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Sunday, August 20, 2023

Hawaii State Govt Attempts Info Blackout On Maui Fire - Refuses Media Access

The West Maui disaster is becoming less about the fire and more about the government's bizarre response to the aftermath.  Independent media sources and some mainstream media sources have confirmed multiple instances of the Democrat controlled government's mismanagement that led to the escalation of the tragedy.  The circus included a woke water management bureaucrat who believes water is "godlike" and that it must be distributed according to the rules of "equity; the same official withheld vital firefighting resources for a day while Maui burned.  The state government has been thoroughly embarrassed, but instead of responding with humility, they have doubled down and gone on the attack.     

The Governor of Hawaii, Josh Green, took a wild swing at independent reporting, telling people not to listen to information from social media and "influencers."  It's hard to say what his definition of an "influencer" is, only that he is clearly hostile to anyone reporting news outside of the government narrative.  Green's disapproval of media reporting is not limited to alternative journalists, however.  It appears that there is now an information blackout being instituted by the state.  Corporate journalists are also being denied access to the area of the fire damage path as well as access to any details surrounding the investigation into how the fires may have started. 

There are a few possible takeaways to be gathered here:  First, it's clear that independent reporting is having an effect in exposing state mismanagement, which is why they are attacking "influencers" and putting access on ice.  Second, public pressure must be immense, because even the local media is trying to stave off the torches and pitchforks by reiterating that they have no access.  When was the last time you saw the mainstream media calling out information controls instead of working in direct lockstep with officials?  Third, there is something going on in Maui beyond bureaucratic hubris.  

Why block the media from going to the site of the fire?  Why try to inoculate the public to any information outside of government sources?  Is there something they are trying to hide beyond incompetence?  There is evidence to suggest that a major land grab is already in progress, with wealthy interests as well as state interests circling the charred Maui carcass ready to feed.  There are also questions as to the true source of the fires.      

Frankly, if government policy decisions led to the deaths of hundreds of people then they should pay the price for their blunders. If other shady activities are afoot, then the public has a right to know.  The state is not given license to deny media examination of the event.  Democrats in Hawaii are trying to turn the tables and make the calamity about who deserves to report the news, when they should be scrambling to save their own skins in the face of intense public scrutiny.  These people deserve to be placed under a very large and uncomfortable microscope.  

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/hawaii-state-government-attempts-information-blackout-maui-fire-refuses-media-access

Magnitude 5.1 quake strikes Southern California during tropical storm

 A magnitude 5.1 earthquake hit Southern California north of Los Angeles on Sunday, rocking much of the region as residents hunkered down for the approach of Tropical Storm Hilary.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injury from the quake, which struck at 2:41 p.m. local time (2141 GMT), roughly 7 km (4.35 miles) southeast of the Southern California community of Ojai in Ventura County. It was followed by several smaller aftershocks.

"There are no immediate reports of damage at this time however the quake was felt extensively throughout Ventura County," said a statement on the incident information web site of Ventura County.

The U.S. Tsunami Warning System said there was no threat of a tsunami from the earthquake.

Rain was falling across Southern California on Sunday as Tropical Storm Hilary moved toward the state after punishing Baja California peninsula earlier in the day.

https://news.yahoo.com/magnitude-5-1-earthquake-strikes-220450339.html

Biden Scrambles To Sell Off Trump's Uninstalled Border Wall Before 'Finish It Act' Passes

 Looking for a good deal on steel fencing material that could otherwise help maintain America's border (and therefore national security?) Look no further!

The Biden administration has been hawking sections of Donald Trump's border wall on a government military surplus website called GovPlanet - where they've auctioned off 81 batches of square structural tubing and steel columns since April, the Daily Mail reports.

Meanwhile, illegal border crossings (of future Democrats) hit the second-highest level on record in July.

Last Tuesday, the Biden administration sold 700 28 ft. long hollow beams in five separate lots for $212 each, netting $154,200 according to the report.

13 more lots are set to be auctioned on Aug. 23 and Aug. 30.

According to Republicans, up to $300 million of taxpayer-funded wall components have been left to rust since the Biden administration took over.

To address this, the Democrat-led Senate passed a Republican-sponsored bill last month - the "Finish It Act," aimed at forcing the administration to extend the wall. The legislation will force the federal government to use the leftover materials on new wall construction - or hand them over to Texas to use for their own border defense inittiatives.

Instead, the Biden administration is rushing to liquidate the wall leftovers before the GOP-led House can pass a matching version of the bill and make it law, the NY Post reports.

"This sale is a wasteful and ludicrous decision by the Biden administration that only serves as further proof they have no shame," the bill's sponsor, Sen. Roger Wicker (R-MI) told the outlet, calling the move "outrageous, behind-the-scenes maneuvering."

"Leaving the border open to terrorists while selling border security materials at a loss is Bidenomics in a nutshell," saic co-sponsor Tom Cotton (R-AR).

"The pennies made from selling the border wall will not be enough to pay the families who suffer from a criminal act committed by someone who crossed our open borders during the Biden administration," said Sen. James Lankford (R-OK)

According to Rep. Elise Stefanik (R-NY), the move to sell the materials is "reckless."

"Our borders continue to be overrun by an unprecedented number of illegal immigrants, turning every district into a border district, and compromising our national security," she said.

The GovPlanet auction schedule picked up markedly in May, when Wicker first introduced the Finish It Act, and increased again this month, days after the Senate’s defense bill passed on a bipartisan vote.

A DOD spokesman identified the tubes, held in an outdoor storage lot in Pima County, Ariz., as “excess border wall materials.” -NY Post

According to Lt. Col. Devin T. Robinson, who 'used Defense Department lingo for the process of consigning military surplus items to commercial resellers or the trash heap' (per the Post), "The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers … has already transferred approximately $154 million worth of the roughly $260 million of bollard panels and other materials."

One insider told the Daily Upside that GovPlanet has been instructed to keep quiet about the border-wall connection.

"We are legally not allowed to mention these are the border wall materials, or we could lose our jobs," said the source.

And while the lot listings scrupulously avoid identifying the tubes’ original purpose, viewers of the company’s Instagram page weren’t fooled.

Good for building a wall,” a user called honest_jake wrote Aug. 3 under a GovPlanet Instagram post touting the sale of “industrial steel tubing” — an entry that was deleted from the social media site Friday.

Why don’t you put that up instead of selling it,” added Brian Prewitt. “This is why tax payers are just about done paying taxes.” -NY Post

"The federal government needs to be utilizing every tool in the toolbox to secure our border," said Rep. Juan Ciscomani (R-AZ), who slammed Biden for his "refusal to act."

"Instead of putting these materials to their intended use, they have been squandered, first collecting dust in the desert and now being auctioned off."

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/what-steel-biden-scrambles-sell-trumps-uninstalled-border-wall-finish-it-act-passes

Why send your kids to debauched universities?

 Summer is over, the school year has begun, and untold parents from across the nation just mortgaged the family farm and dropped tens of thousands of dollars on the barrelhead to send their children to college.

After spending nearly two decades “training up their children in the way they should go,” good moms and dads from coast to coast rolled up this week to their children’s respective campuses with the U-Haul in tow, They moved little Suzy or Sam into their new dorm room, loaded the fridge with snacks, cried a bit at this new stage of life and how quickly children grow up, and then handed their precious progeny off to the current leaders of the Ivory Tower.

The goal here is presumably a high-quality education that will lead to good marriages, successful careers and responsible citizenship. What mother or father wouldn’t sacrifice everything to see their child succeed in all these areas of adulthood? Isn’t this what raising our children right is all about?

But, with the importance of such dreams and corresponding sacrifices assumed, wouldn’t it be wise to ask what the school you chose for your child is teaching?

As you drive away from campus and leave your 18-year-old in the school’s care, what values does it promote? What vices does it discourage? What ideas do the faculty consider most important?

As it turns out, researching all this isn’t that difficult. All you need to do is go to the freshman orientation brochure of the college that now holds your sons’ and daughters’ heart, mind and soul in the palm of its hand.

For example, let’s consider the University of Oklahoma.

In its new student orientation program, called Camp Crimson, which is “an orientation experience designed to assist undergraduate students as they transition into their first year at the University,” the school promotes several helpful activities, including the following: The university’s “Queer Tour, Neath the Western Sky” is “a guided adventure through campus that connects students to resources, allies, and queer-friendly spaces” that the school champions.

If you forgot to give your daughter a Starbucks gift card before you left her in the care of the University of Oklahoma’s intelligentsia, there’s no need to worry. She can have coffee and chat with the staff or LGBTQ student leaders about her college experience or class assignments. After all, this is a place that celebrates “community,” and these people have what’s best for her at heart.

If the Queer Tour isn’t your son’s thing, the university’s new freshmen are encouraged to take in an evening of “Drag Bingo, Pride on the Prairie.”

The university describes this activity as “a signature event during Camp Crimson.” It includes things such as “cool prizes and free drag performances featuring local/student performers with a celebrity host from RuPaul’s Drag Race.”

This year’s celebrity is Kornbread Jete, a Black man who recently posted two photos of himself on X, formerly Twitter.

In the first photo, he’s wearing male attire while holding a black chicken. In the second, Kornbread is in drag. The caption to this tweet (referencing the photo where he is dressed like a woman) says, “But I still carry my big black c—- around. Ya just can’t see it.” (Hyphenation not in original.) 

But what if your son or daughter is more introverted and would rather attend a seminar or be in a quiet place where he or she can get to know some other new students? No need to worry. The University of Oklahoma offers a workshop called “Pride and Politics: Knowing Your Rights.” This, of course, comes with a free meal.

There’s also a meet-and-greet sponsored by the “OU LGBTQIA+ & Allies” where your homesick and anxious freshman can enjoy “arts and crafts, free food, and more.” 

This garbage, you say, is just happening in the backwaters of Oklahoma, “where the wind comes sweeping down the plains.”

Well, think again. The same stuff is going on at Tulane University, which is celebrating its annual “Drag Brunch” featuring “food, fun, glamorous performances, mocktails, and musical acts from such noted New Orleans drag queens as ‘Debbie with a D.’”

Or there’s Louisiana State University’s “Divas’ Live 4: A Drag Show,” which is “collaboratively hosted by the school’s Office of Multicultural Affairs, Residential Life, Louisiana Transgender Advocates, and the LGBTQ+ Project at LSU.”

And let’s not forget the University of Michigan’s Naked Mile, or the “sex weeks” that are pervasive from Berkeley to Brown that feature workshops with porn stars and various and sundry booths promoting sex toys, sex videos and flavored condoms.   

Ever wonder why our nation is lost and morally bankrupt? Look no further than our institutions of higher education.

Then ask yourself why you’d ever send your child to one of these propaganda mills, and why you continue to support this debauchery with your taxes.  

• Everett Piper (dreverettpiper.com, @dreverettpiper), a columnist for The Washington Times, is a former university president and radio host.

https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/aug/19/why-send-your-kids-to-debauched-universities/

Tips to slash back-to-school shopping costs

 Parents will be shelling out more for school supplies this year with spending potentially reaching $41.5 billion and just about every major item costing more than a year ago, according to the National Retail Federation.

That translates to about $890 per family, $25 more than a year ago, and a new high as inflation remains a headwind for the economy.

Since American families are faced with rising costs, FOX Business asked money experts how to make the most of your back-to-school spending budgets. 

Take an inventory of what you already have

Consider what you have on hand so you don't spend unnecessarily. 

"Last year's backpack may contain supplies that can be reused, and the backpack itself may need a good wash," says Trae Bodge, a shopping expert at Truetrae.com. Also, have kids try on all their school clothing to weed out what still fits and what needs to be replaced, Bodge added.

Use a browser extension when online shopping

Get the most ‘bang for your back-to-school buck with a browser extension. 

"Shop competitively by using coupons and historical price comparisons more strategically," Bodge advised. 

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For instance, with a few clicks at checkout, the PayPal Honey mobile and desktop browser extensions automatically search for, and test, the best coupons. 

"The historical pricing feature also helps you know that you’re getting a good price, and you can also add items to the PayPal Honey Droplist and get automatically notified if the price drops and the item goes on sale," she says. 

Reap community and state offers

If you're in a situation where you're financially strapped, you should utilize any resources available to you in your town, Bodge suggested. 

"Look for potential community resources, like loaned laptops offered by the schools and school supply packs for families in need," Bodge added. She also recommends checking for state tax-free holidays; every state tax-free holiday is different, so get familiar with the details before you shop. 

Consider 2nd-hand options and community swaps

Gently used items can also be gentle on your wallet. 

"Find a local school supply swap or online community group for a cost-effective way to stock up or sell gently-used items you no longer need," Bodge said. 

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Spread your payments out

If you need items right away but want to strategically stretch your budget, applications like PayPal Pay Later, for instance, give you the flexibility to split payments over time, says Bodge. 

"PayPal Pay Later is a really good way to make a purchase and spread it out over multiple weeks or months. It’s a solution that I like to use," she adds.  

Get rewarded for back-to-school shopping

Choose a flexible credit card that aligns with your back-to-school spending needs. For instance, the Bank of America Customized Cash Rewards credit card (with 0% APR for new cardholders) offers you the ability to earn 3% cash back in one of six categories of your choice each month, including online shopping, drug stores and dining. 

"For example, select the ‘online shopping’ category to earn 3% cash back during the months you’re doing the bulk of your shopping," Jason Gaughan, head of consumer credit card products at Bank of America, explained.

"As the school year continues, assess where you’re spending the most, and switch your choice category to match your next set of financial goals."

Utilize student discounts

Being a student has its perks. 

"Check the retailers and your school’s website for any exclusive promotions for students before making the purchase," Gaughan says. And, as you’re paying for your purchase, be sure to ask if the store offers a student discount. 

Join loyalty programs

Your favorite retailers often boast loyalty programs. 

"Many retailers offer their own loyalty programs that customers can join and earn rewards for future savings and discounts," Gaughan added.

https://www.foxbusiness.com/personal-finance/tips-to-slash-back-to-school-shopping-costs

Bioventus upped to Buy from Hold by Craig Hallum

 Target to $6 from $4

https://finviz.com/quote.ashx?t=BVS&p=d

Lilly's $13.5M insulin pricing settlement gets pushback from 9 states

 Nine states are saying not so fast to a proposed $13.5 million settlement that would get Eli Lilly out of hot water over claims it jacked up the price of its lucrative insulin product Humalog. The states argue Lilly is trying to use the deal to ward off future lawsuits by U.S. states.

In a Tuesday filing in New Jersey federal court, lawyers for Arizona, Mississippi and Minnesota urged U.S. District Judge Brian Martinotti to delay approval of the deal unless it’s altered to make sure states can still file their own lawsuits over insulin prices.

The states joined Illinois, Nebraska, Utah, Arkansas, Kansas and Montana in making their objections known this week.

In a separate filing Monday, the group of six states argued that in light of local insulin price caps, Lilly was trying to settle claims valued at about $1 billion by offering price reductions that are already compelled by law.

Lilly sought approval for its settlement in May in a bid to resolve litigation dating back to 2017. In addition to offering up $13.5 million, Lilly agreed to cap monthly out-of-pocket insulin costs at $35 for four years.

But the Inflation Reduction Act already caps out-of-pocket insulin costs for Medicare beneficiaries at $35, the six states pointed out.

In their Tuesday filing, Arizona, Mississippi and Minnesota claim the settlement is a "brazen attempt" to restrict future litigation. The deal "threatens the sovereign interests of states," they argued.

Eli Lilly did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the situation

In the original lawsuit, people who paid out-of-pocket for Lilly’s insulin Humalog accused the company, plus Sanofi and Novo Nordisk, of inflating the drug’s list price while offering steep discounts to pharma middlemen who determine what drugs are available through insurance plans.

Lilly agreed to the settlement in May after years of defending against the allegations. 

Also this year, meanwhile, Lilly led the charge on an insulin price-slashing campaign, cutting the price of its most commonly prescribed insulins by 70%. Moreover, the company expanded its Insulin Value Program to cap patient out-of-pocket costs at $35 or less per month. 

Humalog is subject to a 70% price cut effective in the fourth quarter of 2023. Currently, Lilly lists the cost of a five-pack of Humalog pens at $530.40 before discounts, while a vial of insulin runs for about $274.

While the Inflation Reduction Act caps monthly out-of-pocket costs at $35 for Medicare beneficiaries, lawmakers in Congress have proposed legislation to make that cap apply to all diabetics in the U.S.

https://www.fiercepharma.com/pharma/lillys-135m-insulin-pricing-settlement-gets-pushback-states-still-eager-sue