Tag: taxes

Biden Commits over $300 Million to Bird Flu Prevention

President Biden has committed $306 million to increase monitoring, testing and response to H5N1 bird flu across the United States.

According to a press release, “The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced it would award $306 million dollars to continue its H5N1 Avian Flu response. While CDC’s assessment of the risk of avian influenza to the general public remains low, USDA and HHS continue to closely collaborate with Federal, State, local, industry and other stakeholders to protect human health, animal health, and food safety.”

“While the risk to humans remains low, we are always preparing for any possible scenario that could arise. These investments are critical to continuing our disease surveillance, laboratory testing, and monitoring efforts alongside our partners at USDA,” said Secretary Xavier Becerra.

“Preparedness is the key to keeping Americans healthy and our country safe. We will continue to ensure our response is strong, well equipped, and ready for whatever is needed.”

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recently confirmed the first “severe” case of bird flu in the US.

The CDC tested samples from the sufferer, a 65-year-old man from Louisiana, and confirmed worrying new mutations.

The mutations affect the virus’s hemagglutinin gene and could make the virus more transmissible in humans.

In particular, the mutations “may result in increased virus binding to α2-6 cell receptors found in the upper respiratory tract of humans.”

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Biden regime rushes $21 Billion in aid to Ukraine, escalating conflict

In a desperate last-minute push to escalate a proxy war against Russia, the Biden administration has announced a massive 21 billion aid package to Ukraine, with just weeks left before President?elect Donald Trump takes office. This latest package includes 21 billion aid packages to Ukraine, with just weeks left before President?elect Donald Trump takes office. This latest package includes 1.22 billion for new weapons procurement, 1.25 billion in weapons from U.S. stockpiles, 1.25 billion in weapons from U.S. stockpiles, 3.4 billion in direct budgetary support, and $15 billion secured from frozen Russian assets.

The Biden administration’s relentless focus on Ukraine has now surpassed 66 billion in security assistance since taking office. This latest move empties the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative (USAI) account, leaving no funds for new weapons procurement before the Trump administration takes over. While billions remain in the Presidential Drawdown Authority (PDA) account, it is unclear whether the Biden team will spend the remaining 4.33 billion before January 20.

The weapons being sent to Ukraine include advanced air defense systems, anti-tank missiles, artillery ammunition, and unmanned aerial systems, among others. While the Pentagon claims these donations are necessary to counter Russian aggression, critics argue that this endless flow of taxpayer dollars is fueling a war with no clear endgame.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has expressed gratitude for the aid, calling it a “critical” lifeline as Russia intensifies its assaults. However, the Biden administration’s approach raises serious questions about accountability and oversight. With billions being spent on weapons and direct budgetary support, there is little transparency about how these funds are being used or whether they are effectively addressing the conflict.

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Homeless crisis in America GETTING WORSE as government continues to spend hundreds of billions on foreign aid

Homelessness in the United States has hit a record high, with over 770,000 people experiencing homelessness on a single night in January 2024, according to the 2024 Annual Homelessness Assessment Report released by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

This represents an alarming 18 percent increase from the previous year, and the actual number may be even higher because the report undercounts the true number of homeless individuals.

This crisis is particularly devastating for families with children, who saw a staggering 39 percent increase in homelessness, leaving nearly 150,000 children without stable housing. In contrast, the report shows a 55 percent reduction in veteran homelessness since 2009, with an eight percent decrease from 2023. (Related: Study finds home ownership in California has become increasingly unattainable due to disparities between wages and housing prices.)

This development is notable because of how it is contrasted with how much the United States has spent on other programs, such as foreign aid.

To date, the U.S. has provided about $310 billion in economic and military support to Israel and another $106 billion in assistance to Ukraine. These staggering numbers raise serious questions about the government’s priorities and its ability to address domestic issues like homelessness.

The report highlights that certain demographics are disproportionately affected by homelessness. Black people make up around 32 percent of the homeless population, despite comprising only 12 percent of the U.S. population. Veterans, who have seen the most progress in reducing homelessness, are a notable exception. The decline in veteran homelessness is attributed to targeted programs and efforts to quickly house homeless veterans.

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Massive healthcare breaches prompt US cybersecurity rules overhaul

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has proposed updates to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) to secure patients’ health data following a surge in massive healthcare data leaks.

These stricter cybersecurity rules, proposed by the HHS’ Office for Civil Rights (OCR) and expected to be published as a final rule within 60 days, would require healthcare organizations to encrypt protected health information (PHI), implement multifactor authentication, and segment their networks to make it harder for attackers to move laterally through them.

“In recent years, there has been an alarming growth in the number of breaches affecting 500 or more individuals reported to the Department, the overall number of individuals affected by such breaches, and the rampant escalation of cyberattacks using hacking and ransomware,” the HHS’ proposal says.

“The Department is concerned by the increasing numbers of breaches and other cybersecurity incidents experienced by regulated entities. We are also increasingly concerned by the upward trend in the numbers of individuals affected by such incidents and the magnitude of the potential harms from such incidents.”

Reuters reports that Anne Neuberger, the White House’s deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, also told reporters that the HIPAA cybersecurity rule updates were prompted by the ransomware attacks and massive breaches that have affected hospitals and Americans in recent years.

Neuberger added that implementing these rules would cost roughly $9 billion in the first year and over $6 billion during the following four years.

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Washington State Democrats Accidentally Leak Their ‘Radical’ Tax Plan

Washington State Democrats accidentally leaked their radical tax plan to the entire upper chamber in Olympia on Thursday.

According to Seattle-based radio host Jason Rantz, Washington state Democrats accidentally emailed their radical tax plan to the entire senate.

The tax plan, which includes major property tax hikes and a new 11% tax on firearms, directly contradicts the state Democrats’ campaign promises, Jason Rantz said.

Fox News reported:

Washington state Democrats appeared to have accidentally emailed their sweeping revenue plans and internal talking points on tax hikes to the entirety of the upper chamber’s members in Olympia, Fox News has learned.

Property tax hikes and a new double-digit tax on firearms are among proposals Washington state Democrats are considering, according to materials originally disseminated to all members by Washington Senate Deputy Floor Leader Noel Frame, D-Seattle, in late December and later obtained by Fox News Digital.

A document titled “2025 Revenue Options” and a PowerPoint presentation describing how to talk to constituents in defense of the plan were included in the messages.

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GMO Tomato Project Funded by Gates Foundation and U.S. Taxpayers Hits Roadblock

The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is funding research to genetically engineer tomatoes to be able to disrupt the reproductive cycle of the whitefly, a common insect that damages tomato plants, Jon Fleetwood reported on Substack.

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) — a division of the U.S. Department of Defense — also funded the research as part of its “Insect Allies” project, according to a study on the tomatoes published last month in BMC Plant Biology.

Whiteflies, or Bemisia tabaci, are a common pest that drinks sap from phloem, the food-conducting tissue in tomato plant stems and leaves, sometimes causing the plant to dry up. The insects also excrete a sticky substance called honeydew, which attracts ants.

Whiteflies can decimate crops. The BMC study estimates the pest causes $2 billion in annual losses in cassava production in Africa alone, which can cause food insecurity in regions that rely on the crop.

The researchers aim to develop a genetic modification (GM) technology that could modify plants to produce proteins that target and destroy whitefly eggs. The authors note that targeting egg viability is a “unique strategy” for transgenic plants, setting it apart from most GM insecticidal plants that target adult insects.

Fleetwood raised concerns about the technology’s potential to harm human health and the environment.

“If commercialized, these ‘[t]ransgenic plants’ — genetically engineered to include genes from other species — could introduce reproductive-disrupting insecticidal compounds into the human food chain,” Fleetwood wrote.

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Five Absurd Examples Of Government Waste In 2024

Defenders of fiscal sanity have received quite a surprise with Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). For the first time in what seems like forever, complaining about government waste has almost become…cool.

To all of the newcomers to this issue, we’d like to extend a warm welcome. Whether it was the DOGE hype or Milei’s chainsaw that brought you in—or, you know, a quick glance at the national debt—we’re glad you’re here.

We’d also like you to know about a tradition we have in these parts of the political compass. You see, long before there was DOGE and the chainsaw, there was Senator Rand Paul’s annual Festivus Report (and long before that was Senator William Proxmire’s Golden Fleece Award). Named after the fictional “Festivus” holiday from Seinfeld, celebrated on December 23, the Festivus Report is a compilation of some of the most egregious examples of government waste from the year. Part of Festivus, you see, is the traditional “airing of grievances.”

This year marks the tenth edition of the Report, and as usual, it’s full of the most absurd boondoggles you’ve ever heard of. Here are some of the highlights.

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Court Upholds $7.8 Million Verdict For Transit Workers Fired For Refusing COVID-19 Vaccine

A federal judge in California has rejected an effort by Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) to overturn a jury verdict that awarded $7.8 million to six former employees who were fired for refusing to comply with the agency’s COVID-19 vaccine mandate on religious grounds.

In a Dec. 30 order, Judge William A. Alsup of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California acknowledged minor “imperfections” in the jury trial—including flawed instructions to the jurors—and determined they were not severe enough to invalidate the jury’s October decision requiring BART to pay each of the six former workers between $1.2 million and $1.5 million.

Alsup denied BART’s post-trial motions to overturn the verdict and seek a new trial, saying that the agency failed to demonstrate that accommodating the employees’ religious objections would have posed an undue hardship.

“Simply put, on the instructions given and evidence received, a reasonable jury could have found that BART had not carried its burden of proving its affirmative defense,” Alsup wrote, referring to the fact that, in order to prevail in the case, BART had to prove that granting accommodations such as masking, testing, or remote work in lieu of vaccination would have imposed an undue burden on the agency.

BART’s defense relied heavily on expert testimony to argue that no alternative measures were as effective as vaccination against COVID-19, with the judge noting that the agency claimed it had presented “‘unrebutted’ scientific expert testimony” to that effect. However, Alsup noted that the jury was entitled to weigh the credibility of the experts, particularly given their financial ties to the agency.

“In light of the large sums paid to the experts by BART, our jury was entitled to find that they were ‘bought and paid for,’ were merely parroting the ‘company line,’ and were not credible in light of their bias, common sense, and other evidence,” the judge wrote. “An expert witness is like any other witness, and it is up to the jury to decide how much weight their testimony deserves.”

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Unless Something Changes, 4 Years From Now We Will Be 51 Trillion Dollars In Debt

The U.S. government is currently constructing the most colossal monument in the history of the world.  It is a monument of debt, and we will forever be remembered as the nation that piled up far more debt than anyone else ever did.  For decades, this generation has been recklessly spending the money of future generations of Americans.  Most people seem to think that we are totally getting away with this swindle, but the truth is that the party is almost over.  Our national debt has already surpassed the 36 trillion dollar mark, and according to usdebtclock.org at our current rate of spending our national debt will surpass the 51 trillion dollar mark four years from now.

We are a spoiled, bloated, greedy nation that has run up a debt so big that words simply do not do it justice.

We have got to stop spending so much money, but we just can’t help ourselves.

In January, Donald Trump will be faced with some very difficult decisions regarding our debt as soon as he is inaugurated…

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On the way out the door, Biden is Emptying the Coffers

Over the last 250 years of American political gamesmanship, both parties have played year-end games into the arms of a new incoming administration. In early 2000, the incoming George Walker Bush team discovered that every keyboard in the White House and other administrative offices was missing the “W” key¹. The outgoing Clinton staff had removed all the “W” keys to annoy the new administration after an extremely contentious election. The damage was small, estimated at $15,000. But the bigger message here was that when the party that runs the White House changes, the outgoing administration will leave some proverbial “time bombs” for their successors.

While the damaged keyboards were more like a bad joke, what Biden is doing to Trump now is serious business. The outgoing administration has opened the spigots table max to get every penny out the door while they can under the existing budget. It’s almost like they are looting the Treasury before they leave town.

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