News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Woman accused of keeping body in trash can at Bradenton mobile home park
Michelle Haney MUG
Michelle Haney, 48, is being charged with abuse of a dead human body.
Detectives have positively identified the deceased man as 40-year-old Jon Christopher Leonard.
Rather than calling the sheriff’s office, investigators say she stored his body in a closet before later putting it inside a trash can, sealing it up and taking the garbage can to a neighbor’s home.
“She admitted to doing this so she could use his Social Security benefits after he died,” the sheriff’s office said.
Navy recommends first woman to command aircraft carrier
She will command one of the Navy’s 11 nuclear-powered aircraft carriers, its crew of about 5,000 personnel and between 60 and 75 of its aircraft, although her assignment will be revealed at a later date.
Also on the list are Capts. Colin Day, Gavin Duff, Brent Gaut, David Pollard and Craig Sicola, the Navy said.
Braunschmidt made naval history in 2016 as the first female executive officer, indicating second in command, of the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln.
Man charged for spitting, coughing after refusing to wear mask at Florida Best Buy
According to the arrest affidavit, Ashby first requested help at the Geek Squad counter but was denied service after refusing to cover his face.
He then allegedly coughed and spat around the help desk before he “continued to walk around the connected department to do the same thing.”
Ashby’s arrest affidavit added he was accused of sneezing over counters, wiping hands across shelves, and pulling masks to the floor. After refusing to leave the store, he was later pulled over by police.
US govt, states sue Facebook for ‘predatory’ conduct
WASHINGTON (AP) — Federal regulators on Wednesday sued to force a breakup of Facebook as 48 states and districts accused the company in a separate lawsuit of abusing its market power in social networking to crush smaller competitors.
The landmark antitrust lawsuits, announced by the Federal Trade Commission and New York Attorney General Letitia James, mark the second major government offensive this year against seemingly untouchable tech behemoths.
The Justice Department sued Google in October for abusing its dominance in online search and advertising — the government’s most significant attempt to buttress competition since its historic case against Microsoft two decades ago.
Amazon and Apple also have been under investigation in Congress and by federal authorities for alleged anticompetitive conduct.
4 Conspiracies YouTube Allows To Flourish While Censoring Claims Of Election Fraud
It’s clear, however, that YouTube’s censorship is a one-way street. The new rules delegitimize claims of fraud in a pandemic contest that featured record-turnout in mail-in voting as nothing more than a bogus conspiracy theory.
While YouTube preemptively tears down content it disagrees with, a number of other conspiracy theories abound on the platform uncensored, ranging from Democratic claims that Russia successfully hacked the 2016 election to decrying the 20th century moon landings as a hoax.
Here are four conspiracy theories YouTube’s own code on misinformation ought to rip off the site if its philosophy on fake news was applied consistently:
St. Louis is nation’s seventh-worst ‘judicial hellhole’: Report
“The City of St. Louis Circuit Court is notorious for allowing blatant forum shopping and awarding excessive punitive damage awards,” ATRF writes in its 2020-21 Judicial Hellholes report released Tuesday. “The court also fails to ensure cases are guided by sound science.”
ATRF ranked St. Louis courts as the nation’s seventh-worst in 2020, which is an improvement after being ranked fourth- and fifth-biggest “judicial hellholes” in 2018 and 2019.
The full 2020-2021 Judicial Hellholes rankings are:
Michigan State Rep Who Threatened Trump Supporters Stripped Of Committee Assignments
The Speaker of the Michigan House Lee Chatfield released a statement, explaining that Johnson had been removed from her committees and that there is an active investigation going on to determine if further action is necessary.
“Threats to Democrats or Republicans are unacceptable and un-American.
They’re even more unbecoming of an elected official.
Rep. CA Johnson has been stripped of her committees and we’re looking into further disciplinary action as the proper authorities conduct their investigation,” Chatfield said in the statement.
Racist chainsaw attack spurs on viral pro-Second Amendment video: ‘Oh hell no, not today!’
Business owner Tieesha Essex, a military veteran and police officer, filmed a viral video for her firearms accessory company, Tiemonex, after the attempted attack on 25-year-old Lincoln, Nebraska, black woman Norma Nimox.
According to a report from PJ Media, Essex was moved to film the ad following an apparent racially motivated attack on Nimox.
Authorities charged 41-year-old Daniel Stueck with a hate crime after he allegedly armed himself with a chainsaw and chased his neighbor, Nimox, while shouting racial slurs at her during a November incident.
Essex’s company, Tiemonex, sells firearms accessories online.
Critics: New Mexico Netflix deal a bad one for taxpayers
While it’s good news on the job front in a state that carries an 8.1 percent unemployment rate, significantly higher than the U.S. average of 6.9 percent, what’s missing is what it will cost the state and the state’s taxpayers under a variety of tax credits, said Paul Gessing, president of the Rio Grande Foundation, an economic policy think tank in Albuquerque.
Only six states have higher unemployment rates than New Mexico – California, Louisiana, New York, New Jersey, Nevada and Hawaii, as well as Washington D.C.
With the credits figured in, the deal is a net negative, he said. For the Los Gatos, Calif.-based Netflix, it’s an even sweeter “sugar daddy” deal, because the company is not facing any caps to its credits.
“As far as Netflix is concerned, this sugar daddy deal can go on and on in a state that doesn’t have the wherewithal to sustain it financially,” Gessing said.
U.S. Supreme Court agrees to hear case challenging HHS approval of state work requirements for Medicaid beneficiaries
In 2018, HHS began approving state requests for waivers from Medicaid requirements so those states could test plans that require certain Medicaid beneficiaries to work or pursue job-training to remain enrolled in the program.
States argued that such plans would help beneficiaries find employer-sponsored health insurance or get individual plans from a state exchange.
With people moving off of Medicaid, states argued that their Medicaid programs would have more resources to help people who cannot afford health care coverage on their own.
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia blocked HHS from approving state plans in Arkansas and New Hampshire.
The court held that HHS failed to consider the core objective of Medicaid, providing health care coverage to the needy, when it approved the state work requirement plans.
China’s growing influence | Gordon Chang
Gordon Chang delves into China’s latest meddling, the recent alleged espionage connection and DNI’s warnings on Beijing – via Newsmax TV’s ‘National Report.’
Northern Lights set to thrill US skywatchers
“Geomagnetic Storm Watches are in effect from December 9th – 11th, 2020 due to anticipated CME effects,” said NOAA’s Space Weather Prediction Center in a statement. The solar flare occurred on Dec. 7, it added.
“NOAA forecasters expect the most intense disturbances to occur on Dec. 10th with peak storm levels near category G3,” said Spaceweather.com.
“If that happens, auroras could be sighted in the USA in states as far south as, e.g., Illinois and Oregon.”
Pompeo warns of Chinese threat to US colleges, says many ‘basically bought’ by Beijing
“We see too often on American campuses that the silence and censorship driven by the Chinese Communist Party usually boils down to something far less idealistic — so many of our colleges are bought by Beijing,” he said.
Pompeo cited instances where universities reportedly refused to defend their students due to multi-million-dollar deals with China.
“What more bad decisions will schools make because they’re hooked on Communist Party cash?” he asked.
He made a distinction between the Chinese government and innocent Chinese students, who are often the victims of the government’s repression. He noted that 400,000 Chinese students come to the U.S. each year.
Georgia governor’s alleged close connection with China; Chinese state-run firms owe $7 billion debts
A Chinese tenant committed suicide off an 18 story building. That’s because a major rent intermediary company is stuck deeply in a cash crisis.
The company is listed on the US Stock Exchange. Are Chinese state-owned enterprises too big to fall? 10 companies failed to pay off $7-billion in debts this year. And the government watches on.
Georgia’s governor seems to have close ties with China. Is he corrupted by communists?
A CNN host and an adviser to Joe Biden’s presidential campaign attended a Conference of the Chinese Communist Party, supported by party head Xi Jinping.
And a new rule from the European Union targets human rights abusers. Their assets can be frozen, and travel bans can be imposed on them.
Lawsuit filed after Colorado earmarks certain COVID relief for minority-owned businesses only
Exactly $4 million of the funding was earmarked for businesses that are at least 51% minority-owned, the Denver Post reported.
Etienne Hardre, a white businessman who owns a barbershop, is suing Polis, claiming the allocation of funds for non-white businesses only is “unconstitutional.”
Attorney Michael Kuhn explained that making access to economic aid race-based without proving how it remedies racial discrimination violates the Constitution.
“The Supreme Court has held that if you are going to do race-conscious measures, you are required to specify the past or present discrimination you are remedying,” Kuhn explained.
Video: Mall Santa who made boy cry over nerf gun gets fired; new Santa delivers surprise
After they let Santa go, the mall sent another Santa to the boy’s house to personally deliver him a present. Texas Congressman Chip Roy shared a video to Twitter showing the new Santa’s surprise visit.
In the video, Santa is seen apologizing to the little boy, saying, “So, there was a mistake made yesterday, huh? Well, we’re so sorry about that,” before handing the little boy a wrapped nerf gun.
According to a video of the incident posted to Facebook, the anti-gun Santa asked the young boy what he wanted for Christmas. The child removed his mask and asked for a toy nerf gun, to which Santa harshly responded, “No, no guns.”
YouTube says it will remove any video alleging widespread voter fraud in 2020 election
New videos, for example, that claim former Vice President Joe Biden won the election due to “software glitches or counting errors” associated with Dominion Voting Systems will be targeted for removal.
The content censorship comes as Texas has filed a lawsuit, supported by the attorneys general of Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Missouri, alleging that four battleground states exploited the coronavirus pandemic to make unconstitutional changes to mail-in voting rules.
The lawsuit seeks to delay the Electoral College vote to select the next U.S. president until investigations into possible election fraud are completed.
Govt Expected to File Antitrust Lawsuits Against Facebook on Wednesday
Alleging that Facebook is involved in unlawful, anticompetitive schemes to consolidate its dominance in social networking, the U.S. government and more than 40 bipartisan attorneys general are readying to file antitrust lawsuits against the tech giant Wednesday, The Washington Post reported.
However, the sources who revealed the intention cautioned the exact plans and timing of the lawsuits could change, adding the attorney general are, as part of the procedure, expected to request a judge consider other potential solutions, including forcing Facebook to sell off some of its business.
Migrant Caravans Head to US Border
“There are going to be caravans, and in the coming weeks it will increase,” said Jose Luis Gonzalez, coordinator of the Guatemala Red Jesuita con Migrantes, a non-governmental organization. “People are no longer scared of the coronavirus.
They’re going hungry, they’ve lost everything, and some towns are still flooded.”
Joe Biden has pledged to abolish many of the migration policies of Donald Trump, including prolonged detention and separation of families, which were designed to deter illegal migration.
This encourages more impoverished Central Americans to make the trip and test the Biden administration, said Gonzalez.
Politics:
Hemingway: Biden’s Radical Cabinet Picks Signal A Full On Culture War
Commentary/Opinion:
Biden announced his plans to nominate California Attorney General Xavier Becerra as secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services,
Despite Biden’s rhetoric promising to bring the country together and reinstate bipartisanship, Becerra has an exhaustive history of supporting extreme, pro-abortion legislation.
Hemingway also raised concerns about Austin as Biden’s nomination for Secretary of Defense, calling on GOP Senators to prioritize America first when considering confirming him.
“I think these senators should focus on, are we going to be able to continue in America-first foreign policy or are we going to be dragged back in the Middle East, instead of focusing on China and these other threats?” she said.
Ossoff Campaign Staffer Donated to Bail Out Minneapolis Rioters
In addition to Lake, Hollywood celebrities, activists, and politicians including Vice President-elect Kamala Harris have urged people to donate to the MFF, which eventually received tens of millions of dollars.
The group’s board president Greg Lewin has defended MFF bailing out people arrested for violent offenses because “the point is the system we are fighting.”
Ossoff, who is running to unseat Sen. David Perdue (R., Ga.) has said that he supports “reforming and demilitarizing policing” but that “the answer is not to defund police.”
Hospitality industry plea with legislature for ‘fighting chance’
Over half of the state’s restaurants and 30% of the its hotels face permanent closure, according to a recent Minneapolis Federal Reserve Bank and Hospitality Minnesota survey.
The industry supports one in 10 jobs in the state but has hemorrhaged 80,000 jobs in 2020 with another projected 70,000 lost jobs without further aid, said Liz Rammer, president and CEO of Hospitality Minnesota.
“Through these stories we are hearing about how our state’s hospitality businesses have done everything the state asked and made tremendous sacrifices through being shut down twice to protect the public’s health,” Rammer said.
A List Of All The Major Voter Fraud Allegations To This Point
There have been plenty of allegations of fraud in the weeks since the election. Here are the biggest, all in one place.
Citizens For Free Elections Launches Brutal Ad To Pressure State Legislatures To Ensure Only Legal Votes Count
The non-profit electoral integrity group Citizens for Free Elections put out a damning advertisement video today which will be used to pressure battleground state legislatures to act in support of ensuring only legal votes count in the 2020 general election results.
The ad will begin running on Fox stations in addition to other media outlets and online.
The group is asking for donations to expand this media effort nationwide at this website: CitizensForFreeElections.org.
10 states challenging Pennsylvania mail-in ballots
Former federal prosecutor Brett Tolman weighs in on challenges to election results.
Swalwell scandal: Dems’ hypocrisy ‘breathtakingly remarkable,’ White House says
“For 4 years, President Trump was accused of being a Russian operative,” McEnany said in a statement Wednesday.
“It’s absolutely breathtakingly remarkable that the entity that was under control of a foreign power was the Democrats, including Eric Swalwell,” she said.
“Democrats were accusing the right of something they were doing all along.”
She added: “It was never Russia and the Republicans, it was the Democrats and China.”
Swalwell refuses to explain relationship with suspected Chinese spy accused of affairs with mayors
Fang’s relationships with at least two Midwestern mayors turned sexual, according to Axios, with at least two incidents being caught by FBI surveillance.
When asked about the nature of Swalwell’s relationship with Fang, the Democratic congressman’s office declined to comment.
According to Axios, federal investigators gave Swalwell a defensive briefing in 2015 during which they alerted him to their concerns over Fang.
An intelligence official told the news outlet that Swalwell cut ties with her soon after.
Fang also volunteered for the 2014 House bid of Rep. Ro Khanna, D-Calif., and a 2013 fundraiser for Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, D-Hawaii.
Top Congressional Leader Calls For Swalwell To Be ‘Removed From Congress’ After Chinese Spy Bombshell Story
“This is only the tip of the iceberg because remember what we’re hearing, these are Chinese spies that go down to the level of a mayor, they court and help a city councilmember become a congressman, this congressman now gets on the Intel Committee,” McCarthy told Fox News host Laura Ingraham.
“Did Nancy Pelosi know this had transpired when she put him on the Committee?” McCarthy continued. “We have our Senator Dianne Feinstein, for two decades, the personal assistant to hear all the private phone calls in the car and others, a Chinese spy.”
“Why did the Democrats pull out of the bipartisan China Task Force I had set up?” McCarthy continued. “Why did Speaker Pelosi pull out of that?
Why have they denied certain bills that would hold China accountable that have passed Senate …? Why do [the Chinese] focus on Silicon Valley members of Congress?
Why is he still on the Intel Committee and why is he still a member of Congress? Did Adam Schiff know as chairman of that Committee that [Swalwell] had this problem?
Carlson: Rep. Swalwell Remains on House Intelligence Committee Despite Alleged Relationship with Chinese Spy
Commentary/Opinion:
Tuesday on Fox News Channel’s “Tucker Carlson Tonight,” host Tucker Carlson addressed the bombshell report that claimed a Chinese spy named Fang Fang had relationships with powerful Democratic Party figures, including Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), a member of the House Intelligence Committee.
Carlson questioned Swalwell continuing to serve as a member of the House Intelligence Committee despite the alleged relationship and noted the California Democrat’s insistence President Donald Trump had been a compromised agent of Russia throughout his presidency.
China knows that our self-involvement is their opportunity.
While our elites have been busy lecturing us about white fragility and trans rights, the Chinese government has remained deadly serious.
World News:
France Proposes Sweeping New Law To Crack Down On Islamic Extremism
The proposed law targets places like home schools and mosques that teach principles counter to French values, according to the Associated Press.
President Emmanuel Macron has spoken recently about a need to rid France of “separatists” that are undermining the country.
The move comes in the wake of a string of terror attacks in France and Austria. Macron has spoken out strongly against radical Islamism since the attacks in his country, sparking backlash from some in the Muslim community.
Thousands of Alberta protesters risk $1,200 fines to March For Freedom in downtown Calgary
Saturday, thousands of Calgarians took to the streets to protest mandatory masks, targeted measures limiting indoor and outdoor gatherings in Alberta, and restrictions on the number of people allowed in restaurants and retail spaces as part of the Alberta government’s ongoing battle with COVID-19 case counts.
Currently, outdoor gatherings are limited to 10 people.
Indoor gatherings are capped at those who share a household.
The weekly protest has grown in numbers and, as a result, has drawn the ire of Premier Jason Kenney and the attention of the Calgary police.
After the November 29 protest, police issued six fines to organizers and attendees for violating public health orders.
Rebel News was on hand to ask the marchers why they would risk a $1,200 fine to be on the plaza.
SECRET MILITARY DOCUMENTS: Trudeau invited Chinese troops to train at Canadian military bases
Justin Trudeau invited China’s People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to send its troops for cold weather training at CFB Petawawa in Ontario — and Trudeau raged at the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) for cancelling the training after China kidnapped Canadian citizens Michael Spavor and Michael Kovrig.
This is only one of many bombshell revelations in The China Files, a 34-page access to information document released by the Trudeau government to Rebel News,
Documents that normally would have been completely blacked out by government censors were instead greyed out — the documents remain completely readable.
Rebel News has chosen to black out a very small portion that would otherwise compromise the safety of an individual.
Boris Johnson sets out his red lines at last-ditch Brexit dinner
Flanked by his chief negotiator and senior aides, the prime minister told the European commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, and the bloc’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, that he could not accept terms in a treaty that would tie Britain to EU rules.
As he spelled out his position over a three-course meal in the commission’s Berlaymont headquarters, EU sources said the bloc planned to publish its no-deal contingency plans “very soon indeed” in order to keep planes flying and protect borders in the event of talks collapsing irretrievably.
The 27 EU heads of state and government will meet on Thursday, when Von der Leyen is likely to update them on the talks.
Hezbollah holds Lebanon hostage; Turkey demands EU honesty regarding EastMed – TV7 Israel News 09.12
1) Israel commends Slovenia for designating Hezbollah as a terrorist-organization.
2) Turkey urges the European Union to act as an honest mediator in all that pertains to its Eastern Mediterranean dispute with Greece.
3) Syria’s newly appointed Foreign Minister Faisal Mekdad makes his first official trip to the Islamic Republic of Iran.
Commentary/Opinion:
EXCLUSIVE: Rep. Dan Crenshaw Talks Lockdowns, Dem Hypocrisy, And Conservative Ideas On COVID
Some blue states have put in place severe lockdowns and restrictions (New York and California), while many red states have taken a much lighter approach (Florida, Texas).
Many in the legacy press, predictably, have sided with the blue states and their elected leaders.
As the information war surrounding COVID rages, The Daily Wire reached out to Rep. Dan Crenshaw (R-TX), who is regarded by many conservatives as a sterling example of the next generation of the Republican Party, to get his take on the situation.
In the following interview Crenshaw talks about the onerous regulations and lockdowns facing small businesses, deciphering Leftist thinking, how conservatives should react to the pandemic, and what role simple rationality can play in all of this.