House Democrats Look To Get Around Privacy Laws For Trump’s Taxes

By William Teach December 17, 2022 – 7:00 am

You had to know this was coming, right? When now-private citizen Trump’s lawyers made their arguments before the Supreme Court, did they use an argument that Democrats were sure to attempt to circumvent federal privacy laws and release his private tax documents to the world?

House Dems poised to release Trump’s tax secrets

House Democrats will likely unmask new details about former President Donald Trump’s long-hidden taxes following a key meeting now set for next week.

That would be a highly unusual move sure to ignite another post-presidential controversy surrounding Trump, who is running again for the White House.

Ways and Means Committee Chair Richard Neal won access to Trump’s filings in November, after a long court fight, but they remain closely held, with only a handful of lawmakers and aides allowed to examine them. They’re still protected by strict privacy laws that make it a felony for anyone to divulge even basic details about Trump’s taxes.

But there is a way around those rules: Neal’s committee could vote privately to make them public, and that’s what the Massachusetts Democrat wants his colleagues to consider in a closed-door meeting now set for Tuesday at 3 p.m.

Democrats intend to release specifics from the returns, though what exactly will be unveiled is unclear. They could release Trump’s entire returns or perhaps something more limited, such as a summary.

So, it would be fine for the incoming GOP House to release all of Biden’s tax records, right? How about Hunter Biden’s? Or Nancy Pelosi’s> Did the Supreme Court even consider that the House Democrats would do this? Did they forbid this from happening? Will they hold an emergency session to discuss the House Democrats playing games with a private citizen’s private tax returns?

I don’t think this is going to go the way they plan, and could set a standard where the citizen’s tax returns can be used for political purposes. And could potentially lead to lawsuits against elected Democrats.

Read: House Democrats Look To Get Around Privacy Laws For Trump’s Taxes »

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Your Fault: White Christmas’ Are Less Likely In The UK

By William Teach December 16, 2022 – 3:17 pm

Remember this oldy but goody?

CHILDREN JUST AREN’T GOING TO KNOW WHAT SNOW IS

The Independent, 2000:

Snow is starting to disappear from our lives. Sledges, snowmen, snowballs and the excitement of waking to find that the stuff has settled outside are all a rapidly diminishing part of Britain’s culture, as warmer winters – which scientists are attributing to global climate change – produce not only fewer white Christmases, but fewer white Januaries and Februaries … Global warming, the heating of the atmosphere by increased amounts of industrial gases, is now accepted as a reality by the international community … According to Dr David Viner, a senior research scientist at the climatic research unit of the University of East Anglia, within a few years winter snowfall will become “a very rare and exciting event”. “Children just aren’t going to know what snow is,” he said.

The Independent wiped that one off the Internet, but, Watts Up With That? has it in an archive, because it was just very, very silly, and spawned all sorts of “schoolkids won’t know what snow is!” parodies. But, the climate cult keeps trying, like here, because they will never give up

Snow chance: how white Christmases have become rarer in Britain

Outside of advertisements and Hollywood films, idyllic snow-filled Christmas scenes are becoming increasingly rare in the UK, according to a Guardian analysis.

The UK has faced bitter cold this week, with Sunday’s snowfall leading to travel disruption and a level 3 cold weather alert for the whole of England until Friday morning. Next week is set to be milder, however, with the chance of a white Christmas remaining low for most parts of the UK.

Analysis shows the chances of a white Christmas have become slimmer as the climate has grown warmer. On average, snow was much less likely to fall on Christmas Day in the 2010s than it was in the 1960s, according to data from the Met Office. At the same time, average temperatures on Christmas Day are warmer in all parts of the UK.

The data shows that only eight white Christmases were observed at 44 analysed weather stations in the 2010s, less than half the number of any other decade since records started.

Why is this in any way a surprise during a Holocene warm period? This is expected. Of course, the graph at the UK Guardian only goes back to the 1960’s (using a Met Office factsheet, which only goes back to 1960), when the world was in a slight cooling time. This is literally an updated version of their 2016 article. According to the same Met Office, the warmest Christmas in the UK was 1920. I’ve tried digging to find pre-1960 data for comparison. Unsurprisingly, damned near impossible to find. But, again, there’s nothing unusual about a Holocene warm period getting warm. No need to assign notions of witchcraft.

Read: Your Fault: White Christmas’ Are Less Likely In The UK »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 23 Comments | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach December 16, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is an evil world killing plastic bottle of water, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Real Climate Science, with a post on the “end” of Scottish skiing.

Please make sure to recycle, folks. Environmental issues are real.

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Posted in If All You See | 6 Comments | Trackback URL

Excitable Democrats Look To Bar Trump Under 14th Amendment

By William Teach December 16, 2022 – 10:30 am

Republicans should counter by filing legislation to bar Biden under the 25th Amendment, because he seems to be in the depth of dementia

House Democrats introduce legislation to bar Trump from office under 14th Amendment

A group of 40 House Democrats, led by Rep. David Cicilline (R.I.), introduced legislation on Thursday to bar former President Trump from holding future federal office under the 14th Amendment.

Section 3 of the amendment states that no one who previously took an oath to support the Constitution and engaged in “insurrection or rebellion” shall “hold any office, civil or military, under the United States.”

Cicilline said in a release announcing the legislation that Trump “very clearly” engaged in an insurrection on Jan. 6, 2021, with the intention of overturning the results of the 2020 presidential election.

“You don’t get to lead a government you tried to destroy,” he said.

The release states that the bill includes testimony and evidence demonstrating how Trump engaged in the insurrection.

This really has no chance of making it through the Senate and to Biden’s desk, and, if it actually did, it would be a very bad look for a sitting president to sign legislation blocking a potential presidential opponent for being president. Further, does Congress actually have the Constitutional authority to pass something like this, especially when said person has not been convicted of any crime? Remember, they tried to impeach him over this, and it failed.

It has the possibility of backfiring, with citizens looking at the over-reach of Congressional Democrats in trying to ban Trump, making the U.S. look like a banana country. It also has the chance, unfortunately, of making more come back to Trump and vote him in during the primaries, after which he really will lose the 2024 general election. Perhaps that’s their goal? Are they thinking that far ahead? Or is it simply Trump Derangement Syndrome from House Democrats?

Not sure why they bother, when he keeps doing things like

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Say, What Will Your Climate Apocalypse Christmas Dinner Look Like In 10 Years?

By William Teach December 16, 2022 – 7:15 am

Christmas dinner in 2032 might look different because Government keeps trying to force the peasants to change their behavior, as well as screwing up the food supply chain. Of course, that’s not what these climate doomers mean

This Photo Shows How Your Christmas Dinner Might Look In 10 Years

With Christmas almost upon us, many of us are looking forward to tucking into our traditional turkeys, roast potatoes and stuffing.

However, climate change could dramatically alter the look of our beloved Christmas dinner by the end of the decade – with many of our much-loved foods under threat. That’s according to Seeds of Change, a new report by communications consultancy Diffusion, which has partnered with chef Kimberly Duke to create a “climate-change proof” Christmas Dinner for a picture of what we might be eating at Christmas in a few years’ time.

Unusual new ingredients like dahlia tubers and amaranth seed stuffing could be the new staples of our festive dining tables, according to Diffusion’s report.

More frequent droughts, heatwaves and unseasonably warm autumns and springs threaten the quantity and quality of many winter vegetables and grain crops traditionally grown in the UK.

This could lead to shortages and potentially having to pay more for our festive favourites in the future. The production of meat is also not immune from these trends, turkey and pork prices have increased by nearly 30% this year.

Um, they really didn’t rise because of ‘climate change’, but, thanks to the fallout from COVID, government incompetence, and avian flu. Does not matter to Warmists, it’s all about the scaremongering.

The centrepiece of Duke’s alternative menu is a pie that replaces the traditional turkey roast, with pulled jackfruit and miso. The recipe recreates both a rich meaty flavour with the natural texture of the jackfruit and enoki mushrooms mimicking that of meat beautifully.

Jackfruit is now readily available tinned in supermarkets, and this year is 20% cheaper per kilogram than fresh turkey. Found across India and South East Asia, jackfruit trees grow sustainably without the need for additional irrigation, fertilisers or pesticides.

With a significantly lower carbon-footprint to producing meat, it is considered a leading climate-smart crop.

He adds: “Supermarkets, food producers and governments also have a critical role to play in highlighting the benefits that reducing our demand for animal protein can play in protecting not only our food security, but our public health and the climate as well.”

Piss off. Mind your own business.

Read: Say, What Will Your Climate Apocalypse Christmas Dinner Look Like In 10 Years? »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 9 Comments | Trackback URL

Biden Admin Looks To Restrict Speed Of Large Boats In Ocean

By William Teach December 16, 2022 – 7:00 am

Besides being a massive regulatory over-reach, this would cause lots of economic problems

Biden administration boating proposal would be ‘greatest regulatory overreach’ of its kind, critics warn

“This would be the greatest regulatory overreach in American maritime law” — that’s how Frank Hugelmeyer describes a proposal by the Biden administration to limit the speed of all motorboats over 35 feet from Florida to Massachusetts. “Not only are they creating a serious safety issue, they are creating a massive negative economic impact.”

Hugelmeyer is president of the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA), and he is just one of a growing number of voices expressing outrage over the proposal put forward by the U.S. Commerce Department under the auspices of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

“It’s stupid,” said Jeff Angers, the president of the Center for Sportfishing Policy. “It’s not what government is supposed to do.”

The far-reaching regulation would restrict speed to 10 knots or 11.5 miles per hour for all boats over 35 feet — for up to seven months out of the year and up to 100 miles out at sea for most of the East Coast.

The purpose: to prevent the boats from hitting an endangered right whale.

Well, that sounds like a worthy goal, right?

The (NOAA) statement admitted, however, there have only been five deadly whale strikes by boats between 35 to 65 feet in length over the last 15 years. (Boats over 65 feet are already subject to a speed restriction.)

A one in a million chance of this happening. So, what, exactly, is the point? Did they even consider the implications? Of course, this does have to make it through the rule making process, but, with all the nuts in the federal bureaucracy, it stands a good chance.

Edmonston said most boats can’t get on a “plane” if they are going under 10 knots. A plane is the speed at which the bow of the boat lowers in order to cut through oncoming waves.

“The boats are designed to ride on top of the waves,” he said. “This is going to make them wallow in the waves — up and down, side to side, pitching,” he explained. “It’s going to be hard to maintain control. You can take waves over the side.”

And people will be thrown around, cargo could be damaged, boats can take on too much water and sink

“The port will be closed any day it’s rough [or] windy. [And] not just this port. All the ports on the East Coast,” he said.

Which will slow down commerce, affecting profits and costs.

“This overreach is going to basically all but halt fishing off the East Coast of the United States,” said Glenn Hughes, the president of the American Sportfishing Association. “It will just keep people from fishing.”

He points out there are 9 million anglers who fish the Eastern coastline.

“Instead of getting to a [fishing] destination in an hour, you’re talking about something that’s going to take three to four hours both ways,” he said.

Who wants to do that? We used to go out 16 miles or so out to fish for blues. Who wants to sit on a boat for hours doing nothing? Then hours back to port? And then there will be fewer boats purchased over 35 feet, meaning fewer built. It’s just a mess. There are better ways, like tagging the whales, which would allow the boaters to know where they are an avoid them. The Brandon admin doesn’t care.

Read: Biden Admin Looks To Restrict Speed Of Large Boats In Ocean »

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Your Fault: Climate Doom To Fuel Humanitarian Crisis’ In 2023

By William Teach December 15, 2022 – 4:59 pm

Damn you. You just had to take all those fossil fueled flights as a peasant (it’s OK if you are an Elite), causing Bad Things in 2023

Climate change will fuel humanitarian crises in 2023 -study

Climate change will accelerate humanitarian crises around the world in 2023, adding to the issues created by armed conflict and economic downturns, according to a study by the NGO International Rescue Committee (IRC).

The agency, based in New York and led by former UK politician David Miliband, flagged that the number of people in humanitarian need has skyrocketed in the last decade, approaching 339.2 million versus the 81 million seen in 2014.

Climate change is among the key factors accelerating humanitarian emergencies, the IRC noted, despite the fact that the 20 countries on its emergency watchlist – like Haiti and Afghanistan – contribute just 2% to global CO2 emissions.

“2022 has shown that the role of climate change in accelerating the global humanitarian crisis is undeniable,” the report noted.

And this group has absolutely no incentive to fearmonger, right? It really is just setting the stage to Blame every bad thing that happens on anthropogenic climate change, meaning the Elites need to force you to pay more in taxes/fees and give up your liberty, freedom, and life choices to Government. It’s an easy prediction given every weather event these days is chalked up to “climate change.” How can you be wrong when every event that occurs is used to prop up your presupposition? Wetter year than normal? Climate change. Drier year than normal? Climate change. Warmer year than normal? Climate change. Colder year than normal? Climate change. More hurricanes? Climate change. Less hurricanes? Climate change.

How about all those crises during the 1930’s, when CO2 was well below the “safe” level of 350ppm, and there were a whole lot less fossil fueled vehicles, and flying was really in its infancy? How about the Black Plague? What caused that?

Read: Your Fault: Climate Doom To Fuel Humanitarian Crisis’ In 2023 »

Posted in AGW Scaremongering, Global Warming | 1 Comment | Trackback URL

If All You See…

By William Teach December 15, 2022 – 1:00 pm

…is an area drying out from too much carbon pollution, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is The Lid, with a post on Ron DeSantis asking a grand jury to probe wrongdoing over the covid vaccines.

Doubleshot below the fold, check out The First Street Journal, with a post on how often Mayor Pete flies a jet (mostly private).

Read More »

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House GOP Releases Report Saying COVID Might Have Come From Chinese Bioweapons Program

By William Teach December 15, 2022 – 10:30 am

This shouldn’t surprise anyone in the least. The only thing here is, do they have the facts to support the allegation

COVID origins ‘may have been tied’ to China’s bioweapons program: GOP report

Republican members of the House Intelligence Committee are alleging in a newly released report that there are “indications” that COVID-19 could be tied to China’s biological weapons research program and “spilled over” to the general human population during an incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology.

The information was released in a minority staff report by members of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence on Wednesday night.

“Contrary to the implication of the [Intelligence Community’s] declassified report, based on our investigation involving a variety of public and non-public information, we conclude that there are indications that SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China’s biological weapons research program and spilled over to the human population during a lab-related incident at the Wuhan Institute of Virology,” a summary of the report states. “The IC failed to adequately address this information in its classified Updated Assessment. When we attempted to raise the issues with the IC, it failed to respond.”

But

While alleging that COVID’s origins were likely tied to China’s biological weapons research program, the report states, “We have not seen any credible indication that the virus was intentionally, rather than accidentally, released.”

“Nor do we claim the information we have found is a smoking gun that definitively resolves the question of the origins of COVID-19 beyond all doubt. However, the information is important to furthering the public’s understanding, and we will seek to declassify the classified version of our report in the next Congress to further the conversation,” the report states.

There’s really not a lot to the report. It cannot make any sort of definitive allegation about being part of a bioweapons research program, just supposition. What it is really meant to do is show unclassified information, leading up to the GOP taking control of the House Intelligence Committee, holding hearings, and releasing classified information. From page 7 (IC is Intelligence Community)

The IC did not just withhold relevant information from the declassified version released to the public; it also omitted information from the classified version of the Updated Assessment provided to the House Intelligence Committee, in particular, information relating to whether SARS-CoV-2 may have been tied to China’s bioweapons program run by the Chinese Army. Although our unclassified summary cannot reveal details, we can state that the classified Updated Assessment claimed the IC lacked information regarding one key classified issue. However, the Committee otherwise found that very information in other intelligence reporting, and this information is particularly relevant to determining SARS-CoV-2’s potential links to China’s bioweapons program.

There’s a lot of supposition, following the money, and following what China has been doing, which leads to the finding that it may possibly have been part of a bioweapons research program. How long will it take to do the investigation and attempt to get the relevant information from the biased intelligence community?

Read: House GOP Releases Report Saying COVID Might Have Come From Chinese Bioweapons Program »

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Researchers Searching For Christmas Trees That Can Withstand Climate Apocalypse

By William Teach December 15, 2022 – 7:14 am

It’s not like these trees survived multiple Holocene warm periods or anything. But, hey, if you have government funding, sure, why not

The search for Christmas trees that can withstand climate change

Drier summers and warmer autumns spell trouble for that iconic winter evergreen, the Christmas tree.

Working to safeguard this important Pacific Northwest crop, Washington State University scientist Gary Chastagner has traveled the globe on a hunt for hardy varieties. Dubbed “Dr. Christmas Tree” for his 44?year career studying the decorative conifers, Chastagner is now testing promising species that can stand up to an uncertain climate while looking and lasting their best in the home.

“I want to give growers and consumers more choices for high-quality trees,” he said.

Through the Collaborative Fir Germplasm Evaluation Project, a 12?year partnership with scientists in Connecticut, Oregon, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, and Michigan, Chastagner and colleagues traveled to Turkey in 2020 to find mother trees of Turkish and Trojan firs, which are adaptable to the Pacific Northwest’s climate and resistant to disease.

Hmm, so they all took a long fossil fueled flight to Turkey? And Chastagner has traveled all over the globe? Huh. Anyhow, it’s all about using anything they can find to use to scaremonger. In this case, Christmas. According to this report by researchers at NC State, they’ve found a gene to make them more “resistant” to Hotcoldwetdry. If only they could put the same effort an money into solving real issues.

Read: Researchers Searching For Christmas Trees That Can Withstand Climate Apocalypse »

Posted in Christmas, Global Warming | 11 Comments | Trackback URL
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