FBI Reveals Who’s Behind Colonial Pipeline Attack; Georgia Bans ‘Defund the Police’ Efforts. The FBI says hacker group DarkSide is behind the cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline, fraudulent unemployment claims created thousands of identity theft victims last quarter, and the Health and Human Services secretary is reportedly raising concern over President Joe Biden’s increased cap on refugees entering the country.
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SpaceX Starship Rocket Prototype Achieves First Safe Landing
SpaceX achieved the first successful touchdown of its prototype Starship rocket during the latest test flight of the next-generation launch vehicle in south Texas on Wednesday, after four previous landing attempts ended in explosions.
The feat marked a key milestone for the private rocket company of billionaire tech mogul Elon Musk in its development of a reusable heavy-lift launch vehicle to eventually carry astronauts and large cargo payloads to the moon and Mars.
The Starship SN15 blasted off from the SpaceX launch site in Boca Chica, Texas, along the Gulf Coast and reached its planned maximum altitude of 6 miles, then hovered momentarily before flying nose-down under aerodynamic control back toward Earth.
Maneuvering itself back into vertical position under rocket thrust as it approached the ground, the 16-story, three-engine vehicle descended to a gentle touchdown on its landing gear.
GOP Rep. Jordan says ‘votes are there’ to remove Cheney from GOP leadership pos
Ohio GOP Rep. Jim Jordan says House Republicans have enough votes to oust Rep. Liz Cheney from Republican leadership.
“For sure, the votes are there, and I think it will happen most likely next Wednesday,” Jordan said on Fox News on Wednesday.
Cheney has created problem within the House Republican Conference, largely over her ongoing disagreement with former President Trump over 2020 election fraud, which members says has become a distraction to their larger political and legislative agenda that includes retaking the chamber majority in 2022.
House Minority Whip Steve Scalise has already publicly backed a replacement for Cheney as Republican House Conference chairwoman — New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik.
What’s the Origin of COVID? Did People or Nature Open Pandora’s Box at Wuhan?
The COVID-19 pandemic has disrupted lives the world over for more than a year. Its death toll will soon reach three million people. Yet the origin of pandemic remains uncertain: the political agendas of governments and scientists have generated thick clouds of obfuscation, which the mainstream press seems helpless to dispel.
In what follows I will sort through the available scientific facts, which hold many clues as to what happened, and provide readers with the evidence to make their own judgments. I will then try to assess the complex issue of blame, which starts with, but extends far beyond, the government of China.
By the end of this article, you may have learned a lot about the molecular biology of viruses. I will try to keep this process as painless as possible. But the science cannot be avoided because for now, and probably for a long time hence, it offers the only sure thread through the maze.
The virus that caused the pandemic is known officially as SARS-CoV-2, but can be called SARS2 for short. As many people know, there are two main theories about its origin. One is that it jumped naturally from wildlife to people. The other is that the virus was under study in a lab, from which it escaped. It matters a great deal which is the case if we hope to prevent a second such occurrence.
I’ll describe the two theories, explain why each is plausible, and then ask which provides the better explanation of the available facts. It’s important to note that so far there is no direct evidence for either theory. Each depends on a set of reasonable conjectures but so far lacks proof. So I have only clues, not conclusions, to offer. But those clues point in a specific direction. And having inferred that direction, I’m going to delineate some of the strands in this tangled skein of disaster.
Challenger lambasts Liz Cheney, says GOP must work with Trump
The remarks by Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., a one-time moderate who’s evolved into an ardent Donald Trump champion, came as Cheney seems likely to be tossed from her leadership post next week.
WASHINGTON — Rep. Elise Stefanik stated her case Thursday for replacing Rep. Liz Cheney as the No. 3 House Republican leader, implicitly lambasting Cheney’s battles with former President Donald Trump by saying, “We are one team and that means working with the president.”
The remarks by Stefanik, R-N.Y., a one-time moderate who’s evolved into an ardent Trump champion, came as Cheney seems likely to be tossed from her leadership post next week. Cheney, R-Wyo., has repeatedly rejected Trump’s false insistence that he lost the 2020 election because of widespread fraud, and has blamed him for inflaming followers who assaulted the Capitol on Jan. 6.
Speaking on Steve Bannon’s “War Room” podcast, Stefanik said she is committed to “sending a clear message that we are one team and that means working with the president and working with all of our excellent Republican members of Congress.” Stefanik repeatedly used “president” in referring to Trump.
Facing opposition from Trump and the House’s two top Republicans — Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Whip Steve Scalise — Cheney has remained defiant.
In an opinion essay in The Washington Post, Cheney implored her GOP colleagues on Wednesday to pry themselves from a Trump “cult of personality” and declared that the party and even American democracy were at stake. “History is watching,” she said.
Trump issued a statement giving his “COMPLETE and TOTAL Endorsement” to Stefanik, 36, who’s played an increasingly visible role within the GOP.
Stefanik responded quickly, highlighting his backing to colleagues who will decide her political future.
“Thank you President Trump for your 100% support for House GOP Conference Chair. We are unified and focused on FIRING PELOSI & WINNING in 2022!” she tweeted.
The careers of Cheney and Stefanik are seemingly racing in opposite directions, as if to contrast the fates awaiting Trump critics and backers in today’s GOP. . .
Worst Worker Shortage Ever
Hiring surged again in April, but a record number of U.S. small firms were unable to find workers to fill their available positions. That’s according to the latest monthly employment report from the National Federation of Independent Business, due out later today.
“Strong job growth continued for small businesses in April. Firms increased employment by 0.31 workers per firm on average over the past few months,” says NFIB Chief Economist William Dunkelberg.
That’s the good news. The bad news for small companies is that between the competition from larger firms, supplemental unemployment benefits that discourage work, remote schooling that keeps parents at home and the lingering impact of the virus itself, it’s become nearly impossible for many employers to attract enough workers. . .
Pollster Frank Luntz: ‘I would bet on’ Trump being 2024 GOP nominee
Veteran GOP pollster Frank Luntz says that former President Trump “could never win” the 2024 general election, but that he “would bet on” Trump to be the GOP nominee.
New Zealand Weightlifter Poised to Become First Transgender Olympian
A man named Laurel Hubbard could be the first transgender athlete to compete in the Olympics if named to the New Zealand team that will take part in this summer’s Games in Tokyo.
A weightlifter from New Zealand, Hubbard, 43, benefits from a rule change approved by the International Olympic Committee that makes him automatically qualified for the women’s superheavyweight division.
FBI? No. Regular American Citizen Infiltrates Antifa | Antifa Caught On Tape Laughing About Killing Cops | Video: 5 Minutes 28 Seconds
Group leader: “It’s May Day, baby, like come out and take, take somethin’ over with us, I don’t, I don’t (bleep)-ing know.”
Member: “Let’s kill people. (laughs)”
Group Leader: “Let’s kill some cops.”
Member: “Yeah.”
Bloomberg Forum Moves Back to Singapore Amid Concerns Over Press Treatment in China
BEIJING—The Bloomberg New Economy Forum will move to Singapore this year, in part because of the “very concerning” conditions journalists face in China, according to comments by Bloomberg founder Michael Bloomberg reported by the Financial Times.
The Nov. 16-19 event will be limited to 400 participants, with sustainability as well as COVID-19 and how countries can recover from its impact among topics for discussion, according to a media release on Thursday.
Bloomberg, the billionaire founder of Bloomberg News and the former mayor of New York City, also cited “logistics” as a reason to hold the event in Singapore, the Financial Times reported.
The company did not immediately respond to a request for elaboration on his comments.
Seriously? Masked kiss between vaccinated Kamala Harris and hubby sends eyebrows to skies
Vice President Kamala Harris shared a smooch with second husband Doug Emhoff while both were masked on Wednesday, before she hopped aboard Air Force Two and he departed to catch a separate flight, though both are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Harris was headed to Rhode Island, where she later dropped by a local store and purchased four books, including one discussing ‘white male rage,’ the Daily Mail reported. Emhoff, meanwhile, traveled to visit a microbrewery in Pennsylvania.
But the shared kiss drew outsized attention given that the second couple is vaccinated and, according to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines, vaccinated people need not mask up while outdoors.
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis Signs Election Integrity Bill into Law
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) signed an election integrity bill, SB 90, on Thursday, which implements a number of safeguards to protect elections in the Sunshine State, including limits on ballot box drop boxes, enhancements on voter ID requirements, and additional restrictions on voting by mail and ballot harvesting.
The bill itself prohibits the mass mailing of ballots — a point of national contention in the 2020 presidential election — while banning ballot harvesting, strengthening voter identification, and preventing “private money from administering elections in our state,” per a summary from the governor’s office:
While Florida already requires identification to vote, Senate Bill 90 will require additional identification information when changing any voter registration information, or requesting a vote by mail ballot, preventing fraud and securing the voter rolls.
The proposal strikes a reasonable balance for families and those in elder care facilities while simultaneously banning ballot harvesting by political operatives. Under this law, a person may not handle more than two ballots other than those of immediate family members. There is an exemption for ballots collected during supervised voting at assisted living facilities and nursing homes to make sure no undue burden is caused for Florida’s most vulnerable.
The proposal bans the mass mailing of ballots, ensuring that vote-by-mail ballots are only sent to the individuals that requested them, and only if requested for each election cycle they intend to vote by mail. The bill also increases election transparency, allowing each political party and candidate guaranteed access to observe signature matching reviews by the canvassing board, and allows for appointed watchers on their behalf.
May 6, 2021 | Nightly News Rebroadcast | Video: 52 Minutes 10 Seconds
Florida enacts a new election law, a congressman calls on the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to resign after uncovered emails show a union influenced certain reopening guidelines, and over 180 illegal immigrants are rescued from three stash houses in Texas.
Creepy Bill Gates Told Wife He Would Marry Her if She Allowed Him to Take 1 Beach Vacation a Year with Ex-Girlfriend
Bill Gates and former girlfriend Ann Winblad
Computer nerd Bill Gates made an arrangement with his wife before their marriage that he would spend a long weekend each year with his former girfriend Ann Winblad in North Carolina.
That’s a bit strange.
The New York Post reported:
After marrying his wife, Bill Gates would spend a long weekend every year at a cozy beach cottage in North Carolina — with his old girlfriend.
The billionaire Microsoft founder made sure the bizarre arrangement was part of the deal when he married Melinda French in 1994, he told Time magazine in a 1997 profile.
“We can play putt-putt while discussing biotechnology,” Gates said of his private getaways with fellow nerd techie and ex Ann Winblad — who is now happily married to actor Kevin Kline’s detective brother, Alex Kline, a source told The Post on Tuesday.
Gates even sought Winblad’s approval before proposing to his wife.
“When I was off on my own thinking about marrying Melinda, I called Ann and asked for her approval,” he said, adding that Winblad gave the other woman the thumb’s up.
The post Creepy Bill Gates Told Wife He Would Marry Her if She Allowed Him to Take 1 Beach Vacation a Year with Ex-Girlfriend appeared first on The Gateway Pundit.
The Fact-Checkers’ Prevarication: In Study Biden Shown to Lie Just as Effectively as Trump
Joe Biden’s presidency has created a challenge for journalists. An industry conditioned with 24-hour grievance content suddenly was at a loss; how do they function when they only want to coddle the current occupant of the Resolute Desk, and how do they come up with ways to enrage their audience with their dependable target both muzzled and apathetic these days? For the self-described arbiters of the truth it has been especially hard, as they had to downshift from the perpetual nitrous-fed 5th gear full throttle coverage of Donald Trump to coasting in neutral and steering with their knees.
Between the unwillingness to cover real stories, such as the border crisis, or the already mounting inflationary realities, and the charisma-vacuum that is the real Joe Biden we see them struggle, offering up desperate bits which suggest that Biden’s boring demeanor is actually a cagey strategy. As the media in general show signs of embarking on a four year sabbatical, one sector has already seen its members submitting Travelocity expense reports — the fact-checkers.
At the Washington Post their resident expert-FC Glen Kessler made the early declaration that, unlike President Trump, his paper would be using the 100 days in office to mark the end of their fact-check database on the president.
Showing an equal amount of reticence towards his assigned duty was CNN’s Daniel Dale. He began this Joe-voidance during the election, when following a debate he gave Biden high marks for verite despite there being about a dozen major crimes against the facts. He recently established his own standard for laying off of the president due to his volume of truthfulness.
So here are two of the more prominent names in the fact check realm essentially declaring that Biden is not in need of their assigned duties. This has been something of a fable being sold to us since he took office; Joe is just so darned honest that holding him accountable is not needed. But this is a claim that itself needs fact-checking.
Over at NewsBusters they performed a study of sorts on another of the noted outlets from this media realm — PolitiFact. Some of the numbers they came up with are interesting, and echo those hands-off tendencies from Kessler and Dale. During Donald Trump’s first 100 days, PolitiFact checked on his veracity 52 times; Joe Biden was corrected only 13. At the outlet, however, they were far more energetic with running defense and fact checking comments concerning Biden; they looked into lies told about the president over 100 times.
Court Hears CHD’s Arguments Against Facebook, Zuckerberg and ‘Fact Checkers’
Judge Susan Illston of the Northern District of California Wednesday heard arguments for and against the defendants’ motion to dismiss in the Children’s Health Defense (CHD) lawsuit, which claims that Facebook, Mark Zuckerberg and three fact-checking operations censor truthful public health posts and engage in racketeering activities against CHD.
According to CHD’s complaint, Facebook has insidious conflicts with the pharmaceutical industry and its captive health agencies, and has economic stakes in vaccines, telecom and 5G.
Facebook currently censors CHD’s page, targeting factual information about vaccines, 5G and public health agencies. Facebook-owned Instagram deplatformed CHD Chariman Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on Feb. 10 without notice or explanation.
This is an important First Amendment case that tests the boundaries of government authority to openly censor unwanted critique of its narrative, attorneys Roger Teich and Jed Rubenfeld argued before the court. Attorneys Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. and Mary Holland, CHD president, also are lawyers on the legal briefs.
CHD is a nonprofit watchdog group that roots out corruption in federal agencies, including the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and exposes wrongdoings in the pharmaceutical and telecom industries.
CHD has been a frequent critic of WiFi and 5G Network safety and of certain vaccine policies that place profits ahead of public health. CHD has fiercely criticized agency corruption at the WHO, CDC and FCC.
Facebook has publicly stated it is assisting efforts of the White House, the CDC and the WHO to censor unwanted speech about vaccines. While earlier court decisions have upheld Facebook’s right to censor user pages, CHD argues that the social media giant’s open collaboration with government makes it a proxy for government censorship, violating the First Amendment.
The government’s role in Facebook’s censorship goes deeper than its close coordination with the CDC and WHO — it began at the suggestion of powerful Democratic Congressman and Intelligence Committee Chairman Adam Schiff, who in March 2019, asked Facebook to suppress and purge internet content critical of government vaccine policies.
Facebook, Schiff and many other government officials use the term “misinformation” as a euphemism for any statement, whether truthful or not, that contradicts official government pronouncements.
The WHO issued a press release commending Facebook for coordinating its ongoing censorship campaign with public health officials. That same day, Facebook published a “warning label” on CHD’s page, implying that CHD’s content is inaccurate and directing CHD followers to turn to the CDC for “reliable, up-to-date information.”
CHD’s lawsuit also challenges Facebook use of so-called “independent fact-checkers,” which, in truth, are neither independent nor fact-based, to create oppositional content on CHD’s page, superimposed over CHD’s original content, about matters of heated scientific controversy.
To further silence CHD’s dissent against government policies and the pharmaceutical industry, Facebook deactivated CHD’s donate button and uses a variety of deceptive technologies, including shadow banning, to minimize CHD’s reach and visibility.
In short, the lawsuit contends Facebook and the government collude to silence CHD and its followers. Such tactics violate the First Amendment, which guarantees the American public the free flow of information in the marketplace of ideas.
The First Amendment forbids the government from censoring private speech — particularly speech that criticizes government policies or officials. As Justice Holmes famously said, “The best test of truth is the power of the thought to get itself accepted in the competition of the market.”
The ongoing COVID crisis makes the need for open and fierce public debate on health issues in our democracy more critical than ever.
Mark Zuckerberg publicly claims social media platforms shouldn’t be “the arbiters of truth.” Yet his acts to suppress critique of government officials and policies belie those pronouncements.
The court will decide whether Facebook’s new government-directed business model of false and misleading “warning labels,” deceptive “fact-checks” and disabling a nonprofit’s donate button passes muster under the First and Fifth Amendments, the Lanham Act and the federal racketeering statute. Those statutes protect CHD against online wire fraud and knowingly false statements disparaging to the organization, while the Constitution protects CHD against government censorship — even through third parties — and from uncompensated taking of its property interests.
“Mainstream media and social media giants are imposing a totalitarian censorship to prevent public health advocates, like myself, from voicing concerns and from engaging in civil informed debate in the public square,” said Kennedy.
Kennedy added:
“They are punishing, shaming, vilifying, gaslighting and abolishing individuals who report their own vaccine injuries. Anyone can see that this is a formula for catastrophe and a coup d’état against the First Amendment, the foundation stone of American democracy.”
CHD awaits Judge Illston’s ruling on the defendants’ motion to dismiss.
The post Court Hears CHD’s Arguments Against Facebook, Zuckerberg and ‘Fact Checkers’ appeared first on Children’s Health Defense.
Bannon’s War Room | Morning Edition Hour 1 | Recorded May 6, 2021 | Video: 48 Minutes 23 Seconds
Episode 926 – The Spirit of Saratoga … (w/ Elise Stefanik, Boris Epshteyn). “We still do not have an answer as to the origins of the covid-19 virus,” she said. “Every American deserves an answer from China.” Guests are: Elise Stefanik, Boris Epshteyn.
Josh Duggar Hearing: Homeland Security Agent Details Timeline of Child Porn Case
The agent said images allegedly found on Josh Duggar’s computer were “in the top five of the worst of the worst that I’ve ever had to examine”.
Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent Gerald Faulkner, testifying for the prosecution, alleged Duggar downloaded computer files depicting child sex abuse on May 14, 15 and 16 of 2019.
The files were initially flagged by a police detective in Little Rock, Ark., and then allegedly traced to Duggar’s IP address on a computer at his workplace at the time, the Wholesale Motorcars dealership.
One file, according to Faulkner, depicted child sex abuse involving children ranging from 18 months to 12 years of age. Faulkner described the images as “in the top five of the worst of the worst that I’ve ever had to examine.”
According to Faulkner, when homeland security officials raided Duggar’s car dealership and asked to speak with him, without informing him they were investigating child pornography, Duggar “spontaneously” responded, “What is this about? Has someone been downloading child pornography?”
Bannon’s War Room | Morning Edition Hour 2 | Recorded May 6, 2021 | Video: 48 Minutes 10 Seconds
Episode 927 – The Woke Praetorian Guard … Biden’s Secret Police and the MAGA Purge from the Military. “This guy is a critical race theory zealot, a huge proponent of the notorious 1619 project, huge proponent of the Black Lives Matter movement, proponent of all kinds of riots that have been going on,” Beattie said. Guests are: Boris Epshteyn, Darren Beattie, Rudy Giuliani.
Bannon’s War Room | Evening Edition | Recorded May 6, 2021 | Video: 48 Minutes 58 Seconds
Episode 928 – The Most Dangerous Place on Earth … America’s Brexit and China’s Threat to Taiwan. “We’re trying to hold them accountable they have violated multiple rules over and over again,” Stutts said. “And the people have had enough.” Guests are: Cpt. Maureen Bannon, Boris Epshteyn, Nigel Farage, Pressly Stutts, Frank Gaffney.
Lamar Co., Texas Democrats retain their party chairman despite racist comment
The head of the Lamar County, Texas Democratic Party, Gary O’Connor, offered his resignation after he made a racist comment about South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott.
O’Connor, who is white, called Scott, who is black, “an Oreo with no principles.”
After a furor over his remarks, O’Connor offered up his resignation.
However, the party reportedly turned down the resignation offer and is allowing O’Connor to retain his position.
COVID’s US toll projected to drop sharply by the end of July
But experts also warn that a “substantial increase” in hospitalizations and deaths is possible if unvaccinated people do not follow basic precautions such as wearing a mask and keeping their distance from others.
NEW YORK — Teams of experts are projecting COVID-19’s toll on the U.S. will fall sharply by the end of July, according to research released by the government Wednesday.
But they also warn that a “substantial increase” in hospitalizations and deaths is possible if unvaccinated people do not follow basic precautions such as wearing a mask and keeping their distance from others.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention paper included projections from six research groups. Their assignment was to predict the course of the U.S. epidemic between now and September under different scenarios, depending on how the vaccination drive proceeds and how people behave.
Mainly, it’s good news. Even under scenarios involving disappointing vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases, hospitalizations and deaths are expected to drop dramatically by the end of July and continue to fall afterward.
The CDC is now reporting an average of about 350,000 new cases each week, 35,000 hospitalizations and over 4,000 deaths.
Under the most optimistic scenarios considered, by the end of July new weekly national cases could drop below 50,000, hospitalizations to fewer than 1,000, and deaths to between 200 and 300.
Canada authorizes Pfizer vaccine for age 12 and older
Canada is the first country to authorize Pfizer for that age group. The U.S. and the European Union are also reviewing it.
TORONTO — Canadian health officials said Wednesday they have become the first to approve Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine for ages as young as 12.
Dr. Supriya Sharma, chief medical adviser at Health Canada, confirmed the decision for ages 12 to 15 and said it will help children return to a normal life. Canada is the first country to authorize Pfizer for that age group. The U.S. and the European Union are also reviewing it.
The vaccine was previously authorized for anyone 16 or older.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is also expected to authorize Pfizer’s vaccine for young people by next week, setting up shots for many before the beginning of the next school year. The announcement comes barely a month after the company found that its shot, which is already authorized for those age 16 and older, also provided protection for the younger group.
Pfizer in late March released preliminary results from a vaccine study of 2,260 U.S. volunteers ages 12 to 15 showing there were no cases of COVID-19 among fully vaccinated adolescents compared with 18 among those given dummy shots.
Sharma said the evidence is there that the vaccine is safe and effective in that age group. It is the first vaccine approved for children in Canada.
Honeywell Fined $13 Million For Exporting Sensitive Information to Countries Including China
Honeywell was fined $13 million for allegedly exporting sensitive data to several countries including China, without obtaining proper authorization, the Department of State announced on Monday. The State Department‘s spokesperson said in a statement that it concluded a settlement with Honeywell International to resolve alleged violations of export rules when the company exported and retransferred technical information without authorization to Canada, China, Ireland, Mexico, and Taiwan. The exported data “contained engineering prints showing dimensions, geometries, and layouts for manufacturing castings and finished parts for multiple aircraft, gas turbine engines, and military electronics,” a department spokesperson said. The violations Honeywell has been charged with occurred within a four-year period and included sending, without permission to foreign companies, technical details of military aircraft such as the Lockheed Martin F-35 and F-22, helicopters, tanks, and Raytheon’s Tomahawk cruise missiles, according to a proposed charging letter sent by the State Department to the company. In 2015, …
Peloton treadmills recalled after a child dies; CEO apologizes for ‘mistake’ in initial response
The recall comes after the safety commission warned last month that people with children or pets to immediately stop using Peloton treadmills and posted a video on YouTube of a child being pulled under the treadmill.
NEW YORK — Peloton is recalling its treadmills after one child died and 29 other children suffered from cuts, broken bones and other injuries from being pulled under the rear of the treadmill.
The U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said Wednesday that Peloton received 72 reports of adults, kids, pets or other items, such as exercise balls, being pulled under the treadmill.
The recall comes after the safety commission warned last month that people with children or pets to immediately stop using Peloton treadmills and posted a video on YouTube of a child being pulled under the treadmill.
“The decision to recall both products was the right thing to do for Peloton’s Members and their families. I want to be clear, Peloton made a mistake in our initial response to the Consumer Product Safety Commission’s request that we recall the Tread+. We should have engaged more productively with them from the outset. For that, I apologize,” Peloton CEO John Foley said in a statement.
Peloton is best known for its stationary bikes, but it introduced the treadmill about three years ago and now calls it the Tread+. It costs more than $4,200.
According to a report by USA TODAY, the company and the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) on Wednesday jointly announced voluntary recalls of Peloton Tread+ and Tread treadmills, covering about 125,000 and 1,050 units, respectively, in the U.S. “Consumers who have purchased either treadmill should immediately stop using it and contact Peloton for a full refund,” the company and agency said in their joint statement.
Those who own the treadmill can get a full refund from Peloton by Nov. 6, 2022.
British woman murdered in Pakistan after refusing marriage proposals: report
A 24-year-old British law school graduate was reportedly shot dead in Pakistan by four men — two of whom had tried to pressure her into marriage.
The bullet-riddled body of Mayra Zulfiqar, a London resident of Pakistani origin, was found in a pool of blood in her rented apartment in the city of Lahore on Monday, Sky News reported.
She had been shot in the neck and arm, according to an initial post-mortem report cited by the English-language Dawn.
Zulfiqar had traveled to Pakistan to attend a wedding a couple of months ago and decided to remain in the country, according to the outlet.
The young legal eagle’s uncle, Mohammad Nazeer, found her body after receiving a call from her father, who lives in West London, to say she had been killed, the BBC reported.
Left-Wing Media Watchdog Defends Jennifer Granholm’s Wealth After Helping Her Become a Millionaire
Media Matters for America, a left-wing media watchdog, rushed to Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm’s defense after the Washington Free Beacon used journalism to expose her financial interest in an electric vehicle company touted by President Joe Biden.
Granholm came under fire earlier this year for raking in hundreds of thousands of dollars from left-wing interest groups before joining the Biden administration. For example, she earned more than $200,000 as an adviser to Media Matters and was paid six-figure sums by the progressive foundation American Bridge and the left-wing media company CNN, where she was a political contributor.
Granholm earned another $170,000 on the public speaking circuit and an additional $114,000 from the University of California Berkeley, where she served as an adjunct professor. On top of that, she reported $1 million in “business income” from Granholm Mulhern Associates, the consulting firm she co-owned with her husband, Dan Mulhern.
Granholm’s controversial financial assets, which include between $1 and 5 million of stock in Proterra, the electric vehicle company Biden promoted in April as part of his push for a $2 trillion infrastructure package, have been the subject of multiple stories in the Free Beacon in recent weeks.
Media Matters defended its former adviser’s wealth in a piece accusing “right-wing media” of inventing a “fake scandal” about Granholm’s ties to Proterra—without specifically refuting any of the points raised in the Free Beacon‘s coverage of the scandal.
In its attempt to defend Granholm, Media Matters conceded that she has yet to offload her seven figures of stock in Proterra. “The [White House] official also said that Granholm was ‘in the process of selling off all stock in the company,’ which would be completed ‘within the 180-day window permitted by the ethics agreement,'” Eric Kleefeld wrote in the liberal outlet.
Buried at the bottom of the Media Matters piece is a kernel of information: “Granholm advised Media Matters prior to entering the administration.” While the piece linked to Granholm’s financial disclosures in its discussions about Proterra, the dark money group failed to mention how much it paid for Granholm’s services—a total of $200,624 in monthly retainers—and its role in helping her become a millionaire.
The post Left-Wing Media Watchdog Defends Jennifer Granholm’s Wealth After Helping Her Become a Millionaire appeared first on Washington Free Beacon.
In Virtual Town Hall, U.S. Army Sought to Convert — and Coerce — Vaccine Skeptics
Earlier this month, the U.S. Army hosted a Facebook live town hall on the topic of concerns about COVID-19 vaccines.
The virtual town hall followed this format:
- Affirm soldiers who took the experimental vaccine or question soldiers who have not yet taken the vaccine.
- Legitimize an Army doctor as a drug expert to counter risks or concerns without citing any references for the information provided.
- Leverage the influence of the Sergeant Major of the Army, the highest ranking non-commissioned officer, to persuade soldiers to risk taking the experimental drug without providing factual informed consent.
This format was designed to not only promote maximum conversion of soldiers to take the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) drug, but also to convince them to persuade their friends and family to do the same.
The overall tone of the town hall was respectful and caring, but the false efficacy claims and risk omissions are indicators of dysfunctional groupthink at best, or cult mentality at worst.
The U.S. Army leadership is persuading soldiers to put blind faith in an EUA drug using miraculous claims even the manufacturers do not make about their products.
The six-person town hall panel consisted of Sergeant Major of the Army (SMA) Michael Grinston; Dr. Steven Cersovsky, science advisor to the U.S. Army Medical Command; three U.S. Army service members; and a moderator.
The one-hour session addressed three main concerns about the COVID vaccine among military members: infertility, variants of the virus and the speed with which the vaccines were developed.
Cersovsky began the town hall with an evangelistic sales pitch for the vaccine beginning with this statement: “The good news is the vaccine is available, there is light at the end of the tunnel and taking the vaccine protects you, protects the community and protects our nation.”
Cersovsky went on to acknowledge concerns about the speed with which the vaccines were developed and the risks that may pose to public safety, but then said, the “only risk to public safety is not getting vaccinated.”
According to Cersovsky, viral salvation can be achieved only by getting the vaccine. He vaguely referred to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and “data” without actually providing any data from the clinical trials or surveillance systems.
The medical ethics of informed consent requires doctors to tell patients the risk of the disease, the known benefits of the medical intervention, the known risks of the intervention and alternatives to the intervention. Cersovsky mentioned none of these.
In the case of the COVID vaccine, informed consent requires doctors inform soldiers of the following:
- Risk of disease: Most people have a 99.9% survival rate for SARS-CoV2, with increased risk of severe disease in elderly populations with co-morbid health conditions. Per the CDC, the most frequent underlying medical conditions were obesity (35.1%), diabetes (8.4%) and pulmonary disease (7.8%).
- Efficacy of Intervention: EUA COVID vaccines did not demonstrate prevention of infection or transmission of the virus in the clinical trials. Symptom prevention is the primary endpoint for the clinical trials. Consent to a COVID vaccine is equivalent to voluntary participation in an ongoing phase 3 clinical trial ending in 2022 or 2023.
- Risks of Intervention: The manufacturers reported a comprehensive list of known adverse reactions in the Moderna COVID-19 EUA Fact Sheet and Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 EUA Fact Sheet including severe reactions of anaphylaxis, appendicitis, Bell’s Palsy and death. On April 13, U.S. health officials temporarily suspended the use of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine over concerns of potential fatal blood clotting disorders. In the event of an adverse reaction, participants are not eligible for compensation because COVID vaccines are shielded from liability under the Public Readiness and Emergency Preparedness (PREP) Act of March 2020 as a “countermeasure.”
- Alternatives: There is a research-based meta-analysis of more than 562 studies of effective preventative alternatives including long-term established therapeutics of Ivermectin, hydroxychloroquine and vitamin D.
Coca-Cola Chief Lawyer Who Demanded Race Quotas for Attorneys Resigns, Gets Rehired for $666,666 per Month
Coca-Cola’s chief attorney, responsible for orchestrating a plan to demand race quotas in outside counsel, resigned and was rehired by the CEO on a $666,666 per month salary.
Bradley Gayton resigned last month as general counsel of Coca-Cola. Gayton, in his previous position as chief lawyer for Coca-Cola, was responsible for creating a plan that would place penalties on outside legal counsel if they failed to meet racial diversity quotas when working for the company. Announced in January, Gayton said that all law firms must commit at least 30% of billed time from “diverse attorneys” and at least half of that time from black attorneys.
However, following his resignation, the plan has been put on a temporary pause, with a spokesman for Coca-Cola saying that his replacement, Monica Howard Douglas, will be reviewing the plan. “When there is a leadership change, it takes time for the new leader to review the current status of the team, organization and initiatives,” said Scott Leith. “Monica is fully committed to the notions of equity and diversity in the legal profession, and we fully expect she will take the time necessary to thoughtfully review any plans going forward.”
The “pause” was initially hailed as a victory in the culture war battle over Coca-Cola, with some on the right seemingly under the impression that the much-criticized diversity training program from Coca-Cola, unearthed by Karlyn Borysenko in February, had been cancelled. Action against the diversity quotas regarding outside lawyers seems to have been sparked from an open letter published by the Project on Fair Representation, declaring that Coca-Cola’s “racial quota requirements” were “unlawful,” not any conservative backlash.
Following the pause, much of Gayton’s diversity plan would likely “be salvaged” by Douglas, although the quotas themselves would not likely return. At the time of writing, it is unclear as to what is the current state of Coca-Cola’s diversity training, and general commitment to anti-white policies, but it is unlikely that what appears to be an evasion of potential legal action in one small area is indicative of a wider shift in company policy.
In fact, Gayton remains employed by the company. Despite resigning from his position as chief counsel, he is currently contracted as a legal consultant to Coca-Cola’s CEO, James Quincey. Dayton was hired with a hefty sign-on fee of $4 million, and a monthly consulting fee of $666,666, according to a securities filing from April 21. Coca-Cola also seems likely to continue their anti-conservative attacks on American values across the board. Last month, they joined with a number of other corporations in attacking a piece of election integrity legislation from their home state of Georgia, which critics claimed was designed to stop black voters from accessing the polls.
This Is Only One Of Many Reasons Americans Distrust Doctor Fauci & The CDC | Vaccine Side Effects Americans Tell One Another | Video: 2 Minutes 26 Seconds
After thousands of deaths were reported on the Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) by health care professionals, the CDC released a statement claiming there was no evidence of vaccine related deaths. This may be shocking to family members, but what’s more interesting is that Americans are bypassing the CDC and informing each other and their local doctors directly about vaccine issues, such as swollen lymph nodes. “I’m sure it’s, you know, hundreds of thousands of women across the country will be affected by this, for sure.” ~ Dr. Laura Esserman, University of California, San Francisco. Oncologists and breast imaging experts are advising women who have scheduled mammograms to get them before the vaccine or 4 to 8 weeks after they are fully vaccinated to get a clear picture and avoid confusion. Of course, the CDC will probably chalk it up to women and their fits of ‘anxiety‘.
Nashville Police Officer Shot After ‘Setup’ 911 Call Lured Responders Into Ambush
A Nashville police officer was shot Tuesday in what officials described as a “setup” to lure law enforcement to the scene. The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) said in a series of statements that officer Brian Sherman suffered gunshot wounds to his left arm while answering a fake 911 call claiming a woman had been shot at an area home. “That call was a setup to get police to respond,” the MNPD said in a statement. Sherman was taken to the hospital and treated for his wounds, with the MNPD announcing later that he was about to be discharged. The man who shot Sherman was identified as 22-year-old Salman Mohamed. He fatally shot himself in the head with a rifle in the driveway of the home as officers tried to negotiate with him. “No officers fired,” MNPD said in a statement. MNPD spokesman Don Aaron provided more details at a …
Trump/Owens 2024: Candace Owens wants on the ticket, asks Trump ‘Can I be your vice president?’
Conservative firebrand Candace Owens conducted an interview with former President Trump on Tuesday where he teased running for the presidency in 2024 and then she asked him if she could be his vice president.
Trump told Owens in the wide-ranging interview to “stay tuned” when she asked him if he was running in 2024. “As you know, it’s very early,” the former president remarked concerning his potential White House bid during the phone interview with “The Candace Owens Show” for The Daily Wire.
“But I think people are going to be very, very happy when I make a certain announcement,” Trump declared.
He claimed that campaign finance rules are keeping him from making an announcement one way or the other, but he noted: “I look forward to doing an announcement at the right time.”
G-7 Signals Deep Concern Over Alleged China Human-Rights Abuses
Top diplomats from the Group of Seven nations singled out China in a number of ways that will irritate the government in Beijing, from alleged human-rights abuses to its actions on Taiwan and incursions in cyber space.
In a final statement first obtained by Bloomberg, the language used to reproach the Asian nation echoed past communiques but it was the laundry list of concerns that will get under China’s skin, along with the chiding.
“We encourage China, as a major power and economy with advanced technological capability, to participate constructively in the rules-based international system,” the statement said as it singled out in detail the treatment of Uyghur Muslims and pointedly supported Taiwan’s “meaningful participation in World Health Organisation forums.”
Exposed: Government-Sponsored Experiments on Aborted Human Fetuses at the University of Pittsburgh – FETUS TRAFFICKING
Publicly available information demonstrates that Pitt hosts some of the most barbaric experiments carried out on aborted human infants, including scalping 5-month-old aborted fetuses to stitch onto lab rats, exporting fetal kidneys across the country, and killing infants delivered alive for liver harvesting–funded by U.S. taxpayers via the National Institutes of Health, and in particular Dr. Anthony Fauci’s NIAID office.
Local Planned Parenthood of Western Pennsylvania abortion providers supply the aborted fetuses, while Pitt sponsors the local Planned Parenthood’s operations, in what looks like an illegal Quid Pro Quo for fetal body parts, forbidden by 42 U.S. Code 289g-2 and 18 Pennsylvania Statutes 3216. Pennsylvania law also makes it a felony to experiment on a living fetus or to fail to provide immediate medical care to an infant born alive.
Listen to David Daleiden’s interview with Rose Unplugged on WJAS 1320 AM:
.@daviddaleiden SHOCKING: Government-sponsored experiments on aborted human fetuses (grafting skin on to mice) at the University of Pittsburgh – FETUS TRAFFICKING! Here’s what you can do about it; 1. Sign Petition pittexposed dot com
https://t.co/LNU1zcglH5 via @YouTube— roseunplugged (@roseunplugged2) May 5, 2021
Check out Rose Unplugged on WJAS 1320 AM – The Talk of Pittsburgh 1320 AM
An Alarming Number of Young Men and Boys in Myanmar Have Been ‘Disappeared’ by the Military
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Myanmar’s security forces moved in and the street lamps went black. In house after house, people shut off their lights. Darkness swallowed the block. . .
Across the country, Myanmar’s security forces are arresting and forcibly disappearing thousands of people, especially boys and young men, in a sweeping bid to break the back of a three-month uprising against a military takeover. In most cases, the families of those taken do not know where they are, according to an Associated Press analysis of more than 3,500 arrests since February.
May 5, 2021 | Nightly News Rebroadcast | Video: 54 Minutes 35 Seconds
Judge Tosses Eviction Moratorium; Biden Blocks Rule on Gig Workers; Expert on Bill Gates’ Divorce. Former President Donald Trump won’t be posting on Facebook any time soon and now has his own platform, Trump allies start a new group to protect election integrity, and Arizona parents form their own school board.
‘From the Desk of’: Trump unveils online platform, upstages impending ruling on Facebook access
s a review board ponders Donald Trump’s future access to Facebook, the former president launched “From the Desk of Donald J. Trump,” a new platform via which he can reach his followers directly, bypassing the social media sites that heavily restricted and, ultimately, excluded his voice from their networks.
How does the most famous tweeter in the world feel about his current relationship with social media? According to some of his closest advisers, he’s thrilled with the reach of his daily media releases and looking forward to increased communication with his supporters, regardless of Wednesday’s expected decision by a Facebook oversight board about whether to restore his access to the platform.
“His press releases have been getting an extraordinary amount of news coverage and attention,” said Stephen Miller, former senior adviser to Trump.
Since leaving office, Trump has taken to sending out brief email releases through his Save America PAC. One to two, sometimes three or four, emails a day are standard, each offering a quick glimpse into what the 45th president is thinking about. This week, commentary has revolved primarily around the intraparty split between his own grassroots MAGA wing of the GOP, and a Washington wing represented by Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney and Utah Sen. Mitt Romney.
“From the Desk of Donald J. Trump” is accessible through the former president’s website and appears to be, for now, a consolidated distribution hub for the former president to post his daily releases. The page allows his followers to share Trump posts to their own Twitter and Facebook pages and, according to Fox News, appears to be supported by Campaign Nucleus, the digital software firm created by former Trump campaign manager Brad Parscale.
Republicans: Break Up Big Tech After Facebook Board Upholds Trump Ban
Congressional Republicans on Wednesday, upset with the decision by Facebook’s Oversight Board to uphold the company’s ban of former President Donald Trump, said they’d work to curb the technology giant’s power.
“Break them up,” Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio), the top Republican on the House Judiciary Committee, said in reaction to the decision.
Sen. Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) said the decision was “a real life example of the tyranny of Big Tech” before echoing Jordan.
Republicans have increasingly turned critical of technology giants like Facebook, as more and more evidence emerges showing bias against conservatives.
“Facebook is more interested in acting like a Democrat Super PAC than a platform for free speech and open debate. If they can ban President Trump, all conservative voices could be next. A House Republican majority will rein in big tech power over our speech,” House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) said on Wednesday.
Rep. Ken Buck (R-Colo.) called for “aggressive antitrust reform” to end what he described as Facebook’s monopoly.
Trump Endorses Elise Stefanik to Replace Liz Cheney in House GOP Leadership
Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) should assume the position in the House Republican leadership that Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) currently holds, former President Donald Trump said on Wednesday.
Trump in a statement called Cheney “a warmongering fool who has no business in Republican Party Leadership.”
“We want leaders who believe in the Make America Great Again movement, and prioritize the values of America First. Elise Stefanik is a far superior choice, and she has my COMPLETE and TOTAL endorsement for GOP Conference Chair. Elise is a tough and smart communicator!” he added.
Stefanik responded on Twitter.
“Thank you President Trump for your 100% support for House GOP Conference Chair. We are unified and focused on FIRING PELOSI & WINNING in 2022!” she wrote, referring to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.)
Bannon’s War Room | Morning Edition Hour 1 | Recorded May 5, 2021 | Video: 48 Minutes 38 Seconds
Episode 923 – Big Tech’s Peon Cyborgs … (w/ Jeff Brain, Joe Allen). “People are already in some sense becoming cyborgs in you’re having this digital device make its decisions for you,” he said. Guests are: Jeff Brain, Joe Allen.
UNEARTHED: 1619 Project Founder Praised Cuba’s ‘Socialist’ Accomplishments, Counts Education As ‘Cornerstone Of Revolution.’
1619 Project founder Nikole Hannah-Jones insisted that “education is the cornerstone of the revolution” in an unearthed article offering praise for Cuba’s Communist revolution resulting in the “end of codified racism.”
The New York Times writer visited Cuba in 2008 on a reporting fellowship, penning a piece entitled “The Cuba We Don’t Know” upon her return. Published in The Oregonian, the article sets out to dismantle the narrative about the Communist country that “come from the U.S. government”: “Cuba is poor. Cuba is communist. Cuba violates human rights and represses dissent.”
The objective is similar to that of the ahistorical 1619 Project metastasizing through U.S. classrooms: challenging the narrative that the U.S. was founded in 1776 and insisting the country’s motives for revolution evolved solely out of a desire to protect slavery.
“Education is the cornerstone of the revolution,” Jones asserts before offering praise for the communist country’s education and health care system, alleging many see the latter as a “world model.”
“It manifests in what Cuba has accomplished, through socialism and despite poverty, that the United States hasn’t,” she writes before quoting a professor who insists “The U.S. cannot forgive us for having this revolution. All 50 years of the revolution have not been for nothing.”