Dave Bondy
Politics • Culture • News
News they don't want you to see
Wednesday January 22, 2025
January 22, 2025

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ATLANTA, GA - In what The Atlanta Journal-Constitution described in December 2024 as “potentially the biggest shake-up of Georgia’s Medicaid system since 2006,” Georgia’s Department of Community Health granted new contracts to four insurers last year, while shutting out Amerigroup and Peach State Health Plan, companies which had both long managed Medicaid care for the state.

During procurement, overseen by Georgia’s Department of Administrative Services, ten companies bidding for the contract in December 2023 had to answer 65 hypothetical questions, one of which was about how the company would handle the case of “[a] 14-year-old, transgender White female (assigned male sex at birth but identifies as a female) member living in a rural area [who] has been diagnosed with major depressive disorder.” Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON D.C. - Some January 6 defendants were reportedly not released from a Washington, D.C. jail on Monday night, following President Donald Trump’s sweeping Executive Order offering full pardons, dismissals, or commutations to nearly all defendants.

A White House liaison showed up at the jail late Monday and said two brothers, Andrew Valentin, 26, and Matthew Valentin, 31, had been released, per Trump’s order.

However, people gathered outside the jail said there were other defendants still inside:

A possible explanation was posted on X by WUSA 9 investigative reporter Jordan Fischer. Basically, Trump’s order gave full pardons to almost everyone convicted of J6-related crimes. However, if someone is in jail and still awaiting trial, their case, per the order, will be dismissed. The dismissal of such cases could take longer to process, according to Fischer. Click here to read more.

 

CHICAGO, IL - Already 46 towns around Illinois have voted to impose a 1% grocery tax in 2026. Other Illinoisans will start to save 1% on groceries when the statewide tax ends.

There are 46 Illinois towns that will continue the 1% grocery tax once the statewide tax ends in 2026, according to data from the Illinois Department of Revenue. The rest of the state will start to see 1% savings at the grocery store.

The map below shows which towns will begin taxing groceries in 2026, but the list will only get longer unless residents show they are opposed to taxing residents’ unavoidable need to eat. Even if a town is not on the map, communities have until October 2025 to decide whether to keep or kill the 1% tax on everyday grocery items.

Grocery shoppers around the state saved $360 million the year state leaders suspended the tax as a way to combat rampant inflation. That was roughly $30 per Illinoisan. That means a family of four could save about $115 a year on food, depending on where they live. Click here to read more.

 

RALEIGH, NC - In May 2024, former Raleigh firefighter Nicholas Banister and his wife Amanda were arrested on dozens of drug trafficking charges.

It all stemmed from an Alcohol Law Enforcement investigation into illegal drug sales in Glenwood South and other downtown areas.

While in jail, they were hit with another punishment: An excise tax from the North Carolina Department of Revenue.

The tax bills totaled $578,000 for the drugs agents say they found in the couple's home on Long Cove Court.

"It's wrong, let me put it that way," Laura Webb of the North Carolina Justice Center says about the state's program to tax illicit drugs and alcohol.

Webb said the tax is aggressive.

"They can take money out of your bank account, they can garnish your wages, they can put liens on property," Webb said.

North Carolina is one of 17 states where people with certain amounts of drug are supposed to pay taxes by purchasing drug stamps from the state. Click here to read more.

 

WASHINGTON D.C. - Just minutes after returning to the Oval Office, President Trump promised to reinstate the more than 8,000 troops who were dismissed from the military for refusing the COVID-19 vaccine, announcing that they would receive backpay for the period of their termination.

According to military data, nearly 8,400 troops were expelled from the military after declining the vaccine, with the Marines making up around 3,700 of the dismissals.

"This week, I will reinstate any service members who were unjustly expelled from our military for objecting to the COVID vaccine mandate with full back pay," Trump said during his swearing-in ceremony Monday.

"And I will sign an order to stop our warriors from being subjected to radical political theories and social experiments while on duty," he added. "It's going to end immediately. Our armed forces will be free to focus on their sole mission, defeating America's enemies."

The COVID-19 vaccine mandate for military members lasted from August 2021 to January 2023 with few exemptions for medical or religious reasons. The mandate was walked back when Biden signed a defense spending bill in December 2022.

At that time, less than 1 percent of the military members who were dismissed due to the mandate were reinstated to their positions. Click here to read more.

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Law Enforcement Expert Shares Survival Tips For Attacks

There will be no live show today. Not feeling well. This is our new interview for all of you----

Keeping It Real with Dave Bondy is adding a new voice of authority to the team. John Hartman, a retired police chief with decades of experience in law enforcement, has joined as our legal and law enforcement expert.

Hartman’s career began in Pennsylvania, where he led one of the state’s regional police departments serving as many as ten communities across three counties. Under his leadership, the department handled complex cases and grew into a model for multi-municipality policing. He retired in 2018 but has remained active in training, investigations, and private consulting.
Learn more about his company here: https://johndalehartmaninvestigations.com/

Beyond his time as chief, Hartman has trained thousands of officers, school staff, and even military personnel in rapid deployment and active threat response. He helped pioneer programs focused on school shootings, church security, and workplace ...

00:25:56
School Board Member Alleges Information Withheld in Proposed $40 Million School Sale

SWARTZ CREEK, Mich. — Tensions flared at a recent Swartz Creek School Board meeting after a board member claimed he was not given key information about a potential $40 million sale of Moorish Elementary School to a state-backed development project.

Board member Chuck Melki alleged that documents related to the proposed sale were withheld from him and the public. The school sits within a large industrial site in Mundy Township where the state of Michigan has already spent $259 million to clear land for a potential factory project. Despite the investment, several companies have declined to move in, leaving the land vacant.

“I wasn’t given all the information about the possible sale of this school,” Melki said during the meeting, adding that he recently learned documents existed as far back as May indicating the property could be sold. He accused the district’s former superintendent, who has since left for another district, of withholding the paperwork.

Board member Carrie ...

00:04:37
Michigan’s Failing $259 Million Mega Site Project Could Now Claim a $40M School

The state of Michigan has spent over $259 million in taxpayer money buying land in Genesee County for a “mega-site” project aimed at attracting a large company, but no firm has committed to the site. A proposed $55 billion project recently fell through, leaving the land vacant. Now, officials are considering buying Morris Elementary School for $40 million to add to the site, despite uncertainty over whether a company will ever build there. Supporters say it could bring jobs, while critics argue it’s a waste of public funds.

00:06:01
BREAKING: National Guard coming to Chicago

President Trump announces National Guard will be deployed to Chicago

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The stock market is up more than 700 points and CNN seems upset about it.

The stock market is up more than 700 points and CNN seems upset about it.

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No show tonight

No show tonight

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Maxwell Breaks Silence: What She Really Said About Clinton, Trump and Epstein’s Death
The new tapes just released.

WASHINGTON — Ghislaine Maxwell, the disgraced socialite serving a 20-year sentence for her role in Jeffrey Epstein’s sex-trafficking operation, spoke at length about her ties to former President Bill Clinton, Donald Trump, and her view of Epstein’s death in newly released transcripts of her proffer sessions with the Department of Justice. She also addressed persistent rumors of a secret “list” of Epstein’s powerful associates, calling the notion a myth.

Click here to listen to the interview.

The interviews, conducted July 24–25, 2025, under a proffer agreement, mark the first time Maxwell has directly addressed federal investigators since her conviction. The transcripts provide a rare glimpse into her perspective on Epstein’s network and the scandals that continue to swirl around his name.

 

Maxwell on Donald Trump

Maxwell said her connections to Trump predated her relationship with Epstein. She recalled that in 1990, while helping her father Robert Maxwell with business matters in New York, she may have briefly met Trump. “My father was friendly with him and liked him very much,” she told investigators, adding that her father also admired Ivana Trump.

She acknowledged attending events at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort but denied recruiting women there on Epstein’s behalf. “I really don’t believe it’s true,” she said when pressed about allegations that she approached women at the property. “In the realm of possibility, it could have [happened], but I have no memory of it”.

Maxwell on Bill Clinton

Maxwell described Clinton as a figure Epstein “greatly admired” and sought to impress. She said she saw Clinton at charity and academic gatherings but insisted he was “never inappropriate” and “never a participant” in Epstein’s sexual misconduct.

Clinton has acknowledged flying on Epstein’s private jet for philanthropic work but denied wrongdoing. Maxwell’s comments, while echoing his denials, underscore Epstein’s desire to cultivate relationships with political elites.

 

Maxwell on Jeffrey Epstein’s Death

The transcripts show Maxwell voicing deep skepticism about Epstein’s official cause of death. “I don’t believe he killed himself,” she told investigators. She suggested Epstein “had many enemies” and said there were “too many coincidences” surrounding the circumstances of his 2019 death in federal custody.

While she did not accuse anyone directly, Maxwell’s doubts echoed the widespread suspicion that Epstein’s death was not self-inflicted.

Maxwell on the Rumored ‘List’

Investigators also asked Maxwell about the long-rumored “list” of Epstein’s friends and associates — sometimes described in media accounts as a supposed ledger of influential figures tied to his activities. Maxwell dismissed the idea outright.

“I never kept such a list, and I never saw one,” she said, calling the notion a “media invention.” She added that Epstein’s social circle was broad and well-known through public appearances, flight logs, and society pages, but insisted there was no secret document cataloging who might have been complicit.

“People have imagined this massive hidden record,” she said, “but it simply didn’t exist in the way it has been described.”

 

Distancing Herself from Epstein

Maxwell continued to dispute prosecutors’ characterization of Epstein’s multimillion-dollar transfers to her. She claimed the money was tied to loans, business deals, and investments, not payments for recruiting underage girls. She described flipping real estate, investing in luxury cars, and earning banking licenses in the 1990s, portraying herself as a woman seeking financial independence rather than an accomplice.

“I always wanted to be independent, financially secure and work for myself,” she said.

Renewed Scrutiny

The release of Maxwell’s interviews is likely to reignite scrutiny of Epstein’s network. For years, questions have swirled about who knew what about his abuse and how far his influence extended. Clinton has denied any knowledge of criminal activity, while Trump has said he knew Epstein socially but “was not a fan.”

Maxwell’s denial of a “list” may quiet some speculation but is unlikely to end the fascination with Epstein’s high-profile ties. Her insistence that Clinton and Trump were not involved in abuse will not silence critics, especially given her conviction for enabling Epstein’s exploitation.

 

A Story That Refuses to Fade

Six years after Epstein’s death and more than two years into her sentence, Maxwell remains central to the scandal. Her interviews reflect both an attempt to defend her reputation and a refusal to accept the narrative prosecutors advanced.

“I’ve never had any problem to speak to anybody,” she told investigators at the outset of the interviews, noting that she had asked to meet with the government years earlier. “I offered myself and I kept asking.”

Now, with her words public, the controversy surrounding Epstein, Maxwell, and the powerful world they inhabited is once again thrust into the spotlight — with two former presidents and the specter of a rumored “list” ensuring the story remains alive.

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News they don't want you to see
Thursday August 21, 2025

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Michigan spends six figures begging residents not to commit suicide

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services spent more than $3.1 million in advertising across social media on 68 media campaigns from 2024 to 2025, according to documents obtained through a records request.

The department ran ad campaigns on Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Snapchat, TikTok and LinkedIn. The state of Michigan also spends taxpayer dollars to buy your attention through advertisements on gas pumps and highway billboards.

The documents show what state lawmakers can or should do with taxpayer money.

The state health department spent $111,260 from 2024-25 urging residents not to kill themselves. The funding was advertised for the suicide hotline. Click here to read more.

 

Extremely Promising’: New Vaccine Could Prevent Recurrence Of Deadly Colon, Pancreatic Cancer

A new experimental vaccine has been developed that appears to be successful in preventing recurrences of the deadly colorectal and pancreatic cancers.

A study led by the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center at the University of California, Los Angeles, tested the ELI-002 2P vaccine on 25 patients previously treated for pancreatic and colorectal cancers.

The vaccine could “help prevent or delay cancer recurrence in high-risk patients whose tumors are driven by KRAS mutations, which are responsible for half of colorectal cancers and more than 90 percent of pancreatic cancers, researchers noted,” The Hill reported.

The patients were tested a year after the vaccine had been administered, and the average relapse-free survival times were significantly greater than historical norms.

Oncologist Dr. Thomas Marron told News Nation the results are “extremely promising. Pancreatic cancer and colon cancer are really terrible cancers, and oftentimes even if patients can have curative-intense surgery, unfortunately this cancer tends to come back as microscopic bits of the cancer have already spread. Click here to read more.

 

Education Dept places five Virginia school districts on high-alert status over transgender bathrooms

The Department of Education on Tuesday announced it was placing five northern Virginia school districts on "high-risk status" within the federal grant system, after they declined to obey the department's directive to change their policies regarding transgender students using bathrooms that align with their chosen gender identity.

The school districts made their respective decisions to reject the department's Voluntary Resolution Agreement last week.

The Education Department found last month that Arlington Public Schools, Alexandria City Public Schools, Fairfax County Public Schools, Loudoun County Public Schools and the Prince William County Public Schools violated Title IX by allowing students access to "intimate, sex-segregated facilities" based on the students' chosen gender identity instead of their biological sex. Click here to read more.

 

Trump vows admin won't approve wind or solar: 'Days of stupidity are over'

resident Donald Trump on Wednesday vowed that his administration would not approve wind or solar projects, calling the alternative energy sources part of the "scam of the century!"

Trump has long criticized the alternative energy forms, notably pointing to the impact of wind turbines on the bird population. Earlier this week, he called for stopping windmill operations due to an energy crunch.

"Any State that has built and relied on WINDMILLS and SOLAR for power are seeing RECORD BREAKING INCREASES IN ELECTRICITY AND ENERGY COSTS," Trum posted on Truth Social. "THE SCAM OF THE CENTURY! We will not approve wind or farmer destroying Solar. The days of stupidity are over in the USA!!! MAGA."

Last month, Trump called windmills a "con job" and warned European leaders against their production, in part due to them being made in China.

 

Man who tried to rape 7-year-old agrees to be castrated as part of plea deal

VERNON PARISH, La. - A Louisiana man agreed to be physically and chemically castrated as part of a plea deal.

Thirty-seven-year-old Thomas Allen McCartney, of Leesville, pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted first-degree rape of a child under the age of 13.

As part of the plea deal, McCartney also agreed to serve 40 years in state prison, according to the Vernon Parish District Attorney’s Office.

When McCartney was arrested in 2023, authorities said he had been caught sexually abusing a 7-year-old girl. He was already a Tier 3 sex offender in Louisiana, having been previously convicted of attempted aggravated rape in 2011. Click here to read more.

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News they don't want you to see
Wednesday August 20, 2025
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