Category: Opinion

The Biden administration is reviewing the possibility of closing down a key pipeline transporting crude oil and natural gas from Canada into the Midwest.

The White House recently initiated a study of the economic impacts of closing the Line 5 pipeline, principal deputy press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed at a press conference Monday, adding that the Army Corps of Engineers was planning an environmental impact study on the ramifications of shutting down the pipeline.

President Joe Biden faced serious criticism last week after Politico reported his administration’s decision to study Line 5.

“As we enter the winter months and temperatures drop across the Midwest, the termination of Line 5 will undoubtedly further exacerbate shortages and price increases in home heating fuels like natural gas and propane at a time when Americans are already facing rapidly rising energy prices, steep home heating costs, global supply shortages, and skyrocketing gas prices,” Republican Ohio Rep. Bob Latta wrote in a Nov. 4 letter mirroring a dozen other lawmakers.

Line 5 carries about 540,000 barrels of oil and gas per day from Canada to Michigan, according to the pipeline’s operator, Enbridge, providing energy to several Midwestern states, including Michigan, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.

Line 5 alone accounts for about 55% of Michigan’s propane supply. Roughly 320,000 Michigan households rely on propane for their main heat source.

“We should be remembering the people that are going to be going through the upcoming winter months whether it’s in Michigan or other northern states,” Jason Hayes, the director of environmental policy for the Michigan-based Mackinac Center for Public Policy, said.

“We have a state in Michigan that uses the most residential propane in the nation,” he continued. “And yet, we’re seriously considering shutting down this pipeline and giving these people not even two or three months notice, just basically saying, ‘well, sorry, you’re gonna be on your own.’”

Since taking office, Biden has targeted the fossil fuel industry as part of his aggressive climate agenda. The president revoked the Keystone XL pipeline’s federal permit, did away with an Alaskan drilling project, put a stop to new oil and gas leasing on federal lands, presented sweeping regulations regarding hydrocarbons and instituted a review of Alaska’s petroleum reserve.

“Gretchen Whitmer and the Biden administration are making it unaffordable for Michigan families to fill their gas tanks and heat their homes,” Eric Ventimiglia, executive director of the conservative group Michigan Rising Action, said in a statement Monday. “The effort to shut down Line 5 is short-sighted, and would put immense financial pressure on families across the state.”

“Shutting down Line 5 would create a humanitarian crisis and exacerbate the dire economic conditions created by the Democrats’ failed policies,” he continued.

The price of consumer goods has risen at the fastest annual pace in over 30 years as supply chain backups and materials shortages continue and gasoline prices surged. The consumer price index climbed 6.2% year over year in October, the Labor Department said. The increase marked the largest annual gain since November 1990. Prices rose 0.9% month over month.

Analysts surveyed by Refinitiv were anticipating prices to rise 0.6% in October and 5.8% annually.

“Inflation is broadening out,” said Greg McBride, chief financial analyst at Bankrate. “In addition to food, energy, and shelter continuing to post outsized monthly increases, new and used car prices are once again shifting into overdrive.”

Energy prices surged 4.8% last month and were up 30% over the past year. The October increase was largely attributed to a 6.1% rise in the cost of gasoline. Food prices have also gone up 0.9% last month as the food at home category saw a 1% increase. All food prices are up 5.3% year over year.

Core prices, which exclude food and energy, increased 0.6% month over month and 4.6% over the past 12 months. Economists were anticipating respective increases of 0.4% and 4.3%.

Adding to the rise were new and used vehicle prices, which climbed in October 1.4% and 2.5%, respectively. Prices for new vehicles were 9.8% above one year ago while used vehicle prices were up 26.4% from October 2020.

The cost of shelter climbed 0.5% last month and was 3.5% above a year ago.

“We’re seeing early signs of an inflationary surge that’s likely to persist, with companies responding to rising input costs with cost increases of their own, which in turn causes higher input costs for others,” said Brad Armstrong, partner at Lovell Minnick Partners. “It’s a cycle that repeats itself.”

Wednesday’s report caught the attention of the Federal Reserve, which earlier this month announced plans to taper its $120 billion per month in asset purchases while taking notice of “elevated” inflation. The central bank still expects inflation to be “transitory.”

Later this month the Fed will begin scaling back its purchases of Treasurys and mortgage-backed securities by $15 billion a month, which puts its asset-purchase program on pace to end in June. Markets are currently pricing in the first-rate hike to occur in July 2022.

A Texas Democrat representing a stretch of the southern border said Wednesday morning that he is fed up with Vice President Kamala Harris as “border czar” and is calling for her replacement.

“I’ve moved on from the vice president to say, ‘OK, let’s work with the ambassadors and let’s work with the State Department. Let’s work with the Homeland Secretary,’” said Democratic Rep. Henry Cuellar, who represents Texas’ 28th district that stretches from San Antonio, to Laredo, to Rio Grande City.

“I think that’s the way to address it, but I know that the media has put a lot of focus on the vice president, but with all due respect, she was given that title. I don’t think she’s, with all due respect, put the effort in there…We’ve got to look at other folks that have the expertise on that,” Cuellar added.

The Biden administration dubbed Harris the Border Czar in late March as illegal immigrants started coming across the border in record numbers, creating a critical humanitarian crisis. After being appointed it was still several months before Harris made a visit to the border and has not been there since.

So far in Fiscal Year 2021, the RGV sector has seen more than 65,000 migrant encounters to date, a 161% increase over the same period last year. In the nearby Del Rio Sector, there has been a 236% increase in encounters over the same period last year. There have so far been 6,500 known gotaways in the sector alone.

President Joe Biden has been facing a major crisis at the southern border since shortly after taking office. More than 1.7 million migrants have been encountered in Fiscal Year 2021, with more than 192,000 migrants encountered in September alone. Biden reversed border security policies put in place by former President Donald Trump during his first days in office.

The number of migrants apprehended at the U.S. southern border in October surged 128% from the same time last year, according to data released Monday by Customs and Border Protection (CBP).

CBP data showed 164,303 migrant encounters along the southern border in October, an alarming increase over October 2020, when there were 71,929 encountered.

In addition to the harsh criticism Harris has faced about the southern border crisis, her poll numbers are plummeting, with data earlier this month showing her with a 27.8% approval rating with 51.2% disapproving of her tenure in the White House. Biden named Harris his Border Czar months ago however, she has only visited El Paso, Texas, which does have a border wall, and is located 800 miles from the Rio Grande Valley where the highest number of illegal border crossings have been seen.

China claimed Tuesday that President Biden denounced Taiwanese independence from the communist nation, but warned the U.S. is “playing with fire” in the South China Sea. The latest threats came after an hours-long virtual summit between Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping that marked the most comprehensive talks the world leaders have engaged in since Biden took office.

In a read-out following the talks, Chinese officials said Biden reiterated U.S. support for the one-China policy and claimed the U.S. president “does not support ‘Taiwan independence’.”

China was very clear Tuesday that it intended to bring the island into “complete reunification” with mainland China and threatened action if forces attempt to stop this.

“Should the separatist forces for ‘Taiwan independence’ provoke us, force our hands or even cross the red line, we will be compelled to take resolute measures,” the readout said. “On this question bearing on China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, there is no room for compromise.”

The U.S. and its western allies have supported the security of Taiwan and reports have shown the U.S. is working to bolster defenses in the Indo-Pacific as Chinese aggression in the region intensifies.

The White House did not deny China’s claim that the U.S. continues to recognize the one-China principle.

“President Biden underscored that the United States remains committed to the ‘one-China’ policy, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances,” the White House said in a statement.

But the statement also pointed out that the U.S. “strongly opposes” any move to alter the “status quo” in the region or “undermine peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait.”

Both nations have voiced support for the one-China policy, however, their view of what that means for the region is significantly different.

“The United States and China have two different approaches to the one-China concept,” Zack Cooper, a senior fellow with the American Enterprise Institute specializing in U.S. strategy in Asia told Fox News. “Beijing advocates its one-China principle, whereas Washington maintains a one-China policy, which is substantially different.”

Cooper, who served at the Department of Defense and as an assistant on the White House National Security Council during the Bush administration, said this difference could mean the region will continue to see geopolitical conflict.

“China and the United States maintain two different views of what one-China means and … this issue will be difficult to resolve because neither side is likely to adjust its approach anytime soon,” he added.

Biden and Xi agreed to have candid discussions on complex issues facing both nations but no policy-based solutions have been offered.

Glendale, Ariz. Police are investigating after the corpse of a student was discovered on the Independence High School campus in Glendale.

Sgt. Randy Stewart stated that a sanitation worker noticed what he believed to be a Halloween decoration on the ground beside a dumpster shortly after 6:30 a.m. on Nov. 15. As he approached, the worker noticed blood, recognized it was a body, and immediately contacted 911.

Officers arrived on the site and recognized the victim as a seventeen-year-old teenager who had lately fled his family.

“Through the investigation what we’ve kind of learned so far, the 17-year-old male was listed as a runaway last night and his parents were not sure where he was at,” Sgt. Stewart said. “There are some indicators that he was up on top of the press box and the injuries are consistent with a fall from that area. We don’t know at this time if it was accidental or on purpose.”

The victim was not an Independence High School student. His identity was not released.

“There was no note or anything,” Sgt. Stewart said. “It looks like he was upset about something having to do with a cellphone and ended up leaving the home.”

At this point, there is no indication of foul play.

The investigation is ongoing.

Principal Rob Ambrose sent a letter to parents regarding the incident:

“Dear Parents/Guardians:

As part of our ongoing communications plan, I am writing to let you know that the Glendale Police Department were on campus this morning investigating an incident that occurred sometime over the weekend.

Although we were unable to release any further details earlier of the situation due to the ongoing investigation, we understand that Glendale PD will be making a statement later today. It is important to note, however, that no students or staff were in any danger due to the police matter. Furthermore, the situation did not involve anyone from Independence High School. Schools was able to continue on schedule.

We appreciate your ongoing support and understanding. Please contact me with any concerns you may have.”

⁦@GlendaleAZPD⁩ investigating body found near dumpster on campus of Independence High School 75th Ave & Maryland Authorities giving information to media now #fox10phoenix pic.twitter.com/ouvnIIEEo5

— Rick Davis (@rdavisfox10) November 15, 2021

An Arizona state trooper conducted a simple traffic stop last week and discovered approximately 30,000 fentanyl pills belonging to the two men in the vehicle, authorities said Sunday.

The state trooper pulled over Manuel Carrillo Serrano and Alan Aguilar, both age 25, in a Chevrolet Cobalt on I-10 in Casa Grande which is located about 50 miles south of Phoenix, according to the Department of Public Safety.

After pulling the men over, the officer discovered three wrapped bundles inside the vehicle containing 8.2 pounds – or about 30,000 pills – of fentanyl.

Carrillo Serrano and Aguilar were arrested and charged with suspicion of transportation of narcotic drugs for sale, authorities said. Both men were being held at the Pinal County Jail on a $50,000 bond.

Fentanyl is a synthetic opioid that is up to 50 times stronger than heroin and 100 times stronger than morphine. It is a major contributor to fatal and nonfatal overdoses in the U.S.

Fentanyl is a major contributor to the opioid crisis in the U.S., with synthetic opioids accounting for nearly 73% of all opioid-involved deaths in 2019, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The Build Back Better Act, a vast $1.75 trillion social spending bill now making its way through the House of Representatives, includes a provision that would eliminate the Child Tax Credit’s Social Security number requirement.

The measure, which appears on page 1,647 of the bill’s 2,135 pages, would modify the federal tax code by repealing the requirement that a kid have a valid Social Security number in order to qualify for any and all tax benefits.

“No credit shall be allowed under this section to a taxpayer with respect to any qualifying child unless the taxpayer includes the social security number of such child on the return of tax for the taxable year,” the current law reads. Removing this requirement would open the eligibility for the credit to parents of children without social security numbers, including, potentially, illegal immigrant children.

According to Steven Camarota, a researcher for the Center for Immigration Studies, the provision could cost American taxpayers $2.3 billion in payouts to parents of children who immigrated illegally to the United States and another $8.2 billion to illegal immigrant parents who had children in the United States.

“Illegal immigrants are able to receive benefits on behalf of their U.S.-born children,” Camarota told Fox News. “But the permanent elimination of the SSN requirement means that even illegal immigrants whose children are also illegally in the country can receive cash payments, including the roughly 600,000 unaccompanied minors and persons in family units stopped at the border in FY2021 and released.”

Along with the demand for a social security number, the law eliminates the employment requirement for next year, which simplifies payments to illegal immigrants, Camarota added. “Previously, some illegal immigrants who worked off the books had difficulty showing job income, but that will no longer be an issue,” he added.

Under the American Rescue Plan, the Biden administration increased the minimum child tax credit payments from $2,000 to $3,600 for children under the age of six and from $3,000 to $3,000 for children aged six to seventeen. According to Fox News, families are eligible for the entire compensation if they earn up to $150,000 per couple or $112,500 per single-parent home. These payments would be extended through 2022 under the new clause.

Thirty-three people were injured and three were murdered Tuesday in a series of suicide explosions in Uganda, which authorities believe were carried out by an East African extremist Islamic organization affiliated with the Islamic State.

The incident in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, took place in the city’s commercial sector and was carried out by four terrorists.

The Wall Street Journal reported, “The first attacker detonated a backpack at a checkpoint near Kampala’s central police station, said Mr. Enanga. The second attack was carried out by two people riding motorcycles near the main entrance of Uganda’s Parliament.”

Police were able to stop the fourth terrorist before he could detonate his device. According to police officials, the attacks were carried out by an Islamic State offshoot in Uganda, the Allied Democratic Forces.

“Our intelligence indicates that these are domestic terror attacks, linked to the ADF,” said Fred Enanga, a police spokesman. “We believe there are still very many suicide attackers out there. The threat is being directed at all Ugandans.”

Threats from Islamic terror organizations appear to be increasing in Uganda, with officials warning of potential assaults. According to The Wall Street Journal, the first strike in Uganda by ISIS-affiliated terrorists occurred last month in the form of a blast that killed one lady.

“The bomb threats are still active, especially from suicide attackers,” Enanga said, “We believe there are still more members of these domestic terror cells, especially the suicide bomb squad that has been created by the ADF.”

The student union of Durham University in England sent an email to all students and staff promoting a sex work training course offered by the university.

“The SU position on students in sex work are [sic] clear: support, informed advice, de-stigmatization and collaboration with expert organizations,” the email read.

The university brought in the external “Students Involved in the Adult Sex Industry” session in response to student requests, a spokesperson for Durham University said. Adding that sex work is a “feature” within higher education “across the UK.”

“We are emphatically not seeking to encourage sex work, but we are seeking to provide support to our students,” the spokesperson said. “We make no apologies for working to ensure that Durham is a safe environment for all of our students and staff.”

A sex work course offered via video conference offers to “support students in a difficulty arising from the reality of rising costs in higher education,” according to student union welfare and liberation officer, Jonah Graham. “Trying to create a scandal from an attempt to support people whose work can make them vulnerable is contemptible.”

The email advertising the course described it as a “training opportunity,” and stated that “student sex workers should not face any barriers to accessing support which is well informed and free from prejudice.” The “Level 1 Training” for “student sex workers” was described as a one, hour-long meeting, and the “Level 2 Training,” would last 90 minutes.

“Sex work is degrading, dangerous and exploitative. Uni should have nothing to do with it,” Member of Parliament Diane Abbott said on Twitter.

Horrific that Durham University is offering training to students who want to be sex workers part-time. Sex work is degrading, dangerous and exploitative. Uni should have nothing to do with it https://t.co/BpuVdaLTmN

— Diane Abbott (@HackneyAbbott) November 12, 2021

A similar incident occurred at Leicester University in October when the school offered an online “toolkit” for students involved in prostitution and assured them that “sugar daddies,” working on sex chat lines and selling one’s underwear online are all legal.

President Joe Biden signed the bipartisan infrastructure bill into law Monday afternoon, saying that it is “truly historic.”

“I ran for president believing it was time to rebuild the backbone of this nation, which I characterize as working people in the middle class,” Biden declared to a crowd of about 800 people. “They are the ones who built the country. And to rebuild the economy from the bottom up and the middle out, this law delivers on that long overdue promise in my view. It creates better jobs for millions of Americans.”

The $1.2 trillion infrastructure bill passed the House on November 5. Six Democrats voted against the bill, but the 13 Republican “yes” votes pushed the bill through. The bipartisan infrastructure bill faced months of delays due to Democratic infighting over the other part of Biden’s Build Back Better bill.

Democratic Sen. Kyrsten Sinema, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, Republican Sen. Rob Portman and Vice President Kamala Harris were among those who spoke before Biden at the bill signing. Both Republican and Democratic lawmakers were in attendance as well as “governors, mayors, state and local elected officials, labor leaders, business leaders and other stakeholders,” according to the White House.

“The bill I’m about to sign into law is proof that despite the cynics, Democrats and Republicans can come together and deliver results. We can do this. We can deliver real results for real people,” Biden said.

“I know you’re tired of the bickering in Washington,” the president went on. “Frustrated by the negativity and you just want us to use and focus on your needs, your concerns and the conversations that are taking place at your kitchen table.”

“I have a lot of concerns, let’s put it that way,” Manchin said earlier in November. “They’re working off the House bill. That’s not going to be the bill I work off of.”

An ABC-Washington Post poll released Sunday shows that Biden has a 41% approval rating. The poll also found that 63% of those polled felt Biden has achieved “not very much” or “little or nothing” so far in his presidency – despite the bipartisan infrastructure bill passing Congress.

Biden’s bipartisan infrastructure bill focuses on improving roads, bridges, ports, waterways, broadband access and more.