wnd--2020-10-14--The Deep State conspiracy that gave us Obamacare

Taking into account the criminal deportment of congressional Democrats over the last four years ( one could reasonably argue for more ) and the disgraceful confirmation process attendant to President Donald Trump 's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018 , it was a foregone conclusion that these Democrats would vigorously oppose anyone the president nominated to fill the seat vacated by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg .
Evidently , this goes double for someone with the bona fides of Amy Coney Barrett , a U.S. Court of Appeals judge for the 7th Circuit , who @ @ @ @ @ @ @ currently undergoing the confirmation process .
Obviously , the confirmation of any conservative to the Supreme Court is viewed by Democrats as a threat not only to all the political left has accomplished with regard to its agenda , but to all that it seeks to accomplish in the future .
It 's also apparent that hyperbole is the order of the day , as far as liberal rhetoric goes , with projection and schoolyard invective running as close seconds .
Whether it 's blaming President Trump for COVID-19 deaths ( or even @ @ @ @ @ @ @ have arisen as a result of the overreach of elected Democrats or claims that Trump is raising a white nationalist army , their contentions might elicit uproarious laughter were our situation less grave .
In remarks about President Trump 's pick for the Supreme Court , Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden recently claimed that a Supreme Court nominee has never been `` nominated and installed while a presidential election is already underway . ''
This was an outright lie , and Biden knew it ; many justices have been nominated and installed in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
This is par for the course , I imagine , given the magnitude of the lies being proffered by leftists these days .
Since there were apparently no parties willing to level decades-old rape allegations against Judge Barrett , and since she can not be accused of racism ( unless she and her husband are covertly engaging their adopted black children as slaves ) , Democrats have elected to characterize a Barrett confirmation as the death knell for the Affordable Care Act ( ACA , or Obamacare ) .
Well , considering @ @ @ @ @ @ @ much everything have been pitifully weak in every quantifiable area for quite a while ( President Trump 's impeachment proceedings spring to mind ) , this is also par for the course , and might also elicit uproarious laughter were our situation less grave .
Since Barrett was nominated , Democrats have driven the narrative that if she is confirmed she could be the deciding vote in California v. Texas , a constitutional challenge to Obamacare which contends that the individual mandate in the law is unconstitutional .
In their wild-eyed entreaties , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of Obamacare 's reversal as though President Trump and congressional Republicans were poised to repeal the entire Bill of Rights .
I do n't have to tell regular readers of this column that Obamacare is the legislative equivalent of a botched coat-hanger abortion and a dumpster fire having conceived offspring .
From losing the doctors and plans Americans were told they 'd be able to keep , to the onerous cost increases , to the innumerable poison pills contained within the law that had to be passed before we could see what was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to all of the `` fear mongering '' its detractors put forth prior to its passage .
What 's far more significant than the prospect of Obamacare 's repeal or the histrionics of Democrats related to same is how it came to be in the first place , and this is an issue I 've yet to hear another commentator address with sufficient force .
The fact is that the circumstances which made conditions ripe for the passage of the Affordable Care Act came about as the result of nothing less than a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 1960s , progressive trial attorneys , elected officials and federal regulators drove policies that led to steadily rising costs for health care and medical insurance .
The objective was to make these costs so unbearable for most consumers that socialized health care would begin to look like a good idea , particularly to a population that did n't grasp the fundamentals of economics .
Trial attorneys drove up the costs of malpractice insurance for health care providers and hospitals , as well as fostering a culture of litigiousness within the industry .
Federal @ @ @ @ @ @ @ piece of medical technology through onerous approval processes .
Legislators ' refusal to repeal outmoded laws such as the McCarran-Ferguson Act ( which disallows interstate competition between insurance firms ) guaranteed that health insurance premiums would remain artificially high .
Despite the incestuous relationship between pharmaceutical companies and federal regulators that often leads to the approval of harmful drugs , regulators nevertheless supported measures that allowed developed nations outside the U.S. to exploit American innovation by negotiating drug prices to artificially low levels .
The upshot of this is that American drug companies @ @ @ @ @ @ @ research and development costs from these markets , resulting in far higher drug costs for U.S. consumers .
The rising costs and increasing difficulty to obtain medical insurance from the 1970s through 2010 were not , as many Americans surmised , due to the fecklessness of politicians .
They were insidious machinations intended to engender fear , frustration and disgust on the part of American consumers – and it worked .
By 2008 , Americans had been clamoring for health care reform for many years .
Finally , the Washington establishment was able @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a horrible piece of legislation on its face , during the administration of a president whose levels of melanin served as political Teflon .
The irony lies in the fact that Obamacare was only intended as a stepping stone to a single-payer system ( socialized medicine ) from the start .
The significant economic pain caused by this law – far worse than consumers endured prior to its passage – is intended to set the stage for the next landmark health care legislation package to be passed under the next far-left Democratic president @ @ @ @ @ @

Taking into account the criminal deportment of congressional Democrats over the last four years (one could reasonably argue for more) and the disgraceful confirmation process attendant to President Donald Trump's nomination of Brett Kavanaugh to the Supreme Court in 2018, it was a foregone conclusion that these Democrats would vigorously oppose anyone the president nominated to fill the seat vacated by the late Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Evidently, this goes double for someone with the bona fides of Amy Coney Barrett, a U.S. Court of Appeals judge for the 7th Circuit, who was nominated by President Trump and is currently undergoing the confirmation process. Obviously, the confirmation of any conservative to the Supreme Court is viewed by Democrats as a threat not only to all the political left has accomplished with regard to its agenda, but to all that it seeks to accomplish in the future.
It's also apparent that hyperbole is the order of the day, as far as liberal rhetoric goes, with projection and schoolyard invective running as close seconds. Whether it's blaming President Trump for COVID-19 deaths (or even the pandemic itself), conspiracies that have arisen as a result of the overreach of elected Democrats or claims that Trump is raising a white nationalist army, their contentions might elicit uproarious laughter were our situation less grave.
In remarks about President Trump's pick for the Supreme Court, Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden recently claimed that a Supreme Court nominee has never been "nominated and installed while a presidential election is already underway." This was an outright lie, and Biden knew it; many justices have been nominated and installed in election years by presidents running for reelection. This is par for the course, I imagine, given the magnitude of the lies being proffered by leftists these days.
Since there were apparently no parties willing to level decades-old rape allegations against Judge Barrett, and since she cannot be accused of racism (unless she and her husband are covertly engaging their adopted black children as slaves), Democrats have elected to characterize a Barrett confirmation as the death knell for the Affordable Care Act (ACA, or Obamacare).
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Well, considering that congressional Democrats' cases for pretty much everything have been pitifully weak in every quantifiable area for quite a while (President Trump's impeachment proceedings spring to mind), this is also par for the course, and might also elicit uproarious laughter were our situation less grave.
Since Barrett was nominated, Democrats have driven the narrative that if she is confirmed she could be the deciding vote in California v. Texas, a constitutional challenge to Obamacare which contends that the individual mandate in the law is unconstitutional. In their wild-eyed entreaties, however, Democrats are representing the prospect of Obamacare's reversal as though President Trump and congressional Republicans were poised to repeal the entire Bill of Rights.
I don't have to tell regular readers of this column that Obamacare is the legislative equivalent of a botched coat-hanger abortion and a dumpster fire having conceived offspring. From losing the doctors and plans Americans were told they'd be able to keep, to the onerous cost increases, to the innumerable poison pills contained within the law that had to be passed before we could see what was in it, Obamacare has lived up to all of the "fear mongering" its detractors put forth prior to its passage.
What's far more significant than the prospect of Obamacare's repeal or the histrionics of Democrats related to same is how it came to be in the first place, and this is an issue I've yet to hear another commentator address with sufficient force.
Should Obamacare be dismantled? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 99% (78 Votes) 1% (1 Votes)
The fact is that the circumstances which made conditions ripe for the passage of the Affordable Care Act came about as the result of nothing less than a Deep State conspiracy.
Beginning in the 1960s, progressive trial attorneys, elected officials and federal regulators drove policies that led to steadily rising costs for health care and medical insurance. The objective was to make these costs so unbearable for most consumers that socialized health care would begin to look like a good idea, particularly to a population that didn't grasp the fundamentals of economics.
Trial attorneys drove up the costs of malpractice insurance for health care providers and hospitals, as well as fostering a culture of litigiousness within the industry. Federal regulators drove up the price of every piece of medical technology through onerous approval processes. Legislators' refusal to repeal outmoded laws such as the McCarran-Ferguson Act (which disallows interstate competition between insurance firms) guaranteed that health insurance premiums would remain artificially high.
Despite the incestuous relationship between pharmaceutical companies and federal regulators that often leads to the approval of harmful drugs, regulators nevertheless supported measures that allowed developed nations outside the U.S. to exploit American innovation by negotiating drug prices to artificially low levels. The upshot of this is that American drug companies have not been allowed to recoup their research and development costs from these markets, resulting in far higher drug costs for U.S. consumers.
The rising costs and increasing difficulty to obtain medical insurance from the 1970s through 2010 were not, as many Americans surmised, due to the fecklessness of politicians. They were insidious machinations intended to engender fear, frustration and disgust on the part of American consumers – and it worked. By 2008, Americans had been clamoring for health care reform for many years.
Finally, the Washington establishment was able to pass the Affordable Care Act, a horrible piece of legislation on its face, during the administration of a president whose levels of melanin served as political Teflon.
The irony lies in the fact that Obamacare was only intended as a stepping stone to a single-payer system (socialized medicine) from the start. The significant economic pain caused by this law – far worse than consumers endured prior to its passage – is intended to set the stage for the next landmark health care legislation package to be passed under the next far-left Democratic president when the time is right.


wnd--2020-10-14--Wait! What? Biden wrongly says Pennsylvania company considering shutting down

That likely was the immediate reaction from officials with Wabtec , a locomotive builder in Erie , Pennsylvania , after Joe Biden announced the company was thinking about closing .
Erie News reported Biden 's comment to reporter Ethan Kibbe `` raised some concerns on the plant floor at Wabtec . ''
`` I heard today there 's a locomotive plant thinking of shutting down here , '' Biden said .
`` I 'm going to invest literally in high speed rail .
I have a record on that .
I 'm the ( inaudible ) .
We 're going @ @ @ @ @ @ @ paying jobs . ''
The company immediately addressed its workers in a statement : `` We want to set the record straight and let you know this statement is untrue .
This site and plant are an integral part of the business and our community .
As Wabtec 's design and development hub , the Erie site is leading cutting-edge innovations . ''
Kibbe said that after the interview , Biden corrected his statement to say he had heard of layoffs .
But the original interview was posted on Facebook .
Fox News @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , diminishing the company 's workforce at the Erie site to about 1,200 workers .

Wait! What?
That likely was the immediate reaction from officials with Wabtec, a locomotive builder in Erie, Pennsylvania, after Joe Biden announced the company was thinking about closing.
It's not.
Erie News reported Biden's comment to reporter Ethan Kibbe "raised some concerns on the plant floor at Wabtec."
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
"I heard today there's a locomotive plant thinking of shutting down here," Biden said. "I'm going to invest literally in high speed rail. I have a record on that. I'm the (inaudible). We're going to create tens of thousands of good paying jobs."
The company immediately addressed its workers in a statement: "We want to set the record straight and let you know this statement is untrue. This site and plant are an integral part of the business and our community. As Wabtec's design and development hub, the Erie site is leading cutting-edge innovations."
Kibbe said that after the interview, Biden corrected his statement to say he had heard of layoffs.
But the original interview was posted on Facebook.
Fox News reported Wabtec had layoffs earlier this year, diminishing the company's workforce at the Erie site to about 1,200 workers.


wnd--2020-10-15--Poll: Voters concerned about Joe Biden's age

( WASHINGTON EXAMINER ) -- A majority of voters are concerned about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden ’ s age @ @ @ @ @ poll .
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll finds that 60 % of registered voters are very @ @ @ @ @ ’ s age , compared to just 45 % who say the same about President @ @ @ @ @ Biden ’ s performance in the first presidential debate did not put the age issue @ @ @ @ @ 77 , and the sitting president is 74 .
Biden ’ s verbal miscues and @ @ @ @ @ during the campaign , with Trump supporters and the president himself questioning whether the former @ @ @ @ @ for the presidency .

(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) -- A majority of voters are concerned about Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden’s age, according to a new poll.
A Washington Examiner/YouGov poll finds that 60% of registered voters are very or fairly concerned about Biden’s age, compared to just 45% who say the same about President Trump. This suggests that Biden’s performance in the first presidential debate did not put the age issue to rest. Biden is 77, and the sitting president is 74.
Biden’s verbal miscues and memory slips have been raised during the campaign, with Trump supporters and the president himself questioning whether the former vice president remains mentally equipped for the presidency.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-10-15--Twitter censors House Judiciary Committee Republicans

( FOX BUSINESS ) -- Twitter is suppressing an official press release from the House Judiciary Committee Republicans after they @ @ @ @ @ Post story that purportedly showed emails between Hunter Biden , the son of Democratic vice @ @ @ @ @ and a Ukrainian energy executive indicating that the younger Biden introduced the executive and the @ @ @ @ @ has not independently confirmed the New York Post story .
When clicking on the House @ @ @ @ @ that included the New York Post story , the same warning appears that Twitter placed @ @ @ @ @ Post link on Wednesday .
The warning says that `` this link may be unsafe @ @ @ @ @ has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially spammy or unsafe .
@

(FOX BUSINESS) -- Twitter is suppressing an official press release from the House Judiciary Committee Republicans after they reposted verbatim the New York Post story that purportedly showed emails between Hunter Biden, the son of Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Biden, and a Ukrainian energy executive indicating that the younger Biden introduced the executive and the then-vice president.
Fox News has not independently confirmed the New York Post story.
When clicking on the House Judiciary Republicans' press release that included the New York Post story, the same warning appears that Twitter placed on the original New York Post link on Wednesday. The warning says that "this link may be unsafe" and that it "has been identified by Twitter or our partners as being potentially spammy or unsafe."
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-10-15--'New set of errors' found in Joe Biden's 'arrest' story

( WASHINGTON EXAMINER ) -- Joe Biden 's recollection that he was once `` arrested '' in apartheid South Africa @ @ @ @ @ colleagues , was one of many statements he had to walk back during the Democratic @ @ @ @ @ acknowledgment by Biden , now the Democratic presidential nominee , that the 1976 incident did @ @ @ @ @ a new set of errors .
Details of the 1976 trip reviewed by the Washington @ @ @ @ @ Delaware senator was never in the South African city of Johannesburg , where the fictional @ @ @ @ @ take place .

(WASHINGTON EXAMINER) -- Joe Biden's recollection that he was once "arrested" in apartheid South Africa, along with black congressional colleagues, was one of many statements he had to walk back during the Democratic primaries.
But the eventual acknowledgment by Biden, now the Democratic presidential nominee, that the 1976 incident didn't happen as described contained a new set of errors.
Details of the 1976 trip reviewed by the Washington Examiner show that the then-34-year-old Delaware senator was never in the South African city of Johannesburg, where the fictional arrest episode was said to take place.
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-10-15--Hannity: Hunter Biden revelations confirm 'corrupt practices'

( FOX NEWS ) -- The New York Post 's latest report about Hunter Biden is `` an avalanche of @ @ @ @ @ to the corrupt practices `` of the Biden family business , '' Sean Hannity told @ @ @ @ @ `` Hannity '' host then played a clip of Joe Biden , the Democratic presidential @ @ @ @ @ discuss [ ing ] with my son or brother or anyone else '' and promising @ @ @ @ @ between personal and presidential business if elected .
`` What you just watched , '' @ @ @ @ @ Biden lying straight to your face . ''

(FOX NEWS) -- The New York Post's latest report about Hunter Biden is "an avalanche of damning information" that speaks to the corrupt practices "of the Biden family business," Sean Hannity told viewers Wednesday night.
The "Hannity" host then played a clip of Joe Biden, the Democratic presidential nominee, denying "ever discuss[ing] with my son or brother or anyone else" and promising an "absolute wall" between personal and presidential business if elected.
"What you just watched," Hannity said, "is Biden lying straight to your face."
Read the full story ›


wnd--2020-10-16--Peter Schweizer: Emails confirm China, Ukraine bought access to Joe Biden

In an interview Thursday with Fox News , investigative reporter Peter Schweizer said the Biden campaign 's response to the New York Post story Wednesday presenting new evidence Joe Biden was aware of his son 's lucrative business deals during his vice presidency `` fits the pattern '' of dishonesty he has seen in recent years .
Schweizer exposed Hunter Biden 's Ukraine and China deals in his 2018 book `` Secret Empires . ''
His subsequent book `` Profiles in Corruption : Abuse of Power by America ’ s Progressive Elite '' presented evidence that five members of Joe @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as vice president under President Obama .
The Post reported Wednesday an email purportedly sent to Hunter Biden from an adviser to the board of the Ukrainian firm Burisma on which Hunter Biden served met with Joe Biden .
The Post reported Thursday another email shows that among the business deals Hunter Biden pursued in China while his father was vice president was one he said would benefit not only him but his family .
The younger Biden asked for $ 10 million from the Chinese firm CEFC China Energy for `` introductions @ @ @ @ @ @ @ the Post 's initial story on Wednesday , insisting it needed time to fact-check it , and Twitter followed by blocking any links to it .
On Wednesday , the Biden campaign cast the allegations in the Post story as `` Russian disinformation , '' arguing that there was no meeting with the Burisma executive on Joe Biden 's schedule for the day in question .
Schweizer noted to Fox News the Obama White House archives shows Biden 's schedule on that day had two blank hours in the morning and three in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of time in which they could have met , and they do n't blanket deny it , '' he said .
In fact , Politico reported Biden 's campaign `` would not rule out the possibility that the former VP had some kind of informal interaction with [ the Burisma adviser Vadim ] Pozharskyi , which would n't appear on Biden ’ s official schedule . ''
`` But they said any encounter would have been cursory . ''
Schweizer noted to Fox News that Hunter Biden himself has gone on record saying @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
And contrary to the Bidens ' denials , the New Yorker reported a Chinese business executive said he met with Joe Biden during the 2013 trip to Bejing on Air Force Two in which Hunter Biden accompanied his father and struck a $ 1.5 billion deal with a state-owned Chinese firm .
Schweizer said that while he has not seen the newly disclosed Hunter Biden emails , the reporting on China fits the pattern .
The New York Times and others have reported in the past that Hunter Biden was working with @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
`` I think Joe Biden needs to be asked about this and his feet need to be held to the fire , '' Schweizer said , `` because this is a core issue as to jb and the financial , let 's say incentives , that he might be working under for given his family 's commercial interests . ''
Schweizer said one reason media has ignored the story of the Biden family 's commercial dealings is because it 's somewhat complicated `` and a lot of news coverage has become very @ @ @ @ @ @ @ no question there is covering for Joe Biden , '' he said .
`` If this was a story about the Trump family , the media would be aggressively covering it . ''
In an interview in February with SiriusXMs Breitbart News Daily shortly after the publishing of `` Profiles in Corruption , '' Schweizer said the key to understanding the business deals is the timing .
`` The timing is clear : February of 2014 , Putin moves into Crimea , that creates this whole crisis , '' he said .
`` @ @ @ @ @ @ @ point person on Ukraine policy .
Within three weeks , Ukrainians suddenly decide , 'Hey Hunter Biden is the guy , the expert , we want to join this company .
And yeah , we need to pay him a million dollars a year , ' '' said Schweizer .
`` You look at that and think , 'This is absurd . '
...
It 's not like he was advising Ukraine in 2005 , '' he said .
Schweizer also recalled that when the Obama administration `` pivoted '' its foreign policy @ @ @ @ @ @ @ father on a trip to Beijing on Air Force Two .
`` Joe goes over there on one of his first significant trips , and what does he do ?
His son comes with him , and 10 days after the trip , the son suddenly announces this billon-and-a-half-dollar private equity deal , '' Schweizer said .
`` It 's clear , it 's crystal clear what 's going on . ''
In February , Biden got testy with the `` Today '' show 's Savannah Guthrie for confronting him about the apparent @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 's position with a corrupt Ukrainian firm .
Biden charged that Guthrie did n't know what she was talking about as she pressed him on an arrangement that `` seems kind of sleazy '' to many people .
The former vice president – who was the point man for Ukraine policy while his son was paid a total of $ 3.1 million by Burisma while it was under investigation for corruption – said it 's `` a good thing that no one 's found anything wrong with his dealing with Ukraine except they @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' Guthrie then asked : `` Do you think it was wrong from him to take that position – '' Guthrie finished her question : `` – knowing that it was really because that company wanted access to you ? ''
`` Well that 's not true , '' Biden retorted .
`` You 're saying things – you do not know what you 're talking about .
No one said that .
Who said that ?
Who said that ? ''
`` Do n't you think that it 's just one of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ that seems kind of sleazy .
Why would he have that job if not for who his father was ? ''
Biden said his son is `` a very bright guy '' but admitted the `` appearance '' was n't ideal .
`` Well , he said he regretted having done it , '' Biden said of his son .
`` Speak for himself .
He 's a grown man . ''
See Biden 's exchange with the 'Today ' show 's Savannah Guthrie : WND reported in January Schweizer 's documentation in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Abuse of Power by America 's Progressive Elite '' that five Biden family members have been engaged in influence peddling .
`` The ship really came in as far as these financial deals when he was vice president , '' said Schweizer in an interview at the time on the Fox News Channel 's `` Hannity . ''
Along with Hunter Biden , Joe Biden 's son-in-law Howard , brothers James and Frank , and sister Valerie also cashed in on the vice presidency .
In a column for the New York Post @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schweizer observed that political figures have long used their families `` to route power and benefits for their own self-enrichment . ''
Biden , in the book , `` emerges as the king of the sweetheart deal , with no less than five family members benefiting from his largesse , favorable access and powerful position for commercial gain . ''
The deals include foreign partners and , in some cases , U.S. taxpayer dollars .
Schweizer 's evidence , he says , refutes the claim Joe Biden 's made when the subject came @ @ @ @ @ @ @ talked with my son or my brother or anyone else — even distant family — about their business interests .
Period , '' Biden said .
Schweizer wrote : `` As we will see , this is far from the case . ''
Joe Biden has been close to his younger brother James since James served as finance chair of Joe 's 1972 Senate campaign .
After Joe became vice president , James was a welcomed guest at the White House .
Sometimes the visits , Schweizer wrote , `` dovetailed with his @ @ @ @ @ @ @ opportunities flourished during his brother ’ s tenure as vice president . ''
One example is James ' hiring by the construction management firm HillStone International after its president visited the White House and met with Biden adviser Michele Smith in the Office of the Vice President .
`` James appeared to have little or no background in housing construction , but that did not seem to matter to HillStone , '' Schweizer noted .
James Biden was joining HillStone just as the firm was starting negotiations to win a massive contract in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ was hired , the firm announced a contract generating $ 1.5 billion over three years to build 100,000 homes in Iraq .
HillStone also received a $ 22 million federal government contract to manage a construction project for the State Department .
David Richter , son of the parent company 's founder , told investors at a private meeting , according to a Schweizer source in attendance , that securing government contracts is much easier when you have `` the brother of the vice president as a partner . ''
An investment company @ @ @ @ @ @ @ 2011 in the Oval Office , where its leaders met with President Obama and Vice President Biden .
A day later , the new company was featured at a large health care tech conference run by the Department of Health and Human Services .
And StartUp Health executives became regular visitors to the White House , attending events in 2011 , 2014 and 2015 .
How did the company gain such access ?
Schweizer pointed out the chief medical officer of StartUp Health , Howard Krein , is married to Joe Biden ’ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Biden helped Krein promote his company through his last months in the White House , including at a StartUp Health members conference in which 250 people got to chat in a closed session with the vice president .
Vice President Joe Biden 's March 2009 trip to Costa Rica for a one-on-one visit with President Oscar Arias `` came at a fortuitous time for his brother Frank , who was busy working deals in the country , '' Schweizer wrote .
Just months after the visit , a new multilateral partnership `` to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ among Frank Biden and others was announced .
`` The Costa Rican government was eager to cooperate with the vice president ’ s brother , '' Schweizer wrote .
`` As it happened , Joe Biden had been asked by President Obama to act as the administration ’ s point man in Latin America and the Caribbean . ''
Despite lacking experience in building such developments , Frank 's project received support from the highest levels of the Costa Rican government .
In June 2014 , Vice President Biden announced the launch of @ @ @ @ @ @ @ increasing access to financing for Caribbean energy projects that he strongly supported .
`` After Joe Biden brought together leaders for CESI , brother Frank 's firm Sun Fund Americas announced that it was 'engaged in projects and is in negotiations with governments of other countries in the [ Caribbean ] region for both its Solar and Waste to Energy development services , ' '' Schweizer wrote .
Frank Biden 's Sun Fund Americas later announced that it had signed a power purchase agreement to build a 20-megawatt solar facility in Jamaica .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ Schweizer writes , Biden 's family `` benefited financially in other ways as he leveraged political power . ''
Joe 's sister Valerie ran all of his Senate campaigns , as well as his presidential runs in 1988 and 2008 .
`` But she was also a senior partner in a political messaging firm named Joe Slade White & Company ; the only two executives listed at the firm were Joe Slade White and Valerie , '' he wrote .
`` The firm received large fees from the Biden campaigns that Valerie was @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dollars in consulting fees flowed to her firm from Citizens for Biden and Biden For President Inc. during the 2008 presidential bid alone . ''

In an interview Thursday with Fox News, investigative reporter Peter Schweizer said the Biden campaign's response to the New York Post story Wednesday presenting new evidence Joe Biden was aware of his son's lucrative business deals during his vice presidency "fits the pattern" of dishonesty he has seen in recent years.
Schweizer exposed Hunter Biden's Ukraine and China deals in his 2018 book "Secret Empires." His subsequent book "Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America’s Progressive Elite" presented evidence that five members of Joe Biden's family profited from his position as vice president under President Obama.
The Post reported Wednesday an email purportedly sent to Hunter Biden from an adviser to the board of the Ukrainian firm Burisma on which Hunter Biden served met with Joe Biden. The Post reported Thursday another email shows that among the business deals Hunter Biden pursued in China while his father was vice president was one he said would benefit not only him but his family. The younger Biden asked for $10 million from the Chinese firm CEFC China Energy for "introductions."
Facebook immediately restricted distribution of the Post's initial story on Wednesday, insisting it needed time to fact-check it, and Twitter followed by blocking any links to it.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
On Wednesday, the Biden campaign cast the allegations in the Post story as "Russian disinformation," arguing that there was no meeting with the Burisma executive on Joe Biden's schedule for the day in question.
Schweizer noted to Fox News the Obama White House archives shows Biden's schedule on that day had two blank hours in the morning and three in the afternoon.
"There's plenty of time in which they could have met, and they don't blanket deny it," he said.
In fact, Politico reported Biden's campaign "would not rule out the possibility that the former VP had some kind of informal interaction with [the Burisma adviser Vadim] Pozharskyi, which wouldn't appear on Biden’s official schedule."
Has Joe Biden been dishonest about his son's lucrative business deals? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 98% (96 Votes) 2% (2 Votes)
"But they said any encounter would have been cursory."
Schweizer noted to Fox News that Hunter Biden himself has gone on record saying he talked with his father about Burisma.
And contrary to the Bidens' denials, the New Yorker reported a Chinese business executive said he met with Joe Biden during the 2013 trip to Bejing on Air Force Two in which Hunter Biden accompanied his father and struck a $1.5 billion deal with a state-owned Chinese firm.
Schweizer said that while he has not seen the newly disclosed Hunter Biden emails, the reporting on China fits the pattern.
The New York Times and others have reported in the past that Hunter Biden was working with the Chinese firm CEFC, he noted.
"I think Joe Biden needs to be asked about this and his feet need to be held to the fire," Schweizer said, "because this is a core issue as to jb and the financial, let's say incentives, that he might be working under for given his family's commercial interests."
Schweizer said one reason media has ignored the story of the Biden family's commercial dealings is because it's somewhat complicated "and a lot of news coverage has become very superficial."
"But there is no question there is covering for Joe Biden," he said. "If this was a story about the Trump family, the media would be aggressively covering it."
Timing the key
In an interview in February with SiriusXMs Breitbart News Daily shortly after the publishing of "Profiles in Corruption," Schweizer said the key to understanding the business deals is the timing.
"The timing is clear: February of 2014, Putin moves into Crimea, that creates this whole crisis," he said. "In March of 2014, Joe is point person on Ukraine policy. Within three weeks, Ukrainians suddenly decide, 'Hey Hunter Biden is the guy, the expert, we want to join this company. And yeah, we need to pay him a million dollars a year,'" said Schweizer.
"You look at that and think, 'This is absurd.' ... It's not like he was advising Ukraine in 2005," he said.
Schweizer also recalled that when the Obama administration "pivoted" its foreign policy to Asia, Hunter Biden accompanied his father on a trip to Beijing on Air Force Two.
"Joe goes over there on one of his first significant trips, and what does he do? His son comes with him, and 10 days after the trip, the son suddenly announces this billon-and-a-half-dollar private equity deal," Schweizer said.
"It's clear, it's crystal clear what's going on."
NBC: 'Seems kind of sleazy'
In February, Biden got testy with the "Today" show's Savannah Guthrie for confronting him about the apparent conflict of interest in his son Hunter's position with a corrupt Ukrainian firm.
Biden charged that Guthrie didn't know what she was talking about as she pressed him on an arrangement that "seems kind of sleazy" to many people.
The former vice president – who was the point man for Ukraine policy while his son was paid a total of $3.1 million by Burisma while it was under investigation for corruption – said it's "a good thing that no one's found anything wrong with his dealing with Ukraine except they say it sets a bad image."
Guthrie then asked: "Do you think it was wrong from him to take that position –"
Biden interrupted: "No."
Guthrie finished her question: "– knowing that it was really because that company wanted access to you?"
"Well that's not true," Biden retorted. "You're saying things – you do not know what you're talking about. No one said that. Who said that? Who said that?"
Guthrie pressed further.
"Don't you think that it's just one of those things where people think, 'Well that seems kind of sleazy. Why would he have that job if not for who his father was?"
Biden said his son is "a very bright guy" but admitted the "appearance" wasn't ideal.
"Well, he said he regretted having done it," Biden said of his son. "Speak for himself. He's a grown man."
See Biden's exchange with the 'Today' show's Savannah Guthrie:
Family affair
WND reported in January Schweizer's documentation in his book "Profiles in Corruption: Abuse of Power by America's Progressive Elite" that five Biden family members have been engaged in influence peddling.
"The ship really came in as far as these financial deals when he was vice president," said Schweizer in an interview at the time on the Fox News Channel's "Hannity."
Along with Hunter Biden, Joe Biden's son-in-law Howard, brothers James and Frank, and sister Valerie also cashed in on the vice presidency.
See Schweizer's interview with Sean Hannity:
In a column for the New York Post featuring an excerpt from his book, Schweizer observed that political figures have long used their families "to route power and benefits for their own self-enrichment."
Biden, in the book, "emerges as the king of the sweetheart deal, with no less than five family members benefiting from his largesse, favorable access and powerful position for commercial gain."
The deals include foreign partners and, in some cases, U.S. taxpayer dollars.
Schweizer's evidence, he says, refutes the claim Joe Biden's made when the subject came up in 2019.
"I never talked with my son or my brother or anyone else — even distant family — about their business interests. Period," Biden said.
Schweizer wrote: "As we will see, this is far from the case."
Brother Joe
Joe Biden has been close to his younger brother James since James served as finance chair of Joe's 1972 Senate campaign. After Joe became vice president, James was a welcomed guest at the White House.
Sometimes the visits, Schweizer wrote, "dovetailed with his overseas business dealings, and his commercial opportunities flourished during his brother’s tenure as vice president."
One example is James' hiring by the construction management firm HillStone International after its president visited the White House and met with Biden adviser Michele Smith in the Office of the Vice President.
"James appeared to have little or no background in housing construction, but that did not seem to matter to HillStone," Schweizer noted.
James Biden was joining HillStone just as the firm was starting negotiations to win a massive contract in war-torn Iraq. Six months after James was hired, the firm announced a contract generating $1.5 billion over three years to build 100,000 homes in Iraq. HillStone also received a $22 million federal government contract to manage a construction project for the State Department.
David Richter, son of the parent company's founder, told investors at a private meeting, according to a Schweizer source in attendance, that securing government contracts is much easier when you have "the brother of the vice president as a partner."
Daughter Ashley
An investment company called StartUp Health announced its launch in 2011 in the Oval Office, where its leaders met with President Obama and Vice President Biden.
A day later, the new company was featured at a large health care tech conference run by the Department of Health and Human Services. And StartUp Health executives became regular visitors to the White House, attending events in 2011, 2014 and 2015.
How did the company gain such access?
Schweizer pointed out the chief medical officer of StartUp Health, Howard Krein, is married to Joe Biden’s youngest daughter, Ashley.
Joe Biden helped Krein promote his company through his last months in the White House, including at a StartUp Health members conference in which 250 people got to chat in a closed session with the vice president.
Brother Frank
Vice President Joe Biden's March 2009 trip to Costa Rica for a one-on-one visit with President Oscar Arias "came at a fortuitous time for his brother Frank, who was busy working deals in the country," Schweizer wrote.
Just months after the visit, a new multilateral partnership "to reform Real Estate in Latin America" among Frank Biden and others was announced.
"The Costa Rican government was eager to cooperate with the vice president’s brother," Schweizer wrote. "As it happened, Joe Biden had been asked by President Obama to act as the administration’s point man in Latin America and the Caribbean."
Despite lacking experience in building such developments, Frank's project received support from the highest levels of the Costa Rican government.
In June 2014, Vice President Biden announced the launch of the Caribbean Energy Security Initiative calling for increasing access to financing for Caribbean energy projects that he strongly supported.
"After Joe Biden brought together leaders for CESI, brother Frank's firm Sun Fund Americas announced that it was 'engaged in projects and is in negotiations with governments of other countries in the [Caribbean] region for both its Solar and Waste to Energy development services,'" Schweizer wrote.
Frank Biden's Sun Fund Americas later announced that it had signed a power purchase agreement to build a 20-megawatt solar facility in Jamaica.
Joe's sister
During his years in the Senate, Schweizer writes, Biden's family "benefited financially in other ways as he leveraged political power."
Joe's sister Valerie ran all of his Senate campaigns, as well as his presidential runs in 1988 and 2008.
"But she was also a senior partner in a political messaging firm named Joe Slade White & Company; the only two executives listed at the firm were Joe Slade White and Valerie," he wrote.
"The firm received large fees from the Biden campaigns that Valerie was running. Two and a half million dollars in consulting fees flowed to her firm from Citizens for Biden and Biden For President Inc. during the 2008 presidential bid alone."
Joe Slade White & Company worked for Biden campaigns over 18 years.


wnd--2020-10-16--Study: Biden's agenda will cost every family up to $49,000

Joe Biden 's proposals would cost the nation some $ 36 trillion over the next decade , or up to $ 49,000 per family , according to a study .
Paul Bedard reported in his `` Washington Secrets '' column the study by the James Madison Institute concluded the Biden-Harris agenda would send the economies of the five key battlegrounds states of Pennsylvania , Ohio , Florida , Michigan and Wisconsin `` spiraling into deficits . ''
After health care , the next biggest hit to Americans would be $ 3.8 trillion from eliminating the Trump tax cuts , which @ @ @ @ @ @ @ first day in office .
The study by the institute 's Donna Arduin and Tony Villamil said a Biden administration would `` sharply '' boost the role of federal government in education and `` green '' infrastructure .
In contrast , President Trump would maintain the 2017 tax overhaul and proposes a payroll tax decrease , `` relying primarily on a private-sector and individual-led economic growth agenda . ''
`` There is a clear difference between the two candidates in the economic policy area , impacting economic performance , employment levels and the @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and private sectors starting in 2021 , '' the study said .
`` Reinvigorating the U.S. economy should be the top priority for federal and state leaders , and U.S. voters must decide which presidential platform will serve to fulfill this goal as the U.S. economy begins its nascent recovery from COVID-19 .
Pro-growth policies that remove government intervention , facilitate free trade , and ensure sound fiscal policy will serve to promote the innovation and growth necessary to counter the ramifications of the pandemic , and will prove crucial to determining whether @ @ @ @ @ @ @ stronger . ''
The study found Biden would raises taxes on Florida residents by $ 9,389 per person over the next 10 years , or more than $ 37,000 for a family of four .
In Michigan it would be $ 8,142 per person , and in Wisconsin $ 9,020 per person .
In Pennsylvania $ 10,605 per person and in Ohio a whopping $ 12,299 per person , or nearly $ 50,000 for a family of four .
`` If we have learned anything from this incredibly unique year , it is @ @ @ @ @ @ @ dime , and policies matter greatly .
We face a perilous fight to return to prosperity , and what happens in Washington , D.C. , will filter down to each state in different ways , '' J. Robert McClure , president of the institute , told Bedard .
`` Both presidential candidates would approach America ’ s challenges differently , and their policy agendas absolutely reflect that .
Those policy agendas will have tremendous and long-lasting impacts on our economy , and that ’ s why JMI commissioned this study — to inform @ @ @ @ @ @ @ '' he said .
Biden 's planned spending includes $ 32.6 trillion for medicare for all , $ 2 trillion for his version of the Green New Deal , $ 1.3 trillion for higher education and $ 700 billion for trade and regulations .
The study concluded : `` While it may be a fashionable idea these days to order the U.S. Treasury to print money and the Federal Reserve to go along , ultimately the money to pay for those proposals comes from taxpayers .
The continuation of that path , along @ @ @ @ @ @ @ President Biden and Senator Harris , will be borne by all of us – both in the taxes we pay and the economies we withstand . ''

Will you be able to afford a tax increase if Biden wins the presidency?

Joe Biden's proposals would cost the nation some $36 trillion over the next decade, or up to $49,000 per family, according to a study.
Paul Bedard reported in his "Washington Secrets" column the study by the James Madison Institute concluded the Biden-Harris agenda would send the economies of the five key battlegrounds states of Pennsylvania, Ohio, Florida, Michigan and Wisconsin "spiraling into deficits."
After health care, the next biggest hit to Americans would be $3.8 trillion from eliminating the Trump tax cuts, which Biden has promised to do on his first day in office.
The study by the institute's Donna Arduin and Tony Villamil said a Biden administration would "sharply" boost the role of federal government in education and "green" infrastructure.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
In contrast, President Trump would maintain the 2017 tax overhaul and proposes a payroll tax decrease, "relying primarily on a private-sector and individual-led economic growth agenda."
"There is a clear difference between the two candidates in the economic policy area, impacting economic performance, employment levels and the allocating of scarce resources between the public and private sectors starting in 2021," the study said.
"Reinvigorating the U.S. economy should be the top priority for federal and state leaders, and U.S. voters must decide which presidential platform will serve to fulfill this goal as the U.S. economy begins its nascent recovery from COVID-19. Pro-growth policies that remove government intervention, facilitate free trade, and ensure sound fiscal policy will serve to promote the innovation and growth necessary to counter the ramifications of the pandemic, and will prove crucial to determining whether the U.S. will emerge from this crisis stronger."
The study found Biden would raises taxes on Florida residents by $9,389 per person over the next 10 years, or more than $37,000 for a family of four. In Michigan it would be $8,142 per person, and in Wisconsin $9,020 per person. In Pennsylvania $10,605 per person and in Ohio a whopping $12,299 per person, or nearly $50,000 for a family of four.
"If we have learned anything from this incredibly unique year, it is that the economy can turn on a dime, and policies matter greatly. We face a perilous fight to return to prosperity, and what happens in Washington, D.C., will filter down to each state in different ways," J. Robert McClure, president of the institute, told Bedard.
"Both presidential candidates would approach America’s challenges differently, and their policy agendas absolutely reflect that. Those policy agendas will have tremendous and long-lasting impacts on our economy, and that’s why JMI commissioned this study — to inform and educate voters for Election Day," he said.
Biden's planned spending includes $32.6 trillion for medicare for all, $2 trillion for his version of the Green New Deal, $1.3 trillion for higher education and $700 billion for trade and regulations.
The study concluded: "While it may be a fashionable idea these days to order the U.S. Treasury to print money and the Federal Reserve to go along, ultimately the money to pay for those proposals comes from taxpayers. The continuation of that path, along with several others proposed by former Vice President Biden and Senator Harris, will be borne by all of us – both in the taxes we pay and the economies we withstand."


wnd--2020-10-16--Oxford scientists say they created a test to detect COVID-19 in 5 minutes

Oxford University scientists have created a test to detect the coronavirus and other viruses in less than five minutes , the university announced Thursday .
Scientists in Oxford ’ s physics department created the test , which can find the virus that causes the coronavirus and differentiate it from “ negative clinical samples ” and “ common respiratory pathogens , ” according to the university , which touted the test as highly accurate .
“ Unlike other technologies that detect a delayed antibody response or that require expensive , tedious and time-consuming sample preparation , our method quickly detects intact @ @ @ @ @ @ @ simple , extremely rapid , and cost-effective , ” Achilles Kapanidis , an Oxford physics professor , said in a press release .
The researchers want to create “ an integrated device ” that can be used for testing purposes at places like airports “ to establish and safeguard COVID-19-free spaces , ” the release said .
“ A significant concern for the upcoming winter months is the unpredictable effects of co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 with other seasonal respiratory viruses ; we have shown that our assay can reliably distinguish between different viruses in @ @ @ @ @ @ @ a crucial advantage in the next phase of the pandemic , ” Dr. Nicole Robb , a formal fellow at Oxford and professor at Warwick Medical School , said in the statement .
The scientists are collaborating with Oxford University Innovation as well as “ two external business/finance advisors to set up a spinout , ” according to the statement .
The statement further noted the scientists are looking for investment in order to speed up the process to have the test become “ a fully integrated device to be deployed as a @ @ @ @ @ @ @ virus threats.
” “ They hope to incorporate the company by the end of the year , start product development in early 2021 , and have an approved device available within 6 months of that time , ” according to the statement .
Dr.Nicole Robb and Professor Achilles Kapanidis did not immediately respond to the DCNF ’ s email requests for further comment .
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher @ @ @ @ @ @ @ For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ]

By Mary Rose Corkery
Daily Caller News Foundation
Oxford University scientists have created a test to detect the coronavirus and other viruses in less than five minutes, the university announced Thursday.
Scientists in Oxford’s physics department created the test, which can find the virus that causes the coronavirus and differentiate it from “negative clinical samples” and “common respiratory pathogens,” according to the university, which touted the test as highly accurate.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
“Unlike other technologies that detect a delayed antibody response or that require expensive, tedious and time-consuming sample preparation, our method quickly detects intact virus particles; meaning the assay is simple, extremely rapid, and cost-effective,” Achilles Kapanidis, an Oxford physics professor, said in a press release.
Scientists from @OxfordPhysics have developed an extremely rapid diagnostic test for Covid-19 that detects and identifies viruses in less than five minutes.
Read more here >https://t.co/aY7ubgPz3G — University of Oxford (@UniofOxford) October 15, 2020
The researchers want to create “an integrated device” that can be used for testing purposes at places like airports “to establish and safeguard COVID-19-free spaces,” the release said.
Will five-minute COVID tests be accurate? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 50% (2 Votes) 50% (2 Votes)
“A significant concern for the upcoming winter months is the unpredictable effects of co-circulation of SARS-CoV-2 with other seasonal respiratory viruses; we have shown that our assay can reliably distinguish between different viruses in clinical samples, a development that offers a crucial advantage in the next phase of the pandemic,” Dr. Nicole Robb, a formal fellow at Oxford and professor at Warwick Medical School, said in the statement.
The scientists are collaborating with Oxford University Innovation as well as “two external business/finance advisors to set up a spinout,” according to the statement.
The statement further noted the scientists are looking for investment in order to speed up the process to have the test become “a fully integrated device to be deployed as a real-time diagnostic platform capable of detecting multiple virus threats.”
“They hope to incorporate the company by the end of the year, start product development in early 2021, and have an approved device available within 6 months of that time,” according to the statement.
Dr.Nicole Robb and Professor Achilles Kapanidis did not immediately respond to the DCNF’s email requests for further comment.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


wnd--2020-10-16--Man accused of trying to support ISIS found 'incapable' of standing trial

A Connecticut man charged with attempting to provide material support for ISIS and al-Sham was found mentally incapable of standing trial , the New Haven Register reported Wednesday .
Kevin Iman McCormick , 27 , was initially charged by the U.S. Attorney ’ s Office for Connecticut in October 2019 , the New Haven Register reported , but was “ presently suffering from a mental disease or defect ” and found incapable of participating in a trial , according to a medical report .
Judge Kari A. Dooley ruled that McCormick be taken into the custody of the state attorney @ @ @ @ @ @ @ .
“ I am hopeful , based on the conclusion , that Mr. McCormick can be restored to competency , ” Dooley said , the New Haven Register reported .
FBI Special Agent Samuel Wharton said McCormick allegedly expressed a desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS and pledged his allegiance to the group in a video , according to an affidavit .
After McCormick was fired from a contracted driving job in Arkansas in September 2019 , he allegedly tried to purchase a knife and firearm in Washington , according @ @ @ @ @ @ @ strangely , and the sales associate refused to sell him a firearm after he reportedly said the firearm was “ not for an animal.
” McCormick met with two individuals where he reportedly expressed his desire to fight and willingness to die for the terrorist organization , according to the affidavit .
“ ( Y ) ou ’ re supposed to fear God , you ’ re supposed to have fear of Allah , so the fear of Allah gives me the strength to kill , ” McCormick allegedly said in an October @ @ @ @ @ @ @ to the affidavit .
“ That ’ s what gives me the strength to kill .
It ’ s not that I want to kill , you understand ?
” McCormick was allegedly told to purchase a plane ticket and to meet the individuals at a train station before heading to a “ local small private airport , ” according to the affidavit .
McCormick was arrested attempting to board a plane Oct. 21 , 2019 .
McCormick was charged with conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ years in prison , the New Haven Register reported .
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation .
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience .
For licensing opportunities of our original content , please contact [ email protected ]

By Kaylee Greenlee
Daily Caller News Foundation
A Connecticut man charged with attempting to provide material support for ISIS and al-Sham was found mentally incapable of standing trial, the New Haven Register reported Wednesday.
Kevin Iman McCormick, 27, was initially charged by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for Connecticut in October 2019, the New Haven Register reported, but was “presently suffering from a mental disease or defect” and found incapable of participating in a trial, according to a medical report.
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
Judge Kari A. Dooley ruled that McCormick be taken into the custody of the state attorney’s office to receive mental care. “I am hopeful, based on the conclusion, that Mr. McCormick can be restored to competency,” Dooley said, the New Haven Register reported.
Hamden Man Charged with Attempting to Travel to Fight for ISIS: Kevin Iman McCormick has been charged by indictment with attempting to provide material support to ISIS, admitting he wanted to acquire weapons for the foreign terrorist organization. https://t.co/cB4joBo2Tl — FBI New Haven (@FBINewHaven) December 27, 2019
FBI Special Agent Samuel Wharton said McCormick allegedly expressed a desire to travel to Syria to fight for ISIS and pledged his allegiance to the group in a video, according to an affidavit.
Is supporting ISIS an indication of mental illness? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 23% (3 Votes) 77% (10 Votes)
After McCormick was fired from a contracted driving job in Arkansas in September 2019, he allegedly tried to purchase a knife and firearm in Washington, according to the affidavit. McCormick allegedly acted strangely, and the sales associate refused to sell him a firearm after he reportedly said the firearm was “not for an animal.”
McCormick met with two individuals where he reportedly expressed his desire to fight and willingness to die for the terrorist organization, according to the affidavit.
“(Y)ou’re supposed to fear God, you’re supposed to have fear of Allah, so the fear of Allah gives me the strength to kill,” McCormick allegedly said in an October 2019 meeting with confidential sources, according to the affidavit. “That’s what gives me the strength to kill. It’s not that I want to kill, you understand?”
McCormick was allegedly told to purchase a plane ticket and to meet the individuals at a train station before heading to a “local small private airport,” according to the affidavit. McCormick was arrested attempting to board a plane Oct. 21, 2019.
McCormick was charged with conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, the New Haven Register reported.
This story originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation.
Content created by The Daily Caller News Foundation is available without charge to any eligible news publisher that can provide a large audience. For licensing opportunities of our original content, please contact [email protected].


wnd--2020-10-15--Biden's dilemma: Threatening shutdowns while promising jobs

[ Editor 's note : This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics . ]
How do we reignite our economy while schools , many places of employment , and some states remain shut down ?
This is the simple question Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden refuses to answer .
He ’ s touting his “ Build Back Better ” plan , which he ripped off of Donald J. Trump ’ s economic populism , promising workers in Ohio this week he ’ ll bring their jobs back .
Biden blasted the president for high unemployment numbers – while @ @ @ @ @ @ @ recovery comes before economic recovery .
Jobs be damned .
In the first presidential debate , Biden stated : “ You can ’ t fix the economy until you fix the COVID crisis.
” His comments echoed remarks he made in an ABC News interview in August , where he said he would follow the science in regard to further shutdowns .
“ I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives .
We can not get the country moving until we control the virus , ” Biden said .
@ @ @ @ @ @ @ to shutter economic activity if public health officials said it was necessary , Biden replied : “ I would shut it down.
” As new COVID cases fluctuate after this summer ’ s spikes , the U.S. can ’ t afford another national shutdown .
Knowing what we know now about the virus – low mortality rates , vulnerable populations and preventative measures -- Democratic governors in blue states should be encouraged to open up safely .
Government can ’ t replace a thriving private sector , nor should it be encouraged to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ guidelines and worked with governors of both parties to safely reopen their economies , Biden ignored the experts and refused to voice support for any state reopening .
The initial two-month national shutdown was so the federal government could ramp up on testing , PPE and hospital capacity .
Now that we have done those things , many Democratic-run cities and states refuse to reopen , furthering our economic decline .
According to The Wall Street Journal , the states with the highest unemployment rates are run by Democrats who were slow to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ of the 10 states with the highest jobless rates are run by Democrats , who have tended to demand that the economy should stay locked down and in some cases are still resisting opening , ” the Journal reported .
“ States that are reopening faster are recovering faster and easing more economic suffering .
The states that put a premium on trying to reduce the spread beyond the original purpose of protecting hospitals and the health-care system are lagging.
” The COVID pandemic will likely cost the American people a staggering $ @ @ @ @ @ @ @ study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Monday .
The study doesn ’ t include the damage done to our youth by schools being shuttered , or other health conditions being ignored because of the pandemic .
It ’ s time for Democrats to stop politicizing coronavirus and admit there are real negative consequences on people ’ s livelihoods from continued shutdowns .
Even the World Health Organization is now warning leaders against shutdowns as means to tackle outbreaks of the virus .
“ We really do appeal to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ as your primary control method , ” Dr. David Nabarro , WHO ’ s special envoy on COVID-19 , told the U.K. ’ s Spectator this week .
“ The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganize , regroup , rebalance your resources , protect your health workers who are exhausted , but by and large , we ’ d rather not do it.
” “ Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never , ever belittle , and that is making poor people @ @ @ @ @ @ @ said .
Indeed .
A report this summer found a 41 % decline among Black-owned businesses in the U.S. since the lockdowns began .
For those residents , the recovery will be “ especially painful , ” the report found .
It ’ s time for Biden to square the circle on shutdowns .
The economy simply can ’ t recover – and the wealth divide between the rich and poor will be further exacerbated if more shutdowns take place .
Reopening safely and securely is the only path forward , and it @ @ @ @ @ @ @ Before the coronavirus pandemic , President Trump ’ s pro-growth policies created millions of good-paying jobs and saw historically low unemployment rates .
Now he ’ s advocating reopening , while Biden touts lockdowns and tax increases , which economists predict will lead to 585,000 more jobs losses .
If Biden had been in charge of leading America ’ s economy through the global pandemic , Americans would be reading headlines about more lost jobs and economic damage instead of record-breaking jobs reports .
President Trump built the greatest economy in the world @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will do it again .

[Editor's note: This story originally was published by Real Clear Politics.]
By Kelly Sadler
Real Clear Politics
How do we reignite our economy while schools, many places of employment, and some states remain shut down?
This is the simple question Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden refuses to answer. He’s touting his “Build Back Better” plan, which he ripped off of Donald J. Trump’s economic populism, promising workers in Ohio this week he’ll bring their jobs back. Biden blasted the president for high unemployment numbers – while conveniently ignoring his own stance that COVID recovery comes before economic recovery. Jobs be damned.
In the first presidential debate, Biden stated: “You can’t fix the economy until you fix the COVID crisis.”
TRENDING: Is this the 'Final Battle'?
His comments echoed remarks he made in an ABC News interview in August, where he said he would follow the science in regard to further shutdowns.
“I would be prepared to do whatever it takes to save lives. We cannot get the country moving until we control the virus,” Biden said. Asked specifically whether he’d push to shutter economic activity if public health officials said it was necessary, Biden replied: “I would shut it down.”
As new COVID cases fluctuate after this summer’s spikes, the U.S. can’t afford another national shutdown. Knowing what we know now about the virus – low mortality rates, vulnerable populations and preventative measures -- Democratic governors in blue states should be encouraged to open up safely. Government can’t replace a thriving private sector, nor should it be encouraged to.
While the Trump administration issued science-based guidelines and worked with governors of both parties to safely reopen their economies, Biden ignored the experts and refused to voice support for any state reopening. The initial two-month national shutdown was so the federal government could ramp up on testing, PPE and hospital capacity. Now that we have done those things, many Democratic-run cities and states refuse to reopen, furthering our economic decline.
Is Joe Biden making promises he can't keep? Yes No Completing this poll entitles you to WND news updates free of charge. You may opt out at anytime. You also agree to our Privacy Policy and Terms of Use You're logged in to Facebook. Click here to log out. 100% (13 Votes) 0% (0 Votes)
According to The Wall Street Journal, the states with the highest unemployment rates are run by Democrats who were slow to take steps to reopen.
“Nine of the 10 states with the highest jobless rates are run by Democrats, who have tended to demand that the economy should stay locked down and in some cases are still resisting opening,” the Journal reported. “States that are reopening faster are recovering faster and easing more economic suffering. The states that put a premium on trying to reduce the spread beyond the original purpose of protecting hospitals and the health-care system are lagging.”
The COVID pandemic will likely cost the American people a staggering $16 trillion, according to a new study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association on Monday. The study doesn’t include the damage done to our youth by schools being shuttered, or other health conditions being ignored because of the pandemic.
It’s time for Democrats to stop politicizing coronavirus and admit there are real negative consequences on people’s livelihoods from continued shutdowns. Even the World Health Organization is now warning leaders against shutdowns as means to tackle outbreaks of the virus.
“We really do appeal to all world leaders: stop using lockdown as your primary control method,” Dr. David Nabarro, WHO’s special envoy on COVID-19, told the U.K.’s Spectator this week. “The only time we believe a lockdown is justified is to buy you time to reorganize, regroup, rebalance your resources, protect your health workers who are exhausted, but by and large, we’d rather not do it.”
“Lockdowns just have one consequence that you must never, ever belittle, and that is making poor people an awful lot poorer,” he said.
Indeed. A report this summer found a 41% decline among Black-owned businesses in the U.S. since the lockdowns began. For those residents, the recovery will be “especially painful,” the report found.
It’s time for Biden to square the circle on shutdowns. The economy simply can’t recover – and the wealth divide between the rich and poor will be further exacerbated if more shutdowns take place. Reopening safely and securely is the only path forward, and it’s one backed by science.
Before the coronavirus pandemic, President Trump’s pro-growth policies created millions of good-paying jobs and saw historically low unemployment rates. Now he’s advocating reopening, while Biden touts lockdowns and tax increases, which economists predict will lead to 585,000 more jobs losses.
If Biden had been in charge of leading America’s economy through the global pandemic, Americans would be reading headlines about more lost jobs and economic damage instead of record-breaking jobs reports. President Trump built the greatest economy in the world. He did it once and he will do it again.


wnd--2020-10-15--The Democratic demolition of America

The Democratic demolition of America

Most Americans think of 2020 as a presidential election year .
But radical leftists – especially those who have hijacked and now control the Democratic Party – see this as a year of revolution for overthrowing the United States that they have been plotting for more than 100 years .
In 1912 , America 's first progressive Democratic president , Woodrow Wilson , was eager to replace the `` obsolete '' U.S. Constitution .
He was elected because Republican votes split between Progressive Teddy Roosevelt and incumbent President William Howard Taft .
Wilson created the `` progressive income tax '' @ @ @ @ @ @ @ rich '' – and the Federal Reserve , to `` furnish an elastic currency , '' paper money with which Democrats could build gigantic government .
Wilson won reelection with the slogan `` He Kept Us Out of War , '' but weeks later , eager to create global government , he plunged conscripted Americans into World War I .
In a 1912 speech , Wilson called for replacing our government-limiting Constitution with a new `` house '' that utopian progressives wanted .
`` [ A ] generation or two from now , @ @ @ @ @ @ @ will be taken away , and there will be the family in a great building whose noble architecture will at last be disclosed , where men can live as a single community , cooperative as in a perfected , coordinated beehive '' – a totalitarian collectivist society .
Progressives , then and now , still want to replace America 's individualism , freedom and free enterprise .
As James Chace wrote in his history `` 1912 '' : `` Both Roosevelt and Wilson , though not officially Socialists , in calling for change @ @ @ @ @ @ @ are to be made reasonably poor and the poor reasonably rich by law , ' said Taft .
He went on to declare that 'the equal opportunity which those seek who proclaim the coming of so-called social justice involves a forced division of property , and that means socialism .
… ' '' This progressive government , warned Taft , `` can not create good times , it can not make the rain to fall , the sun to shine , or the crops to grow , but it can , by pursuing @ @ @ @ @ @ @ economic conditions , and frightening the investment of capital , prevent a prosperity and a revival of business . ''
Even in 1912 , the radical left called for `` social justice '' as a way to drive wedges into American society and , by divide-and-conquer politics , seize power for itself .
The `` social justice warriors '' ( SJW ) of today , as Tucker Carlson says , are waging a Marxist `` class war disguised as a race war . ''
The radical leftist goal in 2020 is to bring @ @ @ @ @ @ @ , '' using precisely placed explosives to destroy key parts of our society that have kept America standing tall .
If Democrats win the White House and Senate this November , they will use explosives quickly to blow up legal safeguards and ensure that no future vote of the people can ever remove them from power .
Target No .
1 in this demolition will be the Senate filibuster , a 60-vote supermajority that preserves Thomas Jefferson 's belief that `` great issues should never be forced on slender majorities . ''
( @ @ @ @ @ @ @ and parliamentary trickery . )
With the filibuster gone , almost anything can be made law by a simple majority vote .
Target No .
2 will be the creation of six new seats on the Supreme Court , to be `` packed '' by appointed-for-life young leftists as unelected lawmakers imposing radical ideology , not justice .
Joe Biden now says he is `` not a fan '' of court-packing , but he and his far-left running mate and heir-apparent , Sen. Kamala Harris of California , have never pledged not to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ for demolition will be the U.S. Senate , packed with four perpetual Democrats from the new states of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia .
Target No .
4 will be all future election safeguards .
A Democrat-dominated Congress will impose California-like ballot harvesting and mass mail-in ballots nationwide .
Every election will for Democrats be easy to steal .
The Electoral College will be de facto abolished or bypassed by state agreements that let the national popular vote rule .
Target No .
5 will be the electorate , soon to @ @ @ @ @ @ @ given the vote .
A huge class of people dependent on government checks will guarantee future Democratic election dominance .
Nothing could prevent free speech or gun ownership being redefined as `` collective rights '' denied to individuals ; or outlawing private property ; or lowering the voting age to 15 while banning senior citizen voting .
An ever-poorer , weaker United States will dissolve into a Chinese Communist Party-controlled global government , which is fine with violent infantilized Biden-supporting Brownshirt mobs that chant : `` No Trump !
No Wall !
No @ @ @ @ @ @ @ is a former Reader 's Digest Roving Editor .
His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal , the New York Times and other major publications .
His latest paper co-authored with Craig R. Smith , `` The Secret War , '' shows how to rethink several areas of investment to protect and grow your savings against little-known economic threats .
For a free , postpaid copy , call toll-free 800-630-1492 .

Most Americans think of 2020 as a presidential election year.
But radical leftists – especially those who have hijacked and now control the Democratic Party – see this as a year of revolution for overthrowing the United States that they have been plotting for more than 100 years.
In 1912, America's first progressive Democratic president, Woodrow Wilson, was eager to replace the "obsolete" U.S. Constitution. He was elected because Republican votes split between Progressive Teddy Roosevelt and incumbent President William Howard Taft.
Wilson created the "progressive income tax" – which would "tax only the rich" – and the Federal Reserve, to "furnish an elastic currency," paper money with which Democrats could build gigantic government.
Wilson won reelection with the slogan "He Kept Us Out of War," but weeks later, eager to create global government, he plunged conscripted Americans into World War I.
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In a 1912 speech, Wilson called for replacing our government-limiting Constitution with a new "house" that utopian progressives wanted.
"[A] generation or two from now," said Wilson, "the scaffolding will be taken away, and there will be the family in a great building whose noble architecture will at last be disclosed, where men can live as a single community, cooperative as in a perfected, coordinated beehive" – a totalitarian collectivist society.
Progressives, then and now, still want to replace America's individualism, freedom and free enterprise.
As James Chace wrote in his history "1912": "Both Roosevelt and Wilson, though not officially Socialists, in calling for change invited a 'condition in which the rich are to be made reasonably poor and the poor reasonably rich by law,' said Taft. He went on to declare that 'the equal opportunity which those seek who proclaim the coming of so-called social justice involves a forced division of property, and that means socialism. …'"
This progressive government, warned Taft, "cannot create good times, it cannot make the rain to fall, the sun to shine, or the crops to grow, but it can, by pursuing a meddlesome policy, attempting to change economic conditions, and frightening the investment of capital, prevent a prosperity and a revival of business."
Even in 1912, the radical left called for "social justice" as a way to drive wedges into American society and, by divide-and-conquer politics, seize power for itself. The "social justice warriors" (SJW) of today, as Tucker Carlson says, are waging a Marxist "class war disguised as a race war."
The radical leftist goal in 2020 is to bring down America through a "controlled demolition," using precisely placed explosives to destroy key parts of our society that have kept America standing tall.
If Democrats win the White House and Senate this November, they will use explosives quickly to blow up legal safeguards and ensure that no future vote of the people can ever remove them from power.
Target No. 1 in this demolition will be the Senate filibuster, a 60-vote supermajority that preserves Thomas Jefferson's belief that "great issues should never be forced on slender majorities." (Obamacare became law with only Democratic votes and parliamentary trickery.) With the filibuster gone, almost anything can be made law by a simple majority vote.
Target No. 2 will be the creation of six new seats on the Supreme Court, to be "packed" by appointed-for-life young leftists as unelected lawmakers imposing radical ideology, not justice. Joe Biden now says he is "not a fan" of court-packing, but he and his far-left running mate and heir-apparent, Sen. Kamala Harris of California, have never pledged not to do this.
Target No. 3 for demolition will be the U.S. Senate, packed with four perpetual Democrats from the new states of Puerto Rico and the District of Columbia.
Target No. 4 will be all future election safeguards. A Democrat-dominated Congress will impose California-like ballot harvesting and mass mail-in ballots nationwide. Every election will for Democrats be easy to steal. The Electoral College will be de facto abolished or bypassed by state agreements that let the national popular vote rule.
Target No. 5 will be the electorate, soon to include millions of additional illegal aliens immediately given the vote. A huge class of people dependent on government checks will guarantee future Democratic election dominance.
Nothing could prevent free speech or gun ownership being redefined as "collective rights" denied to individuals; or outlawing private property; or lowering the voting age to 15 while banning senior citizen voting.
An ever-poorer, weaker United States will dissolve into a Chinese Communist Party-controlled global government, which is fine with violent infantilized Biden-supporting Brownshirt mobs that chant: "No Trump! No Wall! No USA at all!"
Lowell Ponte is a former Reader's Digest Roving Editor. His articles have appeared in the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times and other major publications. His latest paper co-authored with Craig R. Smith, "The Secret War," shows how to rethink several areas of investment to protect and grow your savings against little-known economic threats. For a free, postpaid copy, call toll-free 800-630-1492.