News and Headlines 12/14/2021: Keeping you informed.

US News, Politics, World News, Videos, Commentary/Opinion, Keeping you informed.

In The NEWS:

Waitress fired after customers leave massive tip but manager allegedly demands she share it with co-workers

Image source: KNWA-TV screenshot
Image source: KNWA-TV screenshot

Grant Wise owns a company that helps realtors advertise their services. So when he hosted a conference in northern Arkansas last week, he researched for a local restaurant where he and conference attendees could bless service industry workers with an unexpected monetary gift.

Wise even called the restaurant beforehand to ensure that the gesture went off without a hitch.

“About year ago, came up with this $100 dinner club concept, right in the middle of a pandemic,” Wise explained. “We knew servers [were] really hit hard through COVID and it was something that he had come up with to help give back.”

Wise later started a GoFundMe campaign for Brandt, which has raised more than $10,000.

Air Force kicks out 27 airmen for refusing COVID vaccine

(U.S. Air Force photo by Joshua J. Seybert)
(U.S. Air Force photo by Joshua J. Seybert)

Stafanek said all 27 airmen were in their first term of enlistment, and were younger, lower-ranking personnel.

Sources from the other military branches told the Associated Press that these 27 discharges appear to be the first instance in which any part of the military has been able to separate service members simply for their unvaccinated status.

U.S. Navy Cmdr. Lucian Kins, the executive officer of the USS Winston S. Churchill (DDG-81), was relieved of his command last week for refusing to be tested for COVID-19. Kins was reassigned and has not been separated from the military at this time.

U.S. Marine Cpl. Whitney McHaffie, who was unvaccinated, was separated from the military in September, but for refusing to wear a face mask. McHaffie was separated before the service’s vaccine deadline had arrived. 

2 US Marine vets arrested in double murder-for-hire plot

Almost two years after Holly Williams, 33, and William Lanway, 36, were found dead, Nashville police have charged Erik Charles Maund, former IDF member Gilad Peled, former Special Operations Marine Byron Brockway, and former Special Operations Marine Adam Carey over the alleged scheme, New Channel 5 reported.

MNPD detectives and FBI agents arrested all four men on Friday, Dec. 10 in multiple states.

The indictment showed that Maund and Williams previously had a relationship, and in February 2020, Maund emailed Williams wanting to see her again.  

Weeks later, Maund received a series of text messages from Lanway, who had a current personal romantic relationship with Williams. Lanway attempted to blackmail Maund, threatening to expose his and Williams’ relationship if Lanway did not receive payment.

Maud then hired Peled, Brockway and Carey to address the threats and extortion.

San Francisco Burger King franchisee owes $1.9 million to former workers for wage theft

(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar / AP Images)
(AP Photo/Gene J. Puskar / AP Images)

San Francisco Burger King franchisee who owes $1.9 million in wages to more than 200 former employees has failed to make any payments and had closed down or sold all its locations in the city, according to lawyers for a group representing some former workers. 

The Golden Gate Restaurant Group, owned by Monu Singh, operated five locations in the city between 2016 and 2019 and failed to pay overtime and regular wages and allow employees to take breaks, Alexx Campbell, an attorney for Legal Aid at Work, which offers free legal services for workers, told Fox Business. 

Fast food restaurants “have a model of paying workers always at minimum wage and having really aggressive policies to reduce labor costs,” Campbell said. 

That pressure often falls to managers to cut costs, often at the expense of employees, who are sometimes forced to clock out and keep working while not getting overtime wages or meal and restroom breaks, he added. 

California ‘equity’ superintendent works on East Coast as life coach, collects at least $160,000 from state

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)
(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times via Getty Images)

Daniel Lee, 51, is a deputy superintendent for the California Department of Education, where his job focuses on racial and social equity in the state’s school system. He works for the California education system, despite living and running his own psychology consulting ventures in Pennsylvania and New Jersey, according to a report from Politico.

Lee is also a close personal friend of State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond and was hired privately without a public job listing. According to Politico, the California Department of Education confirmed that Lee’s salary is over $160,000.

Normally, employment by the California government is open only to those living in the state, but Thurmond cited the pandemic as an opportunity to hire regardless of geographic location. Lee’s professional history shows a wealth of ventures on the East Coast of the United States.

California’s education policies have been a contentious and volatile subject as parents have begun to regularly clash with education officials regarding students’ curriculums.

FBI officials had sex with prostitutes while overseas, inspector general investigation finds

The investigation said the officials “lacked candor” in failing to report their involvement or other agents’ involvement in soliciting sex with prostitutes. 

One of the FBI officials additionally lied to the Office of Inspector General (OIG) – which oversaw the investigation – during an interview followed by polygraph questioning. The individual denied having engaged in any sexual acts with a prostitute. 

“The OIG investigation further found that five officials failed to report contact or relationships with foreign nationals, including foreign nationals from whom they procured commercial sex, in violation of FBI policies,” the OIG said in a summary of the investigation’s findings Tuesday. 

Judicial Watch President: Documents show Fauci aware of funding gain of function

Judicial Watch President, Tom Fitton says new documents show Dr. Anthony Fauci knew the NIH was funding COVID gain of function research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology. One America’s John Hines has more from Washington.

Rumble Severs Business Ties with Unruly Group and Tremor International (TRMR)

TORONTO, Dec. 14, 2021 — Today, the video platform Rumble announced the termination of its relationship with the Unruly Group and Tremor International (NASDAQ: TRMR) after they attempted to censor Dan Bongino, the host of a nationally syndicated radio show and a Fox News television program.

Citing vague complaints from unnamed “partners,” Tremor attempted to censor Bongino by removing advertisements from his websites and Rumble’s hosted video player.

The company provided no proof or examples of the allegedly “fake covid information” that was the source of the complaints, instead expecting Rumble to bow to the demands of a few anonymous censors.

Tremor wanted ads removed from Bongino’s pages even though YouTube and many other sites monetize Bongino’s content.

Revealed: China’s Secret Propaganda Campaign to Get Americans to Watch Its Tyrannical Olympics

AFP / Getty Images; Lintao Zhang /
AFP / Getty Images; Lintao Zhang /

The Washington Free Beacon reported Monday that the Chinese consulate in New York City has devised a plan to leverage social media influence in the United States to push the Games.

The consulate hired the public relations firm Vippi Media for $300,000, according to data filed with the U.S. Department of Justice.

For that price, the PR firm will hire popular personalities on Instagram, TikTok and Twitch to promote the Beijing Olympics, the Free Beacon reported.

Tucker Carlson describes the consequences of increasingly authoritarian COVID restrictions

Imagine this happened to you: you’re sitting on an airplane, you’re taxiing down the runway on a trip out of the country and all of a sudden the plane stops and is surrounded by military police.

The man is not a terrorist. He’s something worse than that. He violated COVID restrictions. He’s a corona criminal.

Candace Owens: “This country is no longer free by any metric that you would use to describe freedom.”

 Candace Owens: “This country is no longer free by any metric that you would use to describe freedom.”

Politics:

EXCLUSIVE: RNC Releases New Video Going After Biden Admin, Pelosi For Skyrocketing Prices

Pelosi/Screen Shot/Daily Caller Obtained/RNC Video/Youtube
Pelosi/Screen Shot/Daily Caller Obtained/RNC Video/Youtube

The Daily Caller first obtained the video, titled “Bidenflation: Gas, Groceries, Gifts.” The video features a number of cable television hosts and pundits laying out the inflation spike, as numbers hit the highest level in 39 years in November. The Consumer Price Index (CPI) increased 0.9% in November, bringing the key inflation indicator’s year-over-year increase to 6.8%.

“Bad news, of course, for working-class Americans, middle-class Americans. Inflation spiked 6.8 percent in November,” the first clip says in the video.

“That is the highest level since June of 1982,” another T.V. clip says.

5th Circuit sharply rebukes Biden administration for illegally ending ‘Remain in Mexico’ policy

John Moore/Getty Images
John Moore/Getty Images

As a presidential candidate, Joe Biden described the policy as inhumane because of the dangers migrants may face while waiting in Mexico. Reversing Migrant Protection Protocols, along with several more Trump immigration policies, was among Biden’s first acts as president.

However, a federal court ruled in October that Biden improperly ended the policy and ordered the DHS to restart the program. Monday’s ruling by a panel of three Republican-appointed judges affirmed that lower court decision after the Biden administration asked the Fifth Circuit to end the lower court’s order. The court rejected an argument from the DHS that the case is moot and that courts cannot review the administration’s actions.

“DHS’s proposed approach is as unlawful as it is illogical,” Judge Andrew Oldham wrote.

15 lawmakers profiting from defense industry investments while running US defense policy: Report

From left: Rep. Jim Cooper, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Sen. Jacky Rosen, and Rep. Pat Fallon. US House of Representatives; US Senate; Marianne Ayala/Insider
From left: Rep. Jim Cooper, Sen. Tommy Tuberville, Sen. Jacky Rosen, and Rep. Pat Fallon. 
US House of Representatives; US Senate; Marianne Ayala/Insider

Insider examined nearly 9,000 financial reports for every sitting member of Congress, as well as their top staffers, as part of a broader effort dubbed the Conflicted Congress project, which aims to identify possible conflicts of interest among lawmakers in Congress.

Both Democrats and Republicans serving on the Armed Services committees have combined defense industry investments nearing $1 million as of 2020, and they’re continuing to invest and cash in.

Officials at the nonprofit watchdog Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW) wrote that “Americans shouldn’t have to be concerned about members of Congress being more focused on their stock portfolio than on the country’s problems and their constituents’ best interests.”

“At worst, it’s a sign of abject corruption,” a CREW aide said. “And at best, it’s a distraction — even for well-meaning members — from the work that they’re actually supposed to be doing: passing laws and conducting oversight.”

Blumenthal Speaks at Communist Party Awards Ceremony

Sen. Richard Blumenthal at the Connecticut People's World awards event
Sen. Richard Blumenthal at the Connecticut People’s World awards event

Blumenthal, one of the wealthiest members of the Senate, presented certificates of special recognition from the Senate to three winners of the “Amistad Award,” given annually by the Connecticut People’s World Committee, an affiliate of the Communist Party USA and the Marxist People’s World news site.

Blumenthal appeared even as Democratic leaders have downplayed allegations that many in the party support socialist or communist policies. 

Blumenthal used his speech at the ceremony to tout Democratic legislative policies, including voting rights reform, ending the filibuster and the Build Back Better Act, according to the Yankee Institute, a free market think tank in Connecticut that reported details of the event.

Tipping Point – Josh Hammer – Trump’s Growing Coalition

Biden politicizing tornado damage to advance climate agenda: Murray

Democrats use natural disasters to push political ideology, Douglas Murray tells ‘Fox News Primetime.’

Manchin opposes Biden FDA nominee, cites opioid epidemic failures: ‘How many more Americans have to die?’

(REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)
(REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst)

Robert Califf, who served as the FDA commissioner during the last year of the Obama administration, was nominated by the president last month to again lead the agency.

“Why we would confirm someone whose actions failed to swiftly curb the tide of the opioid epidemic?” Manchin questioned. “During Dr. Califf’s previous tenure as FDA commissioner, drug-related overdoses went up.

Five years later, they are up again, this time at a record number.”

The U.S. saw a record number of overdoses during the first year of the pandemic, with nearly 98,000 deaths reported over a 12-month period in April 2021 — the majority of which were attributed to opioid abuse, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

Julian Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton on Assange’s possible extradition to the US

Julian Assange’s brother Gabriel Shipton tells Tucker Carlson about Assange’s possible extradition to the US: “The Biden administration has criminalized telling the truth.”

Gov. Ron DeSantis on states bringing back mask mandates over the Omicron variant

Gov. Ron DeSantis on California and New York bringing back mask mandates over the Omicron variant: “You give these people an inch, they will never let go.”

White House cuts Taiwan feed at ‘democracy summit

An unusual moment in the recent democracy summit highlights a problematic irony in Joe Biden’s Taiwan policy.

One America’s Chief White House Correspondent Chanel Rion has more from the North Lawn.

World News:

Gravitas: Boris Johnson faces a rebellion | 75 MPs to vote against ‘Covid Plan B’

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson is facing a rebellion.

75 Tory MPs are expected to vote against his ‘Plan B’ for Omicron variant.

The ‘mutiny’ comes amid a wave of scandals & setbacks that have plagued 10 Downing Street. Palki Sharma has a report.

Tory MPs must rebel.

A big vote coming up in the House of Commons today.

Crooked cop’s confession about Australia’s biggest gold swindle | 60 Minutes Australia

Now, you will see and hear a story from beyond the grave. It’s astonishing video, never before shown on television.

It’s an interview with a crooked cop: Tony Lewandowski. It was recorded just before he committed suicide last month.

The interview – confession really – sheds a whole new light on the biggest gold swindle in Australia’s history – that daring heist from the Perth Mint 22 years ago.

Three brothers went to jail for that crime, and it was Lewandowski’s evidence that sent them there.

But that evidence was false – the Mickelbergs were framed.

E3 warns Iran over nuclear talks; Israel rejects role in Tyre Hamas’ silo blast TV7Israel News 14.12

1) The Islamic Republic of Iran deplores the United Arab Emirates for hosting Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett in Abu Dhabi – claiming it destabilizes the region.

2) The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps is reportedly preparing to conduct a space launch – at a time when nuclear negotiations in Vienna are faced with increased challenges.

3) Israel stressed it had nothing to do with a deadly explosion that occurred in a Hamas-owned warehouse in Lebanon’s Southern port city of Tyre, over the weekend.

Commentary/Opinion:

Abolish the FDA?

I’m surprised that we haven’t heard more about new drugs that make Covid less of a threat.

One drug reduced the risk of death or hospitalization by 89% in trials. The media probably don’t report on them much because you and I aren’t permitted to take them.

The FDA makes everyone wait until the drugs “meet the agency’s rigorous standards.” But while we wait, thousands die.

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