Beto O’Rourke Reveals His and His Wife’s Connection to Slavery

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Democratic presidential candidate Beto O’Rourke revealed on Sunday that he and his wife Amy are both the descendants of slave owners. . .

“A paternal great-great-great grandfather of mine, Andrew Cowan Jasper, owned these two women in the 1850s,” O’Rourke wrote. “There are also records showing that a maternal great-great-great grandfather, Frederick Williams, most likely owned slaves in the 1860s (“most likely,” because we are not certain that the Frederick Williams who is my ancestor and the Frederick Williams who owned slaves are the same person, but there’s enough circumstantial data to lead me to conclude that it’s likely).”

“Records also showed that Amy had an ancestor who owned slaves and another who was a member of the Confederate Army,” O’Rourke added.

O’Rourke’s claim comes after the media last week tried to tie Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s opposition to reparations to the fact that his great-great-grandfathers owned slaves. When the media tried to push that narrative they were met with the fact that former President Barack Obama’s ancestors were slave owners. . .

“I benefit from a system that my ancestors built to favor themselves at the expense of others,” O’Rourke wrote. “That only increases the urgency I feel to help change this country so that it works for those who have been locked-out of — or locked-up in — this system.” (Read more from “Beto O’Rourke Reveals His and His Wife’s Connection to Slavery” HERE)

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Fact-Check: Joe Biden Claims Bush Tricked Him into Voting for Iraq War

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In Joe Biden’s endless quest to win the Democratic presidential nomination—having failed in 1988 and 2008, he’s hoping that the third time is the charm—Biden is now saying that the only reason he voted in support of the Iraq War back in 2002 was that he trusted then-President George W. Bush. In other words, in Biden’s new telling, it’s Bush’s fault for lying to him.

As Biden said on Saturday:

The mistake I made was trusting President Bush, who gave me his word he was using it for the purpose of getting inspectors in to see what was going on, whether they were producing nuclear weapons.

It was, indeed, a big question back then, whether or not Saddam Hussein would allow inspectors from the International Atomic Energy Commission into Iraq. Much time was spent going back and forth on what sites and areas the inspectors could, or could not, inspect. And yet everyone knew that the Bush administration wanted to do invade Iraq, not only to eliminate the threat of weapons of mass destruction (there weren’t any, of course), but also as part of its larger neoconservative vision of nation-building Middle East countries into peaceable democracies (the same approach that was then being tried, without much success, in Afghanistan). . .

So again: Biden is portraying himself as not an Iraq hawk at all, but simply as someone too trusting. Such naivety might seem like a strange affect for a man who turned 60 in 2002, having already served in the Senate for five terms, including long stints on the Foreign Relations Committee. Indeed, in 2002, he was the chairman of that august committee. (Read more from “Fact-Check: Joe Biden Claims Bush Tricked Him into Voting for Iraq War” HERE)

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Poll Reveals How Dems Really Feel About AOC, Ilhan Omar

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A new internal Democrat poll in swing districts released on Sunday showed that socialist Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) and Ilhan Omar (D-MN) are extremely unpopular and that they may cost the Democratic Party the presidency and the House in 2020.

“Ocasio-Cortez was recognized by 74% of voters in the poll; 22% had a favorable view,” Axios reported. “Rep. Ilhan Omar of Minnesota — another member of The Squad — was recognized by 53% of the voters; 9% (not a typo) had a favorable view.” . . .

A top Democrat involved in the 2020 congressional races told Axios: “If all voters hear about is AOC, it could put the [House] majority at risk. [S]he’s getting all the news and defining everyone else’s races. Socialism is toxic to these voters.” . . .

“A Quinnipiac poll released on Thursday morning found that 23 percent of Americans had a favorable view of the member of Congress, while 36 percent had an unfavorable view — a -13 overall approval rating,” Vox reported in March. “This new poll isn’t a one-off finding. Three prior surveys — one in January from Morning Consult, one in February from Fox, and a third in mid-March from Gallup — all found that more Americans had negative views of AOC than had positive ones.”

A NBC News/Wall Street Journal poll from March found that, of socialism in general, “only 18% of respondents approved, while 50% of respondents disapproved.” (Read more from “Poll Reveals How Dems Really Feel About AOC, Ilhan Omar” HERE)

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Jeffrey Epstein Accused of Witness Tampering; Extreme Theories Circulate After Acosta Claim

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By Townhall. Billionaire and heinous pervert Jeffrey Epstein has been accused of tampering with a witness after allegedly wiring $350,000 to two people who could have been potential witnesses against him. He was arrested for trafficking underage girls earlier this week and will appear in court Monday. According to the New York Times, the allegation was revealed in a new court filing in which “prosecutors said that Mr. Epstein had paid significant amounts of money to influence individuals who were close to him and who might be witnesses against him at trial.”

(Read more from “Jeffrey Epstein Accused of Witness Tampering” HERE)

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Theories Fly: Was Epstein Running a Massive Blackmail Scheme — and Was He an Intelligence Asset?

By Townhall. His position untenable and his saga inflicting an endless parade of headache-inducing news cycles upon the White House, Secretary of Labor Alexander Acosta announced his resignation this morning. Some of the points he made in his own defense at a lengthy press conference this week seemed fair and valid, but his combination of buck-passing, contrived helplessness, and selective talking points left numerous questions unanswered. So he’s out. The stomach-turning Epstein case is far from over, of course, and one gets the sense that there’s much more sordidness lurking beneath its already-seedy and disturbing surface.

Without delving into every outrageous aspect of this mess, two questions continue to baffle: First, how did Epstein amass his fortune? Second, what was Sec. Acosta talking about when he reportedly told the Trump administration’s vetting team that he was waved off of throwing the book at Epstein because of nebulous intelligence community interests? Let’s begin with Epstein’s money. The source of his prodigious resources is shrouded in confusion and opacity — and has long been the subject of guessing games among New York’s elite finance community. New York Magazine delves into one growing theory, fueled by the confounding reality that nobody within that plugged-in world seems to know virtually any Epstein investors, nor have they traded with him.

Kass was well-connected on Wall Street, where he’d worked for decades, so he began to ask around. “I went to my institutional brokers, to their trading desks and asked if they ever traded with him. I did it a few times until the date when he was arrested,” he recalls. “Not one institutional trading desk, primary or secondary, had ever traded with Epstein’s firm.” When a reporter came to interview Kass about Bernie Madoff shortly before that firm blew up in the biggest Ponzi scheme ever, Kass told her, “There’s another guy who reminds me of Madoff that no one trades with.” That man was Jeffrey Epstein. “How did he get the money?” Kass kept asking.

For decades, Epstein has been credulously described as a big-time hedge-fund manager and a billionaire, even though there’s not a lot of evidence that he is either…Naturally, this air of mystery has especially piqued the interest of real-life, non-pretend hedge-funders. If this guy wasn’t playing their game — and they seem pretty sure he was not — what game was he playing? … Epstein was also missing another key element of a typical thriving hedge fund: investors. Kass couldn’t find any beyond Epstein’s one well-publicized client, retail magnate Les Wexner — nor could other players in the hedge-fund world who undertook similar snooping. “I don’t know anyone who’s ever invested in him; he’s never talked about by any of the allocators,” says one billionaire hedge-fund manager, referring to firms that distribute large pools money among various funds.

(Read more from “Theories Fly: Was Epstein Running a Massive Blackmail Scheme — and Was He an Intelligence Asset?” HERE)

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Explosive: Acosta Claimed Epstein ‘Belonged to Intelligence,’ Report Says

By The Blaze. According to investigative journalist Vickie Ward — who has been covering the Jeffrey Epstein case since 2003 — Alexander Acosta, the former U.S. attorney who cut Epstein a sweetheart plea deal back in 2007, did so because he had been told to “back off, that Epstein was above his pay grade.”

“I was told Epstein ‘belonged to intelligence’ and to leave it alone,” Acosta, who resigned as Secretary of Labor on Friday, reportedly claimed. (Read more from “Explosive: Acosta Claimed Epstein ‘Belonged to Intelligence,’ Report Says” HERE)

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Here’s How Much Deporting Illegal Aliens Saves Americans in Tax Dollars

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Deporting the roughly 11 to 22 million illegal aliens living across the United States saves American taxpayers hundreds of billions in public costs, analysis finds.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is expected to conduct a mass deportation effort next week, where at least 2,000 illegal aliens who have final orders for removal will be arrested, detained, and deported from the U.S.

American taxpayers stand ready to benefit significantly from the deportation of thousands of illegal aliens, all of whom have been ordered deported and have refused to leave.

The latest analysis from the Center for Immigration Studies Director of Research Steven Camarotta compared and contrasted the cost to American taxpayers of millions of illegal aliens living in the U.S. over a lifetime and the cost of deportation.

Based on research from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine, the cost of illegal aliens to American taxpayers over a lifetime is about $746.3 billion. Compare this to the cost of a single deportation, which is about $10,854 per illegal alien based on Fiscal Year 2016 totals.

Overall, deporting every illegal alien in the country would amount to a cost savings of about $622 billion over the course of a lifetime. This indicates that deporting illegal aliens is six times less costly than what it costs American taxpayers to currently subsidize the millions of illegal aliens living in the U.S. (Read more from “Here’s How Much Deporting Illegal Aliens Saves Americans in Tax Dollars” HERE)

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WATCH: IRS Armed Guard Pulls Gun on Uniformed Sheriff’s Deputy, Almost Turns Lethal

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A security guard at an Internal Revenue Service (IRS) office in Ohio pulled a gun on an on-duty cop for carrying his service pistol in a gun-free zone.

The security guard, Seth Eklund, was later arrested and is now facing charges of aggravated menacing for pointing his gun at uniformed Lucas County Sheriff’s deputy Alan Gaston, who entered the Toledo, Ohio IRS office on Monday, May 31 to inquire about a letter he received, ABC 13 News reported on Wednesday.

Gaston had gone to the office while on duty to request a phone number to follow up with a matter described in the letter. Security camera footage showed Gatson walking in the office while wearing his police uniform with service pistol, but when he walked out, Eklund followed him at gunpoint.

Upon seeing Gatson enter the office, Eklund ordered the deputy to take off his gun and place it in his vehicle. Since it is against law enforcement procol to disarm while on duty, Gatson declined, and Eklund responded by pointing a gun to the deputy’s back. . .

Someone from inside the IRS office had called 911 to report a man with a gun who would not leave, but failed to mention that the security guard was holding a gun to a uniformed law enforcement officer. (Read more from “IRS Armed Guard Pulls Gun on Uniformed Sheriff’s Deputy, Almost Turns Lethal” HERE)

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Federal Investigation Launched into Who Leaked ICE Raid Details

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Well, remember the details of Immigration and Custom’s Enforcement upcoming raids on illegals were leaked to the press? Only a very small group of people knew the cities involved and other details that made their way onto the pages of The Washington Post. It was alleged that acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan leaked the details. DHS Sources that reached out to Anna Giaritelli of The Washington Examiner pointed to McAleenan as the leaker, while also tossing the grenade that he cares more about how liberals view him than executing his duties at the agency. That’s some serious stuff. Well, he’s now under investigation for leaking the details of the ICE raids. This leak caused the raids to be delayed (via Washington Examiner):

Acting Secretary of Homeland Security Kevin McAleenan is at the center of a federal investigation into the leak of confidential government information in late June that forced Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to call off a nationwide operation, three senior administration officials told the Washington Examiner.

Following the publishing of sensitive leaked law enforcement information on June 21, then-acting ICE Director Mark Morgan’s team followed department protocol and reported the incident to the ICE Joint Intake Center so they could investigate. JIC is an agency office that handles internal investigations of personnel misconduct, sexual abuse, staff neglect, or violations of responsibilities that may have contributed to such incidents.

“There is an ongoing investigation. An internal investigation has been launched,” one official said in a phone call Friday.

The investigation, which is not a criminal probe, is centered around the leader of the department’s 240,000 employees, as well as at least one aide, for possible involvement in the leak. ICE did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It’s not clear if JIC has referred the matter to the DHS Office of the Inspector General.

(Read more from “Federal Investigation Launched into Who Leaked ICE Raid Details” HERE)

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Embroiled in Epstein Controversy, Trump’s Labor Secretary Steps down

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U.S. Secretary of Labor Alex Acosta stepped down Friday morning following a week of calls for his resignation related to a plea deal he cut with billionaire and accused child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein over a decade ago.

“I thought the right thing was to step aside,” Acosta told reporters at the White House Friday, per a Bloomberg story. “It would be selfish for me to stay in this position.”

“I do not think it is right and fair for this administration’s Labor Department to have Epstein as the focus, rather than the incredible economy,” Acosta later added.

Standing outside the White House with the departing secretary, President Donald Trump called Acosta a “great labor secretary” who had done a “fantastic job” and said that the decision to step down was Acosta’s, not his.

“He made a deal that people are happy with, and then 12 years later, they’re not happy with it. You’ll have to figure all of that out,” the president said. “This is him, not me, because I’m with him. … We’re gonna miss him.”

In 2008, then-federal prosecutor Acosta’s team cut a non-prosecution agreement with Epstein that ended with the billionaire copping to solicitation charges, having to register as a sex offender, and spending over a year in county jail. In exchange, Epstein avoided federal charges.

Acosta defended the agreement earlier this week with a statement calling Epstein’s alleged crimes “horrific” and explaining, “With the evidence available more than a decade ago, federal prosecutors insisted that Epstein go to jail, register as a sex offender and put the world on notice that he was a sexual predator.”

Earlier this week, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., called on Acosta to resign over the plea bargain.

“[Acosta] must step down,” Pelosi tweeted. “As US Attorney, he engaged in an unconscionable agreement w/ Jeffrey Epstein kept secret from courageous, young victims preventing them from seeking justice.”

“I am calling on Sec. Acosta to resign,” Schumer said earlier this week on the Senate floor. “It is now impossible for anyone to have confidence in Secretary Acosta’s ability to lead the Department of Labor.”

Epstein was arrested Saturday on new charges of sex trafficking minor-aged girls as young as 14. He is trying to get out of jail while awaiting trial by offering up his private jet and his mansion as collateral and agreeing to electronic monitoring.

The president said that Acosta’s deputy, Patrick Pizzella, will take the reins at the department’s acting secretary. (For more from the author of “Embroiled in Epstein Controversy, Trump’s Labor Secretary Steps down” please click HERE)

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New Revelations About Jeffrey Epstein Raise Serious Questions

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A new report about alleged child sex trafficker Jeffrey Epstein made revelations about items that Epstein shipped to his homes that many online and in the media viewed as suspicious, especially given the time when the items were shipped in relation to legal matters he faces.

“Jeffrey Epstein shipped a shredder from the U.S. Virgin Islands to his Palm Beach home in July 2008, shortly after reaching a non-prosecution agreement with then-U.S. Attorney Alex Acosta, maritime records show,” The Intercept reported. “Then, in March of this year, shortly after a Florida federal judge invalidated that agreement, Epstein shipped a tile and carpet extractor from the Virgin Islands to his Manhattan townhouse, the records show.”

Intercept reporter Ryan Grim added on Twitter: “Items Jeffrey Epstein shipped from his island port that didn’t make it into my story about the carpet & tile extractor and the shredder. Not included in this list is a 550 lb ‘dental unit,’ which appears to be a dental chair. The dental chair came from Henan Meijiasheng Trading Co. Why does he need a dental chair?”

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Insider points to an excerpt in an article published by the AP for context: “Epstein built a stone mansion with cream-colored walls and a bright turquoise roof surrounded by several other structures including the maids’ quarters and a massive, square-shaped white building on one end of the island. Workers told each other it was a music room fitted with a grand piano and acoustic walls. Its gold dome flew off during the deadly 2017 hurricane season.” (Read more from “New Revelations About Jeffrey Epstein Raise Serious Questions” HERE)

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Ocasio-Cortez’s Chief of Staff Admits the True Goal of the Green New Deal

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The chief of staff for firebrand freshman Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-N.Y.) admitted what the true goal of the Green New Deal is, and it’s not to defeat global warming. . .

“The interesting thing about the Green New Deal,” Chakrabarti said, “is it wasn’t originally a climate thing at all.”

Chakrabarti was speaking with Sam Ricketts, the climate director for Washington Gov. Jay Inslee, who is running for the Democratic presidential nomination. . .

“Do you guys think of it as a climate thing?” Chakrabarti asked.

“Because we really think of it as a how-do-you-change-the-entire-economy thing,” he concluded. (Read more from “Ocasio-Cortez’s Chief of Staff Admits the True Goal of the Green New Deal” HERE)

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