50 Astonishing Facts About Every State: Part 1

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Reader’s Digest has a whole bunch of these articles which are interesting but perhaps not all are “astonishing” …lol

Alabama

The only state whose official drink is an alcoholic beverage (Conecuh Ridge Alabama Fine Whiskey, originally distilled by legendary moonshiner Clyde May).

Alaska

The state is known for fishing, mining, and oil, but its latest industry is peonies. Peony farms blossomed from zero in 2000 to more than 200 in 2014 and currently, they grow around 1.5 million stems a year.

Arizona

The state that produces enough cotton each year to make two T-shirts for every American (that’s 599 million tees).

Arkansas

Famous for its diamond trade, Arkansas is the only state where tourists can search for diamonds in their original volcanic source. At Arkansas’ Crater of Diamonds State Park, tourists can dig through fields maintained by the park and are allowed to keep any diamonds they discover. The park also offers a complimentary identification and registration of the gems.

California

If it were a country, it would have the eighth-largest economy in the world, beating out Italy, Russia, and India.

Colorado

Although Congress intended the state to be a perfect rectangle, its surveyors wandered a bit off course. A tiny kink in the western border disqualified it from rectangle purity.

Connecticut

The first phone book was published in New Haven in February 1878, containing just 50 names. Similarly, Connecticut’s Hartford Courant is the country’s oldest continuously published paper, per Mental Floss.

Delaware

The state with the most generous laws regarding company ownership has been the model for Cayman Islands and other offshore tax havens.

Florida

The remains of an 8,000-year-old human civilization were found buried in a peat bog here. The bodies were so well preserved that human brain tissue was found in a woman’s skull with her DNA still intact.

Georgia

Just outside Atlanta, the picturesque community of Serenbe requires each of its 200-plus homes to include a porch.

Hawaii

The only state covered entirely by its own time zone, Hawaii-Aleutian, also doesn’t observe daylight saving. 

Idaho

Boise celebrates the New Year by dropping a 16-foot-tall steel-and-foam potato in the state capital. Every year, thousands of “spec-taters” gather to watch.

Illinois

In 1887, engineers began to reverse the flow of the Chicago River to stop pollution from contaminating the city’s water supply. The reversal was complete in 1900.

Indiana

At 8 p.m. on March 31, 1880, Wabash became the first city in the world to be lit by electricity—via four “Brush lights,” invented by Clevelander Charles F. Brush.

Iowa

The world’s largest painted ball resides in Alexandria: The 4,000-pound baseball with a 14-foot circumference is the creation of Michael Carmichael, who began the project more than 50 years ago after dropping a ball in paint; he now adds another coat or two every year.

Kansas

It’s the state that was proved to be—quite literally—flatter than a pancake. Scientists tested the flatness of the state against the topography of a pancake. On a zero- to-one scale of perfect flatness, Kansas was flatter, with a score of 0.9997. The pancake scored only 0.957. But it’s worth noting that Kansas isn’t the flattest U.S. state. That title goes to…Florida.

Kentucky

Underground vaults at Fort Knox hold one of the largest stockpiles of gold in the country. Not many people have seen the stash, though—and some even question whether the 27.5-pound bars, worth $6 billion, truly exist.

Louisiana

A last-second home-team touchdown at Louisiana State University in 1988 sent the fans into such a frenzy that the victory registered as an earthquake on a local seismograph.

Maine

Maine is the loneliest number: the single state whose name is just one syllable, the lone state that borders precisely one other state, and the only state whose official flower, the pinecone, is not a flower.

Maryland

It’s the wealthiest state in the country, as measured by median household income.

Massachusetts

Sixteen of the top 25 windiest U.S. cities are located here. It’s a good thing Boston has the T to protect people from cold and windy weather. In fact, Boston established the country’s first subway system in 1897, per Mental Floss.

Michigan

The Great Lake State offers the highest recycling refund in the country—10 cents per bottle or can. Unfortunately, a Seinfeld episode alerted out-of-staters to Michigan’s generosity, sparking a scheme that costs the state millions every year.

Minnesota

This Land of 10,000 Lakes technically has more than 11,000. Oddly enough, you’d be wrong if you said that state had the most lakes. It’s neighbor Wisconsin has over 15,000, but both of those pale in comparison to Alaska, with more than 3 million lakes.

Mississippi

Dashing hatmaker John B. Stetson made his western creation at Dunn’s Falls after the Civil War, forever changing cowboy style.

Missouri

Thanks to St. Louis and snacks popularized at the 1904 World’s Fair, Americans can now throw back giant quantities of Dr. Pepper, cotton candy, iced tea, waffle cones, and frankfurters.

SOURCE: READER’S DIGEST

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Published by pat frederick

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165 thoughts on “50 Astonishing Facts About Every State: Part 1”

  1. Morning All

    rainy and damp here but the temp is hovering at 50*.

    yesterday at walmart, there was a new deli worker–obviously didn’t speak English too well yet. looked to be about 18–a young man. I ordered Celebrity imported ham–sliced thin. He looked confused and i thought he said salami? I went to the case where that ham was and said, Sir, this one–pointing. He looked around, and then smiled when he realized i called HIM sir. he picked up the wrapped package and asked how I like it? i said thin–gesturing with my fingers. I watched as he meticulously sliced the meat and stacked it perfectly on top of one another. when he handed me the package, he smiled and said thank you–and I said thank you back. he looked pleased.

    i can’t say he was a “newcomer” because the walmart is located in a college town and there are always a lot of foreign students there year after year, so he could be one of those.

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Morning, Pat! I’ve had similar experiences at the WM in Norfolk – most are pleasant if you are pleasant with them. Clear skies again so far and temp at 41 altho the wind is supposed to be very strong today. Wheezer returned and ate a couple of times and, since I left it out overnight, I can see he returned again at some point….unless it was one of those danged possoms. But I haven’t seen any since that first time.

      Liked by 1 person

  8. Liked by 1 person

  9. hmmmmm…this is interesting

    FTA

    WASHINGTON — House Speaker Mike Johnson will travel to former President Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida on Friday for remarks about “election integrity” with Trump, two sources directly familiar with the plans confirmed.

    Asked by NBC News what his news conference with Trump will focus on, Johnson, R-Fla., said: “You’ll have to see. … I look forward to going down there.”

    Asked to elaborate on “election integrity,” Johnson said: “free and fair elections.”

    CNN first reported plans for the remarks. The House is set to be in session Friday, but votes are expected to be held in the morning.

    Johnson faces threats to his job from his right flank and scrutiny over his handling of thorny issues in a narrow Republican majority, including a military aid package for Ukraine and other U.S. allies that has been held up for months, despite his vows to pass new Ukraine aid.

    Johnson is under tremendous pressure from Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., another Trump ally, who has threatened to force a vote on a motion to oust him over funding for Ukraine. Greene, who argues that congressional attention and funding should be turned to the southern border rather than Ukraine, last month filed a “motion to vacate” to depose Johnson but stopped short of forcing a vote to remove him.

    https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congress/house-speaker-mike-johnson-deliver-remarks-trump-election-integrity-rcna147237

    Liked by 1 person

      1. what’s interesting is that Congress believes they can carve out their own peace of mind from the spying–what makes them believe they were free from it before?

        why do they all vote the way they do? we know they’re compromised–are they too stupid to put this together OR are they trying a public ruse? like, we’re not compromised–no blackmail on us– and we want to keep it that way. no one believes that anymore

        Liked by 1 person

  10. NF: With OUR tax dollars, no less!!!

    National Pulse: “Ukraine Now Buying Chinese Drones, American Ones Keep Breaking.”

    The war in Ukraine has exposed significant deficiencies in the American drone industry, with glitchy, expensive drones made in the U.S. failing to meet expectations and being supplanted by off-the-shelf Chinese products.

    Silicon Valley firm Skydio is among the U.S. firms whose drones have fallen flat on the Ukrainian battlefield, with the Wall Street Journal reporting “hundreds of its best drones… flew off course and were lost” after running into Russian jammers.

    “The general reputation for every class of U.S. drone in Ukraine is that they don’t work as well as other systems,” admitted Skydio chief executive Adam Bry, confessing his product was “not a very successful platform on the front lines.”

    Ukraine’s drone supplier of choice is Chinese firm SZ DJI Technology — which, officially, does not even want its products to be used in war zones, saying it “absolutely deplores and condemns the use of its products to cause harm anywhere in the world.”

    Embarrassingly for the U.S. government, DJI has been banned by the U.S. military, and Congress is weighing whether to ban it altogether – yet the firm is being bolstered by Ukrainian purchases funded at least in part of U.S. aid. Ukraine’s burgeoning domestic drone industry also relies on Chinese parts.

    The problems with U.S. drones are not only a national security weakness but also a loss for the U.S. economy, with Ukraine using up around 10,000 drones a month that might have come mainly from U.S. firms had they been more reliable.”

    Liked by 1 person

  11. National Pulse: “Another Boeing Whistleblower Steps Forward”

    The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is examining a whistleblower’s allegations that Boeing overlooked safety and quality concerns in the manufacturing of its 787 and 777 jets. Last year, Boeing disclosed that some 787 airplanes had irregularly sized shims and certain aircraft had areas that failed to meet skin-flatness specifications.

    Engineer Sam Salehpour, the whistleblower, claimed he faced retaliation — in the form of threats and exclusion from meetings — for spotting engineering issues affecting the jets’ structural integrity. Salehpour’s lawyers stated he recognized engineering shortcuts that placed stress on airplane joints, resulting in drilling debris between essential joints on over 1,000 planes.

    Salehpour also told reporters that he observed serious issues with misalignment in the production of the 777 widebody jet. “I literally saw people jumping on the pieces of the airplane to get them to align,” he said.

    An FAA agency source confirmed it has interacted with Salehpour. The agency also affirmed the importance of whistleblowers in maintaining safety standards. “Voluntary reporting without fear of reprisal is a critical component in aviation safety,” it said. “We strongly encourage everyone in the aviation industry to share information. We thoroughly investigate all reports.”

    Boeing continues to face scrutiny from the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) investigating potential infringements of a 2021 agreement protecting the company from prosecution following fatal MAX crashes in 2018 and 2019.

    A recent FAA audit of Boeing’s manufacturing processes found nearly 100 instances of noncompliance. Another Boeing whistleblower, John Barnett, was found dead in March, with authorities ruling his death a suicide. However, shortly before his death, Barnett warned a friend that “if anything happens to me, it’s not suicide.”

    Liked by 2 people

            1. All the above have been on my personal watch list for years. Grumman used to have a plant in Savannah, and I worked a couple of summers near Lockheed-Martin in Marietta, northwest of Atlanta.

              Liked by 1 person

  12. National Pulse: “Judge Reviewing Prince Harry’s Immigration Papers”

    “Prince Harry’s U.S. visa application has come under scrutiny following a Freedom of Information Act request for his immigration papers, fueled by questions around whether he was forthright about his abuse of drugs, including cannabis, cocaine, psychedelic mushrooms, and ayahuasca.

    The Heritage Foundation has been seeking to discover whether Prince Harry, who detailed his use of narcotics, including on U.S. soil, in his memoir Spare, received preferential treatment from the government.

    The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has now submitted to a court request for the royal’s papers so they can be privately reviewed.

    With the DHS and the Heritage Foundation dueling over whether the papers are protected by privacy regulations or of sufficient public interest to be released, Judge Carl Nichols has mandated an in camera review to establish whether or not they should be exempt from release.

    Heritage says it has brought the case “in the main because HRH [His Royal Highness] voluntarily — and for immense profit — admitted in writing to…  any number of controlled substance violations.”

    Donald Trump has suggested Prince Harry could be deported under a second Trump administration if he lied on his visa application.”

    Liked by 1 person

      1. That they do, katherine! What galls me the most is that they are blocking research on natural drugs like MJ with obvious and clearly proven benefits from CBD until TPTB have it ALL under their control, i.e., Monsanto and such. This is why they won’t remove it from the highest risk category! It is miraculous what it can do for those with epilepsy and other such types of disease.

        Liked by 2 people

        1. but they are learning how to profit from it, aren’t they? selling “licenses” to grow and sell it…
          if they can find a way to profit they will. the cartels are not playing along though–that’s got to piss off the gov’t

          Liked by 1 person

          1. The whole point is for THEM to control it and nobody else! Big pharma has been working on clearing the way for many years.

            Liked by 1 person

            1. oh i agree…like opium (i think i got the right one)
              illegal to buy it or use it, but they make a pain killer out of it and BOOM! use explodes and creates a crisis. big pharma makes $$ and remits to gov’t

              Liked by 1 person

        2. Right. I had a friend with epilepsy who smoked pot to control seizures. Another friend with epilepsy had surgery for it under Ben Carlson at Johns Hopkins before he became head of HHS.

          I guarantee they are doing the research secretly so anything they find, they can patent. That’s why the ethanol industry has been such a big deal. Archer-Daniels Midland has profit-making enterprises along every step of the corn-to-distilling-to-gasoline-to-ethanol-mandate process.

          I was trying to find out what happened to the airplane manufacturing plant in Savannah. I believe the CEO’s or owner’s name was Allen Paulson, but the company was sold, maybe to Lockheed. Blame my dim memory and fact-confusion.

          Liked by 2 people

            1. Right. Bits and pieces, here and there. When I did locum tenens at the VA outpatient mental health facility in Knoxville, TN, I made a special trip to Oak Ridge Labs, because of highway signs indicating a Science and Technology museum. I got as far as the main gate but was spooked by the guard there, turned around and skedaddled. But not before noticing all the buildings in the area designated Y-12, with Bechtel affiliations. Later, I researched Bechtel on the web and found it is a private company based in San Francisco, I believe, or somewhere on the West Coast.

              Liked by 2 people

              1. Yep, they are a big military/government contractor. I worked with all of the national labs around the country at one point. We had a 5-year contract with the US Department of Energy.

                Liked by 2 people

              2. And who started th DOE? The same guy who started the Education Dept., former Governor of GA, the peanut farmer who held one of only 50 or so licenses to grow peanuts commercally in GA. The “peanut scare” in 2007 was blamed on Stuart Parnall, the CEO of the peanut processing, packaging and distribution company after the Powers That Be (PTB) determined a woman in a nursing home in Michign got salmonella poisoning from an opened jar of peanut butter that had been left out on a table.
                This story came out shortly after Jimmy Carter’s book “Palestine: Peace Not Apartheid” was published and all the jews on his advisory panel at the Carter Center walked off the panel. I saved the article.

                Liked by 2 people

        2. DT knows the bottom line about everything. That’s why I respect him, but sometimes what he says makes me cringe. The documentary about his grandfather, father, and DT himself showed me how driven they all were.

          Liked by 2 people

          1. Oh, I can’t stand listening to his speeches, personally, and I don’t watch the rallies, just excerpts later here and there. I cringe over his speech, too, especially when I think of all the uber-religious people here in NE…..even tho THEY cuss like that all the time! LOL

            Liked by 2 people

  14. “A Message from Japan to the World” — Delivered by Prof Masayasu Inoue, Professor Emeritus of Osaka City University Medical School.

    AUSSIE17, APR 11, 2024

    (VIDEO)

    Transcript

    “Thank you very much for giving me this valuable opportunity to send my message about human rights abuse in the time of COVID-19. My name is Masayasu Inoue, Professor Emeritus of Osaka City University Medical School. My specialty is Molecular Pathology and Medicine.

    The pandemic was used as a false pretext by the WHO to drive vaccinations of all peoples in the world. A plan was set up to shorten the time to develop vaccines, which usually takes longer than ten years to less than one year. Operation Warp Speed. This operation was used to cover up the misconceptions of the genetic vaccines. Under the pretext of saving time, an extremely dangerous method was selected.

    That is, intramuscular injection of viral genes to produce toxic spike proteins directly in human tissues to stimulate immune system. Because this is a completely new method and misconceived method that has never applied before in human history, it is impossible, therefore, for most of doctors to give proper informed consent. However, due to irresponsible government and media campaigns to promote vaccines, 80% of the Japanese has been vaccinated.….”

    https://www.aussie17.com/p/a-message-from-japan-to-the-world

    Liked by 2 people

          1. That process began with my daughter and the lead-up to her death. And it will not change now that it has been so terribly reinforced!

            Liked by 1 person

            1. i can’t begin to imagine your pain, but the world still has people that love you and respect you. and some day i hope we meet in person- we’ll either have a good cry or laugh our asses off…i’m open to both!

              Liked by 1 person

              1. Yeah, let’s skip the crying – I’m tired of crying! I’d much prefer some good wisecracks and dirty jokes! Hell yeah!!!

                Liked by 1 person

          1. He was living in SC, had issues w/his breathing – test at hospital claimed it was CV, whether it was or not, who can say; but they followed the ventilator/Remdesivr regimen and he was on dialysis the next day, followed by coma, followed by brain death – all w/in 5 days…..and none of the family down there want to hear a word about it….they refuse to even listen or read what I send them. Sucks but there it is!

            Liked by 2 people

              1. No, not military, and no, he had not taken the jab. He worked with his brother installing sprinkler systems…the hospital was in Columbia.

                Liked by 2 people

              6. Thankfully, they hadn’t started using it when my 89 year old Mom got COVID. That was hair-raising but she made it thru and celebrated her 90th with a big-ass party we had planned for years – only 1 brother didn’t come from NC – asswipe! She’s still kickin’ it now and will hit 93 this summer.

                Liked by 2 people

              7. What I don’t understand is that coronavirus has been around and known ever since viruses were discovered. My 1985 medical texts say it causes up to 15% of common colds. Maybe Rand Paul is right about gain-of-function research producing more virulent forms, but the age old wisdom about good nutrition, fresh air, clean water, plenty of sleep, and exercise still hold true. Hospitals are bad for everyone’s health, according to me, because they incubate everyone’s ailments, have terrible food, are noisy, with slick floors, and no exercise.

                Liked by 2 people

              9. Viruses mutate all the time. That’s how the flu epidemic that caused so many deaths in 1918 was able to transform itself in Spain, primarily, but some say it was created in Ft. Leavenworth in Kansas.

                Liked by 1 person

  15. Just The News: “House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., could now turn to a clean Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act extension bill after a reauthorization bill with a bipartisan warrant requirement amendment failed to advance in the GOP-led House on Wednesday.

    The “Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act” would have extended Section 702 of FISA for 5 years.

    A group of amendments to the bill including a warrant requirement had cleared the House Rules Committee on Tuesday night. The vote to block the rule providing for House floor consideration of the bill was 228 to 193, with 19 Republicans voting not to advance the bill. The latest vote reportedly marks the seventh time a rule has failed on the House floor under Johnson’s speakership.

    Ahead of the scheduled vote on Wednesday, former President Trump had posted on Truth Social that the GOP should “kill FISA.” Johnson reacted to Trump’s post ahead of the vote.

    “I look forward to talking with him about it. Here’s the thing about FISA, he’s not wrong, of course, they abused FISA,” Johnson said, referring to the launch of the Russia collusion probe. “These reforms would actually kill the abuses that allowed President Trump’s campaign to be spied on.”

    Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., applauded the 19 Republicans who voted to block the bill from moving forward. “19 Republicans stood strong and defeated the FISA bill today, instead insisting on real reform to FISA (no secret courts should be allowed to spy on Americans),” he wrote on X in response to a post listing each GOP lawmaker who voted no.

    Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., said the 19 Republicans who voted against the rule also blocked the chance for an up or down vote on the warrant requirement amendment, which would have prohibited “warrantless searches of U.S. person communications in the FISA 702 database.”

    “By voting with every Democrat to take down the rule, the 19 also killed a vote on requiring a warrant to spy on Americans,” Massie wrote on X. “But a likely outcome now is that the swamp passes FISA without warrants and there is never a vote on warrants, so no one will be held accountable,” he added.  Massie predicted the FISA bill will come back to the House floor in “worse condition.” 

    Sen. Mike Lee, R-Utah, urged lawmakers not to “fall for the hyperbole” after the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act was blocked on Wednesday. The FISA extension expires on April 19. “The sky is not about to fall. We must not allow for a ‘clean’ reauthorization of FISA 702. We must continue to fight until we can attach a warrant requirement to FISA 702. Get a warrant!” 

    Many of the Republicans who voted against advancing the FISA bill were members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus. 

    The exact path forward that House leadership is going to take prior to the April 19 expiration is unclear. In the absence of House action, the Democratic-led Senate could pass a clean FISA extension that Johnson might then put to a floor vote.

    However, a senior Republican congressional source who declined to be named told Just the News that there’s no guarantee a clean FISA extension without amendments would pass on House floor either. He noted that the Reforming Intelligence and Securing America Act could come back to the House floor for a vote without amendments such as the warrant requirement but there is a chance it would also fail to pass.

    “We will regroup and reformulate another plan. We cannot allow section 702 advisor to expire. It’s too important national security,” Johnson said after Wednesday’s vote.”

    Liked by 1 person

  16. Just The News: “House Speaker Mike Johnson says he tried to speak with fellow GOP Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene during Congress’ recent recess about her effort to remove him from his leadership position but she “wasn’t interested” in having a conversation. 

    Greene, of Georgia, filed a motion to vacate late last month in an effort to remove Johnson after the House passed a $1.2 trillion spending bill. In an interview that aired Wednesday on CBN News, the speaker addressed his attempts to have a discussion with her and his thoughts on the spending bill.

    “I tried over the two-week break. She wasn’t interested in speaking, and that’s okay,” said Johnson, one day after the House reconvened.

    The Louisiana lawmaker, facing removal after roughly  just six months as speaker, said he tried texting her about having a phone call or a meeting.

    “Look, Marjorie is upset about the spending bill, and so am I,” he said. “It’s not the bill that I would have drafted, to all of us would have drafted, if we had the majority in the House and the Senate, and had a Republican president that would sign it into law, but instead, we have Democrats in those other two chambers.”

    Given the slim GOP majority in the House, the alternative to passing the spending bill would be to shut down the government, which would result in Republicans taking the blame and losing total control of Congress in the elections this November, Johnson said. 

    “I like Marjorie. I understand why she’s upset. She’s frustrated that we can’t score touchdowns in every single play, but the reality of the situation here is we have to do this incrementally,” he also said. 

    Considering how long it took for him to get elected, as well as his predecessor, former California Rep. Kevin McCarthy, Johnson said that removing the speaker right now could mean that the position remains open for quite a long time and Congress will effectively be shut down.

    Johnson holding a vote this week on billions in additional aid to Ukraine, which would likely pass only with Democrats voting in support, puts his position as speaker in further jeopardy.”

    Liked by 1 person

  17. Just The News: “Former Attorney General Bill Barr on Wednesday expressed his displeasure toward former President Donald Trump over his call to “kill FISA” ahead of a vote to extend key surveillance powers authorized in Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA).

    The House on Wednesday failed to approve an extension to the Section 702 warrantless surveillance powers, due largely to pushback from conservatives over abuse. Prior to the vote, Trump urged lawmakers to simply “kill FISA” contending that it had been abused to improperly surveil his campaign. Section 702 is set to expire on April 19.

    Barr, for his part, told The Hill that “I think it’s crazy and reckless to not move forward with FISA. It’s our principal tool protecting us from terrorist attacks. We’re living through a time where those threats have never been higher, so it’s blinding us, it’s blinding our allies.”

    “I think President Trump’s opposition seems to have stemmed from personal pique rather than any logic and reason. The provision that he objects to has nothing to do with the provision that’s on the floor,” he went on.

    “KILL FISA, IT WAS ILLEGALLY USED AGAINST ME, AND MANY OTHERS. THEY SPIED ON MY CAMPAIGN!!! DJT” Trump posted on Truth Social on Wednesday morning.

    Prior to the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson agreed with Trump that FISA had been abused in his case, but contended that “[t]hese reforms would actually kill the abuses that allowed President Trump’s campaign to be spied on.”

    Liked by 1 person

  18. Just The News: “President Joe Biden on Wednesday indicated that he was mulling Australia’s request that the U.S. drop its efforts to prosecute Julian Assange, the founder of Wikileaks who published a litany of classified materials.

    “We’re considering it,” Biden said, according to the Associated Press. Assange is an Australian citizen currently in the custody of the United Kingdom, which has temporarily blocked his extradition to the U.S. due to concerns he may face the death penalty.

    Assange spent years in the Ecuadorian embassy in London before his arrest. He has spent the past five years in a maximum security prison. The U.S. charged him in 2010 over his role in the publication of thousands of classified government documents.

    Assange obtained the materials from former U.S. Army intelligence analyst Chelsea Manning, whom the U.S. says Assange pushed and helped to steal the materials. President Barack Obama commuted Manning’s sentence and the former analyst left U.S. custody in 2017.”

    Liked by 1 person

    2. And Manning was/is a US citizen – waaaay bigger than Assange just publishing what he was given!!! Not to mention that lunatic who helped ISIS in Afghanistan, who was also a US citizen!!!

      Liked by 1 person

  20. Holy cow! That lunatic unloaded on the cops first!!!

    Liked by 1 person

  21. “U.S. Funds Ukraine Groups Censoring Critics, Smearing Pro-Peace Voices — American taxpayers are footing the bill for Ukrainian NGOs focused on smearing proponents of a diplomatic solution as “Russian disinformation” agents.

    LEE FANG, APR 11, 2024

    This investigation was reported in collaboration with RealClearInvestigations.

    EXCERPT: “Ukraine’s American-backed fight against Russia is taking place not only in the blood-soaked trenches of the Donbas region but also on what military planners call the cognitive battlefield – to win hearts and minds.

    A sprawling constellation of media outlets organized with substantial funding and direction from the U.S. government has not just sought to counter Russian propaganda but has supported strong censorship laws and shutdowns of dissident outlets, disseminated disinformation of its own, and sought to silence critics of the war, including many American citizens.

    Economist Jeffrey Sachs, commentator Tucker Carlson, journalist Glenn Greenwald, and University of Chicago Professor John Mearsheimer are among the critics on both the left and the right who have been cast as part of a “network of Russian propaganda.”

    But the figures targeted by the Ukrainian watchdog groups are hardly Kremlin agents. They simply have forcefully criticized dominant narratives around the war.

    Sachs is a highly respected international development expert who has angered Ukrainian officials over his repeated calls for a diplomatic solution to the current military conflict. Last November, he gave a speech at the United Nations calling for a negotiated peace…..”

    https://www.leefang.com/p/us-funds-ukraine-groups-censoring

    Liked by 1 person

      1. USAID is yet another agency that needs to be completely eliminated!!! The forever evil Samantha Powers is leading it now….

        Liked by 1 person

  23. “Florida Gov. DeSantis Tells Donors He Is Planning On Fundraising For Trump”

    ESTERO, FL - OCTOBER 31: President Donald Trump greets Florida Republican gubernatorial candidate Ron DeSantis during a campaign rally at the Hertz Arena on October 31, 2018 in Estero, Florida. President Trump continues traveling across America to help get the vote out for Republican candidates running for office. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
    (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)

    OAN’s James Meyers
    1:46 PM -Wednesday, April 10, 2024

    “Florida GOP Governor Ron DeSantis reportedly told donors and supporters at a private event last week that he is planning to help raise money for Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. 

    The former Republican presidential candidate announced the move to fund Trump’s campaign during a private gathering on Saturday at South Florida’s Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. 

    “He did say it in front of a group of people at the Hard Rock,” a DeSantis (R-Fla.) adviser told NBC News.

    “He’s committed to helping Trump in any and every way,” said Texas businessman Roy Bailey, who attended the retreat. “We are going to follow his lead, and we’re excited to do everything we can to get Trump elected.”

    Bailey, a co-chairman of DeSantis’ national finance advisory board also said that he is planning on raising money for Trump as well, as he did back in 2020. 

    “I will follow the governor’s lead and I will do anything that he or President Trump ask me to do to help him win this election,” Bailey said.

    “I know where there are DeSantis supporters all over Texas and all over the country that will want to help President Trump. So, that’s what I’ll try to make happen,” he added.

    The news of DeSantis contributing to Trump’s campaign comes after Trump’s biggest fundraiser of the cycle had raised $50.5 million. 

    Trump receiving more funds from the Sunshine State governor will be a huge benefit, with the former GOP president trailing behind President Joe Biden in terms of fundraising money. Nevertheless, Trump is still leading Biden in national presidential polls.

    Biden announced recently that his campaign had raised over $90 million in March alone. Meanwhile, Trump and other Republicans have already alluded to the fact that they are going to be at a money disadvantage for the 2024 cycle.”

    Liked by 1 person

  24. https://www.axios.com/2024/04/10/biden-border-executive-order-immigrants-asylum-limit

    Our Take: “The so-called ruler of the United States is making sweeping policy declarations on Univision, no doubt to ensure the newcomers how much he values their vote.

    The overtly political decision to act on the border was not the only policy Biden unveiled on the Spanish-speaking network. He also amped up his calls for disarmament, around a month after courts preserved the rights of the criminal invaders to own firearms, criticizing Trump’s promise to preserve the 2A as part of those remarks. Then he said this:

    ‘I used to teach the Second Amendment in law school, from the very beginning, there were limitations. You couldn’t own a cannon. You couldn’t — you could own a rifle or a gun, but there were certain things you couldn’t do. They weren’t weapons of war.’

    Um, what? Biden teaching law school explains a lot about the state of the legal profession.

    Biden’s ‘decision’ to return to Trump-era border policies appears hypocritical in light of scrotus’ actions and rhetoric. But, as Axios said in the quoted piece, he’s concerned about poll numbers. This as sanctuary cities around the nation are cutting services to citizens to resettle the criminal invaders. Just another day in the State of Inversion.

    However much you hate the ruling class, it’s not enough.” — Ashe in America

    Liked by 1 person

  25. https://www.zerohedge.com/political/alex-jones-sue-cia-after-undercover-report-claims-agency-went-after-him-hardcore

    Infowars founder and host Alex Jones says he plans to sue the CIA following the release of an undercover sting in which an alleged CIA officer claims that the US intelligence community “took his [Jones’s] money away” to “chop his legs off.”

    The employee, a CIA contracts officer in San Diego named Gavin O’Blennis, tells the undercover journalist: “You can kind of put anyone in jail if you know what to do,” adding “You set ’em up. You create the situation to where they have no choice but to act on their impulse. And once they act on that impulse, some would call that entrapment.”

    “Nothing like putting out a fake social media thing to like really get people mad,” O’Blennis continued.

    When asked who the CIA has messed with, O’Blannis mentioned Alex Jones, implying that the agency was involved in Jones’ lawsuit, and encouraged Sandy Hook families to sue.

    “We just say ‘there’s no federal statute being broken but you have the option for a civil case and it’s a pretty good case in our opinion.’” — ZeroHedge

    Liked by 1 person

  26. (Televangelist Kenneth Copeland — shown with his wife, Gloria — is not paying any property tax, despite his own estimated $760 million net worth. Google Images)

    EXCERPT: “Considered the wealthiest pastor in America — with an alleged estimated net worth of $760 million — televangelist Kenneth Copeland is in hot water after an extensive investigation by the Houston Chronicle revealed how he has been living in a tax-free mega-mansion worth $7 million and paid for by Texas taxpayers for years.

    The 85-year-old pastor’s house spans 18,000 square feet and is made up of six bedrooms and six bathrooms, located on an exclusive lake community outside Fort Worth.

    The luxury pad, Copeland’s primary residence, is situated on one acre and surrounded by a 24-acre lakefront tract, which is valued “extraordinarily low” at $125,000, according to the Chronicle. Because of its low value, Copeland’s Eagle Mountain International Church — which Copeland founded in 1967 and which technically owns the home — pays less than $3,000 a year in property taxes, records show. The value was agreed upon by the Tarrant Appraisal District in Fort Worth as part of a dispute resolution agreement with the church.

    But real estate experts said that the waterfront property in an open market would actually sell for millions. Because Copeland claimed the mansion as a “clergy residence,” the home qualified for a 100% tax break. Without the break, Copeland would otherwise have an annual property tax exceeding $150,000….”

    https://nypost.com/2021/12/17/kenneth-copeland-wealthiest-us-pastor-lives-on-7m-tax-free-estate/

    Liked by 1 person

  30. Just The News: “O.J. Simpson died following a cancer battle, his family announced Thursday. He was 76.

    “On April 10th, our father, Orenthal James Simpson, succumbed to his battle with cancer,” his family wrote in a post on Simpson’s account on X, formerly Twitter. 

    Simpson, a member of the Pro Football Hall of Fame, passed away while his children and grandchildren surrounded him.

    “During this time of transition, his family asks that you please respect their wishes for privacy and grace,” the statement added.

    Simpson was also acquitted of the brutal 1994 murder of his ex-wife, Nichole Brown Simpson, and her friend, Ron Goldman.”

    Liked by 1 person

  31. Well, the wind is rising, still no sign of any Orioles or hummers, altho I probably couldn’t see the hummers from here. And I’m headed for the shower to make my run to Norfolk. BBL…..

    Liked by 1 person

      1. I’m back – still bright and sunny but really windy, with gale-force gusts, temp here @ 62. But I don’t get blown around too much in my big-ass truck; that is one…..and only benefit, IMO! LOL – but I saw, as I drove thru Pierce, that they had a HUGE fire at a building on the main highway thru town. There is nothing on the front page of our paper nor anywhere inside the paper…smh. Brook has turned it into nothing but a school paper now!!! What a waste of my $$$!

        Hell, the fire was way back on April 2 and there was nothing in the paper here at all! The video in the article below doesn’t show the side of the building towards the highway – it is much, much worse on that side – almost nothing still standing!!!

        “PIERCE, Neb. — A building that houses three businesses and an apartment in Pierce suffered major damages after a fire. Pierce Volunteer Fire Department Chief Steve Dolesh said the initial call came in around 11:40 p.m. Monday for a garage fire in the 200 block of S. Lucas St.

        The main floor of the building houses Chilvers Abstract & Title Co., Inc., a hair salon, and Expression Floral and Gifts. There is also an apartment upstairs. Dolesh said one person in the apartment was evacuated safely with no injuries. Two houses on either side of the building were also evacuated.

        The blaze was under control at around 4:00 a.m. Tuesday morning. Dolesh said the house and its contents were a complete loss in the fire. Due to unsafe conditions in the house, some hot spots were still active around 10 a.m. on Tuesday. Dolesh anticipates to be off scene by Tuesday afternoon.

        The state fire marshal is investigating and the cause of the fire is unknown at this time. Pierce Fire was assisted by Plainview, Hadar, Osmond, Norfolk, Randolph, and Battle Creek fire.”

        Video: https://northeast.newschannelnebraska.com/story/50633652/building-in-pierce-complete-loss-after-late-monday-fire

        Liked by 1 person

  33. T. Turtle

    April 11, 2024 10:25 am

    Just another way for them to cheat, because we know and they know that they cannot win if they do not lie, cheat, and steal. Sundance just posted a video of Tucker Carlson explaining that once again (for the third time) the threee letter agencies are working to undermine another Federal Election.

    “Government Agencies Illegally Soliciting and Potentially Entrapping Non-Citizens to Register to Vote”

    Excerpts:Government Agencies are illegally soliciting non-citizens to vote and potentially entrapping them. Government workers who perform these acts are committing felonies.

    *Sign up for Florida food or medical assistance using the same immigration court or asylum paperwork.

    *An illegal will then receive a solicitation to register to vote in the mail from the government because they signed up for assistance. Just fill out and mail in the voter registration application provided with the solicitation letter (per interpretation of s 97.058). A solicitation letter from The Department of Children and Family Services to a person that appears to be a non-citizen based on a public records search is attached. The Spanish version is what was mailed.

    *Register to vote using your driver license or social security number. If you have neither, just check the box for no ID. No one checks to see if you are a citizen. They just check to see you checked the box on the application saying you are a citizen (per interpretation of s 98.045).

    *Vote. If you get caught plead plausible deniability or entrapment because you were solicited by the government to register to vote.

    https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2024/04/government-agencies-illegally-soliciting-potentially-entrapping-non-citizens/

    Like

  35. Victor Davis Hanson

    @VDHanson

    The Pro-Hamas Crowds will Soon Have a Rendezvous with Reality For over six months, the anti-Israel, pro-Hamas protests have accelerated, and now are predictably incendiary and violent. Recently, they have jumped the shark with unapologetic chants of “Death to America”. Or so a cheering crowd in Michigan chanted in homage to the late king of all Western-hostage-takers, the murderous Ayatollah Khomeini. And the huckster speaker revved them up by quoting Malcolm X that America is “one of the rottenest countries that has ever existed on this Earth.” (Does such a condemnation of fellow Americans presage mass reverse migration of unhappy Middle Easterners back to the West Bank, Gaza, and Iran?) The more these demonstrators shut down major bridges at commute hour, defaced iconic government monuments and cemeteries, disrupted Easter and Christmas services (try that with mosques at Ramadan), broke into the Capitol and congressional chambers (no January 6-like penalties to come?), and hunted down Jewish students, the bolder they became. Apparently, the demonstrators were convinced that they were either exempt under the woke aegis, or too precious in Joe Biden’s Michigan electoral calculus, or too useful to campuses as rich full-tuition-paying foreign students on gold-plated student visas. But everything and everyone have limits. They have now crossed them, and are about to face an accounting, and for a variety of reasons. 1) News is leaking out that Hamas may have for some time been bluffing about a ceasefire for hostages. Given Hamas has suddenly announced that they cannot meet the conditions of the proposed ceasefire, since not all the forty women and sick and elderly men taken hostage are still alive. If true, then their months of bartering and “negotiating” were a likely sham, and their earlier claims that three hostages were collateral damage of Israeli strikes become more dubious. Why would they kill their escape route? To hide their torturing and raping of the kidnapped? In furor at their own-self-inflicted dilemmas? Sick hatred of Jews? Who knows? But, if true, this may remind the gullible West that it cannot trust anything the lying Hamas says: that the ultimate fate of the hostages did not depend on the Israeli entrance into Gaza, given that Hamas had either already killed many of the remaining kidnapped, or had planned to do so under any circumstances. 2) For the first time since the ‘60s, universities are facing protests that they genuinely fear. College presidents are starting to realize that if they continue to allow the pro-Hamas violent demonstrators to make a mockery of campus rules and laws, they soon will have no campus at all. And the mob then will determine who can and cannot speak with impunity. Administrators’ tolerance of overt anti-Semitism and violence against Jews is turning American campuses into something like late-1930s German universities. 3) Yet at Vanderbilt and Pomona we for the first time are witnessing a return to administrative sanity, marked by suspensions and exemptions. And the reactions of those held accountable confirm how pathetic these bullies are. They prove eager to resort to violence and crash into lecture halls, only suddenly to become fragile and terrified for their beautiful career plans endangered by a modicum of accountability. Expect more universities to be encouraged by just how well deterrence can work against woke thuggery. 4) Joe Biden’s pandering in Michigan is reaching the point of obscenity and if continued will be counter-productive. For each Muslim-American voter he thinks he can keep by abandoning Israel and protecting the agendas of the October 7 killers and kidnappers, he is going to lose two voters appalled that fellow-Americans in Michigan are now calling for death to America. Biden is so confident of the Jewish-American vote and donor class that he is now siding with those calling for the absolute destruction of the Jewish state and everyone inside. Is he convinced that his Jewish base is permanently in tune with Chuck Schumer—or will it finally have had enough? 5) The old myth that being anti-Israel had nothing to do with being anti-Semitic is now exposed for the lie it mostly always was. The pro-Hamas crowd makes no distinction, and certainly not on campus, where the more educated the protestor, the more likely he is to harass Jews first, and ask questions later if at all about whether his targets support Israel. The new myth that being pro-Gaza has nothing to do with being pro-Hamas is equally exposed as a lie by the chants of “from the River to the Sea” and calls for a return to the pre-1947 borders—in other words, the Hamas charter of destroying Israel. 6) Do these protestors who scream “Genocide Joe” really see an alternative in November? Because the more they show America who they are and what their values and agenda intend, the more they make it clear why we need to reexamine every aspect of immigration, junk DEI and substitute required civic education, and undertake a complete reappraisal of higher education. The latter would revisit current tax-exempt endowment income, government subsidized student loans, massive unaudited federal grants, the huge number of foreign students, and their exemption from federal oversight. It is long past time to overhaul of the student visa programs, replete with rapid cancellations of visas and deportations for those who come to study but end up breaking our laws. In sum, the more brazen the pro-Hamas crowd and the more they reveal the cravenness of the Biden administration, the more they may ensure their rendezvous with Donald Trump in 2025.

    Liked by 1 person

  38. 🇺🇸RealRobert🇺🇸
    @Real_RobN
    And here is,

    why the Trump campaign was denied to forensically examine the Dominion voting machines in 2020 and being prosecuted and persecuted after the overthrown of your government,

    “Two Clark County technical employees came forward completely independent of each other and explained that they discovered that the number of votes recorded by Dominion voting machines stored on USB drives would change between the time the polls were closed at night and when they were reopened the next morning.”

    “In other words votes were literally appearing and disappearing in the dead of night.”

    Liked by 1 person

  40. how can they be “UNSURE” if they have 40 LIVE hostages or not?

    dogsmaw

    April 11, 2024 1:43 pm

    So why is Biden, Blinken, and Nod(we know you know who UR) in such a hurry for a ceasefire in Gaza. Surely it wouldn’t be this reason eh?

    US officials said to fear most hostages could be dead
    133 hostages remain in Gaza; but according to Hamas count maybe not that many hostages can be accounted for or even if they are still alive…

    Report: Hamas unsure of whether it has 40 live hostages for prisoner swapDoes Hamas have enough living hostages to make a deal with Israel? Maybe not.https://www.israelnationalnews.com/news/388318

    The Hamas terror group has expressed uncertainty as to whether it could gather 40 civilian hostages for release in a prisoner swap deal with Israel, officials familiar with the negotiations said.

    The terror group’s uncertainty complicates talks for a deal which would include a six-week ceasefire, the return of Gazans to northern Gaza, and the release of hundreds of convicted terrorists in exchange for less than a third of the hostages currently held in Gaza.

    According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), a Hamas official said that the terror organization would not commit to releasing 40 living hostages, but would commit to 40 hostages in total.

    Hamas took approximately 240 Israelis hostage on October 7, and approximately 100 were freed in a November 2023 prisoner swap. Of the 133 remaining, 34 have been confirmed dead, but later reports claimed that at least 50 had been killed, indicating that around 80 might still be alive.

    WSJ noted that US officials familiar with intelligence have said that according to some US estimates, most of the hostages are already dead. Of those, it is likely that most died of injuries from their initial capture, while others died of health issues or from violence. Still others were already dead when their bodies were taken hostage by Gaza terrorists.

    BTW we do know that Biden has yet to inform the nation of the US citizens that are being held by Hamas…

    Liked by 1 person

    1. IF any are alive and that is a HUGE “if,” it will only be a very few, probably females who can be, and are, raped at will!

      Liked by 1 person

  42. Bad Kitty Unleashed 🦁
    @pepesgrandma
    🔥🔥🔥Breaking! The Trump incriminations should be over! The Department of Justice (DOJ), Attorney Generals, District Attorneys, and Judges are all connected to the Vera Institute which is like a spare arm of Soros Open Society!

    The Vera Institute For Justice, in its early days, even shared major staffers with Open Society. And is responsible for tons of court related social justice programs such as no bail etc. This is the what is realigning our courts.

    The Vera Institute has gotten countless millions from Open Society, Ford Foundation, MacArthur and other leftist orgs.

    There is even a linked Manhattan Attorney General Office program, located right next to the Manhattan court building for easy access!

    Although this Vera Institute For Justice is a rats nest in our Justice system, let me introduce you to its partner:

    The Center for Court Innovation. Later known as,The Center for Justice Innovation. Founded in 1996 as the independent research and development arm of the New York State Unified Court System.

    Let’s begin:

    1. In 2012, the Manhattan District Attorney Office partnered with the Vera Institute of Justice

    2. In 2014, The Vera Institute For Justice, The Center for court innovation, and The Center for American Progress etc partnered to run the Safety + Justice Challenge. To reduce jail populations by 50% by 2025.

    3. The Vera Institute wrote plans for a Manhattan resource center:

    “In 2018, the Vera Institute of Justice completed a six-month planning process to create a blueprint for a court resource center in Manhattan.”

    4. The Vera Institutes partner, The Center for Court Innovation, partnered with the MANHATTAN DA OFFICE to run the Manhattan Justice Opportunities Resource Center:

    “This Manhattan Justice
    Opportunities (MJO) was created by the Center for Court Innovation and the Manhattan DA office. And located next door to Manhattan criminal court.”

    5. Merrick Garland, Attorney General (DOJ) and Jack Smith, Special Counsel – The Department of Justice (DOJ) Funds The Vera Institute For Justice

    6. Merrick Garland, Attorney General (DOJ) and Jack Smith, Special Counsel – The Center for Court Innovation is funded by the Dept of Justice (DOJ) Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs.

    7. Author Engoron, Manhattan Supreme Court Judge – New York State Unified Court System works with the Center For Justice (court) Innovation.

    (After all my work I found that this NY Unified Court System covers EVERYONE in the NY judiciary including Judge Arthur Engoron.)

    8. Letitia James, New York State AG – Worked with the Center for Court Innovation. She must also comply with the rules for the New York State Unified Court System

    9. Alvin Bragg, Manhattan District Attorney – People from both the Vera institute and Center for Court Innovation served on his transition team.

    Manhattan DA’s Office is partnered with the Center for Court Innovation to create the Manhattan Justice
    Opportunities (MJO), a resource center inspired by the Vera Institute’s blueprint. Located next door to Manhattan Criminal Court

    In 2012, the Manhattan DA Office partnered with the Vera Institute of Justice.

    10. Fani Willis, Fulton County Georgia DA – Georgia State Courts Works with the Center for Court Innovation

    9. Fani Willis, Fulton County Georgia DA – Fulton worked with the Center for Court Innovation

    10. Juan Merchan, New York State Supreme Court Judge (New York County, Manhattan) – worked with the Center For Court Innovation thru the Mental Health Courts.

    Merchan planned the Mental Heath Court and presided over it.

    10. Rikers works with the Center For Court Innovation (Trumps associate went there)

    I’ll follow with all supporting evidence and perhaps new materials.

    At the end, we will also review the Manhattan DA office partnering with the London PD for the GLOBAL Cyber Alliance involved in our elections along with the World Economic Forum.

    What’s happening here is global and has been for decades. Stay tuned for one crazy ride!

    Like

  43. “Richard Branson purchased one of the British Virgin Islands for just $120,000 in 1979. The billionaire’s Necker Island is renting out his luxurious tropical oasis for a staggering $118,500 per night, according to Onefinestay. 

    The Virgin Group founder has welcomed a slew of A-list guests on the stunning property over the years, including the late Princess Diana and her sons, Prince Harry and Prince William, along with Barack and Michelle Obama, Kevin Costner, Harry Styles, Kate Winslet, Oprah Winfrey and more.”

    Liked by 1 person

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