Glenn Beck: VP debate bias?

October 01, 2008

The Glenn Beck Program

VP Debate Moderator Releasing Pro-Obama Book

GLENN: All right, there is also the Gwen Ifill story, and Stu and I have differing opinions on why this is important. We both think that it's important -- am I farther than you? I don't think she should be a part of the debate. Do you think she should be part of the debate?

STU: It's inexcusable that she is. I mean, it's not like she didn't -- it's not like she wrote this book two days ago.

GLENN: Right. Here's the thing. Both Stu and I think that this is -- John McCain knew about this for a long time. The other side knew about this for a long time. They're using this to put pressure on her to make sure that here the day before the debate we know -- we're watching you, Gwen.

STU: Right, to put pressure on the journalists to not act like journalists usually do.

GLENN: Yes. Don't show your bias here because we're watching you. And we now have planted a seed that this whole thing is dishonest because you've got a book out. So one way or another, they win. But one way or another we lose. I don't think she should be part of the debate even though -- look, if this were 1988, it would be a part of the debate. I mean, Gwen Ifill, does anybody think that she's a conservative? Does anybody think that she's, "Oh, my gosh, I'm open-minded." No, we know exactly who she is. We know exactly who she's voting for. She's written a book on Barack Obama. She's making money on Barack Obama and making money on Barack Obama winning or losing. Okay. That's kind of disturbing. But if this were 1988, "Whatever." But it's not 1988. Do I believe Gwen Ifill could be fair in a debate? Yeah, I think I do. I think I could believe that Gwen Ifill could be fair. We have one moment of her going, "I'm sorry, Ms. Palin, but your time is up." And everybody will go, "Oh, my gosh," anything this woman says at this point is going to be scrutinized and is going to be taken by one side or the other as playing politics.

STU: And you could say conservatives are overreacting. The woman is writing a book of praise about Barack Obama and how groundbreaking he is.

GLENN: Can you imagine --

STU: And she's a financial investment -- like she will get money, literally get more money if Obama wins. That's insane.

GLENN: So imagine if Tim Russert, a guy that you trust, if Tim Russert was still with us and would have written a book pro John McCain and was talking about how his military service is just, he is a different kind of guy, he's a different kind of candidate and would get money if he won. Can you imagine anyone saying the left? This from the people who won't even go on Fox. They want to have debates, but they won't even go on Fox. I'm sorry, but Fox has had the most fair debate I have seen. And this coming from a guy who's got a CNN employee badge. CNN has done a great job on the debates, but you know what? When you look at the hard core -- Chris Wallace, you're telling me Chris Wallace is not a hard core journalist? Come on. These guys will go on MSNBC but not on Fox. Hmmm. Okay.

So here's the thing. She has got to be off the debate not because she is going to do something and she's going to make Sarah Palin look bad, because I have more faith in Gwen Ifill -- and this is, whoa, am I way out on my faith credit line. I mean, I may not ever be able to -- I mean, honestly my trust bank may call me today and say, "Glenn, we've got to -- you're way overextended on your trust credit line here. You gave trust to Gwen Ifill."

STU: Someone's coming in and buying you out today.

GLENN: Somebody's coming in. I'm about to collapse on trust. But just because of pressure and everything else, she cannot look biased. She can't.

STU: She will anyway. It's my --

GLENN: She must not be a part of the -- if we lived in a sane world, she would not be a part of this debate for this reason. Close your eyes for a second -- unless you're driving -- close your eyes for a second and imagine tomorrow night's debate, okay? You've got politicians, you have journalists, you have TV networks, you have an audience full of partisan supporters. Who in this room do you really trust? Who in this room do you really trust? Now, happens to be the night of Sarah Palin. I happen to trust Sarah Palin. But the only reason why I trust Sarah Palin is because she feels like she's more like me. She feels like -- to me, when you've got your husband's best friend on television saying, "Yeah, he's just a regular Schmo" and your husband's best friend is on television wearing a hoodie, I'm okay. I'm okay. These are close -- these people are closer to us. Now, that doesn't mean you vote for her. That doesn't mean she has the right answers. She's got to have the right answers. But I only trust her because she seems like me. Beyond that who do you trust? You cannot do anything else to sow the seeds of disenfranchisement. You cannot make us not trust this system any more. Ohio, what the hell is happening in Ohio? Ohio now, you can go and vote today. I can go and register and vote. I don't -- "what? What? No. Trust me, I'm Glenn. No, no, no, seriously. That's me."

You've got ACORN. This story is absolutely unbelievable to me. For people who don't know what ACORN is, ACORN has over and over and over again been falsifying voting registration. This isn't like, "I think they're falsifying." This is, they have been caught falsifying -- I'm sorry. They've been caught turning in false records. In Washington State they took the phone book out and just started registering people. They said the hardest thing in Washington State to get people registered was making up the names. Every time they turn in a group of people, they'll turn in thousands of registrations, almost every time they're rejected because they're bogus. This is the group -- you know how the politicians said, "We're going to have profits. We're going to make money on this bailout. It's going to be fantastic." 20% of those profits in the original bill, 20% of that money was to go to ACORN. By the way, ACORN was an employer of Barack Obama. Barack Obama helped train their volunteers. ACORN and Barack Obama have both called each other family. Well, I know Barack Obama's family which I believe for a while there until he got caught included Jeremiah Wright: "I could no more disown him than I could my own family." Does that include ACORN? According to your words it does. There's no trust.

A year and a half ago, year and a half ago I told you that we were headed towards what could be the Great Depression. I don't know if we're going to hit the Great Depression. I no he that we are going to hit a massive recession. We are headed for real trouble. Whether it's the Great Depression I don't know. Remember, the stock market crash was not the Great Depression. The Great Depression was great because of what government did. Government introduced the new New Deal. It was over in the rest of Europe and the rest of the world. It was over. It didn't end here in the United States. Why? Because business didn't trust each other. Business didn't trust government. Government started getting involved. They started socializing things. Nobody trusted anybody. Nobody trusted the government to stay out of the way. Ask yourself: Have you heard any stories about any oil company going out and going out onto the coast to get that oil? You know those coastlines have been open? They were opened up, what, last week, the week before. Where are the companies going to get that oil? I'll tell you where those companies are. They're sitting at home. They're not going out into those coastlines to get the oil. Why? "Oh, because the big oil, they just want to make money." No. Because they know after the election the congress and the new President is going to ban any exploration. Why waste the money? They don't trust the government. They let that just expire. They don't care. They're coming back to put that ban back on after the election. That's why you can't get anything done, because nobody trusts anyone.

What's on Glenn's desk? THIS graphic novel's dystopia has TERRIFYING similarities to our world.

Matt Battaglia

Imagine a global health crisis. Everyone is ordered to "stay-at-home" and only to venture out for "essential" purposes. Travel is regulated by government surveillance, with only permitted workers allowed to go into the city. Inflation is at historic levels, and basic necessities, such as food and gasoline, become invaluable commodities.

Sound familiar?

As the COVID pandemic begins to recede into our cultural memory, it is harrowing to remember the sheer breadth of power we surrendered to our government in order to "keep us safe." We would be foolish to think that the pandemic wasn't a repetition of an age-old tale in the west, and we would be even more naive to believe that we aren't at risk of repeating it in the future: the government's manipulation of a crisis to secure its complete control over its people.

We would be foolish to think that the pandemic wasn't a repetition of an age-old tale

Filmmaker Matt Battaglia published a first in what is likely to become an emerging genre of post-pandemic apocalyptic literature, bringing to life the harrowing consequences of what could happen if we continue to surrender our liberty to the government for the sake of "safety and security."

Battaglia's graphic novel, House on Fire, brings this world to life in an even more vivid dimension through pictures, telling the story of a single day of a man living in this apocalyptic world that doesn't seem too distant from our own.

The setting

Imagine there is another global pandemic of a respiratory virus that is similar to COVID. The government implements COVID-like lockdowns and restrictions from their 2020 blueprint, but this time, the regulations are here to stay. After all, this pandemic isn't the only threat allegedly facing the American people. The future of our planet is at stake. On top of the pandemic regulations, our government restricts the types of food available for consumption, implements individual carbon quotas, mandates electric vehicles, eliminates gas-powered heating, cars, stoves, etc.

Of course, the pandemic and climate change policies require major government funding, so the President uses his emergency powers and executive orders to push through a multi-trillion-dollar proposal that secures the funding necessary to finance the "clean and safe transition." Yes, inflation will be an issue, but that is a small price to pay to secure our health and the future of our planet. Don't forget to include foreign aid for our warring allies in the multi-trillion-dollar packages as well.

Inflation is a small price to pay to secure the future of our planet.

Now fast forward 20 years of living under these all-too-familiar draconian policies. This is Battaglia's apocalyptic world where we meet our nameless main character, causing the reader to question whether our world could devolve into Battaglia's in such a short amount of time.

The plot

Battaglia's story begins with our character kissing his wife goodbye and leaving their country home on a one-day mission to the city in search of a cure for his wife's most recent bout of the illness that is, presumably, a result of the pandemic.

All of the themes that contribute to the apocalyptic nature of Battaglia's world are familiar to us, disturbingly so. Our character drives through country roads, passing by gas signs that list $20 per gallon prices. His radio reports on another invasion of Poland, while country fields transform into steeple-like towers of run-down factories, like old monuments to former industries of a time long past.

Our character reaches the city limit, a border-like security checkpoint where he is required to scan his identity card to enter the city, the likes of which we see in China today. Masks required. He then drives through empty streets of a once bustling city, save for several suspect people who seem to blend into the crevices of alleyways and corners, shrouded by their masks.

Finally, our character meets with his "contact," who gives him some type of canister, supposedly a remedy for his wife's ailment. He barters with several cuts of meat, a rarity more valuable than inflated cash in this "Green New World." From this point onward, things take a turn for our character—for the worst.

Glenn's warning

Many of these scenes bring to life themes that Glenn has been warning about for years, from the government's use of a pandemic to seize control over its people, the depleted dollar and record-high inflation resulting from government spending and foreign conflicts, the Great Reset's goals to eliminate meat, gas-powered products, and other "high emissions products." All of these will be done in the name of seemingly righteous goals: "health," "safety," "security," and the "future of our planet" come to mind. However, we won't realize our freedoms will be a faint memory of the past until it is too late.

All of these measures will be done in the name of seemingly "righteous" goals.

House on Fire's poignant ending leaves the reader with a terrifying yet vitally important question: are the issues plaguing our society latent within society itself, or do they stem from the troubles within our own souls? Does society mold the human soul, or is society, as Plato puts it, the human soul "writ large?"

Battaglia's short yet powerful graphic novel brings to life many of the themes that Glenn has been warning his listeners. It is sitting on his desk, and we hope it will sit on yours too. It gives the reader a glimpse into our society after years of decay and oppression, calling on the reader to halt its progression before it's too late.

Click HERE to get your own copy!

Elon Musk comments on Glenn's podcast with David Sacks, takes jab at U.S. foreign policy

Pool / Pool | Getty Images

Elon Musk chimed into Glenn's conversation about foreign policy with PayPal's founding COO David Sacks on the most recent installment of the Glenn Beck Podcast.

Musk tweeted, "US foreign policy is bronze tier on a good day!" He hit the nail on the head, as Glenn and Sacks discussed the deterioration of U.S. foreign policy and the rising probability of war with Russia and China.

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Glenn asked Sacks, "How likely do you think it is that we'd be headed towards war?" Sacks responded that he has been warning about the imminent threat of war since the Ukraine situation started and lamented that we have entered into a "proxy war of choice" with Russia.

"We engaged in a series of actions going back to 2008 that the Russians have viewed as highly provocative," Sacks said, decrying the continued expansion of NATO into Ukraine. Russia has continually warned the U.S. against expanding NATO into Ukraine, yet the State Department "crusaders" have persisted in their NATO-driven objective, which is "unacceptable to the Russians," Sacks said, "in the same way the Soviet Union trying to put nukes in Cuba was unacceptable to us in 1962."

If NATO expansion isn't enough to provoke a response from the Russian bear, our ongoing and escalating aid to Ukraine certainly is. As Sacks explained, "We're not just providing [Ukraine] with money and weapons. We are providing them with intelligence, we have commandos on the ground" and we are even directing Ukrainian soldiers on how to use our weapons on how to hit specific Russian targets. As Sacks said, "We are providing the kill chain" for Ukraine.

To put this in perspective, that would be equivalent to Russian soldiers instructing Taliban members on how to use Russian weapons to hit specific U.S. camps in Afghanistan. In that situation, wouldn't we accuse Russia of engaging in an act of war? The term "proxy" is increasingly diminishing in its relevance towards the U.S.'s involvement in the Ukrainian conflict. We aren't engaging in a "proxy war" anymore. As Sacks said, "We are effectively a co-belligerent in this conflict."

It is no wonder that we are driving Russia into China's arms while both Putin and Xi continue to forge ties with sworn enemies of the U.S., including Iran and North Korea. If we continue to "poke the bear," it is only a matter of time before Russia finds its confidence with its newly-forged allies to retaliate against its aggressor.

Musk rightly said, "US foreign policy is bronze tier on a good day." But U.S. foreign policy has not even had a "good day" in some time. We are not only jeopardizing our own international reputation with ongoing aid to Ukraine; we are jeopardizing the whole world order by marching NATO increasingly toward war. Elites in the Biden administration and the military industrial complex may benefit from aggravating Russia towards war, but it certainly doesn't benefit anyone else, in the U.S. and abroad.

There are few tools in the conservative's kit to fight back against the elites' dangerous agenda. However, Musk mentioned one of these vital tools in a comment he tweeted on Glenn's interview with San Fransicko author and Twitter Files contributor Michael Schellenberger back in January: "Citizen journalism is vital to the future of civilization."

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As Glenn continues to give people a platform to speak out against the elites, it is encouraging to see Musk continue to help make Twitter a platform where people can voice their challenges to the machine's agenda.

Here are the TOP 5 things you NEED to know about Trump's potential indictment

Brandon Bell / Staff, Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

Trump's potential indictment is one of the most historically significant events in our nation's history—and no, that is not a hyperbolic statement.

If Trump is federally prosecuted, by a state-level District Attorney no less, then America may be entering a new territory past which there is no return: the weaponization of our judicial system against the top political opponents to the ruling class. As Glenn has said, weaponizing our judiciary is something we see in banana republics. Is America about to become one?

With all of the news and hype around Trump's potential indictment, it is easy to lose sight of the core issues that truly give this story historical significance. Here are five core aspects of this story that have the potential to transform our nation going forward.

1. Trump committed a misdemeanor, NOT a felony.

The allegations against Trump pertain to "hush money" given to the porn star Stormy Daniels during his 2016 Presidential Campaign. Trump's advisor Michael Cohen gave Daniels $130,000 of his own money after Daniels threatened to publicize her alleged affair with Trump just days before the 2016 election. Cohen wrote off the money as "legal fees" under his campaign finance funds. Trump then reimbursed Cohen for the expenses once he was in the White House.

Trump has maintained that he never had an affair with Daniels and that he is the victim of an extortion scheme. But that is besides the point. New York DA Alvin Bragg is potentially indicting Trump based on mislabeling the "hush money" as "legal fees" under campaign finance laws.

Even NBC acknowledges that mislabeling campaign finances is a "misdemeanor," not a felony, yet Trump is being prosecuted as if it were. The only way the "crime" could be turned into a felony is if the mislabeling was done to cover up another crime. Yet, as NBC admits, it is unclear whether Bragg has evidence of another crime that Trump was trying to cover up.

If you are thinking, "Wait, this is old news, right?" you would be correct. There is a reason why no one has prosecuted Trump based on the Stormy Daniels hush money in the seven years since it occurred—because there simply is no federal case. So why has Alvin Bragg decided to prosecute Trump now? Well, for one thing, Trump announced he is running for President again in 2024, and the Left simply can't let that happen.

2. Hillary Clinton committed the SAME crime.

The double standard of Trump's potential indictment is made even more clear when compared with Hillary Clinton, who committed the same misdemeanor.

Hillary Clinton's 2016 Presidential campaign "misreported" funds received from the Democratic National Convention (DNC) that went towards the infamous Steele Dossier, which aimed at linking Trump to collusion with the Russian government (which was proven to be a complete farce). Clinton's campaign wrote off the Steele Dossier funds as "legal services"—sound familiar?

She and the DNC paid the Federal Election Commission $113,000 to the Federal Election Commission, and the issue was swept under the rug. Yet Trump is being accused of the SAME misdemeanor—mislabeling campaign finance funds—and he is being threatened with federal prosecution.

3. Trump's possible indictment is "very conveniently" timed to overshadow the Biden family's corruption.

On March 16, 2023, the House Oversight Committee released a scathing memorandum detailing the illicit business dealings between the Biden family and the Chinese state-owned energy company, State Energy HK Limited.

According to bank records subpoenaed by the committee, the Chinese energy company wired $3 million to Delaware-based Robinson Walker LLC two months after Biden left the White House in 2017. At the time of the wire transfer, the business account only had $159 thousand. Now it had over $3 million.

The very next day, Robinson Walker LLC wired over $1 million to a company associated with James Gillar, a business partner of Hunter Biden’s.

Over the next 3 months, Robinson Walker LLC would send incremental payments to multiple members of the Biden family and their companies, including Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's brother, James, and Beau Biden's ex-wife, Hallie. The transfers included another "mysterious" recipient titled simply, “Biden." Who could that possibly be?

Let's get this straight: Trump's potential misdemeanor-turned-felony is making front-page news while Biden's DOCUMENTED business dealings with a foreign entity and enemy to the United States are being swept under the rug. How "convenient" for Biden.

4. Weaponizing judiciary

This week, we published a poll to see what YOU think of Trump's potential indictment, and most of you overwhelmingly believe our judiciary is being weaponized against anyone on the right side of the aisle—and you are absolutely correct.

Glenn aptly pointed out that using the judiciary to attack political opponents is something we see in banana republics, but now we are witnessing it in the U.S. before our eyes. As Glenn said, the strategy in banana republics is, "Show me the man, and I will find you the crime." They want Trump GONE, and now they are trying to conjure up the crime to do it.

It is very telling that conservatives are fearful of protesting Trump's potential indictment. As Glenn said, we all want a peaceful response. However, conservatives are now taking pause before peaceful protest after seeing the DOJ ruthlessly prosecutethousands of individuals on January 6, even those who never reached the capitol grounds. Is protesting Trump's indictment worth the risk of arrest?

The fact that this question arises in people's minds is extremely indicative of our current political climate. Our judiciary has been weaponized against conservatives, and now we have to think twice before publicly standing up for our beliefs. Sounding more like a banana republic?

5. This is the FIRST time a U.S. President has been federally prosecuted.

If Trump is federally indicted, it would solidify the judiciary's ability to become a weapon against political opponents, even up to the position of a U.S. President. This should give all Americans grave concern. This issue is much bigger than Trump; it is about whether we want to live in a nation whose ruling power can use its judicial system to go after its opponents.

Consider, for a moment, if the tables were turned. What if a Trump-appointed DA federally indicted President Obama for a state-level misdemeanor that resulted in throwing him in prison? Is that the "America" you would want to live in? It would arguably cease to be "America" as we know it and devolve into an ungovernable shell of what it once was.

This harrowing possibility is materializing beneath our very noses. There were many events that led up to the fall of the Roman republic into an empire, but it was the singular event of Caesar crossing the Rubicon that tipped the republic past the point of no return. Could this be our Rubicon moment? Are we, like Cicero, witnessing our republic mutate into something unrecognizable before our very eyes?

Though prosecuting Trump may yield some political vengeance and satisfaction for one side of the aisle in the short term, it poses an insurmountable threat to both sides of the aisle in the long-term trajectory of our country.

Here's how YOU can get access to Glenn's show prep from March 23, 2023

On Thursday's radio program, Glenn mentioned how important this week's stories are concerning the trajectory of our nation. From growing fears of bank collapses to the possible indictment of a U.S. President, the way these events unfold will have a seismic shift in the future of our country.

Glenn wants YOU to be informed with all of the news stories that are unfolding so that YOU can prepare for the future. Glenn considered his show prep from Thursday so important, he wanted all of his listeners to have it. That's why we're making Glenn's Morning Brief newsletter from March 23, 2023 available to you now. Scroll down to view all of the stories.

Glenn's Morning Brief newsletter contains all of the stories he reviews every morning before his radio show, even the stories he isn't able to get to while on-air. As Glenn said, having access to these stories is vital for you to be able to prepare for what comes next. That's why he has encouraged his audience to sign up for this newsletter so you can get access to ALL the stories that matter. Enter your email below to get Glenn's Morning Brief delivered to your inbox every morning.

Below is a copy of the stories featured in Glenn's Morning Brief newsletter sent March 23, 2023.

Domestic News...

FBI Informant Was Embedded In Jan. 6 Defense Team, Lawyers Allege
At least one Proud Boys member on trial over the Jan. 6 storming of the U.S. Capitol had a previously-concealed FBI informant set to appear as a witness in their case, a defense attorney said Wednesday.

Hunter Biden used FBI mole named ‘One-Eye’ to tip him off to China probes: tipster
The House Oversight Committee is investigating the claims by Dr. Gal Luft, a former Israel Defense Forces lieutenant colonel with deep intelligence ties in Washington and Beijing, who says he was arrested to stop him from revealing what he knows about the Biden family and FBI corruption.

Emails: VP Biden ‘Signed Off’ on Statement to Press About Hunter’s Burisma Position Despite Claims of No Involvement
Biden approved an official statement in December 2015 about Hunter Biden’s position on a Ukrainian energy company’s board despite claims he was not involved with the family’s business, emails obtained from the National Archives show.

Anarcho-tyranny in the USA
Law and order in the United States have now descended to a level of anarcho-tyranny in which the government funds rioters with the tax money of their victims.

The media desperately want to make maternity wards closing about abortion bans
It’s the perfect headline for the major media’s preferred narrative, and it’s mostly bogus. “So many doctors are being driven away by Idaho abortion ban that this hospital can’t deliver babies anymore,” one headline about Bonner General in Bonner County, Idaho, declared.

Democrat ran Milwaukee has a car theft epidemic
So their answer? To sue car makers for making their cars too easy to steal.

Lab-grown ‘GOOD Meat’ receives clearance from FDA
The lab-grown cultivated meat is made from animal cells that are provided nutrients, grown in steel vats, and then processed into various cuts of meat.

Virginia inmates use toothbrush to dig tunnel out of jail, head to IHOP
The prisoners were captured at the pancake joint’s location about seven miles away from the jail they escaped from hours earlier.

Politics...

Video: Joe Biden gets laughed at as he has another senior moment
"Jill, the First Lady...the first full-time lady...the First Lady who works full time in addition to being the First Lady."

Jean-Pierre refuses to comment on the Bidens receiving money from Chinese energy company
“And I don’t even know where to begin to even answer that question,” Jean-Pierre added. "Because, again, it’s been lies and lies and inaccuracy for the past couple of years and I’m just not going to get into it from here."

Babylon Bee: Democrats Vow To Arrest As Many Political Opponents As It Takes To Defeat Fascism
"Fascism is a clear and present danger in this country," began Senator Chuck Schumer, "and the only way to defeat it is with a corrupt, all-powerful police state that can imprison anyone who disagrees with us politically. If we don't do this, fascism will win."

Democrats’ Banana-Republic Persecution Of Donald Trump Must Meet A Republican Response
This is the equivalent of a nationally televised jaywalking arrest to humiliate a person due solely to personal hate.

Bill O'Reilly makes prediction that the Trump trial won't make it to a jury
O'Reilly said the reason he speculates this case won't go far is due to the statute of limitations in New York.

A Double Standard on Decorum in White House Briefing Room
The White House press corps is a microcosm of the national media. It is overwhelmingly liberal, stuffed with Joe Biden voters. So, it was downright weird when former press secretary Jen Psaki told the LA Times she sometimes thought, “I am an orderly in an insane asylum.”

Ted Cruz introduces bill blocking Fed from adopting central bank digital currency
Republicans cited privacy concerns as a reason for opposing a central bank digital currency for consumers.

Ted Cruz To Reintroduce Constitutional Amendment To Lock Supreme Court At Nine Justices
Cruz originally introduced the amendment in 2021.

Economy / ESG...

Fed hikes rates by a quarter percentage point, indicates increases are near an end
Along with its ninth hike since March 2022, the rate-setting Federal Open Market Committee noted that future increases are not assured and will depend largely on incoming data.

Janet Yellen Says Government Won’t Offer ‘Blanket Insurance’ Of Bank Deposits
“I have not considered or discussed anything having to do with blanket insurance or guarantees of deposits,” Yellen responded.

Elizabeth Warren Calls for Fed Chair Powell’s Ouster – He Is ‘Trying to Drive’ U.S. into Recession
"Well, what he’s trying to do is get two million people laid off. And one of the things that we need to understand, he wants to raise the unemployment rate by more than a point within a single 12-month period."

Coinbase: We asked the SEC for reasonable crypto rules for Americans. We got legal threats instead.
Today’s Wells notice does not provide a lot of information for us to respond to. The SEC staff told us they have identified potential violations of securities law, but little more.

Coinbase warned by SEC of potential securities charges
The notice is the second warning from the SEC to a crypto entity after a February notice to stablecoin issuer Paxos.

The IRS plans to tax some NFTs as collectibles
Collectibles carry a top long-term capital gains rate of 28%. Other assets like stocks and cryptocurrency generally carry a maximum 20% federal rate.

Job-listing company Indeed to lay off 2,200 employees
The company anticipates that job listings, which are the company’s bread-and-butter, will continue to decline in fiscal years 2023 and 2024.

WAR News...

A nuclear war with the US is more likely than ever, Russia warns
Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said on Wednesday that the risk of a nuclear clash was at its highest level in decades, warning that Moscow was in a "de-facto" open conflict with Washington over the war in Ukraine.

China, Russia turn up the heat on US after Xi, Putin meet in Moscow
US bio-military and nuclear activities raise ‘serious concerns’ about security of other nations, joint statement says.

Europe should detain Putin, give him to ICC if he visits, Blinken says
“Would you encourage our European allies to turn him over?” Republican Sen. Lindsey O. Graham of South Carolina asked Blinken during a budget hearing. “Anyone who is a party to the court and has obligations should fulfill their obligations,” Blinken said.

World Bank puts cost of rebuilding Ukraine at $411 billion
The report details some of the toll of Russia's war in Ukraine: at least 9,655 civilians confirmed dead, including 461 children; nearly 2 million homes damaged; more than one out of five public health institutions damaged; and 650 ambulances damaged or looted.

Chinese media: China supports UN-led Nord Stream investigation
Chinese experts stressed the importance of promoting the UN-led investigation into the Nord Stream sabotage while noting that launching such a probe under the existing UN mechanism could be very difficult because the US would obstruct or object to the investigation proposal.

Online Sleuths Untangle the Mystery of the Nord Stream Sabotage
Open source intelligence researchers are verifying and debunking opaque claims about who ruptured the gas pipelines in the Baltic Sea.

Russia is dusting off antique tanks from the 1940s, group says
It said that the images show T-54 tanks, which the Soviet Union started producing in 1947, moving west from the far east of Russia.

Ukrainian official accuses Putin of sending a body double to Mariupol
Conspiracy theories regarding Putin’s use of body doubles have persisted for years.

COVID-19...

Federal biosecurity board cut back meetings as US resumed gain-of-function research funding
A federal committee that advises the government on "biological research that has the potential for misuse" met only once between 2017, when a 3-year moratorium on federal funding of gain-of-function research was lifted, and 2022

Rand Paul confronts Moderna CEO about myocarditis risk from COVID vaccine
Then reveals what Moderna's president secretly told him.

Media...

For Five Straight Years, The Pulitzer Prizes Have Rewarded Misinformation
While the Pulitzer Prizes have always been little more than self-dealing masquerading as journalistic beauty pageant, it was a lot easier to believe in this manufactured prestige back when journalism was at least slightly more competent and concerned with the appearance of objectivity.

A huge new scandal rocks Fox News and Tucker Carlson
Part of a new lawsuit claims that Tucker Carlson's team plastered photos around the office of Nancy Pelosi in a bathing suit 'revealing her cleavage' because they thought it was funny because she looked bad.

DirecTV reaches deal to distribute Newsmax after dispute
Newsmax will again be available to DirecTV subscribers on Tuesday.

Canada...

Justin Trudeau: Online Disinformation Fuels ‘Flat-Earthers’ and ‘Anti-Vaxxers’
The internet also does things like allow people to easily find pictures of Trudeau in blackface.

Middle East...

Iran is preparing for the day after an Israeli strike, US should, too
Aware of Israel’s determination to stymie its nuclear ambitions, Iran has prepared for the day after such a strike. Just last month, details emerged that Tehran has been “mapping” Diaspora Jewish communities for future retaliatory assassination campaigns in case Israel were to execute such an attack.

Iran-Saudi deal shifts regional power - and the US emerges as a loser
The Iran-Saudi deal doesn’t necessarily signal a whole new ball game in the Middle East, however, there has been a shift in the balance of power among regional and global players, following the post-Ukraine era.

Environment...

Humanity has 'broken the water cycle,' UN chief warns
"We are draining humanity's lifeblood through vampiric overconsumption and unsustainable use, and evaporating it through global heating."

Climate protesters cut credit cards outside Chase, Citibank, Wells Fargo, Bank of America
Protesters gathered in DC, outside several major banks, where they cut up their credit cards and called for the institutions to stop spending money to promote the fossil fuel industry.

Chevy kills the gas powered Camaro
The Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro have soldiered on as what could possibly represent the last two vehicles of their kind.

Dodge resurrects 'controversial' Challenger SRT Demon for final year of V8 muscle cars
Dodge says the new car will deliver 1,025 total horsepower, 945 foot-pounds of torque and reach 60 mph from a rolling start in 1.66 seconds.

Electric cars are creating a new economy — and leaving some towns behind
Workers and small businesses in Belvidere, Ill., are dealing with the aftermath of mass layoffs, after Stellantis idled its Jeep factory.

Museum highlights climate change with tilted paintings
The powerful display will feature 15 paintings hung at an angle to bring attention to the earth warming 1.5 degrees Celsius...

LGBTQIA2S+...

Leftist pundit draws outrage for saying she doesn't want to be referred to as 'person who menstruates'
Ana Kasparian wrote, "I'm a woman. Please don't ever refer to me as a person with a uterus, birthing person, or person who menstruates. How do people not realize how degrading this is? You can support the transgender community without doing this s---."

Education...

Just three in 4 support schools having parents' consent before changing kids gender identity, poll
Nearly the same percentage of voters also support legislation requiring schools to tell parents whether their child wants to change their gender identity – with 71% in favor of this requirement.

Newsom silent on LA schools strike after 500,000 kids forced to stay home for second day
LA labor union demands 'pause in educator evaluations during this unprecedented time'.

Striking Los Angeles school support staff earn $25,000 on average
School support staffers, such as bus drivers, cafeteria workers, and teacher aides, earn about $25,000 a year in Los Angeles, one of the most expensive cities in America.

Health...

Rising Rate of Drug Shortages Is Framed as a National Security Threat
A Senate homeland security committee examined growing health care shortages amid reports of rationing within hospitals.

CDC: Artificial Tears Products Linked to Drug-Resistant Infection
The CDC wrote that the strain, called VIM-GES-CRPA, had not previously been seen in the US but has now been identified in 68 patients across 16 states.

Religion...

Russell Brand ‘I Need God or I Cannot Cope in this World’
“Like many desperate people, I need spirituality,” Brand said. “I need God, or I cannot cope in this world. I need to believe in the best in people.”

Technology...

Dems Fear TikTok Ban Could Makes The Kids Mad
Democratic New York Rep. Jamaal Bowman, a progressive member of “The Squad,” is leading the party’s fight against banning TikTok.

Bill to prevent spying by smart fridges advances to Senate floor
The bill would give the FTC the power to force the designers of internet-connected devices to disclose whether recording hardware is installed into smart devices.

Science...

US politicians 'shown top-secret videos of UFOs flying close to aircraft'
An investigative reporter working in the field of UFOs has claimed that there is now "incontrovertible evidence" key Congressmen and women in the US government are being given "top-secret" briefings.

The First 3-D Printed Rocket Fails Shortly After Launch
Relativity Space, a private company with ambitions for sending people to Mars, made it off the launchpad, but the vehicle experienced problems during the second stage of its flight.

Big asteroid impacts may be more damaging than we thought - study
Massive asteroids that have impacted the Earth in the past million years may have had a far more devastating effect on the planet than previously realized, according to a new study.

Travel...

TSA chief: Eventually, biometrics won’t be optional
This article flew under the radar last week as they buried the lead in an article titled, 'TSA chief says biometrics and tech could lower the stress of traveling'.

FAA: Lithium Battery Incidents On Planes Now Happening More Than Once Per Week
Spirit Airlines flight from Dallas to Orlando was diverted to Jacksonville earlier this week after a lithium battery in a personal device caught fire in an overhead bin.

Sports...

Multiple NHL teams have opted out of 'Pride Night' jerseys, as resistance grows despite media pressure
Behind the scenes, multiple teams have decided that ditching the controversial theme altogether was a smarter move, either because of player refusal or to avoid a public relations black eye.

Why Bulls’ Patrick Beverley won’t have sex before games
“I want to have fresh [legs,] you know what I’m saying?"

Animals...

There’s a new invasive mosquito species in Florida
An invasive mosquito with a curved mouth and a striped body is the latest addition to a growing list of nonnative mosquito species bridging the gap between the tropics and Florida.

Chinese scientists grow antlers on mice in hopes of one day regenerating human limbs
Can you imagine how cute a miniature Christmas display would be if you had mice with antlers pulling a little Santa's sleigh?

New species of ‘giant’ spider discovered hiding underground in Australia, experts say
Hiding underground and only emerging at night, a creepy crawly creature in the woodlands of Australia remained undetected. Not anymore.

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