Tag: taxes

Police are Using Drones More and Spending More For Them

Police in Minnesota are buying and flying more drones than ever before, according to an annual report recently released by the state’s Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA). Minnesotan law enforcement flew their drones without a warrant 4,326 times in 2023, racking up a state-wide expense of over $1 million. This marks a large, 41 percent increase from 2022, when departments across the state used drones 3,076 times and spent $646,531.24 on using them. The data show that more was spent on drones last year than in the previous two years combined. Minneapolis Police Department, the state’s largest police department, implemented a new drone program at the end of 2022 and reported that its 63 warrantless flights in 2023 cost nearly $100,000.

Since 2020, the state of Minnesota has been obligated to put out a yearly report documenting every time and reason law enforcement agencies in the state — local, county, or state-wide — used unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), more commonly known as drones, without a warrant. This is partly because Minnesota law requires a warrant for law enforcement to use drones except for specific situations listed in the statute. The State Court Administrator is also required to provide a public report of the number of warrants issued for the use of UAVs, and the data gathered by them. These regular reports give us a glimpse into how police are actually using these devices and how often. As more and more police departments around the country use drones or experiment with drones as first responders, it offers an example of how transparency around drone adoption can be done.

You can read our blog about the 2021 Minnesota report here.

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Now experts are asking whether milk is racist as part of a tax-payer funded research project into connections between milk and colonialism

A taxpayer-funded project is set to research connections between milk and colonialism, it was revealed yesterday.

Academics at an Oxford museum will research the ‘political nature’ of milk and its ‘colonial legacies’.

One of the experts involved has previously argued that milk is a ‘Northern European obsession’ that has been imposed on other parts of the world.

Dr Johanna Zetterstrom-Sharp said the assumption that milk was a key part of the human diet ‘may be understood as a white supremacist one’, as many populations outside Europe and North America have high levels of lactose intolerance in adulthood.

The new project, ‘Milking it: colonialism, heritage & everyday engagement with dairy’, has won funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

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Defense Department Lost Track of Millions Sent to Chinese Labs For Gain of Function Research, Bombshell Gov’t Report Finds

The Pentagon sent millions of dollars of taxpayer funding to numerous Chinese research labs and then lost track of how it was being used, according to a government report.

“Due to limitations in the DoD’s tracking systems, the full extent of DoD funds provided to Chinese research laboratories for research related to enhancement of pathogens of pandemic potential is unknown,” the DoD’s Office of Inspector General (OIG) wrote in its 26-page report released Tuesday.

The audit conducted in compliance with the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) looked into where the funds were sent, including whether money was sent to the Chinese Communist Party, the Wuhan Institute of Virology, and other CCP-controlled research labs.

DoD OIG investigators also looked into whether the funds could be used to spark a new pandemic through gain of function research or other methods that “could have reasonably resulted in the enhancement of any coronavirus, influenza, Nipah, Ebola, or other pathogen of pandemic potential or chimeric versions of such a virus or pathogen in the People’s Republic of China or any other foreign country.”

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High-Speed Rail in USA: An Expensive Tax Burden and Inefficient Solution for America’s Travel Infrastructure

For some reason, high-speed rail is a hot-button issue for liberals and a frequent point of criticism from Chinese communist propaganda and Europeans when they attack the U.S.

“How can you call yourself a developed country when you don’t have high-speed rail?” they ask. The reality is that high-speed rail would be more expensive and less efficient than our current travel infrastructure.

High-speed rail works in Europe and China because of government subsidies, higher taxes, and because people typically travel shorter distances and have fewer travel options.

The U.S. has more cars per capita, more highways, more airports, and more railroads than China or the EU. Additionally, Americans prefer to drive on trips up to 500 miles so they can have their car when they arrive and take the whole family for one price. For longer trips, Americans prefer flying because even high-speed rail is slower.

The US is extremely developed and has a culture of independence. Car ownership is more prevalent in the US than anywhere else, with 860 cars per thousand people, compared to 627 in Germany, 544 in Sweden, and 223 in China.

Not only does America have more cars per capita, but we also have more highways. The US National Highway System comprises 164,000 miles of highways, equipped with rest stops, gas stations, McDonald’s, hotels, and other amenities.

In contrast, China has 105,073 miles of highways, meaning the US has 56% more, despite China’s population being more than three times that of the US. And, good luck finding bathrooms and rest stops on China’s highways.

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DOD Inspector General Not Sure If We Spent $50 Million in Chinese Labs for Gain-of-Function Research

The Department of Defense Inspector General’s Office has found that the US military can’t tell how much money it gave to Chinese bio labs or what research it funded. More troubling is that the only evidence that US funds were not involved in gain-of-function-type research are the representations by military officials that it did not happen…and that is totally reliable.

Under the National Defense Authorization Act for FY2024, the DODIG was required to “report on the amount of Federal funds awarded by the DoD, directly or indirectly, through grants, contracts, subgrants, subcontracts, or any other type of agreement or collaboration, to Chinese research labs or to fund research or experiments in China or other foreign countries that could have reasonably resulted in the enhancement of pathogens of pandemic potential, from 2014 through 2023.”

This audit was driven by information provided by Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA) showing that some $50 million in US funds had found its way to Chinese biolabs.

The audit covers any US taxpayer funding “used to fund research or experiments that could have reasonably resulted in the enhancement of any coronavirus, influenza, Nipah, Ebola, or other pathogen of pandemic potential or chimeric versions of such a virus or pathogen in the People’s Republic of China or any other foreign country” — money which Ernst accused the Pentagon of “blindly giving away.”

“The Department of Defense should defend the nation, not support research with the potential to do us harm,” she told The Post in a statement.

“While bureaucrats are blindly giving away taxpayer funds, China doesn’t even have to steal our research,” Ernst added. “It’s clear Americans deserve a detailed inventory of all the dangerous dollars sent overseas, which is why I’ve launched an investigation to track down every cent.”

The Pentagon announced the results on Thursday. (Read the whole report.)

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Prosecutor had dog cremated, bought Target pillows on taxpayers’ dime with funds meant for crime victims: Cops

Authorities in Georgia have arrested an Atlanta prosecutor who allegedly used taxpayer funds meant to help crime victims to buy items for herself such as cremation for her dog, breakfast and pillows from Target.

A grand jury indicted Hall County Solicitor General Stephanie Woodard on 11 counts of theft by taking and 13 counts of false statements and writings, Georgia Attorney General Chris Carr said in a press release. Woodard on “several occasions from July 2018 through September 2022” used funds from Hall County and the Prosecuting Attorneys Council of Georgia for personal expenses, according to Carr. She also allegedly accepted reimbursement for travel and continuing education classes she didn’t actually attend.

“Those elected to uphold the law must operate honestly, ethically and transparently, and anything less undermines our system,” Carr said in a statement. “Theft of taxpayer dollars and falsifying documents to cover up that theft are entirely unacceptable.”

Woodard was tasked with prosecuting misdemeanor cases within the county, but now faces felony charges herself.

Among the allegations: Woodard turned in a receipt from a breakfast restaurant, claiming it was for abuse awareness when it was not. She said she was paying an expense related to law school admissions for a victim in a local youth program when it was really for someone else. Woodard requested reimbursement for costs related to a court case but it was actually to pay for cremation for her dog. She bought pillows for herself at Target and said they were for a victim.

Atlanta Fox affiliate WAGA has been investigating Woodard’s actions for years. The TV station even tracked down the person who cremated her dog. Rick Farmer, of Precious Memories Crematory, gave a statement to the Georgia Bureau of Investigation about the $190 expense.

“It was paid to me, for her dog,” Farmer told the outlet. “Sounds like she owes the county some money and a whole bunch of other people a big apology.”

Woodard’s attorneys released a statement calling the indictment “absurd” and “unfathomable.”

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New US-Ukraine Bilateral Security Agreement: A Path to Escalation and Burden on American Taxpayers

By signing the new Bilateral Security Agreement between the United States and Ukraine, Joe Biden has added Ukraine to the long list of countries whose defense the US is obligated to support.

While the agreement is technically bilateral, the specific benefits to the US remain unclear. Unlike NATO’s Article 5, this agreement does not include mutual defense commitments. However, the act of signing it has significantly increased the likelihood of conflict with Russia.

Additionally, the agreement will impose costs on US taxpayers in the short, medium, and long term, and could potentially cost American lives in the not-so-distant future.

The United States and Ukraine signed a 10-year bilateral security agreement on June 13, 2024, during the Group of Seven (G7) summit in Italy. This agreement aims to solidify long-term defense and security cooperation between the two nations.

According to U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan, the agreement sends a clear message of resolve to Russia, indicating that the coalition supporting Ukraine remains strong. The pact includes provisions to enhance Ukraine’s defense capabilities and ensure continued U.S. assistance, funded by U.S. taxpayers, in addressing Ukraine’s security needs well into the future.

While the agreement focuses on various aspects such as training Ukraine’s armed forces, enhancing intelligence sharing, and developing military capabilities, it does not include specific monetary pledges.

However, in conjunction with this agreement, the G7 leaders have backed a $50 billion loan package to support Ukraine’s broader economic and defense needs. This financial support is separate from the $60 billion in aid that the US has already approved for Ukraine.

The agreement is not a step toward NATO membership and does not commit US or NATO forces to direct military involvement in the ongoing war with Russia. Consequently, the White House can claim that it does not increase the risk of escalation.

However, Russia has predictably reacted negatively, condemning the signing of the agreement and viewing it as a direct threat and a provocative act that challenges its strategic interests in the region.

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THREE YEARS LATER: Biden’s Multi-Billion Dollar Plan to Connect Rural Americans to High Speed Internet Has Connected ZERO People

In 2021, the Biden administration hyped a multi-billion dollar plan to connect rural Americans to high speed internet.

Three years later, ZERO Americans have benefited from this plan.

This could have actually been a popular issue for Biden but his administration completely dropped the ball by miring the program in red tape and regulations.

The FOX Business Network reports:

FCC commissioner hits Biden admin for $42 billion in unspent high speed internet funds

The senior Republican on the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is blaming the Biden administration for a lack of high-speed internet projects that were approved under the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, comparing the situation to the dearth of electric vehicle charging stations that were also supposed to be built with the funds.

“In 2021, the Biden Administration got $42.45 billion from Congress to deploy high-speed Internet to millions of Americans,” GOP-appointed Commissioner Brendan Carr wrote on X last week. “Years later, it has not connected even 1 person with those funds. In fact, it now says that no construction projects will even start until 2025 at earliest.”

Commenters on social media noted that the funds were allocated to the states, arguing the Biden administration is not responsible for any delays. But Carr says it is the Biden administration that is holding up progress.

“There’s no question that the 2021 law put some process in place, but the Biden administration decided to layer on top of that a Byzantine additional set of hoops that states have to go through before the administration will approve them to actually get these funds and start completing the builds,” Carr told FOX Business in an interview.

What have they been doing this whole time?

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Biden’s Gaza pier is bringing in chicken aid at $20,730 a pound

You’ve heard of $2,000 toilet seats? The Pentagon is famous for its cost overruns, and that was during the Reagan era.

But now we present the $20,730 per pound chicken.

With all of the U.S. aid from that pier reportedly falling into the hands of HAMAS terrorists, who take the aid and either eat it themselves or sell it at inflated prices to the displaced, that’s some mighty fine chicken, maybe the most gourmet chicken out there, except that it probably isn’t.

It’s just monstrous cost overruns, inflated prices tied to the swamp and its greedy military contractors whose interest in perpetuating wars is a matter of company profits. And we shouldn’t leave the potential for corruption going on, too.

And that’s just the chicken.

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ICE is apparently losing almost all of the millions of illegal aliens Mayorkas let in

When the Democrats ended Trump’s “remain in Mexico” policy and Obama’s “detain them at the border policy”—which only became an issue when Trump continued it— they assured us that the millions of illegal aliens streaming in would still have to defend their refugee status before a judge. One day. Perhaps in a few years. However, even that window dressing won’t happen because it turns out that Biden’s government is, on average, losing 99% of all illegal aliens who entered the country with the government’s permission.

Nobody knows how many illegal aliens have entered America since Biden took office. Including known entries and estimates of “gotaways,” it’s something in the range of 5-8 million. It used to be that those who sought asylum as refugees had to make their case before being released, unsupervised, into America. Biden, however, started the practice of giving these people court dates and sending them on their way based on their “parole” or promise that they’d show up in court on the given date.

Well, they’re not showing up:

More than 99% of illegal immigrants caught and released a year ago as part of a special border “parole” program are still at large, according to government data that signals how difficult it will be to unwind the millions of migrants who have gained a foothold under President Biden.

These migrants present a critical test case for the Biden administration. A federal judge has demanded unprecedented transparency in the Department of Homeland Security’s handling of 2,572.

All of them were supposed to have reported in by last summer, but data filed with the judge at the one-year mark shows 25 hadn’t checked in with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

ICE, meanwhile, has failed to issue immigration court summonses to 340 others, meaning they are not in deportation proceedings after a year.

ICE said it can confirm the deportation, departure or death of just 14 people, meaning 99.5% of all of the migrants caught and released under this parole program are thought to still be in the U.S. Only one of the migrants was being held at the time ICE reported to the court in late May.

As Gomer Pyle would say, “Suh-prise! Suh-prise! Suh-prise!”

We all knew that this was exactly what would happen, in significant part because everyone understands that these people are not refugees escaping political persecution. They have no case to make in court. Instead, they are simply leaving a poor country for a richer one with welfare benefits.

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