It was 3-on-1, and he had to swing at everyone, not just his opponent. This wasn’t a fair fight; it was an ambush. Some even suspect that Harris was given the questions in advance.
Tag: science
JACQUELINE TOBOROFF: RFK Jr. is sounding the call to stop the Left’s war on kids
Democrats have shown over the past four years that they are in an undeclared war against healthy childhood.
Democrats Aren’t Creating Disorder; They’re Preserving It…
Democrats Aren’t Creating Disorder; They’re Preserving It…
In 1968, in the midst of Democratic convention riots, Chicago Mayor Richard Daley famously declared, “The policeman isn’t there to create disorder; the policeman is there to preserve disorder.”
Democratic state election officials appear to have adopted a similar approach to the upcoming election. In states such as North Carolina and Michigan, Democrats are fighting to keep the name of Robert Kennedy, Jr. on the ballot even though he withdrew from the race and endorsed former president Donald Trump. These are key states where the misplacement of even 1 percent of votes could turn the outcome of not just the state but the entire election.
In Michigan, Democratic Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson recently fought to keep third-party candidate Cornel West off the ballot. Unlike Kennedy, who is viewed as likely to drain votes from Trump, West is viewed as pulling votes from Vice President Kamala Harris, particularly among those opposed to her policies toward Israel.
A court ruled against Benson and said that she was adopting an artificially narrow interpretation to keep Kennedy on the ballot.
In North Carolina, where Trump and Harris are in a statistical tie, Democrats also refused to remove Kennedy’s name. An appellate court this week ordered them to do so to avoid the obvious confusion for voters.
Recently, the same Democratic officials sought to block West from the ballot due to his campaign causing “partisan mischief.”
These efforts are being pursued in other states such as Wisconsin (another key state), where Democrats on the election board blocked a Republican effort to remove Kennedy’s name.
In Michigan and North Carolina, officials have the distinction of fighting to keep a popular candidate from the ballot while fighting to retain a non-existent candidate.
It is all in the name of protecting democracy from itself.
Previously, Democrats in Florida and North Carolina fought to block other Democrats from appearing on primary ballots. Candidates like Rep. Dean Phillips (D-Minn.), author Marianne Williamson and commentator Cenk Uygur faced concerted campaigns by election officials and advocates to prevent voters from having a choice in the primary.
After preventing a meaningful primary and securing the nomination for President Biden, Democrats later handed the nomination to Harris without a single vote from a single primary voter.
Democratic activists are now calling it an election by “acclamation,” like a political version of the immaculate conception in which a candidate is simply conceived by the party elite. It is enough to make the Chinese Central Committee blush.
Harris was then walled off from the media to avoid any unscripted interactions, including by putting earbuds in her ears in what many called a clearly fake call to avoid press questions.
At the same time, Democratic supporters are now arguing that it is not necessary for Harris to offer detailed plans or agree to interviews in a campaign that is selling “joy” and “good vibes” like political valium.
Others appear to believe that saving democracy means holding Harris to a different, more deferential standard. New York Times editorial board member Mara Gay appeared on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” to defend treating Harris differently: “I think the challenge, not just for journalists, but really for the country, is that not only is Donald Trump a threat, but, you know, it lowers the bar. So, I don’t think it’s unacceptable,” she said.
Somewhere in that double negative, journalism perished. In my new book, I discuss how journalists are now sometimes taught to dispense with both neutrality and objectivity in favor of framing the news for viewers and readers.
You see, it is all about saving democracy. Gay explained: “The context is difficult because of the extremism of the Republican Party, because of how extreme Donald Trump is, it’s hard to hold both candidates accountable equally, because one is committed to democracy and is functioning as a normal candidate from a normal American party, and the other is not.”
This was echoed by “Morning Joe” host Joe Scarborough, who said that life as we know it would end unless Harris is elected, telling viewers that the “autocrat” Trump would throw opponents in jail and take media outlets off the air: “So, yeah, the threats to democracy are real,” he said. “But [so are] the threats to the free market, the threats to free enterprise, to our economy.”
Other guests amplified that dire message further and criticized people for covering how Harris is changing her positions and refusing to offer details on policies. It appears that this election is simply too important for substantive debate. After all, Harris has said that 2024 “genuinely could be” the last democratic election in America’s history. The last thing we need is a substantive election at this precarious time.
The omitted details include Harris’s support for policies that many of us view as a direct threat to our constitutional system, including censorship and court packing.
Both candidates have much to address that they would prefer to ignore. The media is correct to press Trump on many of these issues. Yet, the success of any democratic system is dependent on three key elements: participation, information and choice. Getting the vote out takes on a menacing meaning if voters are being protected from the distractions of facts. Winning at any cost is no virtue in a democracy, even when claiming to be a defender of democracy.
* * *
Jonathan Turley is the Shapiro Professor of Public Interest Law at George Washington University and the author of “The Indispensable Right: Free Speech in an Age of Rage.”
Tyler Durden
Wed, 09/11/2024 – 07:20
Japan Complains After Chinese Ships Armed With Machine Guns Sail Near Disputed Islets
Japan Complains After Chinese Ships Armed With Machine Guns Sail Near Disputed Islets
By Keishi Koja of Stripes.com
Japan lodged another protest with China last week, its third in less than two weeks, after it said Chinese coast guard vessels entered waters around Japanese islets in the East China Sea.
Four vessels crossed the 12-mile territorial limit claimed by Japan around the Senkaku Islands between 4 p.m. and 4:06 p.m. Friday, according to a Japan coast guard news release that day.
Japan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry then lodged complaints with the Chinese Embassy in Japan and with the Chinese government in Beijing, a ministry spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.
Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.
Two Chinese vessels approached Taisho Island from the northwest and entered the 12-mile limit at 4 p.m. and 4:06 p.m., according to the release.
Meanwhile, the remaining pair of Chinese vessels simultaneously entered the area around Uotsuri Island, also from the northwest.
The Chinese vessels appeared to be armed with deck-mounted machine guns and were met by a larger contingent of Japanese coast guard ships, a Japan coast guard spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.
They warned the Chinese vessels to leave the area using radio and electronic message boards, he said.
“We do not know why the Chinese vessels intruded Japanese waters,” he said. “There were no Japanese fishing boats operating in the area.”
All four vessels left Japanese waters without incident by 6:01 p.m.
The incidents marked the 32nd and 33rd times this year that Chinese coast guard vessels intruded into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkakus, the spokesman said. The last incident occurred Aug. 28.
The Senkakus are 105 miles east of Taiwan. The islets, whose surface area amounts to about 2½ square miles, are also claimed by China and Taiwan.
The incidents followed the intrusion of a Chinese military aircraft and a survey vessel into Japanese airspace and territorial waters around Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, in late August.
A Chinese Y-9 surveillance plane flew into Japanese airspace on Aug. 26 just southeast of the Danjo Islands, about 100 miles southwest of Nagasaki. It was the first time a Chinese military aircraft breached Japan’s airspace.
The flight was a “grave violation” of Japan’s sovereignty and a threat to its security, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said during a press conference Aug. 27.
“We filed extremely severe protests through diplomatic channels on the same day and strongly asked for measures to prevent recurrences,” he said.
Five days later, a Chinese naval survey vessel navigated into Japan’s territorial waters southwest of Kuchinoerabu Island, Kagoshima prefecture.
“We expressed strong concerns and filed a protest to the Chinese government through diplomatic channels on the same day,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said during a press conference Sept. 2.
U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel questioned China’s intent on his account on social platform X.
“China says it’s still ‘investigating and verifying’ the recent violation of Japan’s airspace by one of its surveillance planes,” he wrote Sept. 3. “But with a Chinese survey ship sailing into Japanese waters only the other day, two territorial incursions in less than a week looks more intentional than accidental.”
Tyler Durden
Tue, 09/10/2024 – 23:20
Australian doctor could lose medical license for sharing Babylon Bee articles, conservative content related to gender
Two anonymous complaints were lodged against Dr. Jereth Kok in 2018 over his social media content, after which he was placed under investigation by the Medical Board of Australia.
2.8 MILLION British workers out of work on long-term sickness benefits—up from 700,000 during Covid
Mental health issues are the main factor contributing to students aged 16-24 who are out of the workforce due to long-term sickness.
One In Five Student Loan Borrowers Avoid Making Payments: Report
One In Five Student Loan Borrowers Avoid Making Payments: Report
Authored by Bill Pan via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),
One in five borrowers with outstanding student loans have made no payments, as many hold out for potential debt relief, a recent survey reveals.
The survey, published on Sept. 5 by Intuit Credit Karma, found that 20 percent of student loan borrowers said they have yet to make any payments on their loans. This figure rises to 27 percent among borrowers with a household income of less than $50,000.
More than half (55 percent) of respondents reported being unable to afford their student loan payments, while nearly half (49 percent) said they feel “financially unstable.”
The survey underscores the financial strain faced by borrowers, with affordability challenges largely attributed to the high cost of living (69 percent). Many loan holders said they are forced to make difficult trade-offs, with 38 percent saying they are falling behind on other bills—such as auto loans, mortgages, or credit card payments—to meet their student loan obligations. Additionally, 39 percent of borrowers said they are prioritizing paying off higher-interest debt over their student loans.
The report also highlights the difficult financial situations of younger borrowers. Notably, 44 percent of Gen Z and 41 percent of millennial borrowers said they have depleted their savings to manage student loan payments. Overall, about one-third (34 percent) of all borrowers surveyed reported having $0 in savings.
Borrowers who haven’t been making payments should be on high alert, as their credit scores could be impacted once the federal government’s “on-ramp” grace period ends, the survey warns.
During this one-year transition period, payments are due and interest accrues, but missed payments won’t be considered delinquent, placed in default, or reported as such to creditors or debt collectors.
When the grace period ends on Sept. 30, borrowers will again face the usual consequences of missed payments, including default. Defaulting on a loan can damage one’s credit score and may result in the federal government garnishing wages, seizing tax returns, and intercepting Social Security benefits.
The survey suggests that some borrowers appear to have taken “irresponsible advantage” of the soon-to-expire relief. About one in seven (15 percent) of those who have not been making consistent on-time payments admitted they were intentionally avoiding payments, knowing their credit scores would not be impacted during the grace period.
“With Biden’s SAVE plan in limbo, many borrowers face uncertainty about whether they will benefit from lower monthly payments and a clear path to loan forgiveness,” said Courtney Alev, a consumer financial advocate at Intuit Credit Karma, referencing the Biden administration’s income-driven repayment plan currently blocked by court orders.
“While it’s understandable to hope for potential loan forgiveness, borrowers shouldn’t rely solely on it,” Alev said in the survey release. “Those struggling to make payments should proactively reach out to their lenders to explore available options.”
The SAVE plan was designed to reduce monthly payments for borrowers and accelerate the path to having their balance discharged. Approximately 7.5 million borrowers have already signed up for the SAVE plan, and 150,000 have had their debt erased.
Two groups of Republican state attorneys general challenged the plan in two federal district courts. They argued that the Biden administration lacks the legal authority to implement the plan and that it contradicts the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision last summer that struck down an earlier attempt at large-scale student loan cancellation.
On Aug. 28, the Supreme Court denied the Biden administration’s emergency request to temporarily reinstate the SAVE plan. This is not a final ruling, and either or both cases could return to the high court once the federal appeals courts rule on the merits of the dispute.
The survey was conducted online within the United States by Qualtrics on behalf of Intuit Credit Karma between Aug. 3 and Aug. 19 among 1,995 adults ages 18 and older with outstanding student loan debt.
Tyler Durden
Tue, 09/10/2024 – 17:15
JACK POSOBIEC and CLIFF MALONEY: Pennsylvania is the ‘tipping point state’ in this upcoming election
“I think both of them realize if you want to win you need to reach the people, not just in Philadelphia, but across Pennsylvania.”
Germany launches border checks to reduce crime, criticized for ‘risking chaos’
“This serves to further limit illegal migration [and] to protect against the acute dangers of Islamic terror.”
Ukraine launches drone attack on Moscow, killing at least one woman: report
Moscow’s regional governor Andrey Vorobyov said that a 46-year-old woman was killed and several people were wounded from a UAV blast.