Source: CBS News
“A former Georgia House member has pleaded guilty to lying to collect federal unemployment benefits during the COVID-19 pandemic. Karen Bennett’s guilty plea to one count of making false statements to collect $13,940 had been expected after she waived her indictment on Jan. 5. Bennett, 70, had resigned from the House in the days before she was charged. … Prosecutors said Bennett, a physical therapist, lied in 2020 when she stated she was being prevented by quarantine from working for Metro Therapy Providers, a company Bennett owned. Prosecutors said that in reality, Bennett’s role with the company was administrative and she worked from a home office, instead of providing therapy to clients. They also allege that Metro Therapy continued operating and generating income after a brief disruption. In addition, prosecutors say Bennett failed to disclose that she was also receiving $905 in week pay from a church.” (01/21/26)
https://www.cbsnews.com/atlanta/news/karen-bennett-georgia-lawmaker-covid-benefits-fraud-guilty-plea/
Source: RealClearPolitics
by Kerri Toloczko
“If Americans thought the 2016 and 2020 elections were messy, just wait until Mr. Artificial Intelligence shows up for the 2026 midterms with his own election disruptions in hand. If you are an election official, an election integrity advocate, or even a candidate, you should start creating an anti-AI election disinformation plan – yesterday. Protecting elections has historically meant securing ballot boxes, counting rooms, and voting machines. In 2026, that will still matter, but will no longer be enough. The greatest threat now to confidence in elections may not be whether votes are counted accurately, but whether voters believe anything they see, hear, or read about the process.” (01/22/26)
https://www.realclearpolitics.com/articles/2026/01/22/election_integrity_ai_wakeup_call_technology_threatens_election_protection_153745.html
Source: The Fifth Column
“Trump Would Do Anything For Greenland (But He Won’t Do That).” (01/21/26)
https://www.wethefifth.com/p/trump-would-do-anything-for-greenland
Source: National Review
“Market Discipline, Greenland, and President Trump.” (01/22/25)
https://www.nationalreview.com/podcasts/capital-record/market-discipline-greenland-and-president-trump/
Source: Cato Institute
by Neal McCluskey
“On January 16, the US Department of Education announced that it will delay the collection of defaulted federal student debt via wage garnishment and retention of federal funds such as Social Security payments. The reasons offered by the Trump administration are that the Biden administration left student debt repayment a confused mess that needs to be clarified before forced collection resumes, and the Working Families Tax Cuts Act — aka One Big Beautiful Bill — will simplify debt repayment starting this July, as well as allow a second chance for defaulted borrowers to rehabilitate their loans. … Even if legal, there is a huge problem with another delay: It will likely bolster the deleterious sentiment among borrowers for which the Trump administration blamed Biden.” (01/21/26)
https://www.cato.org/blog/troubles-trump-administrations-involuntary-student-debt-collection-delay
Source: Fox News
by Jonathan Turley
“Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison declared Sunday that there are no federal grounds for prosecuting the mob that disrupted St. Paul’s Cities Church and characterized the conduct as ‘First Amendment activity.’ Ellison not only supported the protesters as exercising their First Amendment rights in an interview with CNN, but also signaled an unwillingness to enforce state laws allegedly violated by the protesters, including trespass and disorderly conduct. Ellison is infamous for his prior support for violent groups and has long-faced criticism for statements and associations involving extremist movements and figures linked to political unrest.” [editor’s note: Compare to Turley’s view of the “mob rule” in the Capitol riot – TLK] (01/22/25)
https://www.foxnews.com/opinion/jonathan-turley-when-minnesota-ag-ellison-excuses-mob-rule-religious-freedom-trampled
Source: BBC News [UK State Media]
“Donald Trump’s youngest son contacted UK police saying he witnessed a friend in London being ‘beat up’ during a video call, a court has heard. Barron Trump, 19, told police he had friends call 999 from the US so that he could report the alleged attack in January 2025. Matvei Rumiantsev, 22, is on trial at Snaresbrook Crown Court accused of assault and two counts of rape, among other charges, against the alleged victim. He denies assault, actual bodily harm, two counts of rape, intentional strangulation and perverting the course of justice by pressuring the woman to withdraw her complaints. Trump called the alleged victim, who cannot be named for legal reasons, on 18 January last year, the court heard. Shortly after placing the call, the US president’s fifth child contacted the police and said she was being assaulted.” (01/22/25)
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cg5gg05y0mlo
Source: Orange County Register
“About 100 community supporters and union food workers with El Super Markets in Southern California rallied Wednesday, Jan. 21 at the Mexican supermarket chain’s headquarters in Commerce, seeking improved wages and protection from immigration raids. … Last fall, the union rejected a company offer of wage increases ranging from one penny to 22 cents hourly. The union also is seeking health and safety protections to prevent injuries, sufficient staffing and guaranteed work hours. The union also is upset that the chain won’t adopt protections during workplace immigration raids by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or permit some workers who need to take time off to deal with immigration issues.” (01/21/26)
https://archive.is/MRxJD
Source: The Chris Hedges Report
“Decolonizing The World (w/ Amin Husain).” (01/21/26)
https://chrishedges.substack.com/p/decolonizing-the-world-w-amin-husain
Source: Racket News
by Eric Salzman
“It’s a safe assumption that any president would have a strong preference for an easing of monetary policy (lower policy rates at a minimum) as opposed to tightening monetary policy. Moreover, communicating that preference, although perhaps a lot more subtly than Trump, to the Fed Chairman has gone on for quite some time. However, by deploying extraordinary monetary policy from 2008 to 2018 and then from 2020 to 2022, the Fed has shown every president, both present and future, that those powers can juice the economy in ways that fiscal policy can rarely match. The temptation for a president to cajole a Fed chairman has risen dramatically since 2008 and I don’t expect it to end with the Trump presidency.” (01/21/26)
https://www.racket.news/p/the-feds-independence-is-at-stake
