MaureenD

Most say it better than I do so I *like* a lot. Retweet with abbreviated commentary as I'm not a wordsmith.
Like my pencil and straightedge. Never a #CAD er..

[MaureenD @maureendegnon]

https://t.co/lQLI0vypwj

[Michael Shellenberger @shellenberger]

Justin Trudeau has resigned. He framed himself as an honest, caring, and compassionate leader. He was not. He falsely smeared his critics as Nazis. He justified freezing bank accounts using faked intelligence. And he spread disinformation while demanding censorship. Let's dig in:

[Rodney Smith Jr @iamrodneysmith]

Michael, the young man I recently shared about who completed our 50 Yard Challenge in 2019, is in critical condition following a tragic accident. His family has created a GoFundMe page to help with the mounting medical expenses. Michael remains in the ICU on a ventilator, battling multiple severe injuries, including a brain bleed, skull fracture, broken foot, wrist, and ribs, a jaw broken in three places, a broken cheekbone, a hematoma on the back of his head, and bruised lungs with bleeding. He also has diffuse axonal injury (DAI), a serious form of traumatic brain injury. Multiple surgeries are required as he fights for his recovery. If you feel led to support Michael and his family during this incredibly challenging time, please visit the link below. Let’s come together for Michael.

https://t.co/86NT959Lhv

[Rodney Smith Jr @iamrodneysmith]

Family, I humbly ask for your prayers for Michael, a young man who holds a special place in our hearts. Michael completed our 50 Yard Challenge in 2019, and he’s one of the kindest, most humble, and well-spoken young men I’ve ever had the honor of meeting. From what I’ve learned, he was involved in a motorcycle accident and is currently in the ICU on a ventilator.

Michael is just 17 and approaching his 18th birthday—a milestone filled with so much promise. I know his strength and spirit, and I believe he can pull through this. Please keep him and his family in your thoughts and prayers during this difficult time. You’ve got this, Michael—we’re all rooting for you! (picture are from when I met him in 2019)

[Chef Andrew Gruel @ChefGruel]

Great video - in short, the USDA works hand in glove with the meat packing cartel to prevent any small guys from entering the game. We need to get USDA out of states and let states manage their own meat - greatly expand the processing and slaughtering facilities to increase competition.

[Jan Jekielek @JanJekielek]

.@AlanDersh explains how “guerrilla lawfare” (the term he coined) was used against @realDonaldTrump, and how it was “worse than Stalinism” (he explains why in detail), and how those harmed should “fight back fairly” within the bounds of the constitution—all while Trump looks on, at the premiere of “The Eastman Dilemma: Lawfare or Justice,” premiering today at Mar-a-Lago. @GenFlynn @RudyGiuliani John Eastman @JeffClarkUS @RealPNavarro also on the panel.

[Chef Andrew Gruel @ChefGruel]

After talking with many farmers - specifically chicken and beef - the main hurdle for them is processing the meat. There are only a few facilities and they are highly regulated, hence the reason there are only a few guys in the meat game. One thing that we can fix is to establish a lot more niche processors (and drop the regs) that then can sell directly to consumers. This would circumvent the top heavy supply chain. Even if there was a parallel supply chain for restaurants we could fix a ton. Invest in meat.

[Buzz Patterson @BuzzPatterson]

.@HillaryClinton received the Presidential Medal of Freedom today. For what?

Benghazi?
Destroying 33,000 emails with hammers and hard drive bleach?
Ripping off donors and Haitians with the Clinton Foundation?
Being a congenital liar?
Loathing the US military?
Giving Russia our uranium?
Funding the fake Russian dossier?
Destroying people’s lives for personal, political gain?
Whitewater?

Exactly what? I’m all ears.

[Bill Ackman @BillAckman]

As usual, @DouglasKMurray speaks the truth with crystal clear clarity. A must listen.

[Mor Edge Insight @MorEdge_Insight]

I will listen to @DouglasKMurray over pretty much anyone when it comes to what’s been going on in Britain. And he says it all perfectly here.

[Stanley Roberts 📺🎥 @StanleyRoberts]

Dear Friends and Community,

I'm reaching out to you with a heavy heart following an unexpected journey to Georgia from San Francisco. My beloved sister, Sharyel Marie Perry, has tragically passed away, leaving our family in a state of profound loss and with unforeseen expenses.

This trip was not just emotionally taxing but has also come with significant financial implications. The costs associated with last-minute travel, memorial arrangements, and other necessary expenses have put an unexpected strain on our resources. Here's how your support can help:

Travel Costs: The round trip from San Francisco to Georgia was not planned and has left us with considerable airfare and transportation expenses.

Memorial Services: Honoring Sharyel in the way she deserves (She has insurance but not at a level to support all the costs involved) for memorial services, which include funeral arrangements, a venue, and a celebration of her life that reflects her vibrant spirit.

Accommodation: Staying in Georgia for the necessary duration to handle all arrangements and be with family has led to additional lodging, meal expenses, and rental car costs.

Your generosity can ease this burden during this difficult time. Any donation, no matter the size, would be immensely appreciated and would go directly towards covering these expenses:

$25** can help with a day's worth of meals for the family during our stay.

$100 could assist in covering part of the accommodation costs.

$200 or more would make a significant impact on travel expenses or contribute to memorial services.

If you're able, please consider donating through links provided below. Your support would not only help financially but also provide comfort, knowing that our community stands with us in this time of grief.

Thank you for your kindness, your support, and for helping us give Sharyel the farewell she truly deserves.

With heartfelt gratitude,
Stanley Roberts

P.S. For those who wish to contribute in other ways, your prayers, thoughts, and sharing this message are also deeply appreciated.

[Jonathan Turley @JonathanTurley]

California Democrats are moving to block voter identification laws in the new year despite polling showing as much as 80 percent of Americans support the laws. So much for political resolutions to realign the party after the election losses in November. https://t.co/Xv0wJm5FIz

[Tucker Carlson @TuckerCarlson]

Permanent Washington is trying to prevent Tulsi Gabbard from becoming Director of National Intelligence. Bernard Hudson ran counterterrorism at the CIA, and says the country needs her.

(0:00) Life in the CIA
(7:00) The Invasion of Iraq Was a Complete Disaster
(19:39) Why the Establishment Fears Tulsi Gabbard
(34:56) The Unchecked Power of Our Intel Agencies
(42:14) Are the Most Powerful People in DC Being Blackmailed?
(52:56) Why Won’t the Intel Community Declassify the JFK and 9/11 Files?
(1:08:45) The New Orleans Attack and Cybertruck Explosion
(1:22:24) The CIA and the Ukraine/Russia War
(1:38:48) Dangers of Drone Technology

Includes paid partnerships.

[Cynical Publius @CynicalPublius]

“Jim Crow and DEI”

___________________________

Some of you know that I’m a white guy married to a black woman for over 30 years.

My wife’s family on both sides traces its heritage back to slave days, and all of her family grew up in the Deep South. Through the years, I have been privileged to hear stories from her parents, grandparents, aunts and uncles about what it was like to be black in America under Jim Crow. I don’t think one can fully appreciate the horrors and evils of that system unless you hear it explained stoically and matter-of-factly by one of its victims. The stories were appalling. Through all of those stories though, the common theme that always struck me was the indignity of it all. As a black American in those days, you had to “know your place.” If you suffered discrimination silently, nothing worse could happen to you. But if you spoke up—if you were “uppity”—the consequences could be dire economically, socially and even fatally via lynchings. So if you loved your family, you kept your mouth shut, willingly remained subservient in the face of active discrimination, and suffered the INDIGNITY of it all.

That indignity of silent suffering was corrosive to the soul, which I think is one of the most pernicious and unspoken psychological effects on each victim who lived through that era.

"Corrosive to the soul.” Hold that thought.

Fast forward to last week, where I was forced to endure my firm’s annual DEI training. I had to sit there silently while I was informed that I had earned none of the things that I earned through my own blood, sweat and tears; that I was inherently and unchangeably inferior because of the color of my skin and my genitalia; that all that I owned and am were only there due to “privilege” and the “patriarchy”; and that if I spoke out against any of this, it only proved my racism and my ignorance as to my own privilege.

That’s when it occurred to me. I was supposed to just sit there silently and “know my place.” This was an INDIGNITY. I knew it, they knew it, and if I were to speak up—if I were to be “uppity”—a real potential existed that significant economic and social harm would come crashing down on me. So because I love my family, I kept my mouth shut. I sat silently and steamed. My soul corroded a little bit that day.

Now I know this analogy is far from perfect. The forms of discrimination black Americans faced under Jim Crow were far, far worse than what I might ever face in terms of lost income or social/professional opportunities as a result of DEI, and the penalties I might face for speaking out publicly against DEI pale in comparison to the extreme risks of false imprisonment or lynching death that tangibly existed under Jim Crow.

Still, I sensed a common psychology of both systems.

I was the victim of active discrimination based on my race and gender. I had to suffer this indignity in silence. This was corrosive to my soul. I was living a familiar refrain.

DEI is Jim Crow in a new, less aggressive, deceptively benign form. But both Jim Crow and DEI have corroded the souls of their victims, and they both have served to corrode the collective soul of the United States of America.

If we are ever to live up to our founding promises, DEI must be crushed and eliminated as the soul-corroding cancer that it is, just as we crushed and eliminated Jim Crow.

[Robert Sterling @RobertMSterling]

H-1B DATA MEGA-THREAD 🧵

I downloaded five years of H-1B data from the US DOL website (4M+ records) and spent the day crunching data.

I went into this with an open mind, but, to be honest, I'm now *extremely* skeptical of how this program works.

Here's what I found 👇

[Tucker Carlson @TuckerCarlson]

The New York Times claims the evil Bobby Kennedy wants to ban the polio vaccine and paralyze children. That’s an absurd lie, explains his lawyer Aaron Siri.

(0:00) The Establishment’s Attempt to Discredit Bobby Kennedy Jr.
(8:18) The Vaccine Religion
(18:57) Did Anyone Protest This Polio Vaccine?
(21:04) How the Government Protects Vaccine Developers
(30:51) The New York Times vs. Bobby Kennedy Jr.
(50:31) Why Is Nobody Lobbying Against This?
(55:03) How Profitable Is the Vaccine Industry?
(1:06:22) The Perversion of Science
(1:10:47) Siri Risked Everything to Speak Out
(1:25:57) The Dark Link Between Abortion and the Vaccine Industry
(1:43:39) Will Bobby Kennedy Jr. Be Confirmed?

Includes paid partnerships.

[Theo Wold @RealTheoWold]

1. I led the drafting of legislation in the Trump ‘45 White House to create a new legal immigration framework. I saw firsthand what happens when ANY visa reform is proposed: executives from the biggest multinationals and lobbyists from all kinds of industries are banging on the door, demanding to keep what they have.

2. What they have is a tangled morass of visa classes that are carve-outs, handouts, and special favors to particular industries, bought and paid for through decades of lobbying feckless members of Congress and presidential administrations. Industries lobby for the foreign workers they claim to “need,” and then they get a visa class carve-out, which they protect (and seek to expand) at all costs.

3. And there are enormous costs for our nation - costs that fall on the American worker with devastating consequences. The statistics bear that out: job gains go to foreign-born workers while American workers post net job losses.

I also know this firsthand because I grew up a working class kid, watching my father (and by extension, our family) suffer from unfair foreign labor competition.

4. For too long, Americans have been largely unaware of the source of these problems because the policies are designed to be too complicated and are made largely invisible to public scrutiny. I’m glad the right is having an open debate about legal immigration. It is past time.

5. To be clear, the difference between O1Bs and H1Bs matters in this debate, for example, because these visas are intended to accomplish very different goals and are entirely different in scale, BUT both visa classes are rife with abuse. (Plenty of Reggaeton stars and anti-American athletes enter the U.S. on O-1 visas.) Essentially ALL visa classes are abused. Again, that’s because these things exist to serve special interests on one side of the labor market (and it’s not the side of the American worker).

6. The debate can’t be confined to a single industry - it’s about Big Tech, Big Ag, tourism and hospitality, transportation (airlines, trucking), the media & sports entertainment complex (yes, the NFL and MLB have their own special visa classes and their own special treatment by DHS and State) and many many others. They all want special visas to import cheap and convenient foreign labor. Even the roofing industry is now seeking its own special visa class. And all of these special classes get expanded over time, allowing the American worker to be flooded with foreign competitors for no reason other than labor savings for employers.

7. I, like many Americans, voted for a sealed border and an immigration moratorium. Americans need to retake control of our immigration system — how many are coming in, for what reasons, and for how long. One question absent from our current system: how does this individual immigrant benefit the American nation and her people? No more blanket exemptions or economic rationales. Immigration is a regime-based question, as both Hamilton and Jefferson wrote on extensively, and our system should reflect that Americans must also demand meaningful investment in assimilation and integration requirements for legal immigrants here already.

[Nicole Shanahan @NicoleShanahan]

Having lived in Silicon Valley for 20+ years and founded and sold an AI company, I've seen firsthand how we rely on H-1B to fill grueling, unglamorous coding jobs. These jobs are essential, and we need capable people doing them. But the system needs an overhaul.

🧵 Here's why:

[MaureenD @maureendegnon]

What a. beautiful Christmas story!
Merry Christmas everyone!

[Rosie Memos @almostjingo]

🎄📖 🕯️A slightly long Christmas Eve, Bedtime story:

Nine years ago, I was on a Christmas Eve flight from LA to San Antonio. I was in the 3rd row, and along came a legend of a man. He had an old military pilot jacket covered in badges, and one of those elaborate Vietnam Veteran baseball caps, decorated to the nines. His thick black glasses and escort made it pretty clear he was mostly blind, but he had a huge grin on his face. To my delight, he sat just across the aisle from me. I was wearing a Santa hat and as soon as he settled in he turned to me and said “Merry Christmas, are you an elf?” I said, “Yes! Are you the pilot?” and he howled.

He went on to tell me he once was a pilot and how much he loved flying. He’d continue to fly after he got out of the military, but Agent Orange had eventually stolen his vision. Then he perked up and asked if I wanted to sing. Who was I to say no? I’m no singer, but I figured I had nothing to lose across the aisle on a plane. 

His song choice was “Silent Night” he choked up telling me he used to fly the wounded to hospitals and explained there was always a Christmas Eve flight and that’s what they all sang. He told me to find the lyrics, we had to practice and learn all three verses. My mission was growing more complicated but I was in!

For the next two hours we rehearsed from my iPad, interrupted only by drink carts and frequent turbulence. His companion was his daughter and she kept apologizing and telling him not to bother me until I fully assured her I was having a blast. The flight was set to end soon and I asked if we should sing our song. No, no we could only sing after the plane landed, my stomach dropped. 

Captain Awesome planned to do it just like they had on the medical flights. We would land, and all sing together, he and I would lead. The thought of singing to the entire plane whilst blocking them from leaving terrified me but there was no backing out. I figured the worst that could happen is people would yell “shut up” and push past us,

We landed, the lights turned on, and he stood up and addressed the whole plane. “We will now sing ‘Silent Night’ in honor of our troops, God and Country.” I stood with him, avoided eye contact with anyone and started belting out the song. Then it began, people joined more and more with each verse, even the pilots came out and sang. He held my hand and grinned, my face was beet red and my eyeballs were hot. It was a moment of complete Christmas, movie-like, magic I'd never be able to explain. Everyone clapped, he said "Merry Christmas!" and then it was over.

I sat in my seat gathering myself trying to process it all. I ended up being the last off the plane . For some reason I thought I’d find the legend in the terminal but he and his family were long gone, I never even got his name but I’ve thought of him every Christmas Eve. 

I share the story not for attention but in hopes that you’ll take a moment to love our Veterans and listen to their stories. I share because I’ll never hear that song the same or forget that soldiers flew home to it, it’s because of those sacrifices that I flew home to it in. Heck maybe convince your people to sing a few songs this Christmas, preferably around strangers, or on a flight 🤗 Do it for our troops, God and Country. 

Merry Christmas! ✝️🎄❤️

PS- If you were on that flight or know this man please DM me!! Anything is possible on X!

[Tucker Carlson @TuckerCarlson]

Teamsters president Sean O’Brien on Kamala Harris: "Who does this fucking lady think she is?"

(0:00) Kamala Harris and the Left Hate the Working Class
(10:42) What Is the Teamsters Union?
(24:57) Why the Left Ruins America’s Major Cities
(33:40) The Democrat Party’s Abuse of Joe Biden
(42:55) Why Establishment Republicans Are So Disconnected From Voters
(48:12) How the Banks Are Killing the Working Class With Debt
(53:56) Will AI Put You Out of Work?
(58:19) Donald Trump’s AI Czar David Sachs
(1:02:11) Was Jimmy Hoffa Murdered?
(1:03:48) O’Brien’s War on Jeff Bezos

Includes paid partnerships.

[Brit Hume @brithume]

Great thread. Tax cut for the rich my a**. It was a tax cut nearly everyone, tilted in fact toward lower income people.