Benzinga
"Atlanta Fed President Sees 'Some Troubling Things,' Now Calls For Just 1 Rate Cut In 2024"
Story by Nabaparna Bhattacharya
23 MARCH 2024
Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Raphael Bostic has reportedly revised his forecast, anticipating only one interest-rate cut this year, likely occurring later than initially anticipated.
The Atlanta Fed chief previously advocated for two rate cuts in 2024, suggesting the first cut might occur in the summer, Bloomberg reported.
Bostic informed reporters in Atlanta on Friday that it was a “close call.”
“We will have to see how the data come in over the next several weeks,” he added.
Fed officials, maintaining interest rates for a fifth consecutive meeting Wednesday, narrowly upheld their outlook for three interest-rate cuts this year.
Chair Jerome Powell stated that central bankers anticipate gaining confidence in inflation reaching the 2% goal, with the first reduction likely to occur “at some point this year.”
Former U.S. Treasury Secretary Larry Summers has openly criticized the Federal Reserve’s hints of impending interest rate cuts recently, questioning the necessity of such actions amid a strong economy and ongoing inflation worries.
During an appearance on Bloomberg Television’s Wall Street Week, Summers expressed perplexity over the Fed’s current stance, especially considering the healthy state of the economy and financial markets.
“My sense is still that the Fed has itchy fingers to start cutting rates, and I don’t fully get it,” Summers said.
Meanwhile, Bostic expressed diminished confidence in the inflation trajectory compared to December, citing “some troubling things” beneath headline figures.
He specifically highlighted the wide range of items in the consumer basket experiencing elevated price increases.
A crucial measure of underlying inflation exceeded expectations for the second consecutive month in February, while the Fed’s preferred gauge, to be released next week, is expected to reveal continued high price pressures, Bloomberg reported.
While policymakers project the federal funds rate to reach 4.6% by the end of 2024, individual expectations vary.
The Fed’s “dot plot” revealed that 10 officials anticipate three or more quarter-point cuts this year, while nine expect two or fewer.
“The economy continues to deliver surprises and it continues to be more resilient and more energized than I had forecast or projected,” Bostic said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/markets ... 5b49&ei=26
AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
The Jerusalem Post
"Oil tanker crew tackle fire after projectile strike off Yemen - maritime agency"
Story by REUTERS
23 MARCH 2024
A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile off Yemen on Saturday, in the latest attack on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The incident happened 23 nautical miles northwest of the Red Sea port of al-Mukha, British maritime security firm Ambrey said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also reported the incident, saying the fire was extinguished by the crew.
"Vessel and crew reported safe."
"Vessel continuing to next port of call," UKMTO added in an advisory note.
Ambrey said the tanker was registered under Union Maritime Ltd, a UK company, in 2019 before changing its registration details, including name and operator, last month.
"At the time of writing, she had changed course to starboard and continued on her journey to New Mangalore, India," the Ambrey statement said.
Houthis have been attacking for months in the Red Sea
Months of attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi terrorists following the Israel-Hamas war have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.
The Houthis say their attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and they will not stop until Israel ends the war and withdraws from the enclave.
The United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and redesignated the militia as a terrorist group.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/oi ... 5b49&ei=37
"Oil tanker crew tackle fire after projectile strike off Yemen - maritime agency"
Story by REUTERS
23 MARCH 2024
A Panama-flagged crude oil tanker caught fire after being struck by an unidentified projectile off Yemen on Saturday, in the latest attack on commercial shipping in the Red Sea.
The incident happened 23 nautical miles northwest of the Red Sea port of al-Mukha, British maritime security firm Ambrey said.
The United Kingdom Maritime Trade Operations (UKMTO) agency also reported the incident, saying the fire was extinguished by the crew.
"Vessel and crew reported safe."
"Vessel continuing to next port of call," UKMTO added in an advisory note.
Ambrey said the tanker was registered under Union Maritime Ltd, a UK company, in 2019 before changing its registration details, including name and operator, last month.
"At the time of writing, she had changed course to starboard and continued on her journey to New Mangalore, India," the Ambrey statement said.
Houthis have been attacking for months in the Red Sea
Months of attacks in the Red Sea by Yemen's Houthi terrorists following the Israel-Hamas war have disrupted global shipping, forcing firms to re-route to longer and more expensive journeys around southern Africa, and stoked fears that the war could spread to destabilize the wider Middle East.
The Houthis say their attacks are in solidarity with the Palestinians in Gaza and they will not stop until Israel ends the war and withdraws from the enclave.
The United States and Britain have launched strikes on Houthi targets in Yemen and redesignated the militia as a terrorist group.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/oi ... 5b49&ei=37
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
FOX News
"Biden's intel community circulates DEI newsletter highlighting cross-dressing, inclusive language"
Story by Thomas Catenacci
23 MARCH 2024
The executive arm of the U.S. intelligence community, which includes the CIA and several top military spy agencies, recently circulated a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) newsletter that features a secret agent who reveals he is a cross-dresser.
According to a Fox News Digital review of the document, the internal newsletter, The Dive, highlighted several left-wing initiatives and was circulated throughout the U.S. spy apparatus by the Intelligence Community Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office.
It is housed in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), a Cabinet-level position that oversees the intelligence community.
The document's theme is "the importance of words," focusing on ways spy agencies can be more inclusive.
"This issue of The Dive highlights some … initiatives to improve the accuracy of the language we use on other topics; these are a sampling and are not comprehensive of all the great work being done across our agencies," the newsletter's unnamed editor-in-chief wrote in the document.
"This edition also has articles that speak to inclusivity more broadly, exploring gender identity, advances in accessibility, and diversity in leadership."
The newsletter includes six articles — one about changing terminology related to counterterrorism, one about "linguistics diversity," another about reimagining how "we talk about Africa," a fourth highlighting an intelligence officer's gender expression, one about accessibility in the combat zone and a final article about the 6th Annual African American & Hispanic Leadership Summit.
The first article features the perspective of an intelligence official who notes how some training and presentations previously conflated Islamic beliefs with terrorism.
The author states that such a use of language "is offensive and alienates our Muslim-American colleagues."
The author further details an effort to revise intelligence presentations to weed out problematic language.
A similar effort is separately highlighted by the newsletter's editor-in-chief, who explains how new Asian and Pacific Islander employee resource groups have been successful in "creating a new framework and language guidelines for how we talk about the People's Republic of China."
The article about "linguistics diversity" includes a chart of examples of removing biased language.
It says officials should refrain from using the term "blacklisted" because it implies "black is bad and white is good," the terms "cakewalk" or "grandfathered" because of their ties to slavery and the term "sanity check" because it suggests people with mental illness are inferior.
The article about gender identity is written by an anonymous intelligence officer who says cross-dressing has sharpened his skills.
"I am an intelligence officer, and I am a man who likes to wear women’s clothes sometimes," the author wrote.
"I think my experiences as someone who crossdresses have sharpened the skills I use as an intelligence officer, particularly critical thinking and perspective-taking."
"It is challenging for some people to understand crossdressing, and non-binary or genderfluid people because gender is a part of overall identity," he added.
"Many of us think of our identities as fixed, and some find this approach to gender threatening to their own identity."
The officer said cross-dressing has helped him understand foreign actors, clandestine assets and how to better support his female and LGBTQIA+ colleagues.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the ODNI confirmed its efforts to "build a diverse and inclusive workforce" through the newsletter.
"The Intelligence Community Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office manages the IC's efforts to build a diverse and inclusive workforce, and as part of their work, they distribute The Dive, a quarterly magazine, to each IC element's DEIA office and/or Equal Employment Opportunity office," an ODNI spokesperson said.
The newsletter was first received via public information request by the Daily Wire and later obtained by Fox News Digital.
In producing the document, ODNI redacted the names of all the newsletter's authors, citing confidentiality and personal privacy exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act.
In response to the document, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a member of the Armed Services Committee, questioned the Biden administration and the intelligence community's priorities.
"The Biden administration putting DEI above national security is deeply concerning," Cotton told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"Intelligence officers should spend their time finding terrorists, not worrying about whether they will offend them."
And Jeremy Hunt, a former Army intel officer and the chairman of the national security-focused group Veterans On Duty, expressed concern about the newsletter's emphasis on altering language to make the intelligence community more inclusive.
"Rather than our primary focus being on protecting the homeland, these absurd attempts to police the language of intelligence assessments to make them politically correct will undoubtedly result in lower quality, imprecise and confusing intelligence reports that leave lawmakers and decision makers less informed and unable to make reasoned judgments," Hunt said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 5b49&ei=55
"Biden's intel community circulates DEI newsletter highlighting cross-dressing, inclusive language"
Story by Thomas Catenacci
23 MARCH 2024
The executive arm of the U.S. intelligence community, which includes the CIA and several top military spy agencies, recently circulated a diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) newsletter that features a secret agent who reveals he is a cross-dresser.
According to a Fox News Digital review of the document, the internal newsletter, The Dive, highlighted several left-wing initiatives and was circulated throughout the U.S. spy apparatus by the Intelligence Community Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office.
It is housed in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI), a Cabinet-level position that oversees the intelligence community.
The document's theme is "the importance of words," focusing on ways spy agencies can be more inclusive.
"This issue of The Dive highlights some … initiatives to improve the accuracy of the language we use on other topics; these are a sampling and are not comprehensive of all the great work being done across our agencies," the newsletter's unnamed editor-in-chief wrote in the document.
"This edition also has articles that speak to inclusivity more broadly, exploring gender identity, advances in accessibility, and diversity in leadership."
The newsletter includes six articles — one about changing terminology related to counterterrorism, one about "linguistics diversity," another about reimagining how "we talk about Africa," a fourth highlighting an intelligence officer's gender expression, one about accessibility in the combat zone and a final article about the 6th Annual African American & Hispanic Leadership Summit.
The first article features the perspective of an intelligence official who notes how some training and presentations previously conflated Islamic beliefs with terrorism.
The author states that such a use of language "is offensive and alienates our Muslim-American colleagues."
The author further details an effort to revise intelligence presentations to weed out problematic language.
A similar effort is separately highlighted by the newsletter's editor-in-chief, who explains how new Asian and Pacific Islander employee resource groups have been successful in "creating a new framework and language guidelines for how we talk about the People's Republic of China."
The article about "linguistics diversity" includes a chart of examples of removing biased language.
It says officials should refrain from using the term "blacklisted" because it implies "black is bad and white is good," the terms "cakewalk" or "grandfathered" because of their ties to slavery and the term "sanity check" because it suggests people with mental illness are inferior.
The article about gender identity is written by an anonymous intelligence officer who says cross-dressing has sharpened his skills.
"I am an intelligence officer, and I am a man who likes to wear women’s clothes sometimes," the author wrote.
"I think my experiences as someone who crossdresses have sharpened the skills I use as an intelligence officer, particularly critical thinking and perspective-taking."
"It is challenging for some people to understand crossdressing, and non-binary or genderfluid people because gender is a part of overall identity," he added.
"Many of us think of our identities as fixed, and some find this approach to gender threatening to their own identity."
The officer said cross-dressing has helped him understand foreign actors, clandestine assets and how to better support his female and LGBTQIA+ colleagues.
In a statement to Fox News Digital, the ODNI confirmed its efforts to "build a diverse and inclusive workforce" through the newsletter.
"The Intelligence Community Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Accessibility Office manages the IC's efforts to build a diverse and inclusive workforce, and as part of their work, they distribute The Dive, a quarterly magazine, to each IC element's DEIA office and/or Equal Employment Opportunity office," an ODNI spokesperson said.
The newsletter was first received via public information request by the Daily Wire and later obtained by Fox News Digital.
In producing the document, ODNI redacted the names of all the newsletter's authors, citing confidentiality and personal privacy exemptions in the Freedom of Information Act.
In response to the document, Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., a member of the Armed Services Committee, questioned the Biden administration and the intelligence community's priorities.
"The Biden administration putting DEI above national security is deeply concerning," Cotton told Fox News Digital in a statement.
"Intelligence officers should spend their time finding terrorists, not worrying about whether they will offend them."
And Jeremy Hunt, a former Army intel officer and the chairman of the national security-focused group Veterans On Duty, expressed concern about the newsletter's emphasis on altering language to make the intelligence community more inclusive.
"Rather than our primary focus being on protecting the homeland, these absurd attempts to police the language of intelligence assessments to make them politically correct will undoubtedly result in lower quality, imprecise and confusing intelligence reports that leave lawmakers and decision makers less informed and unable to make reasoned judgments," Hunt said.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... 5b49&ei=55
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
THE CAPE CHARLES MIRROR MARCH 23, 2024 AT 5:52 PM
Paul Plante says:
So, think about this, people, as we consider the distinct possibility that Joe Biden’s entire SOTU performance, from the moment he came on stage as it were, to the rousing strains of “HAIL TO THE CHIEF,” which is what Joe Biden is in America, anyway, was scripted and directed not by human agency, but by AI, which everybody today who knows anything about anything knows is smarter that any human and knows way far more than a human could know in 20 or 30 lifetimes, how on March 7, 2024, when a visibly angry Joe Biden imperiously walked into the House Chamber of the U.S. Capital. where he is being impeached by his social and political inferiors, belligerent Joe, clearly looking for a fight, striding in as the conquering hero as if he were accoutered in Royal Purple with a golden torc around his bull neck, silver and gold arm rings adorning his massive arms, and a diadem around his brow, in a very surly mood, indeed, which captured the moment instantaneously and made the show all Joe Biden, for not only the people of America to see, but also the people and leaders of every dictatorship out there, and especially Putin of Russia, Xi of China, the dude in North Korea with the wild haircut, and the Houthis, who are using Joe Biden’s navy boats for target practice, that Joe Biden is the MAN THAT AM, somebody not to **** with if they know what’s good for them, a message as well for the Republicans as Joe tossed a copy to the speaker of the house as if tossing table scraps to a dog, telling him, “Your bedtime reading,” how all these many important separate and disparate little details, like Joe Biden’s all-important demeanor, that make or break a theatrical production, as someone with experience in the genre like Wayne Creed could well tell us, how difficult it is the make a theatrical production happen so seamlessly and flawlessly as this one did, that it does indeed smack of the first State of the Union address in America having been prepared by AI, and not human agency.
And what were the results of the experiment?
Let’s check the headlines from that evening and the following day to see:
AP News: Biden uses feisty State of the Union to contrast with Trump …
Spectrum News NY1: Biden lays out agenda in fiery State of the Union speech
U.S. News & World Report: Fiery Biden Takes on Trump in State of the Union Address
Reuters: Biden takes on Trump and Republicans in fiery State of the …
France 24: Biden attacks Trump, defends democracy in fiery State of …
The Hill: Biden’s fiery State of the Union shows he’s miles ahead of ‘ …
CNBC: Biden electrifies Democrats, spars with Republicans in fiery …
BBC: Biden draws election battle lines in fiery speech
Washington Post: Biden delivers State of the Union with fiery political tone
ABC News: 7 takeaways from Biden’s fiery State of the Union – ABC News
NBC News: Biden turns the State of the Union into a fiery campaign …
USA Today: Takeaways from Biden’s fiery State of the Union
The New York Times: Biden Takes His Fiery State of the Union Pitch on the Road
Vanity Fair: Joe Biden Didn’t Mince Words for Republicans in Fiery …
CBS News: Biden hits campaign trail after fiery State of the Union address
YouTube · Scripps News: President Biden gives fiery State of the Union address
CBS News: California Republicans respond to Biden’s fiery State of the …
Le Monde.fr: Biden attacks Trump and warns US democracy at risk in …
NBC News: ‘Wake up’: Biden delivers fiery State of the Union
France 24: Biden takes on Trump and Republicans in fiery … – France 24
NBC4 Washington: State of the Union 2024: Biden delivers fiery …
KQED: 6 Key Takeaways From Biden’s Fiery State of the Union …
Washington Post: Biden campaigns in Pa. following feisty State of the Union …
FOX 2 Detroit: Biden delivers fiery State of the Union speech – FOX 2 Detroit
The Independent Record: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
The Bismarck Tribune: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
Financial Times: Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump on ‘democracy and …: Mar 7, 2024 — Joe Biden vowed to fight for “democracy and freedom” in the US and around the world in a fiery, unabashedly political speech to Congress in …
Facebook · Scripps News: President Biden gives fiery State of the Union address
Lincoln Journal Star: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
U.S. News & World Report: Biden’s Fiery State of the Union
FOX 11 Los Angeles: Biden delivers fiery SOTU address – FOX 11 Los Angeles
The Bay State Banner: President Biden lights up the chamber in fiery State of …
WFMJ.com: Biden delivers fiery state of the union
Albany Democrat-Herald: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
NJ Spotlight News: Biden takes on his ‘predecessor’ in fiery State of the Union …
So isn’t it interesting how universal, except a few instances where “feisty” was used instead, the use of the word “fiery” (emotional or easily made angry: as in “He’s known for his fiery temper”) was in all those headlines, as if coordinated.
And what else is interesting is the fact that none of those publications bothered to call out Joe for totally perverting and degrading what OUR Constitution says in Article II, Section 3, clause 1 about the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient,” which serves as clear evidence in our times today, as the Congressional Research Service made patently clear, that the whole concept of the SOTU has become totally bastardized (a version of something lower in quality or value than the original form, typically as a result of the addition of new elements) precisely because by commanding a steadily growing audience of listeners and viewers in what is a political message that is free and doesn’t have to be paid for like other campaign messaging, mountebanks like Joe Biden posing as presidents have learned to use the occasion as an appeal directly to the people of the nation, in this case the 32.2 million people who are said to have watched Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on broadcast or cable television March 7, 2024, so that the message in the age of Joe Biden is no longer about being a report to Congress.
To the contrary, as the nation and world witnessed on March 7, 2024, what Joe Biden did was to give a direct address to the American people, a platform from which Joe glorified himself while vilifying his political opposition, and that was the sum and substance of the whole affair, which had absolutely nothing to do with the president announcing, explaining, or promoting his legislative agenda for the coming year, because Joe doesn’t really have one.
And the main-stream and legacy media DID NOT care!
http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/paul-p ... ent-910549
Paul Plante says:
So, think about this, people, as we consider the distinct possibility that Joe Biden’s entire SOTU performance, from the moment he came on stage as it were, to the rousing strains of “HAIL TO THE CHIEF,” which is what Joe Biden is in America, anyway, was scripted and directed not by human agency, but by AI, which everybody today who knows anything about anything knows is smarter that any human and knows way far more than a human could know in 20 or 30 lifetimes, how on March 7, 2024, when a visibly angry Joe Biden imperiously walked into the House Chamber of the U.S. Capital. where he is being impeached by his social and political inferiors, belligerent Joe, clearly looking for a fight, striding in as the conquering hero as if he were accoutered in Royal Purple with a golden torc around his bull neck, silver and gold arm rings adorning his massive arms, and a diadem around his brow, in a very surly mood, indeed, which captured the moment instantaneously and made the show all Joe Biden, for not only the people of America to see, but also the people and leaders of every dictatorship out there, and especially Putin of Russia, Xi of China, the dude in North Korea with the wild haircut, and the Houthis, who are using Joe Biden’s navy boats for target practice, that Joe Biden is the MAN THAT AM, somebody not to **** with if they know what’s good for them, a message as well for the Republicans as Joe tossed a copy to the speaker of the house as if tossing table scraps to a dog, telling him, “Your bedtime reading,” how all these many important separate and disparate little details, like Joe Biden’s all-important demeanor, that make or break a theatrical production, as someone with experience in the genre like Wayne Creed could well tell us, how difficult it is the make a theatrical production happen so seamlessly and flawlessly as this one did, that it does indeed smack of the first State of the Union address in America having been prepared by AI, and not human agency.
And what were the results of the experiment?
Let’s check the headlines from that evening and the following day to see:
AP News: Biden uses feisty State of the Union to contrast with Trump …
Spectrum News NY1: Biden lays out agenda in fiery State of the Union speech
U.S. News & World Report: Fiery Biden Takes on Trump in State of the Union Address
Reuters: Biden takes on Trump and Republicans in fiery State of the …
France 24: Biden attacks Trump, defends democracy in fiery State of …
The Hill: Biden’s fiery State of the Union shows he’s miles ahead of ‘ …
CNBC: Biden electrifies Democrats, spars with Republicans in fiery …
BBC: Biden draws election battle lines in fiery speech
Washington Post: Biden delivers State of the Union with fiery political tone
ABC News: 7 takeaways from Biden’s fiery State of the Union – ABC News
NBC News: Biden turns the State of the Union into a fiery campaign …
USA Today: Takeaways from Biden’s fiery State of the Union
The New York Times: Biden Takes His Fiery State of the Union Pitch on the Road
Vanity Fair: Joe Biden Didn’t Mince Words for Republicans in Fiery …
CBS News: Biden hits campaign trail after fiery State of the Union address
YouTube · Scripps News: President Biden gives fiery State of the Union address
CBS News: California Republicans respond to Biden’s fiery State of the …
Le Monde.fr: Biden attacks Trump and warns US democracy at risk in …
NBC News: ‘Wake up’: Biden delivers fiery State of the Union
France 24: Biden takes on Trump and Republicans in fiery … – France 24
NBC4 Washington: State of the Union 2024: Biden delivers fiery …
KQED: 6 Key Takeaways From Biden’s Fiery State of the Union …
Washington Post: Biden campaigns in Pa. following feisty State of the Union …
FOX 2 Detroit: Biden delivers fiery State of the Union speech – FOX 2 Detroit
The Independent Record: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
The Bismarck Tribune: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
Financial Times: Joe Biden attacks Donald Trump on ‘democracy and …: Mar 7, 2024 — Joe Biden vowed to fight for “democracy and freedom” in the US and around the world in a fiery, unabashedly political speech to Congress in …
Facebook · Scripps News: President Biden gives fiery State of the Union address
Lincoln Journal Star: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
U.S. News & World Report: Biden’s Fiery State of the Union
FOX 11 Los Angeles: Biden delivers fiery SOTU address – FOX 11 Los Angeles
The Bay State Banner: President Biden lights up the chamber in fiery State of …
WFMJ.com: Biden delivers fiery state of the union
Albany Democrat-Herald: Biden delivers a fiery State of the Union address to draw …
NJ Spotlight News: Biden takes on his ‘predecessor’ in fiery State of the Union …
So isn’t it interesting how universal, except a few instances where “feisty” was used instead, the use of the word “fiery” (emotional or easily made angry: as in “He’s known for his fiery temper”) was in all those headlines, as if coordinated.
And what else is interesting is the fact that none of those publications bothered to call out Joe for totally perverting and degrading what OUR Constitution says in Article II, Section 3, clause 1 about the President “shall from time to time give to the Congress Information of the State of the Union, and recommend to their Consideration such Measures as he shall judge necessary and expedient,” which serves as clear evidence in our times today, as the Congressional Research Service made patently clear, that the whole concept of the SOTU has become totally bastardized (a version of something lower in quality or value than the original form, typically as a result of the addition of new elements) precisely because by commanding a steadily growing audience of listeners and viewers in what is a political message that is free and doesn’t have to be paid for like other campaign messaging, mountebanks like Joe Biden posing as presidents have learned to use the occasion as an appeal directly to the people of the nation, in this case the 32.2 million people who are said to have watched Joe Biden’s State of the Union address on broadcast or cable television March 7, 2024, so that the message in the age of Joe Biden is no longer about being a report to Congress.
To the contrary, as the nation and world witnessed on March 7, 2024, what Joe Biden did was to give a direct address to the American people, a platform from which Joe glorified himself while vilifying his political opposition, and that was the sum and substance of the whole affair, which had absolutely nothing to do with the president announcing, explaining, or promoting his legislative agenda for the coming year, because Joe doesn’t really have one.
And the main-stream and legacy media DID NOT care!
http://www.capecharlesmirror.com/paul-p ... ent-910549
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
FOX News
"Fani Willis doubles down after Nathan Wade scandal, warns 'train is coming'"
Story by Brie Stimson
24 MARCH 2024
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she doesn’t feel her reputation has been tarnished as she moves forward with her 2020 election interference case against former President Trump after being accused of having an "improper" relationship with the special counsel she hired.
"I don’t feel like my reputation needs to be reclaimed," Willis told CNN on Saturday after a reporter asked her about it.
"I guess my greatest crime is I had a relationship with a man, that’s not something I find embarrassing in any way."
"And I know that I have not done anything that’s illegal."
Although the racketeering case was delayed by two months, Willis said her team hasn’t slowed down.
"My team’s been continuing to work it …"
"We were still doing the case in the way that it needed to be done," she said.
"I don’t feel like we’ve been slowed down at all."
"I do think there are efforts to slow down this train, but the train is coming."
Trump and several co-defendants said Willis was romantically linked with Nathan Wade, whom she hired to prosecute the case, prior to his hiring and alleged that she was financially benefiting from the position he held in her office.
Both Willis and Wade denied those allegations.
After hearing all the evidence presented in court, Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee last week gave Willis an ultimatum — remove herself from the case or fire Wade.
Hours after the judge's order, Wade resigned from the case, allowing Willis to remain on it.
McAfee said that the defendants "failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor."
"However, the established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the state’s selection of one of two options," he wrote, adding that Willis and her whole office can choose to step aside, or Wade can withdraw from the case.
McAfee said that "without sufficient evidence that the District Attorney acquired a personal stake in the prosecution, or that her financial arrangements had any impact on the case, the Defendants’ claims of an actual conflict must be denied."
But he went on to say that his finding is "by no means an indication that the Court condones this tremendous lapse in judgment or the unprofessional manner of the District Attorney’s testimony during the evidentiary hearing."
McAfee has also given Trump team 10 days to appeal his ruling.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy and Claudia Kelly-Bazan contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fani- ... 18c3&ei=30
"Fani Willis doubles down after Nathan Wade scandal, warns 'train is coming'"
Story by Brie Stimson
24 MARCH 2024
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said she doesn’t feel her reputation has been tarnished as she moves forward with her 2020 election interference case against former President Trump after being accused of having an "improper" relationship with the special counsel she hired.
"I don’t feel like my reputation needs to be reclaimed," Willis told CNN on Saturday after a reporter asked her about it.
"I guess my greatest crime is I had a relationship with a man, that’s not something I find embarrassing in any way."
"And I know that I have not done anything that’s illegal."
Although the racketeering case was delayed by two months, Willis said her team hasn’t slowed down.
"My team’s been continuing to work it …"
"We were still doing the case in the way that it needed to be done," she said.
"I don’t feel like we’ve been slowed down at all."
"I do think there are efforts to slow down this train, but the train is coming."
Trump and several co-defendants said Willis was romantically linked with Nathan Wade, whom she hired to prosecute the case, prior to his hiring and alleged that she was financially benefiting from the position he held in her office.
Both Willis and Wade denied those allegations.
After hearing all the evidence presented in court, Fulton County Superior Judge Scott McAfee last week gave Willis an ultimatum — remove herself from the case or fire Wade.
Hours after the judge's order, Wade resigned from the case, allowing Willis to remain on it.
McAfee said that the defendants "failed to meet their burden of proving that the District Attorney acquired an actual conflict of interest in this case through her personal relationship and recurring travels with her lead prosecutor."
"However, the established record now highlights a significant appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team — an appearance that must be removed through the state’s selection of one of two options," he wrote, adding that Willis and her whole office can choose to step aside, or Wade can withdraw from the case.
McAfee said that "without sufficient evidence that the District Attorney acquired a personal stake in the prosecution, or that her financial arrangements had any impact on the case, the Defendants’ claims of an actual conflict must be denied."
But he went on to say that his finding is "by no means an indication that the Court condones this tremendous lapse in judgment or the unprofessional manner of the District Attorney’s testimony during the evidentiary hearing."
McAfee has also given Trump team 10 days to appeal his ruling.
Fox News' Brianna Herlihy and Claudia Kelly-Bazan contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/fani- ... 18c3&ei=30
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
Newsweek
"Democrats Issue Warning to Joe Biden"
Story by Thomas Kika
24 MARCH 2024
A handful of Democrats in the House of Representatives have signed a letter calling on President Joe Biden to revoke Israel's access to United States security assistance amid a mounting "humanitarian crisis in Gaza."
Israeli military forces have been engaged in an intense conflict in the Gaza region with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in response for the latter's brutal October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis, with taking over 200 people hostage.
The ensuing conflict has seen Israeli forces inflict considerable losses in life and infrastructure on civilians in Gaza, with the Associated Press reporting casualties of over 30,000.
As a longtime ally of the U.S. in the Middle East, the U.S. government and President Joe Biden have remained committed to aiding Israel in the face of mounting international scrutiny, though reports have indicated the president is growing increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the conflict.
Accusations have emerged over the last several months that Israeli forces have blocked the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians.
On Saturday, six leading House Democrats signed off on a letter urging Biden to "enforce Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act and restrict additional U.S. security assistance to Israel" amid these efforts to block aid to Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will soon certify whether or not Israel has "made credible and reliable written commitments to use U.S. weapons according to United States and international law," prompting the letter's release.
"Given the catastrophic and devolving humanitarian situation in Gaza, we urge you to enforce the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act…and, as required by that law, make clear to the Israeli government that so long as Israel continues to restrict the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the continued provision of U.S. security assistance to Israel would constitute a violation of existing U.S. law and must be restricted," the letter read.
Among those who signed off on the letter were Representatives Joaquin Castro of Texas, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, Sara Jacobs of California, Barbara Lee of California, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Chellie Pingree of Maine.
The letter also noted: "The United States is a leading funder of humanitarian aid to Gaza."
"Despite your administration's efforts to ensure that life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in need, the Israeli government has repeatedly obstructed the delivery of U.S.-funded and supported humanitarian aid."
"Israeli authorities have refused to open sufficient overland border crossings to humanitarian aid–forcing the United States to rely on less-efficient airlifts and maritime delivery; imposed arbitrary restrictions on vital humanitarian goods; and blocked the delivery of flour and other foodstuffs to feed the people of Gaza."
"Nearly half of the population of Gaza is under 18, and children are bearing the brunt of Gaza's suffering."
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Israeli Defense Force via email on Saturday for comment.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/de ... fe86&ei=25
"Democrats Issue Warning to Joe Biden"
Story by Thomas Kika
24 MARCH 2024
A handful of Democrats in the House of Representatives have signed a letter calling on President Joe Biden to revoke Israel's access to United States security assistance amid a mounting "humanitarian crisis in Gaza."
Israeli military forces have been engaged in an intense conflict in the Gaza region with the Palestinian militant group Hamas in response for the latter's brutal October 7, 2023, attack that killed 1,200 Israelis, with taking over 200 people hostage.
The ensuing conflict has seen Israeli forces inflict considerable losses in life and infrastructure on civilians in Gaza, with the Associated Press reporting casualties of over 30,000.
As a longtime ally of the U.S. in the Middle East, the U.S. government and President Joe Biden have remained committed to aiding Israel in the face of mounting international scrutiny, though reports have indicated the president is growing increasingly frustrated with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's handling of the conflict.
Accusations have emerged over the last several months that Israeli forces have blocked the provision of humanitarian aid to Gaza civilians.
On Saturday, six leading House Democrats signed off on a letter urging Biden to "enforce Section 620I of the Foreign Assistance Act and restrict additional U.S. security assistance to Israel" amid these efforts to block aid to Gaza.
U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken will soon certify whether or not Israel has "made credible and reliable written commitments to use U.S. weapons according to United States and international law," prompting the letter's release.
"Given the catastrophic and devolving humanitarian situation in Gaza, we urge you to enforce the Humanitarian Aid Corridor Act…and, as required by that law, make clear to the Israeli government that so long as Israel continues to restrict the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, the continued provision of U.S. security assistance to Israel would constitute a violation of existing U.S. law and must be restricted," the letter read.
Among those who signed off on the letter were Representatives Joaquin Castro of Texas, Jim McGovern of Massachusetts, Sara Jacobs of California, Barbara Lee of California, Jan Schakowsky of Illinois and Chellie Pingree of Maine.
The letter also noted: "The United States is a leading funder of humanitarian aid to Gaza."
"Despite your administration's efforts to ensure that life-saving humanitarian assistance reaches civilians in need, the Israeli government has repeatedly obstructed the delivery of U.S.-funded and supported humanitarian aid."
"Israeli authorities have refused to open sufficient overland border crossings to humanitarian aid–forcing the United States to rely on less-efficient airlifts and maritime delivery; imposed arbitrary restrictions on vital humanitarian goods; and blocked the delivery of flour and other foodstuffs to feed the people of Gaza."
"Nearly half of the population of Gaza is under 18, and children are bearing the brunt of Gaza's suffering."
Newsweek reached out to the White House and the Israeli Defense Force via email on Saturday for comment.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/de ... fe86&ei=25
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
FOX News
"Army four-star general suspended during investigation of alleged misconduct"
Story by Andrea Vacchiano
24 MARCH 2024
The U.S. Army recently suspended a four-star general after documents revealed that he allegedly meddled with the military branch's command assessment program.
Gen. Charles Hamilton, the head of Army Materiel Command, has been temporarily suspended from his job, according to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth's spokeswoman.
Hamilton is accused of using his high-ranking position to influence the approval of a lieutenant colonel's command assignment.
The female lieutenant colonel was initially interviewed by an assessment board, which had unanimously voted not to recommend her for command.
The four-star general allegedly persuaded the board to give the lieutenant colonel a second interview.
Before that interview took place, Hamilton reportedly contacted the second interview's potential panelists to discuss the candidates.
The second panel also voted against the candidate.
The officer is still allowed to try a future assessment next year.
Hamilton has been reassigned amid the investigation.
Wormuth's spokesperson, Army Col. Randee Farrell, told the Associated Press that the Secretary of the Army stands by the integrity of the Battalion Commander Assessment Program.
Once Hamilton's investigation is over, the Army will review its command assessment program "to ensure maximum fairness," Farrell said.
Four-star generals are top-ranking in the Army, and only nine officers have ever earned the rank of five-star general.
According to the Army's website, Hamilton began his job as a Commanding General in March 2023.
Before that, he was a Lieutenant General and served as the Army's deputy chief of staff.
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Army for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/army- ... fe86&ei=50
"Army four-star general suspended during investigation of alleged misconduct"
Story by Andrea Vacchiano
24 MARCH 2024
The U.S. Army recently suspended a four-star general after documents revealed that he allegedly meddled with the military branch's command assessment program.
Gen. Charles Hamilton, the head of Army Materiel Command, has been temporarily suspended from his job, according to Army Secretary Christine Wormuth's spokeswoman.
Hamilton is accused of using his high-ranking position to influence the approval of a lieutenant colonel's command assignment.
The female lieutenant colonel was initially interviewed by an assessment board, which had unanimously voted not to recommend her for command.
The four-star general allegedly persuaded the board to give the lieutenant colonel a second interview.
Before that interview took place, Hamilton reportedly contacted the second interview's potential panelists to discuss the candidates.
The second panel also voted against the candidate.
The officer is still allowed to try a future assessment next year.
Hamilton has been reassigned amid the investigation.
Wormuth's spokesperson, Army Col. Randee Farrell, told the Associated Press that the Secretary of the Army stands by the integrity of the Battalion Commander Assessment Program.
Once Hamilton's investigation is over, the Army will review its command assessment program "to ensure maximum fairness," Farrell said.
Four-star generals are top-ranking in the Army, and only nine officers have ever earned the rank of five-star general.
According to the Army's website, Hamilton began his job as a Commanding General in March 2023.
Before that, he was a Lieutenant General and served as the Army's deputy chief of staff.
Fox News Digital reached out to the U.S. Army for comment.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/army- ... fe86&ei=50
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
The National Review
"Biden’s Latest Housing Proposal Is Like a Bad Credit-Card Promotion"
Story by The Editors
25 MARCH 2024
During the pandemic, rock-bottom interest rates and a desire for more space drove a rapid and stunning rise in housing prices.
While prices have moderated from their peak, they have not done so nearly enough to make up for the more than doubling of borrowing costs.
President Biden says he has a solution, but like most forms of government interference, it would only make the problem worse.
During the State of the Union address, Biden unveiled a plan to give homebuyers $400 per month for mortgage payments over the next two years “as mortgage rates come down.”
It didn’t take long for most people with a basic understanding of economics or an ounce of common sense to recognize that government subsidies — especially during a time of falling interest rates — would lead to more demand and, thus, even higher housing prices.
No problem, Biden now says — he has an idea to increase housing supply.
Right now, one of the reasons why inventory is relatively scarce is that a lot of homeowners who locked in low-interest-rate mortgages for decades are reluctant to sell and be forced to purchase a new home with higher rates.
In response, Biden wants to offer up to $10,000 per year in tax credits to those who sell their starter homes and purchase new homes with higher-rate mortgages.
This, the theory goes, would help unlock inventory.
But — on top of the cost to other taxpayers — it would be a rotten deal for any homeowner to take Biden up on such a proposal.
To start with, the closing costs associated with selling and then buying a home (broker commissions, inspection and appraisal fees, loan-origination fees, etc.) would easily take up most if not all of that $10,000.
But more importantly, increased housing payments would quickly exceed $10,000, and after that credit expires after the first year, the new homeowner would be drastically worse off.
Just to provide an example, according to Rocket Mortgage, “first-time home buyers tend to stay in their homes for about 11 years.”
Eleven years ago, according to the St. Louis Fed, the average 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.52 percent and the median house sold for $258,400.
Now, the most recent data have the median sales price at $417,700 and interest rate at 6.87 percent.
Assuming the recommended 20 percent down payment, the mortgage payment on a median home purchased in March 2013 would be $931 per month, compared with $2,194 today.
That’s a difference of $1,263 per month, or over $15,000 per year.
In scenario one (staying in their current house), the homeowner would have $212,268 in remaining mortgage payments over 19 years and then would be free of mortgage debt.
In scenario two (selling), the homeowner would have to pay $500,232 over the next 19 years, and a total of $789,840 in remaining payments.
This isn’t to say that nobody should ever sell their current homes, as there are a number of reasons why somebody might want to change their current residence — change of job, desire for a new neighborhood, children leaving the house, etc.
But from a purely financial standpoint, Biden’s proposal would make no sense as it could leave sellers worse off by hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.
Biden’s scheme sounds a lot like one of those credit-card promotions that offer zero-percent interest for a short period of time, only to slam consumers with sky-high interest rates once the promotional period ends.
Ironically, those are the sorts of promotions that the Democrats’ beloved Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been warning about for a decade.
But Biden’s plan is an even worse deal.
For consumers who are careful of the fine print and pay off their full balance before the higher rate kicks in, promotional rates could be a way to save money and pay off debt quicker.
In every imaginable circumstance, selling a house with a historically low mortgage rate and buying a more expensive house at a much higher mortgage rate is going to be a bad deal.
Luckily, Biden’s cockamamie proposal would have to clear Congress, where it has no chance of passage.
But as a window into the type of policies he would push in a second term were he reelected with Democratic control of the House and Senate, it is alarming.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realest ... 4363&ei=25
"Biden’s Latest Housing Proposal Is Like a Bad Credit-Card Promotion"
Story by The Editors
25 MARCH 2024
During the pandemic, rock-bottom interest rates and a desire for more space drove a rapid and stunning rise in housing prices.
While prices have moderated from their peak, they have not done so nearly enough to make up for the more than doubling of borrowing costs.
President Biden says he has a solution, but like most forms of government interference, it would only make the problem worse.
During the State of the Union address, Biden unveiled a plan to give homebuyers $400 per month for mortgage payments over the next two years “as mortgage rates come down.”
It didn’t take long for most people with a basic understanding of economics or an ounce of common sense to recognize that government subsidies — especially during a time of falling interest rates — would lead to more demand and, thus, even higher housing prices.
No problem, Biden now says — he has an idea to increase housing supply.
Right now, one of the reasons why inventory is relatively scarce is that a lot of homeowners who locked in low-interest-rate mortgages for decades are reluctant to sell and be forced to purchase a new home with higher rates.
In response, Biden wants to offer up to $10,000 per year in tax credits to those who sell their starter homes and purchase new homes with higher-rate mortgages.
This, the theory goes, would help unlock inventory.
But — on top of the cost to other taxpayers — it would be a rotten deal for any homeowner to take Biden up on such a proposal.
To start with, the closing costs associated with selling and then buying a home (broker commissions, inspection and appraisal fees, loan-origination fees, etc.) would easily take up most if not all of that $10,000.
But more importantly, increased housing payments would quickly exceed $10,000, and after that credit expires after the first year, the new homeowner would be drastically worse off.
Just to provide an example, according to Rocket Mortgage, “first-time home buyers tend to stay in their homes for about 11 years.”
Eleven years ago, according to the St. Louis Fed, the average 30-year fixed mortgage was 3.52 percent and the median house sold for $258,400.
Now, the most recent data have the median sales price at $417,700 and interest rate at 6.87 percent.
Assuming the recommended 20 percent down payment, the mortgage payment on a median home purchased in March 2013 would be $931 per month, compared with $2,194 today.
That’s a difference of $1,263 per month, or over $15,000 per year.
In scenario one (staying in their current house), the homeowner would have $212,268 in remaining mortgage payments over 19 years and then would be free of mortgage debt.
In scenario two (selling), the homeowner would have to pay $500,232 over the next 19 years, and a total of $789,840 in remaining payments.
This isn’t to say that nobody should ever sell their current homes, as there are a number of reasons why somebody might want to change their current residence — change of job, desire for a new neighborhood, children leaving the house, etc.
But from a purely financial standpoint, Biden’s proposal would make no sense as it could leave sellers worse off by hundreds of thousands of dollars over time.
Biden’s scheme sounds a lot like one of those credit-card promotions that offer zero-percent interest for a short period of time, only to slam consumers with sky-high interest rates once the promotional period ends.
Ironically, those are the sorts of promotions that the Democrats’ beloved Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has been warning about for a decade.
But Biden’s plan is an even worse deal.
For consumers who are careful of the fine print and pay off their full balance before the higher rate kicks in, promotional rates could be a way to save money and pay off debt quicker.
In every imaginable circumstance, selling a house with a historically low mortgage rate and buying a more expensive house at a much higher mortgage rate is going to be a bad deal.
Luckily, Biden’s cockamamie proposal would have to clear Congress, where it has no chance of passage.
But as a window into the type of policies he would push in a second term were he reelected with Democratic control of the House and Senate, it is alarming.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/realest ... 4363&ei=25
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
The New York Post
"Biden and the party of ‘democracy’ are terrified of third-party candidates and voter choice"
Opinion by Jonathan Turley
25 MARCH 2024
The last time that the Chicago Democratic Convention was held in Chicago in 1968, the resulting riots led to one of the greatest Freudian slips in American politics.
Mayor Richard Daley declared “the policeman isn’t there to create disorder; the policeman is there to preserve disorder.”
The Democratic National Committee has now added its own gem: the Democratic Party is not here to preserve democracy, it is here to prevent democracy.
That’s because the DNC is seeking to block third party candidates from ballots — Robert Kennedy Jr., Cornell West, and Jill Stein.
All three are liberal and are considered a threat to Joe Biden.
This effort will likely include any ticket put forward by the No Labels group, seeking a moderate alternative to the two parties.
According to media reports, former Buttigieg campaign aide Lis Smith will lead the effort with another Buttigieg alumni, Matt Corridoni.
This effort includes not just a public campaign against Kennedy and Stein as spoilers, but “legal action” to solve the problem by denying voters a choice.
The media does not appear at all alarmed or critical of the effort to limit democratic choice.
The Washington Post stated clinically “Democrats are taking third-party threats seriously this time.”
Taking it seriously appears to mean using legal means to keep them from the ballots.
It is true that the main political parties have challenged qualification signatures and paperwork in the past.
However, the reports indicate a systemic effort geared toward reducing the choices for voters.
What is striking is that this is coming from democratic groups and the DNC, which are raising money on this pledge.
The contradiction is spellbinding.
On the same sites promising to oppose the third party candidates, the DNC and other groups push the narrative that only the Democrats are working to protect the right to vote.
The Post reports that Democrats have studied the Hillary Clinton campaign and vowed not to allow third party candidates to drain away millions of voters as they did in 2016.
Of course, the comparison is particularly telling because in both 2016 and 2024, the DNC had the least popular Democratic candidates.
Polls showed that Clinton was the worst possible candidate for the party, but the Clintons had control over the DNC and state party organizations.
Of particular concern is the fact that Trump beat Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan by only 67,000 votes.
In just those states, Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Stein received more than half a million votes.
Rather than actually pick a candidate that most citizens want, the DNC wants to replay the 2016 strategy of forcing the choice between two evils in a Biden-Trump choice.
That can only work reliably if there is no other choice for citizens tired of the duopoly and the political (and media) establishment.
So Kennedy, Cornell, and Stein just have to go.
I am one of those misguided voters.
Years ago, I wrote a column saying that I was tired of voting for the lesser of two evils — leaving every election as a moral hazard.
We are played as chumps by a political and media establishment in every election system.
Over two decades ago, I pledged to vote for the best candidate, even if they are with a third party.
The DNC is reportedly to be joined in this effort by a well-financed array of groups including the liberal think tank Third Way (which has filed complaints with secretaries of states); American Bridge (a Democratic opposition operation), and Clear Choice (a super PAC composed of “allies of President Biden”).
While these groups work to limit the choice of voters, the effort continues in Florida, Georgia, Washington, and New York to keep Trump in court until the election, including a possible trial running up to or even through the election.
There is hope that this multi-front effort will be the winning ticket, particularly if the ultimate ticket denies voters any other choice.
The open discussion of these efforts in the media illustrates the contempt for voters, who need to be protected from their bad choices.
I have previously compared the underlying assumptions to a type of electoral Big Gulp law.
Before they were also struck down, these laws sought to take away the dietary choices of citizens because they were making the wrong choice in the view of experts.
Now activists are now big gulping the election.
Voters cannot be trusted with something as important as democracy.
President Biden has said “make no mistake: Democracy is on the ballot for all of us.”
Of course, he could end this effort by denouncing further ballot cleansing (something he refused to do when Trump was removed by the Colorado and Maine ballots).
It appears that the last thing that democracy needs is free democratic choice.
Jonathan Turley is an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... da99&ei=60
"Biden and the party of ‘democracy’ are terrified of third-party candidates and voter choice"
Opinion by Jonathan Turley
25 MARCH 2024
The last time that the Chicago Democratic Convention was held in Chicago in 1968, the resulting riots led to one of the greatest Freudian slips in American politics.
Mayor Richard Daley declared “the policeman isn’t there to create disorder; the policeman is there to preserve disorder.”
The Democratic National Committee has now added its own gem: the Democratic Party is not here to preserve democracy, it is here to prevent democracy.
That’s because the DNC is seeking to block third party candidates from ballots — Robert Kennedy Jr., Cornell West, and Jill Stein.
All three are liberal and are considered a threat to Joe Biden.
This effort will likely include any ticket put forward by the No Labels group, seeking a moderate alternative to the two parties.
According to media reports, former Buttigieg campaign aide Lis Smith will lead the effort with another Buttigieg alumni, Matt Corridoni.
This effort includes not just a public campaign against Kennedy and Stein as spoilers, but “legal action” to solve the problem by denying voters a choice.
The media does not appear at all alarmed or critical of the effort to limit democratic choice.
The Washington Post stated clinically “Democrats are taking third-party threats seriously this time.”
Taking it seriously appears to mean using legal means to keep them from the ballots.
It is true that the main political parties have challenged qualification signatures and paperwork in the past.
However, the reports indicate a systemic effort geared toward reducing the choices for voters.
What is striking is that this is coming from democratic groups and the DNC, which are raising money on this pledge.
The contradiction is spellbinding.
On the same sites promising to oppose the third party candidates, the DNC and other groups push the narrative that only the Democrats are working to protect the right to vote.
The Post reports that Democrats have studied the Hillary Clinton campaign and vowed not to allow third party candidates to drain away millions of voters as they did in 2016.
Of course, the comparison is particularly telling because in both 2016 and 2024, the DNC had the least popular Democratic candidates.
Polls showed that Clinton was the worst possible candidate for the party, but the Clintons had control over the DNC and state party organizations.
Of particular concern is the fact that Trump beat Hillary Clinton in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan by only 67,000 votes.
In just those states, Libertarian Gary Johnson and the Green Party’s Stein received more than half a million votes.
Rather than actually pick a candidate that most citizens want, the DNC wants to replay the 2016 strategy of forcing the choice between two evils in a Biden-Trump choice.
That can only work reliably if there is no other choice for citizens tired of the duopoly and the political (and media) establishment.
So Kennedy, Cornell, and Stein just have to go.
I am one of those misguided voters.
Years ago, I wrote a column saying that I was tired of voting for the lesser of two evils — leaving every election as a moral hazard.
We are played as chumps by a political and media establishment in every election system.
Over two decades ago, I pledged to vote for the best candidate, even if they are with a third party.
The DNC is reportedly to be joined in this effort by a well-financed array of groups including the liberal think tank Third Way (which has filed complaints with secretaries of states); American Bridge (a Democratic opposition operation), and Clear Choice (a super PAC composed of “allies of President Biden”).
While these groups work to limit the choice of voters, the effort continues in Florida, Georgia, Washington, and New York to keep Trump in court until the election, including a possible trial running up to or even through the election.
There is hope that this multi-front effort will be the winning ticket, particularly if the ultimate ticket denies voters any other choice.
The open discussion of these efforts in the media illustrates the contempt for voters, who need to be protected from their bad choices.
I have previously compared the underlying assumptions to a type of electoral Big Gulp law.
Before they were also struck down, these laws sought to take away the dietary choices of citizens because they were making the wrong choice in the view of experts.
Now activists are now big gulping the election.
Voters cannot be trusted with something as important as democracy.
President Biden has said “make no mistake: Democracy is on the ballot for all of us.”
Of course, he could end this effort by denouncing further ballot cleansing (something he refused to do when Trump was removed by the Colorado and Maine ballots).
It appears that the last thing that democracy needs is free democratic choice.
Jonathan Turley is an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School.
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics ... da99&ei=60
Re: AMERICA'S FIGHTING BULLDOG JOE BIDEN
REUTERS
"Fisker deal talks with big automaker collapse, NYSE to delist stock"
By Akash Sriram and Zaheer Kachwala
March 25, 2024
March 25 (Reuters) - Cash-strapped Fisker's talks with a large automaker for a potential deal have collapsed and the New York Stock Exchange plans to delist the electric-vehicle startup's shares due to "abnormally low" price levels.
The NYSE has also suspended trading in the stock, it said on Monday, hours after trading was halted pending an announcement.
Fisker's shares were trading at $0.09 before the halt and closed at $0.13 on Friday.
The termination of talks with the unnamed automaker has led Fisker to search for strategic options including in- or out-of-court restructurings and capital markets transactions, the startup said on Monday.
The news comes a week after the company paused electric-vehicle production, fanning growing uncertainty around its future.
"I can't put it if it is next week or next year, but it is inevitable," Thomas Hayes, Chairman at hedge fund Great Hill Capital, said on the growing chances of Fisker likely to file for bankruptcy protection.
A potential bankruptcy will make Fisker the second failed auto startup from Henrik Fisker, who started his career as an automotive designer and was also a Tesla consultant.
His previous attempt, Fisker Automotive, fell victim to the 2008 financial crisis and filed for bankruptcy in 2013 despite fetching $192 million in loans from the Department of Energy.
Fisker's latest venture was founded in 2016 and went public through a merger with a blank-check firm for a valuation of $2.9 billion.
But a slew of supply chain issues, production delays and fundraising hurdles sent its market valuation crashing to less than $100 million.
Reuters had earlier this month reported that Japanese automaker Nissan was in advanced talks to invest in the startup.
STRUGGLES TO RAISE FUNDS
Fisker said on Monday it will be unable to meet a closing condition related to its attempt to raise up to $150 million by selling convertible notes after missing an interest payment.
The $8.4 million payment for some notes due in 2026 was supposed to be paid on March 15, but the startup said it did not pay despite having enough liquidity as it wanted to use the 30-day grace period to talk to investors about its capital structure.
Raising funds has been hard for loss-making EV startups, which have little by way of revenue as they struggle to ramp up production and deliver to customers amid strong competition and a tough economy.
Separately, Fisker said it would ask investors to vote on a proposal for a reverse stock-split at a shareholder meeting on April 24, as it looks to comply with the New York Stock Exchange's listing norms.
Fisker's shares have lost more than 90% of their value this year, after the startup flagged going-concern risk in February and paused investments in future projects until it secured a partnership.
It pivoted to a dealer-partner model earlier this year, after delivering less than half of the vehicles it made in 2023 due to logistics issues.
Fisker has pursued a different strategy from Tesla and other EV startups by relying on auto supplier Magna to assemble its vehicles rather than invest the capital to build and operate a factory on its own.
The Fisker Ocean competes with Tesla's Model Y SUV, and a growing crowd of mid-size electric SUVs such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar, Arun Koyyur and Devika Syamnath
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-03-25/
"Fisker deal talks with big automaker collapse, NYSE to delist stock"
By Akash Sriram and Zaheer Kachwala
March 25, 2024
March 25 (Reuters) - Cash-strapped Fisker's talks with a large automaker for a potential deal have collapsed and the New York Stock Exchange plans to delist the electric-vehicle startup's shares due to "abnormally low" price levels.
The NYSE has also suspended trading in the stock, it said on Monday, hours after trading was halted pending an announcement.
Fisker's shares were trading at $0.09 before the halt and closed at $0.13 on Friday.
The termination of talks with the unnamed automaker has led Fisker to search for strategic options including in- or out-of-court restructurings and capital markets transactions, the startup said on Monday.
The news comes a week after the company paused electric-vehicle production, fanning growing uncertainty around its future.
"I can't put it if it is next week or next year, but it is inevitable," Thomas Hayes, Chairman at hedge fund Great Hill Capital, said on the growing chances of Fisker likely to file for bankruptcy protection.
A potential bankruptcy will make Fisker the second failed auto startup from Henrik Fisker, who started his career as an automotive designer and was also a Tesla consultant.
His previous attempt, Fisker Automotive, fell victim to the 2008 financial crisis and filed for bankruptcy in 2013 despite fetching $192 million in loans from the Department of Energy.
Fisker's latest venture was founded in 2016 and went public through a merger with a blank-check firm for a valuation of $2.9 billion.
But a slew of supply chain issues, production delays and fundraising hurdles sent its market valuation crashing to less than $100 million.
Reuters had earlier this month reported that Japanese automaker Nissan was in advanced talks to invest in the startup.
STRUGGLES TO RAISE FUNDS
Fisker said on Monday it will be unable to meet a closing condition related to its attempt to raise up to $150 million by selling convertible notes after missing an interest payment.
The $8.4 million payment for some notes due in 2026 was supposed to be paid on March 15, but the startup said it did not pay despite having enough liquidity as it wanted to use the 30-day grace period to talk to investors about its capital structure.
Raising funds has been hard for loss-making EV startups, which have little by way of revenue as they struggle to ramp up production and deliver to customers amid strong competition and a tough economy.
Separately, Fisker said it would ask investors to vote on a proposal for a reverse stock-split at a shareholder meeting on April 24, as it looks to comply with the New York Stock Exchange's listing norms.
Fisker's shares have lost more than 90% of their value this year, after the startup flagged going-concern risk in February and paused investments in future projects until it secured a partnership.
It pivoted to a dealer-partner model earlier this year, after delivering less than half of the vehicles it made in 2023 due to logistics issues.
Fisker has pursued a different strategy from Tesla and other EV startups by relying on auto supplier Magna to assemble its vehicles rather than invest the capital to build and operate a factory on its own.
The Fisker Ocean competes with Tesla's Model Y SUV, and a growing crowd of mid-size electric SUVs such as the Ford Mustang Mach-E.
Reporting by Zaheer Kachwala and Akash Sriram in Bengaluru and Joe White in Detroit; Editing by Shilpi Majumdar, Arun Koyyur and Devika Syamnath
https://www.reuters.com/business/autos- ... 024-03-25/