Lobbyists...

 

The White House’s rollout of the biggest infrastructure package in at least five decades has sparked a lobbying frenzy in Washington, a mad dash among lawmakers and lobbyists to weigh in on the legislation and sway the Biden administration to include their pet projects or exclude the corporate tax hikes they don’t want to pay. The early jockeying for influence over the plan portends a fierce debate about the details that could last much of the year, if not longer.

On Capitol Hill, progressive Democrats are urging the Biden administration to spend more to combat climate change and tackle the goals of the Green New Deal.

 A small but growing group of blue-state Democrats is vowing to oppose the package unless it repeals Trump-era limits on state and local tax deductions. Nearly 60 other Democrats in both chambers are calling for a roughly $100 billion investment in public housing.

Take the money from one side, give it to another.. all in all is a disaster to the economy.  Just a thought.

Peter...

 LARRY KUDLOW: Wall Street may be waiting for President Joe Biden’s big announcement on infrastructure. President Biden expected to unveil his plans, this alleged infrastructure plan I should say, which frankly is going to be less about traditional infrastructure and a lot more about the Green New Deal and a massive, across-the-board, tax hike. 

Also buried in the plan is going to be social infrastructure, which will be a massive expansion of the welfare state with no work incentives.

Robing Peter to Pay Paul- The poor will continue to be poor.[Look at New York NYSH} and the rich would invest less. Less Jobs than more. Yoooo Goooo.

So we tax every one to give the money to certain businesses of the Government's choice to invest. The best free market ever. Just a thought.

 

Sleeping...

 

Wrong...

 

Experts boarded the massive container ship that blocked Egypt's vital Suez Canal and disrupted global trade for nearly a week, seeking answers to a single question that could have billions of dollars in legal implications: What went wrong?

As convoys of ships again began traveling in this artery linking East and West through the Mediterranean and Red Seas, hundreds more idled waiting for their turn. what caused the skyscraper-sized Ever Given to become wedged across the canal's southern single-lane on March 23.

When blame gets assigned, it could turn into years of litigation over the costs of repairing the ship, fixing the canal and reimbursing those who saw their cargo shipments disrupted. And since the vessel is owned by a Japanese firm, operated by a Taiwanese shipper, flagged in Panama and now stuck in Egypt, matters have quickly become an international morass.

Crisis...

 

 

Two House Republicans are demanding documents related to reporting that President Joe Biden's transition team was warned by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials about the possible consequences of reversing his predecessors immigration policies.

 Representatives Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) accused the new administration of refusing to "accept responsibility for the growing humanitarian and security crisis."  

"This refusal to accept responsibility is startling in light of a news report that suggests the Biden Administration was warned that reversing President Trump's successful immigration policies would lead to a surge at the border,"  

The report referenced, published by NPR, featured former acting DHS Secretary Chad Wolf stating that career agency officials stressed problems would arise at the U.S.-Mexico border if the new administration removed immigration policies such as "Remain in Mexico" and other asylum measures. The concerns were allegedly raised during multiple briefings the department held with Biden's transition team.

Reason...

 

Science...

 

Depending on the current wave.

In New York, Gov. Andrew Cuomo says he'll only listen to science.

"The experts will tell us the best course of conduct based on that data.

"No political decisions, no emotional decisions, [just] data and science; we're talking about human lives here."

Good Luck...

 

I hope that the Biden Administration solve the current problems and not start new problems to solve. 

That include peace in the Middle East , or just leave well enough alone. Not to start a conflict and threatening words with the Chinese and the Russians nations.

Finally build on the previous administration done on the South Border rather than starting to invent a wheel in a digital world.

The problems come from those who surrond the administration.  Good Luck Joe.

Just a thought.

More Tax...

 

The office of Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg said the Biden administration was not considering a plan to tax drivers by the number of miles that they drive after Buttigieg said during an interview he was open to the idea.

During a CNBC interview about his goals for US infrastructure and Biden's upcoming infrastructure plan, Buttigieg was asked about funding the president's plan, which is expected to cost about $3 trillion. He was specifically questioned about the efficacy of vehicle miles traveled (VMT) tax, which would tax drivers by the number of miles they drive and is seen as an alternative to taxing gasoline.

"I think that shows a lot of promise," Buttigieg said. "If we believe in that so-called user-pays principle, the idea that part of how we pay for roads is you pay based on how much you drive. The gas tax used to be the obvious way to do it. It's not anymore, so a so-called vehicle miles traveled tax or mileage tax - whatever you want to call it - could be a way to do it."

Tax Tax Tax.... 

Cages...

 

Please...

 

Hot...

 

Are we creating the problems to have something to work on?  Just a thought.

Unclear...

 

President Joe Biden shut down oil and gas lease sales from the nation’s vast public lands and waters in his first days in office, citing worries about climate change. 

Now his administration has to figure out what do with the multibillion-dollar program without crushing a significant sector of the U.S. economy — and while fending off sharp criticism from congressional Republicans and the oil industry.   

It’s unclear how much legal authority the government has to stop drilling on about 23 million acres (9 million hectares) previously leased to energy companies. 

Interior Department launches a months-long review of the government’s petroleum sales with a virtual forum.  

 These actions doubled the price of Gasoline and require US reliance on the Middle East for their oil. With that, we are starting again our gimmicks and interfering in the Middle East as we did in the past including invasion, bombing etc.

Yours...

 

Gooo...

 

President Joe Biden, whose administration is grappling with overcrowding at migrant facilities on the southern border, tasked Vice President Kamala Harris with leading efforts to coordinate with Mexico and the Central American nations of Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador.

The assignment marks Harris' first major policy role since she was sworn in in January.
The vice president will work to stem the flow of people coming to the border, thousands of whom are unaccompanied children. 

Biden, among other reversals of Trump-era immigration policies, ended the prior administration's practice of expelling unaccompanied minors.
But the recent increase in migrants has quickly overwhelmed border patrol stations and processing facilities, which are grappling with backlogs and overcrowding.
Harris this week called the situation at the border "a huge problem."

Way to goooo.

You lie down with dogs, you get up with fleas. Just a thought.

Threat...

 

 

“America will never be destroyed from the outside. If we falter and lose our freedoms, it will be because we destroyed ourselves.” Abraham Lincoln. 

I'm not sure who is doing it. it may be just putting the party first. Just a thought.

Absorbed...

 

 Self-absorbed people like to one-up others. They don't like the focus being on anyone else's distress, projects, or goals.

If you tell a self-absorbed person what you have going on, they will tell you about something bigger they're experiencing or doing. This could be positive or negative. For example, if you tell them about your COVID vaccine symptoms, they will no doubt have had more severe symptoms. If you tell them about a craft project, they will tell you their plans to renovate their whole house. If you tell them about a success, they will tell you about a bigger one.

Self-absorbed people can run hot and cold.

Because self-absorbed people get very immersed in their feelings and endeavors, they can be inconsistent in their contact with their support people. They may want to talk to you often if they're excited and see you as an outlet for sharing that excitement. However, when they've moved on to another topic, they might move on to another person along with it.

If you're not fulfilling a particular need for them, such as a need for emotional support, they may all but disappear. They may become very interested in you if they sense you may help them with a goal but then go "off" you if that doesn't pan out, or a new person catches their attention and seems more valuable.

Sargramostim...

 

A new study suggests that Sargramostim, a medication often used to boost white blood cells after cancer treatments, is also effective in treating and improving memory in people with mild-to-moderate Alzheimer’s disease. This medication comprises of a natural human protein produced by recombinant DNA technology (yeast-derived rhu GM-CSF/Leukine®).

Thus, naturally increased levels of GM-CSF in people with rheumatoid arthritis may be one reason that they are protected from Alzheimer’s disease,” said Huntington Potter, PhD, director of the CU Alzheimer’s and Cognition Center, who together with Jonathan Woodcock, Timothy Boyd and collaborators carried out the new trial.

“Human GM-CSF is the active compound in the known human drug Sargramostim, and we are the first to study its effect on people with Alzheimer’s disease.”

Trigger...

 

Researchers at the Greifswald teaching hospital in northern Germany said  that they had discovered the cause of the unusual blood clotting found in some recipients of the AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine.

The investigation showed how the vaccine caused rare thrombosis in the brain in a small number of patients.

The discovery means that targeted treatment can be offered to those who suffer similar clotting, using a very common medication.

The researchers emphasized that treatment would only be possible in patients where blood clots appear, rather than as a preventative treatment.

The information has been shared with hospitals around Europe.

Symptoms like continuous headache, dizziness or impaired vision lasting more than three days after vaccination need further medical check-ups, according to the German Research Association for Thrombosis and Hemostasis in a statement on the recent findings.

Wild Fire...

 

The opening night of the Democrats’ virtual convention was the beginning of a coronation for Joe Biden, but it was also a victory march for Andrew Cuomo, New York’s governor and a supposed hero of the coronavirus pandemic. “For all the pain and all the tears, our way worked,” Cuomo declared in his five-minute speech. “And it was beautiful.”

Beautiful” is an odd way to describe a virus that has killed more than 50,000 New Yorkers, or about 15 percent of the total number of Americans who have died from COVID-19. 

But Cuomo has long been a curious leader for Democrats to hold up as an emblem of successful leadership during the pandemic: He has somehow presided over the worst and deadliest coronavirus outbreak in the country while eluding the widespread criticism that has surrounded New York City’s Democratic mayor.

Cuomo’s initial response to the coronavirus outbreak was slow and mistake-filled. He initially balked at issuing stay-at-home orders while cases mounted and then ordered sick elderly patients out of hospitals and back to nursing homes, where the virus spread like wildfire. 

But to the unending frustration of Republicans, the governor’s buoyant image has been a study in the power of public communication to overshadow policy failures: Cuomo’s detailed, candid, and often weirdly funny daily briefings became appointment television for New Yorkers stuck in their homes and for a national cable audience transfixed by a leader who was tackling the crisis head-on.

Wreck...

 

Spreading...

 

Shameful Coda..

 

The report, commissioned by the global Ravi Zacharias International Ministries, is a shameful coda to the career of the late minister, whose books and radio programs have been a staple of evangelical Christian media for decades. 

Zacharias died in May of cancer at age 74, after aggressively denying sexual misconduct allegations made in 2017 by Lori Anne Thompson, a former follower, and her husband and portraying the couple as extortionists. The report referred to the Thompsons’ case but said investigators did not have enough data to fully assess it.

While the report by Atlanta law firm Miller & Martin said it “did not find evidence that anyone within RZIM or on its Board knew that Mr. Zacharias had engaged in sexual misconduct,” details in the document showed multiple red flags. It said several staffers were punished after raising questions about Zacharias traveling with a masseuse or spending weeks alone in Asia. It said RZIM didn’t investigate the 2017 allegations  despite the case making worldwide news.

There is no Saint without a past, no dinner without a future. Just a thought.

Surge...

 

Stressors...

 

The researchers found that people who reported experiencing no stressors were more likely to experience better daily well-being and fewer chronic health conditions. However, they were also more likely to have lower cognitive function, as well.

David M. Almeida, professor of human development at Penn State, said the study suggests that small, daily stressors could potentially benefit the brain, despite being an inconvenience.

“It’s possible that experiencing stressors creates opportunities for you to solve a problem, for example, maybe fixing your computer that has suddenly broken down before an important Zoom meeting.” “So experiencing these stressors may not be pleasant but they may force you to solve a problem, and this might actually be good for cognitive functioning, especially as we grow older.”

According to the researchers, a large number of previous studies have linked stress with a greater risk for many negative outcomes, like chronic illness or worse emotional wellbeing. But Almeida said that while it may make sense to believe that the less stress someone experiences the more healthy they will be, he said little research has explored that assumption.

Idiotic...

 

Shootings are soaring, but Mayor Bill de Blasio figures sending cops to knock on citizens’ doors and lecture them about their hateful speech is a wise move.

This was de Blasio’s idea of how to react to the horrific massacre in Atlanta: Officers can prevent anti-Asian attacks if they show up at the doors of people accused of hate speech. It is “perfectly appropriate” for officers to “confront” people for actions “not rising to a criminal level,” he said; the warnings could have an “educating” and “sobering impact” on potential future criminals.

De Blasio made a huge deal about having had “the talk” with his black son about fearing cops and regularly slams supposed NYPD excesses. Yet now he wants the same officers to become conflict mitigators and social judges?

Power...

 

Between 1837 and 1869 he was known as Sir John Dalberg-Acton, 8th Baronet.

 He is best known for the remark, "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. 

Great men are almost always bad men...", which he made in a letter to an Anglican bishop.

The problem is those who been pumped up by the subordinate and the Media as if they are great.

Sparrows...

 

Mao Zedong undertook several massive campaigns in an attempt to modernize and improve life in China. between 1958 and 1962. Killing all the sparrows was part of this campaign.

People were mobilized to eradicate the birds. They used beating drums to scare the birds from landing, forcing them to fly until they died of exhaustion. People tore down sparrow nests and shot sparrows down from the sky.

Locust populations boomed and they ate everything in their path. Grain production in most rural areas collapsed and a massive famine began. People ran out of things to eat and millions starved. The official number of fatalities from the Chinese government was 15 million. However, it’s estimated by some scholars that the fatalities were as high as 45  million.

Seeing and acting on one side of the equation. Just a thought.

Liberty...

 

Long Haulers...

 

.Novel coronavirus (COVID-19) symptoms can last weeks or months for some people. These patients, given the name "long haulers", have in theory recovered from the worst impacts of COVID-19 and have tested negative. However, they still have symptoms.  

Researchers estimate about 10% of COVID-19 patients become long haulers, according to a recent article from The Journal of the American Medical Association,

This condition can effect anyone – old and young, otherwise healthy people and those battling other conditions. It has been seen in those who were hospitalized with COVID-19 and patients with very mild symptoms.

Common symptoms include brain fog, fatigue, pain, immune issues, and malaise after exercise.

Scientists are beginning to study whether the coronavirus may create post-viral issues such as myalgic encephalomyelitis, which is also known as chronic fatigue syndrome. 

Character...

 

The Emmy-winning Cuomo Show has been canceled.

The star of the show, embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, spent half an hour  yukking it up with representatives of the Mets and Yankees at a press conference in which the press was not allowed to ask any questions. 

Cuomo said he would no longer answer questions about sexual harassment or nursing homes, under investigation at the state and federal level.

 He was a national phenomenon and now facing calls for his resignation even as the state Assembly has begun looking into possible impeachment proceedings.

Aspirin...

 

A daily dose of aspirin may help reduce the risk of serious 

complications from COVID-19.  That’s according to researchers from the University of Maryland School of Medicine.  

The researchers examined the records of 412 adults with COVID-19 who were admitted to hospitals across the United States between March and July.  Slightly more than 23 percent of the people who were studied were given a daily low dose of aspirin within 24 hours of their admission to the hospital or in the 7 days prior to their admission.    

The researchers reported that people taking aspirin were 44 percent less likely to be put on a ventilator and 43 percent less likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU).   The researchers also reported that those who took aspirin had a 47 percent decrease in risk of dying from COVID-19 when compared with those studied who were not taking a daily dose of aspirin.

Hugs

 

Start...

 

Gonna...

 

The Name...

 

A senior member of Russia’s parliament on Thursday said the U.S. should apologize after President Biden said he agreed that Russian President Vladimir Putin was a killer, and the official indicated that the Kremlin could take additional action after recalling its ambassador to the U.S.

What do we call the invasion of Libya under Obama/Biden time?

The US military claimed it had no knowledge of civilian casualties. On 19 March 2011, a multi-state NATO-led coalition began a military intervention in Libya, to implement United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, in response to events during the First Libyan Civil War.

Action...

 

As the president looks to undo his predecessor’s immigration policies, he is hoping for cooperation from a Mexican counterpart who was a contributor to them.

Don't be angry at me, I was told to do that.  Just a thought.

Emergency approval...

The U.S. could begin vaccinating older kids against Covid-19 this fall while elementary-aged children may start getting their shots early next year, White House Chief Medical Officer Dr. Anthony Fauci told lawmakers on Wednesday.

 "For high school students, it looks like they will be available to get vaccinated in the beginning of the fall, very likely for the fall term," Fauci told lawmakers during a hearing with the House Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Fauci said researchers will likely have enough data on immunizations for younger children — 12 and under — to begin giving them shots in the first quarter of 2022, Fauci said.

The Food and Drug Administration authorized the vaccines from Moderna and Johnson & Johnson's for people ages 18 and older, while Pfizer's vaccine can be used in people as young as 16.

Dr. Fauci never said the vaccines are under Emergency Approval at this time. Many unknown to the long term side effect or duration of protection. Just a thought. 

Johnson and...

 

The differences have been resolved and Catholic teaching is clear: Catholics have a moral duty to protect themselves and others from COVID-19 by being vaccinated. However, if given the choice, they should avoid the Johnson & Johnson vaccine, according to the Vatican and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops

Should they choose not to be vaccinated, they have a moral obligation to mask, socially distance and "do their utmost" to avoid becoming infected or infecting others, the Vatican said.

The message was somewhat garbled when the Diocese of Bismarck in North Dakota issued a statement on March 2 saying the Johnson & Johnson vaccine is "morally compromised and therefore unacceptable" to be given or received by Catholics.

The politicians and now the Catholic clergy people want to be front and center for something  should be left to the Medical field. Too much pollution of the minds of many.  If they want to interfere, create your own vaccines. Just a thought 

Perpetual...

 

The  icon is believed to have its origin sometime during the 13th -15th century.  The image is also known as “Our Lady of Perpetual Succour.” The icon is known for being miraculous; over the centuries countless healings and special graces have been attributed to it, so much so that the image has been honored and venerated by many Popes.

The miraculous icon is painted on wood and measures about 20" in height and depicts the Virgin Mary, under the title “Mother of God,” holding the Child Jesus.

The Archangels Michael and Gabriel, hovering in the upper corners, hold the instruments of the Passion. St. Michael (in the left corner) holds the spear, the wine-soaked sponge, and the crown of thorns. St. Gabriel (in the right corner) holds the cross and the nails.

The intent of the artist was to portray the Child Jesus contemplating the vision of His future Passion.  Frightened by the vision, he runs to his mother for consolation. The anguish He feels is shown by the loss of one of His sandals as he quickly flees into the arms of his Mother.

The icon also conveys the triumph of Christ over sin and death, symbolized by the golden background as a sign of the glory of the resurrection. The royal crowns on the heads of Jesus and Mary also symbolize their triumph as the King of Kings with his Queen Mother.

In a very beautiful way, the Child Jesus grasps the hand of the Blessed Mother.  He seeks comfort from His mother as He sees the instruments of His passion.  The position of Mary’s hands – both holding the Child Jesus (who seems like a small adult) and at the same time presenting Him to us – convey the reality of our Lord’s incarnation, that He is true God who became also true man.

Sunshine...

 

Even “New York’s hometown airline” can’t escape the allure of sunny Florida.

JetBlue, currently headquartered in the Long Island City neighborhood of Queens, is exploring its office options in the wake of the pandemic, a move that could see it ship more corporate jobs to the Sunshine State, The Post has learned.

In a March 11 memo to its LIC staffers, the budget airline said the combination of tougher economic times and more abundant office space has it reviewing its options ahead of the July 2023 expiration of its Long Island City lease.

One possibility, it said, involves flying more staff to Florida, which is home to its Orlando training center and the Fort Lauderdale headquarters of its travel products subsidiary. It could also move to another NYC borough, it said.

Yeah..

 

Zero to...

 

Both U.S. Democratic senators from New York -- Chuck Schumer and Kirsten Gillibrand – have joined the growing chorus of Democratic lawmakers calling on Cuomo to resign as a seventh woman has come forward accusing the governor of some form of sexual harassment or inappropriate touching.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., repeatedly reaffirmed that she has "zero tolerance" for sexual harassment – but fell short of calling on embattled New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo to resign. 

So to Rep. Nancy Pelosi [Democrat], it is not really Zero Tolerance, It is kind of Zero to Sixty depending of the party association. Some times we ask for resignation and sometimes we just have to hold judgment.

Hostile environment for young women, fudging the numbers of those who passed from Covid virus in the nursing home, mishandling the whole epidemic with 50,000 death in the State...not enough for Pelosi. ...  Just a thought.

Credibility...

 

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio suggested that Governor Andrew Cuomo may ultimately answer widespread calls to resign, but only "right before" a state-led impeachment proceeding is complete. On Sunday the mayor discussed what could lie ahead for the governor, a fellow Democrat, amid mounting sexual misconduct allegations and lingering public backlash over his role in New York's nursing home COVID crisis.

"The folks in his state, and the political leadership, don't believe [Cuomo] anymore. He doesn't have any credibility," said de Blasio during Sunday's interview. "So, I think an impeachment proceeding will begin, and I think he will be impeached and, perhaps, right before that, he'll decide to resign. That's probably the most likely outcome right now."

"By the end of March 2020, 87 % of New Yorkers approve of Andrew Cuomo's handling of the pandemic, but his newfound popularity spurred talk of federal office. He appeared on CNN nine times  with anchor/brother Chris Cuomo in the comedy series “Mom Loves Me Better.”  

Who calculated these fake statistics any way?

Clots...

 

Denmark is suspending the use of the Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine for two weeks as it investigates reports of some patients developing blood clots after being inoculated, days after several other EU countries suspended use of a specific batch of the vaccine.

Danish Health Minister Magnus Heunicke said authorities were looking into "signs of a possible serious side effect in the form of fatal blood clots," though he made clear it was a "precautionary measure," saying it was not possible yet to conclude whether the clots were linked to the vaccine.

"We act early, it needs to be thoroughly investigated," he said in a tweet.

Over...

 

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif.,  said that the influx of unaccompanied children arriving at the U.S.-Mexico border was a “humanitarian crisis.” 

Pelosi’s remarks came one day after Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas announced that the Federal Emergency Management Agency will begin sheltering and transferring children who arrive at the southern border.

“The Biden administration is trying to fix the broken system that was left to them. “The Biden administration will have a system, based on doing the best possible job, understanding this is a humanitarian crisis.”

President Joe Biden’s administration has stopped short of calling the situation on the border a crisis.

On his first day in office, Biden terminated Trump’s declaration of an “emergency” at the southern border, which the former president had used as a legal mechanism to divert extra funds toward the construction of a wall.

During a press briefing at the White House earlier this month, Mayorkas told reporters that he did not believe the situation on the border was a crisis.

“The answer is no,” the DHS secretary said. “I think there is a challenge at the border that we are managing, and we have our resources dedicated to managing it.”

Biden campaigned on a wholesale reversal of Trump’s hardline immigration policies, but a swelling number of children in Customs and Border Protection custody has posed a challenge for the nascent administration.

More than 3,700 children were in CBP custody as of last week, CNN reported, a record number, with about 450 being apprehended every day. Many of those children are being held in facilities that resemble jails, according to the outlet.

 Well, fix it then. Just a thought.