Items filtered by date: December 2021

New Yorker Michelle Go was pushed in front of a moving subway train, Sandra Shells was waiting for a bus in Los Angeles and Brianna Kupfer was working in a furniture store when their lives were taken from them.

All three victims of these random killings were women. All three suspects were homeless. And the scene of the crime was a blue state with a progressive approach to crime.

"Three women killed in random attacks by homeless men: What does it reveal about America's crime wave?" read a headline in The Independent.

Steve Berg of the National Alliance to End Homelessness criticized coverage of the three killings "committed by people who were characterized as homeless or 'appearing to be homeless.'" He pointed out that homeless individuals are more likely to be victims of violent crimes than to commit violent crimes.

"Make no mistake, stories about 'dangerous homeless people' do serious harm," Berg warned.

He's turning a blind eye to the lawlessness that bubbles up in America's tent cities.

All three suspects also had serious criminal histories.

Martial Simon, the alleged subway pusher, served time for two felony convictions and failed to meet with his parole officer twice last year, the New York Post reported.

According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Kerry Bell, who has been charged in Shells' murder, "is a transient, with one prior arrest in Los Angeles, but multiple prior arrests in several other states."

Fox News reported that Shawn Laval Smith, who was charged in Kupfer's killing, was free on bond for firing a gun at an occupied car in South Carolina in 2019 and, after biting a San Francisco police officer's hand during arrest last year, was charged with three felonies.

Jim Palmer, president of Orange County Rescue Mission in California, sees the state's soft-on-crime initiatives contributing to the lawlessness, as offenders "don't have a fear of going back in" to prison.

Given the high percentage of the homeless who are addicted or experience mental health issues, Palmer noted, the chaos "builds upon itself very quickly. And the bigger the camp, the better when it comes to crime."

"It such a magnet for lawlessness," Palmer offered, adding that the homeless "are more likely to become victims."

Last year, 88 homeless Angelenos were killed -- an increase of 22 people from the year before, according to the Los Angeles Daily News.

Ready for more bad news? The homeless crime situation isn't what keeps prosecutors up at night in Los Angeles where, according to Los Angeles Magazine, the number of murders grew from 258 in 2019 to 397 last year.

Deputy District Attorney Eric Siddall talked of a "reign of chaos" taking over the City of Angels. The main driver is gun violence overlapping gang violence. If there's a gun-involved crime, "I can almost guarantee that person's a gang member."

"A gun for a gang member is like a wrench for a plumber," said Siddall.

And: "In my history as a prosecutor, I don't think I've ever seen a murder committed with a legal gun."

Siddall also was reluctant to discuss homicides by homeless because there have been no studies about the homeless and violent crime.

(I wonder why.)

So, while I am concerned with high-profile crimes committed by the homeless, prosecutors like Siddall are worried about gangs, gun violence and prosecutors who won't go after felons with guns.

Siddall's boss, District Attorney George Gascon, famously co-sponsored Proposition 47, a successful ballot measure that reduced sentences for theft under $950. The law effectively downgraded gun thefts to a misdemeanor.

The pendulum has to swing back because the progressives' paradise is paradise no more.

"California is the absolute worst case for this," Palmer told me, "because we actually have ridiculous laws in place."

Debra J. Saunders

In recent months, European gas prices have risen as much as 700%, leaving millions of citizens vulnerable to a dangerously unstable grid and burdened with high electricity costs heading into this winter. Disruptions from this energy crisis have been felt by households and many industries that rely on affordable power to provide goods and services.

Until the recent escalation of Russia’s confrontation with NATO over Ukraine, the Biden administration’s solution to Europe’s energy crisis had been to implore Russia to send more gas to Europe. EU member states are already dependent on Moscow for roughly 40% of their gas supply. Initially, the White House made a deal with Germany, letting the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline move forward. As part of an effort to repair relations with Germany, this decision allows Russia to tighten Putin’s grip over European energy security at the expense of our strategic partner Ukraine. Fortunately, German regulators refused to approve the pipeline, effectively delaying the certification of the project before July 2022. As part of the growing confrontation with Europe and the U.S. over Ukraine, Russia has further cut gas exports to Europe.

Thus, geopolitics and energy security in Europe is front and center of the U.S. national security interests. We need a multi-phase strategy to protect U.S. interests while supporting our European allies in their time of need. The Administration should champion liquefied natural gas (LNG) exports. We are in a military face-off with Russia regarding Ukraine that worsens by the day. Moscow has upped the pressure by repeatedly using energy as an economic weapon. This signal would create certainty in the global market by providing predictability of supply while also providing geopolitical and national security benefits.

As the world’s premier energy producer, America has enormous potential to impact both national and international security. The U.S. is set to become the world’s largest LNG exporter by the end of 2022, an impressive milestone for a nation that began exporting just six years ago. Calcasieu Pass and Sabine Pass Train 6, based in Louisiana and Texas respectively, will soon come online and export LNG to many nations. Poland is an ally on the front lines of the military confrontation with Russia. It is also committed to reducing its dependence on Russian gas. Poland will soon import over a third of its gas supply from the U.S., and no longer fear that Russia will shut off its energy supply as it has done in the past. Other European nations have also signed supply contracts with U.S. producers to diversify their gas supply.

Fortunately, the U.S. is already moving in this direction. Gas has generated considerable income in 2021 for U.S. oil and gas producers. This positive trend will be necessary for a successful energy transition. Now is not the time to undermine this progress by restricting U.S. LNG exports.

Providing our allies with an alternative to Russia and Qatar strengthens U.S. national security. Notably, the price of U.S. LNG can encourage lower prices from other gas producers. From a climate point of view, less U.S. LNG on the market means higher global prices and increased global use of coal plants to produce electricity.

U.S. LNG exports influence geopolitics beyond Europe. The U.S. has recently become China’s second-largest LNG supplier. Despite geopolitical tensions between Washington and Beijing, China has recently committed to a significant volume of long-term supply contracts of U.S. LNG, lowering the US trade deficit with China.

Finally, U.S. LNG can reduce global carbon emissions – an important international and national security policy objective. A 2020 ICF International study examined U.S. LNG exports to Germany, China, and India and calculated the climate benefits. For these three countries, the study found that “using U.S. LNG or imported pipelined gas for electricity generation produces on average 50.5 percent lower GHG emissions than electricity from coal.” Therefore, the transition from coal to natural gas overseas provides a proven climate solution to meet energy demand while addressing the risks of climate change. Some disagree, but I believe that curtailing U.S. LNG exports would set back, not advance, the U.S.’s climate goals.

This process will not be easy: first, U.S. LNG exports may drive up domestic U.S. gas prices if supply and demand for gas do not synch carefully, depending on how energy markets respond to price changes. Second, producers, transporters, and owners of U.S. natural gas have a responsibility to develop plans for a low-carbon, clean energy future. Climate change is real. Renewable energy must play a more significant role in reducing carbon emissions. The public and shareholders alike believe the US private sector should be doing all it can to reduce carbon emissions and significantly minimize methane emissions. Fortunately, while the private sector has made progress in dealing with gas leaks, more can be done throughout the supply chain.

The U.S. is blessed with abundant natural gas and oil. Soaring energy costs for our allies require policies that support – not hinder – the safe and responsible production, transportation, and export of American natural gas.

Richard D. Kauzlarich
Real Clear Wire

With chip and semiconductor shortages expected to last through the year, Gov. Ron DeSantis said Florida is continuing its investment in local technology initiatives to strengthen the economy and job growth and eventually offset future production delays.

Osceola County and Valencia College received nearly $10 million in funding through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund to support semiconductor and other advanced technology manufacturing in the county.

The award includes $6 million to assist with developing infrastructure connecting the county’s emerging NeoCity technology district with its workforce, and $3.7 million to Valencia College to develop a new program that will train students in utilizing robotics technology for semiconductor manufacturing. The two awards are designed to help create manufacturing jobs and develop a talent pipeline to support industry growth.

NeoCity, an up-and-coming world epicenter for smart sensors, photonics and optics, has ready-made synergies with the University of Central Florida (the nation’s largest producer of aerospace engineers), and four other universities, as well as Central Florida’s large concentration of Department of Defense partners and contractors, according to its website. It’s poised to serve as a catalyst for high-tech innovation and creation, including jobs and capital investment, and is already generating marketplace momentum, and research, development and commercial- ization hubs in locally planned communities.

“Expanding domestic manufacturing capability is important for Florida and our nation,” Gov. DeSantis said. “The strategic investments we are making today will help bring microchip and semiconductor manufacturing back to our state at a time when the supply chains are more fragile than ever. Certainly, we cannot allow this important industry to become captive by the Chinese Communist Party.”

Osceola County was previously awarded $5.8 million through the Florida Job Growth Grant Fund for the construction of primary northern gateways and a main thoroughfare for NeoCity. The $6 million adds to the initial investment with planned improvements for the southern gateway, called NeoVation Way. The expansion includes constructing a 3,160 linear-foot, two-lane roadway with a gateway design feature, on-street parking, a multi-use path, sidewalks, landscaping, and lighting.

The $3.7 million in funding for Valencia College will address workforce development needs related to incorporating robotics technology into the manufacturing and distribution industry sectors through the Accelerated Skills Training Program in Robotics Technology. The workforce program includes a specialized semiconductor track designed to prepare future robotics technicians for the semiconductor industry and an Advanced Robotics Learning Factory involving partnerships among Central Florida businesses and the college.

“Strategic investments in emerging industry sectors, like what is happening at NeoCity, and critical industries, such as chip and semiconductor manufacturing, will continue to elevate Florida’s future economic growth,” Dane Eagle, secretary of the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, said.

Any type of technology that is computerized depends on semiconductors to function. Currently, a worldwide semiconductor shortage is due to a combination of factors related to supply and demand.

During the state shutdowns last year, more people bought computers, smartphones and electronic devices that caused a rise in demand for chips to be built for the tech industry. While demand went up for chips, supply went down, as it normally would, but was also impacted by weather conditions outside of the industry’s control.

A major chip supplier in Japan had a fire, halting chip production. Texas-based Intel experienced issues related to the mid-February freeze and months later restructured its operations after announcing delays in its 7nm processers, ZDNet reported. And Tawain, one of the largest chip producers in the world, experienced a drought that impacted chip production, which requires a lot of water.

Last fall, the global consulting firm AlixPartners warned of major disruptions to the auto industry due to ongoing semiconductor shortages. Lack of chips were “just one of a multitude of extraordinary disruptions the industry is facing – including everything from resin and steel shortages to labor shortages,” Mark Wakefield, global co-leader of the automotive and industrial practice at AlixPartners said.

However, some companies already began planning to invest in American manufacturing, understanding the need to shift reliance from overseas production. In November, Texas Instruments Incorporated announced it was investing $30 billion in the construction of 300-mm semiconductor wafer fabrication plants in Sherman, Texas.

"In addition to bringing billions of dollars in capital investment and thousands of new jobs to North Texas,” Texas Instrument’s historic investment “will keep Texas a national leader in semiconductor manufacturing while also strengthening the domestic semiconductor supply chain,” Texas Gov. Greg Abbott said.

Bethany Blankley
The Center Square

Is the Biden administration and top military brass using illegal COVID mandates to severely compromise national defense readiness by illegally forcing the experimental COVID vaccines, thus purging military members who request medical or religious accommodations, engaging in physical punishment, hazing and shaming of unvaccinated military service members, while denying medical treatment to those with COVID, and covering up serious vaccine injuries and deaths, in egregious violations of soldiers’ religious and civil rights guaranteed under the US Constitution, read on to see what Truth for Health Foundation has learned.

“What the Biden Administration and the Department of Defense are doing to our honorable sons and daughters in the military is unconscionable,” says Dr. Elizabeth Lee Vliet, President and CEO of Truth for Health Foundation, a non-profit public charity aimed at defending medical truth and individual medical freedom.

“Our service members are being illegally ordered to take an EUA product while being told it is “FDA-approved.” According to military sources, Comirnaty, the only FDA-approved COVID shot is not available on any U.S. military installation in the US or overseas. If service members request a religious or medical exemption, they face extra duty, public humiliation, and threats of dishonorable discharge. If they talk about it, they risk career-ending discipline. Some have been arrested for requesting a religious exemption, a Constitutional right all of our military take an oath to defend.”

In the Purging Patriots from the Military press conference, Truth for Health Foundation provides indisputable proof from military whistleblowers and their legal representatives how the US military command uses COVID to violate medical and religious rights; violate standard UCMJ regulations; conduct medical experiments on service members without informed consent. Catastrophic damage from the experimental vaccines and COVID policies has damaged military readiness and poses a serious threat to America’s national security.

Could the current DOD be so sinister as to utilize threat of international violence to absolutely force compliance of vax mandates from all our military personnel?

Find out for yourself by listening to the replay of the livestreamed event that was held at 12 NOON ET JAN 12 by LifeSiteNews. To listen to this event got to: https://www.lifesitenews.com/purging-patriots-from-the-military/ Or go to: www.TruthForHealth.org 

Dr. Vliet moderates this Press Conference, which features courageous military men and women across multiple branches and ranks of our armed forces stepping up to defend the US Constitution they took an oath to defend.

Military service members provide proof of their accusations, with their attorneys --two of whom are retired military JAG attorneys -- citing specific violations of federal law and the military's own UCMJ regulations. International attorney, Todd Callender, Esq. presents the legal case for the suit against the Department of Defense to defend the Constitutional rights of service members to push the experimental vaccines.

Military whistleblowers have documented that the Department of Defense (DOD) is illegally forcing service members to take the Experimental Use Authorized COVID vaccine under career-ending threats and are systematically denying ALL religious exemptions.

Additionally, whistleblowers have confirmed that military commanders have punished unvaccinated soldiers with extra physical activities, shamed them with humiliating acts, and denied them medical treatment as a matter of “shadow” policy across several military installations in acts of coercion to get troops vaccinated.

Under the US Constitution, citizens have the right to bodily integrity. Every person, including military service members, have the right to refuse an experimental medical treatment. But the DOD is mandating vaccinations under the false pretense that the FDA has approved the COVID vaccine. The only FDA-approved vaccine, Comirnaty, is not available to be ordered on any military installation. It is illegal for the DOD to mandate an experimental drug, even though this was done in the vaccine mandate. The order was issued by the Secretary of Defense who is not authorized to issue such an order of an EUA vaccine.

Truth for Health Foundation, a 501(c)3 public charity, presents their eighth public press conference doing the watchdog job the mainstream media and our military leaders refuse to do. The Foundation gives our military a platform to expose the corruption of military law and dangers to our national security when the lives of our volunteer service members are in jeopardy with dangerous, politically-driven policies pushed by DoD from the top down.

America’s sons and daughters who stepped up to defend our Constitution and our freedom are paying a high price with their own Constitutional rights trampled upon by the very top Command officers who took an Oath to defend our Constitution. If our military service members are being abused to this degree, and forced out of the military for simply requesting religious or medical exemptions to an experimental vaccine, who will stand in the gap and defend your rights?

The stories shared by our courageous military will inspire and encourage us all to stand against tyranny and protect the freedoms endowed by our Creator and enshrined in America’s founding documents. Our military members defend us. They deserve our support to defend them now against medical tyranny by their own Command.

Elizabeth Lee Vliet MD

AmericaOutLoud

1. Ann Kirkpatrick (D) AR. 71, announced that she wouldn’t seek another term. She had taken a leave of absence from the House the year before to recover from alcoholism, but denied that played a role in her decision.

2. Filemon Vela (D) TX. 58, said he won’t seek reelection after serving in the House since 2013. Vela's district had been considered a Democratic stronghold, but it has been increasingly targeted by Republicans.

3. Eddie Bernice Johnson (D) TX. 86, announced that she wouldn’t seek reelection after serving in Congress since 1993.

4. Cheri Bustos (D) IL., 60, announced in April 2021 that she will retire from Congress, she only narrowly won reelection in 2020 by about 4 points. Bustos had won reelection in 2018 by nearly 25 points.

5. Tim Ryan (D) OH., 48, formally launched a campaign in April 2021 to run for the open Senate seat that will be vacated by Portman’s retirement.

6. Charlie Crist (D) FL, 65, is running to serve again as Florida governor, marking his third gubernatorial run since 2006.

7. Val Demings (D) FL, 64, launched her campaign to challenge Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) in June 2021.

8. Stephanie Murphy (D) FL. 43, Murphy said she wanted to spend more time with her family.

9. Conor Lamb (D) PA. 37, is running for the open Senate seat in his state. Lamb had only narrowly defeated his GOP challenger by just over 2 points in 2020.

10. Mike Doyle (D) PA. 68, said in October 2021 that after serving in the House since 1995, "I believe the time has come to pass the torch to the next generation."

11. Ron Kind (D) WI. 58, said that he wouldn't seek reelection. He won reelection in 2020 by less than 3 poinra, he won reelection by nearly 20 points in 2018.

12. Karen Bass (D) CA. 68, a former chairwoman of the Congressional Black Caucus, is running for mayor of Los Angeles.

13. Jackie Speier (D) CA. 71, a co-chair of the Democratic Women’s Caucus, announced that she won’t seek reelection after serving in the House since 2008.

14. Alan Lowenthal (D) CA. 80, said that he wants to spend more time with family after serving in the House since 2013.

15. Lucille Roybal-Allard (D) CA. is not planning to seek reelection.

16. John Yarmuth (D) KY, 74, the House Budget Committee chairman who was closely involved in Democrats’ crafting of the social spending package, he will retire after serving in the chamber since 2007.

17. David Price (D) N.C. 81, who first took office 1987, announced in October 2021 that he won't seek another term.

18. G.K. Butterfield (D) N.C. 74, has served in the House since 2004, has decided not to run for reelection.

19. Anthony Brown (D) MD 60, who has served in the House since 2017, is running for Maryland attorney general.

20. Peter Welch (D) VT. has represented the state in the House since 2007 but will be running for the Vermont seat vacated by Sen. Leahy.

21. Tom Suozzi (D) N.Y. 59, is running for New York Governor. as a “common sense Democrat.”

22. Peter DeFazio (D) OR. 74, announced that his 18th term in Congress would be his last.

23. Albio Sires (D) N.J. 70, who has served in the House since 2006, announced that he won't be seeking reelection.

24. Bobby Rush (D) IL.75-year-old former Black Panther, has served in Congress since 1993. He told the Chicago Sun-Times on Jan. 3 that he made the decision to retire after a conversation with his grandson.

25. Brenda Lawrence (D) MI. 67, announced Jan. 4 that her eighth year in Congress would be her last.

26. Ed Perlmutter (D) CO. 68, announced Jan. 10 that he will not run for reelection after serving in the House since 2007.

1. Tom Reed, (R) 50, announced that he would not run for reelection.

2. Mo Brooks (R) AL. 67, is running for the open Senate seat that Shelby is vacating. Brooks, who has served in the House since 2011.

3. Lee Zeldin (R) N.Y. 41, who has represented a Long Island-based district since 2015, announced that he would run for New York governor.

4. Jody Hice (R) GA. 61, launched a primary challenge in March 2021 to unseat Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensberger.

5. Mo Brooks (R) AL. 67, is running for the open Senate seat that Shelby is vacating.

6. Kevin Brady (R) TX. 66, announced in April 2021 that he wouldn’t run for reelection.

7. Steve Stivers, (R) OH. 56, resigned from the House in May 2021 to take a job leading the Ohio Chamber of Commerce.

8. 7. Ted Budd (R) N.C. 50, who has served in the House since 2017, announced in April 2021 that he is running for the Senate.

9. Billy Long (R) MO.66, launched his Senate campaign in August 2021, joining a crowded field of candidates.

10. Anthony Gonzalez (R) OH.37, was one of the 10 House Republicans voted to impeach Trump in the aftermath of the Jan. 6 attack on the Capitol.

11. Adam Kinzinger (R) IL. 43, another House Republican who voted to impeach Trump.

12. Louie Gohmert (R) TX. 68, a former judge, announced in November 2021 that he is running for Texas attorney general.

13. Devin Nunes (R) CA.48, announced in December that he would step down at the end of 2021 to serve as CEO of Trump’s new media company.

If you enjoy a good musical, you’re going to love this presentation of ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ and if you enjoy a good tap dance…. Well, this is right up your alley!

Fantastic screen to play adaptation is what you’ll find when you catch this awesome musical.

Early in the play, Cosmo sings ‘You can charm the critics but have nothing to eat!’ That’s the shrewd warning from the legendary song Make ’Em Laugh, from the equally legendary 1952 musical Singin’ in the Rain, written by Betty Comden and Adolph Green and now being performed “Live” at Broadway Palm Dinner theater. ‘Forget about the hoity-toity critics and the clueless highbrows,’ Cosmo proclaims:’the real duty – and real artistry – lies in entertaining people.’ How true!

And Entertained you will be. 

The unstoppable joy of the musical song and dance numbers, as Loren Stone and Alex Fullerton as Cosmo Brown and Don Lockwood, (originally played by Donald O’Connor and Gene Kelly on the big screen) never fail to impress – perhaps especially in “Moses Supposes” as a pompous speech therapist fellow tries to instruct Don how enunciate his vowels and consonants; Cosmo shows up, and soon they have disrupted the entire thing with an anarchic dance number. The prissy business of correct elocution couldn’t be less relevant.

As in the original film, the songs themselves often float surreally free of the story. In Good Morning (celebrating their all-night conversation in which the genre of movie musical has been invented), Kathy, Cosmo and Don prophetically pick up rain coats, anticipating the legendary title number to come.

To some extent, cinema’s crisis of self-doubt is part of what drove the original film. Kathy Selden, played by Shannon Conboy is the wannabe actor and stern ingénue who lectures Fullerton’s genially complacent silent movie star Don Lockwood about the superiority of the legitimate theatre over the movies when they meet-cute. Not really believing it herself, while making ends meet jumping out of cakes at Hollywood parties and going into a sublime song’n’dance routine to All I Do Is Dream of You.

When the silent cinema is forced to accommodate sound, and Don and his co-star Lina Lamont make their first faltering attempts to speak from the screen, for an awful moment their acting looks crass, childish and comical. Are the naysayers right? Are the talkie movies just silly?
You’ll have to go see it for yourself to get the rest of the story but I’ll say this, we truly enjoyed how they pulled off the title cut ‘Singin’ in the Rain’ live on stage…

Also, overall, the choreography was exquisite! At one point I counted 17 actors on stage all singing and dancing with umbrellas and rain-gear… with no mishaps … impressive!

And I’ll add this... Lina Lamont played by Alexandra Nicole Garcia had a most difficult role.... It’s actually very hard to sing off key so bad...... intentionally!

In the end, Fullerton, Conboy, Stone and Garcia do something achieved only by true artists: they made it look easy.

Live at Broadway Palm Dinner Theater through Feb 12th... make some time for this ... you'll be glad you did!

tickets and info:

https://broadwaypalm.com
239-278-4422