Tag: corruption

How We Destroyed Community College Education for Generations of Students – and Why We Need a Reset

I went to an opportune lunch to talk about the 2018 disappearance of Arizona Junior College (JUCO) football for financial and funding reasons. Three hours later, I found the real story was Never Just About Football! We were talking about second chances, education, jobs, the minority students that community colleges are trying to reach – and what it might take to bring them back.

Sitting around the table were three candidates for the Maricopa County Community College District Governing Board: John Crow, running At-Large; Ryan Caracciolo, running in District 4; and Susan Winder, running in District 3. They are seeking three separate seats, but they have chosen to campaign together.

On paper, their explanation is fairly simple. Crow brings the business side, as the CEO focused on budgets, efficiency and accountability. Caracciolo brings the professional marketing side, focused on attracting students and growing enrollment. Winder brings the professional education side, with more than three decades as a longtime educator and administrator focused on what happens in the classroom and what students need to succeed.

But that is the résumé version. The lunch told a much more Human Story. We talked – a lot – about bringing back junior-college football and WHY. We talked about its cost, who should pay for it, whether private money should be involved, whether it could increase enrollment, and what measurable results would justify restoring it.

Keep reading

Absolutely Damning Details Emerge About South Carolina Jail Where Mentally Ill White Inmate was Starved to Death, While These Questions Remain Unanswered

Damning new information has emerged about the Chesterfield County Detention Center in South Carolina where mentally ill White inmate who was in there on charges of impersonating a police officer, while several questions remain unanswered.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, a South Carolina inmate who told his family he was being intentionally starved inside the Chesterfield County Detention Center has now been ruled a homicide victim, nearly two months after jailers found his dehydrated, emaciated body on the floor of a feces-covered cell with the water shut off.

Gary Donald “Bubba” Blair, 43, was found lifeless on the floor of his E Pod cell at the Chesterfield County Detention Center on July 24. The cell was covered in inches-deep feces.

Blair also had no mattress and was completely naked. Even worse, he went from nearly 300 pounds at booking to 185 pounds at autopsy.

Blair’s official cause of death was revealed to be “profound dehydration…due to deprivation of water.” Pneumonia, a pressure ulcer on his heel consistent with lying on the floor for days, evidence he ingested toilet water, and profound weight loss were named as contributing factors.

At the center of it all was Jail Administrator Troy Ellerbe, who was accused of racist treatment toward White inmates.

Ellerbe had led the facility since early 2023 before Sheriff Cambo Streater fired him five days after Blair’s body was found. No explanation was given why.

Keep reading

FDA relied on broken data mining process to sell COVID vaccines: report

Top officials with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were warned in early 2021 of a critical defect in the country’s vaccine monitoring system yet chose to rely on it anyway while assuring the public of the COVID-19 vaccines’ safety, according to a new report.

On September 16, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) published a report detailing flaws in the algorithms used to sift through the federal Vaccine Adverse Event Reporting System (VAERS) to find safety signals with the COVID shots that would require investigation.

One of those algorithms would calculate “proportional reporting ratios” (PRRs), identifying events that were reported at a higher rate than others, along with “empirical bayesian” data mining.

But according to the BMJ’s investigation, the agency’s algorithm was “mathematically compromised by the deluge of covid vaccine adverse event reports – resulting in a near total loss of signal detection sensitivity for the new mRNA vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna.” More significantly, top officials were warned early in 2021, yet chose to keep relying on it anyway, and even “cited the absence of signals when assuring clinicians and the public of the vaccines’ safety.”

In February 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Health informed the FDA and CDC of a “a large number of reports of myocarditis, particularly in young people” after vaccination, and followed up five weeks later that two of the 77 had died. The Pentagon Defense Health Agency subsequently reported a “cluster” of myocarditis cases among male soldiers. By May, VAERS had gotten hundreds of such reports, prompting the CDC to begin alerting medical professionals.

Then-FDA Center for Biologics Evaluation & Research director Peter Marks emailed CDC director Rochelle Walensky, expressing concern that “myocarditis and pericarditis have not actually signaled … Can you help me understand why we are doing this when pediatricians and others in the community already seem to be aware?”

As VAERS reports continued to mount, health officials inquired as to why they were not receiving safety signals from the government.

“The problem arose because, in the first year of the rollout, almost all the reports coming into VAERS – more than 90% of 1.1 million – were for the mRNA covid shots, dwarfing vaccines for all other diseases,” BMJ explained. “This meant that analyzing the safety of one vaccine, for example Pfizer’s product, involved comparing it to other vaccines, which were overwhelmingly limited to Moderna’s product. But if both mRNA vaccines elevated the risk of an adverse event like myocarditis in roughly equal amounts, the ‘observed’ frequency and ‘expected’ frequency would be similar, resulting in no automated alert. The statistical phenomenon is known as ‘masking.’”

Microbiologist and immunologist Ana Szarfman, an expert in drug safety data mining who worked with the FDA for decades, emailed Marks directly with concerns about the system. Two weeks later, a video conference was held in which Szarfman’s presentation explained that the PRR analysis “Highlights almost everything,” whereas the FDA’s bayesian approach did not: “You are not getting useful information with such low counts.”

Yet Marks and his team declined to change course and urged Szarfman to “hold off on creating and sending data mining reports and analyses using covid-19 vaccine AE (adverse event) data.”

Keep reading

Waste Of The Day: SBA Reviewed Loans 20 Years Late

The Small Business Administration potentially made $11.5 million in improper payments to banks after overruling its own employees who had recommended reducing or denying government guarantees on 16 failed small-business loans.

For another 13 failed loans, SBA took so long to review them that the six-year statute of limitations expired, wasting another $5.4 million, according to an Aug. 27 inspector general report.

Key facts: SBA’s 7(a) program helps startups with a risky business model get loans, but it does not generally lend taxpayer money directly. Private banks make loans of up to $5 million, and the government promises to cover as much as 85% of the loss if the borrower defaults.

But taxpayers only have to honor that guarantee when the bank follows SBA rules. If a bank failed to properly determine whether a borrower could repay the loan, verify required investments or follow other safeguards, SBA can reduce or deny the payout to the bank.

Auditors reviewed 32 failed loans where SBA employees recommended reducing or denying the payouts to banks, but higher-level reviewers later overturned those decisions.

For 16 of the 32 loans, auditors found insufficient evidence to justify the reversal, resulting in $11.5 million worth of potential improper payments. That included almost $4.9 million loaned to borrowers who never showed evidence they could repay the money.

One small business defaulted within 18 months. The bank argued that the small business had a sound strategy, but it failed due to the unforeseen loss of a major customer. The bank provided no evidence for its claim, but the SBA paid the guarantee anyway.

The SBA is also taking far too long to review high-risk loans, the audit found. The agency has only six years to sue a bank for violating the loan terms, but auditors found 13 loans where impropriety was not discovered until that deadline had passed. Two of them were not reviewed for more than 20 years after the loan guarantee was paid.

The SBA legally could have withheld other federal payments to the banks even after the six-year time limit expired, but the SBA has no process for doing so, the audit found.

SBA guaranteed $37 billion through 77,600 new 7(a) loans in fiscal year 2025.

Keep reading

Lauren Boebert Strongly Denies Sworn Ethics Complaint Alleging Affairs With Two Female Staffers and One Male Staffer — Matt Gaetz Responds After His Name Is Dragged Into Allegations

Rep. Lauren Boebert is forcefully denying a sworn ethics complaint accusing her of engaging in sexual relationships with three congressional staffers, two women and one man.

The complaint was filed on September 17 by David B. Wheeler of American Muckrakers. It names Clarice Navarro, Boebert’s former district director; Raven Finegan, her current district chief of staff; and Jeffrey Small, her former chief of staff.

According to the complaint, Boebert’s alleged relationship with Navarro lasted from 2021 through January 2025. It further alleges that Navarro received approximately $30,650 in year-end bonuses from House funds, along with a $5,000 campaign payment listed as “fundraising consulting.”

The complaint also alleges that Boebert arranged an approximately $200,000 payment to Navarro in 2025 after Navarro allegedly threatened to file an ethics complaint of her own.

The payment is described by American Muckrakers as an alleged hush payment, though the claim has not been independently established.

Wheeler’s complaint argues that the alleged conduct violated House Rule XXIII, which prohibits Members from engaging in sexual relationships with employees under their supervision.

It asks the House Ethics Committee to open an investigation and refer possible campaign-finance and criminal violations to the Department of Justice and the Federal Election Commission.

Keep reading

Letitia James Seized Nuns’ $19 Million and STILL Won’t Release It So They Can Care for Aging Members

For 123 years, the Sisters of the Congregation of Divine Providence devoted their time and money to help young women in Manhattan through the Jeanne D’Arc Residence.

Jeanne d’Arc Residence is dedicated to creating a welcoming and caring environment for women seeking safe, affordable and temporary housing in New York City. Through the ministry provided at Jeanne d’Arc Residence, the Sisters of Divine Providence are committed to ensuring a Christian environment which serves women of all nationalities, cultures and religions. In this setting, the good news of Jesus Christ is lived and proclaimed in the spirit of Providence.”

The nuns, whose order is based in Kentucky, have seen their number shrink and their population age.  The cost of continuing to run the residence has become too much to bear as they face caring for their own elderly sisters.

The sisters sold the property to John Catsimidis for $22.5 million. Because the property is part of a registered charitable organization, Letitia James’ office must, and did, approve the sale.

But devoting over a century to vulnerable women in the city is not enough for James.  Her office seized the proceeds of the sale and, for two years, has refused to release it to them.

James’ reason? She doesn’t like what the nuns will do with their money.

Keep reading

YOU CAN’T MAKE THIS UP: Minnesota’s $2 Million “Anti-ICE Relief Fund” Shut Down After More Than 200 Applications Get Flagged as Fraud

Hennepin County, home of Minneapolis and the epicenter of America’s most infamous welfare-theft machine, just had to shut down a taxpayer slush fund created to “help” businesses allegedly hurt by Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown.

According to Fox News, the county received approximately 300 applications. More than 200 were flagged for potential fraud, while only 82 applicants were cleared and received roughly $500,000 in assistance.

Officials reportedly discovered applications containing identical, AI-generated language submitted on behalf of different businesses. County investigators also conducted site visits and found that some of the businesses listed on applications did not even exist.

Hennepin County Commissioner Jeffrey Lunde said the county eventually stopped processing applications after officials saw the number of legitimate claims decline.

Lunde said:

“Clearly, fraud and people who want to commit it are still very active, as they do not fear the penalty. Thanks to county staff and our partner, we were able [to] thwart these efforts by devoting more time and effort to tighter oversight, in-person inspections and increased scrutiny. As the fraudsters continue their efforts, we need to ramp up our game as well. This is the new normal for all levels of government in Minnesota.”

The county insists that no taxpayer money was lost to fraudulent applicants because the claims were caught during the review process. However, the scale of the attempted fraud forced officials to terminate the program.

The Hennepin County Sheriff’s Office has been asked to review the applications for possible criminal charges. Lunde wants prosecutions and says the legislature may need to tighten the law so that attempting to loot a grant program is a real crime, not a paperwork inconvenience.

Keep reading

Democrat Gov. Ned Lamont’s Former Budget Boss Flees America by Boat and Plane Hours Before Corruption Sentencing — Accuses Biden’s DOJ of Weaponization

Former Connecticut deputy budget director and Democratic state representative Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis reportedly fled the United States for Greece before appearing in federal court for sentencing on corruption convictions.

Konstantinos “Kosta” Diamantis, former deputy budget director under Gov. Ned Lamont, former director of the state’s school-construction grant office, and a former Democrat state representative, skipped Thursday’s federal sentencing in Bridgeport after slipping out of the country on a route prosecutors described as Florida to the Bahamas by boat, then a flight to London, then Greece, CT Insider reported.

Diamantis faced more than a decade in prison. Federal prosecutors asked U.S. District Judge Stefan Underhill for 10 to 12 years after a jury convicted him last October on 21 counts of extortion, bribery, conspiracy, and lying to the FBI. The new sentencing date is September 30, with or without him in the room.

His own lawyer told the court he is not coming back.

The escape the court was warned about.

Diamantis had been free on a $500,000 bond. Prosecutors had already flagged the obvious flight risk: he obtained Greek citizenship and a Greek passport while the case was pending, and he had repeatedly asked the court for permission to travel to Greece, WFSB reported.

The judge still left him out. Lamont later said he was “shocked” the man was not wearing an ankle bracelet. Too late.

Keep reading

Anthrax Attacks Paved Way for COVID-Era ‘Junk Drugs and Vaccines’

The anthrax attacks that followed 9/11 did more than frighten Americans — they helped create the legal, regulatory and biosecurity framework that later enabled the government’s response to COVID-19, according to Dr. Meryl Nass.

Speaking at the Turning the Tide: 9/11 25 Years Later conference last week in New York City, Nass drew a direct line between the anthrax letters of 2001 and the coronavirus pandemic.

“It’s worth thinking about the similarities between the COVID experience and the anthrax letters because it seems that both were inside jobs planned by the same cabal for the same purpose,” Nass said.

Nass, an internal medicine physician who has conducted extensive research on biological warfare and anthrax, outlined what she sees as striking parallels between the two events.

“Each had an uncanny, scripted simulation preceding it,” she said, pointing to the Dark Winter tabletop exercise in 2001 and Event 201, a pandemic simulation, in 2019.

“Each was blamed on countries the U.S. government had already targeted,” Nass said. The anthrax attacks were initially blamed on Iraq while COVID-19 was blamed on China.

“A huge, expensive biodefense gravy train resulted after each of them,” she said.

Both events were also accompanied by “a massive amount of false narrative construction and control of the media to project the false narratives.” And neither received a serious investigation into who perpetrated the event, according to Nass.

In addition, both crises “led to a mushrooming of the surveillance state,” Nass said.

Keep reading

Senate Democrat Blocks Immediate Passage Of House-Passed Data Center Utility Rate Bill

A Senate Democrat on Sept. 17 blocked Republicans from moving to immediate passage on the Ratepayer Protection Act, a House-passed law that would encourage states to require data centers to pay for their own energy costs.

The bill previously passed the House in a 417-3 vote on Wednesday evening.

Though progressives in the lower chamber had expressed concerns about the bill’s lack of enforcement mechanisms, the faction ultimately backed the bill. It seemed on track for a painless passage of the Senate under unanimous consent, a procedure that allows uncontroversial bills to pass quickly.

The bill was introduced on the Senate floor Thursday by Sen. Jon Husted (R-Ohio), the bill’s sponsor in the upper chamber, who noted that as many as 1,000 new data center constructions are expected in the United States in the next five years.

“Americans are becoming ever more reliant on computing power from data centers for their daily lives, from medicine to manufacturing, education to agriculture, national defense, and the way we deliver basic services. Data centers are used not just for AI; they support almost every aspect of modern life, including online shopping, streaming video, social media, and the broadcast of this very debate.”

The law would require states to consider the adoption of models to require data centers to fund their own energy within a year, but would set no requirements that states ultimately adopt those models.

Husted moved for unanimous consent to pass the legislation and was blocked by Sen. Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), who said that the bill to address this topic should have more stringent federal enforcement mechanisms.

“It’s not enough for us to tell states to consider making data centers pay for grid updates. Rather than voluntary pledges or suggestions to states, Congress needs to pass real legislation with real teeth,” Heinrich said.

Heinrich noted that for many Americans, utility rates had already increased – and that such Americans wouldn’t gain relief from the state opt-in process of the Ratepayer Protection Act.

Instead, he proposed consideration of his bill, the Grid Savings Act, “to require – not a voluntary agreement – to require large-load customers like data centers to pay for the facilities needed to connect them to the grid. Not to consider it, not to make pledges – to actually do it, to pay for the upgrades they need.”

Data centers are top of mind for many American voters this year.

The data centers used to power artificial intelligence (AI) services such as ChatGPT, Claude.ai, Grok, and others – aside from their extensive land requirements – require massive amounts of energy.

Estimates indicate that currently, data centers use about 4 percent of the U.S. electric grid, according to online energy shopping and consultation platform Electric Choice.

The energy used to power these facilities, which draw roughly 176 terawatt-hours of electricity per year, could otherwise be used to power 16 million homes, according to Electric Choice.

The Energy Department and other analysts have estimated that that share could skyrocket to 12 percent of the national power grid in the coming years.

Despite promises by many data centers to provide their own power, residents in areas where such centers have been built have reported spikes in their energy bills.

Anxiety over the possibility of such utility price jumps has driven many voters to be skeptical or outright hostile to the construction of such facilities in their area.

Likewise, cooling the computers that execute AI queries requires significant amounts of water, raising fears that energy might not be the only utility cost affected by the data centers.

Other residents living near data centers have also reported that the facilities are noisy. According to these residents, the massive fan and cooling system used to keep the servers from overheating is loud enough to travel through walls and disturb sleep.

Keep reading