And You Thought Democrats Wanted to Tax the Rich

One of the little covered aspects of the debate over the current stimulus bill is Democrats acting as proponents of repealing the $10,000 limit on State and Local Tax (SALT) deductions. For politicians whose left flank is screaming to tax the rich, this is a truly odd, but utterly explainable, phenomenon.

When Republicans passed the Tax Cut and Jobs Act, the standard deduction was increased significantly. This increase meant that for most taxpayers, including upper-middle-class earners, the best strategy was to take the standard deduction rather than itemize. The only individuals who take the SALT deduction are those who itemize.

The Tax Foundation estimated that only 13.7% of taxpayers would itemize in 2019. The vast majority of itemizers are in the top 10% of income earners. These households include those who earned $184,200 or more in 2019. These taxpayers would be allowed to deduct their state and local tax amounts from their federal tax obligation.

The rub is that in many Democrat-run states, like New York and California, wealthy residents pay far more in state and local taxes than the $10,000 limit. In 2019, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo got very mad at Florida for stealing some of his wealthiest residents. Facing down a $2.3 billion budget shortfall, he actually went to Washington, D.C., to ask President Trump to reconsider the SALT deduction cap.

At the time, Governor Cuomo stated that the top 1% of earners in New York paid nearly 50% of the state’s taxes. He reiterated that recently when he told reporters he is begging wealthy New Yorkers to return home from their COVID-19 getaways. Not many are biting.

https://pjmedia.com/news-and-politics/stacey-lennox/2020/08/10/and-you-thought-democrats-wanted-to-tax-the-rich-n771105

Apple CEO Tim Cook’s Net Worth Surpasses $1 Billion, But He's 'Poor' Compared To Some Tech Peers

Cook's wealth is primarily generated from equity awards he receives from Apple.

Cook currently owns 847,969 shares directly, or about 0.02% of Apple shares outstanding

Cook is scheduled to receive another 560,000 shares in late August.

As Apple (AAPL) approaches a $2 trillion market cap, its chief executive Tim Cook has seen his net worth surpass $1 billion, according to an estimate by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index.

But unlike some of his megarich peers, Cook's wealth is primarily generated from equity awards he’s received since joining the company more than 20 years ago.

On his first day as CEO, Cook received a large number of restricted shares. He has been granted annual increments in equity, partly contingent on Apple stock outperforming at least two-thirds of companies in the S&P 500.

Bloomberg reported that Cook currently owns 847,969 shares directly, or about 0.02% of Apple shares outstanding, worth about $375 million.

Cook’s compensation was also be enriched by another $650 million through share sales, dividends and other compensation.

Unless Apple shares suddenly plunge, Cook is scheduled to receive another 560,000 shares in late August.

At Apple’s current share price of about $451, that stock grant would be valued at about $253 million – although half of this amount will likely be withheld for tax purposes.

In 2015, Cook said he will eventually give away most of his fortune to charities.

Cook, 59, has carried his predecessor Steve Jobs’ legacy to even greater heights. Bloomberg reported that when Jobs died nine years ago, the company had a market cap of about $350 billion.

“This tech cycle has been way bigger and longer than I thought,” said Hussein Kanji, a partner at venture capital firm Hoxton Ventures. “Out of all these stocks, Apple has become the greatest cash generation machine in history.”

https://www.ibtimes.com/apple-ceo-tim-cooks-net-worth-surpasses-1-billion-hes-poor-compared-some-tech-peers-3025924

FEC Commissioner: ‘Substantial Chance’ We Won’t Know Winner On Election Night

Shocking remarks made by the Federal Elections Commission Commissioner Ellen Weintraub on Monday confirmed many Americans’ fears about mail-in ballots: the winner likely won’t be declared on election night — and she said “this is okay” that we may have delayed results.

“Let me just tell everybody, we’re all going to need to take a deep breath and be patient this year,” Weintraub said on CNN Monday morning. “There’s a substantial chance we are not going to know on election night what the results are.”

She made it clear: just take a deep breath and be patient and let the government decide if Donald J. Trump won reelection — what could go wrong?

Weintraub dismissed the President’s concerns about mail-in voting, despite previous issues and indictments surrounding voter fraud with this form of voting.

Her admission about not knowing results — especially the Presidency and other races “that are important to people” — should come as a concern to voters.

She did not provide a deadline for when results would be known.

The Commissioner also warned Americans against believing everything they read on the internet and to be vigilant of the content they share and to know that it could be false information produced by Russian or other foreign actors.

https://saraacarter.com/fec-commissioner-substantial-chance-we-wont-know-winner-on-election-night/

Ukraine-Like Scenario In Belarus: First Confirmed Death During Protests In Minsk

A protester was killed during clashes with Police in the Belarusian capital of Minsk, the country’s interior ministry reported on August 10 evening.

“During the confrontation with special forces that deployed to unblock the square, one of the protesters tried to throw an unidentified explosive device at law enforcement officers. It exploded in his hand, the man received injuries incompatible with life,” a press officer of the Interior Ministry, Olga Chemodanova, said.

Meanwhile, clashes between security forces and protesters continue in Minsk and several other cities. According to pro-opposition sources, protesters are trying to build barricades in Minsk.

Media reports claim that the Internet was mostly shut down in Belarus amid protests. Nonetheless, photos, videos and other data continue surfacing online from the scene of riots.

The Pushkinski suqare is the main place of clashes in Minsk. Social media reports claim that several petrol bombs were thrown at police officers. These reports remain unconfirmed.

Pro-opposition sources are also spreading the declaration of the nation-wide strike from August 11. If this happens, this will be a notable blow to the country, which is already in the comlicated economic situation.

Apparently, the main ‘success’ of the opposition is the August 10 death of the protester. The main will likely be turned into a sacred sacrifice to fuel street violence and destabilize the country in further. Sacred sacrifices are the important fator of most successful regime changes of the previous years. In particular, in Ukraine in 2014, the mass deaths of rioters (many of them in very suspicious conditions, including repots about sniper fire by foreign mercenaries hired by supporters of the coup) became the turning point that allowed to increase the violence to the level, when radicals supported by the West overthrew the Yanukovich regime.

In the case of Belarus, the main striking force of protesters is also radical nationalists and neo-liberal-styled Antifa groups that united their forces against the Lukashenko government. According to local sources, a large number of the foothold hooligan group MTZ-RIPO (another name Patriot) was spotted during the ongoing protests. In 2014, a large number of members of this Antifa group participated in the coup in Ukraine. Some of then even joined the so-called Azov battalion (mostly consisting of neo-Nazis) that participated in the conflict with local resistance forces in the region of Donbass. Therefore, it is not the first time when Belarusian left radicals unite their efforts with their supposed enemies (neo-Nazi groups).

The interesting fact is that a similar situation is observed during BLM riots in the United States, where Antifa radicals (supposedly fighting ‘fascists) openly cooperate with black racists motivated by ethnic hatred towards the non-black population.

The riots in Belarus develop amid the increasing media and diplomatic campaign against the Lukashenko government. Western and even Russian neo-liberal mainstream media are actively covering the situation painting it like the popular apprising against the Lukashenko government. Various representatives of the Russian ‘neo-liberal community’ even gathered to support their ‘democratic brothers’ in the front of the Belarusian embassy in Moscow. In fact, the protests are led by the aggressive and well-coordinated minority and does not represent the entire population.

The irony of the situation is that just a few weeks ago Lukashenko was publicly flirting with Washington & Co and making anti-Russian statements. Nonetheless, his new friends immediately betrayed him. In these conditions, Russia (as always) remains the only guarantor of the Belarusian sovereignty and the power that is ready to assist the Belarusian leadership in its attempts to avoid the wide-scale chaos and the fate of Ukraine 2.0. It should be noted that the stability of Belarus is also a matter of national security for Russia. The Ukraine-like scenario in Belarus will have all chances to facilitate destructive trends in Russia itself and set additional conditions for the destabilization of the country ahead of the 2021 parliament election.

More

https://southfront.org/ukraine-like-scenario-in-belarus-first-confirmed-death-during-protests-in-minsk/

Willie Brown Tells Kamala Harris To 'Decline' If Tapped For Biden VP

Former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown (D) said that if Joe Biden taps her as his running mate, she should decline - as becoming Vice President would curtail her political ambitions.

"Historically, the vice presidency has often ended up being a dead end. For every George H.W. Bush, who ascended from the job to the presidency, there’s an Al Gore, who never got there," wrote Brown in a Saturday Op-Ed for the San Francisco Chronicle.

"The next few years promise to be a very bumpy ride," Brown continues. "Barack Obama and the Democrats saved the nation from economic collapse when he took office, and their reward was a blowout loss in the 2010 midterm elections."

Instead, Kamala would make a better Attorney General, according to the former San Francisco Mayor.

"Given the department’s current disarray under William Barr, just showing up and being halfway sane will make the new AG a hero," he wrote, adding "Best of all, being attorney general would give Harris enough distance from the White House to still be a viable candidate for the top slot in 2024 or 2028, no matter what the state of the nation."

Of course Brown - who had an extramarital affair with Harris at the beginning of her career, launching it, fails to note that if Biden were to be unable to perform his duties, or died, we'd be looking at President Harris.

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/willie-brown-tells-kamala-harris-decline-if-tapped-biden-vp

Chicago Mayor Declares Lockdown for ‘Foreseen Days’ Until US City Becomes ‘Safe’ in Wake of Looting

Earlier on Monday, Chicago police arrested at least 100 people in the wake of widespread overnight looting and rioting in the central US city, where over a dozen police officers were injured during clashes. Riots erupted in the early hours of Monday following a police shooting a day earlier that wounded a young man.

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot announced during a press conference on Monday that the US city would be under lockdown for the “foreseen days” in the wake of overnight looting and rioting that took place in response to a Sunday police-involved shooting, in which a young man was injured.

“These individuals engaged in what only could be described as brazen and extensive criminal looting and destruction,” Lightfoot said during the press conference addressing the looting and vandalism. “To be clear, this had nothing to do with legitimate, protected First Amendment expression”.

The mayor said that the lockdown, declared as part of a broader community protection program that includes increasing the police presence, would continue “until we know that our neighborhoods are safe”. She pointed out that what took place overnight was not part of a legitimate political protest.

“We have activated a neighborhood protection plan, as the Superintendent [of the Chicago Police Department, David Brown] alluded to, which involves city agencies like Streets and San, CDOT, Aviation working coordination with the Chicago Police Department,” Lightfoot said. “These resources are being deployed throughout our city to protect our neighborhood. And, likewise, these measures will be in place for the foreseen days until we know that our neighborhoods are safe”.

She stressed that the looting and riots are unacceptable and have no “excuse”.

“What occurred in our downtown and surrounding communities was abject criminal behavior, pure and simple,” Mayor Lori Lightfoot said. “And there cannot be any excuse for it”.

https://sputniknews.com/us/202008101080127468-chicago-mayor-declares-lockdown-for-foreseen-days-until-us-city-becomes-safe-in-wake-of-looting/

>>10247180

there's a lot in a name

Google algo changed again me thinks

'He's choking me!' Confronting moment male police officer 'STRANGLES' a woman who refused to wear a face mask during a violent arrest on the streets of Melbourne amid draconian coronavirus lockdown rules

A shocked onlooker filmed the moment a woman was arrested in Melbourne

The woman was caught not wearing a mask in the city, which is against the rules

Arrest turned violent when officer appeared to place his hands around her neck

Do you know more? Email: tips@mailonline.com

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-8613253/Cop-CHOKES-woman-refused-wear-face-mask-arrest-streets-Melbourne.html

Kamala Harris Has Unfollowed Joe Biden on Twitter as VP Announcement Expected Soon

Kamala Harris, who was once speculated to be the front runner for Joe Biden’s running mate pick has unfollowed the former Vice President on Twitter.

The abrupt unfollow comes as Biden is expected to announce his choice very soon.

Some are speculating that since it was from her senate account it could mean that she is in.

Others have speculated that it could be a hint that Biden is looking in another direction. There is wide spread speculation that he may be considering Susan Rice.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2020/08/salty-kamala-harris-unfollowed-joe-biden-twitter-vp-announcement-expected-soon/

GOOGLE fuckery

CLARK: Nevada’s November Nightmare

President Trump is gaining ground in Nevada. Democrats know it, so they cut a midnight backroom deal in a brazen attempt to rig November’s election. Governor Sisolak ensured mass chaos and an election nightmare with the stroke of a pen.

That is why President Trump’s campaign and the Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit last Tuesday to stop the chaos in Nevada. The President is fighting to make sure every citizen’s vote counts — and counts once. Our lawsuit seeks to invalidate Assembly Bill 4 as unconstitutional on two grounds. First, the legislation allows ballots cast after Election Day to be counted. Second, it violates the principle of one person one vote by not preventing some from having their vote count more than once.

Nevada Democrats implemented the exact universal vote-by-mail system President Trump has warned against for months. The state will mail every voter — living or dead, at home or moved — a ballot. This is the same system that led to the “train wreck” primary in New York. We still don’t know the results of key races six weeks after that election. Even Andrew Cuomo has been forced to admit the system is flawed. And this is the same system that left 100,000 votes uncounted in California’s primary.

Rather than learning from their Democrat counterparts’ failures, Nevada’s liberal leadership decided to turn New York’s primary disaster into a November nightmare, making it impossible for results to be delivered on election night.

There are secure options for voting during the pandemic. Many states, like Florida, provide a safe and secure absentee system and allow for robust early voting to avoid crowded polling locations and lines. In the traditional absentee framework, the voter request of a ballot is a key safeguard that protects Florida’s system, as it prevents election offices from blindly mailing live ballots to every name on their likely outdated and inaccurate voter rolls. Florida also requires signature matching and voter verification, crucial election integrity safeguards remarkably absent from Nevada’s new system.

Nevada also now claims the ignominious first in the nation status for being the first place harvesters can openly harvest ballots after Election Day. The state will accept mailed ballots without postmarks up to three days after the election. So ballots cast after November 3 — invalid ballots — will be included in the state’s results. For example, if a Nevada voter wakes up on November 4 and finds President Trump is winning the state, he can make house calls to his neighbors, family, friends and even strangers who hadn’t submitted their ballots. He can get paid to harvest those ballots, drop only the Biden ballots in the mailbox and have those invalid votes counted. This is fraud. It defies the principle of election integrity. And the Democrats’ policy openly allows it.

Put simply, this is Democrat elected officials delaying the election until they can find enough votes to win.

https://dailycaller.com/2020/08/10/clark-nevadas-november-nightmare/

30 Migrants in Stolen Pickup Truck Apprehended near Arizona Border

Tucson Sector Border Patrol agents arrested 30 migrants after a human smuggler packed them into a stolen pickup truck. The migrants, all Mexican nationals, included women and children, officials stated.

Tucson Sector agents patrolling near Douglas, Arizona, on August 3, received information from residents regarding a suspicious truck near the border with Mexico. Agents responded and found the truck on a dirt road, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials.

Agents attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver stopped and bailed out of the truck. The agents were unable to pursue the driver on foot because of the discovery of a large load of people packed inside, officials stated.

Agents found 30 people. An immigration interview revealed all to be Mexican nationals illegally present in the United States, the report states.

The driver managed to escape. A records check on the truck revealed it had been reported stolen from the Phoenix area.

“Smugglers have long disregarded the safety of migrants. Now, during the pandemic, they not only risk the lives of migrants, they risk all of our lives by shoving migrants into vehicles without social distancing, without facial masks, and without any regard for the exposure of COVID-19 to other migrants and (the) public at large, ” Tucson Sector Chief Patrol Agent Roy Villareal said in a written statement. “They show no regard for the lives they exploit, our workforce or the communities our agents strive to protect in the midst of this public health crisis.”

The agents transported the migrants to a processing station where they underwent a medical screening and criminal history check. Once cleared, they were promptly expelled to Mexico under Title 42 Coronavirus protection protocols put in place by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

CBP Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan recently told Breitbart Texas in an interview that most Mexican and Central American Northern Triangle migrants are expelled to Mexico within two hours of their apprehension.

https://www.breitbart.com/border/2020/08/10/30-migrants-in-stolen-pickup-truck-apprehended-near-arizona-border/