USA – Page 393 – Blazingcatfur

The White House Covid Censorship Machine

Newly released emails show how officials coerce social-media companies to toe the government line.

Newly released documents show that the White House has played a major role in censoring Americans on social media. Email exchanges between Rob Flaherty, the White House’s director of digital media, and social-media executives prove the companies put Covid censorship policies in place in response to relentless, coercive pressure from the White House—not voluntarily. The emails emerged Jan. 6 in the discovery phase of Missouri v. Biden, a free-speech case brought by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana and four private plaintiffs represented by the New Civil Liberties Alliance.

by Blazingcatfur•January 9, 2023January 9, 2023•0•"China eats weird animals disease", USA

Is Encouraging Unauthorized Immigration Free Speech or a Felony?

WASHINGTON — When the Supreme Court hears arguments this spring on the constitutionality of a curious law that makes it a crime to “encourage” unauthorized immigrants to come to or stay in the United States, the justices may have a sense of déjà vu.

They heard arguments on the same question three years ago, with several of them suggesting that the law, enacted in 1986, violated the First Amendment by turning commonplace statements into felonies.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. asked about “a grandmother whose granddaughter is in the United States illegally.” Would it be a crime, he wanted to know, if she told her granddaughter that she missed her and encouraged her to stay?

by Blazingcatfur•January 9, 2023January 9, 2023•0•USA

U.S. accuses suspected NYC bike path killer of seeking to join Islamic State

NEW YORK, Jan 9 (Reuters) – A man accused of using a truck to kill eight people on a Manhattan bike path on Halloween in 2017 is an Islamic State sympathizer who carried out the attack to satisfy the militant group, federal prosecutors said on Monday.

Sayfullo Saipov, 34, left behind “a scene of destruction and horror” when he employed a rental truck as a weapon and mowed down people on Oct. 31, 2017, Assistant U.S. Attorney Alexander Li told a jury during 30 minutes of opening statements.

by Blazingcatfur•January 9, 2023January 9, 2023•0•"Islamophobia", Islam, Islam and violence, Islamization of the West, USA

Poll: 71% Feel Either ‘Scared‘ or ‘Angry‘ About Direction of Nation

Americans are extremely concerned about the direction of the nation under President Joe Biden in 2023, according to a Sunday CBS News/YouGov poll.

Seventy-one percent of Americans stated they feel either “scared” or “angry” about the direction of the country in 2023. Forty-nine percent said they feel “scared,” while 22 percent said they are “angry.” Only 11 percent said they were “excited” about it in 2023.

by Blazingcatfur•January 9, 2023January 9, 2023•0•USA

US Farmers win right to repair John Deere equipment

Tractor maker John Deere has agreed to give its US customers the right to fix their own equipment.

Previously, farmers were only allowed to use authorised parts and service facilities rather than cheaper independent repair options.

Deere and Co. is one of the world’s largest makers farming equipment.

Consumer groups have for years been calling on companies to allow their customers to be able to fix everything from smartphones to tractors.

by Blazingcatfur•January 9, 2023January 9, 2023•0•"Bad Technology", USA

Biden heads to Mexico, as White House ignores Canada under Trudeau

Is it just me, or has Canada lost its lustre in Washington? Joe Biden heads to Mexico City this week for a leader’s summit, and the American president still hasn’t visited Canada.

There was a time when it was widely believed that the first foreign visit of an American president would be to their neighbour to the north.

by Blazingcatfur•January 9, 2023January 8, 2023•0•Canada, USA

America: a nation of giants led by pygmies

However dreadful its political class, the US’s fundamentals are overwhelmingly strong.

The United States today stands as a living contradiction to the ‘great man theory of history’. For the US is a great country led by small minds. In recent times, it has been ruled by a narcissistic moral reprobate and it is now being run by a cognitively deficient and scandal-plagued politician. There is a growing feeling, particularly among the young, that today’s America is diminished. Yet the US remains the world’s premier power, and its last best hope against a rising authoritarian tide.

by Blazingcatfur•January 9, 2023January 8, 2023•0•USA

America’s spy agencies failed to protect us from China’s bio-warfare program

As we settle into the New Year, many of us are watching with trepidation the signs that COVID-19 may be surging again. Hospitalizations have been rising since early November. It is common to once again see folks fully masked up in an elevator, movie theater or a Broadway show. We don’t know if we can get this virus under control, and we must be able to foresee and prevent the emergence of another. This is why it is critical to uncover the origins of COVID-19. And that is where US intelligence agencies have failed and even deceived us.

by Blazingcatfur•January 8, 2023January 8, 2023•0•"China - Communist Slave State", "China eats weird animals disease", USA

Mohammedan facing terrorism charge in arson incident at power plant

LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – The Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department says a man was arrested in connection with an arson incident at a power facility.

According to Las Vegas police, at approximately 11:37 a.m. on Jan. 4, officers were notified of a “malicious destruction of property incident” that occurred at a power facility in the 10500 block of Highway 93.

Police say that employees advised officers that an unknown subject had broken into the fenced facility and set a vehicle on fire next to a transformer, resulting in damages.

Through the course of the investigation, LVMPD says its Counter Terrorism detectives identified the subject as Mohammed Mesmarian, 34.

by Blazingcatfur•January 8, 2023January 8, 2023•0•"Islamophobia", Islam, Islam and violence, Islamization of the West, Terrorism - Domestic, USA

More Foreign Policy Confusion

A lack of clarity, previously mentioned by this author concerning the lack of clear direction and goals for the West’s involvement in Ukraine, also, if you consider its many contradictions, seems to extend to much of the Biden administration’s foreign policy.

The recently released Biden National Security Strategy points to the “acute threat” posed by Russia to United States national security. Yet the administration continues, with the support and encouragement of the European Union, its futile attempt to restart the “nuclear deal” to enable Iran’s expansionist regime to have as many nuclear weapons as it likes and the ballistic missiles to deliver them — and on top of that, using Russia, of all countries, as its proxy negotiator.

One can only wonder at how the Biden administration believes the U.S. can negotiate the nuclear agreement using Russia, a nation it labels as an “acute threat,” to work on a deal with Iran, a nation that it labels as a “persistent threat.”

by Blazingcatfur•January 8, 2023January 8, 2023•0•Iran, USA

Ana Montes: Top spy freed in US after more than 20 years

Ana Montes – among the best-known Cold War spies caught by the US – has been released from prison after more than 20 years in custody.

The 65-year-old spent almost two decades spying for Cuba while employed as an analyst at the Defence Intelligence Agency.

After her arrest in 2001, officials said she had almost entirely exposed US intelligence operations on the island.

One official said she was among “the most damaging spies” caught by the US.

by Blazingcatfur•January 8, 2023January 7, 2023•0•Cuba, Espionage, USA

Canada ‘committed to remaining competitive’ despite U.S. EV subsidies

Canada’s ambassador to the United States says the federal government should be watching American investments in electric vehicle manufacturing, but wouldn’t give specifics on how it plans to compete with the subsidies offered in the Inflation Reduction Act enacted south of the border.

Kirsten Hillman told CTV’s Question Period host Vassy Kapelos, in an interview airing Sunday, it’s important Canada remain competitive in the electric vehicle market, an arena in which it already has several advantages, including the workforce, expertise, and critical minerals resources. She said experts are working to ensure Canada is ahead of the curve and encouraging investment in the electric vehicles sector, but she didn’t specify how.

I’m old enough to remember when all the EV hurdles were solved between the US and Canada!

by Blazingcatfur•January 8, 2023January 7, 2023•0•Canada, Green-Scam, USA

Newport News: Boy aged six detained after shooting teacher in US

A six-year-old boy has been detained by police after shooting a teacher in the US state of Virginia, officers say.

The shooting happened shortly after 14:00 local time (19:00 GMT) at Richneck Elementary School in the city of Newport News, Chief Steve Drew said.

It is unclear how the child obtained the gun, but Mr Drew said the incident was not “an accidental shooting”.

The teacher – who has not been named and is said to be in her 30s – was left with life-threatening injuries.

by Blazingcatfur•January 7, 2023January 7, 2023•0•USA, WTF?

Kevin McCarthy elected US House Speaker after 15 rounds of voting

Kevin McCarthy has been elected Speaker of the US House of Representatives after heated exchanges which almost saw fellow Republicans come to blows.

It took 15 rounds of voting for Mr McCarthy to win the job, despite his party having a majority in the chamber.

It came after a dramatic pressure campaign played out live on the House floor as party rebel Matt Gaetz was urged to vote for Mr McCarthy.

The Florida Congressman was among six holdouts who relented late on Friday.

by Blazingcatfur•January 7, 2023January 7, 2023•0•USA

Residents Of Chicago’s Woodlawn Neighborhood Protest Shelter For Migrants

“While I’ll love to help immigrants and everybody else, I’ll like to help my own first,” said longtime Woodlawn resident Jean Clark.

Residents of a Chicago neighborhood protested preparations to establish a migrant shelter inside a closed-down elementary school, allegedly without the locals’ permission.

A group of Woodlawn residents gathered Thursday morning to insist the community provide resources for locals rather than the migrants, the Chicago Tribune reported. The city reportedly plans to convert Wadsworth Elementary School into housing for migrants relocated to the city.

Wow! Is that ever racist!

by Blazingcatfur•January 6, 2023January 6, 2023•0•"Mass Immigration - Follow the money", USA