Paradise News

Tag: General News

  • LOL: Top ATF Agent Struggles to Disassemble Glock During Anti-2A CBS News Segment


    Hilarity ensues as acting ATF division chief’s anti-ghost gun demonstration goes awry.

    A top ATF federal agent comically struggled to remove the slide from a Glock pistol during an awkward CBS News segment demonizing 3D-printed firearms, popularly known as “ghost guns.”

    In a report from Sunday’s Face the Nation, acting head of the ATF’s Firearms Ammunition Technology Division Chris Bort attempted to demonstrate how some key parts of a ghost gun pistol contained real pistol elements.

    Despite his introduction as a “leading expert,” however, Bort went on to struggle for nearly 10 seconds to remove the slide from a standard Glock pistol, instead having to perform the demonstration on another pistol.

    The so-called expert’s failed attempt to break down the Glock pistol, despite working for an agency frequently criticized as a gun-grabbing entity, was roundly mocked online.

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    Here’s how easy it is to remove the slide, if anyone’s interested:

    Here’s the full report, (key segment at 10:58):

    The globalists are increasing their attacks on Infowars and the stakes have never been higher!

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  • Lagos Signs MoU With Niger State For Agric Commodities Supplies

    Lagos-State-Attorney-General-Commissioner-for-Justice-Lawal-Pedro-SAN-Governor-of-Lagos-State-Babajide-Sanwo-Olu-and-his-Niger-State-counterpart-Governor-Mohammed-Bago-during-the-signin

    The Lagos State government on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Niger State government aimed at facilitating constant supply of agricultural commodities for the end consumers.

    Under the agreement tagged “Produce for Lagos Initiative”, Niger is to leverage the Lagos market by producing agricultural commodities to meet consumers’ demands.

    Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his Niger State counterpart, Umar Mohammed Bago, signed the contract on behalf of the two states.

    Speaking on the agreement, Sanwo-Olu said: “We have just put the pen to paper and signed the Government-to-Government agreement between Lagos and Niger states for agricultural production. Lagos, being the smallest State in terms of landmass, and Niger, being the largest State, is no coincidence that the biggest and the smallest are looking at opportunities for citizens of our both states to be the beneficiaries of this historic partnership.”

    On his part, Bago described the partnership as “a landmark agreement”.

    He said: “This is a landmark agreement that has been made today. Lagos is the largest consumer of agricultural resources in the country based on its population, while Niger State has the largest agricultural land. So, this Memorandum of Understanding came on the heels of exploring the strength of each state to promote food security and safety.

    “Niger State is to produce agricultural commodities for Lagos State, and also process staple food items. Lagos State is to leverage the organised market and supply chain to meet consumers’ demands. This is basically the simple explanation of the Memorandum of Understanding, which is in tandem with Mr. President’s food security agenda.”

    Lagos Commissioner for Agriculture, Abisola Olusanya, said the partnership would ensure price stability and food availability.

    “This is a marriage made in heaven for our two States. This is a function of production meeting markets. Once there is an off-take market, it would catalyse the production end of the market. Then, this will lead to price stability and food availability.

    “Farmers’ profit will also be guaranteed, just as consumers will be happy for timely supplies. We will also have middle men who will have regular sources of income by acting as a bridge between both ends of the market,” Olusanya stated.

    With this agreement, agricultural commodities such as rice paddies, tubers, beans, legumes, maize and grains, are to be produced and shipped to Lagos markets.

    Lagos Signs MoU With Niger State For Agric Commodities Supplies is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Fact Check: Energy weapons, blue roofs and food supply attacks: Texas wildfires revive baseless claims

    As Texas tries to contain the biggest wildfire in the state’s history, baseless conspiracy theories that first circulated online after other well-known fires are resurfacing.

    More than 1 million acres of land have burned so far in Texas from the wildfires, which began in late February. The Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest of the fires, has killed at least two people and thousands of animals in a state known for its cattle industry.

    False claims about government attacks with directed energy weapons and certain homes painted blue being spared that first surfaced last year during devastating wildfires in Maui, Hawaii, are now being applied to Texas. Other social media users have revived a long-running conspiracy about attacks on the U.S. food supply by nefarious, unnamed forces. 

    Here are some of the false claims circulating on social media about the Texas wildfires.

    No proof of ‘deliberate’ attack on food supply

    In the past two years, PolitiFact has debunked numerous claims that unknown actors are attacking the nation’s food supply, targeting farms and food processing facilities to starve people.

    The claim of food supply attacks resurfaced after wildfires ravaged ranges in the Texas Panhandle and killed thousands of livestock animals. This claim is False. There’s no evidence the fires were set intentionally and experts we spoke with said the fires’ effect on the nation’s food supply likely would be minimal.

    Texas authorities, as of March 6, continue to investigate the Smokehouse Creek fire’s cause, but they have not suggested it was intentionally ignited. Hot weather, dry land and high winds have helped spread the still-burning blaze. One homeowner has sued a utility company for not maintaining a damaged power pole, alleging downed power lines started the fire.

    (Instagram screenshot)

    Directed energy weapons didn’t start the wildfires

    Some social media users said a video of a green laser beam is evidence that directed energy weapons were used to start the Texas wildfires. This claim is False.

    The green laser beam video predates the Texas wildfires. It was shared online as early as Dec. 31, 2023, from an account known for videos that purport to show paranormal or extraterrestrial activity.

    Other online claims baselessly alleged that directed energy weapons were used to start deadly fires that ravaged Maui in August 2023; wildfires there killed more than 100 people and destroyed thousands of buildings in the town of Lahaina.  

    PolitiFact has also debunked similar claims that those weapons were used to start fires in Canada and Russia.

    Directed energy weapons are real, and the United States and other countries are researching them for military purposes, but there’s no evidence they were used to ignite the Texas wildfires.

    President Joe Biden’s comments didn’t prove ‘blue roof’ conspiracy theory

    Social media users took comments that Biden made about a home that avoided burning during the Texas wildfires to revive a conspiracy theory that first surfaced in the Maui wildfires.

    “If you fly over these areas that are burned to the ground, you’ll see in the midst of 20 homes that are just totally destroyed, one home sitting there because it had the right roof on it,” Biden said.

    One Instagram post showed the clip of Biden with text saying, “Remember the blue roofs during the Lahaina fires? Biden just seemed to confirm our suspicions.”

    This claim is False.

    “Blue roofs” refers to baseless claims that celebrities were painting their Maui roofs blue and that those homes were spared by directed energy weapons.

    Experts we spoke to about the Maui claims said it’s common for fires to “hop” from place to place via flying embers and for some structures or trees not to ignite, even if everything around them does.

    Biden was not talking about roof colors, a longer video of his comments shows. He was saying some roofs were intact because the structures were up to code, not because they were painted blue.

    (Instagram screenshot)

    Photo doesn’t show Smokehouse Creek fire; it’s from 2017

    A Facebook post claimed a photo showed the Texas wildfire, but the image was first posted in 2017. This claim is False. 

    A reverse-image search showed the photo was from an August 2017 Texas Monthly article about a fire in Gray County, Texas.

    PolitiFact staff writers Sara Swann and Loreben Tuquero contributed to this report.



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  • Posts Make Baseless Claim About Net Worth of Ocasio-Cortez

    Para leer en español, vea esta traducción de Google Translate.

    Quick Take

    Democratic U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York reported having $60,000 at most in bank accounts and other savings and as much as $50,000 in student loan debt in her 2023 financial disclosure report. But social media posts baselessly claim that since becoming a member of Congress, she is “a verified multi-millionaire.”

    Full Story

    U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez of New York became the youngest woman to serve in Congress when she started her first term in the House in January 2019.

    As a high-profile member of a progressive Democratic group known as “The Squad” during her initial years in Congress, Ocasio-Cortez has often been the target of unfounded and false claims on social media, as we’ve written.

    Recent posts have made a baseless claim about Ocasio-Cortez’s financial status since becoming a member of Congress, suggesting she has inexplicably profited from her time in office.

    A March 3 post on Facebook shows an illustration of Ocasio-Cortez slumped on a street bench, with text that claims, “This Bartender Was Thousands of Dollars In Debt When Running For Office But Five Years Later Is A Verified Multi-Millionaire On 174k/yr Salary.”

    A March 4 post on Instagram, which shows several photos of Ocasio-Cortez, claims, “A broke bartender elected to Congress, assumes office in 2019 with a salary of $155,000 is now worth $29 million and the DOJ is prosecuting Donald Trump.”

    Former President Trump has been indicted four times and has been charged with 91 felony counts in two cases pursued by the Department of Justice and cases prosecuted by the states of New York and Georgia. In addition, a New York judge fined Trump $354.8 million and about $100 million in interest in a civil fraud suit in February, and a federal judge ordered the former president to pay writer E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million based on a jury’s verdict in a January defamation trial.

    Ocasio-Cortez was the subject of an investigation by the Office of Congressional Ethics, which found in June 2022 that she “may have accepted impermissible gifts associated with her attendance at the Met Gala in 2021.” The nonpartisan office said Ocasio-Cortez didn’t pay for the rented dress she wore to the gala or for hairstyling and make-up bills until after she was questioned by the office.

    Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez speaks to the media on Feb. 28 in Washington, D.C. Photo by Jemal Countess via Getty Images for Congressional Integrity Project.

    The claims about the congresswoman being a “Multi-Millionaire” are unfounded, however.

    According to Ocasio-Cortez’s last financial disclosure — a report required each year from members of Congress — she had savings, checking, brokerage and 401(k) accounts each with $1,001 to $15,000, or a total of $60,000 in assets at most. Her report filed on Aug. 13, 2023, also showed a liability of between $15,001 and $50,000 in student loan debt.

    Reuters also found no evidence to support a claim in 2022 that Ocasio-Cortez had a net worth of $29 million. The congresswoman addressed the claim in 2022, citing the Reuters fact-check article on her campaign website.

    The Facebook post correctly states that the annual salary of most members of Congress, which is set by law, is $174,000, and has been since 2009.

    Editor’s note: FactCheck.org is one of several organizations working with Facebook to debunk misinformation shared on social media. Our previous stories can be found here. Facebook has no control over our editorial content.

    Sources

    AOC. Campaign website. “Fact Check: Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez does NOT have a net worth of $29 million.” Accessed 6 Mar 2024.

    Associated Press. “Here’s where all the cases against Trump stand as he campaigns for a return to the White House.” 28 Feb 2024.

    Charalambous, Peter and Aaron Katersky. “Trump civil fraud case: Judge fines Trump $354 million, says frauds ‘shock the conscience.’” ABC News. 16 Feb 2024.

    Clerk of the House of Representatives. Hon. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Financial Disclosure Report. 13 Aug 2023.

    Cohen, Rebecca and Madison Hall. “AOC only paid for her Met Gala outfit and other possible ‘impermissible gifts’ after investigators asked about it, ethics agency finds.” Business Insider. 2 Mar 2023.

    Congressional Research Service. Congressional Salaries and Allowances: In Brief. Accessed 6 Mar 2024.

    Fichera, Angelo. “A Phantom Ocasio-Cortez Quote on Gun Ownership.” 12 Apr 2019.

    Fichera, Angelo. “Meme Fabricates Ocasio-Cortez Firing.” FactCheck.org. 6 Mar 2019.

    Fichera, Angelo. “Viral Story Spreads Made-Up AOC ‘Quote’ on Soldiers.” FactCheck.org. 23 Jul 2019.

    Hess, Abigail Johnson. “29-year-old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez makes history as the youngest woman ever elected to Congress.” CNBC. Updated 29 Nov 2018.

    Office of Congressional Ethics. About. Accessed 6 Mar 2024.

    Office of Congressional Ethics, United States House of Representatives. Review No. 22-8546. 17 Jun 2022.

    Reuters. “No evidence Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has a net worth of $29 million.” 9 Aug 2022.

    Scannell, Kara. “Judge affirms $83.3 million verdict against Donald Trump in E. Jean Carroll defamation case.” 8 Feb 2024.

    Spencer, Saranac Hale. “Fake AOC Quotes Keep on Trucking.” FactCheck.org. 19 Jul 2019.

    Spencer, Saranac Hale. “Fake AOC Tweet Politicizes COVID-19 Business Restrictions.” 24 Jun 2020.

    Statista. “Annual salary of members of the United States Congress from 1990 to 2023.” Accessed 6 Mar 2024.

    Sullivan, Kate. “Here are the 4 congresswomen known as ‘The Squad’ targeted by Trump’s racist tweets.” CNN. 16 Jul 2019.

    Source

  • House passes $460B package of spending bills

    By Kevin Freking | Associated Press

    WASHINGTON — The House passed a $460 billion package of spending bills Wednesday that would keep money flowing to key federal agencies through the remainder of the budget year. The Senate is expected to take up the legislation before a midnight Friday shutdown deadline.

    Lawmakers are negotiating a second package of six bills, including defense, in an effort to have all federal agencies fully funded before a March 22 deadline. In the end, total discretionary spending set by Congress is expected to come in at about $1.66 trillion for the full entire year.

    A significant number of House Republicans have lined up in opposition to the spending packages, forcing House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., to use an expedited process to bring the bill up for a vote. That process requires two-thirds of the House to vote for the measure for it to pass.

    The House passed the measure by a vote of 339-85.

    The nondefense spending in this year’s bills is relatively flat compared to the previous year. Supporters say that keeping that spending below the rate of inflation is tantamount to a cut, forcing agencies to be more frugal and focus manpower on top priorities. Johnson cited a 10% cut to the Environmental Protection Agency, a 7% cut to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and a 6% cut to the FBI.

    But many Republican lawmakers were seeking much steeper cuts and more policy victories. The House Freedom Caucus, which contains dozens of the GOP’s most conservative members, urged Republicans to vote against the first spending package and oppose the second one being negotiated.

    “Despite giving Democrats higher spending levels, the omnibus text released so far punts on nearly every single Republican policy priority,” the group said.

    Johnson countered that House Republicans have just a two-vote majority in the House while Democrats control the Senate and White House.

    “We have to be realistic about what we’re able to achieve,” Johnson said.

    Democrats staved off most of the policy riders that House Republicans sought to include in the package. For example, they beat back an effort to block new rules that expand access to the abortion pill mifepristone.

    Democrats also said the bill would fully fund a nutrition program for low-income women, infants and children, providing about $7 billion for what is known as the WIC program. That’s a $1 billion increase from the previous year.

    As part of those negotiations, House Republicans pushed to give a few states the ability to disallow the purchase of non-nutritious food, such as sugary drinks and snacks, in the food stamp program known as SNAP. The GOP’s effort was unsuccessful for now, but supporters say they’ll try again in next year’s spending bills.

    “The bill certainly doesn’t have everything that we may have wanted, but I am very proud to say we successfully defeated the vast majority of the extreme cuts and hundreds of harmful policy riders proposed by the House Republicans,” said Rep. Rosa DeLauro, the top-ranking Democrat on the House Appropriations Committee.

    House Republicans were able to achieve some policy wins, however. One provision, for example, will prevent the sale of oil in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to China. Another policy mandate prohibits the Justice Department from investigating parents who exercise free speech at local school board meetings.

    Another provision strengthens gun rights for certain veterans.

    Under current law, the Department of Veterans Affairs must send a beneficiary’s name to the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System whenever a fiduciary is appointed to help manage someone’s benefits because they lack the mental capacity to manage their own affairs. This year’s spending package prohibits the department from transmitting that information unless a relevant judicial authority rules that the beneficiary is a danger to himself or herself, or others.

    Rep. Mark Takano, the top Democrat on the House Veterans’ Affairs Committee, said a finding of mental incompetency by the VA is typically based on “very serious mental health conditions like schizophrenia and dementia.”

    “They wanted so badly to make sure that vulnerable veterans could access more firearms,” Takano said. “This is wrong. Lives are on the line. Veterans’ lives are on the line, and I will not agree to legislation that will cause more people’s lives to be lost to gun violence.”

    Republicans have argued that current VA policy deters some veterans from seeking the care and benefits they have earned.

    In a closed-door meeting with the House GOP, Johnson, looking to show that Republicans did get some policy wins in the negotiations, read from a news report about how Democrats were having “heartburn” about the gun provision, according to a Republican familiar with the discussion who was not authorized to discuss it publicly.

    The bills to fund federal agencies are more than five months past due with the budget year beginning Oct. 1. House Republicans are describing an improved process nevertheless, saying they have broken the cycle of passing all the spending bills in one massive package that lawmakers have little time to study before being asked to vote on it or risk a government shutdown.

    But critics of the bill, such as Rep. Scott Perry, R-Pa., were dismissive about how much the process really changed.

    The first package covers the departments of Veterans Affairs, Agriculture, Interior and Transportation, among others.

    AP Congressional Correspondent Lisa Mascaro contributed to this report.

    Source

  • Harrell’s New Comprehensive Plan Looks To Increase Housing Opportunities In All Neighborhoods

    Seattle Mayor, Bruce Harrell

    In a significant move to reshape Seattle’s urban landscape, Mayor Bruce Harrell unveiled the Draft One Seattle Plan, a comprehensive update aimed at guiding the city’s growth over the next two decades. Addressing the challenges of rapid growth and housing affordability, the Plan proposes innovative strategies to diversify housing across all neighborhoods, particularly focusing on areas near transit hubs.

    Growing up in the historically redlined Central District, Mayor Harrell has witnessed the city’s transformation and the escalating housing affordability crisis.

    “Having seen the changes in our city and the growing unaffordability, it’s clear we need more housing,” Mayor Harrell stated. “This Plan is a response to that need, ensuring growth is intentional and inclusive, counteracting the effects of exclusionary zoning and focusing on anti-displacement strategies.”

    The One Seattle Plan aims to introduce a variety of housing options in every neighborhood, promoting a city where diverse communities, including teachers and working families, can afford to live.

    “The Plan is a deliberate approach to bring diverse housing types to every neighborhood, listening to the voices of all communities,” Harrell added. “It’s a crucial step in addressing housing affordability and homelessness.”

    Seattle, one of the fastest-growing major cities in the U.S., anticipates reaching a million residents in the coming years. The Draft Plan is estimated to create over 100,000 new housing units in the next 20 years, exceeding the City’s growth targets. This includes embracing new state requirements for “middle housing,” which will allow for a broader range of housing types across Seattle neighborhoods.

    The development of the Plan involved extensive community outreach, with the City receiving input from thousands of Seattle residents over two years.

    “The One Seattle Plan is a vision that balances the needs of BIPOC communities and working families,” said Rico Quirindongo, Director of Seattle’s Office of Planning and Community Development. “We’re redressing past harms with more equitable zoning and fostering vibrant communities that reflect the diverse character of our city.”

    The Draft Plan encompasses various elements like housing, transportation, economic development, and sustainability. It proposes expanding housing opportunities near transit stops, combating displacement through affordable housing investments, and fostering complete, walkable communities.

    Rachel Smith, President and CEO of the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, emphasized the importance of the Plan for sustainable growth.

     “Building more housing types in more neighborhoods is a top priority,” Smith said. “This Plan reflects our city’s values and vision for equitable growth and economic activity.”

    Meaghan Hass, Owner of Highland Park Corner Store, highlighted the social impact of the Plan.

    “Corner stores are more than just amenities; they’re social hubs that strengthen community bonds,” Hass remarked. “We’re excited that the One Seattle Plan will integrate small commercial spaces into residential areas, enhancing neighborhood uniqueness.”

    The Draft Plan’s release initiates a 60-day public comment period, with the City encouraging community members to provide feedback and participate in open houses across the city. For more information or to comment on the Draft One Seattle Plan, residents can visit engage.oneseattleplan.com or seattle.gov/opcd/one-seattle-plan.

    Source

  • Earmark pulled from Philly LGBTQ center over ‘kink’ parties

    Confusion reigned Wednesday after an earmark for a Philadelphia LGBTQ center was pulled from a spending bill making its way through Congress.

    Democratic Pennsylvania Sens. John Fetterman and Bob Casey withdrew their support for a $1 million renovation project and requested earmarked funds for the William Way LGBT Center be removed from a housing and transportation government funding bill Tuesday. The requests came in letters to Senate Appropriations Committee Chair Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) and Ranking Member Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).

    The Senate removed the spending project from the bill the same day, after a viral post by the far-right social media account Libs of TikTok criticized the center for allowing a group that holds monthly BDSM, kink and fetish parties for adults to use its facilities.

    In a statement, William Way said “sexual behavior” is not permitted in its meeting facilities and event spaces and said the earmark was removed “as a result of lies and distortions about our Center shared by political extremists.”

    Casey, who is fending off a competitive challenge in his bid for reelection this year from Republican David McCormick, told The Hill Wednesday that the earmark was pulled because of “new information.”

    He did not specify what new information drove him to drop his support for the project, but a source close to the situation said Casey decided to remove the earmark after a conservative organization made the appropriations committee aware of the parties.

    Fetterman on Wednesday said he was “horrified” by the letter sent by his office, which he claimed to have no prior knowledge of.

    “I know that seems strange, but I wasn’t a part of that,” Fetterman told Business Insider.

    In a statement Wednesday, Fetterman said the decision to pull the funds earmarked for the William Way LGBT Center was made to avoid “attacks” from Republicans.

    “Unfortunately, at the 11th hour my staff was made aware that funding for William Way, which was in the bill because I championed it, would not pass in the FY24 appropriations process,” he said. “The choice was either to pull it or watch it get stripped out, attacked by Republicans, and ultimately killed.”

    Fetterman pledged to secure funding for the center in next year’s funding bills.

    “The William Way LGBT Community Center has been doing critical work in Philadelphia for decades. I do not believe that we should penalize this center based on events that are entirely legal among consenting adults,” Fetterman added Wednesday, referring to the Libs of TikTok post. I have no problem with what consenting adults do in their private time.”

    “I’m new here, but I wasn’t aware that Democratic values and priorities are dictated by Libs of Tik Tok,” he said.

    Funding for William Way first made headlines in July, when House Republicans voted to eliminate funding for it and two other LGBTQ community centers in Massachusetts. Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.), who led the charge to cut the centers’ funding, said financing the centers would be “problematic.”

     Rep. Ryan Zinke (R-Mont.), who also voted to eliminate funding for the centers, claimed some of them offered programming for young people that supports communism, drag shows and transgender health care.

    “Appropriation also should be appropriate,” he said.

    Fetterman, at the time, called the move “just flat out, mask-off bigotry” in a post on X, formerly Twitter. Later, when funding for the center was secured in spending bills approved by the Senate, Fetterman touted it as a personal victory.

    “I’m particularly proud we were able to get the William Way LGBT Community Center funded after House Republicans stripped it out,” Fetterman said in November. “They must stop playing partisan games and get to work so we can deliver these investments where they are needed.”

    Aris Folley and Alexander Bolton contributed reporting for this article.

    Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.



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  • Watch: KJP Refuses To Say Whether Biden Will Debate Trump


    Vast majority of Americans think Biden too old and cognitively impaired to be president, according to numerous polls.

    White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre repeatedly declined to answer whether Joe Biden will debate presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump ahead of the 2024 election.

    When asked Wednesday by Fox News reporter Peter Doocy during a White House press briefing if Biden will debate Trump, Jean-Pierre only answered: “That’s something for the campaign to speak to.”

    Doocy reminded Jean-Pierre that Biden once declared he “can hardly wait to debate” Trump, and asked if Biden plans to stick with that conviction.

    “I’m gonna sound like a broken record — you should reach out to the campaign,” she said again.

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    Doocy then asked, given recent polling showing voters have deep concerns about Biden’s physical and mental fitness, whether Biden’s refusal to participate in a debate would exacerbate those concerns.

    Jean-Pierre defended Biden’s advanced age and said the American people could judge Biden’s performance at tomorrow’s State of the Union address.

    “What I can say about that is — not talking about the debate, that’s something his campaign can speak to, not gonna speak about that — to your question about age, I think I sorta answered for that, I think, you know, you’re gonna see the State of the Union tomorrow, you’re gonna hear the president lay out his plans, you’re gonna hear the president, a president who has had a successful three years of progress — still a lot more work to be done — but progress nonetheless,” she said.

    Jean-Pierre also insisted that 81-year-old Biden has done more in three years than most presidents have accomplished in two terms.

    “This is also a president that has gotten done more in the last three years than most presidents have in their two terms! That is what we’ve seen from the data!” she argued.

    Recent polls bear out the opposite sentiment.

    The majority of American voters think Biden is too old, feeble, and incompetent to carry out his duties as president.

    Meanwhile, former President Trump on Truth Social Wednesday called for a debate with Biden “anytime, anywhere anyplace” because it’s “for the good of the country.”

    “It is important, for the Good of our Country, that Joe Biden and I Debate Issues that are so vital to America, and the American People. Therefore, I am calling for Debates, ANYTIME, ANYWHERE, ANYPLACE! The Debates can be run by the Corrupt DNC, or their Subsidiary, the Commission on Presidential Debates (CPD). I look forward to receiving a response. Thank you for your attention to this matter!” he wrote.

    Watch the full WH press briefing:

    Follow Jamie White on X | Truth | Gab | Gettr | Minds



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  • Why We Arrested Truckloads Of Foods Being Smuggled Into Neighbouring Countries

    EFCC

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), has defended why it arrested a truckload of food on Tuesday.

    Recall THE WHISTLER reported that the Commission arrested some trucks carting foodstuffs into Niger, Cameroon, Central Africa Republic among others.

    However, on Wednesday, the EFCC spokesman, Dele Oyewale while fielding questions in an interview on EFCC Radio, described the foodstuffs allegedly being smuggled into those countries as economic sabotage.

    According to him, the Commission is saddled with the mandate of tackling all forms of economic and financial crimes, especially those directly affecting the economy.

    “Anything that has a negative bearing on the economy is an act of economic sabotage or serving as a leakage, distortion or disequilibrium in the economy, the Commission has a responsibility to tackle it and that is what the EFCC has done.”

    He added that: “It is not that the Commission is throwing its nets towards the borders, an arrest can be made anywhere, and the smugglers were arrested at the exit routes leading to Cameroon and Chad as a result of the effectiveness of our surveillance.

    “They could have also been arrested anywhere else but the most important thing is that they were arrested for allegedly smuggling food items that could be useful to Nigerians, which they were not allowed to take out of the country.”

    He therefore urged the public to commend and support the Commission for spreading its wings across the country.

    He explained that the Commission is proactive and it is everywhere to ensure that the economy is revamped, so that Nigerians can get optimum value.

    “So, I think Nigerians should applaud the Commission more for being so proactive enough to tackle such incidental crimes.

    “We all need to join our hands together to ensure that this problem of economic sabotage is directly addressed,” he said.

    Why We Arrested Truckloads Of Foods Being Smuggled Into Neighbouring Countries is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

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  • Fact Check: Is Donald Trump’s NATO talk a warning or a negotiating tactic? Here’s what he has said

    When former President Donald Trump said he’d let Russia “do whatever the hell they want” to NATO nations that didn’t pay for collective defense, he alarmed world leaders — and spurred President Joe Biden to imagine a world without the alliance.

    Biden in February asked voters to contemplate this scenario — Trump winning the election and withdrawing the United States from the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.

    “First of all, he doesn’t like NATO,” Biden said at a Feb. 21 campaign event. “He wanted to pull out of it completely. He has no notion of its importance.” 

    Biden added, “Imagine what happens if this guy gets elected and steps out of NATO. Imagine what that does.”

    Recent polls show Americans support NATO. And political observers say Trump’s comments have undermined NATO, which may obliquely help Russian President Vladimir Putin, who has long wanted to weaken the alliance. But is pulling out Trump’s plan?

    Some former Trump advisers have said Trump nearly removed the U.S. from NATO and that U.S. involvement in the alliance could be in jeopardy if he wins reelection. As a 2024 candidate, he’s again raising doubts about the organization’s merits, but he hasn’t said for sure whether he’d pull the U.S. out. 

    We asked the Trump campaign for comment and didn’t hear back.

    Experts cautioned against pinning Trump to a single position, given his unpredictability.

    As president, “he didn’t follow through on everything he said he would do and changed his mind often,” said Jennifer Kavanagh, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for Peace.

    Case in point: In 2016, Trump repeatedly said that NATO was “obsolete” or “outdated.” 

    As president, he remained skeptical of NATO but flip-flopped on its relevance. During an April 2017 press conference with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, Trump said NATO was doing more to fight terrorism and “it’s no longer obsolete.”

    Here’s Trump’s history when talking about NATO and what it could mean for the alliance in a potential second term.

     “If it breaks up NATO, it breaks up NATO’’ 

    U.S. President Donald Trump addresses a news conference after a summit of heads of state and government July 12, 2018, at NATO headquarters in Brussels. (AP)

    Trump’s position that allies should spend more has been fairly consistent since the 1980s.

    In a 1987 interview with CNN’s Larry King, Trump said, “If you look at the payments that we’re making to NATO, they’re totally disproportionate with everybody else’s.” 

    In his 2000 book, Trump wrote that exiting NATO would save the United States “millions of dollars” a year. 

    He turned the observation into a threat as a presidential candidate.

    “Either they have to pay up for past deficiencies or they have to get out,” Trump said at an April 2016 campaign stop in Racine, Wisconsin. 

    “And if it breaks up NATO, it breaks up NATO,” he concluded.

    At an August 2016 rally in Jacksonville, Florida, Trump framed the issue as a negotiator would, saying, “I don’t want to get rid of NATO, but you always have to be prepared to walk. It’s possible.”

    He reenacted an interview with The New York Times for the crowd:

    “They said, ‘What happens if one of these countries’ — take a smaller one that nobody in this room’s ever heard of — ‘gets attacked by Russia? Are you saying you’re not gonna protect ’em?’ I say, ‘Well, let me ask you: Have they paid? Have they paid?’ Right? ‘Have they paid?’”

    Almost eight years later, Trump’s sentiment is similar. In February, Trump told supporters a similar anecdote about telling an unnamed NATO country leader that he would “encourage” Russia to “do whatever the hell they want” to a NATO member country that didn’t “pay.” 

    Some Trump allies dismissed Trump’s comments as off-the-cuff remarks. Retired Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg, who was former Vice President Mike Pence’s national security adviser, told Politico he did not take Trump “literally.”

    Former Trump advisers said Trump wanted, or will, get out of NATO

    Some fears that Trump would withdraw from NATO stem from comments by former Trump advisers.

    John Bolton, Trump’s former national security adviser who is now a Trump critic, wrote in his 2020 book that during an August 2019 videoconference about U.S. assistance to Ukraine, Trump said, “I don’t give a s— about NATO.” Trump then ordered Pence to call NATO’s Stoltenberg to tell him the alliance should pay Ukraine $250 million in assistance for weapons, equipment, intelligence support and training to build up Ukraine’s military and to deter Russia. 

    Trump has said he was tough on Russia, and some moves bear that out. For example, the additional $1.4 billion he sought in fiscal 2108 for the European Deterrence Initiative, which supports European military readiness to counter Russian aggression, was a 41% increase from the allocation during President Barack Obama’s final year in office. 

    But rhetorically, he’s been friendlier to Russia than his predecessors. In June 2018,  he advocated for restoring Russia to the G-7 after it was expelled in 2014 over annexing Crimea. Also in 2018, Trump, against his advisers’ wishes, congratulated Putin on his reelection victory. Trump was inconsistent about whether he thought Russia meddled in the election, but he has said that he believes Putin’s denial of Russian involvement. 

    Bolton told The Washington Post in a February story that he believes Trump will seek to kill the alliance.

    “He’s never lost the desire to get out,” Bolton said.

    Multiple former Trump advisers told Jim Sciutto, CNN’s chief national security analyst, for Sciutto’s upcoming book that the United States may exit NATO if Trump wins reelection. Sciutto quotes John Kelly, Trump’s former White House chief of staff, as saying Trump “saw absolutely no point in NATO.”

    Ivo Daalder, a U.S. ambassador to NATO under President Barack Obama, in a January essay for Politico pointed to Trump’s comments in 2020 to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, which showed the former president saying the alliance was finished.

    “You need to understand that if Europe is under attack, we will never come to help you and to support you,” Trump said, according to French European Commissioner Thierry Breton. Trump then added, “By the way, NATO is dead, and we will leave, we will quit NATO.”

    When Trump said the U.S. remained committed to NATO 

    At times, Trump spoke publicly about NATO’s importance in the context of wanting allies to spend more on their own defense. Member nations are expected to spend at least 2% of their GDP on defense, a show of military readiness, by 2024.

    “I see NATO as a good thing to have,” Trump told The Washington Post’s editorial board in 2016. “No, I don’t want to pull (out of it).” 

    As president, Trump kept his promise to ask allies to pay more for joint defense.

    At a 2018 NATO summit, Trump said “the United States’ commitment to NATO is very strong” and then praised allies for putting up additional money.

    In a 2019 speech at the Pentagon, Trump said, “We will be with NATO 100%, but as I told the countries, you have to step up.”

    In 2014, after Russia illegally annexed Crimea, NATO country leaders agreed to the 2% GDP goal. As of July 2023, NATO reported that 11 of 31 member countries had met the goal: Estonia, Finland, Greece, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, the Slovak Republic, the United Kingdom and the United States. 

    NATO’s future could change under Trump, even if he doesn’t withdraw

    In 2023, Congress passed legislation to ban a president from unilaterally withdrawing from NATO. The legislation states that withdrawing from NATO would require approval by two-thirds of the U.S. Senate or an act of Congress.

    Trump was vague about NATO in an “Agenda47” video, a reference to becoming the 47th president, posted on his campaign website in 2023: “Finally, we have to finish the process we began under my administration of fundamentally reevaluating NATO’s purpose and NATO’s mission.” 

    Still, his comments made allied countries nervous.

    “The very essence of NATO is America’s commitment to European security and its promise to defend its European partners,” said Jeremy Shapiro, research director of the European Council on Foreign Relations. “If Europeans lose faith in this commitment, the alliance will be, for all intents and purposes, dead — even if it appears America remains a member and it putters along in its Brussels headquarters.”

    It would take more than tough talk to break NATO ties.

    “Relationships between NATO members are pretty well institutionalized in defense, diplomatic, and economic networks and so can withstand a good amount of pressure,” Kavanagh said. 

    RELATED: Why Donald Trump’s boast that he got ‘delinquent’ NATO allies to ‘pay up’ is misleading



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