FBI Seized Trump’s Papers for ‘Safety’

/0 Comments/in , /by

Justice Department officials urged a federal judge to keep under wraps the search warrant used in the FBI raid of former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, fearing he would destroy evidence, according to court documents unsealed Thursday.

In a motion filed three days before more than 30 armed agents stormed Mr. Trump’s Palm Beach, Florida, residence, the Justice Department said a public search warrant “poses a risk to [the] safety” of the materials sought in the investigation.

“The United States believes there is good cause [to keep the warrant sealed] because the integrity of the investigation might be compromised and evidence might be destroyed,” wrote Juan Antonio Gonzalez, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Florida.

The petition to keep the search warrant sealed was one of three documents ordered to be made public by U.S. Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart.

Also on Thursday, Judge Reinhart ordered the Justice Department to unseal at least a portion of the probable cause document, the filing that was used to obtain the search warrant. (Read more from “FBI Seized Trump’s Papers for ‘Safety’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

U. Of Maryland Professor Created Surveillance Machine for Communist China

/0 Comments/in , /by

University of Maryland (UMD) professor Dinesh Manocha, a decorated scholar in AI and robotics, created machine-learning software “useful for surveillance” that can read people’s personalities and “predict their behavior” for Chinese tech giant Alibaba.

Manocha built the software as part of a six-figure research grant from Alibaba, which wanted to “classify the personality of each pedestrian and identify other biometric features,” according to documents obtained by the Daily Beast. “These capabilities will be used to predict the behavior of each pedestrian and are useful for surveillance,” the document read.

The 2018 contract signed by the University of Maryland and Alibaba raises concerns that a U.S. tax-payer-funded university has directly contributed to the Chinese Communist Party’s surveillance capabilities.

“The bottom line is that Alibaba financed U.S. academic research that was tailor-made for China’s surveillance state,” Ryan Fedasiuk, an associate fellow at the Center for New American Security, told the Daily Beast. (Read more from “U. Of Maryland Professor Created Surveillance Machine for Communist China” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

American Academy of Pediatrics Ripped for Refusing to Say Surge in Trans Kids Comes From Social Contagion

/0 Comments/in , /by

After a fierce attack was launched on the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) for its apparent refusal to acknowledge that the soaring number of children claiming to be transgender is due to social contagion, the AAP’s president, Moira Szilagyi, issued a weak rebuttal, insisting, “The AAP is committed to following the evidence and basing our recommendations on the best science.”

In an opinion piece in The Wall Street Journal, pediatrician Julia Mason and Manhattan Institute fellow Leor Sapir cited a study in Pediatrics, flagship journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics, which was used to buttress the claim that the surge in transgender identity was not due to social contagion.

Mason and Sapir offered evidence as to why the study, conducted by Dr. Jack Turban and his colleagues, was flawed, later noting, “Pediatrics published his highly flawed 2020 study alleging that puberty blockers reduce suicide in teens. The journal even chose the article as its ‘Best of 2020’ despite receiving rebuttals that pointed out the rate of attempted suicide was twice as high among the puberty-blocked group and Dr. Turban hadn’t controlled for the possibility that better mental-health outcomes might be the result of factors other than hormonal intervention.”

The pair recalled that last year the AAP voted down a resolution to inform the academy’s 67,000 members about the growing global skepticism of pediatric gender transition, claiming only 57 members out of 67,000 had endorsed it and thus it was “soundly defeated,” but the next year, when 53 members backed a resolution that supported affirmative intervention, the AAP permitted it to go through, claiming it had received “broad support.”

Mason and Sapir concluded of the AAOP, “Its preference for fashionable political positions over evidence-based medicine is a disservice to member physicians, parents and children.” (Read more from “American Academy of Pediatrics Ripped for Refusing to Say Surge in Trans Kids Comes From Social Contagion” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Everything You Need to Know About the Gay Couple Accused of Sexually Abusing Their Adopted Boys

/0 Comments/in , /by

A gay married couple in Georgia who were arrested on suspicion of sexually abusing their two young adopted boys to make child pornography are vehement LGBTQ activists, according to the pair’s social media activity.

On the night of July 27, authorities executed a search warrant around 11:30 p.m. “just hours after receiving information that there were children in harm’s way” at the Oxford home of 32-year-old William Dale Zulock Jr. and 35-year-old Zachary Jacoby Zulock, according to a press release from the Walton County Sheriff’s Office.

Earlier in the evening, detectives in the criminal investigation division raided a house in unincorporated Loganville after the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI)’s Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force was tipped off that a man was downloading child porn. Authorities learned during an interview with the unnamed individual that there was another suspect in the county who was “producing homemade child sexual abuse material with at least one adopted child who lived in the home with the perpetrator,” the sheriff’s office wrote on Facebook. “Evidence was obtained to corroborate these statements.” Deputies found evidence during the nighttime search-and-research effort that “the adoptive fathers of the sibling pair residing in the home were engaging in sexually abusive acts and video documenting this abuse,” according to the Facebook statement. . .

It appears William applied to be represented by a Walton County public defender. A letter viewed by Townhall that was addressed to William shows that the Indigent Defense Program determined that he is ineligible for a court-appointed defense attorney, citing tens of thousands in equity and his spouse’s income of $7,500 a week. A similar denial memo was sent to Zachary, pointing to equity and his own well-to-do weekly earnings.

Zachary’s since-deleted LinkedIn page said he was a branch coordinator at the SunTrust bank in Duluth. A bank supervisor said over the phone, “Unfortunately, I’m not allowed to make any comments,” and, “We can’t verify any information in regards” to Zulock’s current employment at the branch or how much he makes. (Read more from “Everything You Need to Know About the Gay Couple Accused of Sexually Abusing Their Adopted Boys” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Number of Americans Who Are ‘Suffering’ Reach Record Highs Under Biden

/0 Comments/in , /by

. . .American families tread water amid an administration oozing with incompetence. As this old man spews nonsense about how he’s presiding over the most outstanding economy ever created, the number of Americans saying they’re suffering has reached record highs (via Axios):

5.6% of Americans said they are “suffering” in July, up from the previous high of 4.8% measured in April.

July’s result is also higher than all previous estimates during the COVID-19 era, per Gallup.

The big picture: The percentage of U.S. adults classified as “thriving” has declined steadily since it reached a record high of 59.2% in June 2021.

July’s estimate of 51.2% adults classified as “thriving” is an 18-month low, per Gallup.

(Read more from “Number of Americans Who Are ‘Suffering’ Reach Record Highs Under Biden” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Home Prices Plunging in ‘Pandemic Boomtowns’ as Market Slumps

/0 Comments/in , /by

Homeowners in markets that boomed when the real estate sector was red-hot during the COVID-19 pandemic are now forced to slash prices due to dwindling demand, according to data released Monday by Redfin.

Across the US, 21% of home sellers dropped their asking prices in July – the highest share since Redfin began tracking the metric in 2012, according to the firm. The shares of homes with price drops in July compared to one year ago increased in 94 of 97 metro areas surveyed.

The trend was at its worst in “pandemic home-buying boomtowns” such as Boise, Idaho, where a whopping 69.7% of homes for sale slashed listing prices in July. Other overheated markets included Denver, with a 58% of price drops, and Salt Lake City, with a 54.8% share of cuts.

“Individual home sellers and builders were both quick to drop their prices early this summer, mostly because they had unrealistic expectations of both price and timelines,” Boise-based Redfin agent Shauna Pendleton said.

“They priced too high because their neighbor’s home sold for an exorbitant price a few months ago, and expected to receive multiple offers the first weekend because they heard stories about that happening,” Pendleton added. (Read more from “Home Prices Plunging in ‘Pandemic Boomtowns’ as Market Slumps” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Massive Grocery Chain Will Pay for Some Employee Abortions and Travel Expenses

/0 Comments/in , , /by

Walmart on Friday sent a memo to its employees promising to pay for abortions in cases of a health risk to the mother, rape or incest, ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage or lack of fetal viability.

The new policy will include coverage of some travel expenses for employees who need to get abortions out of their state, according to a memo reviewed by the Daily Caller. Walmart is also launching a new Center for Excellence by January 2023 which will provide in vitro fertilization, intrauterine insemination and egg cryopreservation services.

Previously, Walmart only covered abortions that occurred in cases where “the health of the mother would be in danger if the fetus were carried to term, the fetus could not survive the birthing process, or death would be imminent after birth,” Axios reported. (Read more from “Massive Grocery Chain Will Pay for Some Employee Abortions and Travel Expenses” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

These House Republicans Voted to Impeach Trump — Here’s What Happened to Them

/0 Comments/in , /by

Of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump, only two have survived their primaries to make it to the general election in November, each of them in states that use a top-two primary system.

Reps. David Valadao of California and Dan Newhouse of Washington advanced into the general election, running in two of the four states that use a top-two primary. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowsi of Alaska, who voted to convict Trump in his second impeachment trial, advanced alongside Republican challenger Kelly Tshibaka, who campaigned with Trump, in a top-four ranked choice primary.

Republican Reps. Fred Upton of Michigan, Adam Kinzinger of Illinois, John Katko of New York and Anthony Gonzalez of Ohio all opted not to run at all this year. Peter Meijer of Michigan, Jaime Herrera Beutler of Washington, Tom Rice of South Carolina and Liz Cheney of Wyoming all lost their primaries to a Trump-endorsed opponent.

Valadao likely benefited from being the only impeachment supporter not facing a Trump-backed challenger, according to the San Francisco Chronicle. As a result of the primary containing two Trump supporters, voters who support the former president were split between two candidates, leading Valadao to edge out Chris Mathys by just 1,310 votes, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Newhouse also faced off against a pair of high-profile Trump supporters: Trump-endorsed Loren Culp and Navy veteran and retired NASCAR driver Jerrod Sessler, The New York Times reported. Newhouse, who narrowly came out on top of the crowded field ahead of Democratic businessman Dough White, raised $1.6 million, while Sessler had raised $508,900 and Culp just $310,700, the NYT reported. (Read more from “These House Republicans Voted to Impeach Trump — Here’s What Happened to Them” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

January 6 Committee Hired Consultant Who May Have ‘Huge’ Conflict of Interest

/0 Comments/in , /by

The Jan. 6 Committee hired an investigative consultant who could have a major “conflict of interest,” watchdogs told the Daily Caller News Foundation.

Brian Young is a senior financial investigator at the consultancy Polar Solutions Inc and a contractor for the Jan. 6 Committee, according to his LinkedIn profile and an internal congressional document obtained by the DCNF. But he is also married to House Deputy Sergeant-at-Arms (SAA) Kim E. Campbell, the second most senior official in the SAA, which like the U.S. Capitol Police is being probed by the committee for security failures in connection to the Capitol riot.

The relationship could pose “a huge conflict of interest” if Young’s work involves reviewing the performance of the SAA or Capitol Police, according to Tom Jones, executive director of the watchdog American Accountability Foundation.

“Young needs to come clean about what he is doing for the J6 Committee,” Jones told the DCNF. “There is no way a husband can give an independent and objective assessment of his wife’s performance.”

The House and Senate SAA offices coordinate with U.S. Capitol Police and are responsible for maintaining Capitol security, protecting members and overseeing emergency management. The Jan. 6 Committee is investigating “the sharing of intelligence” between federal, state and local agencies with the SAA offices and Capitol Police with regard to the Capitol riot, according to its website. (Read more from “January 6 Committee Hired Consultant Who May Have ‘Huge’ Conflict of Interest” HERE)

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.

Biden’s America: People Are Angry, Disappointed, 74% Say Country on Wrong Track

/0 Comments/in , /by

NBC anchor Chuck Todd said Sunday on “Meet the Press” that a new NBC News poll finds “Americans are angry” with a graphic showing 74% of those polled say the country is on the wrong track. . .

He continued, “Just 21% of adults say we are headed in the right direction. Once again three out of four Out of 4 Americans say we are on the wrong track. In fact, this number never before in this poll has this wrong track number been over 70% for this long. It’s been nearly a year now. 58% say America’s best years are behind us. That’s an all-time high in our polls.” (Read more from “Biden’s America: People Are Angry, Disappointed, 74% Say Country on Wrong Track” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Delete Facebook, Delete Twitter, Follow Restoring Liberty and Joe Miller at gab HERE.