News of the Week (September 19th, 2021)

Posted on September 19, 2021 by The Political Hat

 

News of the Week for Sept. 19th, 2021


 

Riots & Revolution

 

“Unreasonable and misleading”: Judge blocks Minneapolis’ abolish-the-police question from ballot
Consider this a case of grassroots trumping the radical activists. The latter have tried to push for a change to Minneapolis’ charter that would remove the requirement to keep its police department. Local residents in neighborhoods most impacted by police staffing shortages claim that the Yes 4 Minneapolis referendum is written deceptively to keep voters from realizing the true impact of their vote.

Minnesota supreme court reverses: Looks like police abolition’s back on the ballot
Those ballots will count after all, and the result could give the Minneapolis city council the power to disband its police department. A late ruling by the Minneapolis supreme court reversed a lower court’s injunction against a charter amendment that would remove the requirement for the city to fund and staff a police force at levels dependent on population.

 

Corona Virus

 

LA County Unleashes Proof of Vaccine Mandate on Bars, Clubs, and Breweries
As predicted by many, once Gov. Newsom survived the recall, there would be a deluge of new COVID rules.

Gavin Newsom signals more COVID-19 mandates could come after California recall
Gov. Gavin Newsom faced a recall election at least in part because of his state’s strict approach to battling the COVID-19 pandemic, and after the recall failed resoundingly on Tuesday, the governor told national Democrats to “lean into” pandemic-related mandates and restrictions.

San Francisco Mayor Parties Maskless With BLM Co-Founder
Our betters don’t care about us.

 

Gun Rights

 

Harvard/Northeastern study: Women now account for nearly half of all new gun owners
That’s quite a cultural shift — and it will likely lead to a political shift as well, and not in favor of the current administration. Women accounted for almost half of all new gun owners in a 27-month period that includes the pandemic as well as the Democratic presidential primary run-up, according to a new study by researchers from Harvard and Northeastern. Clearly, the gun-control rhetoric of the campaign and in the Biden administration has not had its intended impact

 

Hide the Decline

Environment &
“Green Energy”

 

Europe’s wind energy plan runs into a dead calm
There was a new round of unpleasant news for consumers in the United Kingdom this month and for once it didn’t have anything to do with COVID. Residents receiving their energy bills were shocked to see a steep increase in the price of electricity. We’re not talking a small percentage, either. Costs were double what they had been in previous months and more than four times higher than during the same period in 2020. But how could that be? The country has been investing heavily in renewable energy to meet its obligations under the climate deal and many new wind-power stations had come online, allowing them to idle many fossil fuel plants. Then the disappointing news arrived. Energy was at a premium because their renewable sources were slumping significantly. So what went wrong? It’s fairly simple. The winds on the North Sea (where most of the wind plants are) had simply stopped blowing.

How Sri Lanka’s overnight flip to total organic farming has led to an economic disaster
President Gotabaya Rajapaksa was forced to impose an economic emergency on 31 August to contain soaring food inflation, and currency devaluation and forex reserves crisis.

Get ready for a “carbon monitoring credit card”
If you’re one of those people who enjoys scolding others over their “carbon footprint” all the time, it’s easy enough to monitor the news and call out people who are acting in an insufficiently woke fashion. But what about yourself? Do you ever sit and wonder if perhaps you’re causing part of the problem, perhaps without even realizing it? According to our liberal friends, every action you take on this planet, right down to each breath you draw (because you’re exhaling carbon dioxide all day, you monster), contributes to the total carbon load. That also applies to all of the purchases you make. Are you buying from the most climate-friendly sources? Are you buying too much gasoline or taking too many plane trips?

Climate Summit in Jeopardy?
These ought to be the green salad days for the climatistas. They are within an ace of getting a cornucopia of “Green New Deal” spending enacted by Congress, but more importantly corporate America has thrown in the towel, and pledged its fealty to the Climate Catechism of “carbon net-neutrality” by mid-century if not sooner. This includes even major carbon-based energy companies like Exxon-Mobil, who have essentially announced their agreement to go out of business. Eventually.

 

Obamacare

Government in Healthcare

 

Barr told Trump that supporting a GOP-led Supreme Court case against Obamacare would be a ‘fucking loser for you,’ book says
Then-Attorney General William Barr warned then-President Donald Trump in May 2020 that the GOP’s latest attempt before the Supreme Court to get rid of Obamacare would be “a fucking loser for you.”

House Democrats advance plan for bigger Obamacare with subsidies for all
House Democrats on Tuesday moved to make permanent a dramatic expansion of Obamacare that includes giving government subsidies for health insurance to the poor and wealthy alike.

 

War & Terror

 

UK Intel Chief: Taliban’s Afghan Victory Has Emboldened Terrorists Worldwide
The MI5 director general: Taliban’s takeover to have “inspirational effect” on terrorist groups in the West.

China wants a more socialist internet
No matter how much trouble China causes for the rest of the world, it’s nothing compared to what the Chinese Communist Party inflicts on its own people. The country recently passed a sweeping collection of new laws intended to get the nation “back on track” in terms of its Communist Party roots. Those found not to be in compliance can quickly find themselves in trouble with authorities and have their “social credit score” reduced. Others are sent away on compulsory “vacations” so they can be “reoriented.” In the CCP’s latest announcement, however, they are moving away from the various rules regarding how people behave in public or in their own homes and expanding further into regulating how their citizens behave online. This initiative is being described as a way to have a more “civilized” internet. Of course, their definition of civilized means toeing the party line in all virtual forums.

The coming battle for the Taiwan Strait
I’m thinking that this story is proof that some countries will be willing to pick a fight with the United States over almost anything (or nothing, really) as we move forward from here. The strangeness begins at the official office of Taiwan in Washington, DC. The formal name of the agency is the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States (TECRO). The counterpart to this office in Taiwan is identified as the American Institute in Taiwan in Taipei. These awkward-sounding names were chosen for a reason originally. Neither of them is referred to as an “embassy” and they both include the name of the city of Taipei because we don’t formally recognize Taiwan as an independent nation, though we treat them that way sometimes. The choice of names was a sop to China. But word has leaked out that the Biden administration is considering changing the name of the office in Washington to the Taiwan Representative Office. So how would China respond to this? An editorial was immediately published in one of the state-controlled newspapers in China threatening “severe economic and military measures” in response. All of this is over a one-word change to the name of a relatively obscure office.

Blinken: “Several Thousand” Legal Permanent U.S. Residents Left in Afghanistan
At a congressional hearing on Monday, Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted that thousands of legal permanent residents of the United States were left in Afghanistan

Joint Chiefs Chair Mark Milley Reportedly Promised To Alert China In Advance Of Attack
Bob Woodward and Robert Costa report that Milley secretly called the head of China’s military in closing days of Trump administration: “General Li, you and I have known each other for now five years. If we’re going to attack, I’m going to call you ahead of time. It’s not going to be a surprise.”

Intel officials: Al Qaeda could rebuild in Afghanistan in a year
Okay, I’m actually exaggerating slightly with that headline. The Director of the Defense Intelligence Agency didn’t say al Qaeda could rebuild within a year. He said they could rebuild in a year or two. That’s a change from an estimate made earlier this year that it would take about two years. So now the story is maybe only half that time. And when the DIA Director says “rebuild” what he means, specifically, is that’s how soon they could have the ability to attack the United States here at home

The Grand Alliance to Contain China: Will It Work?
The U.S., U.K. and Australia have announced the formation of the AUKUS alliance, in open concert against Chinese expansion. “Britain has entered into a security pact with the US and Australia to counter China that will involve building a nuclear powered submarine fleet and wide-ranging projects on cyber warfare, artificial intelligence and quantum computing.”

Quinnipiac: Six in ten Americans expect to re-invade Afghanistan
Why might that be? Because everyone understands just how impotent Joe Biden has left the US in dealing with radical-Islamist terror networks operating out of Afghanistan, that’s why. We’ll get to Biden’s pie-in-the-sky promises in a moment, but take a gander first at his credibility on whether the war is over at all.

Dueling missile launches on the Korean Peninsula
I’m old enough to remember a stretch of a couple of years when the Korean Peninsula was actually pretty quiet, with no ballistic missile tests being conducted and the leaders of both Korean nations actually talking to each other. Of course, that was way back in… 2018 and 2019. It would appear that those days are fully behind us now. Not only did Kim Jong-un fire off another missile test this week, but South Korea quickly followed suit and lit up one of their own. And all of this military action is taking place at the same time that their neighbors in China are rattling their swords at levels not seen in many years. Is this a warning sign of some major impending military activity, or is it all for show? We may be getting a few more hints in the near future.

France Is Outraged by U.S. Nuclear Submarine Deal With Australia
France reacted with fury on Thursday to President Biden’s announcement of a deal to help Australia deploy nuclear-powered submarines, calling it a “unilateral, brutal, unpredictable decision” that resembled the rash and sudden policy shifts common during the Trump administration.

Report: Taliban Beheaded Two Boys Aged 9 and 10 in Afghanistan
As the Taliban establishes Islamic rule, beheadings will become the Sharia-sanctioned punishment for non-believers and those regarded as the enemies of Islam.

“Afghanistan Is Not Done”
In that heading, I have quoted the words of Christopher Meyer: “Afghanistan is not done.” The United States has withdrawn, yes. But individual Americans are doing everything they can to rescue their allies from the Taliban. Terrorists are consolidating in Afghanistan, as they did once before. So, yes: In multiple ways, Afghanistan is not done.

France Kills Leader of ISIS in Northern Africa
Pro tip: When Western officials claim to have killed top terrorists, be skeptical unless and until they release the name of the terrorist.

Situation in Indo-Pacific ‘deteriorating,’ says Australian defense minister
Australian Defense Minister Peter Dutton called for alliances to protect the nations and people of the Indo-Pacific region during a meeting with U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Wednesday.

Japan :preparing for war” in first major military drills for 30 YEARS as tensions rage with China over disputed islands
CHINA has claimed Japan is “preparing for war” as it stages its first major military exercised for nearly 30 years.

Twitter Cedes Taiwan to China
China has finally taken control of Taiwan, according to social networking giant Twitter, which redirects some searches for the word Taiwan to results for the word China.

France Recalling Ambassador to U.S. After Biden Torpedoes Its Australian Submarine Deal
“It was a stab in the back. We had established a relationship of trust with Australia. This trust has been betrayed.”

France Recalls Ambassadors over Zombie Submarine Deal
The U.S.–France relationship is in meltdown over a recently canceled submarine deal that Australian officials had cast doubt on for months.

Afghan family ravaged by U.S. drone strike mistake wants headstones for the dead — and possible new life in America
By the time the American apology arrived, the lives of the Ahmadi family were already upended. And being falsely accused by the U.S. military of ties to the Islamic State was not the worst part of the ordeal.

National

 

A New Form Of Voter Fraud In California?
Mail-in voting is fraught with the danger of fraud. The obvious danger is that ineligible voters will cast ballots or have ballots cast in their name.

San Fernando Valley residents cast provisional ballots due to equipment issue
Some San Fernando Valley voters think they are being wrongly prevented from casting a ballot in the upcoming gubernatorial recall election, but the county elections office said it was an equipment issue that was resolved.

Virginia Tech syllabus apologizes for instructor’s White skin
Crystal Duncan Lane, an instructor in Virginia Tech’s Department of Human Development and Family Science, apologized to students of racial minorities for being white.

University of Nebraska offers new “Racial Justice, Equity and Inclusion” minor
“The minor in racial justice, equity, and inclusion is designed for all students curious about racial justice”

Harvard U. official asks students to remove possibly “offensive” Nicki Minaj flag
A Harvard University official apparently contacted several students earlier this month requesting they take down an American flag featuring a bikini-clad Nicki Minaj in a salute pose.

Defense Says Travis County DA Jose Garza Files Motion to Seal Evidence Against Him in High-Profile Shooting Case
On Friday, PJMedia reported disturbing allegations of witness tampering and criminal misconduct levied against Travis County, Texas, District Attorney Jose Garza. The allegations come in the midst of the prosecutor’s ongoing murder case against U.S. Army Sgt. Daniel Perry in the riot-related shooting of Garrett Foster last summer.

Sixth-Circuit Judges Adopt Progressive Terms on Heartbeats and Gender Ideology
In a decision last week, a three-judge panel for the Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals blocked two pro-life provisions in Tennessee, and in their majority opinion, two of the three judges exposed their sympathy for the progressive view of gender and abortion. (The third judge on the panel, Amul Thapar, wrote his own opinion, a remarkable and thorough broadside against Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey.)

Bad boys — or good guys? “Cops” to return Oct 1
Watcha gonna do — watcha gonna do when they come for you? We saw what the producers and broadcasters of police-related reality TV did last summer as riots erupted nationwide in the wake of George Floyd’s death … turn tail and run. Now, in a measure of just how badly “defund the police” has flopped, the most venerable show in the genre will make a comeback, although only on a streaming service

An entire Missouri police department resigns
The city of Kimberling, Missouri is looking for a few good men. Or a few good women. Anyone really, as long as they can qualify for a job as a police officer. That’s because the entire police force resigned recently, including their chief of police. The Mayor of Kimberling, Bob Fritz, was reportedly “caught off guard” by the news. Unfortunately, this leaves Kimberling with no law enforcement of its own. The County Sheriff’s Department can probably help fill the void for a while, but that situation won’t hold indefinitely. One thing to note here, however, is that the city is looking for “a few” cops in a literal sense. The “city” of Kimberling has a total population of barely 2,500 people and it sounds as if they only had a half-dozen or so police to begin with.

Virginia teacher: Asking students to sit quietly and listen to the teacher is white supremacy
A Virginia teacher posted a video on TikTok in which he explained that “PBIS is white supremacy.” PBIS stands for Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports and is the model that Virginia schools use for encouraging good behavior in the classroom. According to this teacher, asking kids to sit in their seats and listen to the teacher comes from “white culture” and is therefore suspect.

Woof: Biden job approval drops to 42/50 in new Quinnipiac poll
A noteworthy poll for two reasons, not including the fact that it’s one of the worst of his presidency. One: Quinnipiac traditionally skews blue. Their numbers for Trump were consistently among the worst of any pollster during his presidency. Biden sitting at 42 in a Q-poll is seriously bad vibes for the White House.

Nevada Dems Violated State’s Mask Mandate at 9/11 Costume Party Honoring Casino Billionaire
Photos obtained by the Washington Free Beacon show Sen. Jacky Rosen (D., Nev.) and Rep. Susie Lee (D., Nev.) decked out in boxing gear while attending a benefit gala honoring billionaire Elaine Wynn, ex-wife of casino magnate Steve Wynn. Neither politician was wearing a mask, even though Steve Sisolak, Nevada’s Democratic governor, had imposed an indoor mask mandate that went into effect the previous day.

Kavanaugh protesters violate federal law
Dozens of protesters have carried through on their threat to demonstrate at the home of Justice Kavanaugh because of his vote in the case challenging Texas’ anti-abortion bill.

DOJ tightens grip on local police departments
Yesterday, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced new rules governing the federal monitors who impose their leftist views of policing on police forces trying to cope with skyrocketing criminality. These monitors exercise the authority of the federal government through consent decrees imposed on localities.

Why so few conservative student clubs? Faculty are unwilling to sponsor them.
Students at Texas A&M, University of Arkansas, and Miami Dade College report being unable to find faculty advisors for their clubs.

Minnesota Supreme Ct Dismissal of 3rd Degree Murder In Noor Case Could Have Implications for Derek Chauvin
The Third Degree Murder conviction of Chauvin now is legally deficient and must be vacated. Chauvin’s Second Degree Murder conviction is on appeal, and if that were reversed on legal grounds, the only conviction remaining would be Second Degree Manslaughter.

When do high school creative-writing assignments become “grooming”?
Answer: When they instruct students to write sex scenes that “you wouldn’t show your mom.” At least that’s the answer Mayor Craig Shubert of Hudson, Ohio gave the local school board when he demanded that all five members resign. Not only did students get that direction from their school-supplied books, an instruction Shubert called potential “grooming” for sexual abuse, they also received other instructions that could be charged as contributing to the delinquency of a minor

I-Team: Las Vegas QAnon conference finds new home with major Trump supporter
Caesars canceled conference in Sept.

This Is the Real Tragedy of Imaginary Genders
The latest edition of Insanity Wrap — my weekly labor of love — included one of those cringeworthy TikTok videos of some poor, young soul with no clue about who they are, or even about basic biology.

Terry McAuliffe Admits He Would Sign Kathy Tran’s Radical Abortion Bill
At Thursday night’s Virginia gubernatorial debate, Democratic candidate Terry McAuliffe was asked if he would sign legislation loosening Virginia’s statute on third-trimester abortions.

Larry Elder’s voter fraud messaging depressed Republican turnout, GOP consultant charges
Recall candidate Larry Elder – with an assist from former President Donald Trump – depressed GOP turnout in California’s recall race by raising the prospect of voter fraud before the election, a Republican consultant said Wednesday.

CA county to ban 911 calls “based on bias”
Out in Santa Cruz County, California, the Board of Supervisors has passed a new municipal ordinance involving 911 calls. They want residents to know that they are free to call the emergency services line if they see something suspicious, but if it involves a person of color, the caller may wind up getting hit with a fine of up to $1,000. Of course, they don’t say it quite that explicitly. They are banning 911 calls that are “based on bias.” But let’s face it… that’s what it boils down to. So what sort of impact will this have on people facing potentially legitimate emergencies or who see people engaging in what appears to be illegal activity? The Board is quite sure nothing will go amiss.

If You Don’t Believe In Critical Race Theory, You Can’t Work
A lot has been said about the fact that the Biden administration is trying to bar people who don’t want to be vaccinated against covid, for whatever reason, from gainful employment. To say that this is a novel incursion on our civil rights is an understatement. But here is a worse one: how about firing anyone who won’t sign on to the racist, anti-American ideology of Critical Race Theory? Shockingly, that is now happening, all across corporate America. The current message is: believe in CRT, or more likely pretend to believe, or you are fired.

Baby Carriers and Racist Oppression
Moonbattery (a.k.a. political correctness, cultural Marxism, critical theory, progressivism, modern “liberalism”) may be the world’s first truly totalitarian ideology, in that absolutely nothing escapes it. There is no topic that information gatekeepers will not subvert into a denunciation of Caucasians and Western Civilization — not even baby carriers.

Oath Keepers founder draws scrutiny from federal officials and followers
It depends on who’s talking. To some, Stewart Rhodes is a paramilitary commander enlisting thousands of foot soldiers to overthrow the government.

Former Baltimore Principal Alleges City Schools Have Fake Classes, Enrolling Dead Students
“By keeping students enrolled, a school can increase the funding it receives from taxpayers. At Claremont, that included students who were dead.”

Space Force backs development of commercial orbital debris removal systems
A Space Force general endorsed the development of commercial systems for removing space debris, saying they can address congestion in Earth orbit without the policy concerns a government-run alternative might have.

GOP consultant: Crying “fraud” before the recall was the greatest self-own in 20 years of California politics
I don’t follow California politics closely so I’ll have to take his word for it. But from a national standpoint, Larry Elder crying “fraud” preemptively wasn’t even the greatest self-own of 2021.

On the front lines of the U.S. homicide epidemic: Milwaukee faces historic violence
Jeremiah Hughes was mowing a lawn on a Wednesday afternoon when two men barged through an alley gate. They were armed. Shots rang out.

“the most important Social Justice Warrior in Ithaca”
Campus Reform reports how conservative student groups nationwide have trouble finding faculty advisors. At Cornell, I end up being faculty advisor to most right-of-center student campus groups because there is no one else to do it. Does this make me “the most important Social Justice Warrior in Ithaca”?

Judges Strike Down North Carolina Voter ID Law Citing ‘Discriminatory Purpose’
A state superior court judicial panel ruled on Friday that the North Carolina voter ID law was “enacted, at least in part, for discriminatory purposes” and struck it down.

Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Dairy farm defamation, foreign speech, and a path of blood.

 

Economy & Taxes

 

Weimar? It’s Us
Modern Monetary Theory has officially arrived. That theory, embraced by ignoramuses like Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez but by no economists, to my knowledge, holds that a government can just print money and distribute it to taxpayers Democratic Party constituencies, with no ill effects. And it will be real money, representing wealth, that will raise everyone’s standard of living.

Dems Propose $3 Trillion Tax Hike on Working Families and Small Businesses
House Democrats are proposing almost $3 trillion ($3,000,000,000,000) in tax increases including tax increases on small businesses and working families. This is the largest tax increase since 1968 compared to the size of the economy and the largest tax increase ever in nominal dollars.

Powell orders ethics review after Fed presidents disclosed multimillion-dollar investments
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell directed staff to review the central bank’s ethics rules after several Fed presidents disclosed large investments and stock trades.

“Just Get Me a Box”: Inside the Brutal Realities of Supply Chain Hell
Logistics managers are battling the pandemic, a labor shortage, and huge demand to get goods to your front door.

Thanksgiving Turkey Shopping Has Already Started—for Supermarkets
Retailers are ordering holiday items and securing them months in advance to keep their shelves stocked

Democrats Want New Tax Break for Union Members
As fewer American workers join unions, Democrats want to create a new tax deduction for union members.

Rare Earth Metal Pricing Skyrockets, May Result in Higher Electronics Pricing
Logistics and politics turn a bad situation into a worse one

 

International

 

Chairman Gonzalo, communist leader of the Shining Path, dies in prison
Abimael Guzman was a Peruvian Marxist who went to China in the 1960s and modeled himself after Chairman Mao. He became known as Chairman Gonzalo and created a terrorist group called the Shining Path which is believed to have killed tens of thousands of people over more than a decades in a war to bring communism to Peru. Guzman was captured and convicted in the early 90s and has been in prison ever since. Saturday he died at age 86. He started out in life as a philosophy professor but became a murderous psychopath

As Merkel prepares to leave office, many think Germany’s “golden age” is over
Under the leadership of Chancellor Angela Merkel, Germany’s power and influence in European — and global — affairs has been indisputable.

Woke English Opera Fires 14 White Musicians for Having Wrong Skin Color
Woke strikes again! Fourteen musicians with the English Touring Opera (ETO), some of whom have been performing with the company for 20 years, have been fired because of the color of their skin.

Apple and Google Bow to Putin
Apple and Google, which are happy to advertise their wokeness in the domestic capacity, continue to sacrifice their stated values in exchange for access to markets controlled by autocratic regimes. We’ve already seen plenty of examples of this with regard to China, but the latest news is out of Russia, where the tech giants removed an app that was being used by Vladamir Putin’s political opponents.

More than 800 minor objects are spotted beyond Neptune in discovery that could help in the search for the mysterious Planet Nine
Astronomers release results of their six-year survey of the outer Solar System

Boxer-senator Manny Pacquiao to run for Philippine president
Philippine boxing icon and senator Manny Pacquiao says he will run for president in the 2022 elections.

European Union-style bloc pitched for Latin America, Caribbean
Latin American and Caribbean nations should aspire to a bloc like the European Union, Mexico’s president and other leaders said at a summit on Saturday, in a bid to wrest influence away from the Washington-based Organization of American States (OAS).

Ransomware encrypts South Africa’s entire Dept of Justice network
The justice ministry of the South African government is working on restoring its operations after a recent ransomware attack encrypted all its systems, making all electronic services unavailable both internally and to the public.

 

Opinion

 

Dan Bongino, Radio Tough Guy
Dan Bongino, doing his best impersonation of a rage-addled fourth-grader — and it is a very convincing impression!

The Stolen-Election Myth Has Become an Albatross for the GOP
Larry Elder’s landslide defeat is the latest evidence that the idea the 2020 presidential election was stolen is poison for Republicans.

Compared to What?
You say capitalism is terrible? Okay, compared to what? The United States is systematically racist? Okay, compared to what?

Eight Reasons to Love the Constitution
On this 234th Constitution Day, conservatives — indeed, every American — should reflect on our great Founding text.

The Future of Conservative Constitutionalism
The work of transforming the courts has done wonders, but to build further we must focus on Congress and the people.

Happy Constitution Day Sep
Today marks the anniversary of one of the most propitious days in the history of this country. On this day in 1787, the representatives at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia signed the Constitution. It was ratified by the states and went into effect on March 4, 1789.

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