North Carolina Hurricane Victims Demand Accountability Following Helene’s Devastation

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In the wake of Hurricane Helene’s catastrophic impact, victims from the hardest-hit areas of western North Carolina are expressing deep frustration and anger at the federal government’s response. Communities such as Asheville, Chimney Rock, Swannanoa, and Biltmore Village have experienced significant destruction, with flash flooding leading to the tragic loss of more than 200 lives.

Residents are struggling to navigate the aftermath, with many questioning the effectiveness and timeliness of the government’s aid efforts. An Asheville woman, standing amid a pile of debris, voiced her despair in an interview with NBC News, stating, “No. No,” when asked if she had any faith in receiving help from the government. “Nobody’s going to help us… I don’t know what we’re going to do,” she added, capturing the sentiment of many in the community.

Jordan Lanning, another resident, articulated his outrage during a Thursday interview with Fox News host Jesse Watters. He criticized the delayed response, noting it took five days for President Biden to visit the affected areas. “He didn’t think we were worth coming down to see us himself. He had to fly over on his way to Raleigh,” Lanning remarked, expressing a feeling of neglect from those in power.

The frustration has been further amplified by Vice President Kamala Harris’s recent announcement of a mere $750 in immediate aid from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for victims of Hurricane Helene. This decision has sparked nationwide backlash, especially in light of the Biden administration’s simultaneous pledge of $8 billion to support Ukraine. When questioned by Watters whether this amount was sufficient, Lanning responded emphatically, “No, it is not.”

“There are people who have lost everything,” he continued. “I’m not expecting [them] to give us thousands of dollars, but they can do more than that.” His comments resonate with many who feel that the government’s assistance does not reflect the scale of the disaster.

As the clean-up efforts continue and survivors grapple with their losses, the call for accountability from the federal government is growing louder.

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Bombshell Lawsuit: Arizona’s Elections Chief Is Hiding Info on 218K Voters Lacking Proof of Citizenship

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Arizona’s Democrat elections chief is illegally withholding the identities of approximately 218,000 registered voters on the state’s voter rolls who lack documentary proof of citizenship (DPOC), a lawsuit filed Wednesday alleges.

Brought by the Strong Communities Foundation of Arizona (SCFA) against Democrat Secretary of State Adrian Fontes and the Arizona Department of State, the legal challenge “seeks to restore public trust in [Arionza’s] electoral system by ensuring transparency about the Defendants’ failures to ensure that registered voters have provided DPOC, as required by law.” The group is represented by America First Legal and a law firm spearheaded by former Arizona Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Wright.

The lawsuit addresses an issue that first came to light last month, in which Arizona election officials announced they discovered approximately 98,000 registered “full-ballot” voters who have not provided documentary proof of citizenship required to participate in state and local elections. The error appears to have resulted “from the way the Motor Vehicle Division provides driver’s license information to the state’s voter registration system,” according to Votebeat Arizona.

Fontes said most of the affected voters are registered Republicans, according to the outlet.

In Arizona, voters registering via state registration form must show DPOC to vote in state and local races. Individuals who are unable to provide such documentation are registered as “federal-only” voters and can only cast ballots in federal races. (Read more from “Bombshell Lawsuit: Arizona’s Elections Chief Is Hiding Info on 218K Voters Lacking Proof of Citizenship” HERE)

Hurricane Recovery Efforts Hit by Charges of Corruption, Mismanagement, Politics

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It’s hard enough to prepare for the catastrophic results of something like Hurricane Helene, which destroyed towns, homes, bridges, roads – and lives and families.

But that task turns into, literally, the impossible when there’s corruption, gross mismanagement, and politics present. . .

Already, WND has reported that the Federal Emergency Management Agency has spent billions of dollars providing benefits to illegal aliens, and now has confirmed it lacks resources for the ordinary needs of the nation’s hurricane season. . .

A report at the Gateway Pundit explains multiple whistleblowers already have come forward with complaints about FEMA.

“According to a letter from Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), whistleblowers allege that FEMA withheld critical pre-disaster funds and failed to issue deployment orders to first responders, leaving Americans stranded in the wake of the storm,” the report said.

It described Gaetz’ letter as a “bombshell” to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, for his agency’s “failure to release necessary funds and provide clear orders has left ‘hundreds if not thousands’ of service members and first responders in limbo, as they sit idle in hotels while the southeastern U.S. suffers the devastating effects of Helene.” (Read more from “Hurricane Recovery Efforts Hit by Charges of Corruption, Mismanagement, Politics” HERE)

How Did 50K Dockworkers Strike at U.S. Ports With Only 25K Jobs?

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Nearly 50,000 dockworkers launched a strike this week at ports from Maine to Texas — but, in a bizarre quirk that has resulted from massive concessions to the union over the decades, the affected ports only employ 25,000.

There’s a massive gulf in the numbers between those who show up for work and total membership in the powerful International Longshoremen’s Association, which won a deal late Thursday for a 62% wage increase over the next six years.

That’s because half of the dockworkers at the East and Gulf coast ports are allowed to sit at home collecting “container royalties” negotiated decades ago to protect against job losses that result from innovation, according to The Wall Street Journal.

The impact of these no-show jobs at the ports — controlled by ILA’s highly-paid and foul-mouthed president Harold Daggett — were part of an explosive 2019-2020 Waterfront Commission report cited by The Journal’s editorial board on Friday.

That report laid out how the ILA’s iron grip helps some workers at the expense of countless other blue-collar applicants by refusing to hire residents near the ports — and reignited concerns about the mob’s control over US shipping made famous in the classic film “On the Waterfront.” (Read more from “How Did 50K Dockworkers Strike at U.S. Ports With Only 25K Jobs?” HERE)

North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Threatens to Unleash Nuclear Weapons on South

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North Korean leader Kim Jong Un has threatened nuclear retaliation against the South after recent remarks by his South Korean counterpart.

During a parade on Tuesday to mark Armed Forces Day, South Korean President Yoon Suk-yeol unveiled weapons intended to keep the North at bay. “That day will be the end of the North Korean regime,” Yoon vowed.

According to the Associated Press, Yoon unveiled the Hyunmoo-5 ballistic missile, which observers say can destroy underground bunkers in North Korea.

Yoon warned that if Pyongyang were ever to use nuclear weapons, United States and South Korean forces would mount a “resolute and overwhelming” response.

“The North Korean regime must abandon the delusion that nuclear weapons will protect them,” the South Korean president added. (Read more from “North Korea’s Kim Jong Un Threatens to Unleash Nuclear Weapons on South” HERE)

Biden Says U.S. Discussing Possible Israeli Strikes on Iran Oil Facilities

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Joe Biden has said the US is discussing with Israel the possibility of Israeli strikes on Iran’s oil infrastructure.

When asked if he would support such strikes, Mr Biden said: “We’re discussing that. I think that would be a little… anyway.”

His off-the-cuff remarks, made as he left the White House, did not make clear Washington’s stance. Mr Biden has previously said he would not support Israeli strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities.

The price of benchmark Brent crude oil shot up by 5% immediately after the remarks. It has now increased by 10% since Iran’s large-scale missile attack on Israel on Tuesday.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Iran “will pay a heavy price” for Tuesday’s attack, which saw at least 180 ballistic missiles fired at Israel. (Read more from “Biden Says U.S. Discussing Possible Israeli Strikes on Iran Oil Facilities” HERE)

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Second Gentleman Emhoff Denies He Slapped Ex-Girlfriend

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Second gentleman Doug Emhoff has denied a shocking report that he slapped his then-girlfriend more than a decade ago after thinking she was flirting with another man.

“This report is untrue,” an Emhoff spokesperson told Semafor, adding that “any suggestion that he would or ever hit a woman is false.”

The Daily Mail reported Wednesday, citing three friends of the unidentified woman, that Emhoff smacked his then-lover so hard in the face that she was “spun around” after an event at the 2012 Cannes Film Festival in France.

One of the woman’s friends told the outlet that she called him “sobbing” after the attack: “It was very clear what she was telling me. She said she was with a guy, her date, she was at the Cannes Film Festival, and he hit her. She was in the car with the guy at the time. I didn’t know what to do, I didn’t know whether to call the French police. I couldn’t get ahold of her after calling back.”

The friend said Emhoff may have thought his girlfriend was flirting with a valet employee after she put her hand on his shoulder following a night of drinking. (Read more from “Second Gentleman Emhoff Denies He Slapped Ex-Girlfriend” HERE)

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Trump: Israel Should Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program

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Former President Donald Trump said Friday in Fayetteville, North Carolina, that Israel should destroy Iran’s nuclear weapons program in response to the second massive ballistic missile attack by the Iranian regime earlier this week.

Trump was responding to questions during a town hall, and drew a contrast between his policies and those of President Joe Biden, who said earlier this week that Israel should not hit Iran’s nuclear program or oil facilities.

Trump said:

I listened to Biden yesterday, you know, since I went under the wing, you know, I used to go under the wing of the aircraft. Nobody ever did that before. I did all of a sudden, Biden started — but he only takes like a half a question, usually can’t answer it. [Laughter] But they asked him, what do you think about, what do you think about Iran? Would you hit Iran? And he goes, “A long as they don’t hit the nuclear stuff.” That’s the thing you want to hit, right? I said, I think he’s got that one wrong. Isn’t that what you’re supposed to hit? I mean, it’s the most, it’s the biggest risk. We have nuclear weapons, the power of nuclear weapons, the power of weaponry. You know, I rebuilt the entire military jets, everything I built it, including nuclear and I hated to build the nuclear, but I got to know firsthand the power of that stuff, and I’ll tell you what, we have to be totally prepared. We have to be absolutely prepared. But when they asked him that question, the answer should have been hit the nuclear first and worry about the rest later. And that’s why they should, if they’re going to do it, if they’re going to do it, they’re going to do it, but we’ll find out whatever their plans are.

Trump also talked about his success in promoting peace through the Abraham Accords, and said that the U.S. could avoid war by being feared and respected again by America’s enemies and allies throughout the world. (Read more from “Trump: Israel Should Destroy Iran’s Nuclear Weapons Program” HERE)

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White House Reporters Audibly Shocked at Sight of Joe Biden in White House Briefing Room

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Reporters in the White House press briefing were audibly shocked when President Joe Biden entered the room Friday to take questions for the first time in his administration.

Biden paid a surprise visit to the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to give remarks about the latest jobs report and take several questions for about 15 minutes. Reporters gasped when the president entered the room for the first time in his presidency alongside White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

When Biden began his fourth year in office, he was averaging the lowest number of press conferences per year, 11, since former President Ronald Reagan, according to data compiled by the University of California at Santa Barbara’s American Presidency Project. As of Feb. 2024, Biden had participated in fewer interviews with media outlets than his predecessors, only doing 86 interviews since his inauguration in 2021, according to NBC News.

The president appeared in the briefing room after an early morning report from Axios that the president has had no public events scheduled on 43 of the 75 days since he ended his 2024 campaign. Of the public events the president did participate in, only two were scheduled before 11 a.m., zero before 10 a.m. and five after 5 p.m., the Axios analysis shows. The president has also taken all calls and meetings with world leaders, except for one instance, between the hours of 11 a.m. and 5 p.m since leaving the race, Axios reported.

(Read more from “White House Reporters Audibly Shocked at Sight of Joe Biden in White House Briefing Room” HERE)

IG Report: DHS Admitting Noncitizens Without ID May ‘Increase National Security Risks’

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Federal agencies tasked with protecting U.S. borders have allowed illegal border crossers to enter the United States without adequate vetting and board domestic flights, a new Department of Homeland Security inspector general report found.

The 37-page document published on September 30 may be heavily redacted, but it paints a clear picture of the “potential risk” posed to Americans thanks to the willingness of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and the Transportation Security Agency to admit noncitizens without ID into the country.

“Under current processes, CBP and ICE cannot ensure they are keeping high-risk noncitizens without identification from entering the country. Additionally, TSA cannot ensure its vetting and screening procedures prevent high-risk noncitizens who may pose a threat to the flying public from boarding domestic flights,” the report states.

Federal law deems noncitizens without ID “not admissible into the country” and potentially “subject … to removal from the United States without further hearing or review.” According to Inspector General Joseph V. Cuffari, however, CBP and ICE routinely use the law’s asylum and humanitarian exceptions to offer documentation to noncitizens without ID based solely on “self-reported biographical information.”

Neither agency, the report warned, “could determine how many of the millions of noncitizens seeking entry in the United States each year entered without identification and whose self-reported biographic information was accepted.” (Read more from “IG Report: DHS Admitting Noncitizens Without ID May ‘Increase National Security Risks’” HERE)

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