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Thursday, December 30, 2021

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Jeffrey Epstein Associate Ghislaine Maxwell Guilty on 5 of 6 Charges; Faces Up to 65 Years in Prison

From the story: A jury has convicted Ghislaine Maxwell, the longtime associate of serial sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, on five of six counts related to the abuse and trafficking of underage girls. Maxwell faced a six-count indictment for allegedly conspiring with and aiding Epstein in his sexual abuse of underage girls between 1994 and 2004 (ABCNews). New York Post reports: The FBI found tens of thousands of photos of nude underage girls and women on a computer used by Epstein. Imagine how many survivors are out there—survivors who will never get their day in court, who will carry what was done to them the rest of their lives (NewYorkPost). From CNN: Maxwell, who now faces up to 65 years in prison, showed no reaction when the verdicts were read. Judge Alison Nathan did not set a sentencing date (CNN).

Vladimir Putin Requests Phone Call With Biden to Discuss Ukraine

From the story: President Joe Biden will speak on Thursday with Russian President Vladimir Putin amid “a moment of crisis” on the Russia-Ukraine border, where Moscow has amassed a troop build-up over recent months that continues to agitate the United States and European allies (Politico). From NPR: Since the two leaders spoke earlier this month, there have been no signs of de-escalation around Ukraine, and the White House remains concerned about Russia’s increased presence at the border (NPR). Secretary of State Blinken: Reiterated full U.S. support for Ukraine in my call with Ukrainian President @ZelenskyyUa. We will continue to consult closely with Ukraine, @NATO Allies, and partners in our diplomatic efforts to deter further Russian aggression (Twitter).

Hong Kong’s Democracy Completely “Dismantled”

ABC News: On Wednesday, a vocal pro-democracy media outlet—one of the last openly critical voices in the city—closed after a police raid. The outlet announced that afternoon that it would halt operations. Stand News is the second media outlet to shut down after being targeted by Hong Kong authorities. The Apple Daily newspaper closed earlier in 2021 after authorities raided its offices for a second time and froze millions in assets. More than 100 pro-democracy figures and others have been arrested under the security law, which penalizes actions seen as separatist or subverting the Hong Kong or Chinese governments. Earlier in December, the opposition was shut out from elections under a new law that puts all candidates to a loyalty test. And monuments commemorating the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989 were taken down (ABC News). Wall Street Journal: This week’s overkill is less about punishing Mr. Lai than about crushing all dissent. This month the government rigged Hong Kong’s Legislative Council elections and tore down a statue commemorating the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. Nearly all of Hong Kong’s opposition leaders have been jailed or driven into exile (WSJ).

Chinese Activist: No Democracy Should Participate in the 2022 Beijing Olympics

Chen Guangcheng: An authoritarian dictatorship is a nightmare from which one does not awaken. The Olympics have been scheduled under the orchestration of a genocidal regime. Can any self-respecting democratic nation agree to attend? (WSJ).

Westchester DA Won’t Charge Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo Despite Credible Evidence

From the story: Westchester County District Attorney Mimi Rocah said Tuesday that allegations by two women that former New York governor Andrew M. Cuomo had kissed them on the cheek against their will were credible, but that she nonetheless would not pursue criminal charges because of New York state’s statutory requirements (WashPost). From ABC News: While her investigators found “credible evidence” that the alleged conduct had occurred, Rocah said the actions did not meet the requirement to be prosecuted as a criminal act (ABCNews).

Twilight of the de Blasio Era: Eric Adams Prepares to Take Over as Mayor of New York City

Eight years of Mayor Bill de Blasio will end shortly after the ball drops in New York City: “Times Square has long been synonymous with the New Year—a place of excitement, renewal, and hope for the future,” the mayor-elect said in a statement. “These are the same themes that animated my campaign and will inform my mayoralty, as I prepare to lead the city out of this challenging period,” Adams said (NYPost). Eric Adams—also a Democrat—has been rather direct in his criticism of de Blasio: “This is going to be a place where we welcome business and not turn into the dysfunctional city that we have been for so many years,” Mr. Adams said…. (NYT). City Journal points out: …results-oriented leaders have an opportunity…. If Mayor-elect Adams makes good on his promises to improve quality of life and boost municipal efficiency, he can succeed. Resisting progressive excess will be the key (CityJournal).

911 Dispatcher in Chicago Blasts Mayor Lori Lightfoot for Poor Leadership

From the story: A Chicago 911 dispatcher ripped into the city’s leadership, including Mayor Lori Lightfoot, for causing staffing shortages that have hampered authorities’ efforts to respond to rising crime. “What’s horrible is the lack of leadership and the failure of leadership throughout this entire city of Chicago, and it’s ridiculous because it does not have to be this way,” dispatcher Keith Thornton told “Fox & Friends” on Tuesday (DailyCaller). From Julio Rosas: Thornton said it was disgraceful Lightfoot rejected federal law enforcement help when former President Donald Trump offered the aid last year but is now trying to get help under Joe Biden’s administration because lives could have been saved with federal help last year. “The blood is on her hands. Every child and every youth and adult and elderly person that is shot, killed, put out of vehicles because of carjackings with AK-47s, that is on her hands, and it’s absolutely shameful. You are the mayor, do your job, it is has not been done…and now you want to come back and say now you want help, now you want help, that’s garbage” (Townhall)! From Newsweek: Thornton’s comments came in response to a question about Lightfoot’s request made to the U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland to send agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) amid the distribution and possession of illegal guns in the city (Newsweek).

Washington Leaders Look to Reduce Penalty for Fatal Drive-By Shootings in the Name of “Racial Equality”

From the story: Washington lawmakers are considering a bill that would lessen the penalty for fatal drive-by shootings in order to promote racial equality. House Bill 1692, the brainchild of Rep. David Hackney (D-Tukwila) and Rep. Tarra Simmons (D-Bremerton), seeks to boost “racial equality in the criminal legal system by eliminating drive-by shooting as a basis for elevating” first-degree murder to first-degree aggravated murder. Under current Washington state law, drive-by shootings may be charged as aggravated first-degree murder under certain circumstances at the discretion of the prosecutor, which is already a rare occurrence. Aggravated first-degree murder is a class A felony punishable by a mandatory life sentence without parole (PoliceTribune). From 770 KTTH: Criminals found guilty of first-degree murder face a maximum sentence of life without parole. These crimes are usually pre-meditated, though a murder that shows extreme indifference to human life also qualifies. Due to sentencing guidelines, first degree murder charges usually result in a sentence of 20-30 years, with 20 years being the minimum (770KTTH).

Federal Government Backlog as States Seek Monoclonal Antibody Treatment

Florida Surgeon General Dr. Joseph Ladapo is making public his complaint to H.H.S. Secretary Xavier Becerra: “The lack of allocation of this life-saving treatment from the federal government continues to cause another immediate and life-threatening shortage of treatment options to the State of Florida as the Omicron variant spreads throughout the state,” Ladapo wrote in his letter (MiamiHerald). Texas has completely run out of monoclonal antibodies: On Monday, the Texas Department of State Health Services announced that its regional infusion centers in Austin, El Paso, Fort Worth, San Antonio and The Woodlands have run out of the monoclonal antibody sotrovimab…. The state does not expect to receive another shipment of sotrovimab from the federal government until January (AustinAmericanStatesman).

10.

Dr. Fauci Has Largest Retirement Pension in Government History

According to Forbes: Our auditors at OpenTheBooks.com estimate Dr. Fauci’s annual retirement would exceed $350,000. Thereafter, his pension and benefits would continue to increase through annual cost-of-living adjustments. Fauci has 55 years of service as a federal employee. For the second year in a row, Fauci was the most highly compensated federal employee and out earned the president, four star generals, and roughly 4.3 million of his colleagues. As director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), Fauci earned $434,312 in 2020, the latest year available, up from $417,608 in 2019 (Forbes). Daily Mail: As president, Joe Biden, 79, earns $400,000 annually (DailyMail). From Breitbart: In November, Fauci also told CBS Face the Nation that he would not retire until the pandemic was in the “rearview mirror” (Breitbart).