ZeroHedge News (RSS Feed)

ZeroHedge News (RSS Feed)'s avatar
ZeroHedge News (RSS Feed)
npub1ax4n...yydz
https://www.zerohedge.com
AOC Joins Top Dems In Abrupt Pivot Against 'Antisemitism' AOC Joins Top Dems In Abrupt Pivot Against 'Antisemitism' A synchronized burst of pro-Israel social media messaging from the Democratic Party's most ardent foot soldiers is raising eyebrows, as even their most progressive members are taking on 'antisemitism'. For example, here's AOC - a vocal critic of Israel, slamming Hamas supporters protesting in a Jewish neighborhood as a "disgusting and antisemitic thing to do." Hey so marching into a predominantly Jewish neighborhood and leading with a chant saying “we support Hamas” is a disgusting and antisemitic thing to do. Pretty basic! — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (@AOC) Other notables include NY AG Letitia James, NY Gov. Kathy Hochul, NY Mayor Zohran Mamdani, Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker, and others. "Guys, something is happening," X user Clandestine wrote in a post, accompanied by screenshots of some of the highest-ranking Democratic lawmakers from the land making the pivot from pro-Islam to pro-Judaism and anti-Hamas. As Clandestine noted, "They are getting in front of something." "All the pro-Islam Democrats are all the sudden, in unison, posting pro-Judaism and anti-Hamas posts, after their followers have been screaming "free Palestine" all day every day for years," they continued. Guys, something is happening. All the pro-Islam Democrats are all the sudden, in unison, posting pro-Judaism and anti-Hamas posts, after their followers have been screaming “free Palestine” all day every day for years. They are getting in front of something. — Clandestine (@WarClandestine) "My first thought was that they know some form of terrorist attack or riots in the Jewish community are coming, and they are trying to disassociate before the violence. Or maybe it's just polling related. Or maybe related to Iran. I have no idea. But they are up to something," they wrote in a separate post. My first thought was that they know some form of terrorist attack or riots in the Jewish community are coming, and they are trying to disassociate before the violence. Or maybe it’s just polling related. Or maybe related to Iran. I have no idea. But they are up to something. — Clandestine (@WarClandestine) Another X user by the handle Saggezza Eterna pointed out, "The synchronized messaging from the Democrat hierarchy signals abject panic. They realize their alignment with the mob has become a political suicide pact for 2026. They are desperately sanitizing their record. However, attacking Tucker Carlson constitutes a massive strategic error. You are validating the establishment's attempt to purge the only effective anti-war voice on our side. Do not let them manipulate you into fratricide. Focus your fire. The enemy is the machine portrayed in those screenshots. Tucker is the one dismantling it." The synchronized messaging from the Democrat hierarchy signals abject panic. They realize their alignment with the mob has become a political suicide pact for 2026. They are desperately sanitizing their record. However, attacking Tucker Carlson constitutes a massive strategic… — Saggezza Eterna (@FinalTelegraph) Maybe one just has to follow the money? My guess is that Jewish donors are not enthusiastic to fill the coffers of the NY State Dem apparatus. It’s very funny. Dems have to try to placate the rabid 3rd worldist activists they fear without alienating affluent Jewish donors. Lol. Good luck. I wish them well. — Coddled Affluent Professional (@feelsdesperate) Recall, ." Democrats in 2026... BREAKING: Masked Islamists went to a Jewish neighborhood in Queens, NYC to protest outside of a synagogue while chanting “we are Hamas.” These are Zohran Mamdani’s people, he encouraged and emboldened this. — Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) Protest tonight at a synagogue in NY: "Say it loud and clear … We support Hamas here!" Mamdani's base — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) ASTROTURF: White liberal women paid to protest in support of Islam, Palestine, and Hamas are now counter protesting Iranians fighting to oust the Ayatollah and his regime. Critical thinking is a lost art among the left. — @amuse (@amuse) Whatever is coming down the pipe. Democrats are clearly getting ahead of something, as their pro-Islam, anti-American agenda seems it will be optically displeasing to the American people. Sun, 01/11/2026 - 19:15
US Warns Americans To Leave Venezuela Immediately US Warns Americans To Leave Venezuela Immediately (emphasis ours), American citizens are advised to leave Venezuela as soon as possible due to the “fluid” security situation in the South American country, a U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs X post stated. image This warning comes a week after American military forces conducted a mission in the capital city of Caracas to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The pair has since pleaded not guilty in a New York courtroom to a range of federal charges, including narco-terrorism. Although international flights to and from Venezuela have resumed, the United States is warning all Americans in the country to take precautions, be aware of their surroundings, and remain vigilant when traveling by road. “There are reports of groups of armed militias, known as colectivos, setting up roadblocks and searching vehicles for evidence of U.S. citizenship or support for the United States,” the advisory . Citizens still in the country should frequently check flight information in order to leave the country as quickly as possible, establish multiple ways to communicate with friends or family outside of Venezuela, and prepare contingency plans for emergency situations if they choose to stay, the warning said Friday. The United States stated it remains unable to provide any emergency help to Americans in Venezuela. The South American country is listed at a “Level 4: Do Not Travel,” the highest advisory. This rating is because of “severe risks to Americans, including wrongful detention, torture in detention, terrorism, kidnapping, arbitrary enforcement of local laws, crime, civil unrest, and poor health infrastructure,” https://ve.usembassy.gov/security-alert-venezuela-january-10-2026-do-not-travel-to-venezuela-depart-immediately/ to the State Department. The United States has warned against travel to Venezuela since 2019. In March of that year, the State Department suspended operations and withdrew all diplomatic personnel from the embassy in the capital city of Caracas. Since President Donald Trump took office a year ago, he has ramped up the pressure on drug cartels and the socialist regime in Venezuela. As part of Operation Southern Spear, which began in September 2025, the United States has launched dozens of strikes against boats U.S. officials said were confirmed to be transporting drugs in the Pacific Ocean and Caribbean. Over 100 alleged narco-terrorists have been killed in the initiative to halt illegal drug trafficking to the United States, according to U.S. officials. On Jan. 3, Operation Absolute Resolve—a calculated, overnight raid on Venezuela’s capital city—resulted in Maduro and his wife’s capture with no American casualties. Trump also ordered sanctions on oil tankers arriving and departing from Venezuela as part of the pressure campaign against the former leader’s regime. On https://www.southcom.mil/News/PressReleases/Article/4374298/maritime-interdiction-operation-jan-9-2026/ , the U.S. seized an oil tanker in the Caribbean Sea. Venezuela possesses the largest oil reserves in the world. Only days after Maduro’s capture, Trump the United States would receive between 30 and 50 million barrels of sanctioned oil. “This Oil will be sold at its Market Price, and that money will be controlled by me, as President of the United States of America, to ensure it is used to benefit the people of Venezuela and the United States!” Trump posted on Truth Social. The president told Energy Secretary Chris Wright to execute this plan right away. Trump also said oil companies at least $100 billion in Venezuela to rebuild its oil infrastructure to boost production. Earlier Friday, before the travel advisory was issued, the United States and Venezuela they are pursuing the possibility of reestablishing diplomatic relations. An American delegation visited the South American country to evaluate possibly reopening the U.S. Embassy in Caracas. The embassy has been closed since 2019 after the United States refused to recognize Maduro as the legitimate leader of Venezuela amid allegations of election fraud in the country. Sun, 01/11/2026 - 18:05
Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Confirms His Utter Contempt For The First Amendment Before Congress Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Confirms His Utter Contempt For The First Amendment Before Congress For years, some of us have argued that President Donald Trump’s January 6th speech was protected under the First Amendment and that any prosecution would collapse under governing precedent, including   of ignoring such constitutional protections in his efforts to prosecute targets at any cost. I   how Smith’s second indictment (which the Post supported) was a direct assault on the First Amendment. image Now, years later, the Washington Post has https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2026/01/09/jack-smith-trump-judiciary-first-amendment/  that Trump’s speech was protected and that Smith “would have blown a hole in the First Amendment.” In this appearance before Congress, Smith’s contempt for the First Amendment was on full display. During his testimony, he was asked by Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) whether Trump was entitled to First Amendment protections for his speech. Smith replied: “Absolutely not. If they are made to target a lawful government function and they are made with knowing falsity, no, they are not. That was my point about fraud not being protected by the First Amendment.” The comment is entirely and shockingly wrong. Smith shows a complete lack of understanding of the First Amendment and Supreme Court precedent. First, the Supreme Court has held that knowingly false statements are protected under the First Amendment. The   In United States v. Alvarez, the Court held 6-3 that it is unconstitutional to criminalize lies — in that case involving “stolen valor” claims. Likewise, spewing hate-filled lies is protected. In Snyder v. Phelps, also in 2011, the Court said the hateful protests of Westboro Baptist Church were protected. Second, calling such claims “fraud” does not convert protected speech into criminal speech. Trump was speaking at a rally about his belief that the election was stolen and should not be certified. Many citizens supported that view. It was clearly protected political speech. As I discuss in https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1668047047?tag=simonsayscom ” Smith’s prosecution was on a collision course with controlling Supreme Court precedent. In Brandenburg v. Ohio, the Supreme Court ruled in 1969 that even calling for violence is protected under the First Amendment unless there is a threat of “📄.pdf . That was the case when his conviction of former Virginia Governor Robert F. McDonnell was unanimously reversed as overextending another law. Trump was never charged with inciting the riot despite   to investigate Trump for that crime. The reason is simple. It was not criminal incitement and Trump’s speech was protected under the First Amendment. Nevertheless, the Post and other papers ran the same experts, who assured the public that no such protections existed. For example, Harvard Law Professor Laurence Tribe has made a litany of such claims, including his   that President Donald Trump could be charged (“without any doubt, beyond a reasonable doubt, beyond any doubt”)  with the attempted murder of former Vice President Michael Pence. The Post has now recognized that Trump does indeed enjoy First Amendment protections and that Smith was a constitutional menace. The change reflects a commendable shift in the Post’s editorial staff under owner Jeff Bezos and his new team at the paper. The Post wrote: Political speech — including speech about elections, no matter how odious — is strongly protected by the First Amendment. It’s not unusual for politicians to take factual liberties. The main check on such misdirection is public scrutiny, not criminal prosecution. Of course fraud is a crime. But that almost always involves dissembling for money, not political advantage. Smith’s attempt to distinguish speech that targets ‘a lawful government function’ doesn’t work. Most political speech is aimed at influencing government functions. Smith might think his First Amendment exception applies only to brazen and destructive falsehoods like the ones Trump told after losing the 2020 election. But once an exception is created to the First Amendment, it will inevitably be exploited by prosecutors with different priorities. Imagine what kind of oppositional speech the Trump Justice Department would claim belongs in Smith’s unprotected category. Smith also said he makes ‘no apologies’ for the gag order he tried to impose on Trump during the prosecution. The decision to criminally charge a leading presidential candidate meant the charges would feature in the 2024 campaign. Yet Smith fought to broadly limit Trump’s ability to criticize him or the prosecution in general, claiming such statements would interfere with the legal process. Bravo. This is precisely the argument that some of us have been making for years, while being relentlessly pursued by the media. This is not meant as a criticism of the Post. At least the Post is now making a serious attempt to restore objectivity and accuracy to its coverage and editorials. As for Smith, his testimony confirms the worst assessments of his view of free speech. The only thing more chilling than his lack of knowledge of constitutional doctrine is his contempt for constitutional values. Sun, 01/11/2026 - 17:30
The Democrats' "Affordability" Ploy To Avoid Accountability The Democrats' "Affordability" Ploy To Avoid Accountability Imagine someone is walking through a museum filled with fragile antiquities. And they happen to be indiscriminately swinging a sledgehammer. And with every fragile antiquity they shatter, they pocket the price of the destroyed historical treasure. When their selfish, remunerative spree of wanton destruction concludes, one might expect the culprit to drop their hammer and skedaddle from the scene of the crime. Nope. Instead, they stand around carping that the museum’s new curators are not cleaning up the mess you made fast enough. Why? Because they are hoping to get another shot with the sledgehammer at the remaining precious items still on display. The fragile antiquities would be the American economy itself. They would be Democrats. The sledgehammer would be their trillion-dollar spending spree, which they would undertake while holding the congressional majority under the Biden administration. With every exorbitant spending bill they passed, their political cronies and ideological fellow travelers received taxpayer money, much of the largesse being funneled back into electing Democrats. The result was the Democrats’ inflation-driven economic carnage that harmed every taxpaying American’s pocketbook that the party had drained to do it in the first place. Consequently, the best new museum curators would be the Trump administration. One can therefore understand the irritation of the president and Congressional Republicans with the Democrats’ disingenuous dithyrambs to “affordability.” Hence, President Trump has called the Democrats’ laments regarding the “affordability” issue a “hoax” and a “scam”; however, in the context he describes, he is decrying the party’s disingenuous messaging ploy. image There is absolutely, unequivocally, an affordability crisis in our country. Americans, notably young Americans, are confronted with inflation and the erosion of the economic opportunities necessary for prosperity. Few dispute this dire situation. What the left disputes is that the affordability crisis is the product of the Democrats’ “scarcity economy,” one built upon their venal, spendthrift stewardship of the public purse, radical “green” ideology, and zero-sum redistributionist policies. Escalating costs to restrict economic activity, such as new housing, to “save the planet” and increase public dependence upon government spending are not bugs in the Democrats’ system; they are the key features. On their part, President Trump, his administration, and Congressional Republicans have made headway against the inflation and economic stagnation the Democrats caused. But it is vexing to have to untangle the Democrats’ fiscal and economic messes, all the while having to counter that party’s misinformation and disinformation on who created the problem. After all, who would want to be toiling away, broom and dustpan in hand, cleaning up the shards of items you cherished and hoping to super glue them back together, all the while being criticized and lied about by the very vandals who destroyed them? In sum, the Democrats’ finger-pointing about affordability is designed to avoid the public holding them accountable for causing the problem. If you think the demands to make more affordable the necessary staples of life that these swamp-dwelling Democrats have skyrocketed constitute the acme of hypocrisy, you would be surprised. Just look at any large urban area, say New York City, where a new Democrat with a sledgehammer is complaining that the last Democrat did not clean up—or is it create?—the party’s mess fast enough. Now that is some shameless shit. Temerity. So, who guards the museum and its priceless relics from sledgehammer-wielding Democrats sacking the premises in the first place? The electorate, of course. And, sadly, electoral results often prove the Democrats’ ostensibly risible blame game winds up succeeding. Thus, when cleaning up the Democrats’ continual messes, one must also continually message as to who made the mess. Sun, 01/11/2026 - 16:20
MTG Denies 'Dangerous Lie' That She Tipped Off Code Pink To Trump's Location MTG Denies 'Dangerous Lie' That She Tipped Off Code Pink To Trump's Location Former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene hit back against an Axios report that the White House told the Secret Service she may have tipped off Code Pink protesters about Trump's unscheduled visit to a DC restaurant she recommended, leading to an activist ambush that went viral on social media.   image "Only the WH set up President Trump’s reservation at Joe’s, NOT ME!! I had ZERO knowledge of when his reservation was! The only people who could have tipped off Code Pink was the restaurant or the WH!" MTG wrote on X following the report, calling it " an ABSOLUTE LIE, A DANGEROUS LIE," and insisting "I would NEVER do that."  According to https://www.axios.com/2026/01/09/trump-mtg-restaurant-protest-secret-service?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us , Greene had recommended "Joe's Seafood", a restaurant in Washington D.C., to the commander-in-chief as a last minute dinner location for his team.  Upon Trump's arrival, a “chaotic confrontation” occurred between Code Pink protesters and Trump, which officials say “embarrassed the president and intensified concerns in the White House about his safety.” REPORT: The White House told Secret Service that MTG may have tipped off protesters about his surprise visit to Joe's Seafood back in September, according to Axios. Viral footage shows Trump being confronted by Code Pink protesters who called him 'Hitler.' In response to Axios,… — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) The White House claims that after recommending the president go to Joe’s, Greene repeatedly called Trump staffers the day of the dinner to confirm he was going. After Trump heard about Greene’s outreach, he called her shortly before leaving the White House and confirmed his planned visit, the sources said. Greene, who was a regular at the restaurant, didn’t show up at the location when Trump and other officials were there, which struck some Trump aides as odd. So, someone's lying... The incident with Code Pink took place just one day before the assassination of conservative commentator Charlie Kirk. With two separate attempts on Trump's life previous to his re-election, which the Secret Service notably botched both times - not to mention an endless array of violent actions on the part of progressive protesters in recent months, left-wing activists coming within proximity to Trump has become a national security concern.    White House aides pointed out that Greene has with Code Pink co-founder Medea Benjamin in the past, writing on X Dec. 10: “I have enjoyed a friendship with Medea for a few years now even though politics says that’s not allowed.”  “Marjorie is closer with the hosts of ‘The View’ than the president,” a former senior administration official said of Greene. The Rift After spending 2016 - 2023 as one of Trump's most loyal defenders, Greene became increasingly vocal in late 2023 over blank-check foreign aid, including the Ukraine war, and Israel-related packages (particularly when tied to Ukraine funding) - however she didn't take shots at Trump himself until she signed a discharge petition to force the release of the Epstein files, something Trump had promised to do on the campaign trail only to become defensive with reporters when asked about it in early 2025.  image In October, she slammed part of Trump's second-term agenda - such as his $40 billion bailout of Argentina - as "https://www.axios.com/2025/10/17/mtg-republicans-trump-america-first ," telling Axios "It's a revolving door at the White House of foreign leaders when Americans are, you know, screaming from their lungs," though she praised Trump multiple times throughout the interview as having done "a great job in a lot of places." In November, Trump lashed out at MTG and Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY) for joining the Democrats to force a floor vote on the Epstein Files release - officially announcing he was withdrawing his "support and endorsement" of Greene. Trump claimed that Greene's complaints about his policies spring from when Trump sent her a poll "stating that she should not run" for governor or the Senate, adding that he's heard Greene is "upset that I don't return her phone calls anymore." The president said he stands ready to give the "right" Republican primary challenger of Greene his "Complete and Unyielding Support."  In December 2025 Greene explicitly https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/gops-taylor-greene-says-trump-no-longer-america-first-accuses-him-of-serving-israeli-interests/ of putting Israel's interests over those of the United States, suggesting he has 'served pro-Israel and establishment interests' at the expense of domestic priorities.  "For an America First president, the number one focus should have been domestic policy, and it wasn’t," she told CBS's '60 Minutes," adding that Trump "has served Israel’s interest, even attacking Iran," and slammed what she called his service to "Big Pharma" and "crypto donors." image Greene also became one of the very few Republicans to publicly describe Israel's conduct in Gaza as "genocide," and proposed an amendment in the House to end US funding of Israel's Iron Dome missile defense system - while also arguing that AIPAC should be legally required to register as a foreign agent because she believes it steers US policy in ways that aren't aligned with 'America First.' Since breaking with Trump, Greene has given several interviews with left-wing news outlets, including The View, CNN, NPR, Meet the Press, and the   - all of which were happy to have her attack their mortal enemy. image Indeed, MTG has become quite cozy with far-left media outlets and the militant progressive coven at The View in the runup to her departure from Congress - in some cases https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/16/politics/marjorie-taylor-greene-interview-apologizes for her "toxic" rhetoric in the past.  Sun, 01/11/2026 - 15:45
California's Billionaire Tax Is A Trojan Horse... Not A Solution California's Billionaire Tax Is A Trojan Horse... Not A Solution California was my home for most of my adult life—long enough to know that what looks good in a campaign slogan can feel very different when you’re the one carrying the load. I built restaurants there. I employed people there. I signed permits, licenses, and applications like they were holiday cards. I navigated agencies that asked for more paperwork than profit statements. I paid into a system that always wanted one more filing, one more inspection, one more approval, one more fee. The joke was that my assistant didn’t work in hospitality—she worked in compliance. And it was true. That state turns compliance into a profession. So when I see the latest proposal—a one-time 5 percent tax on anyone whose net worth exceeds $1 billion—I don’t see Robin Hood. I see Sacramento writing itself a permission slip. image The pitch says “billionaires.” But the mechanism says “total assessed wealth, declared by the owner, verified by the state, and enforceable through audit.” That’s a power move, not a nuance. A Tax Based on Valuation, Not Reality Most taxes in America hit earnings or consumption. You pay when you make money, or when you buy something, or when you sell something. This proposal taxes accumulation. It doesn’t ask what you can afford. It asks what you have, and then hands a calculator to the agencies to determine the bill. We’ve seen how this evolves. The Biden administration and Vice President Kamala Harris already proposed a federal wealth tax on Americans worth $100 million or more. Not billionaires—$100 million. That’s a signal flare, not a footnote. It tells you exactly what you need to know: This idea isn’t anchored at the top. It’s already drifting toward the middle. And middle is where most of the money actually lives. The Constitution Saw This Coming There’s a phrase from constitutional law that gets thrown around a lot in conversations like this: bill of attainder. A bill of attainder is a law that punishes a specific person or small identifiable group without a trial, skipping the courts and due process entirely. In the United States, that kind of law is unconstitutional—lawmakers don’t get to play judge and jury and penalize a select group through legislation alone. This proposal isn’t a criminal punishment, but the reason people bring the term up at all is because it targets a tiny group by valuation for a massive extraction event without a court proceeding first. That resemblance matters if you believe fairness isn’t optional. The Wealthy Already Pay Plenty—Just Quietly People talk about the “rich dodging taxes” like it’s gospel. Let me tell you what actually happens when you build something in California: You don’t dodge taxes, you drown in them. Not just income tax, not just property tax, but sales tax, alcoholic beverage tax, payroll taxes, employer-side filings, permits, licensing fees, inspections, regulatory approvals, environmental health certificates, building permits, land use permits, and on and on and on. That state has already been collecting revenue from business owners in every direction long before this proposal ever landed on the ballot. If you want to know why business owners left, it wasn’t a lack of patriotism. It was math. The Trojan Horse Isn’t the Billionaire—It’s the Precedent The billionaires are the branding. The mascot. The costume the idea wears so voters don’t inspect the gears. But the gears are what matter, because once a state passes a tax on total assessed wealth, future thresholds can be lowered, exemptions can be rewritten, valuation formulas can be expanded, and enforcement will land in the hands of agencies most voters will never meet—but business owners never stop meeting. The real question is not “Should billionaires pay more?” but “Should the state have the right to tax total assessed wealth at all?” Because once that precedent exists, the definition of “rich” will keep shifting, the net will keep widening, and the bill will keep climbing down the balance sheet toward the people who never imagined they’d qualify. A millionaire today in California is someone who owns a house. A house today costs a million dollars there. That’s not a billionaire. That’s a math teacher and a firefighter and a family with a mortgage. The net will widen because the money they need is not all at the top. There’s much more sitting in the middle. And middle-class is where precedent always ends up grazing. My Stance I lean libertarian—I don’t want government in every aspect of our lives, our kitchens, our land, or our asset valuations. I’m a hard no on expanding its discretion any further. The slogans may be sticky, but freedoms are stickier—once lost, they don’t come back. Views expressed in this article are opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times or ZeroHedge. Sat, 01/10/2026 - 21:00
Even Google's Founders Have Had Enough Of California, And Are Saying Adios Even Google's Founders Have Had Enough Of California, And Are Saying Adios Google founders Larry Page and Sergey Brin quietly began unwinding portions of their financial empires in California in the days leading up to Christmas, according to corporate filings reviewed by , as progressive lawmakers consider a proposed billionaire wealth tax. This development confirms our earlier note that California is on an accelerated path toward self-destruction. image Here are the new details from NYT's report that further confirm our previous reporting: In the 10 days before Christmas, an entity connected to Mr. Brin, 52, terminated or moved 15 California limited liability companies that oversee some of his business interests and investments out of the state, according to documents seen by The New York Times. Seven of the companies — including those that appear to manage one of Mr. Brin’s superyachts and his interest in a private air terminal at San Jose’s international airport — were converted into Nevada entities. Mr. Brin is joining Mr. Page, 52, in reducing his California presence. More than 45 California limited liability companies associated with Mr. Page filed documents last month to either become inactive or move out of the state, according to state records. A trust with ties to Mr. Page also purchased a $71.9 million mansion in Miami’s Coconut Grove neighborhood this week, according to a deed seen by The Times. Another entity jointly managed by Mr. Brin and Mr. Page moved out of California and to Nevada on Christmas Eve, according to a filing seen by The Times. The shrinking financial footprints of both Google founders in the state ( ) coincide with a proposed California ballot initiative backed by the Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West (S.E.I.U.-U.H.W), which would impose a one-time 5% tax on the assets of residents worth more than $1 billion, applied retroactively to those living in the stateJose's Jan. 1. Bill Ackman said it best on X, "California is on a path to self-destruction. Hollywood is already toast, and now the most productive entrepreneurs will leave, taking their tax revenues and job creation elsewhere." California is on a path to self-destruction. Hollywood is already toast and now the most productive entrepreneurs will leave taking their tax revenues and job creation elsewhere. And then the Democrats highlight — Bill Ackman (@BillAckman) Even Reid Hoffman, co-founder of LinkedIn and a Democratic mega-donor who funds questionable left-wing causes, called out S.E.I.U.-U.H.W's proposed billionaire tax. He wrote on X that this is a "horrendous idea" that might force tech founders and executives to flee the state. "The proposed CA wealth tax is badly designed in so many ways that a simple social post cannot cover all of the massive flaws. One well-documented example is the horrendous idea to tax illiquid stock in the proposal. Poorly designed taxes incentivize avoidance, capital flight, and distortions that ultimately raise less revenue," Hoffman wrote on X earlier this week. Rep. Khanna reached out to me to discuss the proposed California wealth tax; and while I am against the proposed tax, I'm always open to dialogue with our elected leaders. The proposed CA wealth tax is badly designed in so many ways that a simple social post cannot cover all of… — Reid Hoffman (@reidhoffman) Elon Musk was among the earliest high-profile billionaires to leave California, citing high taxes and radical left-wing state leadership. Fri, 01/09/2026 - 21:30
Not The Bee: Woke City Appoints Convicted Murderer Who Shot Teen Girl To Police Review Board Not The Bee: Woke City Appoints Convicted Murderer Who Shot Teen Girl To Police Review Board Kyle Hedquist, a convicted murderer who was sentenced to life in prison for shooting a teenage girl to death in cold blood, has been reappointed to serve on Salem, Oregon’s police review board - all in the name of his so-called “perspective” on the criminal justice system. image Hedquist, an Oregon native, was convicted of the aggravated murder of 19-year-old Nikki Thrasher, whom he lured down a remote rural road and shot in the back of the head to prevent her from revealing his involvement in a series of robberies. In 2022, then-Governor Kate Brown (D) in securing Hedquist’s early release, insisting that the killer “shouldn’t be locked up for life” simply because he was 17 years old at the time he executed Thrasher. At the time of the commutation, Nikki’s mother, Hollie Thrasher, rightly condemned the decision to free her daughter’s murderer. “I am upset. I wasn’t even told,” she told KOIN 6. “He took the life of my daughter in cold blood. It was a cold-blooded murder. He planned it.” The has the details behind the city’s decision to hire Hedquist: Defending his reappointment to the board — whose members train with police and take part in ride-alongs — a Salem councillor praised Hedquist for the “perspective” he brings. Hedquist “brings a perspective that most of us don’t have,” Ward 6 City Councilor Mai Vang said in a video shared on Facebook following the Dec. 8 vote. “As someone who’s been through the criminal justice system, he understands community safety from a different angle. He’s one voice among nine — he’s not running the show, but his experience matters,” she added. While certain soft-on-crime ideologues may applaud this bizarre and tone-deaf appointment, law enforcement professionals are understandably appalled. “To think that we’re providing education on kind of how we do what we do to someone with that criminal history, it just doesn’t seem too smart,” the Salem Police Employees’ Union declared in an interview with . Salem Professional Fire Fighters Local 314 has likewise denounced the move. “As police and fire professionals in the Salem community, we are asking Salem residents to stand with us,” their read. Sat, 01/03/2026 - 14:35
US, Israel Set Firm 2-Month Deadline For Full Hamas Disarmament US, Israel Set Firm 2-Month Deadline For Full Hamas Disarmament Israeli media is reporting that Israel and the United States have reached an understanding to give Hamas a two-month ultimatum to finally and fully disarm. The the agreement came immediately after an overnight meeting between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and US President Donald Trump at Mar-a-Lago at the start of the week. The move is being described as a fixed deadline rather than an opening for negotiations. Israeli and US teams are already reportedly working simultaneously to determine what they describe as "practical disarmament." This after Hamas has effectively been defeated since it launched the brutal Oct.7, 2023 terror assault on southern Israel. image Another key focus is the dismantling of Hamas’s underground tunnel network throughout Gaza, which Israeli officials consider a core element of the group’s military strength. Hamas has throughout the Gaza war proven itself effective in guerilla and insurgency tactics, utilizing small teams to maneuver quickly in and out of the tunnels, even at times taking out IDF tanks with IEDs. Sometimes bombs are even attached to Israeli armor vehicles by hand in these ambushes, after which a Hamas militant darts back into an underground tunnel, as has been demonstrated in various videos. Sources quoted by Israel Hayom said Israeli officials doubt Hamas that would be willing or able to relinquish most of its weapons or military capabilities within the two-month window. From the perspective of Hamas leadership, the moment it fully gives up its weapons means the group is effectively dead and will have no more influence to govern in the future. But this is also exactly what the US-Israeli plan and the ceasefire calls for: the effective end of Hamas rule in governance in the Gaza Strip forever. PM Netanyahu while giving media interviews during his December US trip described that Hamas still possesses "around 60,000" Kalashnikov rifles and "hundreds of kilometers" of tunnels. He has vowed that Hamas disarmament can be achieved "the easy way" or the hard way - that is through military force. But as of last summer, Hamas was insistent that it will never give up its weapons. There's also the possibility that Hamas leadership won't be able to induce all of its fighters and 'ground troops' to give up their weapons - again, as they would fear being tracked down and killed by Israeli forces. Thu, 01/01/2026 - 19:45
Watch: TSA Whistleblowers Expose Somali Cash Smuggling Operations At US Airports Watch: TSA Whistleblowers Expose Somali Cash Smuggling Operations At US Airports https://modernity.news/2025/12/31/watch-tsa-whistleblowers-expose-somali-cash-smuggling-operations-at-us-airports/ Former TSA agents are sounding the alarm on Somali men routinely flying out with suitcases crammed full of cash, undoubtedly linked to massive taxpayer-funded fraud schemes that could be funneling money to terrorist groups overseas. image A former agent from Minnesota described witnessing “Somali men flying out of Minnesota with suitcases filled with cash” amounting to “$1 billion over 5 years,” including one instance of a suitcase “filled with brand new passports.”  These groups were “always waived through,” with a clear “trail” leading back to implicated parties, the former agent claims. WHAT Former TSA agent says she saw Somali men flying out of Minnesota with suitcases filled with cash. $1 billion over 5 years They also once had a suitcase filled with brand new passports. They were always waived through. There’s a trail — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) Recent reports from independent outlets like Alpha News highlight these claims, where a former TSA agent at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport recalled seeing “suitcases filled with millions of dollars of cash, and the couriers were always Somali men traveling in pairs.” I just received a message from a TSA agent in Phoenix who tells me a Somali man with a Minnesota DL flies through Pheonix every 7-10 days with a suitcase of around $250k cash. He told agents that families in Minnesota send cash back home to Sudan and Somalia through Dubai and he… — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) She connected the dots to broader fraud, noting an “obvious connection to billions of dollars of fraud” in the state. Another whistleblower from Phoenix reported a Somali man with a Minnesota driver’s license flying through every 7-10 days with around “$250k cash” in a suitcase.  He claimed to be a “registered courier” sending family remittances to Sudan and Somalia via Dubai. The agent even offered the passenger’s name for investigation by authorities like the FBI or USDOT. These revelations tie directly into ongoing exposes of Somali-linked fraud in Minnesota, where citizen journalists have uncovered millions in questionable taxpayer payouts to seemingly inactive daycares and care facilities.  The FBI is treating these cases as the “tip of the iceberg,” networks of shell companies appear designed to siphon funds, with one investigation alone spotting $110 million in dubious payments. But where does this money ultimately end up? A source told City Journal: “The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.”  Al-Shabaab, a Somali-based Islamic terrorist group affiliated with al-Qa’ida, has killed more U.S. citizens than any other affiliate and stands as its wealthiest branch. This a real quote a source gave City Journal: “The largest funder of Al-Shabaab is the Minnesota taxpayer.” Al-Shabaab is a Somali based islamic t*rrorist group who has kiIIed more U.S. citizens than any other al-Qa’ida affiliate and is also al-Qa’ida’s wealthiest component. — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) Citizen journalists nationwide are now replicating these probes, visiting facilities in states like Washington to document empty or non-operational sites receiving hefty government funds. Washington State Attorney General is now accusing journalists of “harassment” for investigating fraud and fake daycares Democrats don’t want us uncovering fraud because they’re the ones committing it and benefiting from it — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) Yet, instead of gratitude, they’re facing backlash. Washington State Attorney General Bob Ferguson has accused these investigators of “harassment” for scrutinizing fraud in fake daycares, claiming Democrats “don’t want us uncovering fraud because they’re the ones committing it and benefiting from it.” Source: — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) The pushback escalates further with outright cover-up attempts. Washington State Senator Lisa Wellman has pre-filed legislation to conceal information about daycares and their operators from public view, effectively shielding potential fraudsters from scrutiny. Democrats are now using their positions of power to actively cover up their fraud schemes — Libs of TikTok (@libsoftiktok) This pattern reeks of a system rigged to protect insiders while American taxpayers foot the bill for schemes that undermine national security.  With billions vanishing into thin air—or worse, into terrorist coffers—it’s high time for federal probes to dismantle these networks and restore accountability before more “waived through” suitcases slip away. Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via  . Thu, 01/01/2026 - 19:00