Five members of the United States House of Representatives have signed a letter urging President Joe Biden to launch an investigation into the Live Nation-Ticketmaster merger, which they call a “monopoly.” Bill Pascrell Jr. (D-NJ-09), Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ-06), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY-10), Jan Schakowsky (D-IL-09) and David Cicilline (D-RI-01) sent the letter on Monday to […]
states
Pinkerton: If Red States Don’t Hang Together Against Woke Corporatism, They Will All Hang Separately
Red states should band together to seek federalist legal protection from the woke corporate power flowing out of the elite blue state bastions.
Capitol Report: Lawmakers launch bipartisan ‘SALT caucus,’ escalating push to remove cap on federal deductions for U.S. state and local taxes
Biden Admin Bows to Russia, Cancels Deployment of War Ships
ANKARA (Reuters)—The United States has canceled the deployment of two warships to the Black Sea, Turkish diplomatic sources said on Wednesday, amid concerns over a Russian military build-up on Ukraine’s borders.
Washington and NATO have been alarmed by the build-up near Ukraine and in Crimea, the peninsula that Moscow annexed from Ukraine in 2014. Last week, Turkey said Washington would send two warships to the Black Sea, in a decision Russia called an unfriendly provocation.
The U.S. Embassy in Ankara had notified Turkey’s foreign ministry of the move, the sources said, but did not provide a reason. Turkey’s state-run Anadolu news agency later reported that no new notices had been conveyed to Ankara for potential deployments at later dates.
U.S. officials said that Turkey may have misunderstood the initial notification and the deployment was never confirmed.
They said the United States frequently notifies Turkey for potential access to the Black Sea. But a request does not necessarily mean its ships will pass through, but rather ensures that if they choose to, they already have the required approval.
Russia, which warned Washington to stay far away from Crimea and its Black Sea coast, says the build-up is a three-week snap military drill to test combat readiness in response to what it calls threatening behavior from NATO. It has said the exercise is due to wrap up within two weeks.
Ahead of the notification about U.S. warships, Russia’s navy on Wednesday began a drill in the Black Sea that rehearsed firing at surface and air targets. NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg called on Moscow on Tuesday to end its troop build-up.
Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan has called for the “worrying” developments in eastern Ukraine’s Donbass region to come to an end.
German Chancellor Angela Merkel and U.S. President Joe Biden on Wednesday called on Russia to pull back troops from Ukrainian borders.
Biden, in a phone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday, proposed a summit of the estranged leaders to tackle disputes and told Moscow to reduce tensions over Ukraine, the White House said.
(Reporting by Tuvan Gumrukcu in Ankara and Idrees Ali in Washington; editing by Grant McCool)
The post Biden Admin Bows to Russia, Cancels Deployment of War Ships appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
‘America First’ in Vaccinations
In the race to save lives, the United States and England are winning.
VIDEO: McDonald’s apologizes for understaffing: ‘Nobody wants to work anymore’
ESPN Readies NBA Basketball ‘BetCast’ for Fans of Sports Wagering (EXCLUSIVE)
As more states start to allow residents to take part in sports wagering, ESPN has come up with a game presentation just for them. Executives call it the “BetCast.” On Wednesday at 7 p.m., the Disney sports-media giant will air an alternate feed of an NBA game that pits the Brooklyn Nets against the Philadelphia […]
To Save The Republic, Destroy Democrats
One thing enemies of the United States fail to understand is not that we will not be defeated by them, its that they dont have to waste their time trying. For all the bluster hostile world leaders spew towards us, theyve missed the real secret to destroying the United States: they dont have to do anything but wait, Democrats will do it for them.
Vaccine Priority in Vermont for People of Color, Indigenous, English Language Learners, Refugees
Judicial Watch is investigating yet another state’s potentially illegal race-based COVID-19 vaccination policy, this time prioritizing those who identify as black, indigenous, people of color, English language learners and members of an immigrant/refugee community. This month the Vermont Department of Health announced it was prioritizing the minority communities listed above to receive the shots as many residents wait patiently for an appointment. The state’s Republican governor, Phil Scott, defends the move asserting in a statement that that the “Black, Indigenous and People of Color (BIPOC) population is at increased risk of hospitalization from COVID-19.”
The governor explains that the BIPOC population is already facing health equity disadvantages resulting from “historical inequities and injustices.” Besides being at greater risk of hospitalization the BIPOC community’s vaccination rate is too far behind the white population, according to Scott, who reveals that only 20.2% of BIPOC have received at least one dose of the vaccine compared to 33.4% of non-Hispanic whites. “These disparities are unacceptable to me,” the governor says, adding that “unfortunately, the legacy of racism in America, and in Vermont, still drives a lot of anger and fear.” He is referring to “vitriolic and inappropriate comments on social media and other forums” criticizing his decision to prioritize minorities while many residents still wait for their inoculation.
This week Judicial Watch filed a Vermont Public Records Act request to uncover information involving the race-based program. Addressed to the governor’s office and the Vermont Department of Health, the request asks for records regarding how a person’s status as a member of one or more of the previously mentioned communities will be assessed and verified. Judicial Watch also wants records identifying reasons for including these communities in vaccine eligibility and excluding other races, ethnicities, and groups as well as communications between officials or employees concerning vaccine eligibility for the minority groups. Lastly, the public record request asks for any analyses of whether making vaccine eligibility open to black, indigenous, people of color, English language learners, and people in immigrant/refugee communities is consistent with state and federal law, including the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
Earlier in the week Judicial Watch launched a similar investigation in Maryland after the state’s two biggest counties—both illegal immigrant sanctuaries—launched a “special clinic” to inoculate 600 Latinos a week. The exclusive operation is stationed at the Adventist HealthCare facility in Takoma Park, which is situated in Montgomery County, Maryland’s most populous. The shots are also offered to Latinos who live in nearby Prince George’s County. Unlike Vermont, Maryland discloses that recipients are “preselected” by an area open borders group, Casa de Maryland, and a Latino Health Initiative launched by Montgomery County two decades ago. In a statement announcing the venture public officials claim that it will help overcome inequities in the vaccine rollout as well as general health disparities that plague poor minority communities. Judicial Watch has launched Maryland Public Information Act requests for both counties seeking, among other things, the eligibility criteria for individuals who want vaccinations in the special clinic and records identifying the reasons for limiting it to Latinos and excluding other races, ethnicities, or groups. The inquiry also asks both counties for any analyses of whether limiting the vaccination program to Latinos is consistent with state and federal law, including but not limited to the Equal Protection clause of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.
The government-funded COVID-19 vaccine is intended for all the nation’s residents, not special groups secretly chosen by politicians with agendas. The life-saving shots were created as part of a Trump administration initiative called Operation Warp Speed to accelerate the development, production and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines and deliver 300 million doses. The U.S. reportedly invested $18 billion on the project which involves several key government agencies—such as the Department of Defense (DOD), Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA)—and private companies.
The post Vaccine Priority in Vermont for People of Color, Indigenous, English Language Learners, Refugees appeared first on Judicial Watch.