pgnewser

A report in the Wall Street Journal claims the U.S. government is aware of a major cyberattack by China. The cyberattack enabled the Chinese Communists to access sensitive, as well as general, American wiretapping assets. Some of these systems include the same systems America’s de facto Star Chamber Courts, the FISA Courts, rely on, the same system that spied on a presidential candidate in 2016.

The report comes from WSJ interviews with informants, from which the publication concluded, “A cyberattack tied to the Chinese government penetrated the networks of a swath of US broadband providers, potentially accessing information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorized network wiretapping requests. For months or longer, the hackers might have held access to network infrastructure used to cooperate with lawful US requests for communications data, according to people familiar with the matter.”

Reports: China hacked Verizon and AT&T, may have accessed US wiretap systems – arstechnica.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Chinese government hackers penetrated the networks of several large US-based Internet service providers and may have gained access to systems used for court-authorized wiretaps of communications networks, The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday. “People familiar with the matter” told the WSJ that hackers breached the networks of companies including Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen (also known as CenturyLink)….

The Washington Post reported on the hacking campaign yesterday, describing it as “an audacious espionage operation likely aimed in part at discovering the Chinese targets of American surveillance.” The Post report attributed the information to US government officials and said an investigation by the FBI, other intelligence agencies, and the Department of Homeland Security “is in its early stages.”

RNC Sues Fulton County Elections Director for Refusing to Hire Republican Poll Workers — Only 15 Republicans Hired Out of Over 800 Election Staff | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Nadine Williams, the Director of Fulton County Department of Registration & Elections, allegedly excluded qualified Republican poll workers from the hiring process for the upcoming November 2024 election.

The Republican National Committee (RNC), along with the Georgia Republican Party and the Fulton County Republican Party, has filed a lawsuit against Nadine Williams, the Director of Fulton County Department of Registration & Elections.

The lawsuit alleges that Williams intentionally excluded qualified Republican poll workers from the hiring process for the upcoming November 2024 election, hiring only 15 Republicans out of 804 total election staff.

The lawsuit, filed in Fulton County Superior Court, seeks an emergency writ of mandamus, demanding Williams immediately appoint the Republican poll workers that were submitted for consideration.

Under Georgia law, political parties are entitled to submit lists of qualified individuals to serve as poll workers, and election officials are required to ensure balanced representation from both parties at polling places.

However, according to the lawsuit, the RNC and its affiliates claim that Williams has outright ignored their lists, violating the state law meant to ensure fair elections.

Out of 62 qualified Republicans submitted to work on election day, only 6 were hired. Similarly, of the 45 Republicans who applied for early voting positions, a mere 9 were selected.

According to the filing:

“As of the date of filing this Application for Emergency Writ of Mandamus, RNC, GRP and Fulton GOP believe that a total of 62 individuals on their list have applied with Defendant to work on Election Day. However, Defendant has only hired 6 of these 62 qualified workers.

A large percentage of these 62 qualified workers have never been contacted or have no idea of whether Defendant Williams intends to issue an order of appointment.

Based upon information and belief, Defendant Williams has found that 12 of the 62 individuals that are willing to work on Election Day are qualified to work the elections. However, rather than issue an appointment, Defendant Williams has put these qualified poll workers “on reserve.”

Defendant Williams has ostensibly placed the RNC, GRP and Fulton GOP’s list of qualified workers at the back of the line for Election Day work.”

BREAKING: FBI Search Ongoing, Armed Men Tried Barricading Congregation in Texas Church, Shots Fired– wltreport.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Reports are emerging of a potential terror attack that may have been thwarted in Burnet County, Texas — northwest of Austin.  Details are sketchy at this time, though a BOLO has been issued and local authorities have been augmented by FBI assistance in the search for the individuals who are reported to have been stopped in the process of a possible terror attack.

Reports say that 2 dark-skinned Mideastern Men, armed with rifles and wearing “Jihadi” garb (robes and turban) were noticed by security at a church attempting to block entrances, allegedly trying to barricade the church members inside the building.

One of the armed security members of the church is reported to have fired at least 1 round, and both men fled northbound on Hwy 281 towards Lampasas, Texas.

Gretchen Whitmer Poised To Sign Bill Taking Money Away From Family Caretakers To Pay Off Union Bosses– dailycaller.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Democratic Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer is poised to sign a bill that will allow union bosses in her state to take a cut of family caretakers’ pay.

Michigan’s Home Help program reimburses the in-home caretakers of some seniors and disabled people using Medicaid dollars  — with many of these caretakers being family members or close friends. A bill recently passed by Michigan’s Democratic-led Legislature, which Whitmer has stated she will sign, would reclassify these caretakers as public employees and push them to join the Service Employees International Union (SEIU).

“What this bill is going to end up doing is taking money away from hard-working, caring, loving family members who, out of the goodness of their own hearts, are making sure that their loved ones are receiving the at-home treatment that they need in a bid to build more revenue for union bosses,” Republican Michigan state Rep. Bill Schuette told the Daily Caller News Foundation. “It was rushed through in a single session day.”

The legislation would require that all personal caretakers attend an orientation program and mandate that a union representative be allowed to speak at that orientation. If passed, the law would require that union reps be allowed to distribute and collect materials and grant them the right to give a 30-minute-long presentation on unionization to the caretakers.

Alabama moves to toss out DOJ lawsuit on purging noncitizen voter registrations – Washington Examiner
Source Link
Excerpt:

Alabama Secretary of State Wes Allen asked a judge to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the Department of Justice that argued the state was removing people from its voter registration list too close to Election Day, according to a court motion filed Wednesday.

Lawyers for Alabama’s attorney general argued that the state’s decision to switch more than 3,000 voters to inactive status was a legal move after the DOJ argued Allen violated a provision of the National Voter Registration Act that implements a “quiet period” in the 90 days before an election.

The Alabama attorneys said the lawsuit should be tossed out because the DOJ, as well as private plaintiffs who are part of the suit, did not identify any violation of the NVRA provision.

The NVRA, a landmark bill signed into law in 1993, requires states to complete “any program the purpose of which is to systematically remove the names of ineligible voters from the official lists of eligible voters” before the 90-day quiet period begins.

Allen’s office identified 3,251 people on its voter rolls who could be noncitizens based, in part, on their alien numbers, which the Department of Homeland Security assigns to noncitizens, some of whom could become citizens.

Five Chinese Nationals Charged with Lying About Midnight Visit to U.S. Military Base– www.breitbart.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Five Chinese nationals were indicted on federal charges on Wednesday for conspiracy, lying to federal investigators, and destroying records pertaining to their strange midnight visit to a Michigan Army National Guard base in August 2023.

The defendants, who were University of Michigan students at the time, were caught with cameras near a major National Guard live-fire training exercise at Camp Grayling. The exercise, dubbed “Northern Strike,” involved military vehicles and classified communications equipment. Visiting personnel from Taiwan were involved in the drills.

The indictment filed on Wednesday did not pertain to the suspicious activities of the students near the military base, but rather to the false statements they gave investigators. When they were approached by a National Guard officer after bypassing abundant caution tape and “no trespassing” signs to enter the Northern Strike area, the five Chinese nationals falsely claimed to be members of the media, then fled the area.

Local law enforcement soon discovered the five had booked themselves into a motel in Grayling, seemingly for the purpose of observing the military exercise.

JUST IN: George W. Bush-Appointed Judge Gives Biden a Win Before Election, Rules He Can Move Forward with Student Loan Forgiveness Plan | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A federal judge late Wednesday gave Joe Biden a win a few weeks before the election and said he can move forward with his student loan forgiveness plan.

US District Judge in Georgia, Randall Hall, a George W. Bush appointee will allow a restraining order against the Biden-Harris Regime’s student loan forgiveness scheme to expire.

The US Supreme Court last year crushed Joe Biden’s student loan bailout program.

Joe Biden unilaterally announced a massive forgiveness of student loans last August to buy the Gen Z-Millennial vote in the 2022 midterms.

Biden canceled over $400 billion in student loans which turned out to be up to $10,000 in student debt for borrowers who earn $125,000 a year or less and up to $20,000 for recipients of Pell Grants.

The Supreme Court ruled 6-3 against Joe Biden’s student loan relief program so the Department of Education rolled out a workaround plan to cancel $39 billion in student loans by counting non-payments as payments for a period of time.

Seven Republican states – Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Missouri, North Dakota and Ohio – sued the Biden Regime over its student loan bailout workaround after the Supreme Court struck down the plan.

FDA/DOD Whistleblower Drops Bombshell: Government Countermeasures Killed More People than Covid– slaynews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

A former top official with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the Department of Defense (DOD) has come forward with bombshell whistleblower allegations about the true cause of deaths during and after the “pandemic.”

The stunning whistleblower disclosures were made by Dr. Jose-Luis Sagripanti, a highly credible source who gave over three decades of federal service before recently retiring.

Dr. Sagripanti served as a high-level administrator for both the FDA and the DOD.

He was appointed to the U.S. Army in October 2000, as the ST for Biochemistry, a position with Presidential Protocol 6 at the highest technical level in the U.S. government.

Biden and Obama Lawyers Block Release of Potentially Damning Biden V.P. Records Until After the Election – American Greatness- amgreatness.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s lawyers have succeeded in blocking the release of potentially incriminating records involving Hunter and James Biden until after the election, according to Just the News.

In September 2022, America First Legal sued the National Archives for all of Biden’s Obama era vice presidential communications related to the Biden clan’s influence peddling operations.  The National  Archives have been stonewalling the release of the information, releasing only “a trickle of documents” in the the ensuing two years.

Record released thus far have revealed that then-Vice President Biden used a private email for official business, Hunter Biden was in violation of the Foreign Agents Registration Act (FARA), the Obama regime had concerns about Hunter Biden’s appointment to Burisma, and Biden’s office had direct coordination with Hunter Biden’s business on press inquiries.

The records being blocked reportedly include ”email messages with James Biden …, Lion Hall …, and [Hunter’s firm] Rosemont Seneca,” about “photographs from a White House visit of Vice President Biden with James Biden … [and] preparation of Vice President and Biden’s final tax forms and financial disclosures for the year 2015.”

?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.thebluediamondgallery.com%2Fdictionary%2Fabortion.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=53cf137dd9e28f0c07a6b799f67c0c7a8d37163b34c58a791a558750bddec22f&ipo=images

MELANIA SUPPORTS UNBORN CHILD MURDER – The Guardian is reporting that Melania Trump will claim she is Pro-Unborn-Baby-Murder in her soon-to-be-released memoir in a move that may have been intended to chase pro-life voters away from the Trump ticket. Melania confirmed her position in a video share on X where she wrote “Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does my body, my choice really mean?”

While some pro-life voters might now not vote for Trump after this, it is more likely, in this writer’s opinion, this will create far more new Trump voters, suburban white women who would otherwise not vote for Democrats if abortion wasn’t the main issue, than it will cause Trump to lose voters.

?u=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F1681%2F24891478156_c55c146508.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=0270e9d02e61ee9774ed0d831d215fe44bafe822bf395d3d76e122871a3941a9&ipo=images

The Guardian is reporting that Melania Trump will claim she is Pro-Unborn-Baby-Murder in her soon-to-be-released memoir in a move that may have been intended to chase pro-life voters away from the Trump ticket. Melania confirmed her position in a video share on X where she wrote “Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does my body, my choice really mean?”

While some pro-life voters might now not vote for Trump after this, it is more likely, in this writer’s opinion, this will create far more new Trump voters, suburban white women who would otherwise not vote for Democrats if abortion wasn’t the main issue, than it will cause Trump to lose voters.

Melania Trump confirms support for abortion rights in new video, putting her at odds with husband’s position – Local 3 News
Source Link
Excerpt:

Former first lady Melania Trump said in a new video posted Thursday that she believes there is “no room for compromise” when it comes to a woman’s “individual freedom,” after The Guardian reported excerpts from her forthcoming book in which she says she supports abortion rights “free from any intervention or pressure from the government.”

“Individual freedom is a fundamental principle that I safeguard. Without a doubt, there is no room for compromise when it comes to this essential right that all women possess from birth: individual freedom. What does my body, my choice really mean?” the former first lady said in a video posted on X.

Her defense of abortion rights puts her at odds with her husband’s position roughly a month from Election Day. Donald Trump regularly takes credit for the overturning of Roe v. Wade, which eliminated federal protections for abortion and led to the enactment of severe restrictions on the procedure in mostly Republican-led states. The former president has said, however, that he would veto a federal abortion ban if he is elected again and that the issue should be left up to the states to legislate.

Melania Trump has been largely absent from the campaign trail amid her husband’s third White House bid and has kept a low profile, except for the release of several videos on social media in recent weeks to promote her book, which is slated to be released next week. The video the former first lady posted Thursday includes a link to pre-order her book.

According to The Guardian, the former first lady writes in her book: “Why should anyone other than the woman herself have the power to determine what she does with her own body? A woman’s fundamental right of individual liberty, to her own life, grants her the authority to terminate her pregnancy if she wishes.”

The former president, meanwhile, has waffled on abortion rights over the course of his campaign, struggling at times to navigate an issue that has been politically fraught for Republicans in the post-Roe era. He said recently that he would not support a ballot measure to expand abortion access in his home state of Florida just 24 hours after suggesting he might. He has also taken to casting himself as a “protector” of women, claiming that American women won’t be “thinking about abortion” if he’s elected.

?u=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F5148%2F5647691362_ed30b0efcd_b.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=1c5a87b1d83f530bfe8bb03c4c4dca43ce6d558824db4b44624d95674d493029&ipo=images

Thanks to the collusion between “American’ elites with foreign interests, especially China, America’s pharmaceutical institutions have become solely dependent on countries like China that want to destroy our republic. With the Ports shutting down in America thanks to what appears to be a far-left and grifter motivated strike by longshoremen, Americans that need drugs to stay alive may soon be dying after the current supply runs out.

Dr. Pat Basu, managing partner at Varsity Healthcare Partners sounded the alarm on FOX Business, claiming “Patients’ access to critical medications may be threatened in the event of prolonged strikes at ports along the East and Gulf coasts, medical professionals are warning. While manufacturers and wholesale distributors may carry a month or more of certain drugs, as you get closer to the point of patient contact, namely providers and retail pharmacies, they carry a much more limited supply, potentially five to seven days in many cases.”

WARNING: Port Strike Could Delay Delivery of Critical Medications– wltreport.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

We may be facing the most significant medical crisis since COVID and almost no one is talking about it. According to Fox Business,

“Patients’ access to critical medications may be threatened in the event of prolonged strikes at ports along the East and Gulf coasts, medical professionals are warning.”

Indeed, Americans could begin to see drug shortages within 5-7 days after the port strike begins and these delays are on top of existing supply chain challenges that are limiting access to many life-saving drugs:

“While manufacturers and wholesale distributors may carry a month or more of certain drugs, as you get closer to the point of patient contact, namely providers and retail pharmacies, they carry a much more limited supply, potentially five to seven days in many cases,” Basu said. 

?u=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F4822%2F46431104522_2ca9781f24.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=3192d8333f00ed122ef6db40a391cbdc3cf375f3f7cfb5f3ef0d03dc3ceec92c&ipo=images

After the longshoreman’s strike, Governor Ron DeSantis (R-FL) is moving to assure the ports in Florida stay open, calling up the national guard to step in to keep essential operations flowing. DeSantis said, “At my direction the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected to maintain order, and if possible, resume operations that would otherwise be shut down during this interruption.”

Florida’s Ron DeSantis Acts to Protect Voting Access, Re-Open Ports – RedState– redstate.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

… On Thursday, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis spoke in that state’s Manatee County and described three actions he was taking in the wake of Hurricane Helene and the ongoing longshoreman’s strike.

He listed three executive actions.

The first was on lifting time restrictions on rentals, so residents who need a place to stay while they recover their homes are not limited, for instance, to 30-day periods.

The governor also authorized supervisors of elections in the hardest-hit counties, including Taylor and Manatee, to make appropriate accommodations so people are still able to vote, like how they were after Hurricane Ian.

Then, DeSantis said it was “unacceptable” for the dockworkers’ strike across the East and Gulf coasts to affect residents who need supplies to rebuild homes and businesses.

“At my direction the Florida National Guard and the Florida State Guard will be deployed to critical ports affected to maintain order, and if possible, resume operations that would otherwise be shut down during this interruption,” the governor said.

Internet wags have already responded to Governor DeSantis’ remarks on the port operations, in a bit of apparent wishful thinking. (WARNING: Implied harsh language)

?u=https%3A%2F%2Fpeoplesdispatch.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2024%2F10%2FHurricane-helene-volunteer-relief-3.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f2fb6c562c90e312baba8f9b4e37efe29d56c33e72b90b6190662e9be019ef15&ipo=images

The captured anti-American Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) is spreading disinformation to attack truth by calling truth a lie. The agency, through Homeland Security Secretary Alehandro Mayorkas (one of the main engineers and executioners of the illegal Plandemic campaign currently being conducted the Democratic Party) claimed they weren’t funding illegal aliens after he said “FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season. We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,”

The government’s own FEMA website, however destroys their efforts to spread fake news intended to incite violence against the victims of Hurricane Helene now claiming FEMA isn’t doing anything to help them (and is actually blocking aid and relief), stating they have spent more than $1 billion funding their “Shelter and Services Program,” a program designed to fund illegal aliens’ travel to America, as well as fund their “stay.”

The purpose is as plain as the nose on your face, to fund an illegal Planvasion intended to destroy the American Republic from within. From the website:

“The Shelter and Services Program (SSP) is administered by the FEMA in partnership with U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). SSP provides financial support to non-federal entities to provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The intent is to support CBP in the safe, orderly and humane release of noncitizen migrants from short-term holding facilities.”

Here’s Where Biden-Harris Admin Spent FEMA’s Money– thefederalist.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas is pleading with lawmakers to send the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) more money after the disaster relief agency emptied the coffers to provide services for illegal immigrants.

“FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season,” Mayorkas told reporters on Air Force One Wednesday, with hurricane season running from June 1 through Nov. 30.

“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” he said, after Hurricane Helene brought devastation to the southeastern United States.

The storm crashed into Florida as a Category 4 hurricane last week and poured a record-breaking 40 trillion gallons of water across the South, washing away entire Appalachian towns. Ryan Cole, the assistant director for emergency services in Buncombe County where Asheville became isolated due to broken roads and no power or cell service, characterized the aftermath as “Biblical.”

?u=https%3A%2F%2Ffoto.wuestenigel.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fapi%2Fhands-holding-board-with-vote-concept-with-usa-flag-background.jpeg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=4e8c7f81fa2939dd4f4335c01b8a36490c891d17103efcf6f4b13f8f615b8be1&ipo=images

Former Mesa, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters was sentenced to 9 years in prison for the crime of documenting evidence that the 2020 election Arizona’s Mesa County was fraudulent. She sought to preserve the security passwords of the county’s Dominion voting system to document how the system was vulnerable to outsider hacking.

Peters, 68, is also a God Star mother, meaning she lost a child to war who was fighting to serve the American republic. Her sentence of 9 years is more lenient than illegal immigrants get for beating up the police. Peters’ defense of her actions highlights the criminality of this illegal conviction and treasonous sentencing from Democrats abusing their government powers to serve the party, even if it means denying basic American Rule of Law.

She stated, “We have a secretary of state that is drunk with power. She makes emergency decrees and when we query her – she refuses to answer in violation of the state law. When I started having citizens come to me and tell me that something didn’t’ seem right in our local city elections from years ago to our 2020 election I said if there is a there we will do something about it. I am a Republican — I am a conservative and she’s not and she weaponizes her position to attack people who disagree with her. I’ve been persecuted. They are trying to take over our election office. We are the last bastion of freedom in Colorado,” the Mesa County. “We have listened to people. They send me things from all over and there are some discrepancies there that I cannot deny or unsee.”

BREAKING: Former Mesa, CO Clerk and Gold Star Mother Tina Peters Sentenced to 9 Years in Latest Political Persecution | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

In yet another blatant display of political persecution, former Mesa County, Colorado Clerk Tina Peters, 68—a gold star mother—has been sentenced to 9 years in prison.

After bravely raising questions about election irregularities, Peters was relentlessly pursued by local and federal authorities, culminating in charges that were politically motivated from the outset.

Peters’ crime? Exposing the truth about what happened in the 2020 election.

Last month, Tina Peters was found guilty on seven of ten charges for preserving critical election data.

The Gateway Pundit’s Brian Lupo attended the trial.

Tina Peters is the Election Clerk from Mesa County, Colorado. She made a copy of her machines’ information before performing the action requested by Griswald, who demanded that all voting machines’s election data should be erased (which is against the law) after the 2020 election.

Ms. Peters was attacked for her actions.

?u=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F65535%2F47998128107_22a3911e16_b.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=a8dd719025434f4759858069b9e79ac0635c9c8a79269fc1f539d172148bc544&ipo=images

Gavin Newsome revealed the anti-American beliefs of the DNC-CCP when he signed a bill passed by a Democratic Party super majority California legislature that attempted to make it illegal for Americans to create AI Deep Fake parodies targeting the 2024 election.

U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez ruled the law unconstitutional, stating in his ruling that the law was “a blunt tool that hinders humorous expression and unconstitutionally stifles the free and unfettered exchange of ideas. While California has a valid interest in protecting the integrity and reliability of the electoral process, AB 2839 is unconstitutional because it lacks the narrow tailoring and least restrictive alternative that a content based law requires under strict scrutiny,”

Federal judge blocks California’s deepfake anti-satire campaign law – Washington Times
Source Link
Excerpt:

A federal judge has halted California’s new law targeting deepfake satire and parody videos, saying it likely tramples on the First Amendment.

U.S. District Judge John A. Mendez said deepfakes, which manipulate video to create scenes that never happened, can be abused for nefarious purposes.

But he said California’s attempt to shut it down was “a blunt tool that hinders humorous expression and unconstitutionally stifles the free and unfettered exchange of ideas.”

“While California has a valid interest in protecting the integrity and reliability of the electoral process, AB 2839 is unconstitutional because it lacks the narrow tailoring and least restrictive alternative that a content based law requires under strict scrutiny,” Judge Mendez said.

The ruling is a blow to Gov. Gavin Newsom, a Democrat who had rushed to demand the law after he was angered by a viral satire video that used altered audio of Vice President Kamala Harris to make it seem like she was saying inane and politically damaging things.

?u=https%3A%2F%2Flive.staticflickr.com%2F4194%2F34252108750_efb0150415_b.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=3b551ee307863a2439cce0af85484d62fa37e6a0c3bfc8a11d0b17127d15d573&ipo=images

Anti-Americanist Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas released a chilling message this week that claims FEMA’s emergency hurricane fund is tapped after Hurricane Helene. Mayorkas told reporters “We are meeting immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting. We do not have the funds.”

As Mayorkas makes this assertion, reports of FEMA spending hundreds of millions of dollars to fly illegal aliens to various parts of the country, then fund their stay, are causing Americans to question if the Harris administration intentionally denuded America’s crisis emergency fund to not only fund her planvasion, but to further sabotage America.

‘Treasonous’: Mayorkas wasted FEMA funds helping illegal aliens. Now he says there’s not enough for Americans.– www.theblaze.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Hurricane Helene has killed hundreds of Americans across six states, obliterated entire settlements, and left multitudes of citizens homeless, hungry, and exposed in the dark.

Help is badly needed. The trouble, according to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, is that the Federal Emergency Management Agency lacks the requisite funds.

During a press briefing Wednesday, Mayorkas told reporters, “We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have. We are expecting another hurricane hitting. We do not have the funds.”

Congress recently poured $20 billion into FEMA’s disaster relief fund and enabled the agency to draw on the funds with greater ease, reported the Associated Press.

“FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season and what is imminent,” added Mayorkas, before concern-mongering about climate change.

President Joe Biden has suggested that Congress might have to approve additional funding for disaster relief. While the DHS might soon enjoy another cash injection, critics have raised the matter of where the original funds went — realizing that much of it was blown helping illegal aliens who have stolen into the homeland under Mayorkas’ watch.

‘We have a government that not only hates us but wants us dead.’

FEMA’s shelter and services program is a prime offender, providing “financial support to non-federal entities to provide humanitarian services to noncitizen migrants following their release from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The intent is to support CBP in the safe, orderly and humane release of noncitizen migrants from short-term holding facilities.”

The total funding made available for this program in fiscal year 2024 was $650 million. The funding total in fiscal year 2023 was $363.8 million. Hundreds of millions were previously awarded by FEMA for migrants through the emergency food and shelter program.

Earlier this year, nearly $19.6 million in FEMA funds was used to pay for an illegal alien welcome center in San Diego County.

In response to Mayorkas turning out empty pockets, Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) wrote, “This is easy. Mayorkas and FEMA — immediately stop spending money on illegal immigration resettlement and redirect those funds to areas hit by the hurricane. Put Americans first.”

Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) tweeted, “FEMA spending over a billion dollars on illegals while they leave Americans stranded and without help is treasonous. U.S. citizens are dying. Pray for our country folks.”

“‘The Biden-Harris FEMA spent over $1 BILLION on funding illegal aliens.’ America LAST,” wrote Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.).

“Let me translate: ‘We are racking up trillions in debt with all the money that our money printer prints that we then take back from law-abiding American citizens like you but we exist to spend it on anything other than helping you,'” wrote Blaze News editor in chief Matthew Peterson.


Elon Musk
simply expressed disbelief, writing, “Wow.”

“We have a government that not only hates us but wants us dead,” wrote Chad Prather, host of “The Chad Prather Show. “The onus is on them at this point to prove otherwise. They won’t … because I’m right.”

While the DHS continues sinking taxpayer funds into aiding illegal aliens, FEMA will make a one-time $750 payment available to some qualifying Americans in Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, and Virginia so that they can buy food, water, and other supplies.

According to the FEMA website, the agency’s top strategic goal is to “instill equity as a foundation of emergency management.”

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

?u=http%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F0%2F02%2FUS-Mexico_border_fence.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=957799f4fd6f93a6cd662772a6c5f55c4ccefcb573953c5f98fdf0bee80005be&ipo=images

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) released a damning report that reveals more than 13K murderers were let in, 9K sex offenders, and over 400K total convicted criminals, along with nearly 250K facing pending charges. The numbers show that 9 percent of the total 7.4 million allowed to illegally enter this country (thanks to illegal executive orders and a refusal to enforce existing laws) are criminals or charged with crimes.

The New Data on Migrant Crime › American Greatness– amgreatness.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The new data on all the criminal noncitizens coming into the U.S. is shocking.

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) checks the background of illegal aliens they have in custody. But, the administration’s letter to Rep. Tony Gonzales (R-TX) shows that as of July 21, 2024, ICE let 435,719 convicted criminals and 226,847 people with pending criminal charges in their home countries into the U.S.

Of those cleared by ICE, 13,099 have convictions for homicide, and another 1,845 were facing criminal charges. Some 9,461 have convictions for sex offenses (not including assault or commercialized sex), and 2,659 face pending charges. The convictions include other crimes such as assault (62,231), robbery (10,031), sexual assault (15,811), weapons offenses (13,423), and dangerous drugs (56,533).

About 7.4 million noncitizens are in the “national docket data,” so 662,776 is 9% of the total, and if one extrapolates the numbers to the homicide rate in this country, it strongly indicates that the government is letting migrants into this country who commit murder at a rate 50% higher than the rest of the U.S. population.

And these numbers clearly underestimate the crime rate of these noncitizens. The noncitizens in the “national docket data” turned themselves in to border agents for processing or were caught. Those who don’t turn themselves in are obviously far more likely to have something to hide from those doing the processing, so-called “gotaways,” who are observed illegally entering the U.S. but not caught or turned back.

Kamala Harris Announces How Much Hurricane Victims Will Get — And People Are PISSED!– wltreport.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

To all the victims of Hurricane Helene in multiple different states…

Who have lost their entire houses…

Entire towns….

Entire lives….

Family members washed away and killed….

Kamala Harris just announced that help is on the way!

FEMA will be sending you…..$750!

Absolutely unreal:

The one and only Vice-Presidential Debate happened Tuesday, October 1, 2024, leaving the right confident Vance won while the Democrats express concerns at what they call Walz’ weakness. Polling indicates Vance won the debate across multiple demographic groups, including independent voters in swing states, but not by a wide margin.

The key moment in the debate came when Walz declared “I am friends with school shooters.” The second key moment came when CBS moderators appear to have run interference for Walz by “fact checking” Vance with fake news that, when Vance tried to rebut it, led to them cutting off Vance’s mic. The debate most likely has not significantly moved the needle in the polls, though we will soon find out if that’s the case.

‘Knucklehead’ Tim Walz Bumbles Through Primetime Debate with a Smooth J.D. Vance– freebeacon.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Gov. Tim Walz (D., Minn.) made several dubious claims during the vice presidential debate against Sen. J.D. Vance (R., Ohio) on Tuesday, but insisting he “enjoyed” the evening was easily the most far-fetched.

Ever since Vice President Kamala Harris picked Walz as her running mate in August, journalists and other Harris supporters have fawned over his “folksy” charm and “cuddly” demeanor. Some questioned why the Harris campaign has been so reluctant to make “someone billed as Mr. Likable” available for interviews with national outlets. Walz’s bumbling performance on Tuesday answered that question once and for all.

Walz appeared nervous throughout and spoke too fast, tripping over his words. His facial expressions conveyed a mixture of confusion and sheer terror, especially when asked to explain why he repeatedly lied—as recently as 2019—about being in China during the Tiananmen Square massacre in June 1989 when he was actually home in Nebraska until August of that year. Walz proceeded to give one of the most baffling answers ever recorded in the history of American politics.

“Look, I grew up in small rural Nebraska, town of 400, town that you rode your bike with your buddies till the streetlights come on, and I’m proud of that service,” Walz said in response to the question about his China falsehoods. “Now, look, my community knows who I am. They saw where I was at. They, look, I will be the first to tell you, I have poured my heart into my community. I have tried to do the best I can, but I’ve not been perfect, and I’m a knucklehead at times, but it’s always been about that.”

VP debate: Walz ‘misspoke’ over Tiananmen Square protests– www.ctvnews.ca
Source Link
Excerpt:

Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz said on Tuesday he “misspoke” when he previously said he’d visited Hong Kong in the spring of 1989 during protests in China’s Tiananmen Square but insisted he “was in Hong Kong and China” during the pro-democracy protests.

His comments during Tuesday night’s vice-presidential debate followed the unearthing of reports that contradict previous claims he made about his travel to China, including a claim that the Democratic vice-presidential nominee was in Hong Kong preparing for a teaching position in 1989 during the Tiananmen Square pro-democracy protests that ended in hundreds of protesters killed by the Chinese government.

“My community knows who I am. They saw where I was at,” Walz said during the debate. “Look, I will be the first to tell you, I have poured my heart into my community. I’ve tried to do the best I can, but I’ve not been perfect, and I’m a knucklehead at times, but it’s always been about that. Those same people elected me to Congress for 12 years.”

Tim Walz Commits One of the Biggest Debate Blunders in Recent Memory, Says ‘I’ve Become Friends with School Shooters’– www.westernjournal.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Democratic vice presidential candidate and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz had every candidate’s nightmare come true on a debate stage on Tuesday night, and in perhaps the most macabre way possible: He committed a bad gaffe that everyone will remember — and on school shootings, no less.

During the midst of a question about mass shootings and why Walz flip-flopped on a ban regarding so-called “assault weapons,” the governor told America, “I’ve become friends with school shooters” — a sound bite that immediately set social media ablaze.

Walz made the remarks after saying he changed his position after meeting with parents of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting.

“I’ve become friends with school shooters,” he said.

“I was an NRA guy for a long time,” Walz added. “They used to teach gun safety. I’m of an age where my shotgun was in my car, so I could pheasant hunt after football practice. That’s not where we live today.”

JD Vance Backs Tim Walz Into A Corner On Free Speech, Walz Snaps Out Of Turn– trendingpoliticsnews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

An unsteady Tim Walz on Tuesday night became boxed in by Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) after the Trump running mate challenged his rival to denounce the Democrats’ habit of criminalizing “hate speech and misinformation,” an encounter that quickly went viral in the hours after their first and only debate.

Vance’s assertion that conservatives are being silenced online certainly has merit. Federal courts have found that the Biden-Harris administration erred in 2021 when authorities pressured social media companies to censor users who spoke out about the efficacy of Covid-19 shots, masks, and other mandates. In another high-profile example during the 2020 election, many users were shadow-banned or booted from various platforms for sharing stories about Hunter Biden’s laptop which then-candidate Joe Biden claimed at the time was a product of Russian disinformation. To Vance, both examples are examples where Walz and Harris opposed free speech.

JD Vance Calls Out Tim Walz For Signing Bill Allowing Infanticide: “That is Fundamentally Barbaric”– www.lifenews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

During last night’s debate, JD Vance called out Tim Walz for signing a bill that allows infanticide in Minnesota.

Walz signed a bill to allows abortions up to birth. But he also put his signature on allowing infanticide, letting babies die who survive abortions. Babies survive abortions every year, including five in 2021 just in Minnesota. But the state no longer protects their lives.

“As I read the Minnesota law that you signed … the doctor is under no obligation to provide life-saving care to a baby who survives a botched late-term abortion.”

Walz claimed  “That’s not true,” and falsely accused Vance of trying to “distort” the “way the law was written.”

“That is fundamentally barbaric,” Vance said. “Do you want to force Catholic hospitals to perform abortions against their will? Because Kamala Harris has supported suing Catholic nuns to violate their freedom of conscience.”

Tim Walz Defends Signing Bill for Abortions Up to Birth– www.lifenews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

During last night’s debate, Minnesota Governor Tim Walz defended signing a bill in his state to allow killing babies in abortions up to birth.

When it comes to abortion, Walz claimed: “This issue is on everyone’s mind.”

Yet polling data shows  fewer voters said abortion was an important issue to them than those who named the economy and immigration as key issues for the presidential election.

Asked about the radical bill to allow killing babies for any reason any time, Walz falsely claimed “In Minnesota what we did was restore Roe v. Wade.”

Then Walz falsely claimed Donald Trump wants to create a “registry of pregnancies,” to keep track of pregnant women – an absurd idea no one is suggesting.

Vance corrected Walz, confirming that he and Trump would never create such a registry.

Tim Walz Called Out for Hypocritical Debate Attempt to Twist the Bible to Fit His Agenda– www.westernjournal.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Tim Walz says he doesn’t talk about his faith “a lot.”

Given the reaction to his attempt to quote scripture during Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate with Ohio Sen. J.D. Vance, that’s probably a smart move.

The Minnesota governor’s attempt to cite a biblical verse to justify the Democratic Party’s destruction of the country’s borders ended up only highlighting its hypocrisy — and lighting up social media with users calling Walz out on it.

Walz’s Big Book-thumping moment came on a question about the illegal immigration the Biden-Harris administration has inflicted on the United States since 2021 — and it didn’t go over well.

CBS Moderators Memory Hole Tim Walz’s Stolen Valor Controversy– thefederalist.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

To nobody’s surprise, CBS News’ hack-tivist debate moderators allowed Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz’s myriad lies about his military service to go unaddressed during Tuesday’s 2024 vice-presidential debate.

While finding time to ask dishonest questions about baby-killing and Jan. 6, neither Norah O’Donnell nor Margaret Brennan bothered to ask Walz about how he regularly inflated his rank and lied about details surrounding his time in the Army National Guard to boost his political career.

For example, on numerous occasions the Minnesota Democrat portrayed himself as a retired command sergeant major. While it’s true that Walz was promoted to command sergeant major during the waning years of his service, he did not complete the minimum number of years required to retain the rank when he abandoned his unit before it deployed to Iraq and is actually a lesser-ranked master sergeant.

 

Democrats Argue That JD’s Beatdown of Walz Was Actually Bad for Trump-Vance – RedState– redstate.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

… Despite JD Vance’s obvious beatdown of bumbling Tim Walz in Tuesday’s vice presidential debate, leave it to CNN to find (make up) a very thin silver lining behind a very dark cloud.

And that was before the debate even started.

CNN’s simp Democrat contributors absurdly argued that if Vance mopped the floor with the ill-prepared, serially-lying Minnesota governor, it would actually be bad for Vance. No, really.

Irrational rationalization at its “best”? Of course. After all, the self-proclaimed Most Trusted Name in News™ never fails to amuse the rational and objective among us.

Veteran Democrat hack and CNN regular David Axelrod kicked off the festivities.

Look, I think that he was hired basically as Donald Trump’s designated hitter. Donald Trump is a casting director, and he was convinced he would be good on TV for him, and this debate is obviously the most important television appearance there is.

And, you know, he comes in, we all know having worked with (CNN Democrat contributor) Van Jones, how these Yale-educated lawyers, very slick –

CNN Focus Group Praises Vance, Gives Him ‘Overwhelming’ Debate Victory– trendingpoliticsnews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

An “overwhelming majority” of focus group members told CNN that they thought Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) won Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate, telling reporters that the Ohio Republican’s confidence and swagger was evident in a much-hyped debate that took the wind out of Tim Walz’s sails.

The virtual panel of 15 swing state voters largely agreed that Vance commanded the two-hour debate. One participant called the Trump running mate “battle tested and very ready” to serve as the next vice president. “You can just see that he went to Yale,” the man told the CNN host. “He’s very intelligent, and he reassured a lot of people.” The panel, convened by pollster Frank Luntz, served as vindication that Sen. Vance’s preparations heading into Tuesday night paid off.

HILAROUS! Nicolle Wallace LOSES HER MIND and Cries During Post Debate Analysis – MSNBC Panel Cheers Moderators Breaking Rules With BS “Fact Check” (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

MSNBC’s Nicole Wallace LOSES IT during VP debate analysis – October 1, 2024

As expected, the MSNBC panel reacting to last night’s Vice Presidential debate was absolutely gushing over Tim Walz’s sloppy performance while condemning J.D. Vance, claiming he lied repeatedly and cheering the moderators for fact-checking and even cutting his microphone.  

All in all, it was a pretty boring debate with no noteworthy zingers, except for the ones that Tim Walz did to himself. Still, that didn’t stop the leftists on MSDNC from parading around, lying, and creaming in their pants over Walz’s performance.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, the most noteworthy event by far was Tim Walz bizarrely telling the American people he’s “become friends with school shooters”–TWICE!

Focus Groups and Snap Polls About VP Debate Are Going to Make Dems Tear Their Hair Out – RedState– redstate.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

But by all the metrics, people were saying Vance came out on top.

The WaPo focus group had 14-8 for Vance with swing state voters.

WaPo asked swing state voter focus group who won the VP debate

They overwhelmingly said Vance pic.twitter.com/KsL4FfHNVN

— Nuance Bro (@NuanceBro) October 2, 2024

Then there was Frank Luntz’s focus group. Only five of the 14 had been leaning toward Trump-Vance.

At the first commercial break, my #VPDebate focus group says by a 10-3 margin that JD Vance is winning.

That is a big deal since only 5 of them were leaning toward Trump-Vance when the debate began.

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 2, 2024

It got better as the debate went on. It ended up 12-2, Vance. So he moved a lot of people.

Final focus group vote tonight after the #VPDebate: 12-2 in favor of JD Vance pic.twitter.com/LgahO2za7C

— Frank Luntz (@FrankLuntz) October 2, 2024

JD Vance Correctly Says Kids Are Being ‘Used as Drug Trafficking Mules’– www.breitbart.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

CLAIM: Sen. JD Vance (R-OH) said some migrant children are “used as drug trafficking mules” during Tuesday night’s vice presidential debate.

VERDICT: TRUE. A law enforcement official explained to Vance at an event last month that drug traffickers, when traveling by vehicle, make children play roles in their “story” in case authorities engage them.

Early on in the debate, Vance said that some migrant children “have been used as drug trafficking mules,” drawing one from the many indirect fact checks of the evening from the CBS News moderators, who served up a response for Gov. Tim Walz (D-MN) to falsely claim Vance was lying.

“Governor, do you care to respond to any of those specific allegations, including that the Vice President is ‘letting in fentanyl’ and ‘using kids as drug mules,’ among other things,” Margaret Brennan asked Walz.

“Yeah, well, the drug mules is not true,” Walz claimed.

?u=https%3A%2F%2Fcorporationprofile.files.wordpress.com%2F2013%2F06%2Fchevronlogo.jpg&f=1&nofb=1&ipt=f3cf445366d2e770dc56fad2dda28a1bd980e111d1bc0b03aebb1ec57e792e2f&ipo=images

The FCC has approved the Chevron-Hess merger, but with a catch. The FTC has determined that John Hess will NOT be permitted to serve on the board due to conflicting interests. The merger was approved by a 3-2 vote.

The board issued a statement on their ruling regarding Hess, stating “Mr. Hess’s communications with competitors about global oil output and other dimensions of crude oil market competition disqualify him from serving on Chevron’s Board of Directors. FTC will use all its available enforcement tools to protect competition in this vital market and help ensure American consumers benefit from lower prices at the pump.”

US FTC approves Chevron-Hess merger — with a catch – Upstream Online
Source Link
Excerpt:

Chevron’s proposed $53 billion merger with Hess has been cleared by the US Federal Trade Commission (FTC), though the regulatory agency is blocking Hess chief executive John Hess from joining the Chevron board over conversations it alleges he had with Opec officials about influencing crude oil prices abroad.

The FTC claimed Hess “communicated publicly and privately” with past and current secretaries general of Opec as well as Saudi Arabia officials, encouraging the oil producing nations to “stabilise production and draw down inventories” in an effort to raise crude prices.

A seat on Chevron’s board would give John Hess “a much larger platform to amplify his supportive messaging to Opec and others about Opec’s market stability goals, increasing the likelihood that Chevron could align its production with Opec’s output decisions to maintain higher oil prices,” an FTC statement said.

The FTC approved the order on a 3-2 vote.

“Mr. Hess’s communications with competitors about global oil output and other dimensions of crude oil market competition disqualify him from serving on Chevron’s Board of Directors,” Henry Liu, director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition, said in a statement. “The FTC will use all its available enforcement tools to protect competition in this vital market and help ensure American consumers benefit from lower prices at the pump.”

Canadian Government Admits Deaths Surged Among Covid-Boosted Citizens– slaynews.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

The Canadian government has been forced to admit that death rates surged among citizens who received Covid mRNA “booster” shots.

The damning admission was revealed in previously hidden data that lawmakers compelled that nation’s top federal health agency to hand over.

A parliamentary inquiry ordered the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to unseal and surrender data for the country’s death rates during the pandemic.

The data revealed that the individuals who received the so-called “boosters” died at far higher rates than unvaccinated individuals during the same period.

On page 2 of the PHAC response, the health agency admits:

“Across all weeks in the time period of interest, the number of deaths were highest among those with a primary series and 1 additional dose.”

Almost 70 Percent of (Minnesota) Eighth Graders Not Proficient in Math– legalinsurrection.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

I bet all of these students are well versed in the language of social justice and equity.

The Washington Examiner reports:

Nearly 70% of Minnesota eighth grade students not proficient in math under Tim Walz

The academic performance of Minnesota students has worsened since Tim Walz became governor. This sad reality has been largely ignored since Walz became the Democratic nominee for vice president.

The sons and daughters of Minnesota’s beleaguered families are forced to endure an incompetent education system as their governor prioritizes his political ambitions over the needs of the people he was elected to serve. Recent test scores showed that the overwhelming majority of students in Walz’s state are not proficient in mathematics or reading. Moreover, their proficiency levels have regressed since Walz was elected governor.

France’s Le Pen denies wrongdoing as she and her party go on trial accused of embezzling EU funds– www.washingtontimes.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

French far-right leader Marine Le Pen denied violating any rules as she and her National Rally party and two dozen others went on trial on Monday, accused of embezzling European Parliament funds, in a case that has the potential to derail her political ambitions.

Donald Trump: Trump’s second assassination attempt suspect, Ryan Routh, to face five federal charges in court – Times of India
Source Link
Excerpt:

The man accused of attempting to assassinate former US President Donald Trump near his Florida golf course is set to appear in court on Monday, where he is expected to plead not guilty to five federal charges, according to the New York Post.

58-year-old Ryan Routh faces charges for the attempted assassination of a major presidential candidate. He has already been ordered to remain in custody while awaiting trial.
The charges stem from an incident in which Routh allegedly positioned himself with a rifle outside Trump’s golf course in Florida.Prosecutors say he was discovered hiding outside a fence overlooking the sixth hole of the course, armed with an AK-47-style rifle, a digital camera, snacks, and metal plates intended to resist return fire from the US Secret Service.
A Secret Service agent, patrolling the course ahead of Trump’s arrival, reportedly spotted the rifle poking through the fence and opened fire. Routh fled the scene but was later arrested on a Florida highway, according to authorities.
Initially charged with firearms offences, Routh was later indicted on more serious charges, including attempted assassination, assaulting a federal officer, and using a firearm in a violent crime.
“This was an assassination attempt on Donald Trump but I failed you,” the suspect wrote, according to a court filing by prosecutors.
During a hearing last week, Routh’s legal team suggested that his actions might have been aimed at garnering publicity. They also claimed that Routh’s actions were in support of democratic movements in Ukraine and Taiwan.

Trump says he would veto a federal abortion ban if elected again – CNN
Source Link
Excerpt:

Former President Donald Trump said Tuesday he would veto a federal abortion ban if he is elected again.

“Everyone knows I would not support a federal abortion ban, under any circumstances, and would, in fact, veto it, because it is up to the states to decide based on the will of their voters (the will of the people!)” Trump wrote in an all-caps post on his Truth Social platform during the CBS vice presidential debate between his running mate, Ohio Sen. JD Vance, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz.

“Like Ronald Reagan before me, I fully support the three exceptions for rape, incest, and the life of the mother,” Trump continued.

The GOP nominee has repeatedly said he would not sign a federal abortion ban, but during last month’s ABC debate with Vice President Kamala Harris, he would not commit to vetoing such a ban and instead argued he “wouldn’t have to.”

When he was asked during that debate about Vance telling NBC News that the former president would veto such legislation, Trump said he hadn’t spoken to Vance about it, saying, “I don’t think he was speaking for me.”

Judge bars Arizona official from enforcing disputed election rules – Arizona Daily Star
Source Link
Excerpt:

Calling what Secretary of State Adrian Fontes proposed “utterly without precedent’’ and comparing it to a nuclear weapon, a federal judge blocked him from refusing to include a county’s vote in the statewide totals if local supervisors fail to certify the election’s results.

In the ruling late Friday, U.S. District Court Judge Michael Liburdi acknowledged there was at least one attempt in the past by a board of supervisors to delay certification. That action threatened to hold up the formal canvass of all the votes throughout the state and to change the outcomes of some races.

But Liburdi said the solution Fontes incorporated in Arizona’s Elections Procedures Manual — allowing him to skip over uncertified votes simply to finalize the state results — would unfairly and illegally disenfranchise the voters who had cast their ballots.

Biden deploys 1,000 soldiers as Helene death toll rises to 175– www.bbc.com
Source Link
Excerpt:

Hurricane Helene’s devastating impact in 100 seconds

US President Joe Biden has deployed an additional 1,000 active-duty soldiers to bolster aid efforts in the south-eastern US, after the region was pummelled by Hurricane Helene.

These soldiers will join the 6,000 National Guard members and 4,800 federal aid workers already fanned out across six states hit by extreme weather.

At least 175 people are now known to have been killed by Hurricane Helene, one of the deadliest storms to hit the US in recent times.

Hundreds of others remain missing, with search and rescue teams struggling to reach remote areas.

Aid deliveries have been made by airdrops and mules. The US government has said the clear-up effort could take years.

Biden is due to visit the badly-affected North Carolina and South Carolina states, while Vice-President Kamala Harris goes to neighbouring Georgia.

Both happen to be key swing states in November’s presidential election – and the storm has already become political after Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump took his own trip to Georgia earlier in the week.

Helene hit the US on Thursday as a Category 4 hurricane – the most powerful on record to strike Florida’s Big Bend – before tearing through neighbouring states and downgrading to a tropical storm.

The scale of the rainclouds were unusual, and the storm lingered for relatively long periods. Saturated ground from previous rains was also an aggravating factor.

The BBC’s US partner CBS News has reported 175 deaths, recorded across six states: North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee and Virginia.

The toll surpasses that of Hurricane Ian, which in September 2022 became another of the 21st Century’s deadliest storms – claiming at least 156 lives.

According to CBS, almost half of the deaths caused by Helene have been in North Carolina alone, where six months’ worth of rain fell.

The state’s mountainous areas suffered particularly heavy rain – as is typical in storm conditions – which resulted in homes and bridges being washed away.

One emergency official in Buncombe County – which includes the hard-hit city of Asheville – said the state had experienced “biblical devastation”.

A volunteer involved in relief efforts told the BBC on Tuesday they knew someone who had “lost everything” in Hurricane Katrina in 2005, and had moved to Asheville, only to be devastated again nearly two decades later.

“Looks like she’s wiped out again,” the volunteer said. “She has no drinking water. No gasoline. The food in her fridge has rotted.”

The extreme weather has also forced the closure of mines in Spruce Pine, a small town that is home to the world’s largest-known source of high-purity quartz.

In Tennessee, state authorities are investigating the operator of a plastics factory where 11 workers were swept away by rushing floodwaters on Friday. Five of the employees were rescued. Two have been confirmed dead and four more remain missing.

Impact Plastics told CBS in a statement it had monitored weather conditions around its Erwin plant in north-eastern Tennessee, and dismissed employees “when water began to cover the parking lot and the adjacent service road, and the plant lost power”.

But in interviews with local outlets, employees said they were allegedly told to continue work in the factory until it was too late for a safe exit.

Jacob Ingram, a mold changer at the factory, filmed himself and four others waiting for rescue as vehicles and debris were carried away by the muddy water surrounding him.

“I was working at impact when the storm hit yesterday,” Mr Ingram wrote in a post on Facebook, adding he and 11 others were trapped on the back of a semi-truck. “I’m lucky to be alive.”

Inside a donation centre for those impacted by Hurricane Helene

Rebuilding efforts could take years, Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has said. Biden has allowed survivors to apply for federal assistance money by making disaster declarations in various states.

On Monday, Biden referenced reports that up to 600 people were unaccounted for. “God willing, they’re alive,” he said. “But there’s no way to contact them again because of the lack of cell phone coverage.”

More than a million people in some of the affected states also remained without power on Wednesday morning, according to monitoring site Poweroutage.us.

Initial analysis of the storm already suggests that human-induced climate change played a significant role in the amount of rainfall that was dumped.

After Helene hit late on Thursday, record flood crests were measured in at least seven locations in North Carolina and Tennessee.

In parts of western North Carolina, records that had stood since the “Great Flood” of July 1916 were smashed.

The Atlantic hurricane season continues until the end of November. The waters of the Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean are currently above average temperatures, meaning that it is possible that still more powerful storms could develop.