In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion. Keeping you informed.
In The News:
Freight company cashed in on $10 million PPP loan — then shut down and moved to Mexico
FreightCar America, a major producer of freight cars for the railway industry, shuttered its last remaining U.S. production site in Muscle Shoals, Alabama, late last summer and shifted production to its facility in Castaños, Mexico. The move reportedly cost 550 American workers their jobs.
Yet only a few months earlier, the company had received a $10 million Paycheck Protection Program loan — the maximum amount available to businesses as part of a program to help American workers retain their jobs during the coronavirus pandemic, ProPublica reported.
The news outlet acknowledged that to some employees, the news didn’t come as a shock, since they had for years heard rumors that management would relocate. But for others, the timing seemed odd.
At least one employee, Robert Bulman, believed the maneuver was a “setup” from the beginning.
Protest, counterprotest reportedly planned at Wi Spa where ‘naked’ man was allowed in female area because he identified as a woman
Los Angeles Magazine, citing Twitter users, indicated a protest against the spa is planned for 11 a.m. while counterprotesters are assembling at 10 a.m.
Los Angeles Magazine said Wi Spa issued a statement pointing to state law prohibiting businesses from discriminating against trans and other gender non-conforming people.
“Like many other metropolitan areas, Los Angeles contains a transgender population, some of whom enjoy visiting a spa,” the statement added, according to the magazine. “Wi Spa strives to meet the needs of all its customers.”
Fox News contributor Tammy Bruce told Tucker Carlson earlier this week that the LGBTQ community — of which she is a member — is “appalled” by the Wi Spa incident, calling the man in question a “jerk” and “not someone who was looking at their identity and handling situations appropriately.”
Federal Law Enforcement Is Running Roughshod Over Facial Recognition Privacy, Says GAO
On the other hand, six agencies, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the U.S. Capitol Police, reported using facial recognition technology from May through August 2020 to support criminal investigations related to civil unrest, riots, and protests following the police murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
In addition, three agencies used facial recognition technologies seeking to identify suspects in the wake of the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol by supporters of former President Donald Trump.
At the request of members of Congress, the GAO looked at how many agencies used the technology; why they used it; and how carefully the agencies tracked their employees’ use of the technology.
In the GAO report released yesterday, 20 agencies acknowledged that they did use facial recognition technology.One of the chief findings of the GAO report is that 13 of the surveyed agencies actually have no real idea how their employees are using outside systems in their investigative activities. In addition, most of the agencies have never formally assessed the privacy and accuracy-related risks of using non-federal facial recognition systems.
Donald Rumsfeld, former defense secretary at helm of 2 wars, dead at 88
Rumsfeld, a confident adviser to power with a trenchant style that made him admirers as well as enemies, had a long and winding career in public life that spanned five decades.
He had been a congressman and a White House chief of staff, and had a successful corporate career, too.
But it was his second term as secretary of Defense from 2001 to 2006 – during the most tumultuous period of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars – for which he is most known.
“It is with deep sadness that we share the news of the passing of Donald Rumsfeld, an American statesman and devoted husband, father, grandfather and great grandfather,” Rumsfeld’s family said in a statement. “At 88, he was surrounded by family in his beloved Taos, New Mexico. History may remember him for his extraordinary accomplishments over six decades of public service, but for those who knew him best and whose lives were forever changed as a result, we will remember his unwavering love for his wife Joyce, his family and friends, and the integrity he brought to a life dedicated to country.”
Myocarditis after COVID-19 vaccination higher in military population than expected, study finds
The Defense Health Agency published findings in the JAMA Cardiology journal, noting 23 otherwise healthy male patients presented with chest pain within four days after either the Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna vaccine.
According to the study, 20 began experiencing symptoms after the second dose.
While 16 patients saw symptoms resolve within a week, seven were still experiencing chest discomfort at the time the study was submitted for publication.
Report: Massive Breach at Microsoft-Owned LinkedIn Exposes Personal Data on 92% of Users
9to5Mac reports that a second LinkedIn data breach has reportedly exposed the data of 700 million users and the database is currently for sale on the dark web.
The user information reportedly includes phone numbers, physical addresses, geolocation data, and inferred salaries.
Based on our analysis and cross-checking data from the sample with other publicly available information, it appears all data is authentic and tied to real users.
Additionally, the data does appear to be up to date, with samples from 2020 to 2021.
Minneapolis protesters hold city council VP ‘hostage’ by blocking vehicle, demanding riot charges dropped
Andrea Jenkins, who represents Minneapolis’ 8th Ward and identifies as the first Black openly transgender woman to be elected to office in the U.S.,
The incident happened Sunday afternoon while Jenkins was attending the Taking Back Pride event in Loring Park, as video shows her sitting in the front passenger seat of a white vehicle being blocked by a group of extreme Black Lives Matter demonstrators, many with their cellphones out recording.
The protesters shouted each demand and asked if they had Jenkins’ support. She agreed, “Yes,” to the first few before shaking her head when protesters called for Frey’s resignation. The crowd shouted again until Jenkins finally agreed and she asked, “Do you understand English? I already said it.”
Black Lives Matter Sues Santa Monica, a Year After Riots Devastate City
Locals were outraged at the lackluster police response.
Then-police chief Cynthia Renaud wrote an open letter in which she said: “Broken windows can be replaced and buildings can be repaired, but the lives of Santa Monicans, peaceful protestors, my officers, and even the looters, would have been impossible to restore if lost that day.”
That only fueled the public anger, and over 66,000 people signed an online petition demanding her removal. She resigned shortly thereafter.
Now Black Lives Matter is suing the city, claiming it was too harsh with protesters. The Los Angeles Times reports:
Florida suspect’s gun jams — just after police officer avoids shot to head, sheriff says
“If Officer Kuznetsov’s head had been tilted slightly to the left, or he had taken one more step before he stopped, there’s no doubt that he would have been shot in the head,” Pinellas County Sheriff Bob Gualtieri said during a news conference Tuesday.
On Tuesday, the sheriff’s office played dashcam and body cameras footage of the incident, which appeared to show the struggle between Officer McKenzie and Kingos.
“Officer McKenzie asked him for identification. Kingos did not immediately produce any ID and he was fidgeting around, and Officer McKenzie was concerned because of the movements and he couldn’t see Kingos’ hands,” Gualtieri said. “He opened the driver’s side of the door, at which time Kingos turned and began to actively kick and resist Officer McKenzie.”
Migrant Surge Deepens in South Texas Ahead of Trump Border Visit
One agent tells Breitbart Texas that more than 100 family unit members were apprehended after surrendering before daybreak.
As residents walked around a community park for exercise, groups of single adult migrants could be seen running from a brushy area near the Rio Grande and into the nearby neighborhoods with hopes to elude apprehension.
Apolonio “Polo” Ramon, a lifetime local resident, frequents the park to “get some air” and film the migrant foot traffic in the immediate area. He says it has not been this busy in years.
“It was pretty busy last night … The immigrants were coming out near the park and the Border Patrol was loading them up all night,” Ramon said.
Trump participates in border security briefing
Former President Trump and Texas Governor Abbott participate in a border security briefing.
Politics:
Democrats and Fauci are no-shows as House Republicans investigate COVID-19 origins
House Republicans held a hearing on Tuesday to investigate the origins of the COVID-19 pandemic but were hampered by Democrats, who refused to participate.
Because Republicans are in the minority and cannot schedule official hearings, they proceeded alone and were unable to compel key witnesses to testify, like Dr. Anthony Fauci.
“What was the origin of COVID-19? We have asked that question for more than a year and requested that the House majority hold hearings to investigate the origins of COVID.
Perplexingly, Speaker [Nancy] Pelosi [(D-Calif.)] has refused to allow a single hearing — calling it a ‘diversion,'” Scalise said in his opening remarks. “As the American people will hear today from our expert witnesses, this is far from a diversion.”
Dem Transport Bill Boosts China’s Green Energy Sector
‘Buy American’ provisions gutted from bill promoting electric vehicles,
Committee Democrats gutted those safeguards, which would have ensured that electric vehicle material procurement would occur in the United States.
China possesses the largest stockpile of rare earth minerals used in electric car batteries in the world. In 2018, Beijing provided some 80 percent of the United States’s rare earth imports.
Experts say China’s domination of the rare earth supply chain is a major challenge as the Communist Party seeks ways to defeat the United States.
House Transportation Committee ranking member Sam Graves (R., Mo.) told the Washington Free Beacon that Democrats are “selling out to China” by pushing the bill forward.
Tucker Carlson: They have lost control
Commentary/Opinion:
‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ host examines the ongoing crisis at the southern border.
Tucker’s NSA report leaves civil rights attorney ‘not suprised’
Former California Republican Party vice-chairwoman Harmeet Dhillon joins ‘Tucker Carlson Tonight’ with analysis.
Exclusive Video Interview: J.D. Vance Sits Down with Breitbart News — Talks Critical Race Theory, the Corporate Oligopoly, Funding MAGA Country
Vance, who is contemplating a run for the U.S. Senate to represent Ohio, identified the paradigm of “critical race theory” as part of a broader political campaign to cultivate shame and self-hatred among white Americans while sowing seeds of discord across racial lines.
On Critical Race Theory
“Critical race theory… is fundamentally an assault on the American founding and the people who founded the country, [and] all of the things that America accomplished between the founding of the country and now,” he said.
The left seeks to undermine Americans’ pride in their ancestry and history — their “cross-generational story” — he added.
“This idea that we came from something, that we have a proud tradition in this country… gives us a certain purpose,” he stated. “It gives this a certain sense of obligation to the generations that come after us, and when I think about what critical race theory has done, it’s trying to take that away from us.”
Unmooring people from their history makes them more vulnerable to governmental and institutional control, Vance warned.
Democrats Block Motion to Quickly Deport Illegal Aliens
The bill would provide for stringent enforcement of Title 42, a public health order that allows the federal government to quickly expell illegal immigrants who may be spreading communicable diseases.
It would prohibit the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and Health and Human Services (HHS) from weakening the implementation of Title 42.
Democrats blocked the motion with 214 votes against Herrell’s motion and 195 votes in favor.
Herrell said on the House floor ahead of the vote that the legislation would help curb the migrant crisis unfolding under President Joe Biden’s administration:
Democrats Block Motion to Quickly Deport Illegal Aliens
On Tuesday, the Democrat-controlled House Appropriations Committee released their DHS funding bill for fiscal year 2022 that decreases funds for border controls and interior immigration enforcement, including stripping funding from border wall construction.
“I adamantly oppose my Democratic colleagues’ proposed bill to fund the Department of Homeland Security,” Rep. Chuck Fleischmann (R-TN) told Breitbart News in a statement.
The nearly $53 billion budget cuts Customs and Border Protection (CBP) funding by almost $930 million and reduces Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) funding by $1.5 million compared to the current fiscal year’s spending levels.
The budget rescinds the previously appropriated $2.06 billion for border wall construction and provides no funding for additional U.S. Border Patrol agents. It also allows up to $100 million that was previously designated to build a border wall to instead go to the Department of Interior.
World News:
EU considers legal action against Poland over “LGBT-free” zones – sources
The EU says LGBT rights must be respected in all member states, but Poland’s ruling nationalist party has made anti-gay policies part of its governing platform.
In March it explicitly banned same-sex couples from adopting children, while more than 100 towns and areas have declared themselves “LGBT-free”.
“We are checking if there is a violation of EU treaties” in the creation of those zones, said one EU official, adding the process has not yet been completed. A second official confirmed the Brussels-based executive is looking into the issue.
At least 2,300 Canadians died waiting for surgeries in 2020: report
According to a report by SecondStreet.org, at least 2,367 people are confirmed to have died in 2020 while on the waitlist for a surgery.
“The most unfortunate part about so many patients dying on waiting lists in our health care system is that many of these tragedies could have been prevented,” said SecondStreet.org President Colin Craig.
1,086 of the deaths reported came from Ontario. The true number of deaths is likely much higher as Quebec, Newfoundland and Labrador, and most of Manitoba did not track deaths of patients on waiting lists.
UK Jews Under Assault: Highest Number of Antisemitic Incidents Since Records Began
From 8 May to 7 June, 460 incidents were reported to the Jewish charity – the highest monthly total since records began in 1984 – with 316 happening offline and 144 online.
The previous record was 317 in July 2014 – coinciding with the last major eruption of violence between Israel and the Palestinians as part of a decades-long conflict.
In the month before 8 May, 119 antisemitic incidents were reported to the CST.
“In a year defined by solidarity against racism worldwide, it is extraordinary how little support there is out there for Britain’s Jews. Racism against Jews just doesn’t seem to count.”
Israel warns “Iran chose war”; FM Lapid calls to widen circle-of-peace – TV7 Israel News 30.06.21
1) Israeli Foreign Minister Yair Lapid concluded a first historic two-day visit to the United Arab Emirates and called upon more countries to join the circle of peace.
2) Iran-backed Houthis in Yemen launch multiple ballistic missiles and UAV’s toward Saudi Arabia and the Marib governorate, which is the last region under control of the internationally-recognized government.
3) German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas insists that ‘a successful revival of the nuclear deal with Iran will contribute to quiet in Yemen.’
Palestinian Terror Youth Summer Camps Begin: Military Training, Indoctrination, Planning ‘Demise of all Jews, Israel’
This summer’s camps, which begin on Tuesday and are designed for young primary school students as well as college- and even post-college age Gaza residents, are dubbed “Sword of Jerusalem,” after Hamas’ recent conflict with the Jewish state, which began after the U.S.-designated terror group launched over 4,000 rockets at civilian population centers throughout the Jewish state last month.
Many camps carry anti-Israel themes and are named after terrorists who murdered Israelis in the past.
According to Hamas’ Telegram channel, the camps aim to “fan the flames of jihad [Islamic holy war] among the generation of liberation, instill Islamic values, and prepare the long-awaited army for the liberation of Palestine.”
In a promotional video for the camp, teens are seen using simulators to attack Israeli forces and civilians with various weapons, including rifles, missile launchers, and drones:
Woman Convicted For Spreading Islamic State Propaganda by Dutch Court
In the ground-breaking conviction, The Hague District Court ruled that Islamic State is a criminal organization with the aim of committing war crimes and convicted the woman of involvement in the war crimes for spreading IS propaganda from her home near Amsterdam.
he woman’s sentence was double the three years originally demanded by prosecutors, with judges saying the sentence request was “far too low” even though the defendant suffers from a what the court called a “psychological impulse disorder.”
The woman, whose name was not released in line with Dutch privacy rules, distributed large amounts of IS propaganda via the Telegram messaging app in 2019.
Commentary/Opinion:
Are You Proud to Be an American?
Do you believe that America is the most exceptional, freest nation to ever exist, or is it an oppressive, systemically racist country?
In honor of the USA’s birthday, Will Witt asks people on Santa Monica Pier if they’re proud to be American, and what they feel when they see the American flag. Check it out.