Paradise News

Tag: World

  • Biden’s Border Wall, Explained

    After the Department of Homeland Security announced it would waive laws to enable miles of border wall construction in Texas, President Joe Biden said he “can’t stop” the money being spent on border barriers because of the way it was appropriated by Congress. That’s correct, experts told us.

    When asked about the news on Oct. 5 that new border wall construction would indeed commence under his administration, Biden told reporters: “The border wall — the money was appropriated for the border wall. I tried to get to them to reappropriate it, to redirect that money. They didn’t. They wouldn’t. And in the meantime, there’s nothing under the law other than they have to use the money for what it was appropriated. I can’t stop that.”

    “Yes, the President’s hands are tied,” Gabe Murphy, policy analyst at the budget watchdog group Taxpayers for Common Sense, told us when we asked about Biden’s claim. He pointed us to an appropriations bill that was signed into law on Dec. 20, 2019, during the Trump administration, that “explicitly appropriated funding ‘for the construction of a barrier system along the southwest border.’”

    Biden asked Congress to reprogram the money, but it didn’t agree to that. “So, the money needs to go out the door,” Murphy said. Under the 1974 Impoundment Control Act, “an administration can’t substitute its own policy priorities for those that Congress has enacted into law.”

    Michelle Mittelstadt, director of communications for the Migration Policy Institute, also noted that the money had been appropriated in 2019 for border barrier construction, and “the Biden administration did not succeed in its asks to Congress to redirect that money for border spending it viewed as more effective.”

    However, Mittelstadt said in addition to that, the administration is in court defending its halting of border wall construction after Texas and Missouri sued. “The combined case is before a federal judge in Texas and a request for an injunction that would require the government to restart construction is expected soon given briefings in the legal case ended in mid-September.”

    The Oct. 5 announcement looked to some like a major flip-flop on Biden’s campaign promise not to build “another foot of wall constructed on my administration.” But some construction had already occurred, also with money that was appropriated before he became president.

    The day Biden took office, he issued a proclamation ending a national emergency on the southern border, which had been declared by the Trump administration, and pausing both construction of border barriers and the obligation of border wall funds “to the extent permitted by law.” The proclamation directed government agencies to “develop a plan for the redirection of funds concerning the southern border wall.”

    But it also said that agencies could make exceptions to the pause in construction “for urgent measures needed to avert immediate physical dangers or where an exception is required to ensure that funds appropriated by the Congress fulfill their intended purpose.”

    The Department of Homeland Security said later in 2021 that it would continue some work to “construct and/or remediate approximately 13.4 miles of compromised levee” in the Rio Grande Valley under that “physical dangers” exception.

    An image Customs and Border Protection included in a request for public comment this summer. The image shows an example of the proposed steel bollards for the new barriers in Texas.

    The DHS announcement this week said the agency would “install additional physical barriers and roads in the Rio Grande Valley Sector,” an area of “high illegal entry,” using “a fiscal year 2019 appropriation.” The notice said “DHS is required to use those funds for their appropriated purpose,” and that the project was consistent with Biden’s January 2021 proclamation.

    In order to allow that construction to proceed, DHS waived several federal laws, many related to environmental concerns. The Associated Press reported that a map posted by Customs and Border Protection in August indicated the project would total about 20 miles of new barriers in Starr County, Texas.

    Money Was Appropriated in 2019

    The appropriations law from 2019 stated that of the funds for Customs and Border Protection, $1.375 billion would “only” be available “for the construction of barrier system along the southwest border.” The law stipulated that a little more than that figure would be available for CBP to spend until Sept. 30, 2024.

    Tori Gorman, policy director of the Concord Coalition, a nonpartisan group that works on federal budget issues, told us that sometimes appropriations legislation will include language giving the executive branch the ability to redirect some funding. But this authority “has to be granted to them in the appropriations bill.”

    The 2019 law didn’t do that. It went on to stipulate that the money had to be used to build barriers of certain designs, approved since 2017, or “operationally effective adaptations of such designs.”

    The Government Accountability Office reviewed Biden’s 2021 proclamation to determine whether it violated the Congressional Budget and Impoundment Control Act. In its June 15, 2021, report, GAO said the proclamation, and its implementation, didn’t violate the act, but rather, were “programmatic delays.”

    DHS said it wouldn’t use its waiver authority, and it needed to comply with environmental and other requirements before spending the $1.375 billion appropriated for fiscal year 2021. “Delays associated with meeting statutory prerequisites and determining funding needs in light of changed circumstances constitute programmatic delays, not impoundments,” GAO said.

    The report also noted that Biden had asked Congress in his fiscal 2022 budget request to cancel any “unobligated” funding, meaning money that hadn’t yet been contracted, for border barriers. “Cancellation of this funding can only be accomplished through a duly enacted law,” GAO said, adding that Biden can’t legally withhold the funding based only on his request.

    “Nearly three years into a new administration, any further delay would pretty clearly be intentional disregard for following the appropriations statute as Congress drafted and the president signed,” Murphy said.

    What’s the penalty if Biden violated the impoundment law? Murphy explained that GAO can sue to force compliance. “But the biggest consequence is political. Clearly and deliberately flaunting the will of Congress is generally not looked upon highly by Congress,” he said.

    GAO said the Trump administration violated the act in withholding security assistance to Ukraine in 2019, a decision Democrats used in Trump’s first impeachment case.

    As for Biden’s action on border wall spending, he said he still doesn’t think a wall is effective. Asked whether he thought a border wall “works,” Biden responded: “No.”

    Mittelstadt told us the Migration Policy Institute believes that “in very limited cases,” such as “high-density urban areas,” barriers “can serve a purpose as part of a broader strategy.”

    “But as a tool deployed across the entire border, we do not see border walls as the solution to deter irregular crossings,” she said. “There are endless reports of smugglers cutting through the metal bollards with a handsaw that can be purchased at any local hardware store. Fencing requires frequent repair and round-the-clock monitoring and as a result is not an effective strategy on its own. It pushes more people into the hands of smugglers, it increases the numbers of injuries and deaths, it sparks very real environmental and wildlife protection issues given the sensitive nature of the border terrain, and it soaks up resources that could be more effectively spent elsewhere.”

    Source

  • Here are the top 5 war movies on Netflix

    Netflix provides users with a host of military and war movies that provide countless hours of entertainment and an in-depth look at history. Some of the top military and war movies currently on Netflix include “Band of Brothers,” “Black Hawk Down,” “Gladiator,” “Hacksaw Ridge,” and “Operation Mincemeat.”

    Band of Brothers

    “Band of Brothers” is a 10-episode miniseries on World War II, based on the nonfiction book “Band of Brothers” that was written by historian Stephen E. Ambrose. According to Military.com, the miniseries was developed by legendary actor Tom Hanks and award-winning director Steven Spielberg in conjunction with World War II veterans, who ensured that the series was an accurate depiction of World War II.

    “Band of Brothers” includes interviews of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division, the Easy Company, and the 2nd Battalion.

    The series summary for “Band of Brothers” on Netflix states, “Fresh from training camp, a company of US soldiers plunges into the harsh realities of World War II as they make a treacherous journey across Europe.”

    Black Hawk Down

    “Black Hawk Down” is a R-rated war film based on the events of the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu. The film, which was first released in 2001, was inspired by Mark Bowden’s book “Black Hawk Down” that was released in 1999.

    According to IMDb, “Black Hawk Down” features Ewan McGregor, Josh Hartnett, Tom Hardy, Eric Bana, William Fichtner, and Tom Sizemore. The film was directed by Ridley Scott and provides an emotional and graphic reenactment of the Battle of Mogadishu.

    Netflix’s summary for “Black Hawk Down” states, “In 1993, U.S. soldiers helicopter into Somalia on a routine mission — but an unexpected attack forces troops into a battle they aren’t prepared to fight.”

    Gladiator

    While the movie is not based on events involving the United States military, “Gladiator” is known as one of the most iconic military movies. The film, directed by Ridley Scott, features Russell Crowe, Joaquin Phoenix, and Connie Nielsen.

    In “Gladiator,” Crowe plays Maximus Decimus Meridius, the top general of Roman Emperor Marcus Aurelius. In the film, Maximus becomes a slave and a gladiator after the emperor’s son, Commodus, kills his father, takes control of the Roman empire, and kills Maximus’s family.

    READ MORE: 15 facts about ‘Saving Private Ryan’

    “Heroic Roman general Maximus wages a brutal battle for vengeance after his family is murdered and his life destroyed by the emperor’s jealous son,” Netflix’s movie summary reads.

    Hacksaw Ridge

    “Hacksaw Ridge” was inspired by the true story of Desmond Doss, who received the Medal of Honor in World War II.

    According to the U.S. Army, Doss served in World war II as a conscientious objector. Because of his Seventh-Day Adventist beliefs, Doss refused to carry a weapon during the war. Instead of fighting as a soldier, Doss served as a medic in the Pacific Theater of World War II.

    During the invasion of Okinawa in 1945, Doss saved the lives of between 50 and 100 troops through his role as an Army medic. According to Military.com, Doss is the only conscientious objector to be awarded the Medal of Honor for his efforts to save lives despite being wounded four times during the invasion.

    The summary for “Hacksaw Ridge” on Netflix explains, “During World War II, Army medic and conscientious objector Desmond Doss becomes an unlikely hero on an Okinawa battlefield without bearing arms.”

    Operation Mincemeat

    “Operation Mincemeat” is a story based on the disinformation effort the British used to deceive the Germans regarding the landing of the Allies in France.

    According to the Imperial War Museum’s website, “Operation Mincemeat” was an elaborate plan by the British that required positioning the body of a homeless worker who had died from rat poison in a place where the Nazis would discover it. The plan was to have the Nazis find the body and discover false plans for the secret landing in France.

    The movie summary on Netflix for “Operation Mincemeat” states, “Two British intelligence officers hatch an outlandish scheme to trick the Nazis and alter the course of World War II. Based on a true story of deception.”

    Rotten Tomatoes further describes “Operation Mincemeat” as “The extraordinary and true story of an idea that hoped to alter the course of the war — defying logic, risking countless thousands of lives, and testing the nerves of its creators to breaking point.”



    Source

  • Sweetheart Deal: Relationship Tricks Used By Scammers To Steal From Women Online

    Elizabeth Orji was checking notifications on Facebook, something she usually does whenever she was less busy when she noticed a friend request from a handsome fair young man, Echezona Chukwu. She went ahead to check his profile and noticed that she had one mutual friend with him. The profile said he lives in Los Angeles but from one of the Eastern States in the country, a Marine Engineer with a ‘complicated’ relationship.

    She accepted his request to be friends and moved on. One week later, she noticed a chat on her Facebook messenger and it was Echezona.

    “Hi, how are you, beautiful?” he had dropped a few minutes earlier. She noticed he was still online and she responded to his greeting.

    “I saw that you are from Udenu,” he wrote. “One of my good friends in Texas is from there too”.
    That pricked Elizabeth’s interest and she asked for the name of his friend and the family he was from.

    Though she was not able to recognize the name, that simple act made her trust him and that began a “relationship” journey she regretted ever embarking on.

    Echezona will later tell her that he works offshore and sometimes his number won’t be available. He told her how he had lost his wife during childbirth and how his mother in Nigeria was taking care of his daughter who he said was only ten.

    By now, the relationships had moved to WhatsApp and calls with the number showing a foreign number.

    To build her trust more, Echezona introduced her to his ‘mother’ and ‘daughter’. He gave her his mother’s contact to call her and she started communicating with both the said mother and child.

    “One day, the daughter called me crying that the mother had an accident and was unconscious. She told me that they had to take her to a hospital in Jos, Plateau State and the doctor refused to treat her unless a deposit was made.

    The daughter said she had been trying to reach her father but couldn’t. She pleaded with me to help her save her grandma. She told me that the doctor was on standby to talk with me,” she narrated.
    That week, Echezona had told Elizabeth he was going off shore and won’t be available. She hurriedly informed the daughter to hand the phone to the doctor.

    “The doctor informed me that I should bring a deposit of N100,000 before treatment will commence. He told me that the woman is losing a lot of blood and I should act fast. In the background, the daughter was still crying and pleading with her grandma not to die,” Elizabeth narrated.

    It was the end of the month and Elizabeth had just received her salary of only N50,000 but she had to save life. She asked for the account number and wired the N50,000, pleading that the doctor commence treatment as she runs around to get more money. Still in panic mode, she rushed out to plead with one of her friends to give her a loan. When her friend heard her story, she told her point blank that she had been scammed.

    “I have been there,” her friend said. “Just ask them the hospital they are in and that you will send a friend to come see them and bring the remaining money”.

    Elizabeth with disbelief did as she was told and there the story changed. The doctor at first kept threatening her about her would-be-mother inlaw’s state and later, the number was unavailable. The same went for Echezona’s number. He just disappeared.

    “I learnt my lesson but after they have duped me of my hard earned N50,000,” she said.

    In Ene Ameh’s case, the mother was attacked during a robbery incident in their house. The scammer would have sent money from California where he was but he was having issues with his bank account. He promised to send $1000 to her when he resolved the issue. Ene was ready to part with her money, only she didn’t have any. Well, the story and the relationship ended with insults from the scammer who saw he couldn’t get any money from her.

    Many women on Facebook have been scammed using such stories. They are always Marine Engineers, Chemical Engineers or having any jobs that will take them off shore. They can also claim to be a doctor who is always running shifts in the hospital or they can be in the military. They always live either in the United Kingdom or the United States of America, they have a mother and a daughter in Nigeria and later, a doctor and a nurse are introduced in the equation. And finally, they fall in love fast and want to settle down.

    Romance scam occurs when a criminal adopts a fake online identity to gain a victim’s affection and trust with the aim of manipulating and/or stealing from the victim. According to a BBC report about 63 percent of women fall victim to romance scam. Below are a few great tips for protecting yourself from romance scammers.

    • Check how many mutual friends you share with an account before accepting a friend request. It might be fun to meet new Facebook friends but such strangers sometimes turn out to be scammers.
    • Study the profile of the person sending you a friend’s request. Be wary if they have similar profiles like that of Echezona.
    • Do a reverse google search of the profile picture. Many scammers use the same picture with different names to scam their victims. Take their pictures and use the search engines and free programs to trace the origin of the image, as well as other places it has been posted.
    • Be careful what you share on Facebook. Make sure your email, phone number, and other forms of private contact are kept hidden. Many people don’t have the right privacy settings enabled, so they are discovered quite easily by scammers.
    • Do a background check on the person you are in a relationship with on Facebook. Ask questions about him and verify from people from the community he says he is from.
    • Do not send money to anyone online. You can refer them to other places for help.
    • Finally, when in doubt, ask a reliable friend or family member for a second opinion because when you are emotionally connected to someone, it is really hard to come to the realization that they are not who you think they are.

    Source

  • Four dead, two injured in grenade explosion

    Four people died and two others suffered critical injuries last week when an explosive device, thought to be a grenade, detonated while being handled by a group of off-duty military personnel in Luang Prabang province.

    The tragic incident occurred at around 7pm on the grounds of the Military School in Nambak district, during a social gathering at the home of a sports instructor. A group of friends and relatives had gathered at the house of the sports instructor, named only as Sonephet.

    He removed the safety lock on the device to show it to his friends but didn’t replace it quickly enough and it exploded. Three people died instantly when the grenade exploded and one died later in hospital, while two others were seriously injured.

    The victims were identified as three military personnel, a policeman, and their relatives. Last week, a suspected drug dealer killed himself in Xayaboury province by detonating an explosive device, and also took the lives of two police officers who had apprehended him.

    Police said officers apprehended the suspect around 6am on September 12 and, finding himself surrounded, he set off what may have been a grenade, killing himself and the two policemen.

    Xayaboury police are conducting enquiries into the tragic event and attempting to track down the suspect’s associates. Two other men believed to be part of the drug ring were detained immediately following the incident.

    Last year, a similar incident occurred in Luang Prabang province when a suspected drug dealer killed himself by detonating an explosive device, and also took the lives of three police officers who had apprehended him. The explosion also injured four other policemen at the scene.

    The incident took place in Viengkham district, Luang Prabang province. A nurse at the district hospital said two of the victims suffered serious head injuries and lost their hands in the blast.

    ___

    (c) 2023 the Asia News Network

    Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.



    Source

  • How We Grew VFD Group From N2.5m Start-Up Capital To A Company With N150bn Assets -Okpala

    VFD Group has described itself as the ‘Berkshire Hathaway of Nigeria’ after expanding its portfolio to 40 different companies and raising its assets base from a meagre N3m to N150bn in a space of 14 years.

    Nonso Okpala, the Group Managing Director of the company gave the description on Friday during the company’s ‘facts behind the figures’ presentation after listing by way of introduction on the Nigerian Exchange Ltd.

    The NGX admitted 190,027,365 ordinary shares of 50k of VFD Group with a share price of N244.88 per share.

    With the listing, VFD Group has added N46,533,901,141.2 to the market capitalisation of the NGX, THE WHISTLER can report.

    VFD Group started in 2009 when 35 shareholders raised N2.5m to build an investment proprietary company with a diversified investment portfolio in private equities, venture capitals and assets management companies among others.

    Fourteen years later, the company has invested in 40 companies in across seven sectors including finance, health, tech, entertainment, power, telecommunications and service.

    Some of rhe companies are Anchoria Asset Management, VFD Microfinance Bank, Anchoria Investment and Securities Ltd, Amali, Atiat and Piggyvest among others.

    Within 14 years, the company has gathered an impressive growth trajectory from a total asset of N3m and shareholders fund of N2.5m in 2009 to N149.1bn in total assets and N31.5bn in shareholders’ fund respectively.

    “We have unwavering determination to become the largest investment company in Africa,” the GMD said while explaining the facts behind the company’s listing on the NGX.

    He said, “The VFD story like I mentioned is quite a remarkable one. VFD was started with a seed capital of N2.5m it sounds a lot like a fairy tale. That is the truth and it was contributed by 35 shareholders. These are people that beyond their money committed their time.

    “One thing we wanted to do regardless of our balance sheet was to develop a track record of success so that we can show people what we can do. 14 years down, we have investments in 40 companies and we have deployed about N150bn in total investments. We think that we are uniquely positioned to become Africa’s largest proprietary investment company.”

    When investing, the VFD GMD said the company considers broad-based shareholding, a collaborative approach based on governance and usually targets a non-controlling stake of 20 per cent to 35 per cent.

    The VFD Group eyes the listing of the 40 companies it has invested in on the Nigerian Exchange Group Ltd.

    “When you invest in so many companies, you will find out that all of a sudden you will start to see your opportunities of grossing, leverage and partnership. For VFD in the last 14 years, there are so many companies including the digital bank that we have, the assets management company that we have, the real estate and hospitality company that we have and we have all set up that is now uniquely being positioned for listing on the exchange.

    “That easily will show and release those value of those companies and those investments on our balance sheet and ultimately will avail money for forward investments and also distributions to shareholders.”

    Okpala said the critical enablers for the success of VFD are governance, risk management and investor relationship.

    “I think over the 14 years, we have done something and be consistent in building out this business model and I can say with all humility that there is no company that has been so consistent to building out these sets of skills within this business model like we have done in VFD. That is why we regard ourselves as the Berkshire Hathaway of Nigeria,” Okpala said.

    Berkshire Hathaway founded and chaired by Warren Buffett has investments in 120 companies- property and casualty insurance, utilities, restaurants and food processing among others.

    VDF GMD said out of the 40 companies it has invested in, 20 of them are close to maturity adding, “And we think that if you cast us in the same trajectory, we will do very well and we will make a compelling case for investors be it local and international investors.”

    Source

  • Pop icon trying to force terminal elderly veteran to sell his home

    American pop icon Katy Perry, known for her chart-topping music and role as a judge on ABC’s “American Idol,” is currently in a legal battle alongside her fiancé, actor Orlando Bloom, as the two attempt to force a dying elderly veteran to sell them his home.

    According to USA TODAY, Perry and Bloom are involved in a trial over the potential eviction of Carl Westcott, an 84-year-old Army veteran and founder of the popular company 1-800-Flowers, as he battles the debilitating effects of Huntington’s disease.

    A veteran of the 101st Airborne Division and successful entrepreneur, Mississippi-native Westcott has owned an impressive array of businesses, from car dealerships to a communications company, which he sold for $422 million in 1996, according to The New York Times.

    The current legal battle revolves around a $15 million beachfront property Westcott purchased in Montecito, California, in May of 2020. The $15 million home is located in a neighborhood boasting celebrity residents such as Oprah Winfrey, Ellen DeGeneres and British royals Prince Harry and Meghan Markle.

    While Westcott was able to purchase his dream home, the diagnosis of Huntington’s disease in 2015 and a complex back surgery shortly after moving into his new home has led to an intense legal dispute. Westcott’s lawyers allege that, while in a post-surgical haze from prescribed opioids, he inadvertently entered a contract to sell the house to Perry and Bloom.

    READ MORE: Veteran, 95, forced out of nursing home for migrant housing, lawmakers say

    USA Today reports that the contract, facilitated by the couple’s business manager Bernie Gudvi, was rescinded by Westcott days later when he regained clarity of mind. This claim is challenged by Gudvi, who posits that Westcott actively sought to sell his house, even instigating a bidding war.

    The unfolding courtroom drama in Los Angeles County Superior Court will determine the ultimate ownership of the Montecito mansion. Additionally, Perry and Bloom are seeking compensation upwards of $5.7 million for associated rental costs incurred during the three-year ordeal.

    Westcott’s deteriorating health has rendered him unable to attend the trial, with court documents underscoring his desire to remain in his Montecito home for the rest of his days.

    Given Perry’s history of similar legal disputes, the Westcott family is now advocating for legislative measures to safeguard the rights of elderly homeowners, according to Forbes. The proposed “Katy PERRY Act” aims to provide a 72-hour window for rescinding property contracts, without penalty, when one party is age 75 or above.

    This news article was partially created with the assistance of artificial intelligence and edited and fact-checked by a human editor.



    Source

  • ‘Gang Of Evil Police Officers’ Blocking My Promotion Despite Presidential Directive – CSP Nwadike

    Dr. Joseph Nwadike, a Chief Superintendent of Police has narrated how some “gang of evil police officers” blocked his promotion despite the goodwill and recommendations he enjoyed from several officers within the force and the immediate past Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami SAN.

    With almost two decades of experience as a lawyer in the legal department of the Nigeria Police Force, Nwadike told THE WHISTLER candidly about the existence of both virtuous and obstructive individuals within the force.

    Despite alleged strong opposition from those he described as “evil men in the force”, he owes special gratitude to “exceptional good officers like the current Inspector General of Police and the Police Public Relation Officer, AIG Abduyari and AIG ARUNGWA” who contributed greatly to his career both as a police officer and lawyer representing the police.

    According to him, the former AGF Malami, having noted his giant strides in the Force, forwarded his name for promotion to the rank of Assistant Commissioner of Police but that some police officers blocked the AGF’s recommendation from being forwarded to the relevant authorities.

    “Do you know that Malami, the past Attorney General of the Federation signed a Presidential Recommendation for my promotion to Assistant Commissioner of Police, but some gang of evil Police Officers sat upon it and refused to forward it to the Police Service Commission for implementation. This is one of the greatest evil I experienced in the Police Force

    “I must respect Malami SAN, former Attorney General of the Federation for being detribalized by signing a Presidential Recommendation for my promotion,” Nwadike stated.

    Nwadike shared another instance where an Assistant Inspector General (AIG) seemingly dangled the possibility of recommending him for a High Court Judge appointment but failed to follow through while leaving him with excessive workload.

    Nwadike also recalled how a former governor of Imo State wrote recommendations for promotion in his favour, “but the same evil gang of Police Officer’s worked against it and it was never implemented.”

    He added, “My cases at both Supreme Court and Court of Appeal were removed from me in order to deny me the conferment of SAN at the behest of the same gang of evil Police Officers.”

    Despite these challenges, Nwadike commended the current Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun for maintaining a high standard of ethics and commitment to his duties, even in the face of adversity posed by a minority of colleagues.

    Source

  • Biden Abuses His Dogs?!

    Judicial Watch Sues for Records of Attacks by Biden German Shepherd
    Judicial Watch Sues Education Department on Book Bans, Moms for Liberty
    San Francisco Prioritizes Guaranteed Income to Black/Latino Transgenders
    Menendez Corruption Case: Will He Beat the Rap Again?

     

    Judicial Watch Sues for Records of Attacks by Biden German Shepherd

    Biden’s dog is out of control.

    We filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Secret Service for records of aggression and bites by President Joe Biden’s Dog, Commander (Judicial Watch Inc, v. U.S. Department of Homeland Security (No. 1:23-cv-02960)).

    We sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Secret Service, a component of the Department of Homeland Security, failed to respond to a July 31, 2023, request for all records involving the “Biden family dog, ‘Commander,’ including but not limited to communications sent to and from [Secret Service] officials in the Uniformed and Non-Uniformed Divisions involved in White House operations and the Presidential Protection Division.”

    Acquired in December 2021, Commander, a pure-bred German Shepherd, replaced another German Shepherd, Major, which was reportedly “given to family friends” following a series of attacks on Secret Service and White House staff. In April 2022, we released records detailing multiple attacks and damages to Secret Service members by Major at both the White House and Biden’s lake home in Wilmington, DE.

    In July, we uncovered records from the DHS in a related lawsuit revealing 10 attacks by Commander on officers of the Secret Service between October 2022 and January 2023. In several cases, the agents required medical care, including at a hospital.

    The records included a November 5, 2022, email exchange between a Uniformed Division officer and the November 3 attack victim, the first officer asked, “Doing alright [redacted]? That’s freaking crazy that stupid dog – rolling my eyes [redacted].” The victim replied, “My leg and arm still hurts. He bit me twice and ran at me twice.” The colleague replied, “What a joke [redacted] – if it wasn’t their dog he would already have been put down – freaking clown needs a muzzle – hope you get to feeling better [redacted].”

    Commander reportedly has been removed from the White House after its most recent attack on a Secret Service agent and other White House staff. According to our source, President Biden has mistreated his dogs. We have learned that he has punched and kicked his dogs.

    It is beyond belief that even after we exposed attacks on 10 Secret Service personnel, Joe and Jill Biden have continued to let their dog menace and attack agents and White House staff. Let’s be blunt: the dangerous dog could kill someone. This continuing Biden administration cover-up is dangerous corruption.

     

     Judicial Watch Sues Education Department on Book Bans, Moms for Liberty

    Let this sink in: Biden’s Education Department and its union buddies are ganging up on America’s mothers. Read that again.

    We’ve gone to court to expose them. We filed a FOIA suit on behalf of the Daily Caller News Foundation (DCNF) against the U.S. Department of Education (ED) for records regarding book bans, the organization Moms for Liberty, and Ron DeSantis (Daily Caller News Foundation v. U.S Department of Education (No. 1:23-cv-02768)).

    Our lawsuit aims to uncover the truth about the desperate new effort by the Biden administration and its leftist teachers’ union allies to smear and target parents who oppose sexually explicit and other extremist content being made available to schoolchildren.

    We sued in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia after the Department of Education failed to respond to separate August 8, 2023, requests for:

    • All email records (including attachments, URL links and electronic database links) of Miguel Cardona to or from (President of the National Education Association (NEA)) Rebecca (Becky) Pringle and (President of the American Federation of Teachers) Rhonda “Randi” Weingarten from June 1, 2023, to July 15, 2023, on the gov domain.
      • All communications about book bans or book banning.
      • All communications about Moms for Liberty and/or Ron DeSantis.

    And:

    • All email records (including attachments, URL links and electronic database links) sent and/or received by Miguel Cardona to or from any/all: President of the American Library Association Emily Drabinski, from June 1, 2023, to July 15, 2023, on the gov domain.
      • All communications about book bans or book banning.
      • All communications about Moms for Liberty.

    On July 4, 2023, EducationWeek reported on a speech Cardona gave on July 3 in Orlando, FL, at the NEA’s annual representative assembly. Cardona addressed statements regarding “woke ideology” and “indoctrinating” students made by Republican presidential candidates at the Moms for Liberty National Conference in the days prior to the NEA event:

    Cardona dismissed that type of rhetoric as “divisive drama,” slamming conservative policymakers who have pushed for book bans, restrictions on instruction about racism, limitations on the rights of LGBTQ+ students, and school choice policies that divert public money to private schools.

    Moms for Liberty was founded in 2021 in Florida by two former school board members. The group initially fought against mask mandates in Florida schools. The group then expanded its mission to support parental rights legislation to give parents more say in their children’s education. The parents group has come under increasing attack by the extremist left.

    “The Biden administration can’t be allowed to hide this information from the American people,” said Daily Caller News Foundation Editor-In-Chief Michael Bastasch. “Citizens have a right to know if their government is plotting against moms or working behind the scenes to keep pornographic books in schools.”

    Separately, we filed suit in June against the U.S. Department of Justice for all FBI communications from bureau officials using several systems and databases regarding investigations carried out after an October 4, 2021, memo from Attorney General Merrick Garland instructing investigators to target American parents due to an alleged “increase in harassment, intimidation and threats of violence against school board members, teachers and workers in our nation’s public schools”

     

    San Francisco Prioritizes Guaranteed Income to Black/Latino Transgenders

    If you’ve been worried about “financial insecurity” in “trans communities,” consider moving to San Francisco. Taxpayers there are funding, among other things, gynecological care for black/Latino transgenders (biological men) and support for trans and nonbinary people who engage in “survival sex trades.”

    We received 1,719 pages of records from the City of San Francisco showing the city prioritizes tax money for black/Latino transgenders (biological men) in a program that distributes free money to transgender individuals. The records show that the taxpayer-funded “Guaranteed Income for Trans People” (GIFT) program also allowed illegal aliens to apply; allowed people who “engage in survival sex trades” to apply; and the use of the funds by participants is virtually unrestricted.

    We obtained the records through a November 18, 2022, California Public Records Act (CPRA) request to the San Francisco Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector for:

    Records and communications regarding the application and approval process for transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and intersex individuals receiving Guaranteed Income for Transgender People (GIFT) benefits.

    Records identifying the legality or constitutionality of using transgender, non-binary, gender non-conforming, and intersex status as a factor in deciding who receives GIFT benefits.

    We filed a follow-up request with the Office of the Treasurer and Tax Collector on January 10, 2023, for:

    Records and communications regarding the administration of funds to participants of the Guaranteed Income for Transgender People (GIFT) benefits.

    Records and communications regarding the development of eligibility requirements for GIFT benefits.

    Records and communications regarding financial literacy services and workshops associated with the GIFT program.

    Mayor London Breed announced the launch of the Guaranteed Income for Trans People (GIFT) program on November 16, 2022. The mayor’s office stated in a press release that the city will “provide low-income transgender San Franciscans with $1,200 each month, up to 18 months to help address financial insecurity within trans communities.”

    The program began disbursing funds in January 2023.

    An undated document from the Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development, titled “Mayor’s Office of Housing and Community Development Pre-paid Card Policies and Procedures,” states:

    Selected participants in this program will identify as transgender and extremely low-income (<30% of Area Median Income, approximately less than $28,000 per year for a household of one person). Within this population, there will be a specific focus on Black and Latinx transgender women. A monthly $1,200 stipend will be provided to participants so they may focus on their basic physical and mental health and wellness without worrying about income. Prepaid cards are being utilized because some participants may not have bank accounts.

    ***

    [The Mayor’s Office] will purchase Prepaid cards with funding supported by the General Fund and dedicated specifically for the Transgender Basic Income pilot program.

    A March 2022 city document sets the program’s intended opening date as October 2022 and is titled “Guaranteed Income Program for Transgender People.” It details the criteria for guaranteed income eligibility and sets race and sexual identity quotas:

    The collaborative leading this program will focus on a target population of low-income transgender, non-binary, gender nonconforming and intersex (TGI) individuals residing in San Francisco County. The program will prioritize enrollment and retention of BIPOC [Black, Indigenous People of Color] trans and nonbinary people who also engage in survival sex trades, living with disabilities, elders, living with HIV/AIDS, undocumented, monolingual Spanish speakers, formerly incarcerated, and unhoused and marginally housed. [Emphasis in original]

    ***

    We will work collaboratively to create equity guidelines for enrollment, centered on the reality of how racism disproportionately disadvantages BIPOC, black trans women, and undocumented monolingual Spanish speakers. The program enrollment will ensure the 55 participants is 66% BIPOC, at least 30% Black Trans Women, and at least 20% Latinx Trans Women.

    Lyon-Martin Health Services will provide wrap-around peer-led services such as gender-affirming primary medical and holistic care, gynecological and sexual health care, mental health services, case management, crisis response services, financial literacy training and workforce development services, and outreach and harm reduction services, to the enrollees. [Emphasis in original]

    A November 2022 email chain among San Francisco government and Treasurer & Tax Collector’s Office (TTX) officials has the subject line “DRAFT — ReliaCard FAQ for GI [guaranteed income] recipients,” which includes concerns about the use of legal names (“dead” names) versus aliases (chosen names):

    Thanks! This looks great. I’d like to see if we can provide more nuance and explanation around the legal name question as this will be very important for the transgender pilot. My understanding is that the city will allow a provider to enroll participants using their chosen name vs legal name and it may be very challenging for someone to put their dead name on the card. So I think we can provide more context – “when you use the card in person you may be asked to verify your id. If you don’t have id that matches the name on the card, you could be turned away.”

    A February 2022 email from Kimmie Wu in the Treasurer & Tax Collector’s Office to her supervisor, Tajel Shah, details how the office hired a firm to push “diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging” training and hiring:

    TTX [Treasurer & Tax Collector’s Office] has hired a firm to advance our Racial Equity initiative. TTX has budgeted for these costs. The scope of the work includes the following:

    A. Executive Leadership Team Assessment and Training

    1. Racial equity assessment – Assess leadership competencies in the areas of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging. This assessment should be leveraged to develop capacity building and lead to clear recommendations that help leaders lead with equity in mind.
    2. Customized facilitated learning sessions – Work with the varying levels of comfort and practice with concepts of structural and organizational equity including: coaching around racial equity in supervision and program delivery design, customer service, decision-making processes, communications and daily practices.

    B. All Staff Training Sessions

    1. Department wide training – Facilitate one to two Department-wide Racial Equity trainings for All Department Staff. The content will be based on discussions with the Core Team and the consultant assessment of the Department’s racial equity journey.

    C. Restorative Justice Dialogue and Reflection

    Facilitate restorative justice conversations in order to provide insight on how systemic and historic issues of racism and bias are inherently part of conversations, which is therefore limiting full participation and reflection on how work environments and systems of communication (Human Resources/Discipline/Performance) are being heard/interpreted. Garner insights from key conversations to alleviate immediate issues as well as reflect on changes to be made, which may include training.

    D. Hiring, Recruitment, and Promotion Strategy

    1. Address specific job classifications that lack racial diversity, including Managers, Administrative Analysts, Accountants and Auditors. The consultant shall develop recommendations for identifying barriers to application and employment within these job classifications with the aim to broaden diversity and inclusion throughout the hiring and employment cycle. Recommendations may be shared with the Central Department of Human Resources and/or Civil Service. The consultant will also interview the teams to identify group norms and biases within the sections that inhibit full participation by staff.
    2. Review current hiring and recruitment policies and make recommendations to ensure they align with ORE’s racial equity framework. The consultant will make recommendations to broaden recruitment strategies to increase diversity in candidate pools.
    3. Review current employee assessments tools and surveys and recommend the inclusion of questions to gauge sentiment on the department’s effort to address diversity and inclusion. The consultant will evaluate current exit interviews and recommend changes to questions to ensure a racial equity lens is applied.
    4. Review any current candidate exit interviews and propose new questions to gauge sentiment on the department’s effort to address diversity and inclusion and to solicit any feedback or recommendations in this area.

    E. Core Team Racial Equity Capacity Building

    1. Customized learning sessions on racial equity leadership & facilitation – interactive workshops and learning sessions that build capacity to lead with equity through dialogue, analysis and reflection. The sessions should build a foundational understanding and framework for racial equity in the workplace and basic terminology and definitions. The learning sessions must help the Core Teams to push beyond this shared understanding to address topics such as: the role of team members in leading organizational antiracist changes and make recommendations to transform practices that are heavily influenced by white-supremacist culture and practices. The learning sessions should address the specific racial equity work to be done by the cohort within the department building on the racial equity plan.
    2. Coaching, facilitation & technical assistance on racial equity plan implementation – Operationalizing the Racial Equity Action Plan as well as provide the Team with tools that help foster inclusion and racial equity across the Agency. The consultant will also provide coaching and support racial equity working groups including: barriers to hiring, supplemental questionnaires, minimum qualifications, etc.

    These disturbing new documents confirm how, among other leftist extremist policies, San Francisco is abusing tax dollars to give cash to individuals based on race and transgender quotas.

     

    Menendez Corruption Case: Will He Beat the Rap Again? 

    I’ll let you decide why Biden’s Justice Department has suddenly decided to go after Sen. Robert Menendez again for corruption. Could it possibly be that he’s voted the wrong way on matters important to the Biden administration, the Obama operation, and Deep State? Micah Morrison, our chief investigative reporter, takes a look in Investigative Bulletin: 

    The government’s September indictment on corruption charges of Senator Robert Menendez, Democrat of New Jersey, opened with a bang. Prosecutors displayed sensational photographs of gold bars, a Mercedes Benz, and piles of cash—more than $480,000—found at the home of Menendez and his wife, Nadine.

    Justice may endeavor to be blind, but the prosecution of politicians is inherently political. The Justice Department failed to convict Menendez in a high-profile 2017 corruption case and doubtless is eager to take another shot at him. And while reliably liberal on many issues, Menendez has taken a hard line on Cuba and Iran as chairman of the powerful Senate Foreign Relations Committee, often thwarting Biden—and earlier Obama administration—initiatives. He’ll have zero support from the White House and Democratic Party establishment as he fights the new charges.

    Menendez and his wife are charged with bribery, honest services fraud, and extortion. Also charged are three businessmen with ties to Egypt. U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said the conspirators were engaged in “a corrupt relationship” that included payments by the businessmen to the Menendez couple of “hundreds of thousands of dollars of bribes, including cash, gold, a Mercedes Benz, and other things of value—in exchange for Senator Menendez agreeing to use his power and influence to protect and enrich those businessmen and to benefit the Government of Egypt.”

    Corruption concerns have swirled around Menendez for decades. A product of the famously corrupt Hudson County, New Jersey, political machine, Menendez was schooled in the amoral world of Union City Mayor William Musto, who hired him as aide in the 1970s. By the early 1980s, he had turned on Musto and testified at the mayor’s corruption trial. By 1986, in a campaign touting his Cuban roots and “reformer” image, he was elected mayor of Union City. From there he rose through state government and into the halls of Congress.

    Judicial Watch has been ringing alarm bells about Menendez for more than a decade. In 2012, we put him on our list of Washington’s “Ten Most Wanted Corrupt Politicians.” In 2014, we highlighted concerns about Menendez and a “never-ending saga of political corruption and cronyism.”

    In 2017, it looked like the jig was up for Menendez. The Justice Department indicted him and an old friend and benefactor, Florida ophthalmologist Salomon Melgan, on charges of bribery and honest services fraud. The government charged that the duo conspired to corruptly influence Menendez’s “official acts” and defraud the U.S. of the “honest services of a public official.” Sound familiar?

    In the new case, the government similarly charges that Menendez “agreed to take a series of official acts and breaches of his official duty” in return for bribes from the three Egypt-connected businessmen.

    First, the government charges, Menendez “improperly pressured” an Agriculture Department official about an Egypt-related business directly benefiting the co-defendants.

    Second, Menendez tried to “disrupt” a New Jersey state investigation related to the co-defendants.

    Third, Menendez recommended the appointment of a U.S. Attorney that he believed would be more friendly to one of the co-defendants under federal investigation.

    Back in 2017, Judicial Watch took a close look at that first Menendez federal corruption case. We noted that a year earlier, the Supreme Court had significantly narrowed the definition of official acts and honest services fraud in the McDonnell ruling. Prosecutors now needed to prove a direct “official action” connected to an illegal payment. An “official act” must be more than “setting up a meeting, talking to another official, or hosting an event,” the court ruled. We were skeptical that prosecutors in 2017 could meet that standard. It turned out, we were right. Menendez beat the rap.

    Will history repeat itself in the new Menendez prosecution?

    Let’s go back to those gold bars and piles of cash. The meaning of the photos is of course to suggest corrupt intent. How could gold bars and $400,000 in cash stashed at home not be corrupt? That’s a smart media play by the prosecution.

    But Menendez struck back. The cash and the gold? Blame the communists—blame Cuba—an argument that may find sympathetic ears at a jury trial. “For 30 years,” he told the media in a statement that highlighted his hardscrabble Cuban background, “I have withdrawn thousands of dollars in cash from my personal savings account, which I have kept for emergencies and because of the history of my family facing confiscation in Cuba.”

    Weightier perhaps is how Menendez will exploit McDonnell. We’ll have more to say on this as the trial nears, but based on the current indictment, the government could have trouble drawing a quid pro quo that will satisfy a jury. The co-defendants may have provided something (the quid, the cash, the gold) but what did they get in return (the quo)? Given what we currently know about the case, Senator Menendez appears to have been singularly unsuccessful in delivering for his friends.

     

    Until next week,

     

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  • Star comedian mocks Biden, ‘one party’ of Democrats, Republicans

    Comedian and actor Rob Schneider mocked President Joe Biden and his administration, as well as Republicans and Democrats, insisting “there’s just one party” in Washington, D.C.

    During an appearance on Fox News’ “The Ingraham Angle” on Thursday, Schneider taunted the Biden administration over its handling of the president’s dog Commander, which has been involved in at least 12 biting incidents.

    “The Biden administration, I think, acted decisively. They didn’t wait until the 13th person got bit. After 12, they said, ‘Enough.’ And they killed two birds with one stone because I just found out that Commander the dog is now at the border biting immigrants trying to sneak over,” Schneider joked.

    “You gotta [sic] give the Biden administration credit, though, because it’s the same thing how decisively he worked on the border. He didn’t wait three years to start putting up a new fence. He waited two years and nine months. That’s decisive,” the comedian continued.

    “And by the way, for everyone saying it’s racist: relax. This new fence is only going to be two feet high,” Schneider added with a chuckle. “They took down the sign. Today. You know the sign? Biden’s sign: The first 10 million get in free.”

    READ MORE: FBI secretly targeting Trump supporters: Report

    Host Laura Ingraham then turned the conversation to the 2024 presidential race, prompting Schneider to say he “wants there to be at least two parties.”

    “There’s just one party,” Schneider said. “It seems like the Republicans now are just like Democrats who don’t give their kids puberty blockers.”

    Earlier this year, Schneider warned that the government is slowly leading Americans down a path of subjugation.

    “The best slaves, the most cooperative slaves, are the slaves that don’t even know they are slaves,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter. “But how does a very small group of people enslave hundreds of millions of other people?! It’s done one step at a time.”

    “They took Civics out of Public schools. Because they don’t want you to know how your Government works. Because if you did, you might try to change things. The Government wants us Fat, uneducated, sick, poisoned, and reliant on Government for handouts and pretending there’s a difference between the ‘Left and the Right,’” the outspoken comedian continued. “And they want to control all the information that you get. Because they desperately don’t want you to think for yourself.”

    “So they work with Google and Facebook and Mainstream media to control and censor the information you receive and to discredit and demonize those that don’t go along and those that ask inconvenient questions,” he added.

    “The people controlling government: unelected conglomerates that decide what policies get written and who gets the trillions of dollars stay mostly hidden. The only thing that’s left for the Government to do now is to completely disarm us. When that happens, if they are able to disarm us, then it’s over. We will be slaves and our children will be slaves for a 100 years. Have a nice afternoon!”



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  • Nigerian Herbalist To Become Pastor After 10 Years In Prison

    Michael-Omonigho.

    On Friday, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court in Abuja discharged Michael Omonigho, a traditional priest from terrorism-related charges instituted against him by the Federal Government in 2013.

    Omonigho was remanded at the Nigerian Correctional Centre since 2013 when he alongside three other suspects, Kelvin Oniarah Eziegbe, Frank Azuekor and Momoh Haruna, was charged on 13 counts bordering on terrorism and kidnapping activities.

    Kelvin Oniarah and Frank Azuekor (who were detained at the Department of State Services since 2013) were convicted and sentenced to 20 years in prison for their involvement in kidnapping their victims, including Mike Ozekhome SAN while attacking five policemen and two prison warders, leading to their death.

    Omonigho was charged on two counts for allegedly supporting terrorist activities and for failing to disclose terrorism information to security agencies in contravention of Section 8 (1) (b) of the Terrorism Prevention Act 2011, as amended.

    The case dragged on from 2014 to 2023 due to several adjournments as a result of the reassignment of the matter to three judges – Justice Adeniyi Ademola, Justice Babatunde Quadri and finally Justice Binta Nyako.

    The judge discharged the priest, saying he did no wrong in giving help to visitors and that the prosecution failed to connect his role as a priest to the allegations.

    Justice Binta Nyako, after discharging Michael, asked him why his traditional medicine could not reveal to him that some of the visitors patronising him at the time were involved in crime, to which he responded that he had decided to abandon the practice and repent.

    After the court session, THE WHISTLER asked Omonigho how he felt about the judgement.

    “I am very happy,” he replied.

    He added that his health deteriorated in detention, insisting he never knew the convicts.

    “A person like me staying in that place (detention)? I contacted hypertension there. Every time, I was taking drugs.

    “I was never part of them (kidnappers). You even heard the judge (judgement) saying I did nothing wrong and discharged me,” Omonigho said.

    Asked if he was going back to his traditional priesthood, he responded in the negative.

    “No. I have repented. I’m now a pastor. I will now go to Redeemed (RCCG),” he said.

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