Author: HP McLovincraft

Seeker of rabbit holes. Pessimist. Libertine. Contrarian. Your huckleberry. Possibly true tales of sanity-blasting horror also known as abject reality. Prepare yourself. Veteran of a thousand psychic wars. I have seen the fnords. Deplatformed on Tumblr and Twitter.

Fury as Trump gets $1.8 billion taxpayer-funded payout from his own government: ‘Stunning act of corruption’

Donald Trump has struck a $1.8 billion deal with his own IRS to funnel taxpayer money to victims of ‘lawfare’, including January 6 rioters and his political allies, in a settlement that Democrats are calling the most corrupt presidential act in history.

The President, his sons Don Jr and Eric, and the Trump Organization filed suit against the Treasury and IRS in the Southern District of Florida federal court after the leak of their tax returns.

They agreed to drop their suit Monday, as well as two claims, including for damages resulting from the raid on Mar-a-Lago in 2022 and the Russian election interference probe, in exchange for the government’s creation of the ‘Anti-Weaponization Fund.’

The $1.776 billion fund will have the power to issue formal apologies and monetary relief owed to claimants. It will be governed by a five-member commission appointed by the Attorney General, with Trump given the power to remove any member. 

While Trump is barred from directly receiving payments from the fund, entities associated with him are not explicitly prohibited from filing additional ones.

The settlement drew immediate fury from Democrats, among them Senate Finance Committee member Ron Wyden, who said it represented a brazen new level of corruption. 

‘Even by his standards, the move he’s trying to get away with now is a stunning act of corruption,’ said Wyden.

‘What Trump wants is a $1.7billion slush fund for right-wing political violence and subversion, and if he follows through, it will be the most brazen theft and abuse of taxpayer dollars by any president in American history.’ 

Acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said: ‘The machinery of government should never be weaponized against any American, and it is this Department’s intention to make right the wrongs that were previously done while ensuring this never happens again.

‘As part of this settlement, we are setting up a lawful process for victims of lawfare and weaponization to be heard and seek redress.’ 

The extraordinary arrangement comes despite the misgivings of the judge in the case, Kathleen Williams, who was investigating a potential conflict of interest as Trump sued his own government.

Trump himself conceded last October that ‘it’s awfully strange to make a decision where I’m paying myself.’

However, the judge has limited legal authority to halt any settlement deal. 

Minutes after Trump’s legal team announced it was dropping the suit on Monday, almost 100 House Democrats submitted a ‘friend-of-the-court’ brief accusing Trump of ‘blatant self-dealing’ as they seek to put legal blocks on the fund.

Rep. Jamie Raskin, the ranking Democrat on the House Judiciary Committee, said in a statement: ‘This case is nothing but a racket designed to take $1.7 billion of taxpayer dollars out of the Treasury and pour it into a huge slush fund for Trump at DOJ to hand out to his private militia of insurrectionists, rioters, and white supremacists, including those who brutally beat police officers on January 6, 2021, and sycophant accomplices to his election stealing schemes.’

The Trump administration claims that the fund is non-partisan and that anyone can file a claim if they believe they were mistreated by Biden’s DOJ.

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Stacey Abrams Says the Quiet Part Out Loud After Democrats Lose Districts Following the Supreme Court’s Blockbuster Ruling on Racial Gerrymandering

Twice-failed Democrat Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams said the quiet part out loud after the Supreme Court issued a ruling on racial gerrymandering.

Abrams appeared on MSNOW on Sunday to discuss the redistricting wars following longtime Democrat Rep. Steve Cohen’s decision to end his reelection bid after Tennessee Republicans erased his district with a newly drawn congressional map.

Tennessee Republicans recently passed a new congressional map that eliminated Cohen’s Memphis district.

Tennessee became the ninth state to approve a new congressional map amid the redistricting wars following the Supreme Court’s blockbuster ruling on Louisiana’s racial gerrymandering.

The case, State of Louisiana v. Phillip Callais (and the related Press Robinson v. Phillip Callais), stems from Louisiana’s woke lawmakers caving to left-wing judges and creating a second “majority-minority” congressional district.

Abrams has cried racism for years and even started a nonprofit aimed at ‘getting out the black vote.’

Recall that in 2013, Abrams created The New Georgia Project, a nonprofit to get out the black vote.

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How America’s Recycling Program Failed—and Scarred the Environment

In March 2019, The New York Times ran a shocking story exploring why many prominent US cities were abandoning their recycling programs.

“Philadelphia is now burning about half of its 1.5 million residents’ recycling material in an incinerator that converts waste to energy,” Times business writer Michael Corkery reported. “In Memphis, the international airport still has recycling bins around the terminals, but every collected can, bottle and newspaper is sent to a landfill.”

Philadelphia and Memphis were not outliers. They, along with Deltona, Florida, which had suspended its recycling program the previous month, were just a few examples of hundreds of cities across the country that had scrapped recycling programs or scaled back operations.

Since that time, cities across the country have continued to scrap recycling programs, citing high costs.

“The cost of recycling was going to double, and the town wasn’t going to be able to absorb that cost,” said Dencia Raish, the town clerk administrator for Akron, Colorado, which ended its program in 2021 and now sends “recyclables” to a landfill.

While many Americans likely are distraught about America’s failed recycling experiment, a new video produced by Kite & Key Media reveals that abandoning recycling—at least in its current form—is likely to benefit both Americans and the environment.

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Woman Caught on O’Keefe Undercover Camera Illegally Paying People to Register to Vote on Skid Row Federally Charged

A woman who was caught on O’Keefe Media Group’s undercover camera illegally paying people to register to vote on Skid Row in Los Angeles, California, has been federally charged.

The Justice Department on Monday announced that Brenda Lee Brown Armstrong was charged with one felony count of paying another person to register to vote. She is facing a max of five years in federal prison.

“False registrations undermine Americans’ faith in elections – even more so when payoffs are involved,” said Assistant Attorney General Harmeet K. Dhillon of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division.

“This Justice Department is committed to ensuring that all U.S. elections are fair and free from illegal meddling – so that all Americans can accept the results with confidence,” she said.

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BBC’s Former News Director Says Trans Bias and ‘Progressive Madness’ Drove Her Out

The BBC’s grip on impartiality continues to slip as one of its former top news executives publicly confirmed what critics have long argued: activist capture from within has turned the state broadcaster into a vehicle for narrow ideological agendas.

Fran Unsworth, director of BBC News from 2018 to 2022, has broken her silence, claiming she was effectively driven out by trans activists and the “progressive madness” dominating the corporation.

In a candid interview, she described an environment of bullying where editors avoided critical reporting on trans issues for fear of attacks from their own colleagues.

“Just dealing with the progressive editorial issues and the bullying around them all. It was incredibly difficult,” Unsworth said. She added that the atmosphere extended beyond trans topics, with staff no-platforming dissenting views and pushing “safe spaces” over open debate.

Unsworth’s remarks paint a picture of a newsroom where challenging the prevailing narrative on ‘culture war’ issues carried professional risks. Programme editors reportedly steered clear of stories that questioned aspects of the trans agenda, wary of backlash from activist-aligned staff.

This self-censorship contributed to what a leaked internal memo later described as “effective censorship” on the topic.

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Sen. Graham Urges Trump to Renew US Strikes on Iran

Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., on Sunday called on President Donald Trump to renew U.S. military strikes on Iran, arguing that a stalled ceasefire and a closed Strait of Hormuz are strengthening Tehran while inflicting economic pain at home.

“I think the status quo is hurting us all,” Graham told NBC News’ “Meet the Press,” framing continued military pressure, not negotiation, as the faster route to ending the war.

Graham’s appeal landed at a stalemate.

U.S.-Iran talks, mediated by Pakistan, have been suspended since both sides rejected each other’s latest proposals, and no permanent peace deal has been reached since the two countries announced a ceasefire last month.

Graham said the impasse only benefits Tehran.

“The longer the [Strait of Hormuz] is closed, the more we try to pursue a deal that never happens, the stronger Iran gets,” he said.

The senator, a leading proponent of Trump’s military campaign, urged the president to “weaken them further.”

He credited the administration’s strikes as “amazing, militarily.” But, he said, “there’s more targets to be had.”

Graham added that nothing in the conflict so far suggests Iran’s leadership has abandoned what he called the regime’s goal “to terrorize the world, destroy Israel, come after us.”

The closed strait, which before the war carried more than a fifth of the world’s energy supply, has driven oil prices rising higher since the conflict began on Feb. 28.

As of Friday, the average U.S. price of unleaded gas was above $4.50 a gallon, up 51% since the war started.

Graham argued that pressure would ease with force, telling moderator Kristen Welker, “Gas prices will come down when you put Iran in a box.”

Tehran has signaled little appetite for compromise.

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi said Friday that Iran has “no trust” in the U.S. and would negotiate only if Washington is serious, citing “contradictory messages” from American officials.

The diplomatic freeze coincided with Trump’s return from a multiday summit in China, where he met President Xi Jinping.

Trump told Fox News’ Bret Baier he had not asked Beijing for help on Iran. “If he wants to help, that’s great, but we don’t need help,” Trump said, adding that accepting help invites obligations in return.

The dispute carries domestic political stakes.

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US Treasury Extends Temporary Waiver for Vulnerable Nations To Access Russian Oil Stranded at Sea

More oil as the war drags on.

As the fragile ceasefire between the US and Iran still holds, with ‘serious negotiations’ being held, the effects of the closure of the Strait of Hormuz are still affecting oil prices and the energy security of many countries.

Today (18), Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that the Donald J. Trump administration will extend for another month a waiver that allows the sale of Russian crude that is already loaded on tankers.

Politico reported:

“The move is aimed at keeping more oil on global markets and tempering crude prices as the war in Iran, now nearing its third month, continues to choke off shipping through the Strait of Hormuz. But critics have blasted the waiver as allowing Russia to profit from elevated oil prices and enriching Moscow’s war machine.”

“The general license from Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control allows any country to purchase Russian oil already on the water for another month. It extends the sanctions relief, first issued in March and renewed in April, for a third month.

‘This general license will help stabilize the physical crude market and ensure oil reaches the most energy-vulnerable countries’, Bessent said in an X post. ‘It will also help reroute existing supply to countries most in need by reducing China’s ability to stockpile discounted oil’.”

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Pakistan Sent 8,000 Troops, Jets And Air Defenses To Saudi Arabia

Pakistan has deployed 8,000 troops, a squadron of fighter jets and an air defense system to Saudi Arabia under a mutual defense pact, ramping up military cooperation with the kingdom, all while playing the lead role in mediating talks between the United States and Iran.

The deployment was first announced by Saudi Arabia last month, specifically on April 11 — three days after the ceasefire between the U.S. and Iran came into effect.

At the time, the Saudi Ministry of Defense said that the deployment came “as part of the Strategic Mutual Defense Agreement signed between the two brotherly countries.”

It added in a statement that the presence of Pakistani forces in the kingdom came with the purpose of “enhancing joint military coordination and raising the level of operational readiness between the armed forces of the two countries,” but didn’t elaborate on the scale of the deployment.

Iran attacked Saudi Arabia with missiles and drones on a near-daily basis right after the start of the American-Israeli war. Most attacks targeted Prince Sultan Air Base, which hosts American troops and aircraft, but the kingdom also accused the Islamic Republic of hitting infrastructure, including energy facilities.

The new details on the Pakistani military deployment in Saudi Arabia came in a report published by Reuters on May 18. The report cited three security officials and two government sources, all of whom described it as a substantial, combat-capable force intended to support the kingdom’s military if it comes under further attack.

The full terms of the defense agreement, signed last year, are confidential, but both sides have said it requires Pakistan and Saudi Arabia to come to each other’s defense in the event of an attack. Defense Minister Khawaja Asif has previously implied that it places the kingdom under Pakistan’s nuclear umbrella.

According to the sources, Pakistan has deployed a full squadron of around 16 aircraft, mostly JF-17 fighter jets. Meanwhile, two of the security officials revealed that Pakistan had also sent two squadrons of drones.

All five sources said that the deployment includes around 8,000 troops, with a pledge to send more if needed, as well as a Chinese HQ-9 long-range air defense system.

The report came just a day after Saudi Arabia reported that three drones were intercepted and destroyed after entering the Kingdom’s airspace from Iraq, where several armed factions allied to Iran are active. The incident highlighted growing tensions amid the ceasefire.

The forces sent by Pakistan to Saudi Arabia are very capable. However, it is clear that the deployment is purely defensive in nature.

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German Chancellor: US No Longer ‘Land of Opportunity’; Wouldn’t Recommend His Kids Move There, Cites ‘Deteriorating Social Conditions’

A deepening rift between Europe and the United States is becoming increasingly clear, as German Chancellor Friedrich Merz delivered a striking and unusually blunt critique of America’s current trajectory—raising serious questions about the future of the transatlantic alliance.

According to reports from German media, peaking at a Catholic youth gathering in Würzburg, Merz made headlines by stating he would no longer recommend the United States as a destination for his own children. The remark, coming from a politician long associated with pro-American positions, has sent shockwaves through diplomatic and political circles.

“I would not recommend to my children today that they go to the U.S. to get an education and to work,” Merz said, pointing to what he described as a deteriorating “social climate.”

The statement reflects more than personal concern. It signals a seemingly ever-widening fracture between Europe and America, one that is no longer confined to policy disagreements but increasingly extends to values, economics, and societal stability.

Merz, once a staunch advocate of close transatlantic ties, emphasized that his admiration for the United States has waned significantly. “I am a great admirer of America… but at the moment my admiration is not growing,” he said.

His concerns extend beyond culture and into the economic reality facing young Americans. According to Merz, even highly educated graduates are struggling to find meaningful employment—a reality that undermines America’s long-standing image as a land of opportunity.

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Murder trial involving Freemasons, French secret agents opens in Paris court

Twenty-two people went on trial in France on Monday on charges of murder and other serious crimes centred on members of a Masonic lodge accused of running hit squads.

Thirteen of the defendants face life imprisonment.

Those in the dock include four military personnel from France’s foreign intelligence service (DGSE), two police officers, a retired domestic intelligence officer, a security guard and two business executives.

They are accused of the murder of a racing driver, the attempted murders of a business coach and a trade unionist, aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy – all on behalf of a mafia network inside the former Athanor Masonic Lodge in the Paris suburb of Puteaux.

Several freemasons from the 20 or so members of the lodge are in the dock.

Most of the accused, aged between 30 and 73, have no previous criminal records.

Five of the suspects are in custody and 16 are under judicial supervision, while one woman is appearing in court as a free person.

The alleged ringleaders are Athanor Freemasons Jean-Luc Bagur, Frédéric Vaglio and Daniel Beaulieu. They face life in jail if convicted.

So does Beaulieu’s right-hand man Sébastien Leroy, who is accused of carrying out the trio’s dirty work himself or through a hit-man network.

The case was triggered by a botched contract killing in July 2020, when two members of France’s parachute regiment were arrested in possession of weapons near the home of business coach Marie-Hélène Dini.

Under questioning, they said they thought they had been asked to murder Dini on behalf of the French state on the grounds that she worked for Israeli spy agency Mossad.

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