‘The future of America’ is at stake during Georgia Senate runoffs: Miranda Devine

The New York Post columnist joins ‘The Brian Kilmeade Show’ to discuss coronavirus stimulus talks, Georgia Senate election.

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  • Rudy Giuliani, hospitalized with the coronavirus, says he has 'exactly the same view' on COVID-19

    Speaking from his hospital room, Rudy Giuliani said Tuesday he hasn't changed his mind regarding the coronavirus or mask use, despite his recent COVID-19 diagnosis.Giuliani, President Trump's personal lawyer and a former mayor of New York City, was admitted to a Washington, D.C., hospital on Sunday, after traveling across the country in his futile attempt to overturn the election results. Giuliani did not wear a mask during meetings last week in Arizona, Michigan, and Georgia, exposing lawmakers and others to the virus.During an interview with New York radio station 77 WABC, the hosts asked Giuliani if his views on the virus have changed, now that he is sick and in the hospital. They mentioned former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R), who contracted the virus after attending a super-spreader event at the White House; Christie later said it was "wrong" to be there without a mask."No," Giuliani responded. "I have exactly the same view. You know, I've also been through cancer, a couple of other things — very serious, very serious, emergency knee operation. Things happen in life, and you have to go with them. You can't overreact to them. Otherwise, you let the fear of illness drive your entire life." Regarding face coverings, which provide protection to the wearer and those around them, Giuliani said he thinks "you can overdo the masks."Giuliani revealed that he has received two of the same medications Trump took during his hospitalization for COVID-19: remdesivir and dexamethasone. One of the radio hosts told Giuliani the drugs are "not something that the normal American is going to be able to get, because it's quite expensive." Giuliani deflected, saying he "didn't know that. I mean, they give it to us here at the hospital."Giuliani did admit that his high profile is why he's receiving treatment that the average American can't get, saying: "I think if it wasn't me, I wouldn't have been put in the hospital. Sometimes, when you're — you know, when you're a celebrity — they're worried if something happens to you, they're going to examine it more carefully, and they do everything right." He said his advice to people is "get early treatment," falsely claiming that "the earlier you get treated for this, No. 1, you totally eliminate the chance of dying."More stories from theweek.com Trump's jaw-dropping vaccine screwup Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says he won't be part of Biden administration Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, and Jimmy Kimmel wrap up Trump's Pfizer vaccine flub, Supreme Court loss, mass pardon plan

  • Defeated, lying, narcissist ex-President Trump will make a perfect ‘Florida man’ | Opinion

    Step aside Congressman Matt Gaetz, Florida man personified, you’ve got real competition now.

  • The Taliban are megarich – here's where they get the money they use to wage war in Afghanistan

    The Taliban militants of Afghanistan have grown richer and more powerful since their fundamentalist Islamic regime was toppled by U.S. forces in 2001. In the fiscal year that ended in March 2020, the Taliban reportedly brought in US$1.6 billion, according to Mullah Yaqoob, son of the late Taliban spiritual leader Mullah Mohammad Omar, who revealed the Taliban’s income sources in a confidential report commissioned by NATO and later obtained by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty.In comparison, the Afghan government brought in $5.55 billion during the same period. The government is now in peace talks with the Taliban, seeking to end their 19-year insurgency.I study the Taliban’s finances as an economic policy analyst at the Center for Afghanistan Studies. Here’s where their money comes from. 1\. Drugs – $416 millionAfghanistan accounted for approximately 84% of global opium production over the past five years, according to the United Nation’s World Drug Report 2020. Much of those illicit drug profits go to the Taliban, which manage opium in areas under their control. The group imposes a 10% tax on every link in the drug production chain, according to a 2008 report from the Afghanistan Research and Evaluation Unit, an independent research organization in Kabul. That includes the Afghan farmers who cultivate poppy, the main ingredient in opium, the labs that convert it into a drug and the traders who move the final product out of country. 2\. Mining – $400 million to $464 millionMining iron ore, marble, copper, gold, zinc and other metals and rare-earth minerals in mountainous Afghanistan is an increasingly lucrative business for the Taliban. Both small-scale mineral-extraction operations and big Afghan mining companies pay Taliban militants to allow them to keep their businesses running. Those who don’t pay have faced death threats.According to the Taliban’s Stones and Mines Commission, or Da Dabaro Comisyoon, the group earns $400 million a year from mining. NATO estimates that figure higher, at $464 million – up from just $35 million in 2016. 3\. Extortion and taxes – $160 millionLike a government, the Taliban tax people and industries in the growing swath of Afghanistan under their control. They even issue official receipts of tax payment.“Taxed” industries include mining operations, media, telecommunications and development projects funded by international aid. Drivers are also charged for using highways in Taliban-controlled regions, and shopkeepers pay the Taliban for the right to do business. The group also imposes a traditional Islamic form of taxation called “ushr” – which is a 10% tax on a farmer’s harvest – and “zakat,” a 2.5% wealth tax. According to Mullah Yaqoob, tax revenues – which may also be considered extortion – bring in around $160 million annually. Since some of those taxed are poppy growers, there could be some financial overlap between tax revenue and drug revenue. 4\. Charitable donations – $240 millionThe Taliban receive covert financial contributions from private donors and international institutions across the globe. Many Taliban donations are from charities and private trusts located in Persian Gulf countries, a region historically sympathetic to the group’s religious insurgency. Those donations add up to about $150 million to $200 million each year, according to the Afghanistan Center for Research and Policy Studies. These charities are on the U.S. Treasurey Department’s list of groups that finance terrorism. Private citizens from Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and some Persian Gulf nations also help finance the Taliban, contributing another $60 million annually to the Taliban-affiliated Haqqani Network, according to American counterterrorism agencies. 5\. Exports – $240 millionIn part to launder illicit money, the Taliban import and export various everyday consumer goods, according to the United Nations Security Council. Known business affiliates include the multinational Noorzai Brothers Limited, which imports auto parts and sells reassembled vehicles and spare automobile parts.The Taliban’s net income from exports is thought to be around $240 million a year. This figure includes the export of poppy and looted minerals, so there may be financial overlap with drug revenue and mining revenue. 6\. Real estate – $80 millionThe Taliban own real estate in Afghanistan, Pakistan and potentially other countries, according to Mullah Yaqoob and the Pakistani TV Channel SAMAA. Yaqoob told NATO annual real estate revenue is around $80 million. 7\. Specific countriesAccording to BBC reporting, a classified CIA report estimated in 2008 that the Taliban had received $106 million from foreign sources, in particular from the Gulf states.Today, the governments of Russia, Iran, Pakistan and Saudi Arabia are all believed to bankroll the Taliban, according to numerous U.S. and international sources. Experts say these funds could amount to as much as $500 million a year, but it is difficult to put an exact figure on this income stream. Building a peacetime budgetFor nearly 20 years, the Taliban’s great wealth has financed mayhem, destruction and death in Afghanistan. To battle its insurgency, the Afghan government also spends heavily on war, often at the expense of basic public services and economic development.[Deep knowledge, daily. Sign up for The Conversation’s newsletter.]A peace agreement in Afghanistan would allow the government to redirect its scarce resources. The government might also see substantial new revenue flow in from legal sectors now dominated by the Taliban, such as mining. Stability is additionally expected to attract foreign investment in the country, helping the government end its dependence on donors like the United States and the European Union.There are many reasons to root for peace in war-scarred Afghanistan. Its financial health is one of them.This article is republished from The Conversation, a nonprofit news site dedicated to sharing ideas from academic experts. It was written by: Hanif Sufizada, University of Nebraska Omaha.Read more: * How a troop drawdown in Afghanistan signals American weakness and could send Afghan allies into the Taliban’s arms * After US and Taliban sign accord, Afghanistan must prepare for peaceHanif Sufizada does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

  • Some of those involved in killing of Iranian nuclear scientist arrested, official says

    DUBAI (Reuters) -Some of those involved in the assassination of Iran's top nuclear scientist last month have been arrested, an adviser to the Iranian parliament speaker said on Tuesday, according to the semi-official news agency ISNA. Iran has blamed Israel for the Nov. 27 killing of Mohsen Fakhrizadeh, who was seen by Western intelligence services as the mastermind of a covert Iranian nuclear weapons programme.

  • NZ mosque attack report released, Ardern apologises

    A review of last year's mosque massacre in New Zealand found the country's security agencies were "almost exclusively" focused on the threat from Islamist terrorism rather than other threats, including white supremacists. Brenton Tarrant, the man who killed 51 Muslim worshippers in Christchurch last year is a white supremacist. On Tuesday (December 8), New Zealand's Royal Commission of Inquiry gave the results of its investigation into what was the country's worst-ever killings. They criticized authorities for ignoring repeated warnings from the Muslim community that hate crimes against them were escalating. And they also found that police failed to enforce proper checks on firearm licenses, but despite those faults, the commission said there were no failings within government agencies that would have alerted them to the imminent massacre. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who received global praise for her compassionate response to the attacks, apologised on Tuesday after the report was released: "The commission made no findings that these issues would have stopped the attack, these were failings none the less, and for that, on behalf of the government, I apologise." Ardern reacted to the attacks by swiftly banning the sale of the high-capacity semi-automatic weapons used in the attack. She also launched a global movement against online extremism. The report recommended a new national intelligence and security agency, as well as a new minister to carry out the report's list of 44 recommendations. The government said it would also create a ministry and graduate program for ethnic communities to support New Zealand's diverse population. "This roughly 800 page report can be distilled into one simple premise, Muslim New Zealanders should be safe. Anyone who calls New Zealand home regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, gender should be safe." Hours later, Abdigani Ali, speaking for the group that manages one of the targeted mosques, said the report did not go far enough. "We've known for a long time that the Muslim community has been unfairly targeted with hate speech, and hate crimes. This report shows that we were right. The report shows that institutional prejudice and unconscious bias exists in the government agencies and that needs to change. Another proposal includes mandatory reporting of firearm injuries to police by health professionals. Tarrant himself was treated by doctors in the months leading up to the attacks after accidentally shooting himself. Staff never alerted police to his injuries. Tarrant was sentenced to life in prison without parole in August for the attack, the first time New Zealand has ever handed down such a sentence.

  • Sister of missing Thai dissident meets with Cambodian judge

    The sister of an exiled Thai dissident who was reportedly abducted in Cambodia earlier this year appeared before a judge in Cambodia's capital on Tuesday to offer evidence that she hopes will lead to an official investigation into her brother’s disappearance. A group of armed men snatched Wanchalearm Satsaksit, 38, off the street in front of his apartment in Phnom Penh, the capital, in early June before taking him away in a black car, according to human rights groups and fellow activists, citing witness accounts and security video at the building. Sitanan Satsaksit, the dissident’s older sister, was joined by her lawyers at the office of the investigating judge at the Phnom Penh Municipal Court and said she hoped the meeting would prompt a formal investigation into her brother’s whereabouts.

  • Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says he won't be part of Biden administration

    Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson told Reuters on Tuesday that he will not join the administration of President-elect Joe Biden.Johnson was in the running for several Cabinet positions, including secretary of defense and attorney general, people close to the Biden transition team said. While he hasn't announced his pick yet for attorney general, Biden has tapped retired Gen. Lloyd Austin for the top role at the Pentagon.In an email to Reuters, Johnson confirmed that he will "not be in the Biden administration," and referred to the "news over the last 24 hours," likely referring to Austin's selection. Prior to running the Department of Homeland Security from late 2013 to early 2017, Johnson was general counsel of the Air Force and later the Department of Defense.More stories from theweek.com Rudy Giuliani, hospitalized with the coronavirus, says he has 'exactly the same view' on COVID-19 Trump's jaw-dropping vaccine screwup Stephen Colbert, Trevor Noah, and Jimmy Kimmel wrap up Trump's Pfizer vaccine flub, Supreme Court loss, mass pardon plan

  • Rudy Giuliani says 'you can overdo the mask' while in hospital for COVID-19 after ignoring mask-wearing and social distancing guidelines

    Giuliani told a radio channel that the coronavirus is "curable," and added, "When you're a celebrity, they're worried if something happens to you."

  • Hundreds pay respects at funeral of Chechen refugee who beheaded French teacher

    Several hundred people paid their respects last week at a funeral in Russia for the Chechnyan teenager who beheaded a teacher in France over cartoons mocking the Prophet Muhammad. Samuel Paty, a 47-year old history teacher, became the target of a hostile online campaign after discussing the cartoons in a class on freedom of speech and was eventually attacked and murdered by Abdoulakh Anzorov, an 18-year-old Chechen refugee, in October. Anzorov was shot dead by police shortly after the attack on October 16. His body was repatriated to Russia last week to allow his family to bury him in his ancestral village in the predominantly Muslim region of Chechnya. Several hundred people attended the funeral on Friday in the village of Shalazhi, chanting prayers on their way to the cemetery, a video released by several media outlets showed. Salman Magamadov, the village chief, insisted in an interview with the Podyem media outlet on Monday that Anzorov received an ordinary burial without “any special honours”. Prominent Muslim clerics in Russia have used the attack to condemn French authorities for mocking their religion. Ramzan Kadyrov, the strongman leader of Chechnya, said French President Emmanuel Macron was to blame for allegedly encouraging insults against Muslims. Mr Kadyrov later sought to distance his region from the attack, insisting that the teenager, an ethnic Chechen, was born in Moscow and moved to France when he was a small child.

  • Police Reports Detail Warnock’s Obstruction in 2002 Child-Abuse Probe That Led to His Arrest

    Reverend Raphael Warnock, the Democratic U.S. Senate candidate in Georgia, repeatedly obstructed a 2002 police investigation into child abuse at a church-affiliated summer camp, according to a new report.Maryland State Police reports obtained by the Washington Free Beacon detailed Warnock’s attempts to interfere with interviews and to discourage counselors from speaking with police during an investigation of physical abuse at Camp Farthest Out. At the time, Warnock served as senior pastor at Douglas Memorial Community Church, which ran the summer camp.Warnock, who now faces a tight runoff race against Republican Kelly Loeffler on January 5, interrupted police interviews of counselors on July 31, 2002, according to the report."This investigator informed [camp administrators] that if the counselors requested that an attorney be present that was their right, however, no one else could [invoke] their rights to an attorney on their behalf," the report reads.The Free Beacon reports that the names in the documents are redacted, but match closely with newspaper articles about the incident, which ultimately led to Warnock’s arrest. The state attorney later dropped the charges.At the time The Baltimore Sun reported that Warnock and a colleague were "accused in court documents of trying to prevent a state trooper of interviewing counselors at Camp Farthest Out" and that the ministers "interrupted a police interview of a counselor." Warnock said then that he was "only asserting that lawyers should be present when the camp counselors were interviewed."During a debate on Sunday, Warnock said that law enforcement officers “actually later thanked me for my cooperation and for helping them," and the deputy state attorney told the Baltimore Sun the same in November 2002.Police reports filed by state troopers after Warnock and Reverend Mark Andre Wainwright were arrested for “hindering and obstructing” police show that investigators warned Warnock a number of times to stop disrupting the investigation ahead of his arrest.Tfc. Danielle Barry, an investigator with the Maryland State Police’s child abuse division, wrote in her report that the pair "interfered with a criminal investigation by interrupting interviews and directing people not to talk to investigators."Though Warnock and camp administrators agreed to cooperate when investigators arrived to conduct interviews with counselors, they later voiced concerns about "legal ramifications from the alleged abuse case" and insisted that the camp’s attorney be present for any interviews with counselors or campers.Warnock and Wainright entered the room where investigators were conducting their first interview of the day with a 17-year-old counselor in a private camp office and “demanded that [they] be present for the interview,” according to the report.Barry told them they were "not permitted to join the interview and warned that they were "hindering and obstructing the investigation."Warnock then announced he would no longer allow investigators to use the camp office for interviews, and he and Wainright told Barry that they "did not like how things were progressing and therefore ‘they’ would not be cooperating in the case further." "This investigator explained to the reverends that what they were doing was committing a crime for which they could be arrested," the report says.After investigators relocated to an outside picnic area to continue their interviews, the reverends once again demanded to sit in on an interview being conducted, forcing Barry to cut her interview short.A camper later tried to give investigators the location of another potential subject to interview when one of the reverends "grabbed the camper by the arm and directed him away from these investigators" and "told the camper that he was not to talk to these people," according to the report.Barry then reached out to the deputy state attorney about the interference, she wrote, and a decision was made to arrest Warnock and Wainwright.

  • Republican leaders reportedly block Inaugural Committee vote to acknowledge Biden's win

    The presidential inaugural committee is reportedly refusing to acknowledge there will be a new president inaugurated next month.The Joint Congressional Committee on Inaugural Ceremonies is made up of top leaders of both congressional bodies -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), and House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) -- as well as Sens. Roy Blunt (R-Mo.) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.). They kicked off preparations Tuesday by considering a resolution basically acknowledging President-elect Joe Biden's win, but the committee's three Republicans voted it down, Politico reports.> The resolution was very basic, per folks with knowledge. It would've notified American people that Congress is preparing for inauguration of Biden and Harris "in coordination with health experts" as "we observe this transition of power."> > -- Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) December 8, 2020The inaugural committee is historically bipartisan, and has been planning inaugurations for president-elects of both parties for more than a century. But Republicans told Politico they felt like this resolution was a way for Democrats to force them into formally acknowledging Biden's win, and isn't necessary to begin planning the inauguration. Hoyer followed up by calling Republicans' blockade an "astounding" development in the GOP's refusal to acknowledge President Trump's loss. > And now statement from Hoyer:> > "The extent to which Republicans are refusing to accept the outcome of the election and recognize Joe Biden and Kamala Harris as our next President and Vice President is astounding," he said. https://t.co/6CCdFgPiUS> > -- Heather Caygle (@heatherscope) December 8, 2020More stories from theweek.com Rudy Giuliani, hospitalized with the coronavirus, says he has 'exactly the same view' on COVID-19 Trump's jaw-dropping vaccine screwup Former Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson says he won't be part of Biden administration

  • Contractors working on Trump's border wall illegally smuggled in armed Mexican guards to protect construction sites, whistleblower complaint says

    The complaint accused two companies building the wall in San Diego of hiring "unvetted" Mexican guards and overcharging the government for their work.

  • 10 Indoor Plant Stands That Seriously Stand Out

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  • Ethiopia volatile with fighting, ethnic profiling of Tigrayans - U.N. rights boss

    The situation in Ethiopia is "worrying and volatile" as fighting in the Tigray region continues amid reports of ethnic profiling of Tigrayans including in Addis Ababa, U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights Michelle Bachelet said on Wednesday. "We have reports that particularly areas surrounding towns like Mekelle, Sherero, Axum, Abiy Addi, and the borders between the Amhara and Tigray regions, fighting continues between federal forces and the TPLF (Tigray People's Liberation Front), and affiliated militias on both sides," Bachelet told a news conference in Geneva.

  • Sturgeon's husband 'contradicts wife and changes his own story' during evidence on Salmond scandal

    Nicola Sturgeon’s husband dealt a "fatal blow" to her account of her handling of the Alex Salmond scandal, it was claimed on Tuesday, after he directly contradicted her evidence to a Holyrood inquiry. Peter Murrell, also the SNP chief executive, was also accused of putting forward a series of "wholly implausible" claims, after he said his wife had not warned him in advance of "bombshell" sexual harassment claims against the most important figure in their party's history becoming public. Despite Mr Salmond meeting Ms Sturgeon in the couple's home to tell her about a Scottish Government investigation, Mr Murrell claimed he "didn't probe" what went on at the summit and said the political power-couple instead preferred to talk about books, what meals he would cook her, and cleaning. The party boss, who appeared on his 57th birthday, was repeatedly pressed over his claim that he was not made aware by Ms Sturgeon of the allegations facing Mr Salmond, despite his role as the SNP's top official.

  • DNA identifies Missouri toddler found in Mississippi in 1982

    Investigators say DNA testing has identified a Missouri toddler whose body was found on a riverbank in Mississippi in 1982. The child long known only as “Baby Jane” or “Delta Dawn” has been identified as 18-month-old Alisha Ann Heinrich. The sheriff of Jackson County, Mississippi, announced the child’s identity at a news conference Friday.

  • White Male Conservatives Think They’re America’s Real Victims

    Conservatives have officially become a sad group of angry, bitter, whining, radicalized, and mostly white men, who fear being made irrelevant by the inevitable demographic changes of America’s 21st century and as such now call themselves, wait for it, “victims.”At his campaign rally in Georgia this weekend, President Trump assured his maskless followers, “We’re all victims. Everybody here, all these thousands of people here tonight, they’re all victims. Every one of you.”What a stunning declaration of powerlessness, one that prompts the question: victims of who and what, Mr. President? I’m so glad you asked.They are victims of the younger, more diverse America that rejected Trump and voted for Joe Biden. They are victims of their own white male aggrievement and resentment. Yes, Trump increased his vote share among white women, but it’s men like him—older, wealthier, powerful—who are leading the way toward the politics of victimhood.The Authoritarian Threat in This Country Isn’t SocialismThey lie, openly. They distort the truth. They claim that their heritage is being stolen from them when confederate flags and monuments are removed from public places. They rail against critical race theory, diversity and inclusion training, calls for social justice and police reform, and label it “socialism,” which they associate with every Democrat from AOC to Biden.These folks are mad. But more than that they are foul hypocrites.One of my most prized possessions used to be my autographed copy of The Book of Virtues by former U.S. Secretary of Education and devout conservative Bill Bennett. Bill had been a man of virtue and a defender of the U.S. Constitution until Donald J. Trump became president of the United States. All of that went out the window as he joined Paula White, Franklin Graham, Pat Robertson, Newt Gingrich, and so many so-called Christian conservatives in sucking up to an openly bigoted, sexist Birther who cheats on his wives, pays off porn stars, gropes young beauty pageant contestants, and has been accused credibly of sexual assault by no fewer than 20 women.These supposed conservatives once talked about defeating communism, lifting the poor from poverty, home ownership, and small business growth. They believed in the sanctity of marriage and of family, and the promise of America as a beacon to the world. Now they follow a rudderless fool of a man. A charlatan. A soulless monster who cost countless Americans their lives with his feckless response to COVID-19.Their fearless leader, Donald Trump, has no ideas. He has no hope to offer a nation of sick, ill, mourning people. He only thinks of himself. Everybody is picking on me. They are after me. They are after us. We are all victims.I’ve always admired free market, pro-values, pro-national defense conservative Republicans like Jack Kemp and Jeane Kirkpatrick, who formed “Empower America” in the 1990s. Those two have left us, and I’d like to think they would have known better than to follow a racist creep like Trump.I know that Bennett, who is still with us, did not know better or did not care. After hearing him defend Trump’s attacks on election officials and refusal to concede an election he lost badly, I threw the book Bennett gave me and signed for me in the trash. Where it belongs.I, for one, am trying to understand and remain open to dialogue with these “Trumpsters,” so this past week I invited someone who is a friend, a neighbor, an American conservative, businessman, and yes, Trump 2020 voter onto my One America Podcast, where we talked about how he views the world as a white male conservative. I was enlightened by our dialogue. He was candid. Thoughtful. And he helped me to see beyond Trump’s dumpster fire rhetoric, and after talking with him and truly listening to him, I get how Trump tapped into white frustration in 2016 and 2020 with America’s racial justice, economic justice, and diversity demands.But here’s the bottom line: The vast majority of these New Jack Trump “conservatives” have no values. They hate the U.S. Constitution, which is one that espouses American liberty, and they are victims of their own making. They are so focused on the white male past, where they ran and were in charge of everything, that they can not see the bold, brave, bright, diverse America standing in front of them.Read more at The Daily Beast.Get our top stories in your inbox every day. Sign up now!Daily Beast Membership: Beast Inside goes deeper on the stories that matter to you. Learn more.

  • Schumer: Biden ‘Considering’ Forgiving $50,000 in Student Loan Debt via Executive Action

    President-elect Joe Biden is “considering” forgiving $50,000 in federal student loan debt for low-income and middle class students, Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D., N.Y.) said Monday.Schumer held a press conference alongside Democratic Congressmen-elect Ritchie Torres, Mondaire Jones and Jamaal Bowman of New York, during which the group announced they have “come to the conclusion” that Biden can “forgive $50,000 of debt the first day he becomes president.”“You don’t need Congress, all you need is the flick of a pen and President-elect Biden — then President Biden — can make this happen,” Schumer said.> JUST IN: Sen. Chuck Schumer: President-elect Joe Biden is "considering" forgiving $50,000 in federal student loan debt for all borrowers. pic.twitter.com/KS4WNgAb79> > -- The Hill (@thehill) December 7, 2020He added that the group is urging Biden to choose a secretary of education who will support student loan forgiveness because “it’s up to the secretary of education officially, but if President Biden wants it, I’m sure it will happen.”“This debt is a huge burden on the backs of our students standing in the way of them and their economy and it stays with them for a very long time,” he said.He said they are calling on Biden to take executive action to administratively cancel up to $50,000 in student loan debt for federal student loan borrowers with an income below $125,000, and to do so in a way that the borrowers would have no tax liability when they receive the forgiveness.Schumer said he has spoken to Biden about "how important" the loan forgiveness is and that he is "considering" it.Asked if Biden will have the executive authority to forgive the debt, the New York Senator said the president-elect is researching that and "I believe when he does his research, he will find that he does."When asked what the forgiveness would mean for families who have “made sacrifices to pay off student loans” Schumer said it would be “good for everybody.”“Lots of students paid off student loans but it’s such a burden it’s good for everybody to make sure that this debt is vanquished,” he said. “It’s never been this high.”He added that when he finished college it cost $1,700 but “people can’t afford it now.”

  • A Year Later, NCIS Still Investigating the Case of the Missing Marine Corps Rifles

    The case of the missing 3rd Battalion, 6th Marines rifles remains unsolved.

  • German prosecutors 'have evidence' suspect killed Madeleine McCann

    There is compelling evidence the German prime suspect in the disappearance of Madeleine McCann killed her but it cannot be shared with the public, German prosecutors said on Tuesday. “If you knew the evidence we had you would come to the same conclusion as I do,” Hans Christian Wolters, the prosecutor in charge of the case told the BBC. “But I can't give you details because we don't want the accused to know what we have on him — these are tactical considerations.” Christian Brückner, a 43-year-old convicted paedophile and rapist, was named as a suspect in the toddler’s disappearance in June, but is yet to be charged in connection with the case. German prosecutors say that while they have evidence against him it is not yet enough to secure a conviction. “I can't promise, I can't guarantee that we have enough to bring a charge but I'm very confident because what we have so far doesn't allow any other conclusion at all,” Mr Wolters told the BBC. The claim comes days after Scotland Yard said it had yet to see any evidence that Madeleine was dead or had been murdered, and that it was still treating her case as a missing persons inquiry. “I would not expect necessarily, every single piece of material to be shared with us. I'm sure they're sharing the relevant things at the relevant times with us. We are working really, really closely with them,” Dame Cressida Dick, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner said. Last month, an internal Portuguese police memo was leaked to the press which described its officers as “shocked” after a briefing from German prosecutors on their evidence against Brückner. Portuguese police left the meeting convinced the Germans have “no evidence, just speculation” and were determined to “keep Brückner in prison at all costs”, according to the memo.