Friday, September 13, 2024

September 13, 2024

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Putin draws new red line on long-range missiles . . . Speaking in St Petersburg, President Putin sent a clear warning to the West: don't allow Ukraine to use your long-range missiles to strike Russian territory. Moscow, he said, would view that as the "direct participation" of Nato countries in the war in Ukraine. "It would substantially change the very essence, the nature of the conflict," the Kremlin leader continued. "This will mean that Nato countries, the USA and European states, are fighting with Russia." BBC

Politics

Former top Clinton adviser calls on ABC to launch internal probe into whether debate was rigged . . . Mark Penn, a former top adviser to Bill and Hillary Clinton, called Thursday for ABC to launch a formal internal investigation into its news division's planning and execution of this week's presidential debate to determine if there was some effort at "rigging the outcome of this debate."ABC News came under significant bipartisan criticism because its moderators fact-checked some of Donald Trump's statements but not a single pushback at any made by Kamala Harris. Just the News

Another Tie to Communist China: Tim Walz's Appointment of Chang Wang . . . Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, appointed a member of a political faction that has pledged loyalty to the Chinese Communist Party to a state board that advises the government on Asian American affairs, a Daily Caller News Foundation investigation found. Walz first appointed Chang Wang, a Minnesota-based attorney, to the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans in May 2020. Wang now serves as the "interim chair" of the Council on Asian Pacific Minnesotans, which advises the governor, Legislature, and other state agencies by promoting the "economic, social, legal and political equality of Asian Pacific Minnesotans," according to its website. Daily Signal

He went to Communist China more than 30 times. No one seems particularly concerned.

Georgia judge dismisses two criminal counts against Trump, court filing shows . . . A Georgia judge on Thursday dismissed two criminal counts in the U.S. state's 2020 election interference case against Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and one other count against allies of the former president.

Fulton County Judge Scott McAfee found that state prosecutors did not have the authority to bring those charges, which related to the alleged filing of false documents in federal court. McAfee allowed the remainder of the case to move forward, including eight charges against Trump. Reuters

Harris Demanded Intelligence Community Investigation Into Use of 'Gender-Biased Language'. . . In her first year as vice president, Kamala Harris demanded that the intelligence community launch an internal investigation into "gender-biased language" in national security reports after she accused her personal intelligence briefer of using such language, the Washington Post reported Thursday. While listening to a briefing on a classified personality profile of a female foreign leader, Harris took issue with the female intelligence officer's alleged use of "gender-biased language." Harris requested an internal review that sparked a sweeping investigation into whether analysts across the intelligence community routinely used such language in their reports. Washington Free Beacon

Trump says he will not debate Harris again

Why play football when the refs are on the opposing team?

Laura Loomer's proximity to Trump draws backlash . . . Far-right activist Laura Loomer's visible presence alongside former President Trump in recent days is sparking questions about her influence and a substantial amount of criticism from figures aligned with the GOP presidential nominee. Loomer is an outspoken Trump supporter who is known for spreading conspiracy theories and using racist rhetoric. She flew on Trump's plane to Tuesday's debate in Philadelphia and was part of his entourage as he attended memorial events Wednesday to mark the anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Harris eyes interview with black reporters . . . Vice President Kamala Harris appears to have locked in several more media sit-downs since she ascended to the top of the Democratic ticket in July. Most notably, Harris is set to participate in a discussion with the National Association of Black Journalists, according to a statement released by the organization Thursday morning. The vice president's appearance could come as soon as next week, per the Hill, and, should no interview come before it, would mark the second time she has sat down with a news organization since July 21. Washington Examiner

Pittsburgh diners fume over 'staged' Harris campaign stop as popular restaurant cleared . . . Patrons at a Pittsburgh culinary landmark were outraged Monday after they claimed they were forced to leave the premises before Vice President Kamala Harris and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz arrived for a weekend campaign stop. Several people who had been enjoying food, drinks and the Pittsburgh Pirates game on TV at Primanti Bros. in Moon, Pennsylvania, on Sunday said they were all forced out of the restaurant promptly at 4 p.m. Mark Dodson of Collier, who said he was just in the area to enjoy "the Bucs" – as the Pirates are nicknamed – simply wanted a quiet day. Fox News

Culture

Data back Trump on crime increase, violence up under Biden-Harris administration . . . Crime rates remained elevated last year under President Biden, according to Justice Department data released Thursday that challenges a prevailing media and White House narrative. The data come from a massive annual government-run survey of crime victims. It found 22.5 of every 1,000 residents reported being the victim of a violent crime in 2023, and 102.2 per 1,000 reported facing a property crime. Washington Times

NYC council passes slavery reparations legislation to 'yield material solutions' from US history . . . New York City will soon be the largest city in the United States to enact a reparations program. Councilmembers Crystal Hudson and Farah Louis sponsored a pair of bills to establish a Truth, Healing and Reconciliation Commission and a reparations task force. Both bills passed on Thursday and will be effective immediately. "Today, the New York City Council voted to pass legislation establishing municipal efforts to acknowledge and address the legacy and impact of slavery and racial injustices in New York City," the New York City council announced in a press release. Fox News

International

Vietnam typhoon death toll rises to 233 as more bodies found in areas hit by landslides and floods . . . The death toll in the aftermath of a typhoon in Vietnam climbed to 233 on Friday as rescue workers recovered more bodies from areas hit by landslides and flash floods, state media reported. Flood waters from the swollen Red River in the capital, Hanoi, were beginning to recede, but many neighborhoods remained inundated and farther north experts were predicting it could still be days before any relief is in sight. Associated Press

Money

Boeing factory workers go on strike after rejecting contract offer . . . Aircraft assembly workers walked off the job early Friday at Boeing factories near Seattle and elsewhere after union members voted overwhelmingly to go on strike and reject a tentative contract that would have increased wages by 25% over four years. The strike started at 12:01 a.m. PDT, less than three hours after the local branch of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers announced 94.6% of voting workers rejected the proposed contract and 96% approved the work stoppage, easily surpassing a two-thirds requirement. Associated Press

Businesses Warn Of 'Largest Tax Increase In American History' If Trump Cuts Allowed To Expire . . . Over 500 trade associations issued a collective warning Thursday urging the upcoming Congress and administration to steer clear of imposing what they describe as the largest tax increase in American history. The potential tax increase could occur if the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) from the Trump administration is allowed to expire at the end of 2025, according to the letter from the groups. The coalition stressed that allowing these provisions to lapse would slash economic growth, inflate family expenses, hurt small businesses, reduce workers' take-home pay and lead to widespread job losses — outcomes they deem "unacceptable and completely avoidable." Daily Caller

Trump promises to end taxation of overtime pay

You should also know

It took 50,000 gallons of water to put out Tesla Semi fire in California, US agency says . . . California firefighters had to douse a flaming battery in a Tesla Semi with about 50,000 gallons (190,000 liters) of water to extinguish flames after a crash, the National Transportation Safety Board said Thursday. In addition to the huge amount of water, firefighters used an aircraft to drop fire retardant on the "immediate area" of the electric truck as a precautionary measure, the agency said in a preliminary report. Firefighters said previously that the battery reached temperatures of 1,000 degrees Fahrenheit (540 Celsius) while it was in flames. Associated Press

Another reason to love electric vehicles.

Guilty Pleasures

Ben & Jerry's co-founders unveil Kamala Harris ice cream flavor . . . Ben & Jerry's co-founders, Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, are unveiling a new ice cream flavor, "Kamala's Coconut Jubilee," as part of a get-out-the-vote initiative to elect Vice President Harris and other downballot Democrats in November. Cohen and Greenfield will join progressive organization MoveOn Political Action for its "Scoop the Vote" ice cream truck tour, which kicks off in Philadelphia on Sept. 16, the same day early voting begins in Pennsylvania. The Hill

If you're starting to love Baskin Robbins, there's a reason.

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