Today’s News 4th September 2022

• Why Are Leftists Obsessed With Destroying Hero Culture?
  Why Are Leftists Obsessed With Destroying Hero Culture?

  Authored by Brandon Smith via Alt-Market.us

  In the movie ‘Batman: The Dark Knight’ the well regarded district attorney Harvey Dent makes a statement that has since woven itself into our popular culture to the point that we often hear it quoted as if it was said by some ancient philosopher.  He noted:

  “You either die a hero or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain.”  

  The most predictable interpretation of this is that there is a fine line between doing good and doing evil with the best of intentions.  People can start out as heroes and quickly fall to darkness in the name of serving the “greater good.”  I think there is more meaning behind the quote, however.  

  There is also the issue of historical revision and the fact that the heroes of yesterday might be considered the terrorists of tomorrow given who is in charge of writing the history books or reporting the news.  Sometimes heroes become villains through their own mistakes, other times they are just rewritten that way.    

  For example, today we hear constant gnashing and wailing from the political left about the “crimes” of the Founding Fathers and why they should be erased or canceled from our cultural zeitgeist.  They have even attempted to revise the very foundations of American history through their “1619 Project” as they assert that no American accomplishment is valid because “everything” was built around the institution of slavery.  They make no mention that slavery was an institution in every single culture on the planet since civilization began, but that doesn’t matter to them.  

  The goal of the 1619 Project was to diminish or dismiss everything distinctly American, right down to the revolution that founded our nation.  What they care about is the deconstruction of heroes, in part because if you can destroy the character of a hero then you might be able to also destroy what they stood for in the process.  And, if you can destroy the ideals of a society, it becomes a lot easier to then control that society.  

  When the political left seeks to undermine the legacy of the founders they aren’t just engaging in character attacks against men who can no longer defend themselves, they are also attempting to sabotage the vision those men created – The vision of a free republic outside of the dictates of collectivism and monarchy (rule by the elites).     

  Obviously the Founding Fathers are no longer alive, but there are millions of people that have carried on their legacy for generations that are in fact still living to see their heroes be made into monsters through revisionism.  

  But the destruction of heroes goes even deeper than historical rewrites.

  Leftists are also targeting the very foundations of heroic archetypes and mythologies by attacking hero representations in our society.  They are seeking to change the nature of heroism by hijacking cultural pillars and erasing beloved stories and characters in order to “reboot” them in the image of the leftist cult.  This is usually done under the cover of “diversity and equity” as a means to obscure the true agenda.  Let’s break down the tactics and motives behind this trend…

  Rewriting Heroes To “Reflect Our Modern Era”

  Woke ideology does not reflect our modern era in any way; it is actually a masked version of the old social models of collectivism and communism, specifically the social Marxism displayed by Mao’s Cultural Revolution.  The only difference is today we have online struggle sessions and corporations are fully onboard with the movement.  When leftists claim they are fighting the system, they have no idea what this really means.  The system loves woke politics. 

  Leftists use the reflection argument all the time to justify the gutting of hero mythologies and replacing them with vapid clones.  A recent example would be the latest Amazon release of their Lord Of The Rings prequel series.  I wrote about this extensively in my article ‘Amazon’s Woke Lord Of The Rings Is The Death Rattle Of Social Justice Content.’   To summarize, the new Lord of The Rings is designed to spread a political message and undermine the values of the past rather than tell a meaningful organic story.  Amazon even released their woke Lord of The Rings on the anniversary of Tolkien’s death.

  Sometimes this propaganda is subtle, and sometimes it’s a train wreck in your face.

  

  Specifically I examined the political left’s obsession with injecting their own Cultural Marxism into every new entertainment product as a means to saturate the media space with their ideology.  When they say they want to rehash old stories and old heroes but write them to “reflect the world of today,” what they are really doing is erasing past ideals and principles and eliminating choice.  They don’t want you to see the world from different points of view; you are only allowed to see it from THEIR point of view.  This is the exact opposite of good story telling.  

  Diversity As A Crutch And A Cudgel

  Diversity is meaningless.  It serves no purpose in terms of heroic representations.  People identify with actions and deeds and principles, not skin color.  Leftists in Hollywood do not actually care about diversity of skin color, they only care about two things – Using minorities as a crutch to justify poor storytelling and lazy productions, and using minorities as a cudgel or weapon when they face criticism.

  That is to say, when they make garbage media with no imagination or effort, they announce “we got diversity, though,” and this is supposed to make you want to watch their products anyway, otherwise you might be “racist.”  By extension, when you dare to criticize the political pontificating and terrible writing in their media, they can then say “our stories are fantastic, you just don’t like us because we hire brown people.”  See how that works?  They use minorities as a shield, either for their ineptitude or their malicious intent, but they DO NOT care about such people if they can’t exploit them.  

  “Diversity and inclusion” is the new slave plantation that leftist elites in Hollywood use to farm virtue points and ESG loans.  That’s all there is to it.  If they actually respected the idea of presenting diverse heroes, they would create original minority heroes and write them well.  Or, they would pick minority heroes from real history and avoid implanting current day woke politics into that era.      

  Narcissists Can’t Write Heroes

  It has long been my contention that the leftist ideology is rooted in appeals to narcissism.  Everything about it is based in entitlement rather than sacrifice.  It is based in demands for special treatment rather than respect for accomplishment and merit.  It is based in equity of outcome while eliminating equality of opportunity.  A person that has embraced the victim mentality can never be a hero or imagine how a hero would act.  They have no relationship to the concept, because narcissists are usually villains in the real world and villains tend to see themselves as victims while they spend their time victimizing others.  How else can they justify the evils they do?

  No Conservative Heroes Allowed

  As our media world was overrun with woke ideologues over the years the depictions of heroes and villains have become utterly twisted.  Heroes act selfishly with ego and hubris, and villains are usually depicted as either misunderstood people that are only reacting to the trespasses of society, or they are ridiculous exaggerations of conservatives and liberty activists.  This trend has become an epidemic in films, television, video games, comic books, etc.  Only in the past couple of years has there been mass push-back against the agenda, but there is a long way to go before things can change for the better.

  Many of these woke productions fail miserably, but they aren’t necessarily interested in box office success or making money.  Again, what they care about is saturation, as well as murdering the hero archetype openly where everyone can see.  They want to destroy your heroes in front of you and replace them with woke pod people.  This is what they care about.   

  The biggest problem is that most conservatives ignored the culture war while only focusing on fleeting political battles.  They acted as if the culture war didn’t matter, and in the process we have almost lost our country completely.  Future generations need heroic ideals and examples to live by, among real live people as well as in popular media.  By ignoring the culture war, conservatives ignored the future.  

  There are some people out there that are working to change our country’s course by producing original media with a heroic message based in American foundations of freedom, individualism, self reliance and meritocracy.  I’m working to join them by producing my own graphic novel project based on a survivalist hero.  The best we have is Burt Gummer from Tremors – He’s great, but we need more.  Readers who are interested in original non-woke entertainment can learn more about that project HERE.  

  It’s important not to underestimate the power of media in culture.  There is a reason why leftists are so obsessive with it; by changing all our heroes to villains they hope to change our values and our behaviors.  They aren’t just rewriting movies, or characters, or comic books, they are trying to rewrite us.  

  The only way to stop this is to identify the threat, neutralize the propaganda, and then bring back legitimate hero culture by writing it once again with our own hands and our own deeds.             

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 23:30

• Activists More Than Halfway To Forcing Constitutional Amendment Convention
  Activists More Than Halfway To Forcing Constitutional Amendment Convention

  Authored by Brian McGlinchey via Stark Realities   

  Though it’s received relatively little attention, a conservative-led drive to call a convention to consider amendments to the U.S. Constitution has been making steady progress, and is now more than halfway toward realizing its goal.

  At a time when Americans are increasingly polarized — to the extent that 43% think a civil war will erupt in the next decade — should you be alarmed or enthused?

  Article V of the Constitution provides two avenues for amendments. Under the first one, Congress proposes amendments that are enacted if three-fourths of the state legislatures approve them. That’s the way all amendments have been advanced so far.

  Conservative activists want to knock the dust off the other Article V provision, which empowers state legislatures to “call a convention for proposing amendments.”

  To trigger a convention that way, two-thirds of the state legislatures must call for one, and governors have no say in the matter. States would then send delegates to a convention where proposals would be put forth and debated. In the end, the convention is only a vehicle for proposing amendments.

  As with congressionally-proposed amendments, ratification of any convention-proposed amendment requires the approval of three-fourths of the states. That approval must come from the state legislatures or, if states choose, a ratifying convention in the state.

  So far, 19 state legislatures have called for an amendments convention, which means advocates are more than halfway toward the 34 they need. Though that still leaves lots of work to do, there’s a sense of growing momentum, as four states joined the cause in 2022 alone: Nebraska, South Carolina, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

  Today, Republicans have full legislative control in 30 states. (That doesn’t count Nebraska, which has a nonpartisan, unicameral legislature and is already on board.)

  

  With political winds seemingly favoring the GOP in the coming November elections, a few more states could flip to full Republican control, including Minnesota and Nevada, which have yet to call for a convention.

  It isn’t all about Red vs Blue, however: Convention advocates have also targeted Republicans who’ve opposed their efforts. Convention of States Action and its affiliates spent over $600,000 in at least five state primary contests.

  Convention of States Action’s model language for state legislatures seeks to limit the scope of the convention to “proposing amendments…that impose fiscal restraints on the federal government, limit the power and jurisdiction of the federal government, and limit the terms of office for its officials and for members of Congress.”

  Many right-leaning advocates see a convention as an opportunity to rein in a federal government that is — thanks in part to the Supreme Court’s wildly creative interpretations of the Commerce Clause — operating far beyond the bounds of the Constitution, dominating countless aspects of American life that, according to the 10th Amendment, are to be exclusively under the purview of state governments.

  “The states have sort of lost their voice, and all we can do now is beg from the cheap seats and say, ‘Hey, don’t do that’,” South Carolina state rep. Bill Taylor, who led a successful constitution-calling effort, told Insider.

  Though the largest convention drive is led by conservatives, some liberals are itching for a state-led constitution-editing session of their own. Prompted by the Citizens United decision, progressive commentator Cenk Uygur launched Wolf PAC to push for a convention geared toward campaign finance reform. Four legislatures have advanced the Wolf PAC convention application.

  In 2016, Convention of States Action held a mock constitutional convention, and six amendments proposals were advanced. Among other things, they included:

  • Congressional term limits

  • Requiring a two-thirds vote of the House and Senate to increase the public debt

  • Restoring the Commerce Clause to its original intent and scope

  • Repeal of the 16th Amendment, which gave us the income tax

  • Giving states, by a three-fifths vote, the power to negate any federal law, regulation or executive order

  • Giving Congress an easy means of overriding federal regulation

  

  While the conservative drive has largely stayed under the major media radar, there is a growing sense of alarm among liberals. Former senator Russ Feingold is promoting a new book he co-authored: “The Constitution in Jeopardy.” In an interview with ABC News, he said the effort could result in reduced federal protection of the environment, civil rights and voting rights.

  There are also alarmists among some conservatives who conjure images of a “runaway convention” that ignores the stipulated scope and advances any number of unwelcome amendments — for example, an evisceration of gun rights.

  Even if the convention somehow went off the deep end, it’s important to remember that it only proposes amendments. Calling a convention requires the support of 34 legislatures, but any proposed amendment must then garner the support of 38 of them—some of which didn’t even support having a convention.

  With that built-in friction acting as a brake on extreme ambitions, amendments would seemingly require at least some bipartisan appeal to make it across the goal line. In that light, perhaps the proposal with the best chance of passing the high ratification hurdle would be one establishing congressional term limits, which is a central thrust of the conservative-led effort.

  A 2021 Rasmussen survey found 87% of Republicans, 83% of Democrats and 78% of independents favor them, which means state legislatures would face bipartisan pressure to ratify them if given the opportunity.

  The mere drive to hold a convention may have its own prodding effect on various fronts. Looking back, a state-led push for an Article V convention to bring about the direct election of U.S. senators was still one state short when Congress decided to yield to growing pressure and propose such an amendment on its own.

  Though it’s understandable that liberals would view a conservative-led constitutional-amendment push with deep unease — just as conservatives would were the roles reversed — limiting the power of the federal government may be the surest way to avert more acrimonious division in the country.

  The intensity of today’s division springs from the fact that we have an increasingly powerful central government — including a increasingly unchecked executive branch — imposing its will on 331 million people spread across a vast country containing many different subcultures and sets of values.

  Liberals and conservatives are thus compelled to clash with increasing intensity over who gets to control levers the Constitution never even authorized. The more we rightly restore authority to state and local governments, the lower the national political stakes for all of us, and the lower our collective temperature.

  However, the federal government won’t surrender that power on its own — which is exactly why the founders gave us this other avenue of amending the Constitution.

  Indeed, as one contemporaneous account recorded, George Mason, in urging the adoption of the state-driven convention avenue, argued that, without it, “no amendments of the proper kind would ever be obtained by the people, if the government should become oppressive.”

  Stark Realities undermines official narratives, demolishes conventional wisdom and exposes fundamental myths across the political spectrum. Read more and subscribe at starkrealities.substack.com

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 22:30

• In Uncertain Times, Americans Stick With Fast Food
  In Uncertain Times, Americans Stick With Fast Food

  U.S. fast food and other limited service restaurants did not only get through the pandemic better than the restaurant industry as a whole – in high inflation times, affordable fast food has also been seeing steadily growing sales while other restaurant types could not uphold their post-pandemic growth trajectory.

  In fact, as Statista’s Katharina Buchholz details below, in June, the latest month on record with the Census Bureau, quick service restaurant sales grew by 14.4 percent, while those of other restaurants were down to 9.2 percent year-over-year.

  

  You will find more infographics at Statista

  Sales of limited service restaurants – which were well equipped to pandemic lifestyles due to their emphasis on take-out and drive-thru experiences – did not dip as much in the pandemic as those of regular restaurants did.

  However, by spring of 2021, other restaurant sales had one more overtaken fast food sales and stayed on a higher growth trajectory after leaving pandemic effects behind. In June, however, other restaurant sales slipped by almost $1.7 billion compared to May, while limited service restaurant sales only decrease by $150 million.

  According to Bloomberg, drive-thru services have been aiding fast food chains as they stayed popular beyond the pandemic. In February, U.S. drive-thru sales were 20 percent higher than they had been in the same month two years earlier.

  Industry publication QSR is even speaking of a “golden age of fast food” as sales and restaurant numbers are expanding in the sector, while also acknowledging headwinds like the hiring crunch, inflation

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 22:00

• Watch: Drone Captures Images Of Mexican Drug Cartel Camp
  Watch: Drone Captures Images Of Mexican Drug Cartel Camp

  Authored by Allan Stein via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  The first gunshots seemed to come down the mountain on the other side of Arizona’s border fence with Mexico, just east of Arivaca, where rival drug cartel factions battle to the death for supremacy.

  Sam, my security guide, listened closely as more shots rang out.

  They were hunters, no doubt, though not the kind you would typically expect.

  “Where exactly do you think the shots are coming from?” I asked Sam nervously from the back seat of his pickup truck.

  “I think they’re to the right,” Sam said, focused on the nearest mountain. “They could be on top of that big peak as well.”

  

  It’s not as if we were invisible, clambering noisily up the winding dirt fire road in the border zone known as the California Gulch, part of the Coronado National Forest in southern Arizona.

  Our arrival in Sam’s gargantuan white Chevy Silverado on the sweltering morning of Aug. 25 was about as clandestine as a bullhorn in a public library.

  “They could be warning shots”—for us, Sam said. “But this is where they’re coming. Right here.”

  Sam is the pseudonym he uses to conceal his identity and that of his security company in Arizona. He’s been threatened by the Sinaloa Cartel for conducting border-watching activities. He now fears for the safety of his employees and family.

  

  Below our position, the unfinished Trump border wall and fence stretched east and west for miles, then abruptly stopped. On the U.S. side of the border, cattle grazed among dry clumps of grass or basked in the imperfect shade of sparse shrubbery, swatting flies with their tails.

  The jagged peaks on the Mexican side of the steel-grated border fence loomed green and majestic. Strange, though, how nature doesn’t immediately reveal its secrets. Hidden among the Las Guijas Mountains are some of the worst elements of the Sinaloa Cartel, Sam said.

  “How strong is your stomach?” Kyle, Sam’s security specialist, had asked me the day before.

  The fact that I enjoyed watching gory horror movies was good enough for Kyle to share an actual cell phone video of a man being mauled by two pit bulls in a Mexican border town not far from us.

  Unfortunately some things cannot be unseen.

  Kyle said that kind of cartel brutality is common in cities and towns on the Mexican side of the border fence.

  

  “These guys are battling for control of the Sinaloa Cartel. You have fights within fights,” said Sam, speaking both from experience and professional intelligence gathering.

  Sam believes cartel mayhem eventually will spill across the U.S. border in military force, bringing death and destruction to Americans—but not if a coalition of private citizens, law enforcement, and security firms that he envisions has its say.

  The real battle, he said, is not about winning hearts and minds.

  It’s about matching intel with intel, using superior surveillance techniques and equipment to beat the drug and human smugglers.

  For this purpose, Sam’s company recently acquired a $33,000 JTI-branded drone which they frequently use to conduct border reconnaissance missions for clients and law enforcement.

  

  The drone is a beast of versatility equipped with high-definition and thermal cameras, and high-powered zoom lenses.

  Kyle operates the drone from the pickup bed using a console and laptop computer for imaging purposes. The drone has a maximum range of five miles traveling at speeds over 48 mph hundreds of feet above the ground. Batteries are interchangeable and last 45 minutes on a single charge.

  You can hear the drone yet rarely see it at higher altitudes housed in fortified gray plastic with four propellers to carry it aloft.

  

  Sam and Kyle’s mission today was to seek out and photograph nearby cartel encampments on Mexico’s side of the border fence.

  Kyle took the drone out of a suitcase, then placed it in the middle of the fire road as he prepared for take-off. With the push of a console button, the drone whirred to life, propellers spinning like a supercharged weed-whacker.

  Up—up—and away the drone went with the turn of a joystick.

  Kyle monitored the action on the console screen while Sam watched on a laptop computer. The rugged mountain terrain below seemed alien in both viewfinders, taking shape when Kyle maneuvered to a lower altitude.

  “My guess is there are two factions here,” Sam said. “One is trying to keep [the other] from pushing east, the other west. We think they’re on the peak right below us—oh, there they are!”

  One of the factions is Los Chapitos, whose founder is Ivan Archivaldo-Guzman Salazar, alias “Chapito,” a Mexican narco trafficker and son of imprisoned druglord Joaquin “El Chapo” Guzman.

  Guzman was head of the Sinaloa Cartel until his arrest and extradition to the United States in 2017.

  

  The other faction is El Mayo, led by suspected Mexican drug kingpin Ismael Maro Zambada Garcia.

  Sam said both factions currently are at war to control the entire Sinaloa Cartel on Arizona’s southern flank.

  High above the nearest mountain less than a half mile away, the drone’s camera suddenly spied two blue tarps spaced about 25 yards apart. In one of the tents, a man could be seen talking frantically on a hand-held radio.

  As Kyle zoomed in closer, the screen showed another man in body armor walking out of the bush, carrying what appeared to be an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle—definitely cartel.

  “We found his [expletive]!” Sam shouted and gave Kyle a fist pump, but it was too soon to celebrate.

  At that moment, the man looked up and saw the drone.

  He raised his rifle, and took aim.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 21:30

• Texas Tax Haul Soars By Record 26% in 2022 Fiscal Year
  Texas Tax Haul Soars By Record 26% in 2022 Fiscal Year

  The Texas government just closed out its 2022 fiscal year with a bang. On Thursday, the state comptroller reported that the Lone Star State’s tax revenue rocketed by 25.6% to a total of $75.21 billion.

  It’s only the fifth time since 1988 that revenue grew by a double-digit percentage — and it’s double the next largest increase over that 34-year span.  

  “Revenues continue to outpace even our most recent forecast as All Funds tax collections closed the fiscal year $841 million above the projection in our Certification Revenue Estimate,” said state Comptroller Glenn Hegar in an official release. 

  That’s a stark contrast to California, which saw July revenue come in 12% below forecast.

  Texas has been a major beneficiary of migration from California: Over the last census cycle, 34% of new Texans arrived from California alone. Meanwhile, New York saw personal income tax collection fall 3.2% from April 1 through July.  

  “Economic growth and inflation have driven higher sales tax collections as demand remains strong and businesses and consumers continue to pay elevated prices for goods,” said Hegar.

  Gains in petroleum revenue led the way: Natural gas production tax revenue rocketed 185% to $4.5 billion, while oil production tax revenue grew a whopping 84% to $6.4 billion. 

  However, the broader revenue picture was rosy too:

  • Sales tax revenue rose 19.3% to $43 billion

  • Motor vehicle sales and rental tax revenue was up 12.5% to $6.45 billion

  • Franchise tax revenue leapt 25.2% to $5.67 billion

  The sales tax is the state’s largest source of funding, representing 56% of all tax collections. It’s imposed at a rate of 6.25%; combined with local sales taxes, the total at the register can be as high as 8.25%.

  Texas is one of only seven states with no personal income tax — along with Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Wyoming and Washington.  

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 21:00

• Judge Dismisses Carter Page Lawsuit Against FBI Despite 'Deeply Troubling' Surveillance
  Judge Dismisses Carter Page Lawsuit Against FBI Despite ‘Deeply Troubling’ Surveillance

  Authored by Katabella Roberts via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Carter Page, a former associate of President Donald Trump, over the FBI’s controversial surveillance of him as part of its investigation into the Trump campaign.

  

  U.S. District Judge Dabney Friedrich issued the ruling on Thursday stating that Page, who was an informal presidential campaign adviser to Trump in 2016, cannot sue the FBI or other former officials involved in the $75 million lawsuit (pdf).

  Page filed the suit in 2020 against the FBI, the Justice Department, and multiple former FBI officials for damages stemming from what he called the “unlawful spying” against him over the now disproven allegations that the Trump campaign was colluding with Russia.

  In the lawsuit, Page accused the federal agencies and ex-officials of violating his constitutional rights and other legal rights by unlawfully surveilling him, noting that the “defendants’ unjustified and illegal actions (including violations of federal criminal law)” had “violated federal statutes enacted to prevent unlawful spying on United States persons, as well as the Constitution.”

  Defendants listed in the lawsuit included former FBI director James Comey, former Acting FBI Director Andrew McCabe, former top counterintelligence official Peter Strzok, and former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith.

  Clinesmith pleaded guilty in 2020 to doctoring an email from the CIA to make it appear as if Page was not an agency asset, without disclosing that Page was an approved operational contact for the CIA who reported on his interactions with Russian intelligence officers.

  The email was used to obtain spy warrants to surveil Page.

  Friedrich noted that the “FBI’s conduct in preparing the FISA warrant applications to electronically surveil Page was deeply troubling” and that the government itself has “conceded that it lacked probable cause for two of the warrants.”

  ‘No Actionable Claim’

  However, Friedrich, a Trump appointee, ruled that the lawsuit be thrown out because Page had “brought no actionable claim against any individual defendant or against the United States.”

  “In part, that is because Page faces at least three statutory roadblocks. First, Congress has not created a private right of action against those who prepare false or misleading FISA applications,” the judge wrote, noting that “both the plain language and the structure of FISA make clear that civil liability under 50 U.S.C. § 1810 attaches only to those who conduct or perform electronic surveillance.”

  Secondly, the judge noted that Congress has “not provided for damages claims against federal officers for constitutional violations stemming from unlawful electronic surveillance in the national security context,” and thirdly, “Congress has not waived the United States’s sovereign immunity for this kind of claim.”

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 20:30

• Want To Get Away? These Are The Top 25 Islands To Visit In 2022
  Want To Get Away? These Are The Top 25 Islands To Visit In 2022

  After a pandemic-induced slump, travel is finally started to pick up again in many parts of the world. After years of waiting, where are people itching to go to on their next vacation?

  Visual Capitalist’s Raul Amoros and Carmen Ang created this infographic, using survey data from Travel + Leisure (T+L) magazine, to highlight the 25 top-ranked islands to visit around the world.

  

  Methodology of the World’s Best Awards

  Before diving in, it’s worth summarizing the methodology and briefly explaining how T+L compiled their findings. Each year, T+L conducts an annual global survey that uncovers the top travel experiences worldwide.

  In the survey, readers were asked to rate a range of things, including their favorite islands to visit. Islands were rated based on a few categories, including:

  • Activities and sights

  • Natural attractions and beaches

  • Food

  • Friendliness

  • Overall value

  Each category was given a score of excellent, above average, average, below average, or poor. From there, each island’s final tally was calculated, based on the average scores across all categories. Below, we’ll dive into the 2022 rankings based on these scores.

  The 5 Top-Ranked Islands to Visit

  At the top of the list, there’s a good mix of European, Asian, and South Pacific islands. Here’s a look at the top five islands, along with some context that explains why respondents ranked them so highly:

  1. Ischia, Italy

  Nestled in the gulf of Naples about an hour away from the mainland, this charming volcanic island takes first place because of its charming villages, pristine beaches, and welcoming locals.

  It’s also well-known for its hot springs, which are easily accessible by either taxi or public transport.

  2. The Maldives

  Famous for its baby-blue waters, respondents ranked the Maldives as their second-favorite island destination. Located in the Indian Ocean, this collection of islands is well-known for stunning beaches, as well as excellent snorkeling and diving. With a wide range of luxury resorts, the Maldives is also a popular honeymoon destination.

  3. Bali, Indonesia

  This Indonesia island ranks third on the list because of its picturesque natural beauty, rich culture, and a diverse range of outdoor activities like surfing, diving, and hiking. It’s also well-known for its art, music, and traditional dance performances. As the only predominantly Hindu province in Indonesia, visitors get a chance to learn more about Balinese Hinduism.

  4. Milos, Greece

  Located in the Aegean Sea, Milos is well-loved by visitors because of its tranquil beaches. And while the island is a popular tourist destination, it offers a slightly slower pace that its neighbors Santorini or Mykonos.

  5. Fiji Islands

  This remote group of islands in the South Pacific Ocean ranked fifth on the list because of their rich marine life and friendly locals. Well-known for its excellent diving, it’s been labeled the “soft coral capital of the world.”

  Top Ranking Islands, by Region

  Seven of the top 25 island destinations are in Europe, making it first on the list by region. Southeast Asia comes in close second, with six islands in the top 25.

  

   

  As the data shows, a majority of the islands rank highly because of their beautiful beaches and thriving marine life.

  However, there are a couple of outliers on the list. One good example of an outlier is Mackinac Island, which is well-loved for its historical attractions (Mackinac Island is home to a colonial fort built in the 18th century).

  One thing is clear from these rankings—whether you’re a diver, a history buff, or a foodie, there are a number of world-class island destinations that offer an experience of a lifetime.

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 20:00

• "They Are Trying To Assassinate": Bannon Accuses Biden Of Stirring Anti-Right Hatred After Home 'SWATed' Again
  “They Are Trying To Assassinate”: Bannon Accuses Biden Of Stirring Anti-Right Hatred After Home ‘SWATed’ Again

  Authored by Eva Fu via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  

  Former White House adviser Steve Bannon has accused President Joe Biden of stoking hatred after police descended on Bannon’s Washington home over a fake report of a gunman on the loose. The incident occurred shortly before Biden’s Thursday speech attacking MAGA Republicans.

  Firefighters and police officers were sent to Bannon’s home on Sept. 1 evening, where he broadcasts his “War Room” radio program, DC’s Metropolitan Police Department told The Epoch Times. They left after finding no shots fired and no one hurt.

  It was the second time Bannon has been a victim of swatting, a harassment tactic of calling the emergency police line with a false claim of criminal activity so as to dispatch a law enforcement team to a particular address. Such practices can be traumatizing for the targeted person and have turned fatal in the past.

  “These are attempts to have the police kill me,” the 68-year-old, who was not home at the time, told The Epoch Times on Sept. 2. The previous hoax call in July prompted some 80 officers to swarm Bannon’s home, he said.

  With one wrong assessment from the police or an inadvertent move from the other party, Bannon added, things could have turned ugly.

  “It’s very dangerous, they are trying to assassinate,” he said. “They’re trying to weaponize the police to get into a situation where they inadvertently kill the political opponents of the Biden regime.”

  annon was not the only conservative targeted in recent months. In late August, police showed up at Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s (R-Ga.) door in the early morning hours, two days in a row, in response to fake reports of a shooting at the residence. Following the first police response, the caller called back using a computer-generated voice, saying that they were upset over Greene’s “stance on ‘trans-gender youth’s rights.’”

  A jury in Washington convicted Bannon, who worked in the Trump administration, of being guilty of contempt of Congress in July over his refusal to comply with a subpoena issued by the House Jan. 6 select committee.

  Bannon on Friday blamed Biden for escalating hostility against Trump supporters. He noted the prank call had occurred less than an hour before Biden used his primetime speech to attack “MAGA Republicans” who embrace Trump’s “Make America Great Again” slogan.

  

  In Biden’s words, these individuals, together with Trump, “represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic.”

  Bannon described the caller, who like in Greene’s case had used a machine-generated voice, as “very sophisticated.”

  “This directly comes from the White House. They’ve stirred up the most dangerous and deranged members of their party,” he said.

  “What they wanted was a visual of the police around my place with me coming out … so they can play that split screen with Biden speech in Philadelphia,” said Bannon. “The deranged followers of Joe Biden timed this perfectly.”

  Bannon said Biden’s remarks were what Mao Zedong, the first leader of the Chinese communist regime, would have given during the Cultural Revolution, a campaign that Mao unleashed in 1960s to crush his political opponents. The movement brought the country into a decade of political and social chaos where frenzied young ideologues traveled around China and destroyed the country’s traditional heritage, and harassed and publicly denounced anyone deemed to be class enemies.

  “The Chinese ‘laobaixing’ has gone through this,” said Bannon, using a Chinese term for the general populace. “They’ve seen where they demonize their fellow countrymen as enemies.”

  What has played out in communist China is now repeating in America, said Bannon.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 19:30

• President Biden Says He'll Attend Detroit Auto Show Because He's A "Car Guy"
  President Biden Says He’ll Attend Detroit Auto Show Because He’s A “Car Guy”

  President Joe Biden is going to be expected at the forthcoming Detroit Auto Show that will be taking place in two weeks. It’ll mark the first time he has visited Detroit since his days as Vice President, Bloomberg noted last week. 

  “I’ll be there. I’m a car guy, as you kind of noticed,” Biden said last week when asked if he was going to attend. 

  Sure, we noticed. In fact, we couldn’t help but notice that Biden is such a car guy that his administration is trying to force through counterproductive and burdensome environmental and EV requirements for auto manufacturers. Biden apparently has such reverence for the industry he has decided that it needs to be changed in its entirety.

  The new requirements and subsidies under the Biden administration have forced automakers to fundamentally change their vehicle lineups and how they operate. They’ve also become a tax on the American people that is dropping straight to the bottom line of auto manufacturers, as we’ve noted over the last week that automakers are raising their EV prices by almost the exact amount that the Biden administration is offering in subsidies to buyers.   

  And he’s such a fan of U.S. auto companies that Biden has barely acknowledged U.S. automaker Tesla’s existence, simply because the company isn’t embracing unionization amongst its workers. 

  

  Recall, back in May, we noted when Musk delivered a scathing criticism of Biden and the President’s handling of inflation. Musk told a virtual conference ;last month that he believes the government has printed too much money in recent years.

  “I mean, the obvious reason for inflation is that the government printed a zillion amount of more money than it had, obviously,” Musk said, likely referring to COVID-19 relief stimulus packages worth trillions of dollars that were passed in recent years.

  If governments could merely “issue massive amounts of money and deficits didn’t matter, then, well, why don’t we just make the deficit 100 times bigger,” Musk asked. “The answer is, you can’t because it will basically turn the dollar into something that is worthless.”

  During the same conference, Musk said: “The real president is whoever controls the teleprompter” and “The path to power is the path to the teleprompter.”

  Biden was officially invited to the Auto Show by Maureen Donohue Krauss, chief executive officer of the Detroit Regional Partnership, who also sought out Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo to attend.

  The show starts on September 14 and the last sitting President to attend was Barack Obama, Bloomberg noted. 

  Biden concluded: “As my grandfather used to say, with the grace of God and the goodwill of my neighbors, I’ll see you at the Auto Show.”

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 19:00

• Over 50 Biden Administration Employees, 12 US Agencies Involved In Social Media Censorship Push: Documents
  Over 50 Biden Administration Employees, 12 US Agencies Involved In Social Media Censorship Push: Documents

  Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  More than 50 officials in President Joe Biden’s administration across a dozen agencies have been involved with efforts to pressure Big Tech companies to crack down on alleged misinformation, according to documents released on Aug. 31.

  

  Senior officials in the U.S. government, including White House lawyer Dana Remus, deputy assistant to the president Rob Flaherty, and onetime White House senior COVID-19 adviser Andy Slavitt, have been in touch with one or more major social media companies to try to get the companies to tighten rules on allegedly false and misleading information on COVID-19, and take action against users who violate the rules, the documents show.

  In July 2021, for instance, after Biden said that Facebook was “killing people” by not combating misinformation effectively, an executive at Meta reached out to Surgeon General Vivek Murthy, a Biden appointee, to say that government and Meta teams met after the remarks “to better understand the scope of what the White House expects from us on misinformation going forward.”

  The same executive later wrote to Murthy saying, “I wanted to make sure you saw the steps we took just this past week to adjust policies on what we are removing with respect to misinformation, as well as steps taken to further address the ‘disinfo dozen,’” including removing pages linked to the group.

  The White House publicly pressured social media companies to take action against a group that officials dubbed the “disinformation dozen,” which a nonprofit claimed were producing the bulk of “anti-vaccine misinformation” on the platforms. Also in July 2021, Murthy said Facebook hadn’t done enough to combat misinformation.

  Flaherty, director of digital strategy for the White House, told Slavitt and others in April 2021 that White House staff would be briefed by Twitter “on vaccine misinfo,” with the meeting including “ways the White House (and our COVID experts) can partner in product work,” according to one of the messages.

  In another exchange that year, a Department of Treasury official working on “mis, dis, and mal-information” told Meta workers that the deputy Treasury secretary wanted to talk about “potential influence operations.”

  In a text in February 2021, meanwhile, U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) Director Jen Easterly wrote to another agency official that she was “trying to get us in a place where Fed can work with platforms to better understand the mis/dis trends so relevant agencies can try to prebunk/debunk as useful.”

  The documents were part of a preliminary production in a lawsuit levied against the government by the attorneys general of Missouri and Louisiana, later joined by experts maligned by federal officials.

  “If there was ever any doubt the federal government was behind censorship of Americans who dared to dissent from official Covid messaging, that doubt has been erased,” Jenin Younes, a lawyer with the New Civil Liberties Alliance who is representing some of the plaintiffs in the case, said in a statement. “The shocking extent of the government’s involvement in silencing Americans, through coercing social-media companies, has now been revealed.”

  ‘Censorship Enterprise’

  Plaintiffs said the massive pressure campaign amounted to a “Censorship Enterprise” because it involved so many officials and agencies.

  Government lawyers only identified 45 officials at five agencies—the Department of Homeland Security, CISA, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, and Murthy’s office—who communicated with social media companies on misinformation, although documents they produced showed others were involved, including officials at the Census Bureau and the Departments of Treasury and State.

  Responses from the Big Tech companies also revealed more officials involved with the effort.

  Meta has disclosed that at least 32 federal officials, including top officials at the White House and the Food and Drug Administration, were in communication with it about content moderation. Many of the officials weren’t identified in the response by the government.

  YouTube disclosed 11 officials not divulged by the government and Twitter identified nine, including senior officials at the State Department.

  “The discovery provided so far demonstrates that this Censorship Enterprise is extremely broad,” plaintiffs said, adding later that “it rises to the highest levels of the U.S. Government, including numerous White House officials.”

  Additionally, the FBI wasn’t identified even though the agency recently said, after Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg revealed that the bureau reached out before the 2020 election, that it routinely issues communications to social media companies.

  To read more and see all of the documents, click here…

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 18:30

• JPM: "Clients Will Feel More Comfortable Buying Stocks After We See Panic Selling"
  JPM: “Clients Will Feel More Comfortable Buying Stocks After We See Panic Selling”

  One week ago, as stocks tumbled after the bear-market rally fizzled halted abruptly by the 200dma, even Goldman’s biggest trading desk bull, Scott Rubner, capitulated and responding to client questions whether this is the time to sell, he said yes, and warned that as markets enter September, traditionally the weakest month for stocks, with CTAs turning full-blown sellers (see “Now It Gets Ugly: CTAs Turn Short, Have Over $8BN To Sell This Week“), it’s time to play defense (a call which he has doubled down on in his latest note from Friday which we will discuss shortly and is available to pro subscribers).

  But it’s not just Goldman (and Bank of America) that warn there is more pain to come: somewhat shockingly – at least to those who still read and believe the weekly notes from Marko Kolanovic – JPMorgan desk trader Andrew Tyler echoed Goldman’s (and BofA’s) skepticism and on Friday wrote that “after 5, consecutive days of selling, we received a number of questions about whether we had seen panic selling. We have not.”

  As Tyler explains (maybe to the likes of Kolanovic who will be shocked that it is possible to work at JPMorgan and to have a bearish view of things) what we are seeing is not a bull market but rather a “multi-quarter bear market”, and one of its hallmarks is that it can be characterized as “orderly selloff”, which is to be expected with hedge fund net leverage still extremely low and far greater than normal bearishness (via puts) than in normal selloffs.

  As such, JPMorgan still awaits “one of those ‘flush days’ where you have VIX spike to the 40-50 range, the market falls ~4%, and you begin getting calls from relatives about which assets to sell.”

  As Tyler concludes “some clients have mentioned that after they see an event like that, then they would feel more comfortable buying dips.”

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 18:00

• California Gov. Newsom Reaped $10.6 Million In Campaign Cash From 979 State Vendors Who Pocketed $6.2 Billion
  California Gov. Newsom Reaped $10.6 Million In Campaign Cash From 979 State Vendors Who Pocketed $6.2 Billion

  By Adam Andrzejewski, author of OpenTheBooks substack

  California Governor Gavin Newsom has quietly solicited millions of dollars in campaign donations from state vendors, key people, employees, or their affiliated corporate political action committees.

  

  While progressives decry corporate money in politics, Governor Gavin Newsom has embraced the highly unethical practice of soliciting campaign cash from state contractors.

  Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com found 979 state vendors who gave $10,561,828 in political donations to Newsom during his 2010, 2018, recall election, and 2022 election cycles. Meanwhile, these companies reaped $6,201,978,173 in state payments.

  

  These donations represented the equivalent of more than 40-percent of the current cash on hand – $24 million – in the governor’s campaign committee as of 08/01/2022, according to disclosures.

  We created an interactive map displaying by ZIP Code all of the governor’s campaign contributions—by name and employer, amount donated, when, and where located – across America. Just click a pin (ZIP Code) and scroll down to see the results that render in the chart beneath the map.

  Mapping campaign donations: Newsom For California Governor 2010, 2018, 2022:

  

  We reached out to Newsom and his press secretary Daniel Lopez requesting comment — giving the governor a chance to defend his fundraising practice. We will update the piece if the Newsom responds on the record.

  Since 1940, however, individuals and entities negotiating or working under federal contracts have been prohibited from giving political cash to federal candidates, parties, or committees. In California, however, this political patronage is perfectly legal (at least for now).

  Here are some of the companies who gave campaign cash to Gov. Newsom and separately received state payments. In all these examples, the donations came from the organization itself or its executives, employees, subsidiaries, partners, or political action committees during Newsom’s 2010, 2018 and 2022 election cycles.

  I. MAJOR HEALTH CARE COMPANIES – Gave $691,615 in campaign donations and received $1.9 billion in state payments.

  • Anthem Blue Cross (health insurance provider) received $844,875,535 in state payments while donating $69,305 during Newsom’s 2018 and 2022 elections— $40,000 of that was during the 2022 cycle.

  • UnitedHealth Group (managed health care and insurance provider) received $544,245,717 in state payments while donating $120,900 between the 2018 and 2022 cycles — $62,000 was donated in the 2022 cycle. Even the Chief Compliance Officer Joy Hia donated $500 to the 2022 campaign.

  • Centene Corporation (Fortune 500 managed care company) and Health Net, LLC, a major subsidiary, which provides health plans for those with Medicare and Medicaid, received $206,155,778 in state payments while donating $242,550. The company itself donated $121,800 while then-CEO Michael Neidorff gave $120,400 between 2018 and 2022. Not included is an additional $120,400 from wife Noemi Neidorff. Michael Neidorff passed away on April 7, 2022.

  • Kaiser Permanente received $172,217,805 while employees donated $35,910 including the vice president of government relations, Gary Cohen ($5,000 | 2018 election). Blue Shield of California received $74,283,100 in state payments while donating $102,550 including $70,200 from the company and $32,350 from key executives and employees. Masimo Corporation, a health-tech company, received $3,820,654 in state payments and gave $120,400 to Newsom’s 2018 and 2022 races – half of the donations came in 2022.

  II. MAJOR UTILITY COMPANIES – Gave $405,601 in campaign donations and received $430,416,420 in state payments

  • Pacific Gas & Electric Company (PG&E) based in San Francisco heavily criticized for its role in the California wildfires and recently came out of bankruptcy. The company received $323,777,292 in state payments (FY2021) and gave $123,929 in donations for the 2018 election. These donations included five and six figure gifts from five C-suite execs including CEO Geisha Williams ($10,000). Due to continuing scandals, Newsom stopped taking donations from PG&E after his election in 2018. The company also gave $358,000 between 2011-2018 to Newsom’s wife, Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s charity.

  • Edison International, with subsidiaries Southern California Edison and consultancy, Edison Energy, LLC, received $100,575,389 in state payments and gave $67,850 in campaign donations through the company, key employees, and staff. Additionally, the company’s trade association, Edison Electric Institute, donated $15,000 to Newsom’s 2018 race.

  • Calpine Corporation, the largest generator of electricity from natural gas and geothermal sources in the United States with 33 facilities in California received $3,134,154 in state payments and gave $109,822 in campaign donations. CEO Thad Hill gave $10,000 and other top execs gave $12,500 to Newsom.

  • California Water Service Company (Cal Water) received $2,121,724 in state payments and gave $94,000 between Newsom’s 2018 and 2022 campaigns.

  • California American Water Company, a subsidiary of American Water – the largest publicly-traded water and wastewater utility in the U.S. – received $807,861 in state payments and gave $10,000 through their employees PAC in the 2018 election. American Water also gave at least $5,000 to the governor’s wife’s charity in 2019.  

  III. MAJOR TELECOM COMPANIES – Gave $241,959 in campaign donations and received $420.3 million in state payments

  • AT&T received $260,394,271 in state payments and donated $82,210 to Newsom’s 2018 campaign. Public affairs executive Ken McNeely donated $17,000 between the 2010 and 2018 campaigns and also co-chaired the 2019 Flip The Script Gala for The Representation Project, a non-profit founded by Gavin Newsom’s wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom.

  • Verizon received $130,184,875 in state payments and donated $46,700 with the majority of the donations ($45,000) through the company itself.

  • Telrite Holdings (Life Wireless) received $9,102,033 in state payments and donated $10,000 to the 2018 campaign. California operates its LifeLine, the free phone program for low-income residents.

  • Comcast received $20,627,409 in state payments and donated $103,049. The company itself gave $29,200. Employees gave $73,849 including senior executive vice president David Cohen, based in Philadelphia, who gave $29,200 to the 2018 election. The company also gave at least $15,000 to The Representation Project (Newsom’s wife’s charity).

  IV. BIG LAW – top nine firms gave $198,142 in campaign donations and received $28.6 million in state payments

  We found nine law firms that reaped $28,615,984 in state payments and gave $198,142 in campaign cash to the governor. These donations came the law firms, principals, partners, key employees, or staff.

  Top donors included Nixon Peabody who gave $94,272 and received nearly $2.2 million in payments; Perkins Coie who gave $36,400 and received $1.4 million in payments; and Orrick Herrington & Sutcliffe donated $31,710 to Newsom and received $4.3 million in state payments. Others prominent firms backing the governor and receiving millions of dollars in state payments included: Loeb and Loeb ($11,850) and Munger Tolles & Olson ($5,750).

  V. BIG BANKS – Gave $186,836 in campaign donations and received $781 million in state payments.

  • Bank of America received $508,725,231 in state payments while donating $13,026. $10,000 came through their state and federal political action committee in 2018 while $3,026 was donated by employees.
  • Citigroup received $264,640,535 in state payments while donating $147,050. CEO William Mills donated $24,600 to Newsom’s 2018 race. The Citigroup state political action committee donated $110,600 between the 2018 and 2022 races.
  • Wells Fargo received $7,578,648 in state payments while donating $26,760 to Newsom’s 2018 race – staff gave $21,760 and the bank’s PAC donated $5,000.

  OTHERS

  Two railway companies with quasi-marketplace monopolies reaped nearly $47,505,454 in state payments during fiscal year 2021 and gave $112,400 in campaign donations to Newsom since 2010. BNSF Railway Company received $40,411,142 in state payments and gave $26,200 between the 2018 and 2022 campaigns. Union Pacific Railway Company received $7,094,312 in state payments and gave $86,200 in the 2018 and 2022 elections.

  Ten California based Native American tribes donated over $841,800 to Newsom’s campaign fund and their benefits are harder to quantify. Although those tribes received $8,753,578 in state payments (FY2021), their casinos are a highly regulated state business (in addition to many other interests before the state).

  

  Jennifer Siebel Newsom’s non-profit loophole

  While the governor was soliciting state vendors for campaign donations, Mrs. Newsom, the first partner, Jennifer Siebel Newsom, solicited state vendors for donations to her charity, The Representation Project.

  Major corporations with state contracts or business before the state gave the charity five and six figure gifts. The Sacramento Bee and Washington Post previously identified the companies and today we know just how much those corporations reaped in state agency payments. (23 and Me is the only donor that wasn’t on the state vendor list, however, they had an interest in 2021 state legislation regulating the use of consumer genetic data.)

  IRS 990 informational returns for The Representation Project show that Siebel-Newsom took $1.5 million in salary from 2013-2021 and another $1.6 million in payments to her private company, Girls Club Entertainment since 2012.

  Summary

  In all the examples identified above, no quid-pro-quo is alleged or implied; however, the patterns are troubling. In fact, the individual transactions are legal at arm’s length.

  But that’s precisely the problem. Politicians preside over, in essence, a legalized money-recycling scheme aimed at monetizing incumbent political power.

  Newsom didn’t answer our question as to whether soliciting state contractors for campaign cash was ethical. Meanwhile, California residents are left with skyrocketing taxes and an increasingly bleak future.

  We can blame Governor Newsom, but he is just a reflection of today’s broken culture of public service.  

  Methodology: We matched companies donating to Newsom For California 2010, 2018, 2022, as disclosed by the California State Board of Elections, to state payment transactions from fiscal year 2021– which we compiled through 442 California Public Record Act requests. To the extent that the information contains government errors, our report will reproduce those errors. No quid pro quo or illegal activity by any elected official, company or individual referenced in this piece is implied or intended. Gavin Newsom was elected governor in 2019.

  We have requested comment from the governor and The Representation Project, the first partner’s public charity.

  ADDITIONAL READING

  • Historic Announcement– California’s Books Are Open – 201,000 Vendors Received $87 Billion In State Payments | OpenTheBooks.Substack.com | August 2022
  • California’s Accounting System Cost $1.1 Billion And Still Can’t Produce A State Checkbook | Forbes | December 12, 2019
  • California Is The Only State To Hide Its Spending | Forbes | December 7, 2021
  • California Wants To Keep $300 Billion In Spending A Secret | Editorial, Orange County Register | May 2, 2022

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 17:30

• Elite NYC Private School Director On Leave After Admitting To 'Sneaking' Political Agenda Into Classrooms
  Elite NYC Private School Director On Leave After Admitting To ‘Sneaking’ Political Agenda Into Classrooms

  Jennifer “Ginn” Norris, director of student activities at the Trinity School – who was placed on leave following the Project Veritas report – told the undercover news organization that she and other teachers had been turning the $60,000 per year Upper West Side school into a place “where conservatives would not feel comfortable.”

  

  An administrator from a Manhattan private school admitted on undercover video that she hates “horrible” white students who have been pushing back against the far-left ideology she abuses her position to promote.

  “There’s always groups of teachers who want to do these [activist] things but the administration just wouldn’t let us,” said Norris. “So, we’ve been just sneaking things in [through] the cracks.”

  Norris also said that with a new progressive administration in place, she no longer “felt like a double agent,” and could freely promote her political views.

  “I don’t hide how I feel, but I can’t pretend I’m [not] promoting an agenda even though I clearly am with all the stuff I’m doing,” she said.

  More via The Epoch Times:

  In her role, Norris has the opportunity to bring in guest speakers twice a week. She said that while she allowed students to vote on which speaker would come to campus, she made sure to not put any Republican or conservative voice “on the plate” for them to consider.

  “So, you guys wouldn’t let Republican perspectives on campus?” the undercover journalist asked.

  “I won’t,” Norris replied.

  “I’m in charge as far as [the administration] are concerned,” she added. “So, if they want to [bring Republican speakers], then somebody else has to do it. Because—not on my watch, I guess.”

  In another exchange, Norris told the journalist that students at her school are encouraged to attend left-wing demonstrations, particularly those that are anti-Trump, anti-gun, and pro-abortion.

  “They went to the women’s rights marches after Trump. They went to all the gun ones, the March For Our Lives,” Norris said, noting that students still have to serve detention for missing classes, but teachers will “talk about social justice” with them during those hours.

  “So it’s like the punishment of detention, but it’s not punishment at all,” she said.

  At one point in the conversation, Norris suggested she has problems with white male students who dare to disagree with them.

  “Unfortunately, it’s the white boys who feel very entitled to express their opposite opinions and just push back,” Norris said. “There’s a huge contingent of them that are just horrible.”

  When asked about what she thinks of “Republican white guys,” she replied that she thinks they’re “really awful people” who “need to go.”

  “They’re so protected by capitalism. It makes me sad.” she said. “I think they’re really awful people. That’s kind of what I’m afraid of with my white students that are rich.”

  This video is the latest episode of Project Veritas’ four-part series “The Secret Curriculum,” which exposes efforts to indoctrinate children with socialist ideology. It is unclear where or when the footage was taken, but the dates on the clip reads June 12 and 15.

  Eric Trump, the second son of President Donald Trump, shared the video on Twitter, saying he feels sad to see this as a former Trinity student.

  “I went to Trinity in the early 90’s,” he wrote. “The school was fantastic. It is so sad to see this nonsense… It is truly a disgrace to some of the amazing teachers I once had.”

  Trinity’s principal Stephen Kolman and Norris couldn’t be immediately reached for comment regarding the content of the video.

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 17:00

• US Government Seized Over 11,000 Non-Classified Documents From Trump’s Home
  US Government Seized Over 11,000 Non-Classified Documents From Trump’s Home

  Authored by Zachary Stieber via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours),

  FBI agents seized over 11,000 documents and photographs without classified markings from the home of former President Donald Trump, according to an inventory released on Sept. 2.

  

  Agents during the Aug. 8 raid at Mar-a-Lago seized 11,179 materials that were not marked classified, the inventory says.

  They also took 103 documents marked classified, including some marked top secret.

  The warrant, approved by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart days earlier, enabled agents to seize any documents with classification markings, as well as containers in which the documents were located and any containers stored or found together with the documents.

  It also let agents seize information regarding the retrieval, storage, or transmission of national defense information or classified material; any government and/or presidential records created between Jan. 20, 2017, and Jan. 20, 2021; and any evidence “of the knowing alteration, destruction, or concealment of any government and/or Presidential Records, or of any documents with classification markings.”

  A property receipt, or inventory list, was given to a Trump lawyer as agents left, but the more detailed inventory list was submitted to a federal court on Friday on the orders of a judge.

  U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon, a Trump appointee, is considering whether to appoint a special master to review the materials the government seized and separate out those that may be privileged.

  The more detailed receipt also shows that the government seized 1,673 magazines/newspapers/press articles and other printed media, some dating back to 2008; 48 empty folders with classified banners; 42 empty folders labeled “return to staff secretary/military aide”; 19 articles of clothing/gift items; and 33 books.

  The original inventory listed no gifts or clothing, no folders, and no books.

  It primarily listed boxes of items, miscellaneous documents, some classified, and binders of photographs.

  The government later acknowledged that it seized three passports from Trump that have since been returned.

  Spokesman Responds

  Taylor Budowich, a Trump spokesman, said the new list “only further proves that this unprecedented and unnecessary raid of President Trump’s home was not some surgical, confined search and retrieval that the Biden administration claims, it was a SMASH AND GRAB.”

  “These document disputes should be resolved under the Presidential Records Act, which requires cooperation and negotiation by NARA, not an armed FBI raid,” he added.

  The investigation started after a referral from the National Archives and Records Administration.

  The agency received boxes of documents from Mar-a-Lago in January and identified some with classified markings. Officials notified the Department of Justice, which later gained access to the materials and confirmed the markings.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 16:30

• Insiders Are Dumping Stocks At The Fastest Pace In Months
  Insiders Are Dumping Stocks At The Fastest Pace In Months

  Having aggressively bought the f**king dip off the March 2020 lows, supported a tsunami of free money spewing forth from every government orifice, it appears that ‘insiders’ have little interest in catching the falling knife now that The Fed has turned its back.

  As Bloomberg reports, corporate insiders dumped their own shares aggressively in August, with some 2,150 executives hitting the sell button, the most since November 2021 on a net basis.

  That’s pushed the ratio of insider selling to buying to the highest since February, data compiled by the Washington Service show.

  “It’s yet another signpost, another signal that there is a high degree of uncertainty around the future,” Quincy Krosby, LPL Financial’s chief global strategist, said by phone.

  “The view is that, with regards to both selling and buying, corporate insiders know what they’re doing. It adds to this general sense of uncertainty that’s already out there.”

  

  The surge in insider-selling matches the slumping sentiment toward third-quarter operating margins, with expectations falling to 16.08% from 16.87% over the past eight weeks, data compiled by Bloomberg Intelligence show.

  “A tremendous amount of weakness was clearly anticipated ahead of summer’s earnings, but even more is expected, given the pace of negative revisions picked up as the breadth of weakness spread beyond growth in recent weeks to include value stocks,” Gina Martin Adams, chief US equity strategist at Bloomberg Intelligence, said in a note.

  And don’t forget, it’s that time of the month again…

  

  Finally, we note that it wasn’t just ‘insiders’, global equity funds had outflows of $9.4 billion in the week to Aug. 31, the fourth-largest redemptions this year, according to EPFR Global data cited by BofA. US equities had the biggest exodus in 10 weeks, while $4.2 billion left global bond funds.

  Don’t fight The Fed works both ways…

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 16:00

• "Suicidal" Pilot Lands In Mississippi Field, Taken Into Custody
  “Suicidal” Pilot Lands In Mississippi Field, Taken Into Custody

  Update (1147 ET): A reporter via local news WTVA has recorded a video of the crashed plane in a field in Northeast Mississippi. 

  WTVA reporter Bronson Woodruff is at the landing site in a field southeast of Ashland. pic.twitter.com/eQH4ROAhvP

  — WTVA 9 News (@wtva9news) September 3, 2022

  Axios reported that the plane went down, and the subject is in custody, according to the Benton County Sheriff’s Office. 

  * * * 

  Update (1120ET): NPR and PBS reporter Ian Saint said the plane flying over Northeast Mississippi is piloted by Cory Patterson.

  Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal has also confirmed that “multiple law enforcement, airport, and local authorities have identified the subject as Cory Patterson of Shannon.”

  BREAKING: Multiple law enforcement, airport and local authorities have identified the subject as Cory Patterson of Shannon. https://t.co/HZddmyr76t

  — Northeast Mississippi Daily Journal (@DJournalnow) September 3, 2022

  An alleged Facebook post from Patterson said:

  “Sorry everyone. Never actually wanted to hurt anyone. I love my parents and sister this isn’t your fault. Goodbye.”

  

  Flight track data shows Patterson is still flying (as of 1112 ET) in the northern part of the state. 

  

  “All citizens should be on alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department,” Gov. Tate Reeves tweeted earlier. 

  * * *

  A plane has been circling a Northeast Mississippi town since early morning. The pilot is threatening to intentionally crash into a Wal-Mart store.

  According to local news WTVA, the Tupelo Police Department received reports about a pilot of an airplane (possibly King Air type) circling above Tupelo. The pilot contacted 911 and threatened to crash the plane into a Wal-Mart on West Main. 

  

  “TPD has worked with Wal-Mart West and Dodges on West Main to evacuate the stores and disperse people as much as practical. TPD also has been able to begin talking with the pilot directly,” WTVA said. 

  Flight data via FlightAware shows the plane’s current position (as of 0949 ET). 

  

  Video of the plane has surfaced on social media. 

  @BronsonWTVA not sure what’s going on, but this plane has been flying in circles for 45 minutes around Tupelo. pic.twitter.com/agE5MpWPt1

  — Nick Nichols (@Nickfivecents) September 3, 2022

  NOW – Pilot threatens to crash a hijacked aircraft into a Walmart in Tupelo, Mississippi.pic.twitter.com/ITcj757113

  — Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) September 3, 2022

  Suicide pilot circling Tupelo…right above me…staying with a friend less than 1/4 mile from his target…took this video from her doorstep pic.twitter.com/pAHMzDaXsI

  — Mary Ellen Rogers (@MEMOfficScorer) September 3, 2022

  Possible stolen aircraft flying around Tupelo, Mississippi. Pilot has threatened to crash into a nearby Walmart. #tupelo #plane pic.twitter.com/pIHfzAx9Bo

  — GPrice (@GaylePrice) September 3, 2022

  “The pilot of the hijacked private plane from Tupelo is making his way closer to MEM airspace & rain moving in. At some point he’s going to get in the way of commercial aircraft arriving/departing there. He’s been around 1,000-1,500 ft. Someone is going to have to make a call…,” one Twitter user said. 

  The pilot of the hijacked private plane from Tupelo is making his way closer to MEM airspace & rain moving in. At some point he’s going to get in the way of commercial aircraft arriving/departing there. He’s been around 1,000-1,500 ft. Someone is going to have to make a call… pic.twitter.com/qzDuCvmTO9

  — Nathan Crace, ASGCA (@lipouts) September 3, 2022

  Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves said law enforcement and emergency managers are “closely tracking this dangerous situation.”

  State law enforcement and emergency managers are closely tracking this dangerous situation. All citizens should be on alert and aware of updates from the Tupelo Police Department. https://t.co/hQ8GxcR8s0

  — Governor Tate Reeves (@tatereeves) September 3, 2022

  *Developing

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 15:47

• The Overreach Of The Biden Administration Has Led To The Dropping Of The Executive Mask
  The Overreach Of The Biden Administration Has Led To The Dropping Of The Executive Mask

  Authored by Tho Bishop via the Mises Institute (emphasis ours),

  On Thursday night Joe Biden was propped up behind the presidential seal in front of historic Independence Hall and gave the most provocative and divisive speech in modern American history. With the site of the signing of the Declaration of Independence cloaked in an ominous blood red, Biden sputtered his way through an attack on “insurrectionists” he labeled as threatening American democracy, political norms, and the rule of law.

  

  The optics of the event were likely the idea of a proud Biden staffer, fresh off receiving a $10,000 subsidy to their student loan debt, leaning into the “Dark Brandon” aesthetic that has become popular among regime loyalists on Twitter. To Americans outside of this Very Online echo chamber, the imagery drew connotations of sinister authoritarian regimes ranging as Nazi Germany, the Empire of Star Wars, or the fascist regime of V for Vendetta.

  The substance of the speech supported these comparisons. It was the display of a weak regime projecting strength at a time of mass unpopularity and rising polling numbers of political opponents in pivotal midterm elections.

  None of this is a surprise.

  As I noted after the chaotic 2020 election, the federal government faced a threat it has not seen in over a hundred years. Concerns over the integrity of the 2020 election struck at the core of the institution’s democratic legitimacy. The result was a Biden inauguration fortified with thousands of national guard members that the Democrat Party didn’t trust with ammunition.

  The path the Biden administration took could have gone one of two ways. The regime could have fallen back on the power of moderation, restoring the isolated Washington uniparty by staffing the executive branch with prominent Republicans who always preferred the Clintons and Bidens over Trump—even if the smart ones refused to say so explicitly—while pursuing a standard policy agenda of foreign intervention, reckless spending, and fortifying the supremacy of the federal government over state control. These policies would have continued American decline but could have served to lull Americans to pre-Trump apathy by reminding them that federal elections have no real consequences for Washington.

  Instead, the Biden regime doubled down on the excesses of the Obama era, attacking hot-button issues such as gun rights, tying state funding to public school promotion of child mutilation and sterilization, and leveraging their control over large corporations to censor political opponents and mandate covid vaccinations of employees. Along the way, they secured funding to increase, arm, and expand the scope of federal agencies—an Imperial Guard for Washington elites to remind red states who is truly in charge.

  From the golf courses of Mar-a-Lago, the specter of Donald Trump continues to animate Capitol Hill. C-SPAN hearings over January 6 have been coordinated for prime-time viewing, while his supporters have been subjected to federal prosecution, solitary confinement, and financial ruin.
  These concerns may be justified. Outside of Washington, “MAGA Republicans” have found success, particularly in the high-profile senate and governor races.

  In Arizona, Blake Masters and Kari Lake conquered John McCain’s former state running on a platform against the 2020 election and the anarcho-tyranny of Biden-era policies while being viciously attacked by both the corporate press and establishment Republicans. In Ohio, Peter Theil-backed J.D. Vance leaned into opposition to American financing of the Ukrainian government while overcoming two more traditional Republican candidates. In Florida, Governor Ron DeSantis has secured the position as the only Republican with the popularity that rivals Trump by translating Trump-style rhetoric into aggressive state policy, with a particular focus on attacking the public healthy tyranny of the soon-to-debate Dr. Fauci.

  A common theme of this new class of Republicans has been their explicit calls to stand against the “regime,” railing against Washington’s “administrative state,” and their interest in the intellectual works of “dissident right-wing thinkers.” They have been supported by a maligned by a vocal group of MAGA House members, such as Marjorie Taylor Green, Matt Gaetz, Thomas Massie, and Lauren Boebert, who have seized on the overzealousness of the Biden administration to normalize calls to defund the FBI and other cherished Washington institutions.

  The primary success of a potential new class of MAGA Senators has created new pressures for Mitch McConnell. Long established as the kingpin of beltway Republican politics, his criticism of the “quality” of candidates has earned him strong public rebukes from Florida Senator Rick Scott—a political figure with both the ambition and financial resources to threaten McConnell.

  All of this is creating a unique moment in American history.

  The overreach of the Biden administration has led to the dropping of the executive mask. No longer is there any pretense of governing all Americans—the notion of liberal persuasion is dead. Brute force and the abolishment of governing norms—such as the facade of a politically independent Supreme Court, state control of elections, or the role of the filibuster in the Senate—are now accepted by mainstream Democrats as necessary to usher in a modern version of reconstruction on the parts of America that still fly Trump flags.

  Meanwhile, the most vocal anti-Trump Republicans have faced brutal defeats electorally but still have a home in the comfortable confines of Washington. While Liz Cheney’s blowout primary defeat means she will be giving up the pretense of representing Wyoming, she has been welcomed to the friendly confines of AEI. The View or CBS News are willing to welcome various former Trump administration figures so long as they engage in the public ritual of condemning their previous boss. The impact of these decisions, however, is declining interest in traditional conservative think tanks, respect for corporate media, and the legacy of formerly prominent Republican legislators and dynasties.

  The regime’s most powerful tool—a federal uniparty that fights on Sunday News Shows but works together and socializes in the real world—is fraying fast.

  Republican Congressional offices are being flooded with calls and emails attacking once noncontroversial issues such as foreign aid, the FBI, and the security of elections. While the wiliest of Washington creatures know how to pretend to sympathize with these concerns, the more mediocre ones flounder—with numerous Republican incumbents now forced to move their office from Capitol Hill to K Street.

  The real question will be what comes after 2022. While the sulfur and brimstone tones spewing from Joe Biden may spark news cycles, economic distress continues to dominate the concerns of voting Americans. At the same time, Hispanic Americans, many of which are alarmed about the cultural radicalism of the modern Democratic Party, are undermining the assumptions of the “demographics are destiny” framework that has dictated so much of the Left’s political strategy in the recent decades.

  Attempts to smear new-Republican Hispanics as the new “white nationalists” is surprisingly having little impact.

  While Joe Biden mocks “brave, right-wing Americans” that cling to the notion that their AR-15 can protect them from the F-15s he controls, the mentally declining commander-in-chief should pay more attention to his government’s failures in Afghanistan. The Afghan military surrounded billions of dollars in high-tech military supplies to Taliban forces not because they were out-armed but because the incompetent and kleptomaniac “liberal” regime America installed lacked the true support of the people and was not a cause many saw dying for.

  Likewise, the collapse of military enlistment in the American military reflects the sincere and growing disillusionment with Washington itself. While state propaganda may be trying to make the military appeal to America’s growing transgender population, they don’t seem up to the task of replacing young, white working-class men the modern class of Generals dismisses as privileged.

  As Murray Rothbard noted in Anatomy of the State, the state needs more than guns and bureaucrats to thrive. It needs the implicit consent of the people.

  Thanks to Joe Biden, and his friends in both political parties, instead tens of millions of Americans are growing increasingly comfortable considering themselves enemies of the state.

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 15:30

• IAEA Chief Outlines Gravest Risk To Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant
  IAEA Chief Outlines Gravest Risk To Ukraine Nuclear Power Plant

  International Atomic Energy Agency Director-General Rafael Grossi says that a team of inspectors which arrived Thursday will stay present at the embattled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant on an indefinite basis in hopes of ensuring its safe operation. He returned from the site and briefed reporters in Vienna, outlining the looming concerns.

  “The gravest risk to the embattled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant is physical damage to equipment from shelling that could lead to a release of radiation,” he warned.

  

  “It is obvious there is a lot of fighting in general in this part of Ukraine,” Grossi said, and observed that “The military activity and operations are increasing in that part of the country, and this worries me a lot.”

  “It’s obvious that the plant, and the physical integrity of the plant has been violated, several times. [Whether] by chance [or deliberately], we don’t have the elements to assess that. But this is a reality that we have to recognize, and this is something that cannot continue to happen,” he told the Friday press briefing, without assigning blame for which side shelled the facility.

  He further affirmed of the IAEA team he led to the site that “six of the agency’s experts remain at the plant” to maintain “permanent presence on site… with two of our experts who will be continuing the work.”

  “We’re glad that Russian Federation did what it needed to do to keep our inspectors safe…” pic.twitter.com/yDZyUPOpGA

  — ДражаМ (@DrazaM33) September 1, 2022

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  While no unsafe radiation levels or any kind of leak has yet been detected, Grossi still painted a picture of the crisis at Europe’s largest nuclear power plant – which before the war supplied 30% of Ukraine’s electricity needs – as a potential disaster waiting to happen if extra measures aren’t taken to restore operations up to standard: 

  Overall, not one of what the nuclear monitoring agency calls the seven pillars of nuclear safety, which include physical integrity, reliable external power and availability of spare parts, remains intact, Grossi said.

  He said that most of the shelling of the plant occurred in August, which was when each warring side intensified accusations that the other was behind the attacks.

  Some 500 Russian troops have occupied the site since March, with mostly Ukrainian engineers still operating it. He praised the plant’s technicians for coping under wartime stresses, saying it is “admirable for the Ukrainian experts to continue to work in these conditions.”

  I am finishing my first visit to #Ukraine’s #Zaporizhzhya Nuclear Power Plant.@IAEAorg is here to stay and will maintain a continued presence at #ZNPP. pic.twitter.com/k4zO3IMe2I

  — Rafael MarianoGrossi (@rafaelmgrossi) September 1, 2022

  https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js

  Interestingly, the assessment of his team appeared to directly contradict what Ukrainian officials have been alleging regarding Ukrainian engineers being tortured amid a Kremlin orchestrated ‘cover up’. The Associated Press wrote: 

  But on some points, the agency’s initial assessment was more optimistic than the picture painted by Ukrainian officials, who had said that engineers and other employees had been subjected to harsh interrogation and even torture, raising stress levels when they returned to work in reactor control rooms and in other critical jobs.

  Ukrainian officials have long argued that the plant’s engineers should be viewed as hostages who are being hindered from operating or speaking freely, but Grossi’s eyewitness account did not in any way back the claims.

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 15:00

• Top Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy Leaving White House, John Podesta Joining
  Top Climate Adviser Gina McCarthy Leaving White House, John Podesta Joining

  Authored by Jack Phillips via The Epoch Times (emphasis ours)

  White House national climate adviser Gina McCarthy is leaving her position, the White House said Friday as it also confirmed reports that former Hillary Clinton campaign manager John Podesta is joining the Biden administration.

  “Gina is indeed leaving us,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said at a briefing Friday in response to questions about McCarthy’s departure. “She, as you know, has been a leader in what we have seen as one of the largest investment in dealing” with the climate, Jean-Pierre said.

  

  It’s not clear why McCarthy is leaving the White House. She has not issued a public comment about leaving.

  At the same time, President Joe Biden said in a statement that Podesta, whose emails were leaked by WikiLeaks ahead of the 2016 election and contained controversial material, will be joining the administration to serve as a senior advisor on “clean energy innovation and implementation.”

  Podesta served as the White House chief of staff under President Bill Clinton and was also a senior Obama administration official before he became Clinton’s campaign manager. Podesta was most recently at the left-wing Center for American Progress think tank, which he founded.

  “We are fortunate that John Podesta will lead our continued innovation and implementation,” Biden said in a statement on Friday. “His deep roots in climate and clean energy policy and his experience at senior levels of government mean we can truly hit the ground running to take advantage of the massive clean energy opportunity in front of us.”

  

  Podesta was tapped to “oversee implementation of the Inflation Reduction Act’s expansive clean energy and climate provisions and will chair the President’s National Climate Task Force in support of this effort,” the White House said.

  Podesta will not replace McCarthy. Her former deputy, Ali Zaidi, was named to be the White House’s national climate advisor, said Biden in a statement.

  Read more here…

  Tyler Durden
  Sat, 09/03/2022 – 14:30

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