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LANSING, Mich - MISO’s 2023 Regional Resource Assessment depicts what the system operator calls a “resource gap” between accredited capacity (supply) and future load (demand) for most of Michigan’s Lower Peninsula. Michigan’s Upper Peninsula is not shown on this chart as it falls under a different subdivision of MISO territory, though it too has a resource gap.

The orange bars, for “demand load,” represent what MISO projects as the Lower Peninsula’s electricity demand. The system operator has multiple scenarios, and the chart represents the one with the lowest demand.

Even at that lowest estimate, Michigan’s supply is multiple gigawatts below meeting expected demand. When the quantity supplied is less than the quantity demanded and prices are fixed (as they are in Michigan), a shortage results. There will be blackouts.

What’s behind the insufficient supply? Utilities are replacing dependable sources of energy with less dependable ones. “Controllable, dispatchable resources are being retired and replaced primarily with weather-dependent, non-dispatchable, and variable generation types to achieve carbon reduction goals. These weather-dependent generators are increasing reliability risks,” a senior representative of MISO told the U.S. House Subcommittee on Energy, Climate and Grid Security last September. Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON (TND) — Supply chain backlogs, reminiscent of what we faced in the pandemic, appear poised to make a comeback as getting goods from around the world is getting more difficult.

This time, the international shipping industry is facing a slew of problems all at once. The chaos now causing global shortages and rising prices.

The world's busiest ports are experiencing traffic jams as ships sit offshore waiting to unload cargo. Meanwhile, workers in the U.S., Germany and Canada are threatening to strike as they demand higher pay and better working conditions. A severe drought hit Central America leading to extremely low water levels in the Panama Canal limiting the number of ships that can pass through.

Perhaps the biggest contributor to the ongoing problems is the situation in the Red Sea where Iranian-backed Houthi rebels continue their attacks on commercial ships crippling commerce through the important Suez Canal. Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON D.C. - The CIA interfered in the 2020 election by colluding with the Biden campaign to discredit the Hunter Biden laptop story, a congressional report found Tuesday.

“It’s inappropriate for a currently serving staff officer or contractor to be involved in the political process,” former CIA Deputy Director Michael Morell acknowledged to Congress during its investigation of the incident. The House Judiciary report on Monday alleged three key facts about the CIA’s involvement in the 2020 election:

• High ranking CIA officials, up to and including then-CIA Director Gina Haspel, were made aware of the Hunter Biden statement prior to its approval and publication. Because several former senior intelligence officials signed the statement, the PCRB sent the draft statement to the CIA’s then-Chief Operating Officer (COO) Andrew Makridis, who said he subsequently informed then-Director Haspel or then-Deputy Director Vaughn Frederick Bishop that the statement would be published soon. Senior CIA leadership had an opportunity at that time to slow down the CIA’s process for reviewing publication submissions and ensure that such an extraordinary statement was properly vetted. Click here to read more.

 

KEY WEST, Fla. – The Key West Library will be reading a book that teaches children how to be a drag queen during their “Pride Month Storytime” event Friday.

According to the library, story time is typically for children ages 0-6. The book that will be read during Friday’s story time is titled “The Hips on the Drag Queen Go Swish, Swish, Swish,” written by Drag Queen and founding member of Drag Queen Story Hour “Lil Miss Hot Mess.”

In a WNET Education YouTube video aimed at children, Lil Miss Hot Mess explained what a drag queen is before reading the book aloud and dancing along. The book encourages children to act out the dance moves.

“I wrote this book because I wanted everyone to get to experience the magic of drag, and to get a little practice shaking their hips or shimmying their shoulders to know how we can feel fabulous inside of our own bodies,” Lil Miss Hot Mess explained. Click here to read more.

 

LOS ANGELES, CALIF - An anti-Israel mob descended on the Adas Torah synagogue in Los Angeles Sunday in a display that turned violent as keffiyeh-clad activists attacked a Jewish woman on the street.

The video capturing the beating also shows a masked woman spraying a Jewish man with what appears to be mace.

The chaos on Sunday began when anti-Israel agitators gathered outside the synagogue and attempted to block its entrances. Congregants then exited the building to counter-protest.

As the Los Angeles Times reported, only one arrest was made. The arrested individual was reportedly carrying a “spiked flag,” ostensibly meant to be used as a weapon.

Other videos show police escorting an anti-Israel couple out of their car — alongside their keffiyeh-clad toddler — as the woman, holding her own keffiyeh, flipped off congregants who emerged from the synagogue to stage a counter-protest. Click here for more.

I walked away from my job in the mainstream media after 25 years to go independent. Help me fight the narratives by becoming a paid subscriber. It’s $5 a month; you can quit at any time.

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LANSING, Mich - The Michigan House of Representatives passed a budget that could put hundreds of child care providers out of business. And it would jeopardize access to quality preschool for many disadvantaged families who need it most. This is despite the state’s claim that parents need greater access to pre-K.

A provision in the House budget would remove the requirement that at least 30% of Great Start Readiness Program funds be allocated to certain community-based organizations that provide early education services. These include private nonprofits, federal Head Start programs and other community child care providers. These providers enroll nearly 20% of Michigan’s four-year-old preschoolers. Click here to read more.

 

NEW YORK, NY - A consumer research group surveyed electric vehicle (EV) owners all around the world and found 46 percent of American EV owners regret their purchase and are “very likely” to switch back to the internal combustion engine (ICE).

Around the world, 29 percent of EV owners said they will go back to the ICE. The top concerns are the lack of  a reliable charging infrastructure, the costs involved in owning an EV, and anxiety about long-distance trips. Philipp Kampshoff, leader of the consulting firm Center for Future Mobility, told Automotive News he was surprised by the 49 percent number in the U.S.  “I didn’t expect that,” he said. “I thought, ‘Once an EV buyer, always an EV buyer.'” Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON D.C. - House Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan is demanding that the Stanford Internet Observatory turn over all information related to a congressional subpoena before its expected closure. In a letter to the observatory’s attorney on Monday, obtained exclusively by National Review, Jordan says the committee still expects SIO to comply with an ongoing subpoena despite media reports that the center, which studies so-called online misinformation, is effectively closing down. 

In a report released in November, the House Judiciary Committee and its Weaponization Select Subcommittee found that researchers working for a partnership between the observatory and the University of Washington — the Election Integrity Partnership (EIP) — had worked with federal officials and social-media companies to violate the free-speech rights of conservatives. Click here to read more.

 

ORLANDO, FL - Hooters - known for its scantily-clad waitresses - is the latest restaurant chain to abruptly shutters locations.

Like other struggling chains such as Red Lobster, Hooters is blaming the rising cost of rent and food.

A raft of closures happened over the weekend, while others were in recent weeks. They include locations in Florida, Kentucky, Rhode Island, Texas and Virginia.  The company is not thought to be in as dire financial situation as Red Lobster, which has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy. 

In fact, bosses said the 41-year-old brand 'remains highly resilient and relevant,' and highlighted a new range of Hooters frozen food which is being sold in supermarkets across America.

CHICAGO, IL - Army and National Guard accused of abandoning 24-year-old soldier with “debilitating heart condition” that internal memo “linked” to COVID-19 mRNA vaccine. New military records confirm the soldier's heart injury was "In Line of Duty,” and details her account of "complications since receiving the second dose of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine." Moderna did not respond to our questions. Army Specialist Karoline Stancik now faces over $70,000 in medical debt. Click here to watch Catherine Herridge’s exclusive report.

In an emotional and revealing interview, Army National Guard Specialist Karolina Stansick shared her harrowing journey after receiving the COVID-19 vaccine. "I am 24 years old. I have had three heart attacks, a mini-stroke, and I am now getting a pacemaker," said Stansick. She attributes these health issues directly to the COVID-19 vaccine. "That's when everything flipped upside down for me," she explained.

CLICK HERE TO WATCH CATHERINE’S EXCLUSIVE STORY.

Catherine Herridge reports that government records confirm Stansick's serious heart condition. The records suggest her case may open the door for other service members who believe they were harmed by the Department of Defense's COVID-19 vaccine mandate. "This Army memo acknowledges that your debilitating heart condition can be caused by either COVID-19 infection or the COVID-19 vaccine," Herridge noted.

Stansick, who takes 27 pills daily after suffering her first heart attack while on active duty, had no prior heart issues before joining the military. "I could run ten miles at a time and play basketball. Now I have trouble just standing up," she said. Herridge confirmed that Stansick has never tested positive for COVID-19, reinforcing her belief that the vaccine is to blame.

Herridge's investigation highlights the arduous process Stansick faced within the military bureaucracy to obtain acknowledgment of her condition. "It was a 19-month grueling process," Stansick revealed. She believes the Defense Department is fully responsible for the neglect she faced. "I was neglected, and the medical care I needed was not happening, causing more damage by delaying the response."

Stansick's story begins in Lithuania, where she and her brother were adopted by Lisa Stansick in 2003. Inspired by her grandfather, a World War II veteran, she enlisted in the Army National Guard while in college. In early 2021, she received her first COVID-19 vaccine shot. "I received Moderna one and two," she recalled. "After the second shot, the reaction was intense, with severe neuropathic pain, chest pain, and breathing issues."

Herridge confirmed that military records independently reviewed by her team identified Stansick's heart condition as Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS). This condition means her heart and blood pressure don't work in sync, causing unpredictable daily health challenges. "I will wake up with my heart rate hitting the 180s or 190s," Stansick shared.

Stansick's struggle to get an accurate diagnosis and timely medical help has been well-documented on social media. "In April 2022, she was released from active duty, losing her health insurance and about $3,300 in monthly income," Herridge reported. Jeremy Sorensen, an advocate for service members, criticized the military's treatment of Stansick. "It's absolutely abhorrent to me that we would treat any young service member this way," Sorensen said.

Sorensen argued that Stansick's case is representative of hundreds, possibly thousands, of other vaccine injury cases. "The Department of Defense has abandoned injured service members with vaccine injuries because they are very political," he stated.

Stansick, now facing more than $70,000 in medical debt, described her experiences of homelessness and ongoing health crises. In September 2023, she blacked out and fell down the stairs during a severe flare-up. "I was ready for this to just be done," she said, admitting to considering suicide due to her struggles.

Finally, in October 2023, the Army Human Resources Command concluded that Stansick's heart injury was "in line of duty by the preponderance of evidence." Herridge noted that this memo confirms a link between COVID-19 infection and POTS, with a lesser degree link to the COVID-19 vaccine. "I jumped to the part where it talks about the vaccine and said, 'That's me. I'm vaccine injured,'" Stansick said.

Herridge concluded by highlighting the broader implications of Stansick's case for other service members who believe they are COVID vaccine injured. "I hope this will provide them the help and care they need," Stansick said. Sorensen echoed her sentiments, expressing deep disappointment in the Defense Department's failure to support injured service members. "It hurts me deeply because it takes away my faith in our own Defense Department, our own government," Sorensen lamented.

As Stansick prepares for major heart surgery, her story serves as a stark reminder of the sacred military pledge to leave no one behind. "I was left behind and trampled," she stated, underscoring the serious nature of her charges against the Army and National Guard.