Random News and Notes 24 December
We start today’s RNN with a personal message. From all of us here at MVAP to all of you Merry Christmas. May you and yours have a wonderful holiday.
Now on to the news.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio announced the State Department was sanctioning several Euro-weenies. Said weenies were/are central to the Euro push to pressure American platforms like X to censor content under Europe’s Digital Services Act.
Imran Ahmed (Centre for Countering Digital Hate), Josephine Ballon and Anna-Lena von Hodenberg (HateAid), Thierry Breton (former EU Commissioner) as well as Clare Melford (Global Disinformation Index) are all now banned from entering the US. The list may expand. Breton, then an EU Commissioner, wrote an official letter trying to intimidate Elon Musk over the live interview with Trump before the last election.
As you might imagine, the Eurotrash all have their panties in a wad about it. They are calling it everything from an attack on their sovereignty to censorship. It is none of those things, and they are just having a fit about no longer being able to dictate to the US from their weak position.
The Supreme Court dealt a blow to the Trump administration yesterday. SCOTUS affirmed a lower court ruling saying Trump could not deploy National Guardsmen to Chicago to help protect ICE and DHS personnel.
Sortor gets it right in that post. The Court said that was the requirement. The best part is that the Insurrection Act vests the power to invoke it solely with the President. A Presidential determination to invoke the Act is not subject to judicial review.
I have some issues with Rand Paul. I find his grandstanding about his personal pet issues a bit . . . much. That said, I always look forward to his annual Festivus report.
From the report: “This year, I’m spotlighting a jaw-dropping amount of government waste — the kind that makes you wonder if anyone in Washington has ever heard the word “priorities.” A grand total of $1,639,135,969,608.”
The report is worth a look if your blood pressure can take it.
Merry Christmas Everyone!
