News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
Apple Launches ‘Racial Equity and Justice’ Projects to Challenge ‘Systemic Racism’
The report added that Apple will invest $10 million in a fund with Harlem Capital, a New York-based early-stage venture firm, and another $25 million in Siebert Williams Shank’s Clear Vision Impact Fund, which provides financing to businesses with an emphasis on minority-owned firms.
Apple is also investing another $25 million into the Propel Center, a facility in Atlanta where historically Black colleges and universities will collaborate on programs in entrepreneurship, and app development.
Apple’s new investments are a part of the company’s $100 million “Racial Equity Justice Initiative,” a project that was announced last June, after the deaths of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
The initiative seeks “to help dismantle systemic barriers to opportunity and combat injustices faced by communities of color,” according to Apple.
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot wants bars, restaurants to reopen for indoor service ‘as quickly as possible’
The Tribune said it’s Pritzker call regarding when bars and restaurants can reopen for indoor service — and while the city can set stricter rules, it can’t enact less-stringent rules.
Lightfoot added that restaurants are highly regulated, get inspections, and have gone “above and beyond” to use indoor “mitigation controls,” the paper noted.
“They are going to be one of the safer places,” she said, according the Tribune.
FAA announces ‘zero-tolerance’ crackdown on unruly passengers: No more warnings; expect big fines and possible jail time
According to the FAA, the airline industry “has seen a disturbing increase in incidents where airline passengers have disrupted flights with threatening or violent behavior.”
The agency said the incidents partly stemmed from customers’ refusal to wear face masks during the pandemic and from the Jan. 6 violence at the Capitol.
For example, air travel news site GateChecked.com reported that “almost 3,000 passengers have been put on temporary no-fly lists as a result of failing to wear masks on board.
The new policy scraps the warnings and counseling the agency has historically used to deal with unruly passengers.
The FAA will now “pursue legal enforcement action” against anyone who gets out of line. Actions include massive fines and possible jail time.
Mailchimp Boots Gun-Rights Group
In a copy of the company’s email to VCDL obtained by the Free Beacon, Mailchimp cites unspecified risks as the reason for the suspension:
“In this case, our automated abuse-prevention system, Omnivore, detected serious risks associated with the account,” the email says.
“That said, this risk is too great for us to continue to support the account.
We have to ask that you seek a new vendor for your email marketing needs. We appreciate your understanding in this matter.”
‘Kill All Republicans’: Amazon Sells 204 Items Promoting Violence, Hate
The Media Research Center found at least 204 examples of merchandise sold on Amazon that promoted violence, either toward President Donald Trump, Republicans or members of the police force.
Riot gear, including tasers, brass knuckles and stun sticks were also sold. Some of these violent products included a flag with a graphic image of Trump blowing his brains out, a mug with the slogan “Where is Lee Harvey Oswald now that we really need him?” and a black T-shirt with a red slogan, “Kill All Republicans.”
The shirt that urged the death of Republicans was even a sponsored listing on Amazon.
Amazon accused Parler of “potential hate speech,” while it is selling actual Nazi memoribilia and jewelry covered with swastikas.
And while Americans were outraged at the death of police officer Brian D. Sicknick who was struck with a fire extinguisher at the Capitol riot, Amazon sells at least 130 pieces that condone that kind of violence with the hateful slogan, ACAB (All Cops Are Bastards). That ACAB term is popular with rioting members of Antifa.
Trump Ups Ban on Backing Chinese Military Co.’s; Twitter, Facebook ↓ $51B Market Cap Since Trump Ban
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he won’t start Senate meetings early to begin impeaching the president;
President Donald Trump again condemns the violence at the Capitol and calls for peace over the coming days; and Parler’s CEO says the app may not return—but he’s optimistic that it will.
News Report — Exodus to Gab
Activists organize to expel critical race theory from California ethnic studies ‘model curriculum
By teaching that “people are divided into either oppressors or oppressed groups, based solely on their skin color,” and that “white people have all of the power and non-white people have none of the power,” CRT creates a “divisive classroom environment that fosters resentment and bullying between students of different races,” according to Meyers.
“Can you imagine being in a class and being told that the person next to you has been oppressing you because of her race?” she asked rhetorically:
Teachers will bear the load of explaining to parents on Back to School night that their kids are oppressors.
Senior NASA Scientist Pleads Guilty to Lying About Connection to Chinese Spy Program
Veteran NASA employee and professor Meyya Meyyappan lied to federal authorities, the NASA inspector general, and investigators from U.S. attorney offices about his work for China’s Thousand Talents Program, according to the Department of Justice.
Meyyappan most recently worked as a chief research scientist in exploration technology at a NASA research facility in Silicon Valley.
The scientist refused to disclose his participation in the Thousand Talents Program and also lied about his professorship at a Chinese university when confronted by federal officials.
“Actions like those carried about by Meyyappan can have security implications, and his charges should serve as a warning to others thinking about engaging in the same type of activity,” Sweeney said.
North Dakota Bill Would Let Censored Citizens File Lawsuits Against Facebook, Twitter
For individuals who have been censored, compensation includes “treble damages for compensatory, consequential, and incidental damages,” according to the bill.
North Dakota state Rep. Tom Kading (R), a sponsor of the bill, explained his rationale.
“It’s just wrong to ban a sitting president,” Kading told the Grand Forks Herald, adding that the proposal is meant to provide a legal tool for those who live in North Dakota. He was referring to Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other platforms taking action against President Donald Trump.
Kading further argued that Facebook and Twitter, namely, violate their own terms of agreement signed by users after they ban or restrict content related to politics.
Weekly Jobless Claims Surge to 965,000, More Than Expected
The Labor Department said in a Jan. 14 report that the number of people who filed initial state benefit claims last week grew by 181,000 from the previous week’s revised level of 784,000. Economists polled by Reuters predicted the jobless claims number would tick up slightly to 795,000; the Labor Department’s report sent a ripple of surprise across the desks of experts.
“The rise and level of new unemployment claims is shocking, at the highest point seen since late August,” Bankrate.com senior economic analyst Mark Hamrick said in an emailed statement to The Epoch Times.
“This reminds us that the economic crisis has not gone away, far from it, at a time when multiple crises have been vying for our attention. It hasn’t helped that administration of COVID-19 vaccines has been slow to gather momentum since the pandemic is at the epicenter of the economy’s ills,” he added.
Delta places Trump supporter customers who harassed Romney and Graham on no-fly list
Delta Air Lines has punished customers who harassed two Republican senators by placing them on a no-fly list.
Delta CEO Ed Bastian told Reuters this week that the Delta customers seen in viral videos shouting at Sen. Mitt Romney and Sen. Lindsey Graham will no longer be allowed to fly with the airline.
In addition to the president being permanently deplatformed from social media and stripped of some of his bank accounts, his supporters claim to have also been singled out for their political beliefs, including World Series champion Curt Schilling, who says his insurance policy was canceled because of his support for the president.
“How long before they cut off your water and electricity?” Fox News host Tucker Carlson asked on his show Wednesday night. “Before UPS won’t deliver your packages?”
Trump’s former personal physician, who drew attention during campaign, dies
Bornstein died Jan. 8, and a paid death notice was included in the New York Times on Thursday. Bornstein served as the president’s physician from 1980 until after Trump reached the White House in 2016.
While Bornstein was reportedly gunning for the White House physician job, he never received it, allegedly because he revealed to the media that Trump was taking the prescription drug Finasteride, which is for prostate-related issues but is also used to treat male pattern baldness. Bornstein credited the drug for his own substantial locks of hair.
Bornstein was married three times and is survived by his wife and five children, two of whom took up the family career and became medical doctors.
Tucker investigates the threats and violence Twitter refuses police
Commentary/Opinion:
The Federalist journalist David Marcus go through a list of all the things that Twitter is refusing to censor, while they crackdown on conservative speech.
Politics:
Biden Will Introduce $2 Trillion Stimulus Bill With $2,000 Individual Checks
Biden will outline more of the plan later on Thursday, but Senate Democrats are also talking seriously about merging pandemic relief with a completely unrelated infrastructure bill. It’s likely the total cost for both measures together will exceed $3 trillion.
Moreover, Democrats are discussing ways to use budget reconciliation to pass most of their legislation. This would mean the filibuster would be off the table and legislation could pass by a simple majority.
Also on the table will be more extra unemployment payments and aid to state and local governments that are suffering budget shortfalls because of the pandemic.
Some of that cash is likely to go into fixing state pension systems, run into the ground by Democratic governors and their public union allies.
FOX BUSINESS VIDEO: New York City exodus ‘heartbreaking’: Former NYSE CEO
Former NYSE CEO Dick Grasso says economic incentives have driven the move for many from New York to Florida and Texas amid the coronavirus pandemic.
There Is No Future For A Liz Cheney GOP
Commentary/Opinion:
As a member of leadership, when Cheney’s stance in favor of impeaching President Trump was announced, it was trumpeted widely by the media.
Along with the New York Times report about McConnell’s positioning on the issue, it looked for a moment like something meant to cause a stampede.
But the buffalo saw that cliff, and they didn’t like the look of it.
Cheney ultimately would convince just nine other members in voting for this rushed impeachment, a joke of an act with no hearings, no investigation, no process whatsoever.
Whether she sticks around or is rejected by a conference already fed up with her anti-incumbent donations, Cheney is now persona non grata.
The pre-election fantasy — Politico compared her to Margaret Thatcher! — is dashed. Where she would lead, precious few would follow.
AOC: Congress Is ‘Absolutely’ Considering A Commission To ‘Rein In’ Media ‘Disinformation’
While Ocasio-Cortez claimed to be committed to the truth, her opinion on facts has changed during her time in Congress. In 2019, AOC told Anderson Cooper on “60 Minutes” that she was less worried about making factual statements and more focused on prioritizing morality.
“If people want to really blow up one figure here, or one word there, I would argue that they’re missing the forest for the trees,” she said after Cooper confronted her for claiming that $21 trillion in Pentagon “accounting errors” could cover two-thirds of “Medicare for all.” “I think that there’s a lot of people more concerned about being precisely, factually, and semantically correct than about being morally right.”
During the rest of her Instagram live, AOC explained how she didn’t “feel safe around other members of Congress” and said that she feared Republican members would help the Capitol rioters find and hurt her.
Matt Gaetz Triggers Outcry from House Democrats While Condemning Violent Rhetoric
“The left in America has incited far more political violence than the right.
For months, our cities burned, police stations burned, our businesses were shattered, and they said nothing,” said Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) Wednesday in the House Chamber, rebuking Democrats for a second impeachment attempt.
Veritas Voter Fraud Arrest Takes Over Texas Media!
“Each charge constitutes a felony under the Texas Election Code. Rodriguez was exposed in a Project Veritas video last fall while she engaged in vote harvesting leading up to the 2020 election,” they said.
The Texas Attorney General’s office said that Rodriguez recognized her criminal behavior in the Project Veritas video.
“In an uncharacteristic moment of honesty, Rodriguez acknowledged on video that what she was doing is illegal and that she could go to jail for it. If convicted, Rodriguez could face up to 20 years in prison,” they said.
FOX BUSINESS VIDEO: Attack on free speech threatens democracy: Navarro
White House Office of Trade and Manufacturing Director Peter Navarro weighs in on social media censorship and the impeachment push against President Trump.
Nikki Haley creates PAC ‘laser-focused’ on 2022 midterm elections
The 48-year-old, two-time South Carolina governor announced the Stand for America PAC on Wednesday, saying in an email to supporters that it will be “laser-focused on the 2022 midterms and electing a conservative force to the House of Representatives and U.S. Senate to serve as a bulwark against the liberal agendas of Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Chuck Schumer, and Nancy Pelosi.”
The PAC is designed to support candidates who are “principled conservatives,” will “stand up for the ideas our country was founded on,” and “understand that Democrats’ liberal policies undermine our freedom,” according to the PAC’s website, which is already accepting donations.
Haley is talked about as being a potential 2024 Republican presidential candidate, although she has not made any declaration about a potential run.
Yang to officially launch NYC mayoral campaign Thursday
During his rollout, Yang intends to announce a local version of his “Universal Basic Income” proposal, his team said.
The plan would be far from “universal” in a city of nearly 8.5 million people.
Yang is vowing to launch what his team said would be the largest program of its kind nationally — a proposal to give 500,000 New Yorkers living in poverty between $2,000 and $5,000 per year.
These House Republicans voted for impeachment
Texas Congressman Brian Babin argues that the House impeachment was ‘rushed’ and had ‘no witnesses, no due process.’
Three Republicans removed from Virginia House committees on first day of legislative session
On the opening day of Virginia’s legislative session, House Speaker Eileen Filler-Corn, D-Fairfax, removed three Republicans from their committee roles because they sent a letter to Vice President Mike Pence urging him to nullify the commonwealth’s presidential election results.
Dels. David LaRock, R-Hamilton; Mark Cole, R-Fredericksburg; and Ronnie Campbell, R-Fairfield, lost one committee assignment each. LaRock was removed from the Transportation Committee, Cole from the Privileges and Elections Committee and Campbell from the Courts of Justice Committee.
World News:
US bans all cotton and tomato products from Xinjiang over slave labor
The Withhold Release Order (WRO) issued by CBP is based on information that “reasonably indicates” the use of forced labor within China’s so-called “re-education” camps. CBP also claims China is oppressing its Muslim population in that region.
“The goal isn’t just to interdict shipments … that’s actually the fallback plan,” Acting DHS Deputy Secretary Ken Cuccinelli told reporters Wednesday. “The goal of the WRO is that they stop and that the shipments never arrive — the ultimate goal is that China abandons these horrific practices.”
This is the fourth WRO that CBP has issued in 2021 and the second on products originating in Xinjiang. China’s Xinjiang province accounted for eight of the 13 WROs that CBP issued in 2020 — all stemming from allegations of forced labor.
Reeling from coronavirus, Asia’s poultry farmers battle bird flu outbreak
MUMBAI/TOKYO (Reuters) – Asia’s chicken farmers are confronting the region’s worst bird flu outbreak in years, with the deadly virus affecting farms stretching from Japan to India, roiling some poultry prices and showing no signs of easing.
More than 20 million chickens have been destroyed in South Korea and Japan since November. The highly pathogenic H5N8 virus last week reached India, the world’s No. 6 producer, and has already been reported in 10 states.
While bird flu is common in Asia at this time of year due to migratory bird patterns, new strains of the virus have evolved to become more lethal in wild birds, making countries on flight pathways particularly vulnerable, say experts.
US to Bar Entry to Chinese Navy Officials, Business Execs Involved in Militarizing South China Sea
The move is the latest in a flurry of actions made in the final days of President Donald Trump’s term, targeting the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) transgressions around the world.
The State Department will impose visa restrictions on Chinese individuals involved in militarizing outposts in the South China Sea, or Beijing’s “use of coercion against Southeast Asian claimants to inhibit their access to offshore resources” in the region,
Pompeo said in a statement. Among those who will be impacted by the restrictions are executives of Chinese state-owned companies, CCP officials, and officials in the Chinese navy. Their immediate family members may also be affected.
Argentina legalizing abortion will spur reform in Latin America, minister says
The bill passed by congress on 30 December made Argentina the first major Latin American country to legalize abortion. It will be signed into law on Thursday evening by the president, Alberto Fernández, marking a turning point for a region where the Catholic church has been a major cultural and political influence for centuries.
“We know there will be a lot of resistance in the rest of Latin America, especially from the Catholic church and other churches,” said the gender minister, Elizabeth Gómez Alcorta, in a Zoom interview.
“The regional conquest will take some time, but I have been getting calls from officials in Mexico, Bolivia, Chile, Ecuador and Peru. Progressive governments are returning to power in some countries, I am very confident there will be a change.”
Government to buy 29 American made Apache helicopters
It has been reported the government is planning to spend a rumoured $4.5 billion to buy 29 Apache AH64E helicopters which are made in the United States.
In a statement reported in The Australian Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said, “the Apache Guardian is the most lethal, most survivable and lowest-risk option, meeting all of Defence’s capability, through-life support, security, and certification requirements.”
Defence wants to phase out its Tiger Attack Helicopters by 2025 since they have been plagued with issues for some time.
IDF to prepare options vs Iran’s nuclear program; Turkey-Greece talks set – TV7 Israel News 14.01.21
1) IDF Chief of Staff Lieutenant General Aviv Kochavi has reportedly instructed his general staff to prepare a new operational plan to “address Iran’s nuclear program” militarily.
2) Turkey and Greece are expected to launch exploratory talks on all that pertains to the Eastern Mediterranean dispute, scheduled to be held in the city of Istanbul on the 25th of January.
3) Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaimed the government’s “operation” to inoculate Israel’s general public “a global wonder.”
Iran tests missiles under apparent watch of US nuclear sub
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Iran fired cruise missiles Thursday as part of a naval drill in the Gulf of Oman, state media reported, under surveillance of what appeared to be a U.S. nuclear submarine dispatched to the region amid heightened tensions between the countries.
Iran’s navy did not identify the submarine, but warned the boat to steer clear of the area, where missiles were being launched from land units and ships in the gulf and the northern part of the Indian Ocean.
When asked for comment on the reported submarine sighting, Cmdr. Rebecca Rebarich, a spokeswoman for the U.S. Navy’s Bahrain-based 5th Fleet, responded: “We don’t talk about submarine operations.”
Commentary/Opinion:
Big Tech Attacks on Freedom of Speech
Tulsi Gabbard is right. When foreign leaders seem more concerned than our leaders about Big tech attacks on freedom of speech here, we have a BIG problem.
WATCH the left incite violence more times than you can count
It’s hard to determine truth anymore, as Glenn illustrates with two posters that are STRIKINGLY similar — one for a leftwing organization’s Election Night watch party, and the other for a right-wing armed protest on Inauguration Day.
But no matter who is responsible for fanning the flames, the fire has already begun. Glenn plays an “unbelievable” compilation video (released by Caldron Pool) that shows every instance of instigators on the left inciting violence, riots, and chaos while Trump has been president.
Glenn says he feels the same frustration as you, but he begs: PLEASE move away from the chaos.
In Praise of Melania Trump’s Humble Leadership
When Americans were worried about voting in-person during a pandemic, Melania showed the way, casting her ballot personally in Florida.
The first lady routinely pushed back against her husband’s critics, putting out her own statements even when it was uncomfortable to do so.
Through the ups and downs, Melania remained committed to charity, hosting numerous events at children’s hospitals and cheering on America’s public servants, including the military and first responders.
She forged her own path, whether that meant making surprise visits to U.S. troops in Iraq or delivering lunch to firefighters and their families.
Perhaps most importantly, the first lady was never desperate for media recognition.
Whereas Democrats like Dr. Jill Biden can expect puff pieces and flattering magazine spreads, Melania did much of her work behind the scenes.
Faced with an adversarial press, she dedicated herself to simply doing the right thing, rather than promoting it.