo Won an Emmy?
Commentary/Opinion:
The left will celebrate each other for no reason at all. That’s right.
Andrew Cuomo is about to be honored with an Emmy. Utterly ridiculous.
Here’s the Simple Truth.
Politics:
Tennessee Democrat Jim Cooper Attacks People With Down Syndrome To Mock Republican Voters
Just this week, a federal appeals court ruled Cooper’s home state Tennessee can enforce laws banning abortions based on a prenatal diagnosis of Down syndrome.
Shortly after his chromosome comments, the Blue Dog Coalition member who has served as a representative from Tennessee for 16 terms, said that he credited the Lincoln Project and other “Never Trump” groups for turning some heads towards the Biden-Harris ticket.
Despite his optimism about the presidential race, Cooper also expressed frustration with the Democrats’ performances in the House and Senate, saying they were both “a big disappointment.”
Guess who warned about Smartmatic’s Venezuela ties in 2006!
Perhaps the most dogmatic Trump-hating network of all was very concerned about Venezuela corrupting our elections via Smartmatic voting machines. Yes, CNN!
Watch this report from CNN, hosted by Lou Dobbs in his pre-FBN career, and reported by Kitty Pilgrim, who was always, in my view, a straight shooter.
The report raises the question: why should U.S. elections be subject to manipulation by a foreign country, Venezuela, a country that is totally hostile?
Trump scores two wins as Michigan legislature, federal appeals court agree to election reviews
President Trump’s campaign said it scored two victories Monday in its effort to contest results in several key battleground states as Michigan state legislators agreed to hold a hearing into election irregularities while a federal appeals court expedited proceedings to consider Trump’s legal challenge in Pennsylvania.
The developments were announced Monday afternoon by Trump campaign senior legal counsel Jenna Ellis, who said the GOP-led Michigan House would hold its hearing at 9 a.m. on Wednesday.
Trump’s election lawsuit leads to 3rd Circuit grant for expedited review
Trump campaign attorney Jenna Ellis tweeted the news with an image of the court record Monday morning.
The appeal comes after U.S. District Court Judge Matthew Brann in Pennsylvania threw out the campaign’s lawsuit, which sought an injunction that would stop the certification of the election in Pennsylvania. Most counties in the state are expected to certify their results on Monday.
The Trump campaign argued that the Constitution’s guarantee of equal protection under the law was violated by the state when counties took different measures to inform voters of technical issues that arose with the unprecedented number of mail-in ballots.
Trump: More Votes Than Voters in Key Swing States
“In certain swing states, there were more votes than people who voted, and in big numbers. Does that not really matter?” the president wrote on Twitter. “Stopping Poll Watchers, voting for unsuspecting people, fake ballots and so much more. Such egregious conduct. We will win!”
In another post, Trump linked to a Breitbart piece detailing how his “Anti-Globalism, Pro-Police Message” led to gains in Hispanic support and added, “Great, but we also won the election!”
The Breitbart story notes that the president improved his margins compared to the 2016 election in 78 of the nation’s 100 majority-Hispanic counties and among Hispanics “in exit polls of each of the top 10 battleground states,” according to Politico.
Biden announces national security team filled with veterans of Obama administration
President-elect Joe Biden on Monday formally announced Cabinet nominations for his national security team.
Biden’s selections include Alejandro Mayorkas, who will become the first Latino secretary of Homeland Security; Avril Haines, who will be his Director of National Intelligence; and former Secretary of State John Kerry, who will serve as a Special Presidential Envoy for Climate.
Hilton: Biden’s White House staff pick ‘definition of corruption in politics’
Commentary/Opinion:
Steve Hilton weighs in on the president-elect’s appointment of Steve Richetti as counselor to the President.
Rob Schmidt from Newsmax: Sidney Powell Is not Going to Ruin Her Career By Spouting Conspiracies
Commentary/Opinion:
Rob Schmidt from Newsmax: Sidney Powell Is not Going to Ruin Her Career By Spouting Conspiracies.
World News:
Nicolas Sarkozy appears in court to face corruption charges
Sarkozy, who served as France’s president from 2007 to 2012, is facing an allegation he offered Judge Gilbert Azibert a job in exchange for confidential information, among other charges. Sarkozy’s lawyer Thierry Herzog is also standing trial.
Prosecutors said charges against Sarkozy partly come from wiretaps between Sarkozy and Herzog.
Sarkozy supposedly promised Azibert a job in Monaco for information into claims the former president accepted illegal funds from wealthy beauty business heiress Liliane Bettencourt during his 2007 presidential campaign.
U.S. Army Europe, U.S. Army Africa consolidate to form unified command
The U.S. Army Africa/Southern European Task Force has been re-designated as the U.S. Army Southern European Task Force, Africa, or SETAF-AF, and its two-star commanding general will also serve as USAREUR-AF’s deputy commanding general for Africa.
The statement noted that four-star Gen. Christopher Cavoli will command USAREUR-AF, while Maj. Gen. Andrew Rohling serve as SETAF-AF commander and USAREUR-AF deputy commander.
“This consolidation enhances global and regional readiness in support of the National Defense Strategy,” said Ryan D. McCarthy, Secretary of the Army. “The new structure will increase command and control effectiveness, flexibility and the capability to conduct large-scale, joint and multi-domain operations.”
Facebook’s encryption plans could help child abusers escape justice, NCA warns
The NCA said he used Facebook Messenger, which is planning to strengthen its encryption, meaning in future an offender like Wilson, using fake identities to prowl the internet for victims, could escape detection.
Rob Jones of the NCA said: “It’s chilling to think Wilson wouldn’t have been caught if Facebook had already implemented their end-to-end encryption plans, which will entirely prevent access to message content.
“The NCA, wider law enforcement and child safety groups are clear that the move will turn the lights out for policing and effectively provide cover for offenders such as Wilson.
PM: Australia will not have to choose between US and China
“It’s as if Australia does not have its own unique interest or its own views as an independent sovereign state. This is just false, and worse, it needlessly deteriorates relationships.
“If we are to avoid a new era of polarisation then in the decades ahead there must be more nuanced appreciation of individual state’s interests in how they deal with the major powers “Stark choices are in no one’s interests.”
The prime minister said liberal democracies – such as Australia and the UK – would have to work together to maintain peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region to counter domestic conflicts.
UK, France and Germany discuss working with Joe Biden on Iran nuclear deal
The three nations, whose ministers met in Berlin, are hoping Tehran can reach an agreement under which the US would lift its crippling sanctions in return for Iran ending its non-compliance with the 2015 agreement constraining its nuclear activities.
Biden, the US president-elect, has said he wants the US to rejoin the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action or JCPOA, the formal term for the Iran deal signed in 2015, if Iran ends its acknowledged breaches of the agreement, including the excess stockpiling of enriched uranium.
Formal talks between the Biden team and Europe cannot yet start, but the E3 has been urged to act as a mediator between the US and Iran, where a heated debate is under way about how to view the Biden administration’s intentions.
Gaza rocket-fire draws IAF retaliation; E3 demand Iran’ nuclear compliance- TV7 Israel News 23.11.20
1) Palestinian Islamists launched a rocket toward Israel’s southern communities – prompting retaliatory strikes against Hamas installations in the Gaza Strip.
2) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu urged the international community not to re-enter the 2015 nuclear agreement with Iran – so long as the Islamic Republic continues with its malign foreign policy.
3) Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan condemned Europe, including EU member states Greece and Cyprus, for provocations and accusations regarding Ankara’s persistent policy vis-à-vis the Eastern Mediterranean.
Commentary/Opinion:
How This Liberal Comedian Became A Trump Supporter (Pt. 1) | Nicole Arbour | COMEDY | Rubin Report
Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report talks to Nicole Arbour (Comedian) about her leaving the left story, horrible woke fake celebrities, and why she doesn’t fear Big Tech social media censorship.
Nicole gives her personal story of how Hillary Clinton’s team once tried to frame her as a supporter of Hillary.
She also gives her unfiltered opinion on David Hogg.
She shares her political evolution and why she decided to walk away from the Democratic party after she spent a lot of time getting to know some Trump supporters.
She shares how her fact checking was responsible for getting Jimmy Kimmel to apologize to his viewers about a lie he told about Mike Pence.
You Can’t Be Free Without This
It wasn’t an accident that the first amendment to the Constitution is about religious liberty.
Why was it so important to the Founders? And why should it be just as important to you?
Kelly Shackelford, President of First Liberty, explains.