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My recent pair of articles based on an interview with Professor David Arase of the Hopkins-Nanjing Center, published in Asia Times under the title Belt & Road Phase 2 moves beyond infrastructure and ‘Greater Eurasia’: Belt & Road expands in Africa, detailed the evolution of China’s Belt & Road Initiative beyond large infrastructure projects and its expansion in Africa. This article follows up with a review of the Chinese economic and strategic presence in Latin America and the Caribbean, which is attracting more and more attention from concerned US foreign policy specialists. For one thing, as Arase points out, “The...

President Joe Biden is in big trouble because, since 2018, there has been a 42 point shift toward Republicans from Democrats among Hispanic voters. What makes this game-changing is because now a generic congressional candidate who’s Republican beats a generic Democratic congressional candidate by 2 points among Hispanic voters. In this episode, Larry points out how Hispanic Americans are waking up and turning against the “wokeness” pushed by the left, but will black Americans do the same?

As many as 1,000 vehicles became stranded as would-be tourists reportedly rushed to view the winter snowfall in the hilltop town of Murree. A policeman, his wife and their six children, as well as another family-of-five, are among the dead, according to local emergency services Rescue 1122. The military is attempting to clear roads and rescue those still trapped. Interior Minister Sheikh Rashid said the crisis had been caused by the number of people travelling to the area, north of the capital Islamabad. More than 100,000 cars had arrived in the colonial-era town in recent days, with social media in...

Senate Majority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Thursday recounted being evacuated from the Senate chamber during the Jan. 6 attack, including a close brush with rioters who he was told made antisemitic remarks about him. "I was within 30 feet of these nasty, racist, bigoted insurrectionists. Had someone had a gun, had two of them blocked off the door, who knows what would have happened. I was told later that one of them reportedly said, 'There's the big Jew. Let's get him,' " Schumer said. "Bigotry against one is bigotry against all. And I saw something that I had been...

Maine Gov. Janet Mills (D) on Friday vetoed a bill that would have allowed farmers in the state to unionize, the Portland Press Herald reported. The proposal called for agriculture workers to be able to organize and bargain for wages, hours and working conditions.

I wanted to take a moment to recognize Novak Djokovic and his heroic defiance of the COVID regime, lending his enormous platform and status to the millions of people around the world who have been denied their unalienable rights in the name of a virus. You would never know it by his disposition, but “Djoker” has an amazing rags to richer story, and he’s well aware of how governments can cause great human suffering. Growing up in war-torn Belgrade, Djokovic had to learn to play tennis in between bombing raids. Far from a silver spooned prodigy, he had to defy...

Moderna CEO Stephane Bancel said Thursday that individuals may need a fourth shot of the Wuhan coronavirus vaccine, CNBC reported. Bancel reportedly made the remarks while speaking with Goldman Sachs at a health care CEO conference. In the discussion, he noted that the efficacy of booster shots will decline over time. Because of this, he said those who received a booster dose this past fall will likely need another come fall 2022. “Bancel said people who received their boosters last fall will likely have enough protection to get them through the winter, when new infections surge as people gather indoors...

The Weekly Gardening Thread is a weekly gathering of folks that love soil, seeds and plants of all kinds. From complete newbies that are looking to start that first potted plant, to gardeners with some acreage, to Master Gardener level and beyond, we would love to hear from you. If you have specific question about a plant/problem you are having, please remember to state the Growing Zone where you are located. This thread is a non-political respite. No matter what, you won’t be flamed, and the only dumb question is the one that isn’t asked. It is impossible to hijack...

It’s a question those of us in the gun writing business often get asked. “What’s the best caliber for a self-defense handgun?” Those expecting a one-to-three digit answer from me will be disappointed. I respond to their simple question with a complex one. “What is the most powerful cartridge that you can shoot accurately and proficiently that comes in a handgun which is comfortable enough to carry that you’ll carry it all the time?” Depending on the person asking, the answer will vary. For some, it’s a full-sized .357 Mag. or 10 mm Auto. For others, it’s one of the...

Larry Kudlow, a former economic adviser to former President Donald Trump, shared his reactions Friday night to the federal government’s jobs report for December, which was released earlier in the day. During an appearance on "The Ingraham Angle," Kudlow agreed with host Laura Ingraham’s assertion that President Biden largely benefited from actions taken in Republican-led red states to keep the economy on track as the coronavirus pandemic continues. Biden placed his own spin on the data, stressing a decline in unemployment instead of the fact that new hiring fell far short of expectations.

COVID-19 cases continue to increase rapidly across the United States. This surge is driven by the Omicron variant, which CDC’s Nowcast model projects may account for approximately 95% of cases. On January 5, 705,264 new cases were reported, more than doubling the January 2021 peak. The entire country is now experiencing high levels of community transmission. Hospitalizations are also on the rise.

Minority privilege’ now more common amid the growing ‘war on whiteness’ The left is furious about “white privilege.” And while it’s true white people have benefited from major advantages over time, it’s a concept that is rapidly fading — especially now, as the reverse is coming true. Minorities are increasingly becoming privileged while growing numbers of white people face discrimination. Diversity initiatives have been around for years, but over the past year and a half, innumerable companies and corporations have ramped up their efforts with the goal of “diversifying” their workforce. Tech giant Facebook, for example, has committed to half...

A United States still deeply divided over Jan. 6 has hurt its standing overseas, tarnishing the reputation of a country that has long promoted democracy efforts abroad. The one-year anniversary of the Capitol riot marked not just a reflection point in the U.S., but also among allies and adversaries alike, who witnessed Democratic lawmakers largely gather on their own to remember a day when the democratic process in the United States came under a serious and violent challenge.

As suburban family continues legal battle for ivermectin, mother dies in ICU; father remains on ventilator Chicago News Kane County judge previous sided with hospital and denied Elgin's couple access to ivermectin by: Kelly Davis Posted: Dec 22, 2021 / 04:50 PM CST / Updated: Dec 23, 2021 / 10:39 AM CST ELGIN, Ill. — The family of a suburban man who is seriously ill with COVID-19 has filed an emergency appeal trying to force doctors to treat him with the controversial drug ivermectin. Sebastrian Abbinanti and his wife Maria both tested positive for COVID-19 last month. The Elgin couple,...

Virginia will join other Republican-led states and business groups in challenging Biden administration mandates intended to increase the nation’s COVID-19 vaccination rate once GOP Gov.-elect Glenn Youngkin and Attorney General-elect Jason Miyares take office, the two said in a statement Friday. “While we believe that the vaccine is a critical tool in the fight against COVID-19, we strongly believe that the Federal government cannot impose its will and restrict the freedoms of Americans and that Virginia is at its best when her people are allowed to make the best decisions for their families or businesses," they said in the joint...

... They were making very clear to him explicitly clear Republican senators like Lindsey Graham and Marco Rubio and Mitch McConnell that if you do any of those things that you are considering doing, pardoning Assange and Snowden, declassifying JFK files, declassifying other secrets that should have been declassified long ago because they're from decades old treachery on the part of the US government, we will vote to impeach you. They had this leverage the sword of Damocles hanging over his head, and I am not saying this to justify Trump's cowardly refusal to do what he should have done...

Social media users on Friday balked at a graphic the White House posted online that claimed President Biden has created far more jobs than any other commander-in-chief. Ever," the post boasted. The graphic – which appeared on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook – was posted just hours after a disappointing jobs report showed hiring had fallen far below expectations in December. While the numbers from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics appeared to be accurate, the raw data failed to show important context.

Want to know what Dick Armey really thinks about Newt Gingrich, Tom Delay, John Boehner and other notable Republicans? Get “Leader” and you’ll see. In a way that seemingly only Armey can, he gives the reader a fly-on-the-wall perspective on every meeting that went on during that tumultuous period, providing his honest opinion on all the “rebels,” and honest introspection on how he could have handled things better. With “Leader” Armey sets the record straight.

People Get Ready! There’s a train a coming. Its called The Federal Reserve. The market is pricing in 3 rate increases in 2022. And perhaps a faster than expected withdrawal of balance sheet stimulus. As a result, The Russell 2000 Growth index is plunging (orange line) relative to the Russell 2000 Value index (white line) which is down in 2021. The Société Générale (SGI) US value and “quality” indices are telling the same story. The SGI US “Quality” index is falling like a paralyzed falcon while the SGI US Value index is up for 2022. It is somewhat mystifying that...

Harry Reid came from a town where you couldn’t afford to stay down. When he was just 11 years old, Harry followed his father hundreds of feet underground into the mines below Searchlight, Nev., where he would pan for gold and keep his dad company as the older man pounded through nearly impenetrable rock. He spent his childhood one cave-in or errant blasting cap away from becoming a fatality of those mines, as his father’s brother and a neighbor had become just a few years before. But Harry always came back up.