News of the Week for June 5th, 2023
- Abortion
- Gun Rights
- Hide the Decline
- Obamacare
- War & Terror
- National News
- Economy & Taxes
- International News
- Opinion
Abortion
Dobbs Decision
UN Human Rights Recommendation Brands Abortion Restrictions ‘Racial Discrimination’
The vaunted international community is determined to impose extremely politically progressive policies on the entire world. Alas, this even includes injecting woke policies into the laudable attempt to draft an “International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.”
Oklahoma Supreme Court strikes down two anti-abortion laws, citing maternal health
The court cited its previous finding of “a limited right to an abortion” under the Oklahoma Constitution to protect maternal life, but one dissenter argued one of the stricken laws provided the required exception for maternal life.
Gun Rights
Hunter Biden to Claim Second Amendment Protects His Right to Own a Gun While Addicted to Crack: Report
Hunter Biden’s attorneys intend to argue he was within his Second Amendment rights to purchase a handgun in 2018 during a time in his life in which he had admitted he was addicted to crack cocaine, according to a Politico report on Thursday.
Hide the Decline
Environment &“Green Energy”
Turning America Into a Third-World Country
The mark of a developed country is reliable, affordable energy. Despite this undeniable fact, the Biden administration and what Robert Bryce calls the anti-industry industry are rushing pell-mell to destabilize our electric grid, while charging Americans more and more for less and less electricity. This impoverishment of ordinary Americans is not an unfortunate by-product of liberal energy policies.
The Daily Chart: $99 Trillion in Climate Reparations?
You didn’t actually think the leftist drive for “reparations” would end only with blacks did you? “Reparations” is merely the latest slogan for the perennial leftist dream of wholesale wealth confiscation and redistribution, and whatever tool comes to hand will be used.
New Study Destroys ‘Doomsday Glacier’ Narrative…Today’s Ice 8 Times ??h?????????? Than Last 8000 Years
Scientists have determined there is no measured data to “indicate thicker than present ice after 4ka” at a West Antarctic study site near the Thwaites “Doomsday” Glacier. Any ice melt observed today is thus “reversible”… and natural.
“We have no reason to be against nuclear energy other than prejudice & stupidity” – Dr Patrick Moore
In Part Two of the BizNews interview with Dr Patrick Moore, one of the co-founders of Greenpeace and the most prominent figures in the field of environmentalism, Moore makes a compelling case for nuclear energy. Moore shares why he was silenced on the topic of nuclear energy during his years at Greenpeace and provides excellent insight into both the misconceptions around the risks of nuclear energy and why nuclear energy is not inherently evil in any way.
The South African Energy Crisis: A Battle between Power Needs and Environmentalists
In the face of a dire energy crisis, the South African government is waging a war on two fronts. On one side, the demand for reliable energy supplies is pressing, and on the other, the fervent resistance of environmentalists is proving to be a formidable hurdle to their proposed solutions.
U.S. Department of Energy Directs $46 million in Funds to 8 Nuclear Fusion Companies
Meanwhile, Microsoft is betting one startup can deliver on nuclear fusion by 2028.
Electric Vehicles: Charging and Road Trips
The Financial Times’ Brooke Masters is very happy with her electric vehicle (EV) when it comes to her daily commute. She has a garage, which helps, and has installed a rapid charger, but when it comes to going on longer journeys, well. . . .
The Irish Now Defending Their Iconic Cow Herds and Dairy Farms against Climate Cultists
The Irish political leaders pushing to cull 200,000 animals may want to ask Dutch officials how their eco-activism against farmers in the Netherlands worked out for their careers.
Obamacare
Government in Healthcare
The Deficit’s Medicare Problem
“The CBO projected in 2022 that the debt will rise from 98% to 185% of gross domestic product over the next 30 years, far surpassing the levels reached during World War II,” writes Manhattan Institute senior fellow Chris Pope for the Wall Street Journal. “Outside rising interest payments, three-quarters of the CBO’s projected deficit increase is due to Medicare alone.”
Hospital Official Bemoans “Heart-Wrenching” Decision to Discontinue Child Gender Transition Services
The decision came after the Texas Legislature approved a bill barring gender transitioning procedures and treatments for children.
Washington State Now Taking Refugee Cancer Patients from Canadian Health Care
How well is “free” universal health care going in Canada? This well
War & Terror
Taliban claims: ‘We will conquer Iran soon’ amid water dispute
Tensions have risen recently between the Taliban and Iran over the shared Helmand River.
Kamikaze drones strike ‘in earshot’ of Putin’s palace as mushroom cloud fills sky in ‘worst attack on Moscow since WW2’
A KAMIKAZE drone was shot down “within earshot” of Putin’s palace today as the war inches closer to the Russian tyrant’s door.
Drones hit Moscow, shocking Russian capital after new missile attack on Kyiv
A drone attack hit Moscow on Tuesday morning, damaging two residential buildings — the first strike on a civilian area of the Russian capital since President Vladimir Putin launched a brutal invasion of Ukraine more than a year ago. It was almost certainly a prelude to a major escalation in hostilities.
Fees in Our Time
The best approach to handling our economic relationship with Beijing must be (this ought to be too obvious to need saying, but . . .) shaped by the understanding that under the current regime China is not America’s friend, and that’s not something that is going to change any time soon.
China, Taiwan, and the Parallels to the Normandy Invasion
“Will Communist China invade Taiwan?” It may well be the most significant geopolitical question of the first half of the 21st century. Many were startled when, in March 2021, Pacific Fleet commander Admiral Philip Davidson publicly warned the Senate Armed Services Committee that Beijing was preparing for military action against Taiwan by 2027 — though the admiral stopped short of predicting that Xi Jinping would give the “Go Order” in the end or that a crisis was inevitable.
Persian Gulf States to Form Joint Navy in Coordination with China
Iran, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, and Oman, in coordination with China, will form a joint navy to protect security in the Persian Gulf, Qatar’s Al-Jadid news website announced. This past March, China, Russia, and Iran held joint naval drills in the Gulf of Oman, near the mouth of the Persian Gulf. Top Saudi and Iranian diplomats also met in China for the first time in over seven years in April, confirming the reopening of their embassies and consulates and resuming direct flights and visa facilitation for citizens.
Video Shows Chinese Warship Nearly Hitting U.S. Destroyer in Taiwan Strait
Footage has emerged showing a Chinese warship almost colliding with a U.S. Navy destroyer in the Taiwan Straits as tensions continue to strain between Washington and Beijing.
Ukrainian counteroffensive ‘shaping-up’ amid attempts to destabilize Russian forces
A counteroffensive on Russia may still be “weeks” away, Western officials said.
National
AI Makes S**t Up
Tony Venhuizen, a smart guy from South Dakota, operates a web site where he writes about the history of the governors of that state. He asked ChatGPT, “Please write a blog post discussing South Dakota’s oldest and youngest governors.” Chat GPT responded with a competent description of South Dakota’s oldest governor, Nils Boe. It then went on to write about the state’s youngest governor, Crawford H. “Chet” Taylor.
How Our College Leaders “Cull the Herd”
A firing at Bakersfield College shows that tenure is no match for leftist orthodoxy.
Over 90% of California’s Pot Farms Infected with Crop-Damaging Pathogen
Meanwhile, the California cannabis industry is warning about and extinction level event…caused by the state’s regulation and taxation.
“Family friendly” drag-themed restaurant sues Florida for banning “adult live performances” for minors
The restaurant claims the law violates the restaurant’s civil rights under the First Amendment by engaging in content-based speech discrimination and because its language is vague and overbroad.
Chicago Group Hired Gangsters to Be ‘Peacekeepers’ and It’s Working Out Just About the Way You Might Expect
Remember when President Obama got elected and America’s public schools suddenly became excellent? No, you don’t remember that, because it never happened. The guy Obama appointed as Secretary of Education, Arne Duncan, is a Harvard-educated liberal who had previously been appointed by the Daley machine as Chief Executive Officer of Chicago Public Schools, where he worked no miracles, and neither did he do anything during his eight-year tenure as Secretary of Education that anyone remembers as praiseworthy. In 2016, with money from Steve Jobs’ widow, Duncan started a group called Chicago CRED (Create Real Economic Destiny). Duncan has said that Chicago CRED “proceeds from the belief that the surest way to stop gun violence is engaging directly with those most at risk of shooting or being shot and giving them a reason to put down their guns”
Nevada: Senate Dems Vote To Allow Biological Males In Girls’ Sports And Private Spaces
Senator Ira Hansen accused his Democratic colleagues of abusing their power
Massive amounts of seaweed washing ashore in Florida contains FLESH EATING bacteria that can cause ‘leaky gut syndrome’
Called Sargassum, the seaweed blankets the beaches with its thick, brown algae, emitting a strong odor as it decomposes
Las Vegas Looks Like A War Zone As Massive Fights Unfold
Las Vegas has looked more like a city in a failed state than a tourism hotspot over the past several days.
Misgendering is an ‘act of violence,’ university argues
A page on the University of Colorado Boulder’s website under its ‘Pride Office’ claims that misgendering people can be considered an act of violence.
California university hosts transgender ‘camp’ retreat for students to ‘explore’ their gender
The University of California, Riverside ‘Trans Guide’ includes information on ‘Gender-Affirming Care’ and ‘Gender-Inclusive’ housing and restroom options.
Video Shows as Many as 40 Teenagers Beating Up Marines in California
“Get that f—er! Get that f—er! F–k that f—er up!”
Nevada Dems pile fines on schools over trans athletes
Some bad things are happening in Nevada at the intersection of public schools and transgenderism, courtesy of the state’s elected Democrats. Last week, Democrats in the state legislature approved an “administrative penalty” of $5,000 per day on school boards that do not allow transgender athletes to participate in school sports or access the locker rooms or bathrooms they “identify” with. And the Democrats pushed this through in a very sneaky method. They waited until Assembly Bill 423 had passed with broad bipartisan support. AB423 was a routine housekeeping bill dealing with the funding for and regulations governing school boards. Then they introduced the trans language as an amendment without a single hearing or any debate and called a vote. Not a single Republican supported it.
Oakland residents are sick of rising crime in a ‘failed progressive utopia’
About 200 residents gathered in north Oakland last night to express their frustration with city officials about rising crime. Robberies are up 22% compared to last year and recently the area had 100 robberies reported in a single week, fifty of those happened in a single weekend. The crowd who gathered last night quickly got animated.
The Strange World of “Citational Justice”
Woke scholars value everything but knowledge.
A Declaration of Decadence
Mary Jane Rubenstein’s real target in “Astrotopia” is not the corporate space race, but the very ideas of humanism and progress.
NV GOP Sues State, SOS Aguilar Over Presidential Primary Election Laws
The NV GOP contends that the Democratic majority passed conflicting legislation in 2021 that threatens the constitutional rights of private political parties and Nevadans
U.S. Representatives Call For Investigation of U. Minnesota DEI Discrimination After Equal Protection Project Complaint
Letter signed by five GOP representatives: “While we are pleased that the University has since updated its website, there is still cause for concern if this is a common UMN practice that expands across departments…. [I]t is critical that you fully and fairly exercise your authority, investigate these unlawful practices by the University of Minnesota, and take proper action to ensure that this does not continue.”
Parent files suit after teen daughter ‘severely beaten’ by trans student in Oklahoma
An Oklahoma teen girl was “severely beaten” by a trans student in a school bathroom, prompting the injured pupil’s parent to file a lawsuit against the district for not enforcing a state law that restricts restroom use for transgender people.
A Good Day for Business at the Supreme Court
The Supreme Court decided three cases this morning. None was especially sexy in terms of the headline-grabbing things that sometimes occupy the Court, but all three were consequential. Two were lopsided victories for business, and the other set a standard that is not such bad news for companies. Two of the decisions were unanimous, and the third was 8–1.
A Pride flag was burned in North Hollywood and Gavin Newsom lost his mind
A Pride flag was burned at an elementary school in North Hollywood. It belonged to a transgender teacher at the school. It was a small flag displayed in a planter outside of a classroom at Saticoy Elementary School. Governor Gavin Newsom is shook by this incident and ranted on Twitter about it.
Governor Abbott names interim attorney general as Ken Paxton awaits impeachment trial
Governor Greg Abbott appointed former Secretary of State John Scott as interim attorney general to serve while Ken Paxton awaits his impeachment trial in the Texas Senate. When the Texas House impeached Paxton toward the end of its legislative session, he was immediately suspended. Scott will fill the position until further action is taken.
Behold the DEI scam in microcosm
If you haven’t figured out DEI is a total scam then God help you, you need a wake-up call.
California Assembly ignores Meta’s threat, votes to pass the Journalism Preservation Act
One day after Facebook parent company Meta threatened to remove news content from its platforms if Assembly Bill 886 becomes law, the California Assembly voted 46-6 to advance the bill to the State Senate.
This Heav3n is a genreless, genderless party for the next generation of club kids
When you get to the gates of heaven, down a dark alley under the 10 Freeway and past a bacon-wrapped hot dog cart, there is no judgment. There is just a man who wants to see your ID and look in your purse. After that, all are free to enter.
Dave Ramsey sued for $150 million by former fans who followed his timeshare exit advice
A group of former followers of Dave Ramsey has sued the Christian finance guru and radio host, along with his company and a marketing firm, for endorsing a failed timeshare exit company that allegedly defrauded customers out of millions.
Lefty Lunatic and Former San Francisco D.A. Chesa Boudin Hired by U.C. Berkeley Law
“Chesa Boudin has spent his whole life grappling with incarceration and its far-reaching implications.”
Instructor displays ‘Understanding Christian Privilege’ bulletin board
The bulletin board linked Christianity to white supremacy and systemic racism.
Senate Passes Measure That Kills Biden’s $400 Billion Student Loan Forgiveness Plan
Biden will likely veto the resolution but who knows what will happen to it in the hands of SCOTUS.
ACR Project Challenges Unconstitutional Guaranteed Income Programs, with Suit against CA HHS, SF, SF USD, and UC Affiliates
The ACR Project, for the Californians for Equal Rights Foundation and individual San Francisco taxpayers, has sued California’s Health and Human Services Agency, San Francisco, San Francisco USD, and both UC Berkeley and San Francisco, challenging a set of guarantied income programs, which violate the Constitutions of California and the United States (as well as Title VI).
Elementary sex ed promoted puberty blockers, pubic hair art
An elementary school offered inappropriate sex ed lessons to students without parental consent or district approval, according to concerned parents and a community activist. Parents only found out about it after finding the lesson plans from their kids, not the school.
Sex Change Operations Do No Good
The “trans” lobby claims that genital mutilation of minors is necessary in order to prevent troubled teenagers from committing suicide. To my knowledge, there is no empirical basis for this claim, and suicide rates among those who have undergone sex change surgery are sky-high. But the claim persists, nevertheless.
Short Circuit: A Roundup of Recent Federal Court Decisions
Bridges to nowhere, a blindfolded surprise, and a threatening smirk.
Utah Law Forbids Public School Libraries From Having Any Books That “Describe” “Sexual Intercourse” Etc.
The Salt Lake Tribune (Courtney Tanner) reports that the Bible will be removed from Davis (Utah) School District elementary and middle school libraries, “for containing ‘vulgarity or violence.'” A parent had asked, apparently as a protest against a recent Utah law that calls for removal of various school library books, that the Bible be removed; this seems to have been the response.
First drag law ruled unconstitutional
Back in March, when Tennessee passed the first law in the country banning drag shows where children might see them, the first thing I thought was that it would be challenged immediately. My second thought was that the challenge would probably succeed. Now, both of those things have come to pass. A Memphis LGBTQ theater group sued to strike down the law, saying it violated their First Amendment rights. And now, U.S. District Judge Thomas Parker (a Trump appointee, for whatever that’s worth) has agreed and temporarily put the law on hold. He described the law as being “vague and overly broad.”
Oklahoma girl beaten by trans student in bathroom
Back in May of last year, the state of Oklahoma passed a law requiring students in public schools to use restrooms, showers, and other related facilities that correspond to their actual gender as determined on their birth certificates. While the measure received wide public support, some school districts have apparently been ignoring the law. That includes Edmond Memorial High School in the small city of Edmond, Oklahoma. Last October, a 15-year-old girl only identified as “E.G.” was “severely beaten” in the girl’s room at the school by a 17-year-old male dressed as a female. Now the parents are taking the school district to court for ignoring the law and endangering their daughter.
Parents Protest Pride Event at Elementary School in North Hollywood, CA
“If anything, I should be the one to teach them about the birds and the bees, so to say, not the school. The school’s job is to teach them about reading, writing, and algebra”
Sleuths question whether artist who decorated NYPD car for Pride Month snuck in anti-police acronym
Social media sleuths believe an artist hired to decorate an NYPD vehicle to celebrate Pride Month snuck an anti-police acronym into the design.
Lawsuit: Academia’s DEI Hiring Statements are “Modern-Day Loyalty Oaths”
The Pacific Legal Foundation is representing the applicant “at no charge . . . . to defend his right to seek a university job based on his merits, not illegal application conditions.”
‘Exciting’ new UMD course aims to remove the ‘whiteness’ from LGBTQ+ studies
New courses will cover topics like ‘Transgender Studies,’ ‘Black Queer Studies,’ ‘Disability Studies,’ and ‘Transnational Feminisms.’
Law Professor Argues for U.N.-Imposed Reparations in U.S.
Howard University law professor Justin Hansford recently declared that the United Nations should set up a tribunal that would force the United States to pay trillions of dollars in reparations to atone for slavery. Writing at Liberty Unyielding, Hans Bader scrutinizes this demand for wealth redistribution. He notes that Hansford, an activist as well as a law professor, wants to involve more than just the U.N. in this effort. Indeed, he wants reparations at all levels of political power. “In an interview, Hansford said a UN reparation tribunal was only one route to push the US federal government, as well as state and city officials, to address racial inequalities dating back to the slavery era.”
The Gruesome ‘Gender Affirmation’ Surgery Photos Proponents of Child Genital Mutilation Should Be Made to See
Much leftist political discourse related to gender ideology uses children as human shields, decrying Republican initiatives in states across the union to prevent child genital mutilation as “fascist” and decrying cutting “transgender” children off from “gender-affirming healthcare.”
Economy & Taxes
Russia and China’s BRICS economic alliance will fail at countering the West
There is talk about the BRICS anti-Western economic alliance (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa) creating a new currency, ironically called the “bric,” to rival the U.S. dollar in international trade. My thoughts immediately turned to The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams: “The ships hung in the sky in much the same way that bricks don’t.” A BRICS currency would fall to Earth just like, well … a brick.
Bidenflation: Memorial Day barbecue staples cost more this year
It’s not necessarily the meat prices that are up. It’s staples and the condiments. Bidenflation has caused food prices to reach new heights and this year the Memorial Day backyard barbecues are costing more than they did for last year’s get-togethers.
The nine U.S cities where home owners are losing THOUSANDS on their house values: Median sale price in San Francisco drops a staggering $220,000 from a year ago
The data was laid bare by Redfin, and marks a shift in the real estate landscape
Turkey’s Erdogan wins another term as president, extends rule into 3rd decade
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan won reelection Sunday, extending his increasingly authoritarian rule into a third decade as the country reels from high inflation and the aftermath of an earthquake that leveled entire cities.
Chick-fil-A Hires a VP of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion
A clip from 2 years ago shows CEO Dan Cathy saying white should shine a black person’s shoes with “a sense of shame, a sense of embarrassment.”
Wealth Taxes Result in Rich People Fleeing, Turns Out
Norway hiked its wealth tax. A bunch of rich people got the hell out.
Macy’s and Costco sound a warning about the economy
Macy’s, Costco and other big chains say shoppers are pulling back at their stores and changing what they buy. That could be a red flag for the US economy.
How Russia continues to sell oil to China with the help of a ‘dark fleet’
The NY Times published the results of a pretty interesting investigation today. The paper looked into how Russia continues to sell oil to China despite sanctions by spoofing transponder signals and by paying an American company for necessary insurance.
After Debt-Ceiling Deal, U.S. Still Faces $18.8 Trillion in Deficits Over the Decade
Early in the debt-ceiling fight, Speaker Kevin McCarthy declared, “A responsible debt limit increase that begins to eliminate wasteful Washington spending and puts us on a path towards a balanced budget is not only the right place to start, it’s the only place to start.”
International
John Cleese will not be cutting the ‘Loretta’ scene from “Life of Brian”
Let me say upfront that I’m a longtime fan of John Cleese. His comedic talent is unquestionable. Everything from Fawlty Towers to Monty Python classics are comedic gold. There is nothing to take seriously in any of them and that’s the point. It’s pure entertainment, an escape into silliness and fantasy. The productions just make people laugh.
Elon Musk Pulls Twitter from European Union’s ‘Anti-Disinformation’ Agreement
French Digital Minister threatens to ban Twitter if it doesn’t follow EU rules.
Danielle Smith leads UCP to Alberta majority government
‘Welcome to another miracle on the Prairies,’ Smith tells jubilant crowd in Calgary
Jail threat for ‘influencers’ under tough new French law
Influencers in France face the threat of prison sentences or major fines under new legislation adopted by parliament on Thursday that is aimed at cracking down on undeclared advertising and fraud.
Russian tourists disgusted by food served at Cuban luxury hotels
Cuba’s new colonial masters are wasting no time in expressing their contempt for their new subjects. And these expressions of discontent may be very clear signs of worse things to come.
Canada reshuffles the alphabet
The intersectional wars heat up, and it might be fun to watch. Canada is literally reshuffling the alphabet peoples’ acronym and my guess is that a lot of people included will not be happy.
South Africa has new “equity based” water use regs
The Minister of Water and Sanitation, Mr. Mchunu, published his revised guidelines (pg. 79) as part of a massive “Government Gazette” on the 19th of May. Parties who wish to opine or comment on the proposed new guidelines are welcome to do so in written form for the next 60 days.
What “Pride” looks like in a school
I hope that we can all agree that no kid should be bullied. It happens all the time, for every sort of reason, and unfortunately, bullying will always be a part of life as a kid.
Opinion
No Dodging The Democrats’ Degradation, or, “We’re All San Francisco Democrats Now”
You would think a team named “Dodgers” would know how to dodge a culture war battle they can’t win (see: Target, Bud Light), but no, the Los Angeles Dodgers managed to get picked off in the most embarrassing fashion in a pickle-style rundown entirely of their own ineptitude. Surely the conservative (and Catholic) O’Malley family that used to own the Dodgers—before the onerous estate tax forced the family to sell the team back in the 1990s after Peter Walter O’Malley died—are rolling in their graves.
The Oakland A’s Are America in Microcosm. Yes, That Means We’re In Trouble.
Every fan thinks that there is something special about his favorite sports team, but in the case of the Oakland Athletics, since the early 1970s I’ve assumed that it was the flashy green and gold uniforms, the quaint nineteenth-century-vintage nickname, the long list of big personalities who have played for or managed the team, and so on. Only when I saw the video that started circulating Tuesday of the fan who ran out onto the field in Oakland, circled the bases and returned to the stands without anyone stopping him did I realize: the Oakland A’s are America. No, not America’s team. They’re not even Oakland’s team. I mean that the Athletics are a kind of parable of America over the last half-century. And that’s not a good sign.
How Republicans Lost Minnesota
Our editorial this morning looks at the riot of left-wing culture wars and irresponsible spending that Minnesota Democrats have unleashed after flipping a single state senate seat in 2022 to gain unified but narrow control of the state government. How did things get so bad for Minnesota Republicans?
Who is telling these companies to go woke?
We chatted with Bill Katz, the editor of Urgent Agenda, about of companies going “woke.” Are their customers telling them to go “woke”? I don’t think so. Listen in for our weekly review of politics and other current events.
Oppose ontological oppression!
A spectre is haunting oncology — the spectre of ontological oppression. All the powers of old biology have entered into a holy alliance to exorcise this spectre: medical doctors and researchers, scientists and patients, surgeons and radiologists.
Brainwashing in Our Colleges
Leftist control of our colleges is almost complete. Most of the faculty adheres to collectivist beliefs and so do most of the burgeoning number of administrators. They seldom pass up opportunities to push students to accept their ideology.
