Voting her into office continues to pay dividends.
[FoxNews] Rep. Nicole Malliotakis, R-N.Y., discusses her conversation with President Biden about the crisis at the border.
Rep. Nicole Malliotakis said Friday that she told President Biden that it was imperative for him to travel to the southern border, claiming that it had been taken over by drug cartels with border agents distracted by the migrant surge.
[FoxNews] A coalition of Republican states led by Arizona is urging the Supreme Court to intervene in the legal battle over a Trump-era policy that restricted immigrants who are deemed reliant on welfare from receiving green cards -- a policy the Biden administration has since dropped.
The "public charge" rule was introduced in 2019 and expanded the definition of "public charge" as an immigrant who receives one or more designated public benefits for more than 12 months within a 36-month period. Whether an immigrant would be a "public charge" would be considered when they applied for permanent residency in the U.S.
Critics called the rule discriminatory and alleged that it would stop needy immigrants from claiming the benefits they need. The rule was struck down by the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, but after the Supreme Court agreed to hear the case, the Biden administration said it would not seek to defend the rule in court.
Continuing to defend the rule "is neither in the public interest nor an efficient use of limited government resources," the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said in a statement.
"The 2019 public charge rule was not in keeping with our nation's values. It penalized those who access health benefits and other government services available to them," DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in March.
This led a coalition of 11 states to intervene, and they are now petitioning the Supreme Court to accept review of the case and have the case heard in full. With a conservative majority on the court, they are likely to feel like the rule has a shot of being upheld.
"Without any prior warning, the [Biden administration] sprung an unprecedented, coordinated, and multi-court gambit," the petition says. "Through it, they attempted to execute simultaneous, strategic surrenders in all pending appeals involving the Rule."
Joining Arizona in the suit are Alabama, Arkansas, Indiana, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Montana, Oklahoma, Texas and West Virginia.
"The Public Charge Rule is a commonsense immigration policy that ensures people seeking green cards or American citizenship are able to work and financially support themselves," Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich said in a statement. "If we fail to enforce this rule, which has existed in some form for over 100 years, our emergency assistance programs may no longer be there when Americans need them most."
Brnovich’s office said the validity of the rule should be decided on legal merits. The state has argued that barring welfare-reliant migrants from claiming welfare will save states more than $1 billion a year in welfare payments.
"In particular, the States have important interests in conserving their Medicaid and related social welfare budgets," the petition says. "Providing for the healthcare needs of economically disadvantaged individuals represents a substantial portion of the States’ budgets."
The case is one of a number of challenges launched by Republican attorneys general in recent months when it comes to immigration. While this case deals specifically with legal immigration, a number of others have sought to overturn Biden policies on issues like Immigration and Customs Enforcement priorities and the Remain-in-Mexico policy.
#2
Rules? They were implementation of existing laws prior Congresses passed per their authority under Article I. The Constitutional answer is the enforce the law and tell those who object to change the laws if they dislike them.
[ToloNews] An average of 11 to 49 soldiers and civilians have been killed in Taliban ...Arabic for students... attacks in Afghanistan on a daily basis following the announcement of the withdrawal of US troops from the country on April 14, sources told TOLOnews on Friday.
According to statistics provided by sources, 226 Afghan civilians and military personnel have been killed in Taliban attacks in 24 provinces since April 15.
Of the figure, 69 are civilians and 157 are security force members.
Under the Doha agreement, the United States will officially start withdrawing their troops from Afghanistan on May 1. The process will be completed until September 11.
"Foreign forces are now ready to withdraw from Afghanistan, therefore the Taliban need to come to the negotiating table, the government should also avoid insisting on unpractical plans," said senator Mohammad Alam Ezedyar.
"Taliban has not addressed their commitment to reducing violence, and they think they can take over some cities," said MP Khan Agha Rezaee.
Taliban recently said that the presence of US forces beyond May 1 will be considered as a violation of the Doha agreement.
The group has warned to act what its leadership will ask them after May 1.
"Violence has increased. I think if the Taliban-US relations do not change in the coming days, the grinding of the peace processor will face serious challenges ahead," said Faiz Zaland, a university lecturer in Kabul.
On Friday, the Defense Ministry said that 59 Taliban were killed in clashes with the security forces in Kandahar, Helmand, Ghor, Faryab, Farah, and Badakhshan provinces in the last 24 hours.
[NEWS.YAHOO] Deadly insider attacks against the Afghan army jumped in the first quarter of this year as Taliban ...the Pashtun equivalent of men... rebels took advantage of the coming American and NATO ...the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. A collection of multinational and multilingual and multicultural armed forces, all of differing capabilities, working toward a common goal by pulling in different directions... troop withdrawal, according to a US government report Friday.
The quarterly report of the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction (SIGAR) said attacks on the Afghan cops, mainly by the Taliban rebel group, surged 37 percent over the January-March period from a year earlier.
Notably, insider attacks -- when security forces are targeted by Taliban infiltrators within their ranks -- jumped 82 percent, and casualties from them doubled, according to the report.
The report did not specify the overall number of casualties, saying the data is classified.
But according to coalition figures, it said, 115 Afghan military personnel were killed and 39 maimed in 31 insider attacks in the first three months of this year.
But it made clear that the attacks threaten the stability of the Afghan government after the withdrawal of thousands of US troops and civilian defense contractors by September, as ordered earlier this month by President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. Former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body....
Posted by: Fred ||
05/01/2021 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11130 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
A country that belongs to Islam, people who want to rule it any other way are fools. People who try to help them are fools. People who sympathize with whoever dies in the process are fools. People who have high hopes for any islamic society are just fools.
If indeed there is a complete pullout [I mean like a total breakup, letters burned, phone calls unanswered, tattoos rubbed out], it will be the most prudent thing the US has done in a long time.
[OREGONLIVE] Mayor Ted Wheeler ...Poindextrous lefty Dem mayor of Portland, Oregon. Allowed a year and a half of Antifa/BLM riots to destroy downtown sections of his city while playing catch and release with the perpetrators and hamstringing his police. He got reelected in the course of all that because the alternative was worse... said in a presser Friday that Portland residents are fed up with the small group of "self-described anarchists" who are intent on property damage and destruction. He called on Portlanders to help police by reporting suspected vandals and noting their license plate numbers.
Over the last year, Wheeler has held numerous pressers like that one, condemning property damage and promising more action from the city.
But the Mayor said last week that the city is at a "turning point" as the group of people committing damage gets smaller and the city works to hold accountable those who do commit destruction. He said he was pushing for higher bail and pretrial restrictions for destructive protesters and that the Multnomah County District Attorney's office was reviewing some prior arrests that resulted in dropped charges to ensure that repeat offenders are held accountable.
The Portland City Council last week also approved $250,000 in new grants for businesses that have had their windows shattered or experienced property damage and reallocated $150,000 for additional graffiti removal.
"We're seeing law enforcement come together in ways they've not previously come together," Wheeler said. "We're putting those individuals who like to engage in this kind of criminal destruction and violence on notice that we're going to attempt to arrest them and hold them accountable."
Some business owners are unconvinced.
Noha Kassab, the owner of Kassab Jewelers, is in the process of filing a lawsuit against the City of Portland, alleging that the Portland Police Bureau and city politicians failed to protect downtown businesses during a May 30 riot last year. Kassab said her store lost $1.5 million in merchandise when it was looted during the riot.
While Kassab's two stores in Portland's suburbs are open, the downtown store has been closed and boarded up since last May's riot. Kassab said she was in the process of getting bids to replace several display cases that were smashed by looters in anticipation of potentially reopening a portion of her downtown store in the next several weeks.
But the recent incidents of property damage to businesses in downtown has prompted her to put those plans on hold.
Kassab said she no longer feels safe downtown. She faulted Wheeler for creating an environment in Portland over the last year where vandals and criminals feel as if they can cause destruction and damage without being held responsible.
"Wheeler is just all talk, no action," Kassab said. "He's the reason we're at this point. When you cultivate or tolerate an environment of lawlessness that's what you're going to get -- arson, looting, destroying property. I hope he gets out of the way and resigns."
Sturgeon said that there have been failures at multiple levels of government that have led to the continued destruction.
She said the city and the Police Bureau don't have the resources necessary to address the ongoing property destruction on their own and need more support from the state. She also faulted Multnomah County District Attorney Mike Schmidt for not doing more over the last year to ensure that offenders were held accountable.
Schmidt has charged nine people arrested during direct action marches over the last several weeks, including two individuals that damaged buildings downtown on April 16. Brent Weisberg, a spokesperson for the District Attorney's office, said the office is navigating a significant backlog of cases, which has been exacerbated by court closures due to the pandemic.
"It's the same group of 100 people committing crimes over and over again," Sturgeon said. "It's continued because they haven't been held accountable for their behavior."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/01/2021 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11129 views]
Top|| File under: Antifa/BLM
A new oral history recounts President Barack Obama's decision to authorize the raid on the bin Laden family compound in Pakistan
It describes the efforts to positively identify the top terror leader before and after his death
Pakistani military chief of staff Gen. Ashfaq Kayani provided information when U.S. officials finally called to tell him of the raid
Biden viewed his role as trying to 'stretch out his options' when giving Obama advice
But the real purpose of the article is to portray Joe Biden as a steely-eyed statesman:
The new oral history by Garrett Graff also describes the difficult decision to decide whether to go ahead with the raid.
The contours of that advice is already known: with former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton reluctantly urging action, and former Vice President Joe Biden stressing caution.
According to former deputy national security advisor Ben Rhodes, Biden's role in a key Thursday strategy session before Obama authorized the raid was partly the role of 'devil's advocate' – just hours before a raid that had to take place between Friday and Monday because there would be no moon.
Biden, the former chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, stressed the potential for blowback in Pakistan – whose government was infuriated by the incursion into its territory. The U.S. feared providing notice could cause a leak that would botch the operation.
'Biden had worked a lot on Pakistan over the years, and he really laid out the risk of this going wrong and the potential for confrontation with the Pakistanis,' said Rhodes.
'Our embassy being overrun, the fallout that could ensue. I don’t remember it as being firmly against as much as it being about like, “I’m going to point out the downsides that you need to consider from the perspective of Pakistan.”
Said former CIA Director John Brennan: 'I think Joe Biden was most concerned about if it was a failed mission, what it would mean for Barack Obama and his prospects for a second term.'
Following the Situation Room discussion that Rhodes called 'incredibly dramatic,' Biden pulled Rhodes and chief of staff Denis McDonough into a small conference room.
“You guys think he’s going to do this?” Biden asked.
'We both said, “Yes, absolutely. He always said he would.”'
'What was interesting about that is that Biden said, “Look, I see my role as trying to stretch out his options.” In a sense, Biden was just trying to make sure that Obama had a bunch of room for his decision-making. That always made me think that while he was opposed in the meeting, that some of his opposition was this role he saw for himself—he took a position against the grain to just create space,' said Rhodes.
#3
More lies designed to burnish our Brezhnev's image in the public eye as China, Iran and Russia take advantage of his dotage, corruption and stupidity.
#4
Biden counseled AGAINST killing that piece of shit
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/01/2021 8:26 Comments ||
Top||
#5
When will Brezhn- er Biden accept Putin's challenge to debate him live, with no teleprompter or earbuds: “I want to invite President Biden to continue our discussion, but on the condition that we do it actually live. But with no delays, directly in an open, direct discussion.”
#6
Contrary to the article Obama didn't want to do it either. The Generals forced it almost against his orders. If they had failed Obama would have had them responsible.
And the fact that Obama and Biden did not protect the local doctor Shakil Afridi who made the ultimate confirmation through blood samples to US intelligence that Osama was where he was in the targeted compound was a disgrace.
#7
/\ And the fact that Obama and Biden did not protect the local doctor Shakil Afridi who made the ultimate confirmation through blood samples to US intelligence that Osama was where he was in the targeted compound was a disgrace.
I agree fully, but Afridi partnered with some folks who excel at source exploitation and betrayal. I believe the correct term is... 'one-time source'.
Soetoro's reluctance may have been a feint orchestrated to permit 'plausible deniability' on the off-chance the mission ended in disaster. Knowing he was a loose lipped idiot, I doubt Soetoro or the Klingon's read Biden into the details or back-channel, bi-lateral planning. Can't fault them for that.
Yes, 'bi-lateral planning'. I'd bet a months social security that UBL was purchased.
[Rudaw] Iraq plans to transfer about 100 suspected Islamic State ...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling Allah around with every other sentence, but to hear western pols talk they're not really Moslems.... (ISIS) families from al-Hol in northeast Syria (Rojava) to a camp south of djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... within days.
The group, about 700 individuals, will be brought across the border on May 2 and taken to al-Jada camp, Sherwan Alduberdany, head of the Iraqi parliament’s Regions and Governorates Committee, told Rudaw English on Friday. More will follow.
"IOM has prepared 500 tents currently to receive ISIS families in al-Jada 1 camp," said Alduberdany, referring to the International Organization for Migration.
Baghdad has "agreed to return more than 2000 so far," he added.
About half of al-Hol’s 61,000 residents are Iraqis, the majority are children, and most are family members of suspected ISIS fighters who were brought to the camp from the battlefield in Deir ez-Zor province two years ago. Conditions in the tent encampment are harsh and security is a problem. Authorities conducted a sweeping operation of the camp in late March and early April after a spate of murders.
Alduberdany, representing Nineveh province, said he was worried about the security risks associated with bringing into the country people with alleged ties to the terror group.
"Most of these families had or have had children who must have been grown up now. They are studying in ISIS schools inside al-Hol camp and they are time bombs," he said, calling on other politicians and provincial officials to join him in opposing the transfer.
"There is a miniature Islamic State inside al-Hol camp, and there are many ISIS sleeper cells outside it, in Syria and Iraq," said Alduberdany.
He accused the Iraqi government of lacking a clear plan for rehabilitating the suspected ISIS supporters and reintegrating them into society, especially the children.
Spokesperson for the Ministry of Migration and Displacement, Ali Abbas Jahakir, said they are working on repatriating Iraqis living in al-Hol, but there is no official plan yet.
"We do not have understandings with UN organizations or the Syrian government about returning the Iraqis in al-Hol camp," Jahakir told Rudaw English on Friday.
However, corruption finds a dozen alibis for its evil deeds... Sheikhmus Ahmed, who supervises the administration of Rojava’s camps, told Rudaw English earlier in April that the Iraqi government has agreed to repatriate around 2,500 of its citizens from al-Hol and an Iraqi humanitarian organization was registering people in preparation for the move.
The Palestinian Hamas movement, which governs the besieged Gaza Strip, slams President Abbas’s decision to delay parliamentary polls that were scheduled to take place on May 22 https://t.co/2ZOmG5G2BIpic.twitter.com/CCdgtwMAus
Much of this hinges on when Kerry-Zarif convo' took place. The explanation by State of info being public is dubious since the Israelis didn't become open about their campaign until after '17. Open-source reports DO NOT support the explanation of 200 strikes during Obama's tenure. https://t.co/h51xi2AH04
Posted by: Fred ||
05/01/2021 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11129 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Iran
#1
Treason
Posted by: Frank G ||
05/01/2021 8:37 Comments ||
Top||
#2
If Congress or the FBI refuse to arrest this man for treason, then the citizens need to act.
This is really unbearable now.
First we endured the spectacle of Soetoro, Comey, Brennan and their cabal trashing the Constitution to go after Trump. Lying to the FISA Court. Fabricating "evidence" and spinning ludicrous fables of "collusion." Lying to the nation, brazenly, dozens of times, over YEARS.
Then the absurd slanders of Kavanaugh, with Chuckie Schemer directly encouraging attacks on the Capitol and on two named SCOTUS justices.
Then the impeachment farce -- TWICE.
Then the exploitation of COVID, of anarchist violence and open race war to swing an election.
Then the ludicrous suppression by the Democrats' lickspittle media of thousands of pieces of direct material evidence, sworn affidavits and interviews directly implicating Biden and his family as corrupt tools of a Chinese front organization aimed at bribing and snaring corrupt foreign pols.
Then the stolen election, with four oligarchs spending literally a billion dollars of their own money to rig our system and get their desired result.
Then the ridiculous nonsense about "systemic racism," "white supremacy," Jan 6 "insurrectionists" and a tsunami of Woke bullshit.
And now this. How much more will we tolerate?
Can anyone seriously argue that we still have a republic with rule of law?
#4
#2 Any one of Snatle S's examples would be cause for concern about whether we still have a Republic.
But when they number over a dozen, it's obvious that our Republic is finished. Thus country has turned a corner.
It used to be an exaggeration, an ironic half-joke, to compare this country to Latin left-wing basket cases like Venezuela. Not any more. Our country has been stolen. Our Republic is being ripped to pieces in front of our eyes.
Posted by: Ho Chi Spuck2476 ||
05/01/2021 9:12 Comments ||
Top||
#5
The only correction Snatle S is that I very much doubt they spent their own money. What do you think the latest COVID Stimulus bills were for?
When it self corrects, and it will - nothing lasts forever, it will be very messy on both sides.
[CNN ...formerly the Cable News Network, now who knows what it might stand for... ] This weekend marks the 10th anniversary since the late Osama bin Laden ...... who is now sometimes referred to as Mister Bones...... , the criminal mastermind of the September 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, was killed by US special-operations forces, Seal Team 6, inside his high-walled compound in the Pak military college city of Abbottabad ... A pleasant city located only 30 convenient miles from Islamabad. The city is noted for its nice weather and good schools. It is the site of Pakistain's military academy, which was within comfortable walking distance of the residence of the late Osama bin Laden.... His name and that of his terrorist network, al Qaeda, came to define an era of US reaction and retribution dwarfing any previous counter-terrorism policy.
America's "war on terror" is about to enter a new phase as President Joe The Big Guy Biden ...46th president of the U.S. You're a lyin' dog-faced pony soldier... prepares to withdraw all US forces from Afghanistan by the 20th anniversary of 9/11, but now al Qaeda claims its war with America is far from over.
In an exclusive interview with CNN conducted through intermediaries, two al Qaeda operatives tell CNN that "war against the US will be continuing on all other fronts unless they are expelled from the rest of the Islamic world."
In the past al Qaeda has rarely responded to questions, choosing instead to hide behind its own self-serving propaganda, dodging even the most distant scrutiny. It's unclear why the group has chosen to do so now.
Terrorism analyst Paul Cruickshank, editor-in-chief of West Point's CTC Sentinel, who reviewed al Qaeda's answers, says it is possible "they feel buoyed by the Biden administration's decision to pull out troops from Afghanistan, but they may also be seeking to deflect attention from the many recent losses."
Posted by: Fred ||
05/01/2021 00:00 ||
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Link ||
[11130 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
...Arabic for 
[NEWS.YAHOO] Deadly insider attacks against the Afghan army jumped in the first quarter of this year as 
...46th president of the U.S. Former Senator-for-Life from Delaware, an example of the kind of top-notch Washington intellect to be found in the World's Greatest Deliberative Body....
...Poindextrous lefty Dem mayor of Portland, Oregon. Allowed a year and a half of Antifa/BLM riots to destroy downtown sections of his city while playing catch and release with the perpetrators and hamstringing his police. He got reelected in the course of all that because the alternative was worse...
...formerly ISIS or ISIL, depending on your preference. Before that they were al-Qaeda in Iraq, as shaped by Abu Musab Zarqawi. They're really very devout, committing every atrocity they can find in the Koran and inventing a few more. They fling 
...... who is now sometimes referred to as 
In an exclusive interview with CNN conducted through intermediaries, two al Qaeda operatives tell CNN that "war against the US will be continuing on all other fronts unless they are expelled from the rest of the Islamic world."
