U.S. Politics

[Rick Plant]

This will be very interesting. Make sure to watch!

Watch Live: Pentagon officials testify on UFOs in rare House hearing

Washington — Congress is holding its first public hearing on unidentified flying objects (UFOs) in more than half a century on Tuesday.

Pentagon officials are testifying before a House Intelligence Committee subcommittee about how the Defense Department is organizing reports of unidentified aerial phenomena (UAP) — the military's term for UFOs — after a congressionally mandated report released last year found most of the incidents analyzed remain unidentified.

Rep. Andre Carson, a Democrat of Indiana and chairman of the House Intelligence Subcommittee on Counterintelligence, Counterterrorism, and Counterproliferation, opened the hearing by saying UAPs "are a potential national security threat, and they need to be treated that way."

"For too long, the stigma associated with UAPs has gotten in the way of good intelligence analysis. Pilots avoided reporting or were laughed at when they did. DOD officials relegated the issue to the backroom or swept it under the rug entirely, fearful of a skeptical national security community," Carson said. "Today, we know better. UAPs are unexplained, it's true. But they are real. They need to be investigated. And any threats they pose need to be mitigated."

The report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) and the Pentagon's UAP Task Force found no evidence to suggest the objects are extraterrestrial or from a foreign adversary — but the report also could not explain most of the objects.

Investigators were able to identify one of the 144 reports analyzed in their study of unidentified objects "as a large, deflating balloon." But the other 143 reports of UAP from 2004 to 2021 remain a mystery.

There is little doubt that the unidentified objects are real objects, whatever they may be, because at least 80 of the 144 incidents were detected by multiple sensors, the report found.

The finding in the report that demonstrates the need for further study is the one stating, "UAP clearly pose a safety of flight issue and may pose a challenge to U.S. national security."

Tuesday's hearing will have a session that's open to the public, followed by a closed classified session.

"We want to see footage that we can't find on open source materials like YouTube," Carson told reporters on Capitol Hill on Friday. "We want to see the footage and have it explained to us, and that's what we're going to accomplish." 

The Pentagon in recent years has confirmed the authenticity of several videos and images showing objects under investigation by the UAP Task Force. Last year, the Defense Department confirmed three images posted by MysteryWire and a video posted by a UFO filmmaker had been taken by Navy personnel.

In 2020, the Pentagon released three videos — FLIR, GOFAST, and GIMBAL — showing encounters military aviators had with unidentified objects. The fighter pilots who witnessed the object in the FLIR video from 2004 spoke to "60 Minutes" last year about their experience.

In November 2021, the Pentagon established the Airborne Object Identification and Management Synchronization Group (AOIMSG) to succeed the Navy's UAP Task Force, with the intention of better coordinating the reporting and investigating incidents.

Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence and Security Ronald Moultrie, whose office houses the AOIMSG, and Deputy Director of Naval Intelligence Scott Bray are testifying Tuesday.

"I know Mr. Moultrie is looking forward to walking members of Congress through how we're going to organize around this effort," Pentagon press secretary John Kirby said Monday.

The last public congressional hearing on UFOs was held in the 1960s before the disbandment of "Project Blue Book," a U.S. Air Force program that investigated and analyzed reports of UFOs. The project lasted from 1947 to 1969 and was disbanded in part because the objects were found to pose no threat to national security, according to an Air Force fact sheet.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ufo-hearing-congress-pentagon-watch-live-stream-today-2022-05-17/

[Rick Plant]

President Biden @POTUS

We are doing everything we can to make more infant formula available while the closed factory comes back online.

Last night, there was another breakthrough.

The FDA will allow formula from outside the US to be safely imported, which will quickly increase supply.

Watch: https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1526548254749560833

[Rick Plant]

President Biden @POTUS

Jill and I are in Buffalo to stand with the community and to grieve with the families. As a nation, we must find purpose to live a life worthy of those we lost. We must resolve that from tragedy will come hope and light and life.

We have to refuse to live in a country where Black people grocery shopping can be gunned down by weapons of war deployed in a racist cause.

We have to refuse to live in a country where fear and lies are packaged for power and for profit.

White supremacy is a poison running through our body politic.

We need to say as clearly and forcefully as we can that the ideology of white supremacy has no place in America.

Failure to do so will be complicity. Silence will be complicity. We cannot remain silent.

In America, evil will not win.

Hate will not prevail.

White supremacy will not have the last word.



https://twitter.com/POTUS/status/1526641001091178498

[Rick Plant]

Cawthorn didn't lose because he was too extreme, supported the 1/6 insurrection, praised Hitler, tweeted violence towards Democrats, called Ukraine's President Zelenskyy a thug, assaulted multiple women. He lost because he squealed on unknown members of the Republican Party for attending wild cocaine parties. After he revealed that private information in an interview, the GOP establishment destroyed him by leaking photos of him dressed up in women's lingerie and in an intimate setting with another man. They were angry he broke their code of silence and they ruined him. Donald Trump begged voters in his district to give Cawthorn another chance but Donnie's plea fell on dead ears as insurrectionist Cawthorn was dumped from the party. So, the GOP couldn't have cared less about his previous despicable behavior because they totally ignored it, only when Cawthorn mentioned the "wild cocaine parties" they finally went after him personally to destroy him politically. Seems like the GOP wants these "wild cocaine parties" hidden from the public. Cawthorn should spill the beans about which GOP members attend these cocaine parties.

Trump-backed Rep. Cawthorn ousted in North Carolina



Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-N.C.) was projected to lose his primary in North Carolina on Tuesday night, marking the end of a brief yet controversial tenure in the House that earned him critics on both sides of the aisle.

The Associated Press called the race for Cawthorn’s rival, state Sen. Chuck Edwards, at 11:09 p.m. ET.

Cawthorn’s campaign confirmed earlier Tuesday that the lawmaker had already conceded to Edwards.

Heading into the Tuesday primary, Cawthorn faced a crowded field of Republican rivals, though he remained the favorite to clinch the nomination in North Carolina’s 11th Congressional District.

But the many controversies and missteps that haunted Cawthorn’s reelection bid appeared to catch up to him. 

Cawthorn drew a handful of GOP rivals last year after he said that he would change districts to run for a seat closer to Charlotte. He returned to his old district, however, after state courts struck down North Carolina’s new House map.

Since then, Cawthorn’s political difficulties only continued to mount.

He angered many of his fellow House Republicans earlier this year after he suggested in a podcast interview that his colleagues were attending orgies and snorting cocaine. He has also been the subject of a series of salacious revelations, including a leaked nude video that he dismissed as “blackmail.”

In two separate incidents this year he was cited for driving with a suspended license and attempting to take a gun through an airport security checkpoint. And he drew headlines for calling Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky a “thug.”

Cawthorn sought to cast the revelations and attacks as an effort by the so-called Washington establishment to oust him.

But Cawthorn also made powerful enemies within his home state. The top Republicans in the state General Assembly endorsed Edwards, as did Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.).

“Republicans chose Chuck Edwards tonight because he is the embodiment of Mountain values who will fight for them every single day in Congress with honor and integrity,” Tillis said in a statement on Tuesday night after Cawthorn conceded the race.

Retiring Sen. Richard Burr (R-N.C.) called him an “embarrassment” during a March appearance on CNN.

Nevertheless, Cawthorn retained the backing of former President Trump, who endorsed him last year and doubled down on his support ahead of the primary, saying that the first-term congressman made some “foolish mistakes” but deserved a “second chance.”

That endorsement, however, wasn’t enough to save him from defeat on Tuesday.

https://thehill.com/news/campaign/3491377-cawthorn-concedes-in-north-carolina-house-gop-primary/     

[Rick Plant]

Well Kathy lost, so it looks like she won't be supporting the Pennsylvania GOP Senate nominee after all. She has the support of several far right wing social media "influencers", so we will see if they follow suit and not support the nominee as well. The GOP establishment went after her hard and destroyed her character in the final days of the campaign. That should anger her most ardent supporters into not casting a vote for the establishment nominee Oz or McCormick who both received millions from billionaires along with Rupert Murdoch and Charles Koch. As of this morning, the Pennsylvania GOP Senate race has not yet been officially called but Dr. Oz is slightly in the lead.   

Pennsylvania Sen. race: Kathy Barnette won’t support Republican nominee if she loses

GOP Pennsylvania Senate candidate Kathy Barnette said in an interview with Breitbart News she would not support the Republican nominee in the state’s race for the Senate if she does not win Tuesday’s primary.

“I have no intentions of supporting globalists,” Barnette said on “Breitbart News Daily” on SiriusXM Monday.

Barnette is running against celebrity surgeon Mehmet Oz, who has the support of former President Trump, and former hedge fund manager Dave McCormick. Barnette was far behind in the polls weeks ago but has shot up in the race and is seen as a real contender to win — despite some barbs from the former president.

"I believe we have ran out of room on this runway for this spaceship. I believe we have very little rope left to just roll the dice and we’ll see how it all works out on the other end. I believe our country is in trouble,” Barnette said in the interview, explaining why she would not vote for one of her primary rivals if they win the race.

“I don’t believe we have much longer and I believe what I have done is I have made it possible where Pennsylvanians do not have to hold their nose and vote for the lesser of two evils this time. I don’t think we have room to just vote for any old warm body with an R next to their name. I think we can do better than that,” she added.

Barnette has a much smaller budget for her campaign than her rivals, but has won support in the state through strong performances on the stump and debating the other candidates. Her personal story of how she was born after the rape of her mother has resonated with the anti-abortion community.

Barnette has been endorsed by the Club for Growth and Susan B. Anthony List, but has drawn ire from both Trump and more establishment Republicans, who believe she might lose a general election in the fall.

The battle for the Senate majority will run through Pennsylvania, where the contenders are racing to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

Other Republicans argue that Barnette is not electable in the swing state due to her hard-line stances and controversial background.

“My concern, whether it’s valid or not, is that I want to make sure that she’s been vetted so that we don’t nominate someone that the Democrats are going to dump a truckload of opposition research on right after the election,” Sam DeMarco, the chair of the Allegheny County GOP, said. “We know what politics is like today. You want to be comfortable that the person you nominate.”

https://www.abc27.com/2022-united-states-senate-election-in-pennsylvania/pa-sen-race-kathy-barnette-wont-support-republican-nominee-if-she-loses/


Kathy Barnette's Senate campaign fizzles out



Kathy Barnette's Senate candidacy fizzled out on Tuesday, appearing headed to a third place finish behind Trump-backed Dr. Oz and hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick.

Between the lines: The Oz-McCormick race was too close to call as of 11:00pm ET on Tuesday.

Why it matters: The longshot candidate surged in the last weeks of the campaign with her compelling life story — which still hasn't faced deep scrutiny — while winning accolades from some Trumpworld figures for her "ultra-MAGA" beliefs.

Barnette’s past bigoted statements have come to light in recent weeks, including attacks on gay people and Islam. She also refused to concede her 2020 U.S. House race, echoing baseless claims about fraud in her own election and the presidential contest and attended the rally on Jan. 6 in Washington D.C.

State of play: Barnette's sudden rise panicked Republican operatives, kicking off a wild scramble to destroy her chances in the final stretch of the campaign, as Axios' Jonathan Swan, Lachlan Markay and Andrew Solender reported.

The big picture: The race to replace retiring Republican Sen. Pat Toomey is one of the most closely watched in the nation and could decide control of the chamber.

https://www.axios.com/2022/05/18/kathy-barnette-trump-oz-pennsylvania-gop

[Rick Plant]

We can officially say that Donald Trump's "endorsements" don't mean anything and are not influential with Republican voters. He lost badly in Nebraska a few days ago, with Cawthorn last night, and now with the far right wing extremist Trump fanatic Janice McGeachin of Idaho. Even the most staunch Republicans didn't cast their vote for Donnie's handpicked candidates. If Donnie has the "influence" as the media falsley claims, his candidates would be winning in a landslide as soon as the polls close instead of losing early in the night. It's about time the mainstream media acknowledges this as well instead of pretending his endorsements influence voters.         

Idaho Gov. Little defeats Trump-backed McGeachin



Idaho Gov. Brad Little on Tuesday won the GOP gubernatorial primary, beating a Trump-backed challenger who had repeatedly criticized the incumbent for not being conservative enough.

The intraparty contest between Little and Lt. Gov. Janice McGeachin was an example of the choice GOP voters face nationwide between established candidates and insurgents endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Little and McGeachin frequently feuded over coronavirus precautions and the role of government. Last year McGeachin twice attempted a power grab when Little was out of state on business.

Republicans are almost guaranteed of winning in the general election as Democrats haven’t held the governor’s office since 1995 or statewide office since 2007. Republicans hold supermajorities in the House and Senate, and Democrats aren’t even contesting more than half of the Legislature’s 105 seats.

Little was attending a Republican Governors Association meeting in Tennessee last May when McGeachin issued an executive order banning mask mandates. Little quickly rescinded the order and decried her actions as an “irresponsible, self-serving political stunt.” He had never issued statewide COVID-19 mask mandates, instead saying that local officials should be able to do what they see fit.

She tried it again a few months later when Little was away, issuing an executive order that expanded on a directive that no Idaho government could require vaccine passports. She sought to add K-12 schools and universities to the ban.

McGeachin accused Little, the first-term governor, of rejecting conservative principles, writing on Twitter that “protecting individual liberty means fighting against tyranny at ALL levels of government.”

Little, a rancher from southwest Idaho, served as lieutenant governor from 2009 to 2019 before becoming governor. He touts the record $600 million income tax cut he signed earlier this year that includes a one-time $350 million in rebates and $250 million in permanent income tax reductions going forward for people and businesses.

The 68-year-old Little also highlighted his “Leading Idaho” plan that includes a record $300 million education spending increase, plus spending $200 million ongoing for roads and bridges, the largest ever increase for transportation.

The 59-year-old McGeachin had, and frequently touted, an endorsement by Trump, who won Idaho with 64 percent of the vote in the last general election. McGeachin has also promoted Trump’s lies that the 2020 election was stolen from him through mass voter fraud.

https://www.idahostatejournal.com/freeaccess/idaho-gov-little-defeats-trump-backed-mcgeachin/article_08b43e21-bc49-5073-bef1-fa0dc5315a81.html

[Rick Plant]

Fetterman wins Democratic nomination for Senate in Pennsylvania



PITTSBURGH — Lt. Gov. John Fetterman has won the Democratic Senate primary in Pennsylvania.

The win came two days after Fetterman announced he had suffered a stroke while campaigning but that doctors had told him he had suffered no cognitive damage and would be able to return to the campaign trail. The campaign announced that Fetterman underwent a successful Election Day procedure to have a pacemaker with a defibrillator inserted.

The campaign still held an election night rally, headlined by Fetterman’s wife, Giselle, a fixture at his events. National Democrats see Pennsylvania as the party’s best chance of flipping a U.S. Senate seat this fall.

"Thank you, Pennsylvania,” Fetterman said in a statement. “The fact that so many of you entrusted me with your vote means the world to me, and it’s something I’ll never take for granted. I’m feeling better every day, and I’m going to be back on the campaign trail to thank you all in person soon.”

The 52-year-old Fetterman previously served as the mayor of Braddock, a Pittsburgh suburb. He ran in the 2016 Senate primary as the progressive candidate but finished third before winning the primary for lieutenant governor two years later.

Fetterman gained a higher profile in the aftermath of the 2020 election, when he was a constant presence on cable news and social media rebutting Republican claims of fraud.

Fetterman is also a memorable figure with an atypical look for a politician with a master’s degree from Harvard: He is tall, bald, goateed, tattooed and chooses to wear gym shorts and hoodies whenever possible. When he entered the race in February 2021, he had immediate success in fundraising, bringing in millions from a grassroots network. By the time his primary rival, Rep. Conor Lamb, had entered the race in August, Fetterman had established a lead that carried him through to May.

Part of Fetterman’s political strategy has been to visit every county in the state, including rural areas where Democrats typically lose by 3-1 margins. While there, he doesn’t shy away from espousing support for progressive priorities: He wants to eliminate the legislative filibuster in the Senate (centrist Sen. Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., is a foil Fetterman likes to invoke), has made marijuana legalization a top priority and is a prominent supporter of unions as well as LGBTQ and abortion rights.

Fetterman has been criticized for missing events at Black churches and a 2013 incident with a Black jogger but he earned the endorsement of the Philadelphia Tribune, the oldest Black newspaper in the country, which wrote he “has demonstrated through his campaign that he is the candidate with the broadest appeal across the state and is the best candidate to represent the Democratic Party’s agenda.”

That was one of the few formal endorsements he earned, with most elected officials who opted to support a candidate going for Lamb. Following the primary loss, the congressman said he was throwing his support behind Fetterman.

"Our entire democracy is on the line in November," Lamb said in a statement. "Democrats need to be unequivocally united in our defense of this democracy, and we will be. John’s vote in the Senate is essential to protect this democracy, and he will have my vote in November. I will do everything I can to help Democrats win."

https://news.yahoo.com/john-fetterman-pennsylvania-democratic-senate-nomination-win-005644290.html


Statement from President Biden:

Electing John Fetterman to the United States Senate would be a big step forward for Pennsylvania’s working people.