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Tishaura Jones, the mayor of St. Louis, has devised a unique strategy to combat crime in her community. It does not include increasing police resources and manpower. As far as the author is aware, social workers do not take the place of police officers in this situation. That may be part of it, but one innovation in making the city safer is holding neighborhood businesses responsible for crimes that happen on and near their property.

No, your eyes were not playing tricks on you. The emphasis is on making companies accountable. Not the offenders, not even those who draft laws that give lawbreakers more impunity.

Jones attended the Black Mayors’ Coalition on Crime last month, which took place in Memphis, Tennessee. After seeing a nightclub owners’ program in Atlanta, Jones believed that St. Louis might benefit from keeping business owners accountable. During a WMC-TV interview, she said:

“There is a lot of violence in the vicinity of petrol stations and convenience stores. So how can we both reduce crime and hold those company owners responsible? A few of the initiatives are already underway, and it appears that other mayors are following suit. (sic)”

If one is reasonable, one may argue in favor of nightclubs. Drinking at nightclubs may lessen inhibitions, which can result in a variety of activities that might make someone’s story appear on the local news. Furthermore, the fact that drug use and nightclubs frequently go hand in hand shouldn’t surprise anyone. Some nights, when I worked at a comedy club, I really considered phoning a DEA agent before I went to clean the restrooms.

However, what are the owners of gas stations and convenience shops meant to do about loiterers, intruders, and regular criminals who breach the law in and around their establishments? Do they need to possess a gun? In a blue city, how would that go over? Shall they go outside and reprimand the miscreants harshly? Maybe they ought to give the cops a call. But depending on where you are, the cops may show up either too late or not at all. Why should small company owners bear the burden of accountability for circumstances that they have no influence over?

The Blaze pointed out:

“St. Louis is among the most criminally dangerous cities in the United States by any standard. CrimeGrade.org gave the city an “F” grade. St. Louis has long had one of the highest rates of violent crime and homicide in the nation. Jones took office as St. Louis’ mayor in 2021.”

The Blaze also revealed that the notion that people were mistakenly believing that crime was on the rise rather than that it was genuinely down was one of the topics covered during the Memphis gathering. Memphis Mayor Paul Young expressed his opinion, saying, “We are resolute and consolidated in the knowledge that we are stronger together. “The overall crime numbers may have decreased, according to the national crime figures, but as we discussed today, statistics mean nothing if people do not feel safe.”

Although there were many unfavorable comments about X, I believe the following comment stood out the most:

Not all business owners survived the lockdowns; many of them battled to get by. They already have to deal with a failing economy, exorbitant costs, and customers who have less money to spend. In addition to these problems, companies throughout the globe are seeing an increase in violent crimes, vandalism, theft, and shoplifting by individuals who feel they may act without consequence. Nothing will sink your city like telling these folks they are a part of the problem.

Author: Scott Dowdy

The extent of pandemic aid fraud will never be known. To obtain any sort of reliable accounting, there were just so many trillions of dollars and way too many projects managed by inept morons.

The COVID-19 Economic Injury Disaster Loan Program and the Paycheck Protection Program are the only two programs for which the inspector general of the Small Business Administration assessed $200 billion in fraud.

The best estimate of fraud, according to the Associated Press, is $280 billion, with an additional $123 billion in squandered or improperly spent funds. This is the reason it is inadvertently humorous to hear about the Justice Department recovering stolen COVID aid. All you can do is laugh heartily and throw up your hands at the DOJ’s $1.4 billion recovery and 3,500 arrests of criminals.

Given that the entire amount of COVID aid stolen is likely in excess of $500 billion, or 10% of all help authorized by Congress, one must ask themselves who has been dismissed for this heinous mismanagement. Where is the responsibility?

Finding the thieves who took the money is one thing. A few of them were simple to capture. While incarcerated, prisoners from California stole $1 billion in unemployment benefits. However, foreigners who took advantage of the criminally lenient monitoring and fled with riches were mostly responsible for the scam. Most likely, they will get away with it.

Attorney General Merrick Garland told reporters on Tuesday, “We will continue to investigate and legally prosecute pandemic relief fraud and to collect the assets that have been taken from American taxpayers.”

USA Today:

“Federal authorities charged 47 individuals in September 2022 with embezzling $250 million from a coronavirus pandemic assistance program, which aimed to feed children, through “a brazen fraud of breathtaking dimensions.” Charges against 21 persons suspected of stealing $149 million from government programs and making fraudulent claims of billing stemmed from a sweep of suspects that included physicians, marketers, and producers of phony vaccination cards in April 2022. According to a USA TODAY investigation, fifteen of the biggest and most severely affected states gave hundreds of millions of dollars in sole-sourced noncompetitive contracts to suppliers of masks and other products suspected to have defrauded taxpayers.”

A measure to extend the statute of limitations is one of the most significant ideas now before Congress, since it is obvious that investigations will carry on long after the statutory deadlines have passed.

We are thinking about adding more provisions.

“Tripling the budget to $300 million so that prosecution teams may work together to investigate pandemic fraud. increasing the maximum fine in civil fraud cases from $150,000 to $1 million. The inspectors general of the Labor Department and the Small Business Administration will receive $250 million to assist them in identifying and recovering fraudulent activities.

Plagiarism estimates differ because, very frankly, Democrats are averse to knowing the full extent of fraud losses.

Furthermore, Democrats are averse to learning who is accountable for the wrongdoing. The heads of cabinet secretaries ought to roll at the very least, but that will not happen either. Both the half trillion dollars in fraud and the oversight of the alleged “Biggest Scam in American History” have already disappeared.

Author: Blake Ambrose

“I agree with Americans’ legitimate frustrations” over immigration and economic possibilities, stated Jamie Dimon, the billionaire chairman and CEO of JPMorgan Chase, the largest bank in the world.

In his annual shareholder letter for 2024, For failing to defend the American ideal, economic dynamism, and economic possibilities for regular Americans, Dimon denounced the country’s establishment:

I believe that our highly charged political domestic issues primarily stem from two factors: 1) immigration and the lack of border security; and 2) the eroding American dream, particularly for low-income people and rural Americans who feel left behind in the face of others’ increasing wealth and prosperity.

“Many impacted Americans, in my opinion, do not harbor animosity against law-abiding, industrious immigrants, and, on the contrary, recognize the vital role that immigrants have played and continue to play in the development of our amazing nation. Instead, they are upset because America has failed to enact appropriate immigration and border control laws. Despite the fact that many members of Congress are aware of the necessary actions, party politics impede their ability to pass legislation. Congress has in a few instances gone quite near, and I hope they continue to try.”

However, Dimon does not support the widely supported limits and reductions in immigration that would encourage policymakers and investors to increase wages in the United States, foster innovation in the country, increase worker productivity, and increase corporate trade. Rather, Dimon mumbles something about nebulous “immigration… changes,” adding that immigrants are “vital in developing this magnificent country.”

Certain purported changes, like the establishment’s 2024 border bill, aim to exacerbate the influx of wage-cutting migrants that the government is bringing into American politics, businesses, and neighborhoods.

President Biden’s maximum-migration policy flushes away the wage gains, trade opportunities, innovation, productivity, and prosperity needed by blue and white collar Americans and their children, but it also forces more foreign workers, consumers, and renters into the economy, making it incredibly profitable in the short run for Dimon and his Wall Street colleagues.

“I am quite certain that hundreds of millions of people would want to come to America if you opened up our borders to the rest of the globe,” Dimon remarked.

Author: Blake Ambrose

The Biden administration proposed a new student loan program on Monday that, if approved, will relieve millions of Americans of their debt obligations.

“There is no such thing as ‘forgiveness,’ and student loan debt does not disappear—it stays on the federal government’s records,” according to edworkforce.house.gov. According to estimates, cancellation alone will cost at least $400 billion. The Biden administration would merely shift the burden associated with student loans, which millions of borrowers have accepted, onto the shoulders of American taxpayers. Biden’s rescue of student loans would cost taxpayers at least $2,500, even if they never attended college.

The proposed programs would mainly affect borrowers with “runaway interest,” those who are “those suffering hardship,” those who qualify for income-driven repayment (IDR) plans, and those who have been making loan payments for 20 years.

The idea would cancel borrowers’ $20,000 loan balance for amounts that have escalated due to unpaid interest since the start of payments, regardless of income. Individuals who fulfill the prerequisites of the SAVE IDR program will have their total outstanding interest waived.

In turn, this would eliminate the whole debt increase for “23 million Americans,” and it would relieve 25 million people of the balance growth that comes from unpaid interest.

Furthermore, for those who fulfill the criteria of the Public Service Loan Forgiveness program, the SAVE plan, and other loan forgiveness programs, the government wishes to automatically waive debt. An estimated 2 million Americans would have their loans entirely erased under this plan.

The administration also aims to help families struggling with additional debt from medical bills and other sources, as well as students enrolled in inadequately valued education programs. All of these groups are at high risk of defaulting on their loans, and the administration wants to help them.

In the upcoming months, the Biden-Harris administration intends to publish draft regulations on these programs. This fall, the government stated that it would start waiving up to $20,000 in interest for millions of borrowers and completely forgiving millions more loans if these plans turned out as planned.

The administration also emphasized the potential benefits of this action for community college graduates, particularly for Black and Latino borrowers, who are statistically more likely than Whites and Asians to have difficulties with student loan debt.

“By taking these steps, Black and Latino borrowers, community college borrowers, and borrowers who are financially vulnerable due to having taken out debt but never having the opportunity to finish their degree should get considerable assistance,” the administration stated.”

The approval or rejection of these plans will not be known for months. If the proposals are approved, it is also anticipated that they will be challenged in court.

Author: Blake Ambrose

The Republican National Committee (RNC) and the campaign of former president Donald Trump declared on Saturday night that a Trump fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, had raised over $50 million in a single night, setting a new record for a presidential campaign’s single-fundraiser.

Shortly after Democratic President Joe Biden broke the previous mark, raising a then-record $26 million when he spoke in New York City with former Presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, Trump has now broken that record once again.

Nearly twice as many Republicans from the donor class turned to Trump for his Saturday night fundraiser as he did last month, when he surpassed the threshold of delegates required to be the presumed GOP nominee for president in a third consecutive election.

Senior campaign advisors to President Trump, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles, released a statement saying, “Tonight will be a great night for President Trump and the Republican Party, generating an unbelievable $50.5 million.”

Meanwhile, Donald J. Trump is winning poll after poll and demonstrating that the public is behind him after securing the nomination in one of the most quickly held primaries in contemporary political history. It is now more evident than ever that we have the means, the strategy, and the message to help President Trump win on November 5.

Speaking at the fundraiser, newly appointed RNC chairman Michael Whatley and co-chair Lara Trump—Trump’s daughter-in-law—also claimed that it showed the GOP united behind Trump and prepared to take on Biden.

Whatley and Lara Trump stated, “The success of tonight’s event is demonstrating what we already know: Americans are fed up with Biden’s record of failure, from the open southern border and sky-high inflation to the migrant crime issue that has left everyone less safe.” People are queuing up to join our campaign and finally put an end to Crooked Joe Biden as the Republican Party unites behind the drive to elect President Donald J. Trump.

The fundraiser took place at the Palm Beach house of hedge fund billionaire John Paulson, a potential contender for Secretary of the Treasury should Trump win the election again in November. Dubbed the “Inaugural Leadership Dinner,” a number of contributors maxed out at $824,600, the event’s maximum amount, in exchange for a “Chairman level” experience that included Trump dining with them.

Former first lady Melania Trump, along with three of Trump’s prior intra-party challengers for 2024, Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), billionaire Vivek Ramaswamy, and North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, were also present at the fundraiser.

The New York Post obtained a copy of the fundraising invitation, which features a who-is-who of big-name GOP donors, including former Sen. Kelly Loeffler (R-GA) and her husband Jeffrey Sprecher, Todd Ricketts, Scott Bessent, John Catsimatidis, and Harold Hamm.

This historic Saturday night event for Trump comes after the RNC and Trump campaigns revealed earlier this week that they had already collected $65.6 million in March and had $93.1 million in cash on hand.

On the other hand, the Democratic National Committee (DNC) and the Biden campaign declared at the end of March that they had raised a combined $90 million and had $192 million in cash on hand. Trump’s Saturday night event will significantly diminish Biden’s lead, and as the former president continues to raise funds and draw significant GOP donors after the primary concludes, Biden’s lead is likely to diminish.

Author: Blake Ambrose

In response to allegations made by the 46th president that former President Donald Trump wants to cut entitlement programs, the Biden administration has completed its plan to eliminate Medicare Advantage.

On Monday, the Biden administration will reduce Medicare Advantage plan base payments by.16 percent on average, in defiance of Republican and medical expert opposition. This comes after Biden made contentious changes to the risk-adjusting coding system in an effort to purportedly improve the accuracy of Medicare Advantage payments.

Since many American seniors now rely on Medicare Advantage for their healthcare requirements, Biden’s decision would affect more than half of Medicare members. Experts predict that in 2025, seniors in America participating in Medicare Advantage may suffer a decrease in their supplementary benefits or an increase in cost-sharing of $33 per month.

“President Biden’s team is betting that MA recipients will not know before the election the advantages Biden’s team is causing them to lose come January 2025,” analyst Chris Meekins stated.

As Trump declared to Breitbart News that he would never touch Social Security or Medicare, Biden made the decision to cut back on Medicare Advantage. This contradicts Democratic and Biden’s promises that he will reduce entitlement spending.

Trump said, “I will never do anything that will threaten or harm Social Security or Medicare.” “There is nowhere else we can do it. However, we will not take any action that might harm them.

Ninety percent of Medicare Advantage subscribers were happy with their treatment, according to a Commonwealth Fund report from 2021. This percentage is comparable to that of regular Medicare. Medicare Advantage even performs better than Medicare on 16 key clinical quality criteria, according to research.

Biden formerly supported a measure that would examine and renew programs like Social Security and Medicare once they sunset, as Breitbart News reported:

Moreover, it is possible that Biden overlooked the fact that, back in 1975, as a Delaware senator, he proposed a bill that would have mandated the examination and reauthorization, or lack thereof, of government programs, including Social Security and Medicare. Sen. Rick Scott’s (R-FL) first proposal, which Biden has regularly criticized, is strikingly identical to this one. “We need to start evaluating current initiatives to see if they are still beneficial and if the funding we are providing them with makes sense.” Biden stated when presenting the 1975 legislation, “We have to get rid of the ones that are wasteful.”

Biden’s decision to eliminate Medicare Advantage has Republicans and conservatives inconsolable.

Senator Rick Scott (R-FL) said, “BREAKING: Biden just slashed Medicare payments once more.” Biden’s changes will cost the 2.8 million seniors in Florida who use Medicare Advantage an additional $400 annually. Biden’s attack on seniors is deplorable, and I am doing all in my power to change this awful choice.

“The Biden White House accuses me of trying to reform and save Medicare, while @JoeBiden is actively reducing Medicare for 33 million seniors,” stated Representative Kevin Hern (R-OK), the chairman of the Republican Study Committee (RSC).

Adam Brandon, president of FreedomWorks, said in a statement:

“The Biden administration persisted in criticizing Medicare Advantage, the private sector alternative for seniors on Medicare, yesterday. In two years, this is the second cut. Seniors will pay an additional $33 a month as a result of the most recent round of cutbacks. For a group of people who are mostly on fixed incomes but are still suffering from severe inflation, that is a $396 annual rate hike. 33 million seniors, or more than 50% of the senior population, choose Medicare Advantage over standard Medicare because it is so well-liked and popular. I find it astounding that the government is going after one of our elders’ most well-liked programs. For most Democrats, it seems uncharacteristic to remove a program as popular as Medicare Advantage unless doing so is a necessary first step toward achieving their ultimate objective of universal healthcare. Democrats have made it clear that they want a single-payer, universal Medicare-style system. Maybe Medicare Advantage and its 33 million members are just byproducts of the process.”

“Biden is eliminating Medicare Advantage coverage for 33 million Americans—and hoping they do not realize it until after the November election,” stated Heritage Action in a statement. The process of reducing benefits for seniors is as follows.

Author: Blake Ambrose

According to AAA, the average price of normal gasoline nationwide surpassed $3.54 per gallon on Wednesday, marking a rise of more than 45% under President Joe Biden.

Gas costs have increased by 20 cents ($3.34) in the last month, or around $1 higher than they were when Trump took office.

Due to industrial and political causes, gas prices are still high and may continue to rise. A major contributing element is Biden’s economic assault on US energy independence amid the unrest in the Middle East and Ukraine.

Goldman Sachs predicts that gasoline prices will hit $4 by May.

“There are several variables that increase the price of oil. Therefore, you should anticipate that OPEC+ will continue to reduce its output. In the Middle East, tensions have also increased. That has also been driving up rates, according to a Wednesday article from Ines Ferre of Yahoo News.”

Customers are starting to notice the price hike.

“I had to get this automobile right away since petrol costs have increased; it saves me gas. Former California resident Jose Torres told KFSN, “I used to have a truck and I would pump virtually every day, now it is every other day.”

CEO of King Operating Corporation, Jay Young, told NBC 5 in Dallas, “I just do not see it going down.” Thus, budget more if you intend to drive farther this summer. Regretfully, expect to pay more.

Customers need not be concerned, according to GasBuddy’s head of petroleum analysis, Patrick de Haan. He told ABC News, “We are generally exactly on track with what we like to observe.”

According to Breitbart News, petrol costs have been high historically, and not just in comparison to the extremely low prices during the epidemic lockdowns, when the weekly national average gas price dropped below $1.80. The average price of gasoline in 2018 was $2.72 per gallon. The average for the following year was $2.60.

Author: Blake Ambrose

Over two hundred recording artists from all age groups and genres have penned an open letter criticizing the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the music business.

The non-profit Artist Rights Alliance put it together, and a number of well-known musicians signed it, including the estates of Bob Marley and Frank Sinatra, as well as Billie Eilish, Katy Perry, Miranda Lambert, Imagine Dragons, Ja Rule, Julia Michaels, Kim Petras, Nicki Minaj, Pearl Jam, R.E.M. Sam Smith, Smokey Robinson, Sheryl Crow, Stevie Wonder, and Zayn Malik.

The letter warns against deepfakes and cloning, which are becoming serious problems, and calls on industry leaders to “stop the use of AI to infringe on and devalue human artists.” The group claims that technology will continue to advance, but it needs safeguards against specific uses of AI.

Additionally, it says that “irresponsible applications of AI” can result in lower royalties for artists. The letter states, “This would be terrible for many struggling musicians, artists, and composers who are just trying to make ends meet.”

“We think AI has a huge potential to boost human creativity in a way that promotes the creation and evolution of new experiences for music lovers globally, when used responsibly,” the statement reads. “Unfortunately, some developers and platforms are using AI to harm artists, composers, musicians, and rightsholders and hinder creation.”

“If left unchecked, artificial intelligence will initiate a downward spiral that will diminish the significance of human labor and impede us from receiving just compensation for it,” the letter adds. “We must defend against the rapacious use of AI to appropriate the voices and likenesses of professional musicians, infringe upon the rights of creators, and devastate the industry.”

The letter is released at a time when discussions over AI usage in the entertainment business, including music, television, and cinema, are still ongoing. The union members’ demand for job protection as AI usage rose was a contributing factor in the strikes by actors and writers that occurred last year.

Author: Steven Sinclaire

On Tuesday, the largest fresh egg producer in the US announced the discovery of bird flu in hens at a Texas factory and another facility in Michigan.

Cal-Maine Foods, Inc. released a statement stating that 337,000 pullets and an estimated 1.6 million laying hens were slaughtered at the Parmer County, Texas, operation due to avian influenza. That figure represents around 3.6% of the facility’s entire population, according to the Associated Press.

Situated approximately 370 miles northwest of Dallas in the panhandle of Texas, the facility shares a border with New Mexico. According to the article, the firm stated that it sells the majority of its eggs in the United States’ midwestern, mid-Atlantic, southeastern, and southwestern areas.

According to the statement, “The Company continues to engage closely with officials from the federal, state, and local governments as well as targeted industry organizations to limit the risk of future outbreaks and successfully manage the response.”

According to the comment, “Cal-Maine Foods is seeking to secure output from other plants to minimize inconvenience to its customers.”

The company said that it has not recalled any eggs and is not aware of any risks associated with eggs that are now on the market.

“The public is not at risk,” the article states, citing Cal-Maine’s notification made the day after state health officials claimed a person had been diagnosed with bird flu after coming into contact with cows thought to be contaminated.

According to federal health experts, the Texas human case represents the first recorded occurrence of this particular strain of bird flu spreading from a mammal to humans worldwide.

The Michigan Department of Agriculture and Rural Development reports that the Diagnostic Laboratory at Michigan State University also discovered bird flu at a commercial poultry plant in Ionia County.

According to the article, the agency announced that the laboratory confirmed the illness on Monday, marking the fourth time since 2022 that a commercial facility in Michigan has found the disease.

Department spokesman Jennifer Holton reports that the facility is currently under quarantine, and she anticipates no disruptions to the state’s supply chain. According to Holton, state law prohibits the agency from disclosing the type of poultry kept at the facility.

The paper states, “Last week, reports surfaced of bird flu illnesses in Texas and Kansas dairy cows. Later, federal agricultural officials confirmed infections in a dairy herd in Michigan that had recently acquired cows from Texas.” “A press statement from the USDA on Tuesday stated that a dairy herd in Idaho has been added to the list after federal agricultural officials verified the diagnosis of bird flu in them.”

Author: Blake Ambrose

Joe Biden’s campaign wants you to think that everything is just because he is raising a lot of money, even if his popularity numbers are terrible.

According to a recent New York Times investigation, Biden’s campaign had $71 million at the end of February, while Trump’s had $33.5 million. and that was before his extravagant, star-studded event in New York City that allegedly raised $26 million. The leftist media is portraying Trump as having difficulty raising money for his third presidential campaign while, like clockwork, using Biden’s fundraising figures as evidence that his campaign is not collapsing.

Democratic strategist Douglas Schoen stated last week that while former president Donald Trump may have a minor advantage against President Biden in early polls, the incumbent has a sizable lead in another race that is maybe just as crucial thus far out from November.

Given that Biden and the Democratic National Committee have been raising money together from the start of the campaign—Donald Trump only won the Republican nomination this month—part of Biden’s financial advantage has been an illusion. Even nevertheless, a closer examination of Joe Biden’s funding figures indicates serious problems for his campaign.

What matters is who is contributing to his campaign. Though Biden is undoubtedly gaining from large contributions from businesses and left-leaning interest groups, he is having trouble drawing in modest contributions from the general public.

A Fox Business examination of FEC filings indicates that big donors—those who have contributed more than $2,000—account for 35 percent of Biden’s 2024 reelection campaign funding. Just 38% of his contributions come from modest givers, namely those who provide $1 to $200. Conversely, the Trump campaign reports that an astounding 61% of its funding comes from small individuals, while only 9% comes from large contributors. Big contributors have given Biden ten times more money than they did in the last election cycle, while Trump’s numbers have dropped by the same amount.

Biden’s ongoing issue has been his inability to draw in modest donations. Politico revealed in August that Democrats are deeply worried about the dearth of modest contributors supporting Biden’s candidacy.

“Ahead of a challenging election campaign, Biden’s lack of grassroots involvement raises concerns about whether the 80-year-old incumbent is energizing the Democratic base in the manner necessary to win a second term. Additionally, it appears from the new statistics that contributors are no longer as motivated by the danger of Donald Trump, who was previously a major source of funding for Democrats.”

According to Ari Rabin-Havt, a former deputy campaign manager for Sen. Bernie Sanders’ 2020 presidential campaign, “small donors are a proxy for enthusiasm; if people are not concerned about the drop-off in contributions, then they just are not paying attention or whistling through the graveyard,” she told Politico.

Therefore, despite what the Biden campaign and the media are trying to portray, Biden’s fundraising totals are not as impressive as they seem. He is depending on the large financial resources of companies and affluent contributors to finance his campaign, but Trump has a clear advantage in terms of grassroots support.

Author: Blake Ambrose

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