About Daveda

I write for http://DefiantAmerica.com, http://aleadernotapolitician.com/ https://magamedia.org/ and http://FreeAmericaNetwork.com & Graphic Artist & Video producer. I adore journalism. Politics seems to be my preferred genre although I do not hesitate to write anything that strikes me as interesting. Researching and finding 'Breaking News' makes my blood rush. I've written seventeen books. and over that including books in conglomeration with others. Doing graphic art design has always been fun for me. Sometimes I incorporate this talent into my articles or when a special 'feature picture' is required. You can find me tweeting on: https://twitter.com/DavedaGruber You can always find my articles on the sites I write for.

Will RBG’s Death Bring Filling the Vacancy?

by Daveda Gruber

On the Erve of Rosh Hashanah (Rosh Hashanah eve), which marks the start of the Jewish New Year, Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg succumbed to pancreatic cancer. She was eighty-seven years old.

Bader Ginsburg was born on March 15, 1933 in Brooklyn, New York.

She had said that she had the good fortune to be a Jew born in the U.S.A. Her father left Odessa bound for the New World in 1909, at age 13 and he mother was first in her large family to be born here, in 1903.

Her mother, Celia, died of cancer the day before her high school graduation in 1948.

Ruth was married to Martin D. Ginsburg who was diagnosed with testicular cancer and endured two operations and radiation therapy to treat the disease during his third year at Harvard.

A few days after their fifty-sixth wedding anniversary Marty Ginsburg died of cancer at the age of seventy-eight.

Ginsburg was appointed to the Supreme Court in 1993 by President Bill Clinton. She kept her position on the high court until she died.

Soon after the announcement of Justice Ginsburg’s death, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell stated that the Senate would vote on a nominee put forward by President Trump to replace her.

In February 2016  Justice Antonin Scalia died and McConnell said then that November voters should have a say and that a new Supreme Court Justice should be chosen by a new president.

McConnell didn’t allow a Senate confirmation hearing or vote on former President Obama’s nomination of Merrick Garland.

President Trump’s nominee, Neil Gorsuch, was confirmed soon after Trump’s inauguration in 2017.

Although this seems to be contradictory, keep in mind that Obama wasn’t running for another term. He was, in fact, a lame duck president.

Even so, there are Senate Republicans who would oppose filling the vacancy in the Supreme Court.

Those GOP Senators who could possibly be against confirming a new Justice this close to an election are Senator Lisa Murkowsi from Alaska; Senator Cory Gardner from Colorado; Senator Chuck Grassley from Iowa; Senator Joni Ernst from Iowa; Senator Susan Collins from Maine and Senator Mitt Romney from Utah.

Some of these Senators are in tight races to get re-elected and may not want to make waves.

Actually, even Lindsey Graham from South Carolina is in a very tight race with his Democratic opponent, Jaime Harrison but will vote for a replacement Justice.

Bader-Ginsburg has left instructions that she doesn’t want to be replaced until after the election. This is not her choice to make, though.

My condolences go out to the Bader-Ginsburg family and friends out of respect. May she rest in peace.

Still, Bader-Ginsburg was an icon and a woman of conviction and she didn’t like President Trump. She didn’t retire, even though she was old and dying of cancer, because she didn’t want Trump to get to choose the next Supreme Court Justice. She wanted a new President to choose. Was she that convinced that there would be a new President?

Somehow that sticks in my mind. When you know you have a disease that will end your life in a short amount of time but blandly refuse to step down from a very high position because of dislike for a man in the highest position in the land, I find that problematic.

Is there time to confirm a new justice? Not really. According to the Congressional Research Service, the average number of days from nomination to final Senate vote since 1975 is 67 days (2.2 months), while the median is 71 days (or 2.3 months).

Can the system be rushed and pushed through? I’m not sure because it is unprecedented.

Will Trump and McConnell try to get a new Justice on the highest court in the land before the next election, even with so much in their way?

The answer to that will come shortly and if I were to make a guess, it would be in the affirmative.

Subpoenas for Obama Officials Coming

by Daveda Gruber

On Wednesday the Republican-led Senate Homeland Security Committee voted for authorization to issue subpoenas as part of its review of the origin of the Russia investigation and there are some names we all know.

Subpoenas, which were voted on eight to six by the committee in favor of them, for former CIA Director John Brennan, former Director of National Intelligence James Clapper, former FBI Director James Comey and other Obama administration officials are now authorized.

The subpoenas will be issued as part of the review into the origins of the Russia investigation.

The committee authorized its Chairman Ron Johnson, R-Wis., to issue notices for taking depositions, subpoenas, for records, and subpoenas for testimony to individuals. The subpoenas are connected to the panel’s “Crossfire Hurricane” investigation and the Justice Department inspector general’s review of that investigation.

“Crossfire Hurricane” is the bureau’s internal code name for the Russia probe, which began in July 2016.

It also encompasses the “unmasking” of U.S. persons affiliated with the 2016 Trump campaign, transition team and the Trump administration.

Johnson got the authority from the committee in June to send subpoenas as part of the panel’s investigation into the origins of the Russia probe and the process of “unmasking.”

Other subpoenas that were authorized are for:

Sidney Blumenthal

Former Obama chief of staff Denis McDonough

Former FBI counsel Lisa Page

Former FBI agent Joe Pientka

Former ambassador to the United Nations Samantha Power

Former FBI director of counterintelligence Bill Priestap

Former White House national security adviser Susan Rice

Former FBI agent Peter Strzok

Former FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith

Clinesmith has pleaded guilty to making a false statement in the first criminal case arising from U.S. Attorney John Durham’s review of the investigation into links between Russia and the 2016 Trump campaign.

As well, the committee authorized subpoenas for “the production of all records” related to the FBI’s original Russia investigation and the Department of Justice Inspector General’s probe and the unmasking situation.

Unmasking occurs after U.S. citizens’ conversations are incidentally picked up in conversations with foreign officials who are being monitored by the intelligence community. The identities of U.S. citizens are legally supposed to be protected if their participation is incidental and no wrongdoing is suspected.

Those who have been authorized for this are:

James Baker

Former FBI Deputy Director Andrew McCabe

DOJ official Bruce Ohr

FBI case agent Steven Somma

Former U.S. Ambassador to Russia John Teftt

Former deputy assistant attorney general Tashina Gauhar

Stefan Halper

Halper is a Cambridge University professor who has reportedly been deeply connected with British and American intelligence agencies. He has been notably reported as a confidential source for the FBI during its original investigation concerning Russian meddling in the 2016 election.

Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz was reviewing Halper’s work during the Russia probe last year. His work with the FBI prior to the start of that investigation will also be looked at.

Halper had contacted several members of the Trump campaign in 2016. Former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos and former aide Carter Page were two of the people contacted.

Halper’s role as an FBI informant was leaked to the media in May 2018, it led to accusations from President Trump and Republicans that the Obama administration had used Halper as part of an illegal effort to spy on the Trump campaign, which are now being called “Spygate” and “Obamagate” by Trump allies.

Denials of Russian collusion made by Page and Papadopoulos were recorded but were never passed to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court.

Page was the subject of several Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants during the Trump campaign.

During the 2016 campaign, Halper contacted several members of the Trump campaign, including former foreign policy adviser George Papadopoulos and former aide Carter Page. Page also was the subject of several Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants during the campaign

The director of the Office of Net Assessment at the Defense Department, James Baker, was at the helm of the department when they awarded government contracts to Halper. That included one in September 2015.

Authorization was given by the committee to subpoena Baker.

Johnson’s first subpoena was issued last month demanding that the FBI produce all records related to the Crossfire Hurricane investigation.

The subpoena states that it includes, but is not limited to, all records provided or made available to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Justice for its review. This is in reference to Horowitz’s review of abuses related to the FISA warrants.

In addition the subpoena demands that all records related to requests to the General Services Administration or the Office of the Inspector General for the GSA for records of the presidential transition from November 2016 through December 2017.

Democrats have consistently opposed the committee’s inquiry, arguing it is being conducted for political reasons.

It appears that a whole slew of people will be subpoenaed to testify. When? That’s a good question.

It appears that a lot of these people are banking on COVID-19 to be around until after the election.

Keep tabs on those who use the virus as a means to avoid testifying too quickly and are stalling. They’re hoping for a Biden-Harris win.

That won’t help if Trump wins re-election and if we win the House and hang on to the Senate.

The wheels of justice, especially when it concerns politics, move slowly and we’re still waiting for Durham to indict someone other than giving Clinesmith a slap on the hand.

Pennsylvania: Send Lisa Scheller to Congress

by Daveda Gruber

There’s a lady running for the 7th Congressional District in Pennsylvania and her name is Lisa Scheller.

Scheller was born the granddaughter of immigrants. Her family founded Silberline Manufacturing Co., which is one of the region’s premier manufacturers. They produce an ingredient which is key in paints and coatings.

Following the death of her brother, Scheller took the helm and is currently chairman and president of the business.

She is also serving as a member of the executive committee of the Aluminum Association of America, which is the leading advocacy group in that industry.

It is the only certified women-owned business of its kind in the world.

The company has global headquarters north of the Lehigh Valley and employs more than six hundred people spanning three continents. One hundred and sixty people from the company work here in Pennsylvania.

Recently, Silberline opened a new manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania that makes state of the art and environmentally friendly, sustainable products for the coatings industry.

Lisa knows first-hand how red tape and radical proposals like the Green New Deal perplex local businesses and families.

When, in 2011, Scheller was alarmed by a Lehigh County tax increase, she ran on a reform message and was elected to the Lehigh County Board of Commissioners.

She served as board chair for two years and was successful in leading efforts to cut taxes every year.

Scheller is a well known conservative fighter who advocated for spending restraint, lower taxes, job creation and an end to special-interest giveaways.

She worked to reduce property taxes and streamline government operations as a commissioner all the while keeping a close and skeptical eye on new spending.

She recalled, “Four years in a row there was either a reduction in the millage rate, a rebate, or both. And it was always a fight.”

The Board of Commissioners reasserted its control over contract negotiations with the county’s public sector unions under the leadership of Scheller.

She made certain that it was no longer in the hands of a single county executive to shape contracts.

This was an important step toward making government more accountable to the taxpayers who support it. It also reduced political pressure on the county’s negotiator.

Also, notably, Scheller led a drive for increased government transparency. With bipartisan support, she played an important role in opening a Board of Commissioner committee meetings to the press and public.

Scheller knows how to deal across party lines. She’s done it. In this time in our country and in Pennsylvania that type of leadership is essential.

Sheller has a passion for creating opportunities for others.  She has provided substantial support to many charitable causes. These include educational and environmental organizations that positively impact our community and the world.

She has sponsored an array of scholarship programs over the decades.  Most recently, she announced a scholarship enabling Lehigh County high school students to receive an associate’s degree from Lehigh Carbon Community College.

Scheller had to fight what was happening in her personal life. When she was a young woman, she reclaimed herself from the grip of drug and alcohol addiction. Her addiction, she says, brought her to the depths of personal despair. It was from that despair she climbed to become substance-free.

She also became a leader in efforts to bring the same healing to others.

She said, “What I discovered was that rock bottom is a solid foundation to build on.”

With an opioid epidemic lurking all around her, Scheller decided to go public with her own story.

After remaining clean and sober for 36 years, she publicly shared her story in an effort to raise awareness to those afflicted with addiction.

It can happen to anyone and recovery is possible to anyone who embraces it.

Sheller didn’t stop there. She founded Hope & Coffee, a coffee shop and meeting place that seeks to bring persons recovering from alcohol and drug dependency back into the job market.

She continues to help people by reaching out and showing by personal experience that it can be done.

Scheller is the mother of two grown children. She resides in Allentown.  Her hobbies include hiking and cycling throughout the region. She also enjoys cooking and photography.

I live in Pennsylvania and want what is best for my state. Vote Scheller into office.

You can make a contribution to Scheller’s campaign by clicking on the link below.

Donate to Lisa Scheller’s Campaign!

Top Aides on Durham Team Resign

by Daveda Gruber

US Attorney John Durham’s office has confirmed the resignation of a top aide to Duham.

On Friday it was confirmed that the federal prosecutor, Norah Dannehy, has resigned from the Department of Justice.

Dannehy was probing the origins of the Trump-Russia investigation and she had worked closely with Durham for years.

There was no reason given, at this time, as to why the resignation came about but The Hartford Courant in Connecticut reported that Dannehy informed colleagues in the New Haven US Attorney’s Office of her resignation on Thursday evening.

The paper mentioned that Dannehy resigned “at least partly out of concern that the investigative team is being pressed for political reasons to produce a report before its work is done.”

The investigation has reportedly been slowed down from the coronavirus pandemic and now this departure of a veteran team player can slow down the final stretch.

Attorney General William Barr appointed Durham over a year ago to investigate the origins of the FBI’s original Russia probe after former Special Counsel Robert Mueller completed his investigation into whether the campaign colluded with the Russians to influence the 2016 presidential election. That itself took years to complete and the end result left much to be desired.

Since Durham has been appointed,  he has questioned former law enforcement and intelligence officials, with former CIA Director John Brennan being among them, about decisions that had been made during the Russia probe.

Dannehy was present for interviews with top officials, including Brennan, because of her position.

This is combined with reports of other DOJ-related resignations on Friday.

It has been reported that John Choi, who served on the Presidential Commission on Law Enforcement and the Administration of Justice, has resigned from the commission. He claimed its intent was providing cover for a predetermined agenda that ignores the lessons of the past.

Also on Friday, Deputy Assistant Attorney General David Morell left the DOJ.

Durham is focused on the time between July 2016, when the FBI’s original Russia probe began, through the appointment of Mueller in May 2017.

Now that the presidential is getting very close, some Republicans want to see what has been found out.

Even President Trump has asked for results.

At a White House press conference on Thursday Trump said that Durham was a “very, very respected man” and that his work would involve a “report or maybe it’s much more than that.”

One criminal charge against a former FBI lawyer, Kevin Clinesmith, who was accused of altering an email related to the surveillance of a former Trump campaign aide, Carter Page, has been dealt with.

That prosecution did not allege an extensive conspiracy within the FBI or with the conduct it involved.

That much was already laid out in a Justice Department inspector general report that came out last December.

Even though Barr has said that he has not ruled out the possibility of additional criminal charges, he did not affirm that there would be any.

Indictments were supposed to be out in March. Then that date was extended and finally we were told to expect them at the end of the summer.

Well, summer has come and gone. There is not much time left before the election. So, during all this time Clinesmith said he was sorry. Yes folks, that’s all we can be certain of at this time.

To me, it’s like watching a bombastic movie and then during the last half hour the power goes off.

I fear that I’m not going to get the end result that I had been hoping for, in fact, not even close.

Women Indicted on Robbery & Hate Crimes Over MAGA Hat

by Daveda Gruber

On Tuesday two women from Delaware, who were accused of stealing a MAGA hat outside the Democrat National Convention, were indicted on some rather serious charges.

Wilmington Police said they identified Olivia Winslow and Camryn Amy after reviewing the footage on video.

Winslow and Amy, who are both 21 years old, were indicted by a grand jury on charges of second-degree robbery, second-degree conspiracy, endangering the welfare of a child, third-degree assault, attempted third-degree assault, offensive touching and felony hate crimes.

Because three of the charges are felonies, the two women could spend a total of 15 years in prison.

It has been reported, in a statement, by a spokesperson for Delaware Attorney General Kathy Jennings that Winslow and Amy are now out on bail.

Jennings also said, “[H]arming another person – let alone a child – because of the expression of their views betrays the principles on which our country was founded.”

A viral video got the two women arrested. It allegedly shows the suspects ripping up Trump signs and stealing a MAGA hat near the site of Democrat Joe Biden’s acceptance speech in August.

The confrontation between the suspects and adults coming to the defense of a 7-year-old supporter of President Trump stated in what followed.

In the video, the young boy said, “That’s somebody else’s hat.”

The women ripped up several Trump signs in the parking lot of the Chase Center in Wilmington. Parts of the Democratic Convention were held there. It was then that one of the suspects grabbed a Trump hat that was lying on the ground.

An adult is heard saying, “Get your hat back, baby.” as they followed the suspects, demanding the return of the hat.

A man joined the mother and son to try and get the hat back and then one of the suspects allegedly punched the man in the face.

Now two young women face prison over hate for a red hat.

Hopefully, this will be a sign to some that it is against the law to steal and that includes stealing or the destruction of political signs and MAGA hats.

A tweet shows the video of the incident:

 

Final Verdicts in Khashoggi Murder

by Daveda Gruber

Eight people have been sentenced to go to jail for the murder of Jamal Khashoggi in 2018 by a Saudi court.

State television has said that Riyadh Criminal Court issued final verdicts to eight people, who we can assume are male, but no names were given.

A maximum sentence of twenty years was given to five people, one person received a sentence of ten years and two people got seven years each.

No senior officials or anyone  who may have ordered the killing were found to be guilty.

Rights groups have criticized the trial and the independence of the court.

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman has denied any knowledge of the operation that resulted in Khashoggi’s death.

Khashoggi had been writing columns for the Washington Post and his articles were critical of the crown prince.

Having been living in the United States for about one year, in exile, Khashoggi traveled to the Saudi consulate in Turkey in late 2018 after the prince had overseen a crackdown in Saudi Arabia on human rights activists, writers and critics of the kingdom’s disturbing conflict in Yemen.

Khashoggi had an appointment inside the consulate was met to pick up documents that would allow him to marry his Turkish fiancé. She waited outside.

Fifteen Saudi agents had flown to Turkey to meet with Khashoggi. The team  of fifteen included a forensic doctor, intelligence and security officers, and individuals who worked directly for the crown prince’s office. This information was according to Agnes Callamard, who investigated the killing for the United Nations.

It is alleged by Turkish officials that Khashoggi was killed and then dismembered with a bone saw inside the consulate.

His body has never been recovered but Salah Khashoggi, one of his sons, lives in Saudi Arabia and has received financial compensation from the royal court for his father’s killing.

In the mean time, Turkey had apparently had the Saudi Consulate wired for sound and shared an audio of the killing with the C.I.A and others.

Opinions of Western intelligence agencies and the U.S. Congress have said the crown prince bears ultimate responsibility for the killing.

These same people say that an operation of this magnitude could not have happened without his personal knowledge.

The crown prince has denied any knowledge of the operation.

If  Khashoggi had feared for his life, it’s not likely that he would have traveled to the consulate in Turkey.

He must have been blindsided by the attack on him.

Shoot Any Cop on Sight?

by Daveda Gruber

The FBI has issued an intelligence federal alert warning to the Chicago Police Department that there is a pact between over thirty gangs to shoot cops on-site.

There is a “Potential Activity Alert” from the FBI sent on August 26th, which warns law enforcement, that gangs plan “to ‘shoot on sight any cop that has a weapon drawn on any subject in public’.”

A spokesman was reported to have said, “We have been made aware of this threat by a law enforcement partner. The Chicago Police Department takes all threats against officer safety seriously and we will take all necessary measures to safeguard our officers.”

Shootings in the Chicago area and all over the country have risen at an alarming rate since the death of George Floyd. The really disturbing part of this is that many police officers have been shot and some fatally.

The alert mentions approximately thirty-six gangs, including the Latin Kings and Vice Lords, and says that “members of these gang factions have been actively searching for, and filming, police officers in performance of their official duties.”

It goes on to describe what the gangs’ intentions are allegedly planning. They want to catch an officer drawing his or her weapon on any subject, on film, and then to shoot on-sight the officer.

The gangs believe that this would harvest national media attention and that’s what they reportedly want.

On Monday David Brown, who is Chicago’s police superintendent, said that position several weeks before the Floyd protests, said on Monday that “a sense of lawlessness” has been observed by officers on the street.

Brown also mentioned that the dangers for officers have dramatically increased.

Brown said, “I think 51 officers being shot at or shot in one year, I think that quadruples any previous year in Chicago’s history. So I think it’s more than a suggestion that people are seeking to do harm to cops.”

Two Chicago police officers were shot while conducting a traffic stop over the weekend.

One of the officers who was shot in that particular incident had to undergo surgery for lung and abdominal injuries and is in serious condition. According to the Chicago Sun-Times, the other was shot in the shoulder and has been released from hospital.

A suspect in that shooting has been taken into custody.

Choosing a career in law enforcement has been, in the past, a good one. Protecting the people of this great country has always had the respect of good men and women, including myself.

I never dreamed that I’d see the day where people would want to see police officers be killed.

We live in a time where criminals are being treated with kid gloves.

Law enforcement are being put through very difficult times. They are told to stand down against so called, “peaceful protestors” who are actually domestic terrorists who are rioting, looting, setting fires and shouting insults and throwing dangerous objects at police, is not something we, as Americans, are used to.

I hope that the nation is watching where the violence is being let to happen. Democratic cities are becoming unsafe. Many people are moving to safer areas.

Let me warn those who are changing location. Don’t vote for the party that caused the destruction of where you came from.

If you want to enjoy the peace some of us are privileged to have, vote Republican. Vote RED down the line.

Does Flynn Case Go Back to Sullivan?

by Daveda Gruber

Many have been waiting for the case against General Michael Flynn to end and be resolved. It doesn’t look like that is happening at this time.

In an eight to two decision the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled D.C. District Court Judge Emmet Sullivan doesn’t have to grant prosecutors’ motion to dismiss the criminal case against the former national security adviser.

The full court, minus Gregory Katsas, who recused himself, reversed the decision in an en banc review of a three-judge panel, which had issued a writ of mandamus ordering Sullivan to throw out the case.

Flynn and his attorneys, led by Sidney Powell, had argued that Sullivan overstepped his authority by appointing a third-party amicus curiae (friend of the court) to argue against dismissal. Flynn, with his attorneys, and the Justice Department agreed to dispose of the case.

The court wrote an opinion that said, “Quite simply, the only separation-of-powers question we must answer at this juncture is whether the appointment of an amicus and the scheduling of briefing and argument is a clearly, indisputably impermissible intrusion upon Executive authority, because that is all that the District Judge has ordered at this point.”

The opinion continues, “We have no trouble answering that question in the negative, because precedent and experience have recognized the authority of courts to appoint an amicus to assist their decision-making in similar circumstances, including in criminal cases and even when the movant is the government.”

Flynn’s legal team argued that in the vast majority of cases that it is a mere formality and this case did not warrant being the rare exception where a judge needed to step in for further review.

Dismissals are, by rule, done “leave of court.”

Judge Karen Henderson stated that Sullivan should have been disqualified from the case because his “conduct patently draws his impartiality into question.”

Also, Judge Neomi Rao argued that Sullivan is acting improperly because “it is long settled that a district court cannot supervise the prosecutorial decisions of the Executive Branch.”

Federal prosecutors had moved to dismiss Flynn’s case. He had previously pleaded guilty to providing false statements to the FBI.

FBI records questioned the circumstances surrounding Flynn’s interview with investigators.

The DOJ was criticized by Democrats for giving Flynn unusual and improperly kind treatment due to his connection to President Trump.

So now the case goes back to Sullivan. He will probably hear oral arguments from the DOJ.

Thankfully, the DOJ is in favor of dismissal but then retired Judge John Gleeson, who was appointed as amicus, has already filed a brief opposing dismissal.

I’ve written many articles that pertain to Flynn but in one of the last ones that I wrote that includes the positive aspects that might help dismiss the case, I reminded my readers that Sullivan still had the last word and that people should not jump to the conclusion that Flynn was now free.

The General and his supporters are still left dangling waiting for an end to this miscarriage of justice brought about by corrupt FBI and government officials up to the highest level.

Remember my words, “We have a two tier system.”

 

Could Pelosi Be President?

by Daveda Gruber

Even President Trump brought it up. Is it possible that Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi could become president if the 2020 election is delayed or if the Electoral College has not yet named a successor?

Well, it depends on lots other factors.

Judge Andrew Napolitano, who is a senior judicial analyst for FOX News, has a theory.

While on FOX Business with Stuart Varney, Napolitano said, “It might be right. President Trump’s term ends at precisely noon on Jan. 20, 2021. If the Electoral College has not yet named a successor, presumably either Donald Trump or Joe Biden, then whoever is the speaker of the House would become the acting president of the United States.”

He went on to say, “If the Democrats retain their majority in the House, and it appears likely that they will, but if they do, and if they choose Mrs. Pelosi, knowing at that point that they’re choosing the president of the United States, then it would be she.”

The judge added, “Stated simply, whoever is the sitting speaker of the United States, would become president at noon on Jan. 20, 2021, if the Electoral College has failed to elect someone.”

So then, if the House gets flipped, the Speaker of the House would be a Republican. That person would likely be House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy and he would become the interim president.

The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, and an absolute majority of at least 270 electoral votes is required to win the election.

But I see another scenario that could happen. If ballots are not counted because of mail in ballots and the Post office’s inability to deliver them in time, the Electoral College doesn’t have the ability to see who was elected. They also don’t know who would have the majority in the House or the Senate, for that matter.

According to the Constitution,  Congress would run the country. But then the outgoing Congress would not be known nor would the incoming Congress be known.

That would lead to an unprecedented situation. There is no law in place that would cover this type of a circumstance.

Hopefully, enough votes will be counted to determine a winner.

My prediction is that when all is said and done, we will have re-elected Trump.

Kushner Says BLM Protests Go Too Far

by Daveda Gruber

On Thursday White House senior adviser, Jared Kushner, was asked about the violence that is happening in Kenosha, Wisconsin that followed after a law enforcement officer shot Jacob Blake.

Kushner, who is married to President Trump’s daughter, Ivanka Trump, said that Americans have seen enough protests that go too far.

In a video interview with Politico Kushner said, “This country’s seen enough of the protests and some of the negative things that can happen when the protests go too far or are hijacked.”

He went on to say, “You look at a lot of these cities, and you look at a lot of these politicians that were talking last week. They’ve done a lot of complaining, but a lot of these people have been here for decades and haven’t gotten anything done.”

Kushner has pressed for the First Step Act, which is a criminal justice reform package, and praised his father-in-law for signing it into law.

The package creates opportunity zones that incentivize investment in low-income areas.

Kushner said, “What we need to do right now is make sure we take the anger that people have, and we have to move from slogans to constructive solutions.”

Kushner also criticized NBA players who bowed out of games in protest. He maintained that they were all talk and no action.

On Wednesday night, Milwaukee Bucks players refused to play against the Orlando Magic.

Other playoff games in the NBA and some regular-season games in the WNBA and MLB were also postponed in protest over the shooting.

Kushner said, “We’re offering solutions with policy. The other side’s doing a lot of complaining. What I’d love to see from the players in the NBA, again, they have the luxury of taking the night off from work. Most Americans don’t have the financial luxury to do that.”

I happen to agree with Kushner. Firstly, when did sports become a field to protest what is law enforcement’s job to do?

The kneeling to the National Anthem and the American flag by Colin Kaepernick, is what started all sports protesting.

So now, after sports that were cancelled because of COVID-19 are beginning to come back, the players are talking time to refuse to play because this is a way to protest.

I say stop paying the players if they don’t play when a game is scheduled.

Personally, I am offended by athletes, who are paid very large salaries, getting involved in areas that they have no business in.

If they are truly concerned, let them go into the inner cities and donate to building centers that could help the children in underprivileged areas with sports, learning and yes, even meals.

One man knelt and the sheep followed. It should have stopped before it got to the point that it has.

It was time to stop the violence quite some time ago. It was time to stop the involvement in law enforcement and political issues by athletes who are paid to play a game.