It appears that the 14th time Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) lost his bid to be the House Speaker. However, it appears he is getting closer to that goal. But as long as Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and a handful of standouts continue to oppose his bid, it continues the long game on voting for who could be the House Speaker.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) managed to ease their restraint by voting "present" or for McCarthy.
Tonight, there was tension between McCarthy and Gaetz. It also led to Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) was about to lunge at Gaetz which caused a brief commotion.
When McCarthy turned away, an irate Rogers was seen being restrained. McCarthy briefly turned around to assess the situation.
The Republicans are making the two year anniversary of the Capitol attacks memorable.
Rep. Richard Hudson (R-NC) was seen physically restraining Rogers from barreling toward Gaetz after a heated exchange in which Gaetz seemingly refused to switch his vote from "present" to one in favor of McCarthy, putting an end to four days of stalemate.
Gaetz unfazed stated that he ain't budging.
McCarthy needed 217 votes to become speaker and was at 216, with Gaetz and Boebert voting present and four Republicans voting against. He was seen walking toward Gaetz before the vote was officially gaveled in, appearing to ask for his help, but Gaetz did not change his vote.
With the new year, we have the jobs report for December 2022.
Things to consider..... the jobs are spread across 50 states, the District of Columbia and the five U.S. territories. There are businesses closing, laying off and restructuring. It does not show up on the jobs report.
So here some notable losses.
Warner Bros Discovery cutting jobs.
Macy's will be closing 30 stores in 2023.
Morphe closing all its locations.
TOMS King, one of the largest Burger King franchises filed for bankruptcy.
It could be the end of the remaining Sears and Kmart stores.
Bed, Bath and Beyond is struggling and is filing for bankrputcy.
Lesiure market cutting jobs.
Amazon cutting jobs.
Also today is the two year marking of the U.S. Capitol attack. On Jan. 6, 2021, a mob of Washed Up 45 supporters tried to overthrow the government because the former president was upset he lost to Joe Biden. It led to numerous injuries, five deaths and a Congress shaken to its core.
On top of that, 163 House members and 34 Senators still tried to deny Biden and Kamala Harris the certification of their victory. Washed Up 45 was impeached for inciting an insurrection. He was not convicted by the senate.
He faces investigations from state and federal authorities.
The Republicans dismissed this attack as a "political discourse" and vowed to impeach Biden on conspiracy theories generated by far right outlets, Fox and Tara Reade. They took control of the House in 2023. As of today, they once again prove that the Republican Party is dealing with extremism and its hurting them big time.
The House of Representatives are in a political gridlock.
There are 20 members who oppose the nomination of Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for House Speaker. McCarthy has lost his bid over 11 times. He vows to keep moving.
So four days in, Republicans can't govern. They are still member-elect until a Speaker is chosen. However, they still have at least two more weeks before it becomes a really serious matter. Because they have to get things moving for 2024 or risk a collapse of the government.
It appears that jobs are slowing down. However, a large number nonetheless.
The U.S. Labor Department said there were 223,000 jobs in December, according to the monthly employment report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, capping a year of extraordinary job growth and marking the second-best year for the labor market in records that go back to 1939.
The unemployment rate fell to 3.5% from a revised 3.6% in November.
McCarthy can't control his Republican conference.
Economists were expecting 200,000 job gains for the last month of the year, according to Refinitiv. December’s job total is lower than the downwardly revised 256,000 jobs added in November.
Including last month’s gains, which are subject to revision, the economy added close to 4.5 million jobs in 2022. That’s the second-highest-ever total, after the 6.7 million jobs added in 2021 — a boomerang from 2020’s 9.3 million job losses.
Average hourly earnings increased 0.3% over the previous month and 4.6% annually. That’s compared to 0.4% month-on-month growth in November and 4.8% annual growth.
The labor force participation rate ticked up to 62.3% from 62.2%.
President Joe Biden has accomplished far more than his predecessor when it comes to jobs and policies. Matter of fact, history will judge Biden as equal to his former boss Barack Obama.
Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris are being attacked by the noise relentlessly.
Some of the attacks are rooted in ageism, racism and classism.
Gaetz and Boebert are feuding with Greene.
The Republicans take control of the House or Representatives. They already signal impeachment, national abortion bans, more guns on the streets, ending birthright citizenship, stopping the Biden pledge to cancel student debt, use taxpayer money to build a border wall, ban transgender people from playing gender based sports, start endless investigations into Hillary Clinton, Hunter Biden, Big Tech, the FBI, the pull out in Afghanistan, repeal the Affordable Care Act, repeal the Inflation Reduction Act and enforce voter ID laws on all Americans.
Republicans see the only path to victory is basically obstruct and complain about the president. They won't offer solutions or policies. All they care about is trying to keep folks angry with culture wars and distractions.
President Joe Biden's headaches:
The Republicans in the House of Representatives.
Gun violence and Congress not doing anything to stop it.
Inflation.
Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX), Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY), Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV), Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT).
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA), Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX), Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY), Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), Rep. Henry Cuellar (D-TX), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO).
The junk food media and their never ending dramatizing of world events.
Anti-Vaxxers.
Lawmakers and activists who protest the CDC guidelines during the pandemic.
The endless culture wars that Republicans find outrage in.
Washed Up 45 and his minions on Fox, Newsmax, OANN and the internet.
Facebook and TikTok and the idiots who run it and the idiots who post on it.
Fox, The Daily Mail, Newsmax and OANN's relentless talk about conspiracies, Hunter Biden, Ashley Biden and the president's mental capacity and health.
The endless racism towards Biden's allies Vice President Kamala Harris and former president Barack Obama.
The relentless talk about spending despite the former president's reckless things.
The lack of civility towards fellow Americans.
Vladimir Putin.
Xi Jinping.
Kim Jong-Un.
Benjamin Netanyahu.
The coronavirus doesn't care about your age, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, politics, economic or social standings. It doesn't care about your business, your performances, your personal finances and travel. It doesn't care about the funerals, the birthday parties, the weddings, the vacations, the events and your graduations.
An active shooter doesn't care about the politics, race, gender, sexuality, nationality, religion, your finances, your family, your plans that day, your successes, your failures, and most importantly, your life.
You're not safe in the school, the concert, the hospital, the church, the casino, the bus station, the subway, the light rail train, the buses, the malls, the local big box store, the political rally, the protest rally, the women's center for reproductive surgeries, the mosque, the synagogue, the state buildings, the workplace, the gas station, the family picnic, the food truck rally, the funerals, the birthday parties, the graduations, the wedding, the televised events, the sporting events and many more events that have some terrorist with a firearm. Domestic violence, suicide, racism, culture war inspired, politically motivated and international operative inspired are types of gun violence.
Food prices, energy prices, rent, city services and college education have risen. Companies are struggling to find workers. They are now trying to push incentives to get workers in.
Real Reasons To Why Unemployment Rate Stays The Way It Is!
DEAD
BORN
THE PANDEMIC
CLIMATE CHANGE
IN PRISON
IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
IN MIDDLE SCHOOL
IN HIGH SCHOOL
IN COLLEGE NOT LOOKING
VOLUNTEER
DISABLED
INFLATION
STAY AT HOME PARENT
RETIRED
QUIT ON THEIR OWN
TERMINATED FROM EMPLOYMENT
NOT HIRING UNQUALIFIED
NOT HIRING TOO QUALIFIED
ACTIVE MILITARY
NATURAL DISASTERS
MASS SHOOTINGS DISRUPT DAILY ROUTINE
BEING LAID OFF DUE TO CLOSING OR STAFF REDUCTION
DESTRUCTION TO FACILITY OR PROPRETY
OUTSOURCING JOBS TO OTHER STATES OR COUNTRIES
BEING UNDOCUMENTED IN FEAR OF I.C.E. OR U.S. AGENCIES
BEING PUBLICLY OUTED ON SOCIAL MEDIA DOING SHAMEFUL ACTS
PARTICIPATING IN UNCIVIL OR VIOLENT PROTESTS
Jobs are looking good despite fears of an economic slowdown.
Companies are still trying to hire employees. With the average wages stagnant, many are not looking forward to returning to a job that pays dirt wages. Many who worked in the retail, restaurant and low end service industry are not willing to take a job for less than $10 an hour. Matter of fact, no one can survive on $15 an hour.
Republicans don't see the bigger picture itself. They rather continue to believe in conspiracies about people collecting the safety net and not going back to work.
Give them a liveable wage and maybe things might improve in the job market.
We can't always assume that folks are lazy. People are literally dying from being exposed to the coronavirus and folks are tired of the status quo of their jobs.
Do nothing Republican lawmaker Donalds was nominated for House Speaker. Talk about Republicans using identity politics.
Many single mothers are having trouble trying to find quality daycare or family members to watch children. On top of that, some have lost family members due to the pandemic. A homemaker may have lost their spouse. Some may have no choice but to watch their children or loved ones due to the aftermath of the pandemic.
Folks are still trying to rebound from medical bills, late rent payments, owing taxes and college loans.
Republicans are white nationalists without a conscience.
Washed Up 45's presidency and Republican controlled governments killed millions of Americans. Biden has a slim majority in Congress and things can't be done with obstruction from both parties.
Holding these lawmakers accountable is not just a pledge, but a promise. You need to learn who represents your community. Your local community member, your school board member, your mayor, your state representative, your state senator, your governor, your U.S. Representative, your U.S. Senator and the president need to be held accountable for their actions.
We need to put pressure on Republicans and Democrats to do something to improve everyone's lives.
The call number to the U.S. Capitol is now going to be used. This is the official phone number, 202-224-3121. Let them know that "thoughts and prayers," "hearts going to" and "good guys with guns" are no longer acceptable and you want legislation to curb gun violence. Let them know that women deserve the right to safe medical procedures. Let them know that their failure to pass legislation to lower prices are the reasons why the economy is in a free fall.
Mega Millions and Powerball are near $1 billion again.
Do want to start the new year off being a millionaire or billionaire?
In my state of Ohio, sports betting is legal. You can legally bet on sporting events for chance of earning a huge payout. The state has issued licenses to the four casinos and seven racinos.
Sports betting is also available at many bars, clubs and convenience stores that have legal betting stations.
I am wondering, are you willing to pony up at least $2 to play a multi-state lottery game for a chance at winning over $1 billion?
The Mega Millions and Powerball jackpots have reached that record level again and you will have a 1 in 292 million chance of winning the prize.
Played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and two U.S. territories, Powerball is a coordinated by the State Lottery Association (MUSL), a nonprofit organization formed by an agreement with lobbyists and U.S. corporations. From its inaugural drawing on April 19, 1992, until August 21, 2021, Powerball drawings were held twice a week (Wednesday and Saturday); a third weekly drawing (held Mondays) was added on August 23, 2021. Drawings are held every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday evening at 10:59 p.m. Eastern Time, at Florida Lottery headquarters in Tallahassee.
Mega Millions is drawn at 11 p.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday and Friday evenings, including holidays. Mega Millions is administered by a consortium of its 12 original lotteries; the drawings are held at the studios of WSB-TV in Atlanta, Georgia, supervised by the Georgia Lottery. Played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and U.S. Virgin Islands with Puerto Rico being added in the near future, Mega Millions is independent from MUSL but does have an agreement with the consortium of states that operated the similar Mega Millions lottery, which allowed MUSL members to sell Mega Millions tickets and consortium members to sell Powerball tickets.
Many who are often playing are not rich.
Most who often play have a family member, co-worker or friend who has a gambling addiction.
So here's the public service announcement.
Most lotteries and casinos offer help for problem gambling. I want to acknowledge this.
The National Council on Problem Gambling operates the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network (1-800-522-4700). The network is a single national access point to local resources for those seeking help for a gambling problem.
It is a difficult thing to tell a family member, friend, co-worker or a player of a gambling venue. But if see something, say something. It may save a life.
The signs of problem gambling include:
The person constantly borrowing money from friends, family, loan facilities or banks.
The person is always taking more out to chase the jackpot (or clout).
The person loses track of time or misses appointments due to gambling.
The person is running late on paying bills or dues.
The person feels like "playing it back" is the only way to win.
The person is getting agitated over wins and losses.
The person is using alcohol or drugs to ease stress.
The person damages property at casinos or lottery retailers.
The person deliberately asks others to claim prizes to avoid paying child support, spousal support or owed taxes.
The person uses false ID, false social security numbers or gives wrong information to avoid taxes or has known status as a banned guest or voluntarily excluded player (self-prevention/restricted gambler).
The person is restless and feel the only way to relax is to gamble.
The person is jeopardizing relationships, their jobs and their social life in order to gamble.
The person repeatedly lies about wins and loses.
The person is trying to curb problem gambling but never achieves the goal.
These are the hard truths about problem gambling. You know someone or have a problem. That's why it's important to know your limits when you gamble.
Folks, the multi-state Powerball will now have three active drawings. The original jackpot drawings were on Wednesday and Saturday at 10:59pm. Now the drawings will be on Monday nights as well.
It will try to increase the opportunity for players who avoided playing during the pandemic.
Rules on how to play lottery. Note: Many lottery venues are no longer taking verbal requests due to the coronavirus and the possibility of eliminating long wait times due to excessive ticket requests.
Make sure you have money on hand. The operator is required to take money before issuing a ticket. Make sure you have your numbers placed on either a betting card, your lottery app or a previous ticket. Most operators will help you plug numbers in through the terminal or place an automatic bet for you. However in the case of long lines or possible errors, it would be best to be prepared for the transaction. Some states do offer debit and credit transactions. Make sure you get your information from your local lottery commission. You cannot cancel Powerball or Mega Millions tickets. They are property of your state (or territory's) lottery commission. Any alteration, distortion or underage playing will void the games.
In most states, the required age to play the lottery is 18 years or older. Do not let anyone under the playing age purchase a ticket or lottery game. The operator could lose their license or you will forfeit your prize if the regional lottery operator determined that an underage player was the winner.
If you purchase Powerball and Mega Millions from another state (or territory) and you won, understand that it not a winner in your home state. You must return to the state (or territory) where you purchased the ticket. The Mega Millions is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The Powerball is played in 45 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands. If you're a traveler and won the lottery in the state of purchase, you have to return to the state to claim your prize. Every state has their own rules and regulations so don't think "it's all the same." It's not. It's a licensed property of the state gaming commission.
Whenever a lottery retailer handles a jackpot ticket, ask the cashier to make sure you hear the "winner" sound. Most machines will make a noise if you're a winner. There are also ticket verifying stations located near a lottery terminal. Make sure before you hand a ticket to a cashier, you are sure you won a jackpot. Ask for a claims form and/or a validation claim voucher. If you are claiming jackpots that are under $500 or less at a licensed lottery operator, check your tickets at a lottery scanner first before handing the ticket off to the clerk. Make sure the cashier confirms the ticket. Tickets over $500 or more may have to go to a local lottery office in a regional jurisdiction. Lottery operators have vendor licenses and tickets are printed by a large set of numbers. If any allegations of fraud or cheating do occur, the lottery can subpoena the operator for the records of purchase and video surveillance of the person who purchased the ticket.
Mega Millions and Powerball minimum jackpots start at $20 million. Each ticket is valued at $2 per unit. Some states have multiplier options to their games which could make your ticket $3 or $4 per unit.
You can view the results of Mega Millions and Powerball on your local television station at 10:59pm. Mega Millions is drawn on Tuesday and Friday. Powerball is drawn on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday. You can also get your state's lottery results on websites, the lottery commission apps on the Apple Store and Google Play. You can view results on social media.
You can self-validate tickets under $500 through your phone so it can make it "touchless" contact. You can also get winnings under $500 installed in your bank account or through a credit card. Some fees do apply for distribution of cards and bank deposits.
You have at least 90 days to a year to claim a Mega Millions or Powerball jackpot. Some states have a period of time to claim your prize. If you fail to claim the prize upon its final claim day, it will go back to the state. The lottery operator will collect a reward for selling the winning ticket. Do not wait till the last minute to claim a jackpot prize. The lottery commission does have the right to forfeit or cancel any prizes presented.
Do not quit your job until you're certain you won the lottery. At the end of the day, some people get bored with their lives and may want to return to the workforce. Don't burn bridges with your employer. You may have to return back to the employer one day.
Inflation and the coronavirus have changed the world. Many companies have risen prices on food, supplies, rent and utilities. Lottery paper has become very scarce in some retailers. Please understand that it is not a retailer's fault they are out of lottery paper or the machine is down. Please have patience and an understanding of a lottery retailer's resources.
You know I've often posted about what I would do if I won the lottery. It is not legal advise so you don't have to take my word for it. I am just expressing what I am going to do if I win the lottery.
I will first write my name on the lottery ticket. I will always make sure that if I ever lose that ticket, my name is on it and it cannot be claimed by someone who is the person who wrote on the back of it.
I will also make sure I take a picture of the ticket. It will be a good thing to take a picture if you want to prove to your state's lottery commission that you were the one who purchased the ticket. I mean it would be smart to take pictures of your lottery tickets. Say if you have a group purchase of lottery tickets and you purchase one for yourself or your family member. You won't have to obligate to the group pool's tickets if you show that you bought one for yourself. Because it will be a legal matter if you purchase the group tickets but failed to disclose you purchased one for yourself. Even though you won on your own separate ticket, it's best to let the group know that you purchased a solo ticket to prevent them from believing you've stolen money or violated the group's contract.
If I do win the lottery, I will immediately pay off all my debts. The car loans, child support, spousal support, medical bills, phone bills, mortgage, court fees and bank loans will be paid in full. Before I even collect my lottery winnings, I want to be caught up on everything. Many states will offset lottery winnings due to a person owning state debt, child support, spousal support and court fees. If you know that you owe, pay it off.
Stay anonymous. It is best to keep a low profile if you win a jackpot.
I will immediately close my social media and change my phone number. If you're a winner of the lottery, the junk food media, your family, your friends, your acquaintances, your co-workers, your community, charity groups, scammers and the state will know you. I am going to cancel my Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, Snapchat and social dating apps. I am very clear about my movements and I chose to not be public about it. When I was younger and naive, I would have shown my face to the public. But alas, I've gotten older and I am not the same as I was when I was younger.
I will also get a trust fund prepared, a will and a trusted member of family to hold my winnings. Yeah, it would be nice to establish a trust fund for family members if you do die. I mean this year is full of uncertainty. Winning the lottery has higher odds than catching the coronavirus. On point, 1 out of 15 people are infected with the coronavirus and people have died from it. You win the lottery one day and the next day you caught the coronavirus. You got to remind yourself, you can't take it when you're gone. So it's best to establish a will to distribute your lottery winning to either family, charity and those who you feel deserve it. It will be written and notarized by an attorney or a bank. If you do establish a trust fund you could hire a financial advisor or a family member to oversee your earnings. Make sure that financial advisor is licensed and trusted by the Better Business Bureau. It also must be routine to study on how lottery winners adapt to money. Cause you're going into a bigger tax bracket and taxes vary on many states.
Now that I have my lottery winnings, I will now take the opportunity to buy things that are rational. I would purchase a vehicle, get a home, put some in an investment and prepare for a vacation. Of course, vacations are no longer the norm in the age of COVID-19. So I would be smart to be prepared to be tested or vaccinated for the coronavirus before I take a vacation. Many countries have banned Americans entry to their countries out of fear we're carrying the coronavirus or not vaccinated. With the various strains and Washed Up 45's failure to take control of the matter, world leaders don't trust the American leadership in handling a global pandemic.
Gas station clerk stole lottery tickets.
You might also want to make sure you're not playing lottery on company work time if you work at gas stations, restaurants, casinos, bars and pool halls. You might also want to make sure that you don't scratch the tickets first then pay for them last. I used to work at a gas station and a former co-worker often took lottery tickets, scratch them off and then pay for them after they were scratched.
Taking lottery tickets is not only theft but a felony in some states if the vendor decides to press charges.
Not only the lottery vendor could lose their license (if they look the other way), they lose the bonus from the sold winning ticket and they could be audited by the lottery commission. The worker will be forbidden from playing lottery if convicted. And yes, family members or friends who try to buy on behalf of a banned player could be criminally charged.
Be humble about winning the lottery. You will not live a normal life. You could hopefully use the lottery winnings for a long time of success or squander it away within five years and end up miserable. Do not worry about the have-nots! Enjoy the winnings with pride and caution. Your success shouldn't be a punishment. If you do take the opportunity to win the lottery make yourself aware of the surroundings.
Be cautious about the pandemic.
This is not a joke.
This my opinion and I stand by what I say!
Before I go, I want to get the problem gambler story out the way. A Texas woman may catch 20 years in the iron college for theft of lottery tickets. She stole over $50,000 from her employer by activating tickets and scratching them. She would purchase the tickets and then validate the winning tickets. It took an inventory check by the owner and Texas State Lottery Commission to catch her.
Mayra Alejandra Rios, 37, was escorted to the Bexar County Jail on Wednesday and charged with lottery theft and lottery fraud, according to Jennifer Rodriguez, a public information officer with San Antonio police.
The owner of the store, located at Loop 410 and Rigsby Avenue, learned that he was missing bundles of lottery tickets, which contain about 25-30 tickets each.
The owner reviewed surveillance footage and saw that Rios was activating the missing tickets, Rodriguez said.
He confronted the employee and she confessed to activating them, Rodriguez said. Rios was keeping some tickets for herself and leaving others for sale.
Problem gambler learned the hard way.
About 30 bundles were taken between October and December.
She earned more than $21,000 with the winning tickets, which she cashed at stores in San Antonio and Laredo, Rodriguez said.
“So a total of more than $52,000 were taken between the stolen bundles of lottery tickets and the winnings,” she said.
Rodriguez said SAPD has been investigating cases where people steal lottery tickets during burglaries and robberies.
She said, “eventually it will catch up with you” because every Texas Lottery ticket is tracked through a number.
The case is under investigation.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
As with all the accusations, take everything with a grain of salt. Every one has a right to assumption of innocence. Given the Tara Reade Op, I do not rush to judgment nor I am accusing the latter of inappropriate behavior.
A man accused far right activist Matt Schlapp of groping him and trying to accost him. The controversial Conservative Political Action Committee chairman is married to former White House communications director and conservative activist Mercedes Schlapp.
It appears that Matt may be sweet on the inside.
When he gets drunk, he needs some nuts with his wine.
A man comes forward to The Daily Beast with an accusation of a drunk Schlapp grabbing his crotch and fondling him.
This accuser worked for the failed Herschel Walker campaign. The Schlapps heavily backed the former football star who ultimately lost to Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
The staffer said the incident occurred the night of Oct. 19, when Schlapp, chair of the American Conservative Union and lead organizer for the influential Conservative Political Action Conference, “groped” and “fondled” his crotch in his car against his will after buying him drinks at two different bars.
The staffer described Schlapp, who had traveled to Georgia for a Walker campaign event, as inappropriately and repeatedly intruding into his personal space at the bars. He said he was also keenly aware of his “power dynamic” with Schlapp, widely regarded as one of the most influential figures in national conservative politics.
In a statement to The Daily Beast, Schlapp attorney Charlie Spies called the allegations an “attack” and said Schlapp “denies any improper behavior.”
“This appears to be now the twelfth Daily Beast piece with personal attacks on Matt Schlapp and his family. The attack is false and Mr. Schlapp denies any improper behavior. We are evaluating legal options for response,” the statement said.
Matt and Mercedes Schlapp. The two have been prominent reach with Republicans.
The staffer, in his late thirties, recalled that while he drove Schlapp back to the hotel, Schlapp put his hand on his leg, then reached over and “fondled” his crotch at length while he was frozen in shock, calling it “scarring” and “humiliating.” When they arrived at the hotel, the staffer said Schlapp invited him to his room. The staffer said he declined and left “as quickly as I could.”
In another video, the staffer narrated the events “in regard to Matthew Schlapp, chairman of CPAC, who approximately two hours ago put his hands on me in a sustained and unsolicited and unwanted manner.”
“Matt Schlapp of the CPAC grabbed my junk and pummeled it at length, and I’m sitting there thinking what the hell is going on, that this person is literally doing this to me,” the staffer said in the video.
“From the bar to the Hilton Garden Inn, he has his hands on me. And I feel so fucking dirty. I feel so fucking dirty,” he said.
“I’m supposed to pick this motherfucker up in the morning and just pretend like nothing happened. This is what I’m dealing with,” the staffer continued. “This is what I got to do.”
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announces her retirement.
Longtime Michigan senator said that she will retire after her term ends in 2024. That means a crucial seat the Democrats must hold onto in order to keep their slim majority in the Senate.
Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI) announced she will not seek reelection and it also puts Michigan in the swing category of the competitive 2024 race for president, House of Representatives and Senate.
President Joe Biden carried Michigan by a 1.5 points and is hoping to keep the state in his favor.
Rep. John James (R-MI) who ran in 2018 and 2020 as a Republican senate nominee may run again. He lost to Stabenow by six points and Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) by three points.
James, the Black conservative perennial won his district in 2022 and is currently a member of the House.
“Inspired by a new generation of leaders, I have decided to pass the torch in the U.S. Senate. I am announcing today that I will not seek re-election and will leave the U.S. Senate at the end of my term on January 3, 2025,” Stabenow announced Thursday.
Stabenow, the chairwoman of the Senate Agriculture Committee, says she will focus on passing the farm bill, which provides hundreds of billions of dollars in support to agriculture, in the 118th Congress.
“For the next two years, I am intensely focused on continuing this important work to improve the lives of Michiganders. This includes leading the passage of the next five-year Farm Bill which determines our nation’s food and agriculture policies,” she said.
Democrats have to defend 23 Senate seats in the next election — including those held by Independent Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ), Bernie Sanders (VT) and Angus King (ME).
Schumer also faces potential retirements in two red-leaning states, Montana and West Virginia, where centrist Sens. Jon Tester (D-MT) and Joe Manchin (D-WV) are mulling whether to run for reelection.
Keeping Sinema’s seat out of Republican hands in 2024 could also be a tough challenge after she announced her decision to leave the Democratic Party and register as an Independent.
Sinema won’t say whether she plans to run for reelection, and she is expected to face Democratic and Republican opponents in a three-way general election race if she decides on a bid for a second Senate term.
Senate Republicans only need to defend 10 seats in 2024 and don’t have any obviously vulnerable incumbents up for re-election.
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, a Democrat, won re-election to a second term in November, easily beating Tudor Dixon, a Republican, 54.5 percent to 43.9 percent.
Washed Up 45 carried Michigan in the 2016 presidential election but lost to President Joe Biden in the state in 2020 by nearly 3 percentage points.
Stabenow, 72, said she intends “to begin a new chapter in my life” after her term ends by “continuing to serve our state outside of elected office” and spending more time with her family, including “my amazing 96-year-old mom.”
Schumer in a statement praised Stabenow as “a great friend” and “a great ally.”
“As the DPCC Chairwoman, Debbie has been by my side as an instrumental member of our leadership team, helping lead our caucus messaging efforts and delivering one of the most productive sessions of Congress in a century,” Schumer said.
He declared he is “confident Democrats will retain the seat,” pointing to what he called the “strong” party structure she built in the state.
We are back to an endemic stage for the time being. There is no more Dr. Anthony Fauci around to bring out warnings about the coronavirus. The Republican-controlled Congress if they figure out a Republican House Speaker vows to oppose vaccine mandates and call for investigations into the Biden Administration for the handling of the pandemic.
They will not call out Washed Up 45 who literally dropped the ball on handling the coronavirus pandemic. He was warned as far back in October 2019 about the possibility of a deadly norovirus originating out of China.
The World Health Organization has gave a warning about a new transmissible variant of coronavirus.
President Joe Biden was informed about it. He and the U.S. government are preparing for it as well as the possible gridlock and obstruction from Republicans.
The new XBB.1.5 variant of COVID is the "most transmissible" yet detected, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned.
The variant, which is a sub-variant of Omicron, is confirmed to be spreading in 25 countries, including the UK and US.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, told a press conference on Wednesday: "It is the most transmissible sub variant that has been detected yet.
"The reason for this are the mutations that are within... this sub variant of Omicron, allowing this virus to adhere to the cell and replicate easily.
"And we are concerned about its growth advantage, in particular in some countries in Europe and in the US in North America, particularly the northeast part of the United States where XBB.1.5 has rapidly replaced other circulating variants."
The new XBB.1.5 variant of COVID is the "most transmissible" yet detected, a senior World Health Organization (WHO) official has warned.
The variant, which is a sub-variant of Omicron, is confirmed to be spreading in 25 countries, including the UK and US.
Dr Maria Van Kerkhove, the WHO's COVID-19 technical lead, told a press conference on Wednesday: "It is the most transmissible sub variant that has been detected yet.
"The reason for this are the mutations that are within... this sub variant of Omicron, allowing this virus to adhere to the cell and replicate easily.
"And we are concerned about its growth advantage, in particular in some countries in Europe and in the US in North America, particularly the northeast part of the United States where XBB.1.5 has rapidly replaced other circulating variants."
Mike Ryan, WHO's emergencies director, told a briefing in Geneva: "We believe the current numbers being published from China underrepresent the true impact of the disease in terms of hospital admissions, in terms of ICU admissions, particularly in terms of death."
He added the WHO believed the Chinese government's definition for death is "too narrow".
Late last month, China narrowed its definition for classifying deaths as COVID-related, counting only those involving COVID-caused pneumonia or respiratory failure, raising eyebrows among world health experts.
The WHO says deaths should be attributed to COVID-19 if they result from a "clinically compatible illness" in a patient with a probable or confirmed infection, and no other unrelated cause of death - like trauma - is involved.
Softball Hannity and Laura Boebert get into a shoutfest.
Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO) was pissed after the interview with Sean "Softball" Hannity, the most annoying media agitator in the world. Not only he continued to interrupt her, he kept badgering her with the type of condescending comments he often uses against Democrats.
Democrats rarely go on his show. It's mostly due to his stale way of interviewing, his ad hominem attacks, his non stop promoting of conspiracy theories and softball questions to Republicans he often agrees with.
The softball claimed he engaged with Republicans supportive of McCarthy. Of course, that is a journalistic ethics issue. He claims he is not a journalist but does what the folks in the media never does.
She had a better engagement with MSNBC agitator Stephanie Ruhle. It is rare that the far right Republican appears on MSNBC given its left-leaning opinion shows. On top of that, Boebert was given a little more respect than her appearance with the annoying media agitator.
Boebert is firm that she will not support Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) for House Speaker.
The softball badgered Boebert's earlier comments invoking Washed Up 45, who signaled his fervent support for McCarthy.
"Even having my favorite president call us and tell us we need to knock this off, I think it actually needs to be reversed," Boebert said as she nominated Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL) ahead of the fifth round of voting. "The president needs to tell Kevin McCarthy that sir, you do not have the votes, and it's time to withdraw."
Ruhle pressed Boebert on why she refused to back McCarthy.
Still pressuring her, the softball continued to press her.
“Sean, I understand the frustration, I promise you, but ... ,” said Boebert, before the softball cut her off.
“I’m not frustrated. You didn’t answer any question,” the softball replied before the two went into a tense back and forth.
Hannity tried to regain control of the interview on several occasions before he appeared to take a jab at Republicans not supporting McCarthy’s bid.
“We are here to legislate, we are here to get the country back on track and ... ,” Boebert said.
Rep. Kat Kammack (R-FL) riles up Congress in her bid to support embattled lawmaker Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA).
Officially, they are U.S. Representatives as of noon on Jan. 3. By order of the Congress, they are Representative-elect or member-elect until they are sworn in. I will use their proper handle.
For now, I won't call them Karens. But the GOP's behavior is so Karen-like.
Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was denied once again by 21 members of the Republican conference. On Wednesday, the embattled Republican faced a slew of opposition from the Freedom Caucasians. They decided to nominate do-nothing lawmaker Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a Black conservative activist who won his second bid to represent Florida.
The very same party that claims the Democrats are using "identity politics" decided to prop up a Black man as their scapegoat.
It was six floor votes and the Congress has no House Speaker.
Also Rep. Kat Cammack (R-FL) decided to dig at the Democrats after they shared pictures of them eating popcorn and watching the Republicans fail at governing.
Cammack suggested that alcohol was on the House floor in her nomination of McCarthy for the House Speaker.
“Diversity of thought is a good thing. It’s one of the things that sets us apart from our friends on the other side of the aisle. Yes, diversity of thought is a good thing. But they want us divided. They want us to fight each other. That has been made [clear] by the popcorn and blankets and alcohol and blankets that is coming over there,” Cammack said as she rose to nominate McCarthy for Speaker ahead of the sixth vote.
It earned a wave of boos and calls for the remarks to be stripped from the record.
Yet again, the Republicans failed at nominating McCarthy while Democrats nominated Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) for House Speaker.
I mean it was a total shitshow with the Republicans. Even Washed Up 45 tried to intervene with no avail. The Republicans refuse to back the California lawmaker.
Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC), Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-CO), Rep. Josh Brecheen (R-OK), Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX), Rep. Andrew Clyde (R-GA), Rep. Eli Crane (R-AZ), Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), Rep. Bob Good (R-VA), Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ), Rep. Andy Harris (R-MD), Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL), Rep. Mary Miller (R-IL), Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC), Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN), Rep. Scott Perry (R-PA), Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT), Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX), Rep. Keith Self (R-TX) and Victoria Spatz (R-IN) voted against McCarthy.
They all face a possible stripping of committees and no funding from McCarthy's allies and Republicans donors.
McCarthy has no intentions to bow out just yet.
He already has 90% of the conference backing him and they will oppose any of these members if they should be nominated for House Speaker.
It appears that Rondoza "Chilli" Thomas of TLC is dating Matthew Lawrence.
The two were spotted vacationing and were looking real cozy.
Lawrence who is an actor, director, media personality and brother to Joey and Andy Lawrence had recently divorce his wife Cheryl Burke. Lawrence, 42 and Chilli, 51 became romantically involved over the Thanksgiving holiday. They were spotted in Hawai'i in August.
“God has perfect timing,” read a quote posted to the TLC member’s Instagram feed on New Year’s Eve. “Never early and never late. It takes a little patience and a lot of faith.”
Longtime friends finally became lovers.
Alongside the post, Chilli, whose real name is Rozonda Thomas, wrote, “Won’t HE do it!!!!!! Blessed Sabbath Day Everyone 🙌🏽 May YESHUA bless yall with a WAVE of BLESSINGS in the New Year and every year after!!!🙏🏽 #Godissogood❤️.”
The “Waterfalls” singer, 51, confirmed her relationship with the “Boy Meets World” alum, 42, Tuesday after they first sparked dating speculation last summer.
Years ago, Rudy Eugene, a Florida man high on a powerful drug attacked and literally raped and bite off the face of Ron Poppo. The police shot Eugene while he stripped naked and tore into the face.
Poppo was permanently disfigured but is alive. The suspect was shot and killed.
It was one of the worst things to happen in modern history. Some called it similar to the Charla Nash and Travis the Chimpanzee incident. Travis ripped off Nash's face and went on a violent spree before Connecticut police shot and killed the animal.
It appears more of these incidents are happening.
A light transit rider was attacked by a transient in a horrific matter. The suspect literally peeled and ate some of the victim's face. It happened in suburban Portland, Oregon.
A suspect is in custody after a grisly attack on an elderly man on a MAX platform in Gresham early Tuesday morning, according to police.
At about 2:17 a.m., officers responded to the Cleveland Station at 1200 Northeast 8th Street where witnesses reported an attack and a lot of blood.
Officers found the attacker still on top of the victim, a 78-year-old man from Hillsboro, and pulled him off.
According to police, the suspect “had chewed off the victim’s ear and part of his face. The injury was so severe that responders could see the victim’s skull.”
The victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment. His current condition is not known.
Police initially booked the suspect under the fake name of “El Baker” because that’s all he would give them. But later, through fingerprints, they discovered his true identity is Koryn Kraemer, 25, who had recently moved to Portland from the state of Georgia.
Authorities are investigating whether drug use may have played a part in Kraemer’s behavior.
Kraemer was booked on accusations of Assault in the Second Degree.
The suspect is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
Interstate 75's Brent Spence Bridge will finally be replaced.
President Joe Biden will meet with Kentucky governor Andy Beshear, Ohio governor Mike DeWine, Sen. Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) to announce the funding to replace the Brent Spence Bridge. He will greet former Ohio senator Rob Portman, one of the writers of the Biden Infrastructure Law. I am guessing Cincinnati mayor Aftab Pureval, Covington mayor Joesph Meyer and Rep. Greg Landsman (D-OH) will be there as well.
The bridge which crosses the Ohio River connects Cincinnati to the South.
Interstate 75 and Interstate 71 travel across the bridge. Over 452,000 vehicles travel it.
Cincinnati freeways include Interstate 75 which travels from the U.S.-Canadian border at Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan to the western suburbs of Miami. Interstate 74 which goes from Davenport, Iowa to Cincinnati with proposal to extend towards Wilmington, North Carolina. Interstate 71 which traverses from Cleveland to Louisville. Interstate 471 which is a connector that starts in Cincinnati and leads to Newport, Kentucky and several Kentucky cities. Interstate 275 is a long beltway in Cincinnati that travels into Ohio, Kentucky and Indiana.
The president will speak in Covington, Kentucky to acknowledge the bridge and the Demar Hamlin situation.
This is a rare sign of unity between McConnell and Biden.
The backdrop for Biden’s visit will be the Brent Spence Bridge that connects Cincinnati, Ohio, and Covington, Kentucky, and is known to be one of the busiest freight routes in the country. Officials say the structure carries far more traffic than it is meant to support.
It’s also a bridge that Biden once promised he would overhaul: “We’re going to fix that damn bridge of yours going into Kentucky,” Biden said during a CNN town hall in Cincinnati in the summer of 2021, as the infrastructure bill appeared to be on the cusp of passage.
On Wednesday, the White House announced more than $2 billion from the infrastructure law would go towards upgrading the Brent Spence bridge and other “economically significant bridges” around the country.
McConnell is considered the most traitorous senator in modern history. He literally bragged that he halted Barack Obama's third Supreme Court nominee and said his number one goal was to make him a one term president.
McConnell had been pushing for Biden to fail as well. But after seeing Republicans failure to retake the Senate, McConnell is cautious. He is still plotting behind the scenes.
But when it comes to Kentucky's interests, he will show some unity.
Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) who voted against the infrastructure law and newly minted Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) will not be in attendance. They will be too busy appearing on Fox or cable news bitching.
Rep. Thomas Massie (R-KY), Rep. Warren Davidson (R-OH) and Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) will likely not attend.
Bipartisan is now considered a problem with Republicans, far right extremists and some leftists. They want chaos with no question.
The Republicans cannot govern. It is a true failure of how one party cannot handle the solutions America voted their asses in.
No House Speaker as of tonight.
No speaker means no swearing of legislators. No committee assignments. No paychecks.
The House of Representatives had adjourned without selecting a House Speaker. Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) was embarrassed not once, not twice but three times by the do-nothing lawmakers of the Freedumb Caucasians. Also to add insult to injury, Rep. Byron Donalds (R-FL), a Black coonservative lawmaker switched his support from McCarthy to Ohio's most polarizing do-nothing Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH).
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), the incoming Minority Leader got more votes to be the House Speaker. Democrats stayed unified in the voting and there were no intentions of supporting McCarthy.
Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) had comment on how the Republicans failed to elect a speaker.
"For many of us here who have served in the Congress, we respect the institution, and it would have been my hope that out of respect for the institution, the other side could have resolved their differences because they have the majority. And really, the public impression of this is not as respectful of the institution," Pelosi told reporters as lawmakers spent hours trying to elect the speaker.
Pelosi only had less than five members in her 2021 bid and 15 in her 2019 bid when Democrats had a comfortable majority.
McCarthy did everything to appease these idiots and yet they will not back him.
The failed votes marked the first time in 100 years that the majority party in the House has not elected a speaker on its first vote. The staunch opposition to McCarthy from a core group of Republicans grew larger over the course of the day, throwing the party into chaos.
As a result of Donalds’ defection, McCarthy won 202 of the 218 votes needed to secure the post in the third round, one vote less than he had in the first two ballots.
Jordan, who nominated and voted for McCarthy, won 20 votes in the third round. Jeffries, the incoming Democratic minority leader, won 212 votes in each of the three rounds.
Following the vote, Donalds suggested his caucus take a break from voting.
“The reality is Rep. Kevin McCarthy doesn’t have the votes,” Donalds wrote on Twitter. “I committed my support to him publicly and for two votes on the House Floor. 218 is the number, and currently, no one is there.
“Our conference needs to recess and huddle and find someone or work out the next steps, but these continuous votes aren’t working for anyone,” Donalds wrote. “When the dust settles, we will have a Republican Speaker, now is the time for our conference to debate and come to a consensus.”
McCarthy got 95% of the Republican Party backing and it does not make fucking sense for the far right members to play this game. If he does get the Speaker bid, he could strip all members opposing him their committee assignments.
McCarthy has even brought video games, ice cream, pizza and Chick-fil-A for these idiots. I doubt a full belly and a handful of taxpayer dollars on video games will change these assholes' minds.
The far right agitators are split on this. Tucker Carlson endorses the noise. Sean "Softball" Hannity calls it a clown show.
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