Month: September 2024

Authored by Dave DeCamp via AntiWar.com,

On Sunday, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz called for a diplomatic push toward peace in Ukraine and said he and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zekensky agreed that Russia should attend a future peace summit.

“I believe that now is the time to discuss how to arrive at peace from this state of war, indeed at a faster pace,” Scholz said. “There will certainly be a further peace conference, and the president and I agree that it must be one with Russia present.”

Scholz’s comments mark a rare call for peace in Ukraine from a leader of a NATO country. Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban has been consistently calling for an end to the fighting, but he’s been out of step with other NATO and European leaders.

Back in June, Ukraine organized a conference in Switzerland that was billed as a “peace summit,” but Russia was not invited to attend, so it didn’t make any progress toward a ceasefire.

After the Switzerland conference, Zelensky began saying that Russia should attend the next summit, which marked a break from his previous position that he wouldn’t hold any talks with Moscow until a complete Russian withdrawal from Ukraine, which was a non-starter.

Russia expressed interest in holding peace talks, but then Ukraine launched its invasion of Russia’s Kursk oblast on August 6. Following the attack, Russian officials dismissed the idea of peace talks and suggested Zelensky’s earlier comments about inviting Russia to a summit were a bluff.

Last week, Russian President Vladimir Putin signaled that he was softening his position, saying Moscow “never refused” to negotiate.

But there’s still no sign that a peace summit involving Russian and Ukrainian officials is being planned, and the US isn’t expected to support any efforts toward peace, at least before the November election.

Throughout the war, the only time a real peace deal was on the table was back in March and April of 2022. But the US and NATO discouraged Ukraine from signing an agreement and promised to support its fight against Russia.

India unveiled its second nuclear-powered submarine last week in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh.

The domestically produced vessel is armed with ballistic missiles that have a striking range of 750 kilometers, the South China Morning Post reports. Its two submarines, the first having been launched in 2009, give the country the ability to now launch nuclear weapons from land, air and sea – an important factor in its deterrence strategy, according to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh.

As Statista’s Katharina Bichholz details below, data from the International Institute for Strategic Studies’ publication The Military Balance shows that the U.S. has by far the largest nuclear-powered fleet worldwide at 66.

You will find more infographics at Statista

Russia has less than half the number of nuclear-powered submarines, around 30, while China had 12 at the start of 2024. Nuclear-powered submarines do not necessarily mean nuclear-armed but those fuelled by a nuclear reactor rather than by diesel-electric propulsion. However, the powerful vessels are often also used for this purpose.

To bolster Australia’s naval defense amidst Western nations’ mounting anxiety over China’s military expansion, the U.S. agreed last year to sell the country three U.S. Virginia class nuclear-powered submarines in the early 2030s, and two more at a later point if needed.

Beijing criticized the move, saying it was encouraging an arms race. China’s foreign ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin warned that the three countries are walking “further and further down the path of error and danger.”

The Guardian reports that under the new so-called Aukus partnership, the UK too could see a considerable increase in its deep sea vessels.

Brazil will be another country acquiring nuclear-powered submarines in the future. It plans to start the construction of a first one in 2025 as part of a partnership with France.

Authored by Andrew Korybko via Substack,

Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban told the press during his trip to Italy that “communication is number one, followed by a ceasefire, and only after that can we start talks about a peace agreement” between Russia and Ukraine.

He also added that the EU is against all three steps since it’s counterproductively pursuing a pro-war policy in that conflict. Here are three briefings about Orban’s peace trip over the summer for those who might have forgotten about it since then:

* 7 July: “Orban Shared Some Detailed Insight Into His Mediation Efforts”

* 20 July: “Orban’s Peace Mission Report To The EU Isn’t Anywhere As Scandalous As Some Might Think”

* 2 August: “Orban’s Insight Into The Global Systemic Transition & Hungarian Grand Strategy Is Worth Reading”

He’s therefore sincere with his ceasefire proposal, but it won’t amount to anything for now. A cessation of hostilities is completely out of the question for Russia so long as Ukraine continues occupying part of Kursk. Other “goodwill gestures” are still possible as is now known after Lavrov revealed that Russia was on the brink of reviving the grain deal this spring, but only because those are envisaged as costless means to the end of politically resolving this conflict. Here are three briefings on these calculations:

* 25 May: “Russia Is Open To Compromise But Won’t Agree To A Ceasefire That Doesn’t Meet Its Interests”

* 15 June: “What’s Really Behind Putin’s Generous Ceasefire Proposal?”

* 2 September: “Lavrov Revealed That Russia Was On The Brink Of Reviving The Grain Deal This Spring”

Considering this, the only chance for a ceasefire is if Ukraine agrees to the “goodwill gesture” of withdrawing from Kursk, though that’s unlikely after Zelensky confirmed prior speculation that his forces plan to indefinitely hold it. No progress on Orban’s proposal is therefore expected until Russia first pushes the Ukrainians out of Kursk, but there’s no telling how long that’ll take. Here are three briefings on this dimension of the conflict, which is now in its second month:

* 8 August: “Five Lessons For Russia To Learn From Ukraine’s Sneak Attack Against Kursk Region”

* 14 August: “Analyzing Putin’s Assessment Of Ukraine’s Incursion Into Kursk”

* 21 August: “Don’t Expect A Radical Response From Russia To The US’ Involvement In Ukraine’s Invasion Of Kursk”

Russia’s capture of Pokrovsk could compel Ukraine to withdraw from Kursk so as to prevent the collapse of the front lines, but there’s no guarantee that it won’t turn that city into the next Artyomovsk (Bakhmut), Avdeevka, or Mariupol, which could lead to it holding Kursk for a little longer. This sequence of events could revive interest in a ceasefire, but it might not unfold, or one side might still refuse to silence the guns even if it does. For that reason, nobody should expect a ceasefire anytime soon.

By Keishi Koja of Stripes.com

Japan lodged another protest with China last week, its third in less than two weeks, after it said Chinese coast guard vessels entered waters around Japanese islets in the East China Sea.

Four vessels crossed the 12-mile territorial limit claimed by Japan around the Senkaku Islands between 4 p.m. and 4:06 p.m. Friday, according to a Japan coast guard news release that day.

Japan’s Foreign Affairs Ministry then lodged complaints with the Chinese Embassy in Japan and with the Chinese government in Beijing, a ministry spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

Some government officials in Japan are required to speak to the media only on condition of anonymity.

Two Chinese vessels approached Taisho Island from the northwest and entered the 12-mile limit at 4 p.m. and 4:06 p.m., according to the release.

Meanwhile, the remaining pair of Chinese vessels simultaneously entered the area around Uotsuri Island, also from the northwest.

The Chinese vessels appeared to be armed with deck-mounted machine guns and were met by a larger contingent of Japanese coast guard ships, a Japan coast guard spokesman told Stars and Stripes by phone Monday.

They warned the Chinese vessels to leave the area using radio and electronic message boards, he said.

“We do not know why the Chinese vessels intruded Japanese waters,” he said. “There were no Japanese fishing boats operating in the area.”

All four vessels left Japanese waters without incident by 6:01 p.m.

The incidents marked the 32nd and 33rd times this year that Chinese coast guard vessels intruded into Japan’s territorial waters around the Senkakus, the spokesman said. The last incident occurred Aug. 28.

The Senkakus are 105 miles east of Taiwan. The islets, whose surface area amounts to about 2½ square miles, are also claimed by China and Taiwan.

The incidents followed the intrusion of a Chinese military aircraft and a survey vessel into Japanese airspace and territorial waters around Kyushu, the southernmost of Japan’s four main islands, in late August.

A Chinese Y-9 surveillance plane flew into Japanese airspace on Aug. 26 just southeast of the Danjo Islands, about 100 miles southwest of Nagasaki. It was the first time a Chinese military aircraft breached Japan’s airspace.

The flight was a “grave violation” of Japan’s sovereignty and a threat to its security, Defense Minister Minoru Kihara said during a press conference Aug. 27.

“We filed extremely severe protests through diplomatic channels on the same day and strongly asked for measures to prevent recurrences,” he said.

Five days later, a Chinese naval survey vessel navigated into Japan’s territorial waters southwest of Kuchinoerabu Island, Kagoshima prefecture.

“We expressed strong concerns and filed a protest to the Chinese government through diplomatic channels on the same day,” Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi said during a press conference Sept. 2.

U.S. Ambassador to Japan Rahm Emanuel questioned China’s intent on his account on social platform X.

“China says it’s still ‘investigating and verifying’ the recent violation of Japan’s airspace by one of its surveillance planes,” he wrote Sept. 3. “But with a Chinese survey ship sailing into Japanese waters only the other day, two territorial incursions in less than a week looks more intentional than accidental.”

 

 

Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) on Sunday called Vice President Kamala Harris “pragmatic” for betraying progressive voters by moderating her views on fracking and “Medicare for All,” telling NBC News‘ “Meet the Press” that Harris is “doing what she thinks is right in order to win the election,” and that he still considers her to be “progressive.”

“Her views are not mine, but I do consider her progressive,” he said.

In short, Harris – once deemed the most liberal member of Congress – is pandering to moderates and Sanders knows she’ll pivot back to Marx once she’s elected.

Sanders also suggested that Harris has a path to victory against Donald Trump if she campaigns on progressive positions such as raising the minimum wage, raising taxes on the wealthy, and increasing Social Security benefits.

“I think if you campaign on those issues — raising taxes on billionaires — you know what, she’s going to win, and I think she could win big,” said Sanders.

Harris has radically changed her positions over the past few weeks – including abandoning support for a ban on fracking, as well as “Medicare for All.”

Last month Harris told CNN that she hasn’t really changed much, saying “The most important and most significant aspect of my policy perspective and decisions is my values have not changed.”

For example, Biden has proposed a 39.6% tax rate on long-term capital gains for households making $1 million or more. In New Hampshire last week, Harris proposed a similar tax, but at 28%.

Asked directly Sunday about the rate Harris proposed, Sanders said that “I would go I would go higher than that” and added that while Biden and Harris have achieved some progressive wins, “much more needs to be done.”

Also last week, Harris backed a 25% minimum tax on total income, including “unrealized gains,” which is often known as the “billionaire minimum tax.” -NBC News

Sanders, a fake anti-war activist, also lauded former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) and her father, neocon war monger Dick Cheney, for their “courage” to back Harris. 

“What I think Dick and Liz Cheney are saying is that in this existential moment in American history, it’s not just issues. Cheney and I agree on nothing — no issues. But what we do believe in is that the United States should retain its democratic foundations,” said Sanders when asked if he would welcome Liz Cheney on the campaign trail.

“So, I applaud the Cheneys for their courage in defending democracy,” adding “Obviously, on all the issues we have very different points of view.”

According to Sanders, the Cheneys are among a bigger group of NeverTrumpers who are willing to cross party lines to prevent Trump’s reelection.

“I think there is a significant number of Republicans that say, ‘Well, you know, I may not agree with the vice president on this issue or that issue, but I cannot support somebody who is a pathological liar, somebody who fomented an insurrection to overthrow the election,'” said the socialist, before returning home to one of his three houses.

We didn’t know they stacked shit that high…

Authored by Maggie Miller via RealClearFlorida,

In the heart of Riviera Beach, Florida, a company called K12 Print is redefining what it means to do business in America. This isn’t just about profits and productivity for John DiDonato, the CEO and founder. While financial success is part of the equation, his deeper mission is to help revive a vital cornerstone of the American economy: manufacturing. DiDonato’s vision for K12 Print is rooted in the belief that manufacturing can be a catalyst for change—not just for the company, but for the country and its communities.

There is an ongoing conversation surrounding onshoring, especially following COVID when the global supply chain was disrupted. Businesses are considering it, but don’t see the way forward. K12 Print knows the way, and it is done through investing in human capital.

“You shouldn’t overlook an enterprise zone,” DiDonato advises. “Yes, for the tax benefits you may find, but mostly for the community you will find there—a community hungry for opportunity.”

Setting up shop in an enterprise zone wasn’t just a business decision for DiDonato; it was a strategic move to breathe new life into American manufacturing and, by extension, into the local community of Riviera Beach. He saw potential in establishing a manufacturing base where it was most needed, offering jobs and training to local residents, and revitalizing the local economy.

“I thought as the company grew, it could actually change the city,” DiDonato reflects.

For DiDonato, the decline in American manufacturing isn’t just an economic issue; it’s a societal one. He believes that the offshoring of manufacturing jobs has eroded the foundation of the American middle class and limited opportunities for many young people, particularly those in inner cities. According to DiDonato, manufacturing is crucial for creating wealth and maintaining a healthy economy.

“Manufacturing is the only thing that creates wealth,” he says. “In order to have a healthy economy, you need a strong manufacturing base. We’ve outsourced so much of our manufacturing that it’s affecting our economy and the opportunities available to our young people, especially in inner cities.”

DiDonato points to countries like China, which have focused heavily on manufacturing and trade skills, resulting in rapid economic growth and job opportunities. The U.S., on the other hand, has seen a decline in its manufacturing sector. According to the U.S. Joint Economic Committee, since January 2000, the United States has lost over a quarter of all domestic manufacturing jobs, a decline of over 4.7 million. DiDonato believes this is a major factor in the economic challenges faced by many American communities today.

“When I was a young man in manufacturing, I learned how to make things by making them. That’s not something you can teach in a classroom,” DiDonato explains. “If we keep offshoring our manufacturing, not only do the jobs go, but the technology and innovation follow. We need to bring manufacturing back to America so our kids can be at the forefront of creating and building new things.”

K12 Print’s business philosophy is rooted in a passion for redemption and an understanding that mistakes are a part of life. DiDonato’s co-owner, Jim Wahlberg, has personally felt the effects of redemption and looks for ways to offer the same to others. He said, “We are all subject to redemption. It takes the love and mercy of others and the resolve to do whatever it takes to continue to push forward.”

“There are bad circumstances, but there aren’t bad children. The majority of our kids in America are good kids that just need to be given an opportunity,” DiDonato said.

DiDonato believes there’s a valuable place for hands-on skills in the modern economy. While businesses across the country have struggled to fill vacancies, K12 Print has found success by thinking outside the box. According to DiDonato, the key lies in offering practical training that prepares employees for the demands of manufacturing work, regardless of their educational background.

This inclusive hiring approach extends to individuals with past mistakes on their records. DiDonato believes in giving people who have served their time a second chance to rebuild their lives. He doesn’t believe the consequences of past mistakes should follow someone forever, provided they’re willing to work hard and seize the opportunities given to them.

Angel Peña, a longtime employee of K12 Print, is a testament to this philosophy. For Peña, K12 Print has been more than just a job—it’s been a second chance at life. “I was a stubborn kid, grew up in the foster system, and made bad decisions,” says Peña. “A lot of people closed doors on me because I was a convicted felon. But K12 Print looked at me as a person, not just my past. They gave me hope and a future.”

There are many ways to invest in the community. And K12 Print believes that investment should go further than the current workforce. K12 Print is committed to breaking the cycle of poverty by investing in underserved youth. DiDonato takes a portion of the company’s profits and redirects them into local initiatives, such as the Boys and Girls Club, providing transportation and technology resources to help children in the community. This investment is part of his broader strategy to create a more inclusive and supportive environment for future generations.

“By investing back into the community, we’re not just helping individuals; we’re helping to build a more successful and peaceful society,” DiDonato explains. “If we can reach more executives who think, ‘We can do that too,’ we can start to make a real difference. It’s important for our leaders to understand that kids, especially those in inner cities, aren’t bad—they just need opportunities and people who care.”

DiDonato’s vision for K12 Print is one of hope and practical action. By setting up his business in Riviera Beach and focusing on local talent, he’s not just making it work in America—he’s making it matter. This is what it means to be Made in America.

Maggie Miller is a Real Clear contributor. Maggie is a former news anchor and reporter in New York and Alabama. She is a graduate of the University of Florida.

Authored by Matt Taibbi via Racket News,

Since the last presidential debate between Donald Trump and Joe Biden ended the latter’s re-election bid, newshounds are emptying Thesauruses in search of maximalist language to describe the import of tonight’s clash between Kamala Harris and Trump. “With no other debates scheduled between Ms. Harris and Mr. Trump,” the New York Times writes, “the face-off figures to be one of the highest-stakes 90 minutes in American politics in generations.”

It’s also likely to be one of the most abhorrent, ear-splitting, cliché-ridden, factually unmoored, cringe-inducing live TV spectacles ever. Or the worst, at least, since the last debate. Pre- and post-debate commentary will be critical. The notion that the press heavily influences perception of who “wins” and “loses” debates has been a tired media saw since the 1960 Kennedy-Nixon affair, but audiences are tougher now. They are more likely to see through narrative-shaping efforts.

That doesn’t mean post-debate talking points are irrelevant. As we learned the last time, cable stations have become messaging platforms for delivering pronouncements of behind-the-scenes oligarchs. We will know whether Emperor Obama (or Brennan, or whoever is really running the country) gives tonight’s performance a thumbs-up or thumbs-down within minutes of the MSNBC/CNN roundups.

As usual, I’ll be viewing the debate with Walter Kirn through the lens of a drinking game. We’ll watch the whole event, plus check in on the after-event commentary, beginning at 8:45 pm ET:

For YouTube, click here.

For Rumble, click here.

Or just visit @mtaibbi.

NOTE: The object of a drinking game is to add drama to oft-excruciating TV affairs and also to make light of participants by predicting pre-packaged attack lines. I try to make rules even-handed, which means rules aimed at both candidates’ tendencies. I strongly advise refraining from hard liquor, as a single rule can sometimes be a hospital risk (“The idea…” last time upended some players). I bought a case of Modelo for tonight’s affair, which sounds dull, but I’m anticipating a long night. Walter and I will see you soon. Without further ado, tonight’s rules:

DRINK EVERY TIME:

1. Harris uses the words felon, extreme, threat to democracy, or for the people.

2. Trump uses the words communist, socialist, radical or Marxist. Double-shot for tampon.

3. Harris talks about her experience dealing with predators, scammers, cheaters, perpetrators, or special interests.

4. Trump invokes the Kamala crime wave or defund the police, or says something like They destroyed San Francisco or You can’t buy a loaf of bread without getting shot. Any story of this sort qualifies (“These Haitians, it’s unbelievable. Who would eat a cat?”). Non-negotiable double-shot for literally third world conditions.

5. Harris says Let me be clear, I’m talking, or “Not going back.” Take a SMALL SIP ONLY whenever she mentions the middle class. Take a full drink when Donald Trump only cares about himself.

6. Trump says illegal, sanctuary, Border Czar. Double shot when Harris protests she wasn’t.

7. Harris cackles. Trump does “stank face” or “pinchy hands.”

8. Harris mentions the opportunity economy, price gouging or bringing down costs. Double for groceries. If both candidates mention groceries, take an aspirin.

9. “CHECK, PLEASE!” Drink if Harris runs out of things to say and has to be reminded she still has time left. (Drinking game trivia: this rule was originally written for Joe Biden years ago.)

10. “BILLIONS AND BILLIONS!” Drink when Trump rattles off a statistic that’s off by a factor of 10x. Double if he tells us how many people were just shot in Chicago and how it was worse than Afghanistan. (He may substitute Philadelphia tonight).

11. From Harris: sales tax, bipartisan, reproductive freedom, different vision. Drink for any mathematically perfect tautology/redundancy (e.g. deadlines of time). More than three seconds of stoned-looking hesitation is a drink. Strike your companion if you hear joy.

12. From Trump: so crazy, beautiful, fake, beating the hell, never been anything like it. Drink when he says any national problem was completely eliminated when he was president and complains the media lies its face off about it. You may also drink for take a bullet or the “pull down that chart” story if you feel under-served.

    Tune in tonight to the livestream at 8:45 pm for an additional MYSTERY RULE.

IN THE POST-DEBATE COMMENTARY, DRINK WHEN:

• Any pundit uses a legal metaphor to describe the Harris performance (“A great closing argument,” “She proved beyond a reasonable doubt tonight,” “Tonight, America is her jury”)

• “Move the needle” (if a performance did or did not)

• “Trump was incoherent/rambling”

• Harris showed she was “calm” or “pragmatic”; “We saw a real leader tonight”

• The real opinion of Barack Obama is written on the face of an otherwise evasive David Axelrod; full tumescence of Brian Stelter is detected; Chris Hayes completely agrees with whatever Joy, Rachel, or Jen just said

FINALLY, THE WALTER KIRN RULE:

You must finish your bottle and arm yourself if a technical breakdown or broadcast interruption takes place in the middle of a one-sided debate.

Investigative journalist Chris Papst of Fox45 News’ Project Baltimore revealed that a Maryland high school unknowingly allowed an illegal alien MS-13 gang member, at the center of a murder investigation, to enroll after local, state, and federal authorities failed to inform the school’s administration of the student’s criminal background. Tragic events like this should never be happening in the first world. Yet, the news cycle is becoming inundated with these types of horrific events because of disastrous open southern border policies pushed by the Biden-Harris team. 

The story begins with illegal alien and MS-13 gang member Walter Martinez, who was 16 years old and murdered Kayla Hamilton in 2022. Months before the murder, Martinez walked across the open southern border and was apprehended by the US Border Patrol. He was then sent to a sponsor in Maryland. 

BREAKING: Fox45 has learned an MS-13 gang member, in the country illegally, was attending a Maryland public school while he was the primary suspect in a vicious murder. He was just sentenced to 70 years in prison. And he was allowed to be a student in a public school AFTER he… pic.twitter.com/BenjBtu9xl

— Chris Papst (@chrispapst) September 8, 2024

Fox’s Papst laid out a timeline of Martinez’s illegal entry into America to the murder of an American citizen to his time at a Maryland public school. 

• In March 2022, Martinez entered the United States illegally through Texas as an unaccompanied minor. He was apprehended by Border Patrol and sent to live with a sponsor in Maryland.

• By July 2022, Martinez moved to a mobile home in Aberdeen where he later killed Kayla.

• By the fall of 2022, as police waited for the DNA results, Martinez had been placed in foster care with Child and Protective Services. He then enrolled at Edgewood High School.

• In January 2023, the DNA results came back, and Martinez was arrested.

• In August 2024, he pleaded guilty to murder and was sentenced to 70 years in jail.

The victim’s mother, Tammy Nobles, told Papst, “When I start from the very beginning and get to the very end, they’re like, ‘wow, that is a really crazy story,” adding, “And I say, ‘it is a crazy story. But it’s a true story.’ It’s the worst pain that a parent can ever get.”

Nobles explained the illegal alien “wrapped a cord around my daughter’s neck and her mouth, then just left her on the floor, like trash.” 

An MS-13 gang member attended a Maryland high school as murder suspect, but the school says it was not told about his past. According to charging documents, Walter Martinez, in 2022, was quickly identified as a primary suspect in the murder of Kayla Hamilton. As a minor and MS-13… pic.twitter.com/u2HfbdZthZ

— Project Baltimore (@Project_Bmore) September 10, 2024

Martinez, a native of Salvador, was the top suspect and was detained by police shortly after Kayla Hamilton’s death. There was surveillance video and an audio recording placing him at the scene of the crime. Martinez was read his Miranda Rights, and police sent out his DNA for testing. However, testing took six months, and while that was underway, he was enrolled into a Maryland public school, surrounded by hundreds of kids.

“It makes me angry,” Nobles said, emphasizing, “You’re sitting there putting this monster into high school with other people’s children, and you’re putting children at risk. Look what he did to Kayla.”

Papst pointed out, “Think about this for a minute. After Kayla was murdered, Martinez was quickly identified as a primary suspect, according to charging documents. As a minor and MS-13 gang member in the country illegally, several organizations were involved in the investigation: Aberdeen Police Department, Maryland State Police, FBI, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and Child and Protective Services.” 

Yet none of the local, state, and federal agencies mentioned above informed the school system; nevertheless, the parents of the school about the illegal alien’s criminal status.

The story is crazy and absolutely disheartening, and it was made possible by the Biden-Harris team, who allowed this to happen.

Here’s Papst’s full report: 

The nation is sleepwalking into disaster. 

Authored by Paul Joseph Watson via modernity.news,

Ahead of tonight’s debate, a CNN journalist suggested it was unfair for people to ask too much “policy detail” of Kamala Harris and that it was the media’s “job” to point that out.

The comments were made by Natasha S. Alford during a discussion of what to expect during this evening’s head to head between Harris and Trump.

“How does she have an opportunity on the one hand to do what needs to get done and also straddle that?” Alford was asked.

“Well I think this is where the fourth estate comes in, this is our job, right, as journalists tomorrow?” she responded.

.@NatashaSAlford says, “It’s our job as journalists” to bail Kamala out when she’s unable to defend her record as both a dangerous liberal and a failed Vice President pic.twitter.com/57bnQePEjk

— Trump War Room (@TrumpWarRoom) September 10, 2024

“To actually push on the policy questions because what I do feel is that people are pushing for a higher standard of policy detail that they’ve actually pushed Donald Trump for,” she added.

In other words, don’t give Kamala too many hard questions about policy, despite that literally being the entire point of the debate.

Also, don’t grill her too much on things that matter, despite that being the entire point of journalism.

Harris has notoriously avoided talking about her what her actual policies will be and has only agreed to one major interview so far, during which she had to have her running mate Tim Walz sat next to her.

Kamala is known to be bad at unscripted performances and initially reported to demand ABC News let her use notes during the debate.

As we highlighted earlier, the media is already setting the narrative to declare Kamala the “winner” of the debate if she merely doesn’t rise to any personal insults Trump directs her way.

Harris has almost entirely avoided press conferences and answering any questions thrown at her by journalists, who appear perfectly happy to let her off the hook.

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.

Authored by Steve Watson via modernity.news,

Commerce Secretary and Kamala Harris surrogate Gina Raimondo found herself on the end of a rare moment where a CNBC anchor called out Harris’ complete lack of engagement with the press and the American people since being installed as the Democratic nominee.

“Squawk Box” co-host Joe Kernen was having none of it when Raimondo claimed Harris is “reaching out” to people, that “she’s spending her time talking to Americans,” and “She has a punishing schedule.”

“She hasn’t talked to the press, Gina. I know you’re a surrogate, but the American people are frustrated,” Kernan countered.

He continued, “The media is frustrated with the amount of access anyone’s gotten to her for the past 41 days.”

“We’re finally going to have a debate tomorrow night because she sat down for one interview that was taped and then cut down,” the anchor added.

“Certain little things came out from it, but it has been a masterclass in avoiding any questions and nothing has been made clear by her,” Kernan urged.

He added, “Maybe it’s been made clear in drubs and drabs from her policymakers when it comes out in print or off a teleprompter at one of her scripted speeches.”

“She’s been impossible to pin down on anything because she hasn’t given any access. The American people deserve it,” Kernan concluded, then asking Raimondo “Wouldn’t you agree?”

She despondently responded, “yes.”

Kamala surrogate Gina Raimondo found herself on the end of a rare moment where a CNBC anchor called out Harris’ “masterclass in avoiding any questions.” Report here: https://t.co/4S2AVgDBJG pic.twitter.com/TNTvn5jvm1

— m o d e r n i t y (@ModernityNews) September 10, 2024

Oof.

Finally someone in the media telling it like it is.

As we previously highlighted, Raimondo was called out during an interview last month for falsely suggesting Donald Trump made up statistics that were released by President Joe Biden’s Bureau of Labor Statistics.

The former governor was swiftly hit by a brutal fact check.

“It is though from the Bureau of Labor,” said the reporter.

“I don’t, I’m not familiar with that,” said Raimondo.

Apparently, she’s “not familiar” with the existence of the Bureau of Labor Statistics, a department of the U.S. government that has been around for 140 years.

The report announced that job growth throughout the 12 months ending in March would be revised downward by 818,000 jobs, equating to 0.5% of total jobs, the biggest number for decades.

Your support is crucial in helping us defeat mass censorship. Please consider donating via Locals or check out our unique merch. Follow us on X @ModernityNews.