California: Regulators Approves New Tire Replacement Purchasing Rules

California regulators approve new rules limiting what replacement tires you can buy for your car – KCRA Sacramento, 2026/08/18

California regulators on Monday approved new rules that will restrict what tires you can buy when it’s time to replace them on your car.

In a unanimous vote, the California Energy Commission voted to adopt new rules that will phase out the sale of replacement tires that don’t meet certain energy efficiency standards.


At the center of this is a tire’s rolling resistance, or how much energy a tire uses as it rolls down the road. Lower resistance means a vehicle uses less gas or electricity. New cars come with generally efficient tires, but consumers typically replace those with higher rolling resistance tires.

The first phase would begin in 2029, which would allow the sale of tires with a maximum rolling resistance level of 9.1 newtons per kilonewton (N/kN). In phase 2, the standard lowers to 7.2 (N/kN) starting in 2033. The commission came up with the standards after testing 537 types of tires.

According to the commission’s staff, the rules are meant to ensure replacement tires sold in California are at least as energy efficient on average as the tires that come with the car or truck when it’s originally sold. The CEC claims Californians could save $79 in four months in gas or electricity costs under phase 1, and about $153 in phase 2 within seven months.

The prices for those tires will rise more than the cost savings because the regulators are severely reducing the supply.

In Context: David Morens

David Morens was a senior adviser to the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (Dr. Anthony Fauci) from 2006 thru 2022. He has plead guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government.

August 2026 – Former Senior NIAID Official Pleads Guilty to Charges Connected to Concealing Federal Records During COVID-19 Pandemic – U.S. Dept. of Justice

August 2026 – United States v. Morens Document #36 – Court Listener

April 2026 – Former Senior NIAID Official Indicted for Concealing Federal Records During COVID-19 Pandemic – U.S. Dept. of Justice

May 2024 – Top Fauci Adviser Bragged About Making Emails ‘Disappear’ – Epoch Times

May 2024 – Subcommittee Report on Morens

May 2024 – Morens emails

During Dr. Fauci’s appearance to the Senate in July 2026, David Morens was mentioned. Below in the transcript from YouTube with my alterations for corrections in asterisks.

SENATOR SCOTT: I WOULD LIKE TO TALK ABOUT YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH DAVID *Morens. He was the Senior Advisor in the NIAID*, OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR, *your office for* 16 YEARS — *He was your friend. He was a frequent guest at your house.* YOU CO-AUTHORED OVER 50 SCIENTIFIC ARTICLES WITH HIM. YOU TURNED TO HIM FIRST WHEN COVID-19 FIRST OCCURRED.

EARLIER THIS YEAR THE DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CHARGED HIM WITH CONSPIRACY AGAINST THE UNITED STATES IN ADDITION TO OTHER CHARGES AS A PART OF THE CONSPIRACY TO CONCEAL INFORMATION AND FALSIFY RECORDS TO SUPPRESS ALTERNATIVE THEORIES ABOUT THE ORIGINS OF COVID-19.

YOU PUBLICLY KICKED THIS MAN TO THE CURB, SAYING THAT *Dr. Morens* WAS NOT AN ADVISOR TO YOU ON INSTITUTE POLICY OR OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES.

LET’S START WITH THE USE OF PERSONAL GMAIL ACCOUNTS. HE TOLD PETER *Daszak*, YOU HAVE THIS IN FRONT OF YOU, EXHIBIT ONE, AND IT IS IN THE RECORD, “PS, I FORGOT TO SAY THAT THERE IS NO WORRY ABOUT FOIA. I CAN SEND STUFF TO TONY ON HIS PRIVATE GMAIL, WERE HANDED TO HIM AT WORK OR IN HIS HOUSE, HE’S TOO SMART FOR HIS COLLEAGUES TO SEND HIM STUFF THAT WOULD CAUSE TROUBLE.” DID HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH PETER *Daszak* CONCERN YOU, YES OR NO?

DR. FAUCI: ON THE ADVICE OF COUNSEL, I RESPECTFULLY DECLINE TO ANSWER BASED UPON MY RIGHTS UNDER THE FIFTH AMENDMENT OF THE CONSTITUTION.

Ex-Anthony Fauci Adviser David Morens Pleads Guilty

Ex-Fauci adviser pleads guilty to plotting to conceal COVID-19 research records during pandemic – Associated Press, 2026/08/18

A former senior adviser to infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci pleaded guilty Tuesday to plotting to conceal federal records related to research on the origins of the deadly COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. David Morens is scheduled to be sentenced Nov. 12 by U.S. District Judge Paula Xinis in Greenbelt, Maryland. Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the U.S. government, a felony punishable by a maximum prison sentence of five years.


Morens is accused of using his private email account to intentionally circumvent public records laws while employed at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. The Justice Department alleges that he concealed or destroyed records of discussions related to COVID-19 research grants, including an effort to revive a controversial coronavirus grant.

Trust the science, indeed.

2020 Election Michigan: Pre-Filled Ballots Ready

More video testimony from that election.

Kroger Is Closing Approximately 60 Underperforming Stores

Major supermarket chain closes at least 39 stores as nationwide overhaul takes shape – Fox Business, 2026/08/12

Kroger has closed at least three dozen stores since announcing plans last year to shutter 60 locations that were not “delivering sustainable results” by the end of 2026.

The Cincinnati-based grocery giant did not release a full list of stores or banners slated for closure, but online searches listed 39 locations across nine banners as no longer operating. Local reports also confirmed that many of the locations were part of the broader store overhaul.

As of January 2026, Kroger operated 2,697 supermarkets across 35 states under roughly 20 banners, including Fred Meyer, Fry’s Food and Drug, Harris Teeter, Jay C, King Soopers, Mariano’s, Pick ’n Save, QFC and Ralphs, according to a Securities and Exchange Commission filing.


The closures come as Kroger announced plans last month to acquire regional grocery chain Giant Eagle for $1.65 billion, which would add another 197 supermarkets and 11 standalone pharmacies across northern Ohio, western Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Maryland and Indiana.

Sounds like they are moving around the deck chairs to operate more efficiently. A list off stores that are closing is at the link.

Talk Show Host Ripa Warns Of Overbrushing Teeth

‘I brush my teeth too good’: Kelly Ripa’s gum surgery highlights a surprisingly common dental mistake

Kelly Ripa is opening up about what’s going on with her gums. On Tuesday’s episode of her podcast Let’s Talk Off Camera, the talk show host shared details about her recent gum grafting surgery, which she said was caused by years of overbrushing.


Ripa explained that she’s “an over-brusher,” adding: “I brush my teeth too much. It’s a good bad habit. I’ve caused gum recession down here specifically. So, they’ve got to re-gum my gums!”

Later in the episode, Ripa said that “death creeps in through the gums.” And she’s not that far off: Gum disease has been linked to issues like heart disease, stroke and diabetes.


Aichelmann-Reidy says that “traumatic brushing” can lead to gum issues. “If you’ve got the bristles going horizontal, it’s really easy to scrub off your gums, meaning you abrade it and you irritate it,” she explains. “And that irritation triggers the reaction and the inflammation in the gum tissue, so that it breaks down and you start to see gum recession.”

The proper way to brush is to position the bristles along the gumline at about a 45-degree angle and use a circular motion, rather than aggressively scrubbing back and forth, says Aichelmann-Reidy. She recommends asking your dentist about proper brushing techniques and which toothbrush is right for you, as habits like heavy-handed brushing may make certain toothbrushes a better fit than others.

Good tips. Glad she is recovering.

2017 Fake Race Group References

This is a few references with regards to the fake race hate groups created by the SPLC.

 

Americans for Richmond Monument Preservation

Confederate group requests to hold rally at Lee statue in Richmond – The Hill, 2017/08/14

 

Unite the Right, Jason Kessler

About Jason Kessler – SPLC, 2018

 

White Nationalist in Tennessee outed as fake

Outspoken East Tennessee white nationalist at Fort Sanders rally once active in Occupy, communist groups Knox News, 2017/09/07

Southern Poverty Law Center More than Doubled Their Revenue After Charlottesville Fake Race Riots in 2017

Wanted to recall this from a few months ago – that links to the prior article conerning the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC).

SPLC saw revenue surge after Charlottesville rally as DOJ alleges informant ties – Fox News, 2026/04/23

The Southern Poverty Law Center more than doubled its revenue in the months following the deadly 2017 Charlottesville “Unite the Right” rally — a surge now drawing renewed scrutiny after a Department of Justice indictment alleged the group paid an informant tied to the event’s organizers.

The 2017 rally, which left one woman dead, became a cultural flashpoint over White nationalism and political violence, driving widespread condemnation and a surge in donations to civil rights groups, including the SPLC. The fallout also shaped the 2020 presidential election, as President Donald Trump’s response — including his remarks about “very fine people” on both sides — was hammered by the left, with former President Joe Biden later citing Charlottesville as a reason he entered the race.


One source, identified as “F-37,” was part of an “online leadership chat group that planned the 2017 ‘Unite the Right’ event.”

“[F-37] attended the event at the direction of the SPLC. F-37 made racist postings under the supervision of the SPLC and helped coordinate transportation to the event for several attendees. Between 2015 and 2023, the SPLC secretly paid F-37 more than $270,000.00.”


In 2016, total public support and net assets topped $51 million, while by October 2017, that figure had grown to $133 million, a surge that followed the Unite the Right rally and was driven in part by donations from prominent public figures, including George Clooney and Apple CEO Tim Cook.


Biden said at the 2024 Democratic National Convention that he “ran for president in 2020 because of what I saw in Charlottesville.”

To recap, the fake racial protests, back in 2017, were discovered to be funded by the Southern Poverty Law Center.

Come to find out that not only did the SPLC fund these phony protests, they profited from them.

All of this racial strife has more to do with societal leverage and profit than actual real racial issues.

Biden ran for president because of this lie.

The SPLC profited heavily because of this lie.

The country suffered because of this lie.

Former Southern Poverty Law Center CFO Charged With Fraud

Ex-Southern Poverty Law Center CFO charged in brazen scheme to secretly pay $1.2M to white supremacist groups – NY Post, 2026/08/12

A former Southern Poverty Law Center finance officer was charged Wednesday for her leading role in having the left-wing nonprofit secretly pay informants who participated in white supremacist groups over the past decade.

Heidi Beirich made an initial appearance in federal court, according to her defense attorney Michael Proctor. CNN reported that she had been arrested earlier Wednesday.

A 26-page superseding indictment naming Beirich, who was first unmasked by The Post in June, was later filed in the Middle District of Alabama.


FBI Director Kash Patel said Beirich “was at the center of our ongoing investigation into SPLC,” which found the nonprofit “knowingly misled donors, who believed their money was being used to dismantle violent extremist organizations – when in fact, part of those donations were instead being used to pay senior leadership within those extremist groups.”

Wednesday’s superseding indictment accused Beirich of helping to funnel $1.2 million in SPLC donor money to an informant in the white supremacist group National Alliance — who was also purportedly her lover.

The Grand Jury indictment is here. There are a total of 11 counts.

Case 2:26-cr-00139-ECM-KFP Document 51

Massachusetts Governor Signs New Bill Legalizing Late Term Abortion

New abortion rules signed into law in Mass. as Healey cites stories of ‘heartache’ – WBTS Nashua (NBC Boston), 2026/08/10

After lawmakers fast-tracked the bill, Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey on Monday signed legislation removing restrictions on abortions after 24 weeks of gestation, a change that supporters say will help more patients stay in-state to receive care.

The law (H 5595) eliminates the existing four-pronged framework enabling abortions for pregnancies at or beyond 24 weeks in life-threatening situations for the patient or fetus, instead writing a new law that states “an abortion may be performed by a physician based upon the professional judgment of the physician.”

I want to add in some Congressional testimony.

Florida names NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani ‘Economic Developer of the Year’

Florida names NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani ‘Economic Developer of the Year’ in Times Square campaign – Fox Business, 2026/08/11

Armed with a $1.8 trillion economy and record-breaking wealth migration, the Florida Chamber of Commerce has officially launched a Times Square campaign naming New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani Florida’s “Economic Developer of the Year” — a reminder, according to the Chamber, of how progressive taxes and socialist policies are driving wealth, businesses and families to the Sunshine State.


In addition to putting the onus on Mamdani, the Chamber’s campaign highlights its argument that lower tax rates yield higher total state revenues by incentivizing growth, while blue-state tax hikes trigger a tax-based exodus. According to the Chamber, citing IRS migration data, Florida gains approximately $2.4 million in net taxable income every hour, while New York loses approximately $1.1 million per hour. The Chamber also says Florida gains a net 551 residents daily, compared to New York losing 115 residents daily.

According to the Chamber’s press release, New York’s state budget is more than double Florida’s, and New York City’s municipal budget alone is more than $8 billion higher than the entire Florida state budget.


According to Wilson, Florida is not seeking to tear down New York or “spike the football,” but rather wants every state to succeed by embracing free-market principles to boost overall U.S. GDP growth.

I understand the humor in that message of highlighting good economic policies.

But I think what Mamdani – and others like him – are doing is purposeful to remove the power players in NYC. They purposely doxxed the rich people. They will tax them to high heaven. Why? So the rich people, who determine the direction of the community, will leave… who will fill the void?

To me, we are giving ground to those who seek to harm the country – or implement their laws in the US.

This is warfare under the radar. We should be taking them on instead of giving up ground. Because this means they worm their way into more and more government positions. Then they will attain more legislative control.

Trump Admin Is Replacing USA-ID With Faith-Based Groups for Global Aid

File this in the news that would never see the light of day on the propaganda news outlets.

Note the underlined changes… no more shady, non-descript NGOs getting their mitts on the funds.

After Aid Cuts, US Announces $2 Billion for Christian Groups – Christianity Today, 2026/08/10

After making deep cuts in global health, food assistance, and other foreign aid based on allegations of fraud and abuse in USAID, the Trump administration announced $2 billion in humanitarian-aid funding for faith-based groups, with a consortium of US Christian organizations overseeing $1.4 billion.


Representatives from the Christian organizations involved said this funding would not replace programs hit by USAID cuts but would go to new channels.


Of the $2 billion in this new initiative, $1.4 billion will go to health care, mostly in Africa.


That includes an $850 million pot of funding over five years that could go to a World Vision–led consortium called the Faith and Community Initiative.


Then $538 million will go to Christian groups leading mostly disaster response but also the provision of food and clean water in areas of crisis.


Another $570 million will go to faith-based hospitals and clinics through memorandums of understanding (MOUs) that the US has been working on with local governments. The MOUs are a new aid structure where the US agrees to give money directly to a country’s government instead of contracting with charities.


This year the State Department’s press release about the Christian nonprofits highlighted that “Samaritan’s Purse, World Vision, and Compassion International exemplify the Administration’s commitment to partnering with faith-based and community organizations that responsibly steward taxpayer dollars.


Kent Hill, a former top official at USAID who also used to work at World Vision, welcomed the news.

“Apparently, the administration is trying to resurrect some of the good USAID did before its harsh and very unwise dismantling of it,” he wrote in an email. “The needs are great and a great and good country would generously seek to meet those needs.”

Major Earthquake Hits Colombia’s Pacific Coast

Magnitude 7.4 quake on Colombia’s Pacific coast causes serious injuries and damage – CNBC, 2026/08/10

An earthquake on Monday caused injuries and significant damage in a province on Colombia’s Pacific Coast, as well as in the city of Pereira, provincial governors said, after the tremor was felt in the capital, Bogota, and as far away as Venezuela.


The U.S. tsunami warning system said there was no tsunami warning. Colombia’s geological service revised the quake’s magnitude higher to 7.4 and said its depth was 96 km (60 miles), rather than the 79 km originally reported by authorities.

Colombia’s National Unit for Disaster Risk Management said it was in contact with local authorities to verify potential damage. Bogota’s mayor, Carlos Galan, said on X there was no major damage in the capital.

Did You Know? Some American Journalists Are Linked With Chinese Communist Party Led Organization

REVEALED: Here Are the Mainstream Journalists on China’s Payroll


Foreign-agent filings reveal that operatives working for a Chinese Communist Party-linked influence organization planned free trips for American journalists based on the potential for “favorable coverage” and sought to “effectively disseminate positive messages” about Beijing.


By cross-referencing the filings with archived newsletters, annual reports and contemporaneous accounts, this investigation has uncovered the names of prominent American journalists who participated in China trips organized or funded by the China-United States Exchange Foundation, or CUSEF.


The roster includes current and former journalists from The New York Times, CNN, MSNBC, The Washington Post, NPR, the Associated Press, Vox, The Atlantic, the Los Angeles Times, the Chicago Tribune and other major American news organizations.


CUSEF was founded by Tung Chee-hwa, a former vice chairman of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference, a central component of the Chinese Communist Party’s United Front system.


The scandal is not simply that American journalists traveled to China.


It is that a CCP-linked organization quietly selected and cultivated influential members of the American press while its registered foreign agents discussed opportunities for “favorable coverage” and the dissemination of “positive messages.”


The public was shown the resulting articles.


It was not shown the influence operation behind them.

See the link for the list of journanlists and other references. In order to get the whole news story, you have to know who wrote the article – and who is funding them.

Dept of HHS Decertifies Kentucky Organ Procurement Org… Donors May Not Have Been Deceased

This is like abortion for adults.

HHS Decertifies Kentucky Organ Procurement Organization to Protect Patients, Restore Trust – Dept. of Health and Human Services, 2026/08/05


The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today began the decertification of Network for Hope, the federally designated organ procurement organization (OPO) serving Kentucky and parts of Indiana, Ohio, and West Virginia, after multiple federal reviews found persistent patient safety failures despite extensive oversight and despite Network for Hope having been provided repeated opportunities to correct them. Those failures put prospective organ donors and patients awaiting lifesaving transplants at risk.


In addition to CMS findings that are the basis of the decertification, between 2021 and 2024 HHS’ Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA) examined 351 cases where organ donation was authorized, but ultimately not completed at Network for Hope. It found:

    • 103 cases (29.3%) showed concerning features, including 73 patients with neurological signs incompatible with organ donation.
    • That some potential donors may not have been deceased at the time organ procurement was initiated — raising serious questions.
    • Evidence pointed to poor neurologic assessments, lack of coordination with medical teams, questionable consent practices, and misclassification of causes of death, particularly in overdose cases.

 

This is tough to listen to.

U.S. Bomber Base Shut Down By Drone Attack

Sophisticated drones attacked Louisiana’s Barksdale bomber base – Asia Times, 2026/03/22

Barksdale Air Force Base in Louisiana, in Bossier Parish not far from Shreveport, was attacked by drone swarms during the week of March 9. The attack disrupted B-52H aircraft launches in support of Operation Epic Fury against Iran. It is the first time a US airbase was temporarily put out of operation in wartime, something that never happened even in World War II.

Each wave forced the Air Force to halt operations and send its personnel to shelters. Barksdale is the command hub of the US Air Force Global Strike Command. Not only are B-52s based there, but the base is part of America’s nuclear triad. It shelters long range nuclear cruise missiles (such as the AGM-86B) and will soon house a new Long Range Standoff cruise missile.


The drone waves lasted around four hours each day, an extraordinarily long loiter time for a drone. It is not known if the drones were fixed wing or quadcopter types, or how they were powered (liquid fuel or electrical). Each wave consisted of 12 to 15 drones, and the drones flew with their lights on, intentionally making them visible.

Barksdale AFB does not have air defenses, nor does it have fighter jets that can take down drones.

The airbase does have some electronic countermeasures that were designed to disable GPS and the datalinks between the drones and their remote operators. The electronic countermeasures failed to work.

No air defenses?? That needs to be corrected pronto. We are at war.

FL: FBI Indicts Chinese Siblings In IED Bomb Plot

FBI Announces Chinese Suspects Indicted for IED at CENTCOM Headquarters – PJ Media, 2026/03/26

FBI Director Kash Patel posted his announcement on X Thursday, March 26. “An IED was placed at MacDill Air Force Base – home to CENTCOM and U.S. Special Operations Command,” Patel explained. “A brother and sister have now been indicted.” One of the suspects is in a foreign and hostile country, however, so he cannot be arrested at present.


FBI Tampa arrested Ann Mary Zheng, the sister, and charged her with accessory after the fact and tampering with evidence. If convicted, she faces a jail sentence of up to 30 years. She either hid or damaged a Mercedes-Benz car to prevent authorities from using it as evidence in legal proceedings, according to the Fox News report shared by Patel.

Besides Ann Mary, her mother is also in custody, held by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) after she reportedly confessed to investigators that her son said he was guilty of the IED plot.


Fox News explained that the main suspect, the one believed to have planted the device, is Alen Zheng, who fled the United States for Communist China.


Fortunately, the IED failed to detonate, but could have been “very deadly” had it done so, officials believe. An airman discovered the IED on March 16, almost a week later.

We are fortunate that it did not detonate. China, huh?

VA: State Law Allows 22 Year Old Immigrant Men To Attend High Schools

What Genius Thought Letting Adult Illegals Into High School Was a Good Idea? – RedState, 2026/03/25

a Virginia law that allows illegals to remain in high school through the age of 22 is under fire after a 19-year-old Venezuelan man was arrested earlier this month after being accused of groping at least nine teen girls in the hallways of Fairfax County High School.

The accused man in this case is Israel Flores Ortiz, an illegal from El Salvador who crossed the southern border in 2024 and was released unsupervised into the country under lax Biden-era policies. Ortiz’s case made headlines because the Fairfax County prosecutor’s office, run by the odious Steve Descano, wanted the man released from jail and returned back into the community.

Luckily, a judge disagreed with Descano’s office and refused to release the illegal.


Under Virginia law, the standard cutoff for high school is age 20, but a special exception for English Language Learners who first enroll after turning 12 lets them stay until they turn 22 — with no tuition charged if state funding is provided


Virginia Code § 22.1-5(D) explicitly states: “School boards may accept and provide programs for students for whom English is a second language who entered school in Virginia for the first time after reaching their twelfth birthday, and who have not reached 22 years of age on or before August 1 of the school year. No tuition shall be charged such students, if state funding is provided for such programs.”

This is either insane or evil.

San Francisco Reinstates 8th-Grade Algebra… Math Proficiency Declined to 4% With Black Students

San Francisco Reinstates 8th-Grade Algebra After ‘Equity’ Experiment Fails – Washington Free Beacon, 2026/03/25

San Francisco school officials voted Tuesday to restore eighth-grade algebra more than a decade after the district eliminated the course in the name of “equity,” a policy that attracted intense criticism as math scores declined across the district.


The move reverses a district policy, implemented in 2014, that removed algebra from middle schools in an attempt to give minority students more time to learn basic math skills. Instead, math proficiency declined across the district—including among black students.


Under the old policy, San Francisco “tried to achieve equity not by raising the floor, but by lowering the ceiling,” Thomas S. Dee, a Stanford University economist told the Times. “It’s a problem we see nationally,” he continued.

Lowering the ceiling never works. Factoring race and social status into educational standards never works. The article mentions 8th grade math proficiency declined from 11 percent to 4 percent among black students. That is a crime on those kids and society.

NC: Only Republican In Local Charlotte Election Drops Out Due To Gunfire At His Home

The shooting incident…

Gunshots fired into Mecklenburg commissioner candidate’s home, police chief says – Charlotte Observer, 2026/02/17

Multiple gunshots hit the Huntersville home of Mecklenburg County commissioner candidate Aaron Marin Monday night, Police Chief Brian Vaughan said Tuesday.


Marin said he was inside with his wife and their two young sons when shots hit the home around 7:40 p.m. “By the grace of God, we are alive,” Marin said. “But our family is shaken, and this is not something any family in Mecklenburg County should ever experience.”


Marin is the only Republican running to represent County Commission District 1, which includes parts of north Charlotte and the towns of Huntersville, Davidson and Cornelius. He’ll face the winner of a three-person Democratic primary in the November general election.

The drop out…

Mecklenburg GOP candidate drops out of 2026 election after shooting at his house – Charlotte Observer, 2026/03/25

A candidate for the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners is ending his campaign and moving out of his home weeks after someone shot at his house.

Aaron Marin, Republican candidate for north Mecklenburg’s District 1, announced Wednesday he was dropping out of the race “as a direct result of this incident and the ongoing lack of resolution.”

Totally understandable on his part to relocate. However, the tactic was successful in removing a candidate from seeking office. This can’t be allowed to become a regular occurrence.

NYC Decline: No One Wants To Cut The Education Budget Despite 10% Less Students

Will NYC school budgets take a hit next year? Education Department officials are mum. – Chalkbeat, 2026/03/23

During a City Council hearing about Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s proposed budget for New York City’s public schools, one question came up again and again: Will school budgets take a hit next year?


As K-12 enrollment in the nation’s largest school system plunged nearly 10% over the past six years, dropping below 800,000, city officials spent $1.6 billion propping up budgets. That money staved off cuts that would typically have been automatic since school funding is typically tied to student headcount. But officials were reluctant to slash budgets while schools were scrambling to catch up students in the wake of the pandemic and the system had billions in one-time federal relief money at its disposal.

As the pandemic receded and federal funding dried up, however, it became difficult to change course. The Education Department kept school budgets relatively stable even as enrollment ticked down. This year, schools received over $388 million in various forms of relief to offset lower enrollment, the largest single-year sum since the pandemic hit.


When former Mayor Eric Adams initially began winding down the program, the blowback was so intense that City Council members later apologized for approving the city’s spending plan, and families made T-shirts declaring that Adams defunded their schools. Subsequently, Adams decided to keep propping up budgets.

What’s the problem? 1- They are not following their own principle in cutting funding in relation to a decrease in student headcount. 2- Nobody wants to cut funding. It’s always perceived as bad even though they can’t afford it. 3- It’s not just the political leaders. What happened when Adams tried to cut the budget? The people had a fit. All they see is less money. They do not see the whole picture.

Now they have to rob Peter to pay Paul in order to stay afloat. Where does the money go if there are less students?

U.S. Boards Venezuelan Ship In The Indian Ocean

US forces board Venezuela-linked oil tanker in Indian Ocean without incident – The Jerusalem Post, 2026/02/09

US military forces boarded a crude oil tanker in the Indian Ocean after pursuing it from the Caribbean, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said on Monday, accusing the vessel of breaching Washington’s blockade on sanctioned vessels traveling to or from Venezuela.


Suezmax tanker Aquila II departed from Venezuelan waters in early January as part of a flotilla of vessels. It was carrying about 700,000 barrels of Venezuelan heavy crude bound for China, according to schedules from state company PDVSA. Most tankers in the flotilla have returned to Venezuela or have been seized by the US

Hegseth said the Aquila II was operating in defiance of the US “quarantine of sanctioned vessels in the Caribbean.”

Since the arrest of Maduro, the U.S. has increased its enforcement of sanctions on Venezuelan shipping.