Category: Billions

Victor Davis Hanson: Canada and Mexico Want U.S. Billions—But Also a Fight

Last night, Canada rescinded its digital services tax, a 3% levy on all goods and services produced by both domestic and foreign tech companies, like Amazon and Google, following threats from President Donald Trump that the United States would “terminate ALL discussions on Trade with Canada,” according to CNBC.    With the U.S.' northern neighbor at bay, for now, Americans should turn their attention to the south, where Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum continues to criticize proposed remittance taxes while defending illegal immigration and even weighing in on U.S. civil unrest. Why the hostility?   On today’s episode of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words,” Hanson asks the question: Why are our supposed “partners” adding fuel to the fire at a time of instability?   “  This is the killer. They're going to enforce the law all the way back to 2022. … There's $9 trillion of market capitalization in Silicon Valley. But the idea that they're going to be gouged for $2 or $3 billion right in the middle of these heated discussions.   “ They are playing with fire. I have a solution. Maybe we could take Mexico and put it next to Canada and let them fight it out with each other. And keep us out of it.”

Victor Davis Hanson: Zelenskyy Bites the Hand That Feeds Him Billions of Dollars

Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelenskyy strolled into the White House using the same strategy he employed with President Joe Biden, which turned out to be his fatal flaw, argues Victor Davis Hanson on today’s edition of “Victor Davis Hanson: In His Own Words.” “ I think Mr. Zelenskyy, in some ways, is a sympathetic character. He needs American weapons, but he kept arguing and arguing, and interrupting the president of the United States, who kept trying to remind him that without American weapons—and the number is disputed because it includes weaponry, economic assistance, and other types of U.S. aid. “ Without the United States, he would be nowhere. Europe talks a great game. All of Europe together, all 28, 29 nations of the EU, 32 nations of NATO have given less than the United States alone. And they will not come to his aid. “ He was flown in on a U.S. military jet. He met Democratic politicians. He met with union workers at a munitions factory and basically said to them, "These jobs are essential to us." Subtext: "You wouldn't want to lose your job by voting for Donald Trump, who might cut off aid." That was a terrible mistake.

Trudeau Responds To Trump’s Tariffs, Enacting 25% Tariffs On $155 Billion In American Goods, China Vows ‘Countermeasures’

HANGZHOU, CHINA - SEPTEMBER 04: Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the G20 Summit on September 4, 2016 in Hangzhou, China. World leaders are gathering in Hangzhou for the 11th G20 Leaders Summit from September 4 to 5. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)
HANGZHOU, CHINA – SEPTEMBER 04: Chinese President Xi Jinping (right) shakes hands with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau to the G20 Summit on September 4, 2016 in Hangzhou, China. World leaders are gathering in Hangzhou for the 11th G20 Leaders Summit from September 4 to 5. (Photo by Lintao Zhang/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:38 AM – Sunday, February 2, 2025

Both China and Canada have recently come out and denounced President Donald Trump’s tariffs, vowing to enact retaliatory measures.

President Trump announced on Saturday that his administration “implemented a 25% Tariff on Imports from Mexico and Canada (10% on Canadian Energy) and a 10% Additional Tariff on China." This was done through the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) because of the major threat of illegal aliens and deadly drugs killing our Citizens, including fentanyl. We need to protect Americans, and it is my duty as President to ensure the safety of all. I made a promise on my Campaign to stop the flood of illegal aliens and drugs from pouring across our Borders, and Americans overwhelmingly voted in favor of it.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau responded to Trump’s tariff policy, vowing to enact a 25% tariff on $155 billion worth of American goods, including products like alcohol and fruit.

“Unfortunately, the actions taken today by the White House only split us apart instead of bringing us together. Tonight, I am announcing that Canada will be responding to the U.S. trade action with 25% tariffs against $155 billion dollars worth of American goods,” Trudeau stated.

“Like the American tariffs, our response will also be far reaching and include everyday items such as American beer, wine, and bourbon. Fruits and fruit juices, including orange juice. Along with vegetables, perfume, clothing, and shoes. It will include major consumer products like household appliances, furniture and sports equipment. And materials like lumber and plastics, along with much, much more,” Trudeau added.

Trump responded on Sunday, stating “We pay hundreds of Billions of Dollars to SUBSIDIZE Canada. Why not? There is no reason. We don’t need anything they have. We have unlimited Energy, should make our own Cars, and have more Lumber than we can ever use. Without this massive subsidy, Canada ceases to exist as a viable country. Harsh but true! Therefore, Canada should become our Cherished 51st State. Much lower taxes, and far better military protection for the people of Canada – AND NO TARIFFS!”

Meanwhile, China’s commerce ministry stated that Trump’s tariffs “seriously violates” international trade laws.

Beijing also plans to challenge Trump’s tariffs by taking unspecified “countermeasures,” pushing back on Trump’s assertion that China needs to quell fentanyl production.

“Fentanyl is America’s problem,” China’s foreign ministry stated. “The Chinese side has carried out extensive anti-narcotics cooperation with the United States and achieved remarkable results.”

Additionally, Trump warned Americans to brace for potential short-term economic “pain,” adding that “THIS WILL BE THE GOLDEN AGE OF AMERICA!”

“WILL THERE BE SOME PAIN? YES, MAYBE (AND MAYBE NOT!). BUT WE WILL MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN, AND IT WILL ALL BE WORTH THE PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID. WE ARE A COUNTRY THAT IS NOW BEING RUN WITH COMMON SENSE – AND THE RESULTS WILL BE SPECTACULAR!!!”

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Why is Bill Gates Suddenly Investing BILLIONS in Nuclear Power Plants?

Want to know how the elites’ playbook works? Take a look at Three Mile Island. For decades, the media used Three Mile Island, the site of the worst commercial nuclear accident in US history, as the poster child for why we CAN’T invest in nuclear energy (even though the incident resulted in ZERO people losing their lives. But now that Bill Gates needs more power for Microsoft’s data processing centers and AI programs, the media is once again rejoicing over nuclear energy! Glenn Beck explains how this tells us all we need to know about how the elites work: They’ll use propaganda and lies to stop average Americans from having nuclear energy, but as soon as THEY need it, they’ll reverse course.

U.S. announces nearly $6B in military, budget aid to Ukraine

U.S. President Joe Biden announced nearly $6 billion in additional military and budget assistance for Ukraine, including about $2.5 billion in security assistance for the war-torn country. With Biden’s tenure ending in just a few weeks, the 82-year-old is using his final days in office to boost aid to Kyiv before President-elect Donald Trump takes power.

The $270 Billion Race to Replace the Panama Canal

The Panama Canal, one of the greatest engineering marvels in history, is facing a crisis like never before. With water levels at record lows, daily ship transits slashed, and shipping costs skyrocketing, the future of this vital trade route is in jeopardy. In this video, we explore the $270 billion race to replace the Panama Canal and its massive role in global trade. From Mexico’s Interoceanic Corridor to Colombia’s ambitious railway project and Nicaragua’s controversial mega-canal, countries across the Americas are competing to claim the crown. But Panama isn’t giving up without a fight. The Panama Canal Authority is rolling out bold upgrades and strategies to stay competitive in a rapidly changing global trade landscape.

“Gave It Away For $1…” Trump Wants Panama Canal Back, “It’s For All Nations” Says Panama | CLRCUT

Donald Trump is upset with Panama for charging high fees to US ships using the Panama Canal. He has threatened that the U.S. could take control of it again if rates aren’t lowered. Trump argued that the canal, which was built by the US and is mostly used by American ships, should never have been given to Panama in 1999. He believes the US was unfairly forced to hand it over and now wants it back, especially because of the growing influence of countries like China. Trump sees the canal as crucial to U.S. trade and security, so he wants more control over it. 0:00 - INTRODUCTION 2:29 - WHOSE CANAL IS IT ANYWAY? 3:19 - HOW DID THE US SUCCEED IN MAKING THE PANAMA CANAL? 4:29 - WHY DID USA GIVE AWAY THE PANAMA CANAL? 7:06 - WHAT ROLE DOES CHINA PLAY?

How will Trump get China off the Panama Canal?

Rep. Beth Van Duyne, R-Texas, reacts to President-elect Donald Trump eyeing the Panama Canal to stop the threat of China on 'The Bottom Line.'

'WE'LL SEE ABOUT THAT!': Trump and Panama president spar over control of key canal

Panama President José Raúl Mulino responds to President-elect Donald Trump's idea that his new administration could try to regain control of a key canal.

 

Biden Frees Men Who Scammed $5 Billion With Over 1 Million Victims

The single greatest mass jailbreak of corrupt scammers in history.

 by 

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Some people lost their life savings while others lost their dreams in a $900 million fraud that was described as one of the largest Ponzi schemes in history and left behind 1 million victims.

Investors in 'Zeek' had taken out loans and mortgages on their homes expecting to get a 125% return on their investment. Victims included the parents of a leukemia patient who were trying to pay for their daughter’s hospital visits. And while some of the money was recovered, people in towns like Lexington, North Carolina, where ZeekRewards had its office, are still suffering.  Zeek’s victims were working class people who didn’t understand what they were getting into.

ZTE CEO Paul Burks, who made millions from the scheme, was convicted of wire and mail fraud and sentenced to 14 years in prison in the first year of the Trump administration. Burks (pictured above) filed multiple appeals, claiming that the virus poses a risk to his health (he contracted a mild case) that were rejected by the court. And that was that, until Biden commuted his sentence.

The Quist CEO was one of a number of major fraudsters who were liberated by Biden in his rash of pardons and commutations. While Biden had long claimed that “no one is above the law”, beginning with his corrupt pardon of his son, the outgoing president has set out to demonstrate that the law is worthless for some of the worst convicted crooks in the country.

Biden commuted the sentence of James Fry, a hedge fund manager convicted in the Petters Group $1.9 billion Ponzi scheme described as “one of the largest and most complex Ponzi schemes in U.S. history” and was accused of having “raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors” while working alongside a convicted criminal. He also commuted the sentence of Timothy McGinn, one half of a pair of brokers accused of defrauding 900 investors of $136 million, who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison. Victims included a father of two wounded veterans who had been putting aside money for their expenses.

Former CEO Eric Bloom, who got 14 years in prison after being accused of committing the “biggest fraud in Chicago court history” in what was described as a $665 million fraud scheme, also got a pass from Biden. So did former CEO Gregory J. Podlucky, who ran a bottled water company and had been accused of a $685 million pyramid fraud loan scheme in which the money was spent on jewels and toy trains, and had been sentenced to 20 years in prison.

Gregory McKnight, who ran a $72 million Ponzi scheme that targeted at least 3,000 investors in every state in the country, had been sentenced to 15 years in prison before Biden stepped in.

Marc Dreier, who had been sentenced to 20 years in prison for a $740 million Ponzi scheme with losses to investors estimated at $400 million, also got a helping hand from the White House.

Biden seemed to have a soft spot for Ponzi fraudsters, and his commutations included Nevin Shapiro, sentenced to 20 years in prison for a $930 million Ponzi scheme that made headlines because of its Miami connection; Brian Callahan, sentenced to 12 years in prison for a $96 million Ponzi scheme that caused some to lose their life savings; and Joseph Reshevsky, sentenced to 22 years in prison for a $255 million Ponzi scheme that defrauded 1,200 investors.

Other 'smaller time’ fraudsters freed by Biden included Gary McDuff, sentenced to 25 years, for an $11 million investment fraud scheme, Gordon Driver, sentenced to 12 years in prison for a $17 Ponzi scheme with around 150 victims, Christopher Swartz who had been sentenced to 12 years in prison after defrauding over 150 investors out of $21 million, and Andrew Mackey, sentenced to 27 years in prison for a $12 million Ponzi scheme with 150 victims.

Biden also intervened on behalf of Henry Ramer, sentenced to 13 years in prison for defrauding over 200 investors out of over $3 million, Rodney Phelps, who had been sentenced to 9 years in prison for defrauding victims out of $2.4 million in a Ponzi scheme, Leslie John Hamilton Jr who had been sentenced to 25 years in prison for ripping off over 400 investors of $14 million in a pyramid scheme, and James Turek, sentenced to 18 years in prison for defrauding 8,500 investors out of over 18 million.

Biden also extended his hand to fellow corrupt government officials including Rita Crundwell, the former comptroller of Dixon, Illinois, who had embezzled over $53 million to fund her horse breeding business in what was described as “the largest theft of public funds in state history”, Cuyahoga County county commissioner and county Democratic Party chairman Jimmy Dimora who had been sentenced to 28 years in prison, and Judge Michael Conahan, who became notorious as the ‘kids-for-cash’ judge for a scheme that involved sending kids to prison in exchange for kickbacks. The judge’s actions have been blamed for at least one suicide.

After giving his son a blanket pardon that would potentially cover legal issues emerging from his tax problems, Biden chose to also intervene on behalf of Paul Daugerdas: a lawyer who had been sentenced to 15 years in prison for manufacturing $7 billion fake tax deductions in what was described as “the biggest tax fraud prosecution ever.”

Health care fraud was also a popular theme in Biden’s commutations including James Burkhart, a former CEO of the American Senior Communities nursing home chain who “abused his official position of trust to steal tax payer dollars intended to benefit this community’s sick, elderly and mentally challenged”,  Elaine Lovett, the owner of a medical billing company involved in a $26 Medicare fraud case, Millicent Traylor, accused of taking part in an $8.9 million Medicare fraud scheme and Babubhai Patel, who controlled 26 pharmacies in Detroit, and provided kickbacks to doctors to prescribe expensive drugs, and numerous other health care fraudsters as well.

As well as the more serious case of Dr. Meera Sachdeva, a former Mississippi oncologist who was accused of using expired and diluted chemotherapy medications and whose clinic reused needles, resulting in possible infections and deaths.

Considering the involvement of James Biden and Joe Biden’s own physician in the Americore scandal, that may be a prelude to pardons coming for Biden family members and associates.

While Biden is not the first president to pardon and commute sentences for fraudsters, both the dollar amounts and the number of victims in these cases are staggering. Due to complicated recovery processes it is difficult to estimate the total amount of losses for victims, but the total amount of money involved in these cases approaches $5 billion with over 1 million victims.

No president has ever left office bailing out individuals who did so much harm to so many.

Later investigations may determine whether, as with Bill Clinton’s Marc Rich pardon, there was a ‘pay-to-play’ element, but the sheer amount of wealth makes it unlikely that there wasn’t.

Bill Clinton’s legacy was forever scarred by the Marc Rich pardon. Biden’s legacy, already dripping with corruption, is now that of the most corrupt man to occupy the White House.

“No one is above the law,” Biden told us, before pardoning his son and executing a mass jailbreak of some of the worst financial scammers and fraudsters in the United States.

Senate Approves $895B Defense Bill Despite Democrat Opposition To Youth ‘Trans Care’ Ban

WASHINGTON, DC - DECEMBER 17: Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming government funding bill. Thune was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming government funding bill. Thune was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

OAN Staff James Meyers
1:52 PM – Wednesday, December 18, 2024

The Senate approved the Pentagon’s massive $895 billion annual budget on Wednesday, which also prohibits the use of federal funds to provide transgender surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria, angering pro-LGBTQ Democrats.

In an 85-to-14 vote, the Senate passed the 1,800-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which had cleared the House of Representatives last week and now just needs President Joe Biden’s signature. 

At the start of every new fiscal year on October 1st, Congress is tasked with passing the NDAA to authorize defense spending and specify expenditures. This year’s bill, which comes more than two months late, amounts to a 1% uptick over last year’s budget. 

The bill also features a 4.5% pay hike for service members across the board at the start of 2025. 

While NDAAs historically garner bipartisan support, Republicans were able to successfully throw out the bill’s provision on child transgenderism, which Democrats uplifted.

GOP officials argue that since a child’s brain doesn’t stop developing throughout their teens and mid-20s, with many “phases” and confusion naturally experienced throughout their childhood, it’s ethically wrong to allow under-18 minors to permanently alter their bodies forever due to a mental disorder.

The new NDAA blocks the military’s health care service Tricare from footing the bill for “gender transition” coverage pertaining to service members’ children under the age of 18. All 21 Senate Democrats were against the provision change.  

Led by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), she claimed that the transgender policy could have an impact on an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 gender dysphoric children of service members. 

According to the Modern Military Association of America, there are close to “10,000 transgender youth ages 6 to 22” with parents active in the military. 

Besides the transgender provisions, the NDAA aimed to improve conditions for service members, including a 14.5% bump for junior troops in a bid to help recruitment efforts. An amendment was also added to the bill that would authorize the Department Of Defense (DoD) to safeguard the border from drones, which comes after the recent arrival of drones in the Northeast. 

“Murderous drug cartels and foreign adversaries have taken advantage of the chaos of the last administration to fly drones unchecked into American airspace,” Ernst said in a statement.

“Border security is national security, and Americans deserve real measures to protect them against a growing threat.”

Additionally, the measure enables the use of the National Guard to help support efforts to control the crossing of illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Hiring individuals based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will also be prohibited until the DoD is able to conclude its investigation of DEI programs. 

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Mike Johnson Blocks $24B In Military Aid To Ukraine: ‘Not The Place Of Biden To Make That Decision’

WASHINGTON, DC - JUNE 28: U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2024 in Washington, DC. Johnson said that members of President Joe Biden's cabinet should "search their hearts" and evoke the 25th Amendment to remove him from office after his performance at Thursday's presidential debate against former President Donald Trump. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
U.S. Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) talks to reporters at the U.S. Capitol on June 28, 2024 (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Blake Wolf
3:55 PM – Wednesday, December 4, 2024

Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson rejected passing an additional $24 billion in aid to Ukraine on Wednesday, explaining that he would instead wait for incoming President-elect Donald Trump’s decision on the matter.

The request came after the White House’s Office of Management and Budget requested additional Ukrainian aid from Congress, which reportedly included $8 billion in weapons purchases and an extra $16 billion to repair and replace U.S. military equipment that was damaged in the war.

“As we predicted and as I said to all of you, weeks before the election, if Donald Trump is elected it will change the dynamic of the Russia war on Ukraine, and we’re seeing that happen,” Johnson stated.

“So, it is not the place of Joe Biden to make that decision now, we have a newly elected president and we’re going to wait and take the new commander in chief’s direction on all that so I don’t expect any Ukraine funding to come up now,” he continued.

The White House’s latest request aimed to provide additional aid to Ukraine through 2026 in preparation for the incoming Trump administration, which seeks to put an end to the war through diplomatic means.

“I want to get Russia to settle up with Ukraine and stop this – millions of people being killed, far greater than the number you read about. But I want to get that done before I even take office, I want to get that done as president-elect, because it has to be solved – too many people dying, too many cities are just in rubble right now, you look at the cultures just being destroyed. We’ve got to get that done, and I’ll get it done,” Trump stated.

Meanwhile, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy claims that “the hot stage of the war” could end if Ukraine was admitted into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

However, Americans who have expressed concern regarding the United States running out of funds have argued that aiding the Russia-Ukraine war is futile for the U.S. as a whole, and some have accused President Zelenskyy of carelessly sacrificing his own men in order to join NATO and take control of Crimea, which Russia has already maintained will never be taken from them.

“If we want to stop the hot stage of the war, we should take under the NATO umbrella the territory of Ukraine that we have under our control. That’s what we need to do, fast. And then Ukraine can get back the other part of its territory diplomatically,” Zelenskyy stated.

Trump campaigned on ending the Ukraine war, and he likely plans on doing so through negotiation as his special envoy to the conflict, Keith Kellog, has proposed withholding aid to Ukraine if its leaders do not engage in diplomatic negotiations rather than violence.

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Delaware Confiscates $100 Billion of Musk’s Wealth

elon musk gestures while speaking
Elon Musk (Getty Images)

By Newsmax Wires    |   Monday, 02 December 2024 10:42 PM EST

A Delaware judge moved Monday to confirm its confiscation of Elon Musk's wealth that he created at Tesla — denying him a compensation package that would be worth over $100 billion in value today.

Musk has paid a heavy price for countering woke politics, making X a neutral platform, and backing Donald Trump for president.

Delaware Chancellor Judge Kathaleen McCormick on Monday ruled to confirm her January ruling that found Musk was not eligible for a 2018 compensation package then valued at $56 billion.

McCormick complained the Tesla package for Musk was the "biggest compensation plan ever — an unfathomable sum."

After McCormick had initially ruled that Musk had not gotten proper approval from Tesla shareholders, Musk filed suit.

Musk said he properly received board approval and later hit financial targets to earn the compensation, including benchmarks based on stock value, profitability, and revenue.

At one point, visionary Musk had driven the value of Tesla to close a trillion dollars during the compensation period. Today, Tesla holds a market cap of over $1.1 trillion.

After the judge's January 2024 ruling, Tesla went back to its shareholders to approve the Musk compensation plan.

In June, Tesla shareholders again approved the original $56 billion compensation overwhelmingly — with 77% of stock owners backing Musk and the package.

After the shareholder vote, Tesla went back to the Delaware court to seek its approval, only to find its compensation plan rebuffed again.

"Even if a stockholder vote could have a ratifying effect, it could not do so here," McCormick said in her opinion Monday.

"Were the court to condone the practice of allowing defeated parties to create new facts for the purpose of revising judgments, lawsuits would become interminable," she wrote.

McCormick saw little contradiction, however, in penalizing Musk for the wealth he created, while granting the lawyers who sued him on behalf of shareholders an incredible $345 million in attorney fees for their legal filings.

Musk was not happy by today's ruling and took to X writing, "Shareholders should control company votes, not judges."

Musk reposted other X posts critical of the ruling.

One repost stated: "Things to do in Delaware: 1) Leave."

Musk also reported fund manager Cathie Wood's X post where she called McCormick an "activist judge at its worst."

Wood continued: "No judge has the right to determine CEO compensation. Shareholders voted twice, overwhelming each time, to ratify @elonmusk's 2018 performance-based pay package."

Since the court's first ruling, Musk has been on the warpath with Delaware.

This year he moved both Tesla and SpaceX's incorporation from Delaware to Texas. He also moved Neuralink to Nevada.

Musk has also urged other companies to quit Delaware as well.

On X, Musk has stated bluntly, "Never incorporate your company in the state of Delaware."

The home state of President Joe Biden, Delaware has come under criticism for its close ties to the Biden family and its political agenda.

Last year, The Wall Street Journal published an article, co-authored by former Attorney General William Barr, lambasting Delaware for embracing far-left Environmental, Social, and Governance policies and attempting to push them on corporations.

And The Hill reported that major corporations are fleeing Delaware as a result of its highly politicized agenda.

Data suggests Delaware is seeing a drop-off of new incorporations. In 2022, the last year the state released data, Delaware saw a 6% fall in new incorporations.

Port Strike Leaves BILLIONS Of Trade In Limbo. How Bad Will This Get?

Port workers along the East Coast have officially gone on strike, and the effects this could bring on you and your grocery store could be detrimental. National Right to Work Committee President Mark Mix joined Blaze News Tonight to lay out why this strike is happening and how you may feel it in your bank account, as if this strike goes long enough, you could see your grocery bill increase even more.

Hurricane Helene Death Toll Rises To Over 50, Billions Of Dollars In Damages Caused

The Rocky Broad River flows into Lake Lure and overflows the town with debris from Chimney Rock, North Carolina after heavy rains from Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Approximately six feet of debris piled on the bridge from Lake Lure to Chimney Rock, blocking access. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)
The Rocky Broad River flows into Lake Lure and overflows the town with debris from Chimney Rock, North Carolina, after heavy rains from Hurricane Helene on September 28, 2024, in Lake Lure, North Carolina. Approximately six feet of debris piled on the bridge from Lake Lure to Chimney Rock, blocking access. (Photo by Melissa Sue Gerrits/Getty Images)

OAN Staff Abril Elfi
12:32 PM – Saturday, September 28, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/hurricane-helene-death-toll-rises-to-over-50-billions-of-dollars-in-damages-caused/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

Hurricane Helene has caused at least 52 deaths, billions of dollars in damage, and left more than 3 million people without power. 

With winds of 140 mph, Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida’s Big Bend region late on Thursday. It made its way through Georgia, the Carolinas, and Tennessee, uprooting trees, shattering homes, forcing creeks and rivers over their banks, and stressing dams.

Garrison Douglas, a spokesperson for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp (R-Ga.), announced that at least 15 people were killed in the Peach State. WRDW-TV reported that among those deaths were a four-year-old girl, a seven-year-old boy, and a first responder.

In South Carolina, 17 people died as a result of the storm. Two of the individuals were firefighters on duty.

Countless others have died in North Carolina and in Florida.

Most of the reported deaths have occurred from falling trees or are due to individuals drowning in the water.

The storm caused catastrophic damage, submerging several homes up the roofline and destroying boats. Emergency responders were having difficulties rescuing stranded individuals due to damaged trees, power lines and other debris.

In the meantime, nearly four million people lost electricity from Florida all the way up the east coast to Virginia.

Over 100 people have been rescued from the rising waters, and numerous landslides have been reported during the “fierce storm,” North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper (D-N.C.) said Friday.

“People in western North Carolina should consider all roads closed unless they are seeking higher ground,” he said.

Flash flood emergencies are currently in effect in five states: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Virginia.

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Biden-Harris Admin Announces Over $8B In Additional Aid For Ukraine

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky shakes hands with US President Joe Biden during an event with world leaders launching a Joint Declaration of Support for Ukrainian Recovery and Reconstruction on the sidelines of the 79th Session of the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 25, 2024. (Photo by ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS/AFP via Getty Images)

OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
1:28 PM – Thursday, September 26, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/biden-harris-admin-announces-over-8b-in-additional-aid-for-ukraine/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

After President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s recent visit to Scranton, Pennsylvania, U.S. President Joe Biden announced on Thursday that more than $8 billion in military aid would be provided to Ukraine in its war against Russia.

The first delivery of the Joint Standoff Weapon, a precision-guided glide bomb with a maximum range of 81 miles, will be one of the many expensive explosives provided as part of the aid. With the medium-range missile, Ukraine can try to strike Russian forces at “safer ranges,” and it significantly improves its arsenal of weaponry.

“Biden will not announce that Washington would let Ukraine use U.S. missiles to hit targets deeper in Russia," a U.S. official said,” according to Reuters.

“We’re making clear that we stand with Ukraine now and in the future,” Biden told reporters ahead of a bilateral meeting with Zelensky in the Oval Office. He said the U.S. would continue to help Ukraine strengthen its position on the battlefield, and that he had directed the Pentagon to allocate all remaining security funding by the end of his term in January.

Zelenskyy praised Biden for his decision to give Ukraine even more assistance, and he emphasized the need to secure Ukraine’s membership in the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and the European Union.

At least $5.5 billion of the extra aid will be disbursed before the financing authority expires on Monday, the last day of the U.S. fiscal year. Under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative, an additional $2.4 billion is available, enabling the administration to purchase more weapons for Ukraine from companies.

According to Biden, this will boost Ukraine’s defense industrial base, support its maintenance and sustainment needs, and give it more air defense, unmanned aerial systems, as well as air-to-ground weapons.

The president also stated that his proposal also calls for the Defense Department to repair and supply Ukraine with more Patriot missiles and an extra Patriot air defense battery.

In order to boost training for Ukrainian F-16 pilots, Biden directed the Pentagon to support U.S.-funded training of at least 18 pilots in the upcoming year.

“I am grateful to the United States for providing the items that are most critical to protecting our people,” Zelenskyy said on Twitter, noting the Patriot battery, the large number of drones, and other long-range missiles.

At a campaign rally in North Carolina on Wednesday, former President Donald Trump expressed his own feelings regarding the continued U.S. funding of billions of dollars to Ukraine.

“We continue to give billions of dollars to a man who refused to make a deal, Zelenskyy,” Trump reminded the crowd.

Time Magazine and the BBC outlet also had some discouraging words to say about Ukraine’s war efforts.

“U.S. officials also need to recognize that even if this aid continues, there is no realistic chance of a total Ukrainian victory next year, or the year after that. Even if the Ukrainians can build up their forces, Russia can deepen its defenses even more,” Time Magazine reported.

Meanwhile, the BBC reported that: “the former commander of the UK’s Joint Forces Command has warned that Ukraine could face defeat by Russia in 2024.”

According to AllSides’ Political Bias Meter, the BBC lands “center-left,” while Time Magazine leans fully “left” politically.

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The Taliban Are Holding Three Americans Hostage As Old Joe Biden sends them billions.

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SEE: https://www.frontpagemag.com/the-taliban-are-holding-three-americans-hostage; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

[Order a copy of Robert Spencer’s forthcoming book,"Muhammad: A Critical Biography, by clicking here.]

The Biden regime's State Department has now publicly confirmed what it must have known for nearly three years, if not longer: Taliban jihadis are holding three Americans hostage. What have relentlessly anti-American Biden regime apparatchiks done in response? True to form, they’ve sent billions of dollars of U.S. taxpayer money to the Taliban.

The Washington Examiner reported Saturday that a Biden regime Foggy Bottom wonk “confirmed on July 11 that three U.S. citizens, George Glezmann, Mahmood Habibi, and Ryan Corbett, are currently being held in Taliban custody. Taliban representatives repeatedly claimed they only held two Americans in detention.” Why are they holding any at all, and why are the comrades in the State Department and the Oval Office sending them money instead of applying pressure upon the Taliban?

Of course, the Biden regime has long since made clear which side it is on, with $10 billion to Iran and $100 million to Gaza, which means to Hamas, since there isn’t any entity in Gaza that has the power or will to keep the money away from Hamas. The Taliban have been in on the gravy train as well. Just The News reported in early June that “a recently released federal watchdog report shows that the U.S. government has sent at least $11 million to the Taliban since the 2021 withdrawal of U.S. troops.”

That was a wildly low estimate, as it left out the key excuse that the Biden regime uses to send our money over to Kabul: humanitarian aid. The Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) wrote in its May 2024 report, “U.S. Funds Benefitting the Taliban-Controlled Government: Implementing Partners Paid at Least $10.9 Million and Were Pressured to Divert Assistance,” that since the Taliban returned to power, “the U.S. government has continued to be the largest international donor supporting the Afghan people,” and that the Biden “has provided more than $2.8 billion in humanitarian and development assistance to help the people of Afghanistan.”

Antony Blinken and his henchmen would likely insist that this $2.8 billion was not sent to the Taliban, but to other groups that are operating in the country. But this is just as unrealistic and disingenuous as claiming that money sent to Gaza won’t go to Hamas. The aid money that has been sent to Afghanistan is ending up in the hands of the Taliban despite all the denials and claims to the contrary.

“Now,” said The Foreign Desk in an Aug. 2022 report, “humanitarian aid to the Afghan people is lining the pockets of the Taliban at the expense of innocent Afghans and American taxpayers alike.” Nothing has changed since then; if anything, the Taliban have consolidated their power even more than they had by mid-2022. Just as The News notes, “Judicial Watch released an investigation recently showing that the Taliban has created fake NGOs to siphon away tax dollars.”

Your tax dollars are even going to fund education in Afghanistan, even after the Taliban have barred girls from going to school. Judicial Watch reports that the Biden regime “has continued to fund Afghanistan’s education sector through six programs that cost $185.2 million even though the Taliban has issued decrees drastically limiting access to education for girls and women as well as restricting women’s ability to work and other basic freedoms.”

In fiscal year 2023 alone, “the U.S. sent Taliban-ruled Afghanistan over $566 million in humanitarian assistance. Most of it was for emergency food, but a chunk was classified as going to general humanitarian and health.” And all this business is about how the money is for food or “general humanitarian” needs is a steaming pile of nonsense, anyway.

Money is fungible. If you give the Taliban $566 million for food and medicine, they’ll have $566 million freed up for jihad violence and the oppression of women. Why this simple fact of basic economics continues to elude the great minds of the Biden regime remains a mystery and a matter of no curiosity at all for our nation’s “journalists.”

Ominously, “more than $15 million went to a cause that is labeled ‘redacted’ in the government records.” That’s right: we sent the Taliban $15 million for a secret purpose, and you can be assured that it’s not to cover the costs of printing millions of copies of the Bill of Rights. Congressional opposition, such as it is, should be demanding that the regime disclose what that money is going for and whether or not it is being spent in the best interests of the United States.

It’s a reasonable line of inquiry. After all, it seems as if the Biden regime never misses an opportunity to aid America’s enemies, even the Taliban, as they hold Americans hostage. There used to be a word for that. Started with a T. But everyone has forgotten that word.

N.Y. Legislators Approve $237B Budget Addressing Surge Of Migrants, Plans To Jump-Start Housing Market

N.Y. Legislators Approve $237B Budget Addressing Surge Of Migrants, Plans To Jump-Start Housing Market

FILE - The New York state Assembly Chamber is seen during a legislative session after Gov. Kathy Hochul presented her 2025 executive state budget at the state Capitol, Jan. 16, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. New York lawmakers passed a $237 billion state budget Saturday, April 20, that includes plans to spur housing construction and combat unlicensed marijuana stores. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)
FILE – The New York state Assembly Chamber is seen during a legislative session after Gov. Kathy Hochul presented her 2025 executive state budget at the state Capitol, Jan. 16, 2024, in Albany, N.Y. New York lawmakers passed a $237 billion state budget Saturday, April 20, that includes plans to spur housing construction and combat unlicensed marijuana stores. (AP Photo/Hans Pennink, File)

OAN’s Elizabeth Volberding
10:32 AM – Sunday, April 21, 2024

SEE: https://www.oann.com/newsroom/n-y-legislators-approve-237b-budget-addressing-surge-of-migrants-plans-to-jump-start-housing-market/; republished below in full, unedited, for informational, educational, & research purposes:

A $237 billion state budget that includes measures to encourage home construction and combat unauthorized marijuana stores was approved by New York lawmakers over the weekend.

The package addresses a recent surge of immigrants, expedites the closing of some state prisons, and maintains the policy of allowing people to purchase takeout drinks during the pandemic.

The state Senate and Assembly approved a number of budget bills on Saturday. The budget now goes to Governor Kathy Hochul (D-N.Y.), who is anticipated to sign it into law.

Additionally, $2.4 billion has been set aside by state authorities to assist with the large number of immigrants in New York City’s homeless shelters. The funds will be used for the immigrant population’s housing, legal needs, and medical treatment.

Lawmakers also took action in response to the growing number of unauthorized cannabis shops in New York City. The state has found it difficult to close the stores, which have proliferated throughout the Big Apple, due to bureaucratic obstacles.

The budget also contains provisions that would make it easier for local law enforcement to close down establishments suspected of selling marijuana illegally while their legal cases are pending, which would help address the issue. Previously, the state was solely responsible for the majority of enforcement, and these types of establishments could remain open while a drawn-out appeals process took place.

Hochul and leading legislative leaders engaged in private negotiations that centered mostly around a comprehensive plan to stimulate the state’s housing market.

Developers who agree to rent a share of the units in new buildings below the market rate will receive a tax benefit under the plan. Though not as extensive as many advocates had hoped, the agreement also contains protections against evictions and unjustified rent increases for some residents.

Governor Hochul made a statement after the budget’s passage, saying:

“In my State of the state, I promised New Yorkers we’d fight to build more housing, improve education and protect public safety — and that’s exactly what our budget is going to do.

“This budget agreement represents the most significant improvement in housing policy in three generations. This includes transformative investments in health care and education that will put our state on the path to fiscal stability. It will end co-pays for insulin, establish first-in-the-nation paid prenatal leave, and launch the EmpireAI consortium. This budget cracks down on retail theft and gives us new tools to shut down illicit cannabis storefronts. It helps the children of New York City by extending mayoral accountability for public schools. We got it all done without raising income taxes by a single cent. 

“I’m grateful to Speaker Heastie, Leader Stewart-Cousins and my colleagues in the Legislature for their collaboration on this agreement, and look forward to continuing to work together.”

During floor debates, state Senate Republican Leader Rob Ortt (R-N.Y.) attacked the proposal, claiming it would attract more illegal migrants to New York.

“We made a lot of tough decisions in this budget,” Ortt said. “But 2.4 billion goes a long way, and I just wonder what that could have done in other parts of the budget for legal New Yorkers.”

Additionally, in an effort to conserve money in light of the state’s decreasing prison population, New York will expedite the closure of up to five state prisons. The governor will decide which jails to close by March of next year. The state’s corrections administration reports that since 2011, the state has closed two dozen prisons due to vacant beds, saving approximately $442 million a year.

The budget also included provisions to allow movie theaters to sell hard liquor, extend the pandemic-era sale of to-go alcoholic drinks, and allow New York City to lower its speed limits. These measures would also provide paid time off during pregnancy.

The state office responsible for drafting laws for the Legislature was affected by a cyberattack, which delayed the budget’s finalization by almost three weeks from its planned deadline of April 1st.

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