Ex-Sugar Hut boss Mick Norcross, 57, was found hanged in basement of his luxury Essex home after sending cryptic final tweet, inquest hears - as son Kirk shares snap of him hugging his father

Businessman was found dead in his Essex mansion on afternoon of January 21

Inquest into his death opened in Chelmsford and heard hanging was the cause

Full hearing to be held in July including toxicology report and letter from relative

Friends suggested he was battling depression and had suffered a 'financial blow'

Mick had sold The Sugar Hut in 2019 and was involved in two property projects TOWIE star Mick Norcross was found hanged in the basement of his Essex mansion, an inquest heard today, as his heartbroken son Kirk shared a poignant picture of him hugging his dad.

The popular television personality and former owner of The Sugar Hut nightclub in Brentwood was discovered in his gated home in Bulphan, near Upminster, Essex on January 21.

The 57-year-old posted a heartbreaking tweet just hours before he died, hinting at his despair, and declaring: 'At the end remind yourself that you did the best you could. And that is good enough.'His close-knit family including his son Kirk, who also made his name in TOWIE and is believed to have lived with his father, have been devastated by the shock death. It is not known who found him.

Ahead of the inquest opened in Chelmsford this morning, his son Kirk changed his Facebook profile to an image of his embracing his late father.

The short hearing heard how Mick was found dead at the luxury home he'd built in Bulphan, Essex.

Sarah Lee, Assistant coroner's officer for Essex, said: 'He was 57 years of age and passed away on the 21st of January, 2021 at Upminster, Essex. Mr Norcross was found hanging in the basement.'

A post mortem carried out last week at Basildon Hospital showed the cause of death to be 'suspension by ligature'.

Full toxicology reports have taken place but no details of the results were heard today.

Assistant Coroner Michelle Brown revealed a detailed letter from a family member had been sent following the tragedy and that will now form part of the full inquest later this year.

She said: 'We are still waiting for the toxicology and post mortem reports, also I understand that mobile phone downloads and iPads are being looked into by the police.

'We also have a very detailed letter from a family member that we have made a request to see if there is anything additional in the live letter.'

http://www.scoopyweb.com/2021/02/ex-sugar-hut-boss-mick-norcross-57-was.html

Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is charged with possessing illegally imported walkie-talkies two days after military coup and will be detained until February 15

Myanmar's ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been formally charged with possessing imported walkie-talkies and handshaking during the Covid pandemic, two days after she was detained in a coup.

Police said they discovered the walkie-talkies during a search of Ms Suu Kyi's home in Yangon, where she has been locked up since the military seized control on Monday.

Ms Suu Kyi, who has not been seen since the coup took place, has been remanded in custody until at least February 15 while investigations are carried out - and could be jailed for a maximum of two years if found guilty.

Meanwhile Win Myint, the country's deposed president who is also under house arrest, was charged with breaching anti-coronavirus measures last year by meeting voters on the campaign trail.

The army seized power on Monday after detaining Suu Kyi and other leaders in a series of dawn raids after the military declared her November election win fraudulent and has pledged to 'investigate'.

http://www.yourdestinationnow.com/2021/02/myanmar-leader-aung-san-suu-kyi-is.html

3 Idaho Guardsmen Die in Second Fatal National Guard Black Hawk Crash This Year

The Idaho Army National Guard announced that three of its soldiers were killed when their helicopter crashed during a routine training flight Tuesday night.

All three were pilots flying in a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter that went down south of Lucky Peak near Boise, Idaho, shortly after 8 p.m., according to an Idaho Guard news release posted on Facebook.

The crash comes nearly two weeks after three New York National Guard pilots were killed when their Black Hawk crashed on another training mission.

"This is a tremendous loss to the Idaho National Guard and our community," Maj. Gen. Michael Garshak, adjutant general of Idaho and commander of the Idaho National Guard, said in the release. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the families and loved ones as we work through this tragedy."

The Idaho Guard's last contact with the Black Hawk occurred at 7:45 p.m., Col. Christopher Burt, the Idaho Guard's state aviation officer, said in the release.

The aircraft's Emergency Transmitter Locator device was activated shortly after 8 p.m., and Burt's team "immediately initiated emergency aircraft recovery procedures, which included air and ground search and rescue crews," according to the release.

At approximately 12:15 a.m. Wednesday, crews located the crash site and the three soldiers. The cause of the accident is unknown, and an investigation will begin promptly, according to the release.

Names of the soldiers killed in the crash are being withheld until next of kin have been notified, the release adds.

The three New York Guard soldiers were killed when their Black Hawk crashed Jan. 20.

Chief Warrant Officer 5 Steven Skoda, Chief Warrant Officer 4 Christian Koch and Chief Warrant Officer 2 Daniel Prial were all pilots aboard the medical evacuation helicopter. They died when their aircraft went down while conducting night-vision proficiency training in the local training area.

https://www.military.com/daily-news/2021/02/03/3-idaho-guardsmen-die-second-fatal-national-guard-black-hawk-crash-year.html

Israel Continues False Predictions of Iranian Nuclear Breakout

Israeli officials have predicted breakout since the 1990s

After generations of research lead time and decades of ruling out ever seeking nuclear arms, officials continue to try to predict Iran’s nuclear breakout moment. Monday it was Secretary of State Tony Blinken, now Israel’s Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz is stepping in.

Steinitz says Iran could get the uranium enriched “in around half a year” and that the weapons themselves are “around one or two years.” That’s slightly more realistic in that he recognized a difference between the two, unlike Blinken who just slapped a two weeks prediction on the whole process.

Blinken’s claim was built around Iran’s stockpile, while Steinitz seems to be continuing Israeli predictions since the early 1990s of hysteria about Iran. Coming and going predictions of an Iranian breakout, which never happens, makes all these predictions seem especially foolish, since Iran has ruled out ever attempting to obtain nuclear arms.

Iran’s enrichment is up to 20% for uranium, while weapons-grade would imply 90% or higher. Iran has never attempted to go beyond the 20%, so most of the allegations are built around assumptions that Iran can perfectly, and nigh-instantly, further enrich all their stockpile to weapons-grade.

Even recognizing Steinitz’s estimate at face value, Iran getting the stockpile and making a weapon is not really the end of things. Iran would need to test detonate a bomb to prove they work, which not only would start an immediate regional war, but would use up that entire stockpile and put them back to starting from scratch.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/02/02/israel-continues-false-predictions-of-iranian-nuclear-breakout/

Germany Warns Against Afghanistan Withdrawal Deadline

German foreign minister says peace talks will not be done by deadline

On Tuesday, Germany warned against a withdrawal of US and other foreign forces from Afghanistan by the May deadline agreed to under the US-Taliban peace deal that was signed in February 2020.

German Foreign Minister Heiko Maas said the withdrawal should be based on the progress of the intra-Afghan peace talks, not the deadline. Maas said the “these peace talks won’t be over” by the deadline and that the coalition doesn’t have to “hang on slavishly to the date of the end of April.”

Maas’ comments come as the prospects for an Afghanistan withdrawal seem more and more unlikely. NATO officials have already said foreign forces will remain in Afghanistan beyond the deadline. The Biden administration is accusing the Taliban of not upholding its end of the deal and the Pentagon said the pullout date is uncertain.

Germany, the US, and NATO all cite the fact that violence between the Taliban and the US-backed government hasn’t ceased as a reason to stay. But staying in Afghanistan will only prolong the violence.

With reports saying foreign troops will stay beyond the Spring deadline, the Taliban is vowing that the fighting will continue. Taliban attacks on US troops have subsided since the deal was signed. If the US stays, those attacks could start up again.

https://news.antiwar.com/2021/02/02/germany-warns-against-afghanistan-withdrawal-deadline/

House to vote Thursday to drop Greene from all committees

House Democratic leaders are gearing up to vote Thursday on legislation stripping Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) of her committee spots — unless Republican leaders do it first.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) spoke with his counterpart, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), about Greene's fate Wednesday morning, with Hoyer suggesting afterwards that the GOP leader is not ready to remove the controversial conservative firebrand from a pair of top committees.

"I spoke to Leader McCarthy this morning, and it is clear there is no alternative to holding a Floor vote on the resolution to remove Rep. Greene from her committee assignments," Hoyer said in a statement. "The Rules Committee will meet this afternoon, and the House will vote on the resolution tomorrow."

The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.), would remove Greene from two plum committee assignments — Budget, and Education and Labor — for the remainder of this Congress.

McCarthy, the House Republican leader, had huddled with Greene in his office in the Capitol on Tuesday evening. Afterwards, McCarthy hosted a second meeting with the GOP Steering and Policy Committee to discuss Greene's fate. No decisions were made, but leaders are expected to meet again on Wednesday, and the full Republican conference also has a planned gathering at 4 p.m, when the topic is sure to be a major focus.

Hoyer has already spoken with McCarthy about Greene at least once this week. Democratic leaders remain in the dark about how McCarthy will proceed, according to a Democratic leadership aide, but they're insisting that GOP leaders remove Greene from both committees, or Democrats will take that step themselves by moving the Wasserman Schultz bill.

"He needs to take similar action to what he took against Steve King," the aide said, citing Hoyer's message to Democrats on the caucus call.

Two years ago, McCarthy had stripped King of his committee assignments after the Iowa Republican defended white supremacy in an interview with The New York Times. King was defeated in his GOP primary last year and is no longer in Congress.

The uproar surrounding Greene has been even more heated, after reports emerged that the first-term conservative firebrand had posted a series of violent and racist messages on social media in recent years. The list of controversial posts includes an adherence to the QAnon conspiracy theory and the endorsement of calls to assassinate prominent Democrats, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (Calif.).

https://thehill.com/homenews/house/537156-house-to-vote-thursday-to-drop-greene-from-all-committees

Schumer Reveals His 4 ‘Big, Bold’ Plans To Radically Change America

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer has two “big, bold” plans for the future of the United States and it is terrifying.

If Schumer gets his way there may never be another Republican President of the United States or GOP majority Senate, Breitbart News reported.

The new Majority Leader was speaking to MSNBC host Rev. Al Sharpton when he said addressing “climate, racial inequality, economic inequality, and democracy,” were top priorities.

The plan included automatic voter registration and statehood for Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico and even ending the filibuster in the Senate.

“Well, Rev., we have one goal: big, bold change in America. We would like the Republicans to join us in some of those things at least, and maybe they will. But we are going to get that change no matter what,” the senator said.

“We cannot — there is such a demand, three huge issues we have to do: climate, huge issue facing the country, racial and economic inequality, which has gotten worse, not better, which demands change and justice in a big, bold way, and improving our democracy,” he said before getting into the details of what he and the Democrats plan to do.

“Making D.C. a state, automatic voter registration, getting rid of Citizens United, all the things embodied in H.R. 1, which the House passed and McConnell would block up, but we’re going to fight to pass it in the Senate,” Schumer said.

“That’s why we’ve made it S 1. So, climate, racial inequality, economic inequality, and democracy, improving our democracy, letting people vote much more easily, dealing with D.C. and Puerto Rican statehood, dealing with bad money that flows in. The John Lewis Act, undoing the horrible decisions the court made, which defanged the Voting Rights Act, and that’s why Republicans have gotten away with taking people’s right away to vote for the last four years,” he said.

Sharpton asked Schumer “What about the filibuster?” because as it stands the Republican minority can stop each of the actions he talked about by utilizing the filibuster.

“Well, as I’ve said, we will find a way to do big, bold change. And our caucus will sit down and figure it out, but failure is not an option. We must create change,” he said.

That would mean he would need all 50 votes from his Democrat colleagues and the tiebreaker from Vice President Kamala Harris to end the filibuster. That would include votes from moderate Democrats like Sen. Joe Manchin who may be the nation’s only hope to stop such radical change.

Ending the filibuster was something that former President Donald Trump wanted to be done but was refused by former Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

“If Senate Republicans don’t get rid of the Filibuster Rule and go to a 51% majority, few bills will be passed. 8 Dems control the Senate!” Trump said in a tweet.

“The very outdated filibuster rule must go. Budget reconciliation is killing Rs in the Senate. Mitch M, go to 51 votes NOW and WIN. IT’S TIME!” he said in another.

But McConnell was not interested.

“There is an overwhelming majority on a bipartisan basis not interested in changing the way the Senate operates on the legislative calendar. And that will not happen,” he said.

https://thedcpatriot.com/schumer-reveals-his-4-big-bold-plans-to-radically-change-america/

Chuck Schumer Used Violent Rhetoric To Sic A Mob On Two Supreme Court Justices

One year ago, Schumer incited a mob on the steps of the Supreme Court in order to bully justices to rule in Democrats' favor.

When Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., spoke against the constitutionality of the Democrats’ impeachment trial of former President Donald Trump, he reminded his colleagues that Democrat elected officials had recently told their followers to attack Republicans. If Trump was to be impeached for asking followers to “peacefully and patriotically” make their voices heard by members of Congress on Jan. 6, what to do with Democrats’ more incendiary rhetoric and actions, he wondered.

Sen. Kamala Harris solicited funds to bail out the rioters who destroyed Minneapolis during 2020’s “Summer of Rage.” Rep. Maxine Waters called on Democrats to seek out Republicans in public places and “create a crowd” and “push back” on them to let them know “they’re not welcome anymore, anywhere.”

The Bernie Sanders supporter who nearly killed House Republican Whip Steve Scalise at a baseball field in Virginia said he was motivated to kill for “health care” after Sanders and other Democrats had said the Republican health care plan was to kill many Americans. Sen. Cory Booker told his supporters at one gathering in D.C. to “Please don’t just come here today and then go home. Go to the Hill today. Get up and, please, get up in the face of some congresspeople.”

One example Paul left out of his excellent speech is even more relevant to next week’s impeachment. Less than one year ago, Sen. Chuck Schumer of New York led a mob on the steps of the Supreme Court while a case was being heard and tried to thwart the natural deliberation of justices by violently threatening two of them to rule in favor of his and other Democrats’ preferred outcome.

“I want to tell you, Gorsuch, I want to tell you, Kavanaugh, you have released the whirlwind, and you will pay the price. You won’t know what hit you if you go forward with these awful decisions,” Schumer threatened the two most recently confirmed justices, Neil Gorsuch and Brett Kavanaugh.

The threat was so alarming that even leftist activists such as Laurence Tribe condemned it. Schumer received a rare, same-day rebuke from Chief Justice John Roberts, who said, “Justices know that criticism comes with the territory, but threatening statements of this sort from the highest levels of government are not only inappropriate, they are dangerous.”

Then-Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell condemned Schumer’s remarks as “astonishingly reckless and completely irresponsible.” However, Sen. Josh Hawley’s efforts to censure Schumer for his violent threats were scuttled.

The Washington Post write-up of Schumer’s threats focused instead on Republican opposition to them. “GOP seizes on Schumer’s remarks” read the headline.

Schumer’s threats came just 17 months after the Supreme Court had been besieged and attacked by abortion activists upset at Kavanaugh’s confirmation. Like the Jan. 6 event, the October 2018 siege also involved Vice President Mike Pence being condemned by protesters. As he walked down the steps of the U.S. Senate following the vote to confirm Kavanaugh, the crowd greeted him with chants of “shame!”

Across the street, hordes of protesters broke through a police barricade and attempted to beat down the 13-ton bronze doors of the court. Protesters included a topless woman with a Hitler mustache and another woman who scaled the Contemplation of Justice statue in front of the court and sat in her lap to the cheers of other protesters.

https://thefederalist.com/2021/02/03/chuck-schumer-used-violent-rhetoric-to-sic-a-mob-on-two-supreme-court-justices/

Clown show continues. Senate moving forward with impeachment trial of a private citizen

Clown show continues. Senate moving forward with impeachment trial of a private citizen

The Duran: Episode 878

Trump Team Responds To Impeachment Article, Argues Senate Has ‘No Jurisdiction’ To Bar From Running Again

https://theduran.com/clown-show-continues-senate-moving-forward-with-impeachment-trial-of-a-private-citizen/

Republican Lawmakers Call to Remove Ilhan Omar – Who Married Her Brother – from Congressional Committee Assignments

Evidence emerged in September that Rep. Ilhan Omar did indeed marry her brother, and that her real name may actually be Ilhan Nur Said.

A resurfaced tweet from 2013 links to a now-deleted Instagram post in which she refers to her father by the name Nur Said.

The tweet was later deleted after the news broke!

But it was saved before it was deleted…

Trending Politics reported:

Several Republican lawmakers are pushing to remove far-left anti-semite and congresswoman Ilhan Omar from her committee assignments because of her history of anti-Semitism and conspiracy theories.

The move comes after Democrats pushed to remove Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) from her committee assignments in response to her alleged conspiracy theories.

“The House is set to consider a measure this week that calls for Taylor Greene, a controversial first-term lawmaker known for support of the QAnon conspiracy theory, from her assignment on the Education and Labor Committee,” Fox News reported. “A proposed GOP-backed amendment to that measure calls for Omar, frequently identified as a member of the ‘Squad’ of progressive Democrats, to be removed from her committee assignments.”

Fox News reporter revealed Reps. Brian Babin (R-TX), Jeff Duncan (R-SC), Jody Hice (R-GA), Andy Biggs (R-AZ) and Ronny Jackson (R-TX) all support the legislation against Omar.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2021/02/republican-lawmakers-call-remove-ilhan-omar-married-brother-congressional-committee-assignments/

Rick Wilson Threatens Critics in ‘Exclusive’ Straw Man Defense of Embattled Lincoln Project

Wilson warned 'sick' detractors that they're 'putting themselves in jeopardy,' will face 'meaningful' consequences 'soon'

Rick Wilson, cofounder of the Lincoln Project, has spent enough time around politicians and lawyers to be well-versed in the art of the straw man deflection, the non-denial denial, and the carefully worded bluster of righteous indignation.

Wilson skillfully deployed all of these familiar tactics Tuesday evening in what was teasingly billed as an "exclusive response" to the allegations of predatory sexual behavior against Lincoln Project cofounder John Weaver, who is no longer affiliated with the Democratic-aligned Super PAC. In the words of Lincoln Project TV host Tara Setmayer: "It's going to be 🔥🔥. Don't miss it!"

Wilson's "exclusive" denunciation of Weaver's actions came in response to a New York Times story published on Sunday that centered on the specific allegation that Weaver had engaged in contact with a 14-year-old boy. "I will never ever be able to replicate the pain we felt learning this on Sunday when that article hit," Wilson said.

The Times story was published more than two weeks after numerous credible allegations against Weaver were aired on Twitter and printed in fringe outlets unlikely to be read by Lincoln Project donors. Dozens of young (adult) men came forward, accusing Weaver of grooming behavior, offering jobs in exchange for sex, and sending them photos of his penis without their consent.

The Lincoln Project refused to comment or express any outrage until the Times picked up the story. Even after Weaver admitted, in a statement to Axios on January 15, to engaging in "inappropriate" sexual interactions with young men, the Lincoln Project's only public response to the matter was a spokesman's comment that "John's statement speaks for itself."

Wilson went on to issue an impassioned denial that members of the Lincoln Project had any knowledge of Weaver's predatory behavior, specifically his reported dalliance with a minor. "I wish we could have peered into that vortex of secrets that defined [Weaver's] life, and known he was engaged in contact with a 14-year-old boy," Wilson said. "At no point was any member of the Lincoln Project informed about this underage child."

Wilson proceeded to mow down a number of straw man critiques of the Lincoln Project's involvement in the Weaver scandal while seemingly threatening the group's critics with legal action. "The accusation that we knew about a minor child being stalked and harassed by John Weaver," he said, was not only "categorically false" but "actionably false."

"The folks who are accusing us of awareness of this are sick. They are, in fact, putting themselves in jeopardy. I'll just say that as bluntly as I can," Wilson fumed. "There will be a moment soon when the jeopardy you put yourself in by making those accusations is meaningful and tangible."

https://freebeacon.com/politics/rick-wilson-threatens-critics-in-exclusive-straw-man-defense-of-embattled-lincoln-project/

Biden Justice Department drops suit alleging discrimination in Yale's admission polices

Yale says it is relieved that the Biden DOJ is stepping away from the case

The Justice Department on Wednesday withdrew a lawsuit against Yale University that charged the Ivy League school with discriminating against Asian-American and white applications in its admissions practices.

The legal complaint is just one of several of Asian-American of racial discrimination in admissions offices of elite institutions.

Two years ago, a federal judge rejected the claim that Harvard University had intentionally implemented discriminatory admissions practices against Asian-American applicants. The plaintiffs in that case are expected to appeal to the Supreme Court.

"Yale is gratified that the U.S. Justice Department has dropped its lawsuit challenging Yale College’s admissions practices. Our admissions process has allowed Yale College to assemble an unparalleled student body, which is distinguished by its academic excellence and diversity," a university said a statement.

The suit, filed in October of 2020, alleges race has been a "determinative factor" in the admission of hundreds of students each year. The plaintiffs alleged that "for the great majority of applicants" Asian-American and white students have only about one-eighth to one-fourth the likelihood of admission, compared as black applicants with similar grades, test scores and resumes.

The Justice Department did not provide an explanation in its notice of voluntary dismissal of the case.

Students for Fair Admission, the organization that brought the suit against Harvard, has said it plans to pick up the suit.

"It is important that this lawsuit continues to be vigorously litigated through the courts during the coming months and years if necessary. Using race and ethnicity in college admissions decisions is unfair, unconstitutional and is fraying the social fabric that holds our nation together," said group President Edward Blum.

Yale receives more than $600 million annually in federal dollars, and a violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 could impact such funding.

https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/education/biden-doj-drops-discrimination-case-against-yale-university

Govt. Agency That Oversees Nuclear Labs Fails to Revoke Former Employees’ Security Clearance

The government agency that oversees the nation’s nuclear laboratories and the highly classified material they house often does not revoke the security clearance of employees and contractors after they leave, potentially compromising national security. The failure involves the Department of Energy (DOE), which issues the authorization via Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards that serve as entry badges indicating the level of access to classified matter or special nuclear material. PIV cards also allow employees to enter, occupy or leave DOE sites and facilities.

During a three-year period more than 10,000 federal and contract workers left the DOE through retirement, resignation, removal, or death, according to a recently released DOE Inspector General report. Among them were thousands of individuals with security clearances and an alarmingly high percentage of their PIVs were not properly cancelled. In thousands of other cases the names of separated federal and contract workers did not even match records in the government database. “If clearances and PIV cards are not properly terminated, recovered, and destroyed, former employees may gain unauthorized access to department buildings or information,” the DOE watchdog writes in the lengthy document. “This risk has been demonstrated by incidents at the Department and other federal agencies in which former employees have accessed facilities or systems using unrecovered badges.”

Investigators examined records for 2,703 separated DOE employees and contractors at the agency headquarters in Washington D.C. and a field office in Albuquerque, New Mexico. They found that 66% of former employees’ PIV cards not marked as “destroyed” in the government database known as USAccess were not retrieved and manually eliminated per destruction records reviewed. Nearly 40% of departed workers’ PIV cards or employment statuses had not been updated in USAccess to reflect that the person was gone and no longer required access to DOE facilities and systems. In 30% of the cases, the former DOE and contractor employees’ security clearances were not terminated in accordance with agency requirements. “We noticed that several Headquarters Federal and contractor employees remained active in USAccess for months and even years after separation,” the report states. “For example, one employee that separated in November 2015 remained active in USAccess when we reviewed the database in July 2018, over 2 years later. Further, some of these employees were identified as having been removed from their jobs and others were deceased.”

During the audit, a DOE official told investigators that he witnessed a former employee at the agency headquarters enter the building and access his former workspace in a restricted area. The former staffer’s PIV card had not been recovered and his status in USAccess had not been updated, as required. The report offers a separate example at another federal agency in which a terminated employee repeatedly used administrator credentials to log onto government servers and make unauthorized changes to the agency’s website, including disabling a portion of the site. “To mitigate the risk of unauthorized access, the Department needs to take actions to ensure that it terminates security clearances and PIV card access for separated Federal and contractor employees in a timely manner,” the watchdog writes.

https://www.judicialwatch.org/corruption-chronicles/govt-agency-that-oversees-nuclear-labs-fails-to-revoke-former-employees-security-clearance/

‘Tech oligarchs’ reportedly funded study that claims conservative censorship is ‘a falsehood’

Founder and president of the Internet Accountability Project Mike Davis joined Tucker Carlson on the “Tucker Carlson Tonight” Tuesday to discuss big tech’s campaign to censor conservative voices.

New York University researchers published a study Monday claiming there is no conservative censorship.

The study titled, “False Accusation: The Unfounded Claim that Social Media Companies Censor Conservatives” states that claims of anti-conservative bias are “a form of disinformation: a falsehood with no reliable evidence to support it.”

“No trustworthy large scale studies have determined that conservative content is being removed for ideological reasons or that searches are being manipulated to favor liberal interests,” the study continues.

Carlson labelled the study “farcical” and “utterly fraudulent.”

Davis explained that this study, funded by a “tech oligarch,” was done to protect big tech corporations.

“You’re dealing with these big tech corporations trying to protect their interests,” Davis said. “We have CraigsList founder, a billionaire, funding this study and then the study relies upon Facebook, Google and Twitter employees to find out whether there’s conservative censorship and the people they’re not asking about conservative censorship are conservatives.”

“And so of course, they didn’t find any censorship just like the tobacco industry didn’t find any problems with tobacco in kids.”

Davis noted that most institutions or “think tanks” in Washington D.C. are funded by these tech oligarchs.

“This is not just a problem with Democrats in Washington D.C. There are many Republicans in D.C., who are bought off by big tech, by Google, by Amazon, by Facebook, by Apple, by Twitter,” Davis explained. “This is a bipartisan problem in D.C. and the swamp and I think conservatives across America need to put pressure on their Republican members in Congress to go on the side of everyday Americans instead of big tech oligarchs.”

“I think big tech has a hold of both parties in Washington D.C.”

Carlson applauded Davis for continuing his fight against big tech, “you are fighting a lonely battle, but a worthy one.”

https://saraacarter.com/tech-oligarchs-reportedly-funded-study-that-claims-conservative-censorship-is-a-falsehood/

Man Sentenced for Advertising Videos and Images of Children Being Sexually Abused

https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/man-sentenced-advertising-videos-and-images-children-being-sexually-abused

Whistleblowers Report COVID-19 Corruption in South Africa

An investigation of over 100 whistleblower reports revealed widespread allegations of theft of COVID-19 unemployment benefits and corruption in South Africa, according to a report released on Monday by Corruption Watch.

South AfricaWhistleblower reports allege widespread theft of COVID-19 unemployment benefits in South Africa. (Photo:CC0 Public Domain)The Temporary Employer/ Employee Relief Scheme, TERS, aimed at helping workers struggling during the COVID-19 lockdown, ended in January, but the report claimed that in many cases this financial aid was collected by employers and never made it into the hands of workers.

“Our employers collected the income for April, May and June,” a whistleblower account in the report said. “Till today we’re waiting. We need help. We’re hungry, we need to pay rent and the Department of Labor is not helping.”

The report also said that the extent of corruption went beyond the theft of benefits, claiming that employers bribed inspectors to look the other way and made fraudulent claims to receive benefits for employees who were actually working during lockdown.

A number of employers also made false claims on behalf of former employees who had left their companies long ago, or filed claims for workers they never employed in the first place, according to Corruption Watch.

“The cases that Corruption Watch investigated further were clearly not mere administrative errors, rather they were deliberate acts amounting to fraud and misappropriation of resources,” the report said.

Out of 126 whistleblower reports, 77 centered around suspicions that employers had withheld TERS payments from employees. Workers waiting on these payments reported being unable to afford essentials like food, rent, transportation or airtime services.

Compounding these problems further, Corruption Watch noted “numerous instances” in which there were “significant delays on the part of the Department of Labor”.

“How a department interfaces with citizens can result in a person’s dignity being enhanced, or the person is left increasingly frustrated because officials neglect to ensure they carry out their duties efficiently,” the report said.

In some cases, employees reported discovering that their employers never filed for benefits because they neglected to pay into the unemployment insurance fund on behalf of their workers, a practice the report said amounts to tax evasion.

“While the COVID-19 pandemic and the lockdown in response to it brought about tough economic circumstances for many businesses, it is also clear that some employers abused the circumstances to ignore employees’ labor rights or had been habitually ignoring labor law prior to lockdown too,” Corruption Watch said.

The organization called on law enforcement to investigate the reports and hold those violating labor rights accountable. It also called on the Department of Labor to clean-up maladministration, improve responsiveness, and create a clear appeals process.

https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/13777-whistleblowers-report-covid-19-corruption-in-south-africa