Dave Bondy
Politics • Culture • News
News they don't want you to see
Thursday April 11, 2024
April 11, 2024
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LANSING, Mich - The state of Michigan is handing out $250 million in tax credits for low-income housing. The cost per housing unit? An astounding $236,000 each.

That’s more than the average value of a house in Michigan right now, which Zillow pegs at $232,500. In other words, taxpayers will dish out more per unit in subsidies than it costs to buy a whole house in Michigan.

And this spending won’t all go to new housing stock or for many single-family homes. Most appears to be going to developers for new one- or two-bedroom apartments and complexes. Other funds will only “rehabilitate” existing units.

The credits come from the federal government but are distributed by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. They will go to 22 housing projects in 14 municipalities across Michigan. These projects often receive lots of press coverage: $1.2 million for 48 units in Kalamazoo, $8.2 million for 300 units in West Michigan, $1.65 million for 48 units in Battle Creek and $366,000 to rehabilitate 32 existing units in Escanaba. Rarely does anybody question the total cost of the project or the amount subsidized by taxpayers. Click here to read more.

 

LANSING, Mich - Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and legislative allies have repeatedly praised a state program that extended the federal free lunch program to higher income students in public schools.

The Legislature added $160 million to the school aid budget to provide free breakfast and lunch for all 1.3 million public school students in Michigan.

Whitmer said the change reduces stress, saves families $850 per student and is based on “the science of improving outcomes for students across the state.” State Superintendent Michael Rice called it “an investment that gives our children the opportunity to focus on learning and a healthier future rather than worrying about their next meal.” State Board of Education President Pamela Pugh compared these no-charge meals to clean air and clean water. Media accounts that focus on anecdotes call the program “wildly popular.” Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON D.C. - Some January 6 defendants are being released from prison on federal judges’ orders pending an appeal in the United States Supreme Court centered on interpretations of obstructing an official proceeding as oral arguments approach.

The Washington Post reported on federal judges’ decisions to release a “handful” of defendants amid the appeal in the Fischer v. United States case. Some have already been released, and others are scheduled to be released soon.

The case potentially bears substantial implications for more than 100 January 6 defendants, whose lone felony charge is obstruction of an official proceeding, per the Post.

It also impacts former President Donald Trump’s federal case concerning his challenge of the 2020 election results. As Breitbart News Capitol Hill Correspondent Bradley Jaye reported in December, a key issue in the Fischer case is the judicial scope of obstruction of an official proceeding which was enacted following the Enron scandal: Click here to read more.

 

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – A federal court ruled on Tuesday that Florida cannot enforce part of a 2023 law with provisions restricting how pronouns can be used in schools against one of the teachers who filed suit.

The latest ruling does not block statewide enforcement of the law.

The judge ruled that the teacher had expressed personal pronouns before the 2023 law took effect, according to the Orlando Sentinel, and that she is prevented from expressing them now under “threat of mandatory discipline.”

The case, filed against the Florida Department of Education last year, disputes the enforcement of requiring educators only provide pronouns if they match their biological sex rather than their gender identity. Click here for story.

 

WASHINTON D.C. - The Senate passed a disapproval resolution overturning a Transportation Department rule requiring states to measure and set goals for reducing carbon emissions from cars and trucks on the road.

The measure, introduced by Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), and Joe Manchin (D-WV), passed a 53 to 47 vote, sending the resolution to the House. Three Democrats and independent Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (AZ) joined Republicans to support overturning the rule.

The disapproval resolution is aimed at a rule finalized by the Federal Highway Administration in November that establishes a method for the agency to measure and report greenhouse gas emissions from vehicles. It also requires state departments of transportation and local planning organizations to establish carbon targets and report on progress toward meeting those goals. Click here for more.

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00:00:32
Taxpayer-Funded Megasite Push Ramps Up—School Demolition Planned Despite No Signed Deal with Buyer

Mundy Township, Michigan resident Don Ludwig is sounding the alarm over what he calls a reckless and secretive development project that’s transforming his quiet Genesee County neighborhood into a construction zone—with no confirmed buyer in sight.

At the center of the controversy is a 1,300-acre "mega-site" being prepared for a future industrial development. Backed by the Michigan Economic Development Corporation (MEDC), the project has already received approximately $259 million in taxpayer funds to purchase land, demolish homes, and prepare infrastructure for a still-unnamed company.

00:21:59
Michigan Pig Farmers Say State Is Harassing Them Out of Business

LANSING — A group of pig farmers and hunting ranch operators told Michigan lawmakers that the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been waging a decade-long campaign to destroy their livelihoods under the guise of environmental enforcement.

At the center of the controversy is the DNR’s 2010 Invasive Species Order (ISO), which effectively banned the possession of certain breeds of pigs the state deemed “feral” or “invasive.” But according to the farmers, the pigs in question are not wild animals, but barnyard livestock raised for hunting and meat.

“This is not about dangerous pigs,” said Republican State Sen. Ed McBroom during a hearing. “It’s about government overreach. The DNR ignored legislative efforts to regulate the industry and instead used executive authority to force these farmers out.”

If you don’t subscribe to my newsletter please do so. You won’t hear these stories in the mainsteam media. If you are not yet a paid subscriber please become one. ...

00:55:28
🚨 BREAKING: The Supreme Court rules 6-3 to uphold Tennessee’s ban on transgender surgeries and hormone treatments for minors.

🚨 BREAKING: The Supreme Court rules 6-3 to uphold Tennessee’s ban on transgender surgeries and hormone treatments for minors.

OJ was on the run 31 years ago today. Do you remember where you were? I was gathered with a group of friends playing SEGA when we turned on the chase.

OJ was on the run 31 years ago today. Do you remember where you were? I was gathered with a group of friends playing SEGA when we turned on the chase.

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BREAKING: Minnesota suspect Vance Boelter taken into custody, radio traffic says. - AlphaNewsMN

BREAKING: Minnesota suspect Vance Boelter taken into custody, radio traffic says. - AlphaNewsMN

News they don't want you to see
Thursday June 19, 2025
 
 
 

Media Doesn’t Mention Chilean National Convicted Of String of Home Invasions Was Here Illegally

PONTIAC, Mich. - Ignacio Ruiz-Saldias was sentenced to up to 20 years in prison by a judge June 16 for his role in a string of widely publicized and highly orchestrated home invasions in affluent Detroit suburbs.

Attorney General Dana Nessel identified Ruiz-Saldias as a Chilean national, as did dozens of local TV and newspaper outlets. But almost all the news outlets did not report that Ruiz-Saldias is an illegal immigrant. That’s according to Stephen Huber, public information office for the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office. According to the Oakland County jail, the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has a immigration detainer on him that allows ICE to take him in custody once he is released. Huber said Ruiz-Saldias will be deported after he serves his prison sentence. Click here to read more.

 

Social Security fund could run dry ahead of earlier forecast, trustees say

The trust funds for Social Security and Medicare will run out of money in less than a decade, according to a report released Wednesday, as the programs’ trustees warned that the funds’ depletion date is significantly closer than predicted a year ago.

If Congress does not overhaul the programs’ financing, automatic cuts will slash Social Security benefits by 23 percent and Medicare hospital benefits by 11 percent in 2033, the report said.

For today, yes. But in last year’s annual report, the trustees projected that Social Security would become insolvent by 2035 and Medicare in 2036. They now predict that Social Security’s fund will run out of money in 2033, or in 2034 if Congress changes the law to combine the separate funds for old-age benefits and for disability insurance. They also now forecast that Medicare’s hospital insurance fund will run out in 2033. Click here to read more.

 

Nearly 800 babies likely inside hidden septic tank at home for unwed mothers

TUAM, Ireland - The remains of nearly 800 infants and children are expected to be found inside a hidden septic tank at a home for unwed mothers.

According to the Associated Press long-awaited excavation work began Monday at the site of a former home for unmarried women and their babies in Tuam, Ireland, which was operated by Catholic nuns.

Irish officials believe 798 children died at Bon Secours Mother and Baby Home, an institution that was run by an order of Catholic nuns. The home, which closed its doors in 1961, was one of many church-run institutions in Ireland that housed tens of thousands of orphans and unmarried pregnant women who were forced to surrender their children throughout much of the 20th century, the AP reported. Click here to read more.

 

Nearly 1 in 3 Illinois school contracts mislead teachers about fees they owe

It’s been seven years since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled government unions could not force nonmembers to pay “fair share” fees in order to keep their jobs, but nearly one-third of Illinois school districts still have the invalid language in their teachers union contracts.

School leaders are telling employees that even teachers who are not union members must pay “fair share” fees to unions for negotiating the contracts that cover them all, according to the Illinois State Board of Education’s 2024-2025 Teacher Salary Survey. Those 267 districts – including 66 that are negotiating new contracts this year – should remove that language during their next contract negotiations.

Teachers unions, such as the Illinois Federation of Teachers, may be keeping that language in the contracts to purposely confuse teachers into thinking they must either remain members or pay a fee. In reality they can opt out of membership and keep their money. Click here to read more.

 

The push to net zero will send communities across the country in the dark.

MIDLAND, Mich - The energy transition to wind, solar, and utility-scale batteries is simply unworkable.

“Shattered Green Dreams: The Environmental Costs of Wind and Solar” is a new report by Sarah Montalbano and the Center of the American Experiment. In it, Montalbano explains how the environmental, material, and technological flaws and limits of so-called renewables are systematically ignored by policymakers. As the Mackinac Center’s Seven Principles of Sound Energy Policy make clear, all energy sources, including politically favored ones, have an environmental impact.

“Sunshine and the breeze are nonpolluting,” explains Montalbano, “[b]ut building wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries to harvest and store wind and solar resources entail environmental costs in the mining of raw material.” While proponents of net-zero policies may sometimes acknowledge this, the problem cuts deeper than most will admit. Click here to read more.

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News they don't want you to see
Wednesday June 18, 2025

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Judge orders University of Oregon to pay $191,000 to censored conservative professor

A federal judge ordered the University of Oregon to pay $191,000 to Portland State University professor Bruce Gilley to cover his legal fees in a successful First Amendment challenge to its censorship of Gilley's comment "all men are created equal" in his retweet from UO's diversity, equity and inclusion office Twitter page, according to Gilley's lawyers.

Gilley secured a preliminary injunction last summer that stops UO Equity's account on X, formerly Twitter, from blocking his interactions or "hiding, muting, or deleting" several kinds of his posts to its account. They settled in full this spring after nearly three years in court, with UO changing some policies, but how much UO would have to pay Gilley in legal fees was still hanging. Click here to read more.

 

Contrary to what one commissioner might think, the Constitution comes before any government official

“To the end it may be a government of laws and not of men.” This ideal comes from the part of the Massachusetts Constitution establishing the state’s separation of powers between its three branches of government. The separation of powers is indispensable to the rule of law.

Whether at the state or federal level, the separation of powers keeps the branches of government at bay and restrains government officials’ exercise of power. And without it, nothing would stop government officials from wielding all three powers of government and rising above accountability.

A recent episode of the Trump administration brought this to light.

In early May, President Trump fired three commissioners of the Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC), an independent agency that protects consumers from unsafe products. One of these commissioners is Richard Trumka Jr., who responded by suing the president, arguing Trump doesn’t have the authority to remove him from his position. Click here to read more.

 

88 children rescued from church summer camp after reports of child abuse and endangerment, deputies say

OUISA COUNTY, Iowa – Dozens of children are now in protective custody after deputies rescued them from a church camp in Iowa, according to officials.

On Monday, the Louisa County Sheriff’s Office said 88 children are now in protective custody after deputies conducted a child safety operation on Thursday and Friday.

The sheriff’s office said the operation took place after reports of child abuse and endangerment at the camp.

The alleged abuse happened at the Shekinah Glory Camp in Columbus Junction, Iowa. The camp is run by the Kingdom Ministry of Rehab and Recreation. Click here to read more.

 

USAID Gave Known Con Man $800M Contract To Do Kamala’s Work On ‘Root Causes Of Migration’

President Joe Biden’s USAID awarded an $800 million contract to a business operating out of a Virginia home even after it formally ruled that its key manager lacked “honesty or integrity” — a reference to the fact that, according to a May 12 guilty plea, he had secured USAID contracts through bribery for a decade.

The contract was for addressing “issues affecting the root causes of irregular migration from Central America to the United States” — the work that Biden assigned to Vice President Kamala Harris, but which she never appeared to address, a Daily Wire investigation found.

The Department of Justice announced that Walter Barnes III, the founder of government contractor Vistant (previously known as PM Consulting Group, or PMCG) and Roderick Watson, a USAID contracting official, pleaded guilty to a bribery scheme in which Barnes and two others conspired to pay Watson $1 million in exchange for $544 million in contracts. Click here to read more. Click here to read more.

 

Officers who cover their faces could be charged with misdemeanor under Calif. proposal

SAN FRANCISCO — Local, state, and federal law enforcement officers who cover their faces while conducting official business could face a misdemeanor charge in California under a new proposal announced Monday.

If approved, the bill would require all law enforcement officials to show their faces and be identifiable by their uniform, which should carry their name or other identifier. It would not apply to the National Guard or other troops and it would exempt SWAT teams and officers responding to natural disasters.

State Sen. Scott Wiener, a Democrat representing San Francisco, and State Sen. Jesse Arreguin, a Democrat representing Berkeley and Oakland, said the proposal seeks to boost transparency and public trust in law enforcement. It also looks to protect against people trying to impersonate law enforcement, they said. Click here to read more.

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FBI Gives Congress Intel on Alleged Chinese Plot to Create Fake Mail-In Ballots in 2020 Election
FBI intel reveals alleged Chinese effort to influence 2020 election with fake ballots.

WASHINGTON, D.C. – In a startling development, FBI Director Kash Patel has declassified and delivered an internal intelligence report to Congress that alleges China orchestrated a covert operation in 2020 to influence the U.S. presidential election by flooding the voter system with fraudulent mail-in ballots.

According to Just the News, the FBI intelligence—originating in August 2020—was classified and circulated among federal agencies before quietly being recalled “before [it] could be fully investigated.” The report, now in the hands of Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley, outlines a plan by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) to mass-produce counterfeit U.S. driver’s licenses and import them into the U.S. The objective: to establish illicit voter identities and submit ballots in favor of Joe Biden.

 

 

Director Patel stated in a message posted on X that the documents “detail alarming allegations related to the 2020 U.S. election,” and emphasized that he “immediately declassified the material and turned the documents over to Chairman Grassley for further review.”

Key takeaways from the Just the News report include:

  • A confidential FBI source in August 2020 disclosed that the CCP had begun producing fake U.S. driver’s licenses for the purpose of creating voter registrations and mail-in ballots.

  • Just the News notes that U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) intercepted nearly 20,000 counterfeit driver’s licenses destined for the U.S. in mid-2020—potentially corroborating elements of the intelligence.

  • Officials familiar with the intelligence told Just the News that the report was recalled within weeks and never fully pursued, despite the CBP seizure.

  • The intelligence explicitly states that these forged documents were intended to supply mail-in ballots “to facilitate fraudulent mail‑in ballots”—allegations which, while substantiated, were abruptly recalled and never disclosed to the public.

 

Just the News's investigative coverage first surfaced the story, reporting that Senator Grassley “had first raised concerns to the bureau that the intelligence hadn’t been fully vetted… but was dismissed even though there was evidence of the fake licenses.”

In reaction, Patel applauded Grassley's vigilance, saying, “Thanks to the oversight work and partnership of Chairman Grassley, the FBI continues to provide unprecedented transparency at the people’s Bureau.” Grassley’s office confirmed receipt of the documents and indicated that further investigation is underway, with efforts focused on determining why the report was recalled and who made that decision.

Implications and Next Steps

  • The revelation of a potential CCP-backed scheme to manipulate U.S. mail-in ballots adds a new dimension to concerns about foreign interference, particularly at a time when global powers historically focused on cyber-espionage or propaganda.

  • Senator Grassley is reportedly pressing for the full intelligence file and additional documents to validate the claims and trace the decision to withdraw the report from circulation.

  • Critics of the FBI under Director Patel have seized upon the episode to call attention to past controversies, including handling of the Epstein files and questions around transparency. Supporters argue Patel is promoting an essential new era of openness.

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