News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Quincy Institute Yanks Analysis From Child Predator Amid Uproar
The isolationist think tank bankrolled by billionaires George Soros and Charles Koch sparked on uproar on Dec. 28 when it published an article by Scott Ritter, a former high-ranking U.N. weapons inspector who was arrested in the mid-2000s as part of an internet underage-sex sting.
Ritter was arrested at least three times for this behavior.
The Quincy Institute removed the piece, which downplayed the threat posed by Russia’s hack attacks on the U.S. government, after online observers chided the group for publishing works from a convicted child molester.
Ritter worked for that group alongside former U.S. diplomat and Quincy Institute expert Chas Freeman, who has a history of pushing conspiracy theories that accuse Jewish Americans of controlling the U.S. foreign-policy establishment.
NASA Plays Extremely Loud Supernova Sounds With Musical Instruments
Space is a place without audible sound — since it lacks the pressure of substances like air in an atmosphere to propagate.
But NASA’s “data sonification” program is unveiling the sounds extremely loud cosmic objects would emit when transposed for play via Earth-bound musical instruments, according to a recent press release on NASA’s website.
The new initiative led Chandra researchers to take three iconic images from their cosmic archives, and translate varying frequencies of light into an evolving soundscape.
Anti-mask protesters storm LA County stores: ‘People die, your father’s not special’
Anti-mask protesters in California staged demonstrations against coronavirus safety restrictions at several stores in Los Angeles on Sunday, leading to some violent altercations, drawing police attention, and involving plenty of shouting.
Videos of the protests were shared by Beverly Hills Courier writer Samuel Braslow on Twitter, who documented the protesters as they began demonstrating at a Century City Ralph’s grocery store and moved on to the Westfield mall.
In the first video, an unmasked man walks into the grocery store as another masked customer recording with his smart phone repeatedly asks him to put on a mask and warns “you’re gonna get sick.” Other shoppers shout unintelligibly in the background.
New Yorkers could be detained if deemed ‘public health threat’ says proposed Assembly bill
First introduced in 2015 in response to the Ebola outbreak, the legislation never passed, but Assemblyman N. Nick Perry sponsored the latest version that said if the governor “declares a state of health emergency due to an epidemic of a communicable disease” then state officials can detain those who are already ill or even suspected of being sick.
Those detained would be held in a medical facility or “other appropriate facility or premises designated by the governor.”
In order to be released, the state must determine if a person is no longer contagious and “no longer presents a potential danger to the health of others.”
NYSE Purges Chinese Telecom Companies Targeted by Trump
The exchange announced that it will cease trading for China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom as early as January 7.
The three firms were the first companies removed from the New York Stock Exchange as a result of President Trump’s November executive order banning the trading of any public companies that the U.S. government believes are owned or controlled by the Chinese military.
In response to the delisting, the Chinese government has threatened to take “necessary countermeasures” to defend the interest of its corporations.
The shares of the three delisted companies have dropped since the news broke on December 31. China Telecom suffered the worst losses in the wake of the announcement, losing 7 percent of its value in the last five days. China Unicom’s shares dropped 6 percent, while China Mobile lost 5 percent.
More than 225 Google workers form union
As The New York Times points out, it’s not a traditional type of union.
The Alphabet Workers Union is more focused on the company’s policies than bargaining for higher wages.
Employees have voiced opinions on sexual harassment, diversity issues, and ethical concerns.
Google employees have been punished, sometimes even fired, over their activism at the company.
The Alphabet Workers Union has already received support from one major advocate for overhauling the tech industry, Sen. Elizabeth Warren.
Full Measure: January 3, 2021
This week, we take a look at a race 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.
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.
And 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 Sharyl Attkisson’s book, “Slanted,” and the disturbing trend to silence the truth and push narratives.
Politics:
Congress Weekly Wrap Up
As the 117th Congress is sworn-in, the final week of the 116th Congress was a busy one.
One America’s Emily Lambert has more with the weekly Capitol Hill recap.
GOP Congressman Signs First Objection to States’ Certifications for Jan. 6 Electoral Challenge
“Promises made. Promises kept. Today I signed objections to tainted electoral college vote submissions” in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin, Brooks wrote.
“Senators? Time to sign on, too! America must not tolerate voter fraud & election theft that undermines our Republic!” Brooks wrote, echoing statements from President Donald Trump that fraud and irregularities cost him the election.
Brooks was the first member of Congress to announce he would challenge the electoral votes, telling The Epoch Times in November that Congress has the “absolute right” to decide the final outcome of a presidential election.
DeWine Signs SB 175 Making ‘No Duty to Retreat’ Ohio Law
“This bill ensures that victims are protected should they ever need to defend themselves or others,” said John Weber, Ohio state director for NRA-ILA. “The NRA also thanks the sponsor of SB 175, Sen. Tim Schaffer and the state legislature for ensuring this fundamental protection iis codified by law.”
Previously, when victims faced a criminal element, the law required them to first try and run away or face penalties. With DeWine’s signature, law-abiding Ohioans will no longer face prosecution if they immediately defend themselves or others.
“Crimes can happen quickly and without warning. Most victims have a split second to react with the best course of action for their survival. By signing SB 175, Gov. DeWine ensures the law favors victims and not criminals,” said Weber. “We look forward to working with the governor in the future to advance the interests of law-abiding Ohioans.”
Exclusive: over 423,000 votes removed from Trump in Pennsylvania, data scientists say | NTD
According to an analysis by the Data Integrity Group, obtained exclusively by The Epoch Times, votes for Trump—from both Election Day and mail-in ballots—were removed from the totals in at least 15 counties.
Time-series election data shows Trump’s votes decrementing in various counties at numerous time points instead of increasing as would be expected under normal circumstances.
The group said that Election Day vote removals happened during the vote tabulation process in at least 15 counties, including Lehigh County, Chester County, Allegheny County, Armstrong County, Westmoreland County, Northhampton County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Lackawanna County, Dauphin County, Pike County, Carbon County, Washington County, Erie County, and Luzerne County.
GEORGIA RUNOFF: Warnock’s Campaign Staffers Admit His Bias Against Police And White Conservatives.
World News:
Xi Orders China’s Military to Focus on ‘Preparing for War’ as Party Approaches 100th Anniversary
In the first order of the year, Xi instructed the forces to ratchet up military training. As chairman of the regime’s Central Military Commission (CMC), Xi is head of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA), the CCP’s armed forces.
He ordered the PLA to “focus on preparing for war, deepen the transformation of military training, build a new type of military training system, and comprehensively improve the level of combat training and ability to win,” according to Chinese state media Xinhua.
The order follows the CCP’s escalation of military confrontations in several areas last year, including on the India-China border, the Taiwan Strait, and the South China Sea.
World Economic Forum: Pandemic is unique opportunity to implement ‘Great Reset’ of capitalism
With a lot of buzz surrounding the World Economic Forum’s Great Reset initiative, many have wondered what exactly this group of political and business leaders are aiming to do.
One America’s Shane Althaus has more.
Scottish MP Margaret Ferrier arrested over alleged Covid rule breach
The suspended Scottish National party MP Margaret Ferrier has been arrested by police and charged with breaching coronavirus restrictions.
Police Scotland said Ferrier, 60, had been charged “in connection with alleged culpable and reckless conduct” for allegedly failing to observe the regulations limiting travel and social contact.
The MP for Rutherglen and Hamilton West was suspended by the SNP in October after she admitted travelling to London and attending debates in the Commons despite taking a Covid-19 test.
US official: ‘Growing body of evidence’ coronavirus came from Wuhan lab
According to the Daily Mail, Pottinger’s confidence in the theory comes as a result of conversations the U.S. has had with a whistleblower from the Wuhan lab.
“I was told the US have an ex-scientist from the laboratory in America at the moment,” said former Tory Party leader Iain Duncan Smith, who attended the meeting. “That was what I heard a few weeks ago.”
“I was led to believe this is how they have been able to stiffen up their position on how this outbreak originated,” he added.
US prosecutors to appeal Julian Assange extradition denial
A UK court found Mr Assange should not be extradited to the US to face espionage charges based on fears he could take his own life while in custody.
Judge Vanessa Baraitser acknowledged Mr Assange was living with severe depression and had been diagnosed with autism.
If extradited to the US, Mr Assange would likely have been held in a Supermax prison and kept in isolation for a prison sentence of up to 175 years.
Commentary/Opinion:
The far-left should secede from America and here’s why
Glenn says he’s “all for” secession…BUT, there’s no reason why conservatives should be the ones to leave.
He explains why it’s those on the far left who should secede from the union — after all, they’re the ones abandoning our Constitution, our values, and the principles that separate us from every other fascistic nation in the world.
It’s time for every American conservative to determine their line in the sand.
Because whatever that line is, it’s “exactly what you’re going to get.”
Be Brave – Nikki Haley
Free speech and intellectual freedom are the civil rights issues of our time.
Are you ready to defend them?
That’s the question that former US Ambassador Nikki Haley poses in this challenging video.