Twitter to Close Office Amid Elon Musk’s Cost Cutting: Reports

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Twitter is closing its Seattle offices and asking employees there to work from home amid Elon Musk’s efforts to cut back on costs after purchasing the company for $44 billion.

The company has stopped paying rent at its Seattle office, according to the New York Times, leading its staff to face eviction. Twitter employees were informed of the changes via email, according to Platformer, and encouraged to work from home for the time being.

The anticipated closing of Twitter’s Seattle offices will leave the company with only its offices in New York and San Francisco in operation. (Read more from “Twitter to Close Office Amid Elon Musk’s Cost Cutting: Reports” HERE)

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The Longest Witch Hunt Goes on… Democrats Release Trump’s Tax Returns Before Losing Power; Trump Reacts

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Democrats in control of the U.S. House Ways and Means Committee released six years of former President Donald Trump’s tax returns on Friday, an unprecedented intrusion that revealed nothing in particular.

The release marked the first time Congress had ever obtained and published the tax returns of any individual.

The six years of newly-released returns, covering the years 2015 through 2020, show that Trump paid a total of $4.4 million in federal income taxes over that period, with an adjusted gross income of -$53.2 million. “The Trumps paid some form of federal taxes every year, but they reported income-tax liability of $750 or less in three of the six years,” the Wall Street Journal noted. Democrats point to some potential problems. They claim that Trump’s tax returns as president were not properly audited by the IRS (a claim the IRS disputes). They also complained about charitable deductions and whether loans to his children should have been taxed as income. . .

However, there appeared to be few bombshells. In a statement on Truth Social, his social media platform, the former president said the returns showed “how proudly successful I have been” and warned that “the Democrats should never have done it.”

Republicans echoed the latter sentiment, saying the release of the tax returns seemed to have a purely political motive, and opened the door for Republicans to do the same in future. (Read more from “The Longest Witch Hunt Goes on… Democrats Release Trump’s Tax Returns Before Losing Power; Trump Reacts” HERE)

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Harris ‘Gamesmanship’ Torments Staff, Stems From ‘Deep, Deep Insecurity’: Book

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Vice President Kamala Harris’s “gamesmanship” against her staff has led to a long-standing pattern of dysfunction, prompting questions about her capabilities under pressure, a new book reports.

A former aide said Harris engaged in “really unnecessary gamesmanship” with staff, behavior the person attributed to “deep, deep insecurity,” reports a forthcoming book by Chris Whipple obtained by the Washington Examiner.

The staffer, who spent years working for Harris, claimed she “refused to do the kind of preparation that you need to do before going public on a hardcore policy matter. And then she became incensed and outraged when things wouldn’t go the way she thought they were supposed to. There was a lot of magical thinking.”

Reports of turmoil have plagued Harris’s vice presidential office, with her chief of staff, communications director, press secretary, and other aides departing within the first 18 months. (Read more from “Harris ‘Gamesmanship’ Torments Staff, Stems From ‘Deep, Deep Insecurity’: Book” HERE)

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Alleged Suspect in Idaho Slayings Was Reportedly Studying Criminology

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The alleged suspect arrested Friday in connection with the slayings of four University of Idaho students was reportedly studying criminology at a nearby university.

Authorities arrested 28-year-old Bryan Christopher Kohberger in Scranton, Pennsylvania, in the early hours of the morning. He was wanted on a warrant for first degree murder, according to NPR.

Kohberger was reportedly a student at Washington State University in Pullman, Washington, studying criminology, NPR reported, noting the university’s Department of Criminal Justice and Criminology listed a Ph.D. student by the same name. The university is less than 10 miles from the University of Idaho. Kohberger appeared to have been pursuing a doctorate in the subject after seemingly receiving a master of arts in criminal justice from DeSales University in 2022, the New York Post reported.

Screenshots circulating on social media are reportedly taken from Kohberger’s Reddit page, where he allegedly asked former prisoners to participate in a criminology study during his time at DeSales. (Read more from “Alleged Suspect in Idaho Slayings Was Reportedly Studying Criminology” HERE)

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Joe Biden Pardons Criminally Convicted People, Including a Woman Who Killed Her Husband

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President Joe Biden granted pardons to six people who have been convicted of drug charges and murder.

On Friday, the White House announced that the pardons include a woman who killed her husband, a man who sold untaxed whiskey at age 18, and a former soldier who pleaded guilty to getting high on ecstasy.

“Today, President Biden is granting six full pardons for individuals who have served their sentences and have demonstrated a commitment to improving their communities and the lives of those around them,” a White House official said.

Biden, who is currently vacationing at a donor’s home in St. Croix, has previously said that America is a “nation of laws and second chances, redemption, and rehabilitation,” hence why he gave pardons to convicted criminals.

“These include individuals who honorably served in the US military, volunteer in their communities, and survived domestic abuse,” the White House official added, “President Biden believes America is a nation of second chances, and that offering meaningful opportunities for redemption and rehabilitation empowers those who have been incarcerated to become productive, law-abiding members of society.” (Read more from “Joe Biden Pardons Criminally Convicted People, Including a Woman Who Killed Her Husband” HERE)

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Ray Epps Told Nephew He ‘Orchestrated’ January 6

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Ray Epps, a mysterious January 6 figure some theorized to be a federal informant, told his nephew that he “orchestrated” what transpired that day in 2021.

The bombastic assertion was revealed in a lightly redacted transcript released Thursday by the House January 6 Committee. Claiming he made a poor choice of words to his nephew, Epps insisted to congressional investigators his actions had nothing to do with inciting the Capitol riot and, to the contrary, he was trying to stop the onset of violence. Epps, who is seen in video clips encouraging people to march into the Capitol, also flatly denied he was acting on behalf of any government agency while in Washington, D.C.

His nephew, 28-year-old Dalin, texted Epps on the morning of January 6, saying, “You and Jim be safe.” Jim is Epps’ son, who was also in the nation’s capital. Hours later, at 2:12 p.m., as the violence at the Capitol was getting underway, Epps responded with a brag. “I was in the front with a few others. I also orchestrated it,” he said.

Investigators pressed Epps to explain his wording.

“I just meant that I got — you have to understand our relationship, uncle-nephew. We hunt together. We fun with each other [sic]. We do that kind of stuff,” he said. “What I meant by ‘orchestrate,’ I helped get people there.” (Read more from “Ray Epps Told Nephew He ‘Orchestrated’ January 6” HERE)

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Violent Crime Soars in 2022; Blame Pinned on Too Few Cops, Lax Prosecutors, More Brutal Society

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Homicides dipped slightly in 2022 but violent crimes such as rape, robbery and assault remain dramatically higher than before the COVID-19 pandemic, The Washington Times found in a review of data from police departments across the country.

Through the final week in December, violent crime in Chicago soared 41% from the same period a year earlier, though homicides declined by 14%. In New York City, overall violent crime increased by 23% compared with 2021, but homicides plunged by 13%. Violent crime in Los Angeles jumped by 8% while homicides dropped by roughly 6%. . .

The Council on Criminal Justice’s mid-year 2022 crime report, released in September, found that through the first six months of the year, the homicide rate in 29 U.S. cities dipped by 2% from the previous year. At the same time, aggravated assaults and robberies increased by 4% and 19%, respectively.

A survey of 70 U.S. law enforcement agencies by the Major Cities Chiefs Association found that through the first six months of 2022, homicides dropped by 2%, but violent crime increased by 4.4%. The survey found robberies were up by 13% and aggravated assaults increased by 3%. (Read more from “Violent Crime Soars in 2022; Blame Pinned on Too Few Cops, Lax Prosecutors, More Brutal Society” HERE)

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Disturbing Report: At Least 34 Babies Born Alive in Botched Abortions Between 2020-2022

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Abortion data from seven states in the U.S. show that at least 34 babies were born alive in botched abortions between 2020 and 2022, Life News reported on Thursday.

The pro-life outlet looked at data from Arizona, Florida, Minnesota, Texas, Arkansas, Oklahoma, and Michigan, though it noted that “most states do not keep track of the number of babies who survive abortions…”

“[A]nd the few that do provide little information about whether the babies received care, survived or were abandoned to die,” according to the report. (Read more from “Disturbing Report: At Least 34 Babies Born Alive in Botched Abortions Between 2020-2022” HERE)

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Danish Reporter Says Ukrainian Intelligence Tried to Coerce Her Into Working as a Propagandist

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By The Intercept. Denmark’s leading chronicler of the war in Ukraine, Matilde Kimer, who has reported for Danish television from the front lines of the conflict since the Russian aggression began in 2014, revealed last week that Ukraine’s intelligence service had canceled her work permit and would only return it if she agreed to let the spy agency direct her reporting.

According to Kimer, an award-winning Moscow correspondent for Denmark’s public service broadcaster, DR, the proposal was presented to her by an officer from the Security Service of Ukraine, the intelligence agency known as the SBU, during a meeting this month in Kyiv that was also attended by two diplomats from the Danish Embassy.

The diplomats had brokered the meeting as part of an effort to help Kimer find out why Ukraine had suddenly canceled her accreditation in August, shortly after she made a reporting trip to the front lines around Mykolaiv, a strategically important Black Sea port where a Ukrainian counteroffensive had been playing out. (Read more from “Danish Reporter Says Ukrainian Intelligence Tried to Coerce Her Into Working as a Propagandist” HERE)

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Russia rejects Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’: Lavrov

By Aljazeera. Russia has rejected Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s “peace formula” as a basis for negotiations and believes Kyiv is still not ready for real peace talks, Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov told state-run RIA news agency.

Lavrov also said Kyiv’s hopes of driving Russia out of eastern Ukraine and Crimea with Western help were “an illusion”, the agency reported on Thursday. The veteran Russian diplomat’s comments represent the latest evidence of the gulf in positions between Moscow and Kyiv, and how far the two governments are from any realistic chance of talks aimed at ending the war, now in its eleventh month.

Hours after Lavrov’s rejection of Zelenskyy’s proposal, Ukrainian officials said the country came under heavy Russian missile attack, with explosions in big cities, including capital Kyiv and Kharkiv.

Zelenskyy has been vigorously pushing a 10-point peace plan that envisages Russia respecting and restoring Ukraine’s territorial integrity and pulling out all its troops.

But Moscow has insisted Kyiv must first accept Russia’s annexation of Luhansk and Donetsk in the east, and Kherson and Zaporizhia in the south. There can be no peace plan “that does not take into account today’s realities regarding Russian territory, with the entry of four regions into Russia”, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said. (Read more from “Russia rejects Zelensky’s ‘peace formula’: Lavrov” HERE)

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Here’s How the Military Dropped Its Standards in 2022 To Address a Major Recruiting Crisis

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The military’s standards for committed members and new recruits have dropped in 2022 as the services struggle to overcome challenges in filling the ranks.

Army recruiting plummeted in 2022, while the remaining services just made their recruiting goals for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30, according to Department of Defense (DOD) data shared with the Daily Caller News Foundation. The military is scrambling to adjust policies in a way that attracts more recruits, prompting some lowering of physical fitness and academic standards that could negatively impact military readiness, a military expert told the DCNF. . .

The Navy opened up the service to more prospective sailors who score at minimum levels on entrance examinations that test physical and mental aptitude on Dec. 5, Cmdr. David Benham, a Navy Recruiting Command spokesperson, told Military.com. New guidelines will allow 7,500 recruits, or roughly 20% of the new active duty enlisted cohort, from the lowest acceptable aptitude level to join. . .

The Air Force also relaxed entrance requirements. A new policy revealed in September allowed applicants who test positive for tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient in marijuana, during their entrance physical a second chance to come clean, whereas under prior rules they would be automatically disqualified from service.

In June, the DOD shortened the minimum amount of time individuals with a history of conditions including asthma or behavioral health problems like attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder would need to be symptom-free to enlist without a waiver, a DOD issuance shows. The military has allowed 700 recruits previously diagnosed with ADHD to join without a waiver in 2022, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday. (Read more from “Here’s How the Military Dropped Its Standards in 2022 To Address a Major Recruiting Crisis” HERE)

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