The Cold War was a weird time. Whole generations of people‚ now parents and grandparents‚ grew up convinced their lives were about to be snuffed out by an atomic blast from the godless communists/decadent capitalists (delete as appropriate) – and‚ more times than we can really be comfortable with‚ they were almost right.But what would have actually happened‚ if the bombs had started falling&;#63; For whoever happened to be in Congress‚ at least‚ the answer was a program known as Project Greek Island.What was Project Greek Island&;#63;Well‚ first things first: Project Greek Island was neither Greek‚ nor located on an island. In fact‚ as luxurious as the name makes it sound‚ the best description of Project Greek Island might be one written by Ted Gup in the original 1992 Washington Post expos&;eacute; of the program: “an endless river of concrete […] poured into the cavernous hole that had been excavated beside the posh Greenbrier hotel in White Sulphur Springs‚ [West Virginia].”It was‚ in short‚ a secret government bomb shelter‚ designed in the late 1950s to house every member of the US House of Representatives and Senate in the event of nuclear Armageddon. For thirty years‚ it stood right under the noses of American holidaymakers.“Thousands of people [have] walked in and out of a secret bunker not knowing they were in a secret bunker‚” Bob Conte‚ official historian of the Greenbrier hotel since 1978‚ told NPR in 2011. That &;quot;was part of the original design.”On a day-to-day basis‚ the Greenbrier hotel was your average luxury resort‚ hosting industrialists‚ heads of state‚ and various other ultra-rich vacationers‚ along with (for the time) high-tech exhibition centers that could handle hundreds of visitors and a reportedly “unlimited” weight limit for displays.It was one of quite a few features that hinted at the resort’s double use. Behind the ritzy veneer stood a concrete fortress: “A warren of rooms and corridors‚” described Gup; “The walls were two feet [0.6 meters] thick and reinforced with steel.”“Later‚ the entire structure was covered with a concrete roof and buried beneath 20 feet [6.1 meters] of dirt‚” he wrote. “At each entrance‚ cranes hung humongous steel doors‚ as if giants were to inhabit the underground structure.”The Greenbrier BunkerSo you’re a US national politician and your country has just become a nuclear wasteland. What should you expect&;#63;Well‚ first on the agenda will be a four- or five-hour drive – less if you fly‚ of course – from your office in Washington DC to White Sulphur Springs‚ a tiny city about 402 kilometers (250 miles) to the southwest of the nation’s capital. Then‚ you’d be corralled with all of your coworkers through a colossal blast door – 15 feet (4.6 meters) high‚ 12.25 feet (3.7 meters) wide‚ and 19.5 inches (49.5 centimeters) thick – and into the decontamination showers. With the doors closed‚ every link to the outside world would be cut off. The bunker would be already equipped with enough food and water to support a full cohort for about 6 months‚ and enough air for 72 hours – after that‚ the vent system would kick in‚ filtering out radiation and biological contaminants from the air outside and circulating it through the shelter. After showering‚ your clothes would be taken and disposed of; in return‚ you would be given what Bill Geerhart – the Cold War history expert who infamously coined the name “Graceland of Atomic Tourism” for Greenbrier – termed “bunkerwear”. Next‚ you’d pass the euphemistically-named “pathological waste incinerator” – and yes‚ as dystopian as that title sounds‚ it is a euphemism‚ because the “waste” in question was likely meant to be the bodies of those who died from radiation exposure on the way over – on your way to the dormitories.Now‚ your sleeping quarters would probably be a lot more spartan than you’re used to: despite being located under a luxury hotel‚ the bunker’s accommodation was more like army barracks than anything else. Each of the 18 dorms held 60 thin metal bunk beds‚ and‚ Conte told NPR‚ “all they had for private items that you could lock up were a small drawer‚ right underneath the beds‚ you could put your personal items in here.”“For 30 years‚ every one of these 1‚100 beds was assigned to somebody‚” he added. Continuing OperationsNow you’re settled in‚ it’s time to get to work. And luckily – or unluckily‚ if you were hoping that this whole “nuclear Armageddon” thing might be a good excuse for some personal leave – the Greenbrier was well set up to cope with government business.“You had meeting rooms for the House of Representatives and for the Senate‚” Paul Fritz Bugas‚ a former on-site superintendent at the bunker‚ told PBS in 2000. “In the same general area you had the clinic‚ you had some lounge space and your rest rooms.”“On the second level was storage support area as well as the leadership office work area for the Senate‚ and the same for the House of Representatives at the far end‚” he continued. “These were quasi or semi-private facilities where the leadership could conduct meeting and conferences.”In a nod to the dystopian world for which the Greenbrier was intended‚ the designers of the bunker even included a TV studio‚ fully equipped with a fake backdrop of the Capitol‚ for blasting out transmissions to any survivors.(Un)fit for purposeThe Greenbrier bunker took years to build; it was extensively and intricately equipped‚ and scrupulously maintained over the course of three decades. But the real question is this: would it have actually worked&;#63;“The utility of the Greenbrier [was] facility questionable from the beginning‚” Gup wrote. “In the decades since it was conceived and built‚ the number of nuclear weapons has vastly multiplied and their accuracy has been greatly enhanced.”On top of that‚ the potential bombs that could be sent our way are fast – and not just the modern ones‚ either. When construction started on the Greenbrier in 1959‚ the USSR had already developed the world’s first intercontinental ballistic missile‚ the R-7‚ capable of delivering a 5.5-tonne thermonuclear warhead some 8‚800 km (5‚468 miles) across the globe well before anyone could make it from Washington DC to the bunker. But “just how Congress was expected to reach the Greenbrier is unclear‚” Gup pointed out. “It is at least a five-hour drive from the Capitol.”Since 1962‚ a nearby airport runway was extended – but even then‚ the flight from DC would take an hour‚ Gup wrote. “And because very few members of Congress have been aware that the facility exists‚ it would take far longer than that to round them up‚” he added.“The installation only made sense if the planners anticipated evacuating Congress many hours‚ if not days‚ before a crisis turned from rhetoric to attack‚” he surmised. “Yet mobilizing 535 members of Congress and evacuating them to a resort area 250 miles [402 km] away in the middle of such a crisis would almost certainly draw unwanted attention to the site.”And doesn’t that just raise an interesting question: over 30 years‚ and enough infrastructure to support a small town – how did Project Greek Island remain secret for so long&;#63; How to hide a secret nuclear bunkerIn retrospect‚ it seems surprising that the program lasted as long as it did without being discovered. After all‚ look at the Greenbrier with a discerning eye‚ and a few clues to its secondary use might just present themselves to you: the twin meeting rooms‚ for example‚ one with about 440 seats and the other with about 100‚ might strike you as a strange choice; so too might the surfeit of toilets in the resort‚ overwhelmingly for men.“Nobody came out and said it was a bomb shelter‚&;quot; Randy Wickline‚ a construction worker who helped build the bunker back in 1960‚ told Gup‚ &;quot;but […] a fool would have known.”Despite these‚ um‚ tiny hints‚ though‚ Bugas and his colleagues believed the secrecy of the project was secure. Not only was it built with a ready cover story – “The Greenbrier happened to be extending its guest facilities and was constructing a wing‚” he told PBS. “The facility was built directly underneath the West Virginia wing and was constructed at the same time that the wing was being built” – but resort staff were‚ according to Gup‚ unfailingly loyal.How that loyalty would be rewarded in the case of nuclear war‚ however – well‚ let’s just say we’re glad they never had to find out. “There would have been enough room to get a few dignitaries in there‚” Wickline told Gup‚ “but us poor folks would be left standing outside.”“It kind of made me think about it – and hope it never happens.”

Typically associated with arid sand and air-conditioned megacities‚ parts of the Gulf region have recently been struck with a deluge of rain. On Tuesday‚ Dubai in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) experienced a year and a half’s worth of rainfall in just a single day‚ bringing floods and chaos to the city.The devastating downpour has led to wild speculation that it was caused or aggravated by cloud-seeding. This process typically involves spraying fine particles‚ like silver iodide‚ into the sky to provide water droplets with “nuclei” to converge around. This promotes the formation of ice crystals‚ which increases the odds of precipitation in the form of rain or snow.It’s well-known that the UAE’s National Centre of Meteorology (NCM) frequently dabbles with cloud-seeding techniques to ease the nation’s water woes. However‚ there’s no evidence that cloud-seeing has anything to do with this week's rainfall. Instead‚ meteorologists have noted that the event in Dubai is linked to wider weather patterns. “These storms appear to be the result of a mesoscale convective system – a series of medium-sized thunderstorms caused by massive thunderclouds‚ formed as heat draws moisture up into the atmosphere. These can create large amounts of rain‚ and when they occur over a wide area and one after another‚ can lead to seriously heavy downpours. They can rapidly lead to surface water floods‚ as we have seen in places such as Dubai airport‚” Professor Maarten Ambaum‚ a meteorologist at the University of Reading who has studied rainfall patterns in the Gulf region‚ said in a statement.“There is no technology in existence that can create or even severely modify this kind of rainfall event. Furthermore‚ no cloud seeding operations have taken place in this area recently‚” explained Ambaum. The NCM has affirmed this view by claiming that no cloud seeding missions took place during this week’s downpour. In a statement to The National state-owned newspaper‚ they said: “The NCM didn't conduct any seeding operations during this event.”“One of the basic principles of cloud seeding is that you have to target clouds in its early stage before it rains. If you have a severe thunderstorm situation then it is too late to conduct any seeding operation.”“We take the safety of our people‚ pilots‚ and aircraft very seriously. NCM doesn't conduct cloud seeding operations during extreme weather events‚” the NCM added.Cloud seeding often becomes the target of conspiracy theories. In February this year‚ a pilot program to seed clouds in California was blamed for two major storms that hit southern parts of the state‚ triggering floods and landslides. However‚ officials pointed out there was no cloud seeding during the two major storms and‚ furthermore‚ that it’s not possible for cloud seeding to create storms themselves.

Spend long enough on the Internet and you will likely be met with a post informing you that the speed of light is 299‚792‚458 meters per second‚ and the latitude of the Great Pyramid of Giza is 29.9792458°N‚ before inviting you to assess whether this is a coincidence or not.           IFLScience is not responsible for content shared from external sites.But is it true‚ and if so‚ is it a coincidence&;#63; The answer to the first question is yes. Light travels at 299‚792‚458 meters per second in a vacuum‚ the absolute speed limit of the universe. The latitude of the Great Pyramid of Giza is indeed 29.9792458 N – but so are a whole bunch of other places at the same latitude.         As for whether this is a coincidence or not‚ the answer is also yes. For a start the Ancient Egyptians – even if they had figured out the speed of light centuries ahead of its measurement by Danish astronomer Ole Roemer in 1676 CE and for some reason chose to keep quiet about it – did not work in meters‚ primarily because meters were not defined until 1791 CE.As Snopes points out‚ Ancient Egyptians used cubits‚ with the speed of light being around 571‚033‚253 cubits per second. Had they had memes‚ maybe theirs would be talking about some random object in Western Russia at 57.1033253 latitude under the caption &;quot;COINCIDENCE&;#63;&;#63;&;#33;&;quot;As impressive as they were‚ the Ancient Egyptians did not measure the speed of light‚ nor navigate using global lines of longitude and latitude. And if they had done that‚ there'd probably be a little more evidence than positioning the Great Pyramid of Giza at a latitude that corresponds to the line of latitude when expressed in a measurement system centuries away from invention. All it is is a (slightly pleasing) coincidence.

Researchers have warned that there are social psychological signs in the USA today that are similar to those in the 1850s‚ the years before the American Civil War. Although another civil war remains unlikely‚ the current socio-political terrain could lead to years of issues‚ social unrest‚ and civil strife that falls just short of such a conflict.The storming of Capitol Hill on January 6‚ 2021‚ approximately two months after President Donald Trump suffered his re-election defeat‚ marked a significant moment in the nation’s mood. At the time‚ over 2‚000 Trump supporters rampaged across the Capitol‚ many committed acts of vandalism and attempted to harm or harass lawmakers. Some called for the assassination of Trump’s Vice President‚ Mike Pence‚ while others accused public administrators of being traitors.There were deaths too. During the event‚ one police officer and four rioters were killed. In subsequent months‚ four officers who responded to the attacks took their own lives.Despite the scale of the violence‚ many prominent conservative commentators downplayed the situation. They characterized the riots as “largely peaceful”‚ describing the day as similar to “a normal tourist visit.” According to others‚ the rioters were peaceful patriots who were attacked by law enforcement officers. As a result‚ individuals like Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested the time for a “national divorce” between red and blue states could be near.Equally‚ the use of seemingly hypothetical phrases like “if-necessary” in relation to the prospect of civil war‚ has become more common across social media platforms‚ especially between members of Congress and local politicians.Such words evoke the idea of a possible secession and raise the specter of civil war. But how likely is this&;#63;&;quot;Striking similarities&;quot; – the 1850s to nowA team of US academics have assessed the social psychological landscape present in the country today and compared it with that of the 1850s‚ and they have come to a worrying conclusion: although still unlikely‚ another American Civil War is increasingly plausible.As they write in their study: “Here‚ our purpose is to compare the zeitgeist of the divisive decade before the Civil War on the one hand with today’s hyper-partisan era on the other‚ demonstrating the two periods do indeed have extensive‚ striking similarities.”“Nonetheless‚” they add‚ “there also is evidence mitigating against the prospect of outright civil war‚ secession‚ and/or violent coup d’&;eacute;tat. The 1850s‚ in other words‚ may not necessarily be prophecy‚ but we argue a comparison provides ample evidence that a protracted and bitter period of civil dysfunction likely will be multigenerational‚ even if it is short of a 'hot' civil war.”The team reached this point via an inverted form of social capital theory. This is a social psychological concept that is often used to study patterns that can lead to positive social outcomes‚ including increasing goodwill‚ resources‚ and collective success at any level (including whole regions).However‚ in this instance the team adopted a negative version of this approach that focused on negative social capital‚ which studies the opposite social outcomes.“In this study‚ we used a social psychological conceptual framework – social capital theory – to examine the likelihood of full-scale civil war by comparing the pre-Civil War period with the present. The parallels are striking‚” the researchers explain. A sample of the parallels between the present-day United States and those in the pre-Civil War period include a cleavage in specific social values and norms among Americans‚ the intensity of which is very similar today as it was in the past.The historical underpinnings of the Civil War revolved around‚ though were not limited to‚ issues around the opposition to or support for slavery‚ the power of the federal prerogative‚ the levels of tariffs on manufactured goods‚ and aspects of the overall benefits of certain landowners. Today‚ the value split includes issues over states' rights‚ the relationship between church and state‚ abortion v. pro-life policies‚ minority rights‚ gun ownership‚ immigration‚ taxation‚ welfare support‚ and the environment.Another parallel was a pervasive sense of political mistrust. Before the Civil War‚ this mistrust was most pronounced within the old South as the conflict’s major issues affected them more directly. The situation is not dissimilar today‚ especially with the Republican denial of the 2020 election’s legitimacy. There is also the mistrust of the so called “liberal agenda”‚ which is seen as going too far‚ while the Christian right believe their way of life/existence is under attack from godless values.Other parallels include a stronger identification with region or identity groups‚ rather than with a community or nation; a reliance on different forms and channels of communication and distrust towards “facts” from non-group members; an absence of organizations or networks that bring different ideological groups together; and a perceived lack of reciprocity from the opposition.What could the future hold&;#63;Taken together‚ these parallels paint a gloomy picture of the future.“History as a discipline‚ and the social sciences in general‚ provide examples‚ general prospects‚ and probabilities‚ but they do not predict‚ per se‚” the team explain. “Factors that limit the accuracy of predictions include the importance of changes in trends over time and random events that change the course of history.”“Yet there is widespread agreement that‚ properly framed‚ probabilistic analysis serves a useful function when careful research is undertaken and reliability is not overstated.”Nevertheless‚ as the researchers state‚ things do not look good.“We argue the likelihood of protracted social and political conflicts lasting decades (if not generations) are essentially inevitable and will engulf public administration as well. Only the exact course of this bitter division remains to be seen.”The study is published in the journal Administration &; Society. If you or someone you know is struggling‚ help and support are available in the US at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline on1-800-273-8255. In the UK and Ireland‚ the Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123. International helplines can be found at SuicideStop.com.  

There’s something truly magical about the story of Jake‚ a once elusive stray dog whose life was transformed by the kindness and persistence of a dedicated rescuer. Known for his initial reluctance to interact with humans‚ Jake’s journey from a wary stray to a cherished companion is nothing short of inspiring. At first‚ catching Jake... The post Stray dog ‘refuses’ rescuer’s help but two weeks later he walks through her front door appeared first on Animal Channel.

Imagine a world where your closest companion‚ who once shared your home and your heart‚ is suddenly left to brave the harsh realities of street life—cold‚ hungry‚ and utterly alone. This heart-wrenching scenario is becoming all too familiar to organizations like Howl Of A Dog‚ a Romanian animal rescue dedicated to providing refuge for the... The post Friendly stray dog waits in the same place day after day hoping someone will take him home appeared first on Animal Channel.

Nope‚ we aren’t even kidding. A 16-year-old student from North Carolina was suspended for three days last week after using the term “illegal alien” in his English class. The student used the phrase to gain a deeper understanding of an assignment and was penalized for it‚ The Carolina Journal reported. The student’s mother‚ Leah McGhee‚ noted that the English teacher assigned numerous vocabulary words during class‚ one of which was “alien.” To gain clarity‚ McGhee’s child asked‚ “Like space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards&;#63;” Perfectly valid question to ask for clarification if you ask me but‚ not everyone thought so. Apparently another student was offended by the McGhee child and threatened to fight him. The teacher called in the assistant principle and ultimately school staff decided that McGhee’s comment was “offensive and disrespectful to classmates who are hispanic.” The child was suspended for three days but it appears that the one who threatened to fight him had no punishment or consequence. Additionally‚ as The Carolina Journal noted‚ this could damage McGhee’s record as he looks to apply to colleges and for scholarships. “I didn’t make a statement directed towards anyone; I asked a question‚” McGhee said. “I wasn’t speaking of Hispanics because everyone from other countries needs green cards‚ and the term ‘illegal alien’ is an actual term that I hear on the news and can find in the dictionary.” The McGhee family is working with an attorney to rectify the situation but so far the assistant principal is refusing to remove the infraction on the student’s record. “Because of his question‚ our son was disciplined and given THREE days OUT of school suspension for ‘racism‚’” his mother wrote about the situation before adding‚ “He is devastated and concerned that the racism label on his school record will harm his future goal of receiving a track scholarship. We are concerned that he will fall behind in his classes due to being absent for three consecutive days.” This is absolutely outrageous. Even the State Senator Steve Jarvis (R-N.C) said‚ “I do not see that that would be an offensive statement‚ just in getting clarification” but the school has remained firm in its disciplinary action towards McGhee. The student handbook‚ as The Carolina Journal noted‚ says that “schools may place restrictions on a student’s right to free speech when the speech is obscene‚ abusive‚ promoting illegal drug use‚ or is reasonably expected to cause a substantial disruption to the school day.” So using the word “illegal alien” to ask about illegal aliens is somehow offensive&;#63; The public school system has become complete garbage.

Google is picking “winners and losers” in U.S. elections‚ Media Research Center President Brent Bozell told podcaster and entrepreneur Patrick Bet-David on Wednesday. Bozell joined Bet-David’s blockbuster PBD Podcast to explain how Big Tech companies—particularly Google‚ one of the largest corporations in America—are interfering with U.S. elections to help the most left-wing candidates. The PBD Podcast has 1.7 million followers. “You've got a real problem with Big Tech—in that Big Tech is not playing by the same rules‚” Bozell said in the Wednesday morning interview‚ spanning nearly 40 minutes. “Corporations can't be involved in political action at the federal level. Yet‚ you've got Big Tech that is picking winners and losers in elections‚ and when they do it the way they're doing it‚ it becomes a very serious threat to democracy itself.” Shortly thereafter‚ Bet-David asked Bozell about an MRC bombshell report that found at least 41 times Google meddled in American elections to help the most left-wing candidate since 2008‚ coinciding with the rise to power of former President Barack Obama. Read the Bombshell Report: 41 Times Google Has Interfered in US Elections Since 2008 Explaining one of the report’s findings‚ Bozell recounted: “An example: Rick Santorum. There was a smear bomb put out on Rick Santorum. It was really‚ really ugly. It was vicious in the personal attack on him.” Bozell’s remarks referred to what was also known as a “Google bomb‚” which occurred when some users manipulated Google’s algorithms to associate certain websites with detrimental terms. When Santorum approached Google‚ the tech giant did not dismantle the “bomb.” Yet‚ the company glaringly took swift action when the Obama White House’s website was affected by a similar smear. Later in his remarks‚ Bozell highlighted the high-profile censorship of two Democrats in past presidential elections. According to the MRC report‚ Google censored twice-failed presidential candidate Hillary Clinton in 2008 and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.‚ who unsuccessfully challenged President Joe Biden in the 2024 Democratic primary. In every instance‚ Google appeared to help the most left-wing candidates. “They picked winners and losers in that‚ and they loved Hillary Clinton in 2016‚” Bozell stated‚ referring to Google's shift from censoring Clinton in 2008 to supporting Clinton in 2016. “They didn't love her she ran in 2008‚ I guess it was‚ against Obama Obama. Obama was their guy.” Related: Mum&;#33; Google Fails to Respond to Bozell’s Challenge‚ Does Not Refute Election Interference Earlier in the podcast‚ Bozell also highlighted a separate bombshell report that unveiled Google had manipulated its search results to bury the campaign sites of Republican candidates in 10 of 12 key Senate races ahead of the 2022 midterm elections. “What Google did deliberately was to put the Republicans at the bottom of page one or in the case of seven of the 12 Republican candidates for the Senate in these most contested races they put them on page two‚” Bozell continued. “Less than 1% of the public ever goes to page two that's right so that's deliberate interference in a senate campaign where you're keeping information from the public or burying it so far deep they'll never go looking for it.” Flashback&;#33; Google CAUGHT Manipulating Search‚ Buries GOP Campaign Sites in 83% of Top Senate Races During his conversation with Bet-David‚ Bozell discussed more than just the MRC report on Google's interference in elections. He also touched on Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act‚ which some judges have infamously interpreted as providing broad liability protections to social media platforms.  Additionally‚ Bozell mentioned the MRC's exclusive CensorTrack.org database‚ which documents cases of Big Tech censorship. Citing CensorTrack.org‚ Bozell told Bet-David that in January 2022‚ YouTube censored the PBD Podcast over the publication of an interview with Dr. Robert Malone‚ one of the largest critics of global governments’ COVID-19 policies and mandates. Conservatives are under attack. Contact your representatives and demand that Big Tech be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency‚ clarity on hate speech and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored‚ contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form‚ and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

Shark Tank star Kevin O’Leary‚ aka “Mr. Wonderful” panned President Joe Biden’s new tax plan‚ suggesting that the president would damage the country in the same way that many Democrats have broken their states.  O’Leary pointed out the negative impact of high taxes on states and countries during the April 16 edition of Fox News’s Your World with Neil Cavuto. “The minute you really start raising taxes and they become uncompetitive either at the state level‚ you see everybody leaving New York and going to Florida or to Texas‚” O’Leary told anchor Neil Cavuto‚ before pointing out that the “same thing happens with countries.” O’Leary went on to say that higher taxes would stall the growth of the American economy: “So you got to be very careful. … I admire what [Biden] wants to do -- but the more he taxes‚ the less growth there will be and that is the risk.”  In response to a question from Cavuto‚ O’Leary discussed how the entrepreneurs targeted by Biden’s tax proposal fuel economic growth‚ saying‚ “To get rich‚ they had to be wildly successful. Let's just take a Bezos or what’s happened with Elon Musk. They have created hundreds of thousands of jobs. They have created economies that are derivatives to the companies they’ve made. That’s the essence of success in the economy.” Cavuto went on to suggest that the left punishes this kind of success.  O’Leary then criticized Democrats like Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA)‚ pointing out how their vision had led to migration out of their states into more business-friendly environments like Florida. “I used to live [In Massachusetts]. So did all my neighbors. Now we live here in Miami and we visit Massachusetts‚ because it's now Taxachusetts‚” O’Leary said‚ before adding‚ “So I don’t think that works‚ as long as there another place to go. That is how America was formed: Taxation oppression by the British‚ and here we are. Let's remember that lesson.” Biden stated his intent to raise taxes on both corporations and individuals in a “fact sheet” published on March 11. The president heavily criticizes former President Donald Trump’s Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017‚ while promising that his plan “[r]estores the top marginal tax rate to 39.6 percent for single filers making over $400‚000 a year and married couples making more than $450‚000 per year.”  Due to inflation‚ $400‚000 in March of 2024 only has the purchasing power of $317‚440.42 in Jan. 2018 (the first month after the “Tax Cuts and Jobs Act” passed)‚ according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics “inflation calculator” tool.  Biden’s plan to raise taxes also includes an anti-energy provision. Although the president has repeatedly moved to limit drilling and made statements discouraging long-term investment in fossil fuels‚ he outrageously attacks oil and gas companies for failing “to invest in production.” In his “fact sheet‚” Biden promises to end “tax breaks” and “tax subsidies” (Biden may be using these terms interchangeably) for the industry.  Conservatives are under attack. Contact ABC News at (818) 460-7477‚ CBS News at (212) 975-3247 and NBC News at (212) 664-6192 and demand they tell the truth about the Bidenomics disaster.

ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel was supposed to have Vice President Kamala Harris join him on Tuesday for an interview that almost certainly would have focused on how supposedly horrible the Arizona Supreme Court is for allowing an 1864 pro-life law to be enforced. Harris couldn’t make it‚ but that didn’t stop him from arguing with the ghost of Justice William T. Howell‚ played by actor Nick Offerman‚ and not appreciating that Howell could view the abolition of slavery and abortion as logically consistent. Kimmel began‚ “During the Civil War‚ Abraham Lincoln hired a lawyer named William T. Howell to write the legal code for the new territory of Arizona. His job was to make sure that the new laws abolished slavery‚ which they did‚ but he also worked on a number of other laws‚ including a ban on abortion‚ which is the law the Supreme Court decided to uphold last week‚ 160 years later‚ and the person we have to think about that is Justice William T. Howell‚ who obviously is not with us anymore‚ but he is the person who -- what&;#63;”     A digitally imposed Offerman then appeared and‚ playing the role of Howell as if he were a boxer and people from the 1800s were all stupid‚ began by wondering‚ “Who dares sully the honor of I‚ Arizona Associate Justice William T. Howell‚ who wrote the law of which you jest.” Kimmel almost certainly got the information for this sketch from a recent Washington Post article on Howell. Not only did Kimmel not see the connection between how slavers portrayed the slave and how pro-choicers portray the unborn‚ he also completely omitted that Howell also wrote in provisions for married women to own property. Nevertheless‚ Kimmel and Offerman tried to portray Howell as an old-fashioned sexist‚ “Okay‚ well listen‚ Justice Howell‚ a lot of Americans‚ I don't know if you know this‚ are very angry that your law's taking away women's rights.” Offerman tried to satirize pro-life arguments‚ but all he ended up doing was coming up with interesting euphemisms for genitals‚ “Well‚ if these women didn't want to be with child‚ why did they not sneeze after being pistoned with a fully engorged giggle stick&;#63; Why‚ tell me‚ did they not scrub their floral regions with barrel grease&;#63;” Kimmel followed up‚ “Barrel grease&;#63; How did you become a judge&;#63;” As a way to show how allegedly backwards the 1860s were‚ Offerman tried to joke that the way one became a lawyer in the 19th century had nothing to do with studying law‚ “I studied at a very prestigious law academy and was the pupil who shot the most nickels off a whore’s empty head. Does that satisfy your query‚ you godless spaghetti gobbler&;#63;” The law may have been written 160 years ago‚ but that doesn’t mean that Kimmel and Offerman are 160 years more enlightened. If anything‚ they’re less enlightened. Here is a transcript for the April 16 show: ABC Jimmy Kimmel Live&;#33; 4/16/2024 11:46 PM ET JIMMY KIMMEL: During the Civil War‚ Abraham Lincoln hired a lawyer named William T. Howell to write the legal code for the new territory of Arizona. His job was to make sure that the new laws abolished slavery‚ which they did‚ but he also worked on a number of other laws‚ including a ban on abortion‚ which is the law the Supreme Court decided to uphold last week‚ 160 years later‚ and the person we have to think about that is Justice William T. Howell‚ who obviously is not with us anymore‚ but he is the person who -- what&;#63;  NICK OFFERMAN [AS WILLIAM T. HOWELL's GHOST]: Who dares sully the honor of I‚ Arizona Associate Justice William T. Howell‚ who wrote the law of which you jest.  KIMMEL: Um -- I do‚ I guess.  OFFERMAN: Then prepare thyself for a spectral confrontation‚ you Italian consack. Pugilism.  KIMMEL: Okay.  OFFERMAN: Let that be a lesson to thee.  KIMMEL: Okay‚ well listen‚ Justice Howell‚ a lot of Americans‚ I don't know if you know this‚ are very angry that your law's taking away women's rights.  OFFERMAN: Well‚ if these women didn't want to be with child‚ why did they not sneeze after being pistoned with a fully engorged giggle stick&;#63; Why‚ tell me‚ did they not scrub their floral regions with barrel grease&;#63;  KIMMEL: Barrel grease&;#63; How did you become a judge&;#63;  OFFERMAN: I studied at a very prestigious law academy and was the pupil who shot the most nickels off a whore’s empty head. Does that satisfy your query‚ you godless spaghetti gobbler&;#63; KIMMEL: No‚ that actually made no sense. Just like your law‚ which I think Arizona should nullify as soon as –  OFFERMAN: Nullify&;#63; Nullify my law&;#63;  KIMMEL: Yeah.  OFFERMAN: Why‚ you soft-handed mug-eared fat kidneyed onion-eyed rattlesnake fang on the scrotum. You bacon-faced‚ pipkin-headed‚ brisket-beating‚ rump-fed‚ hand-sucked‚ caper merchant.  KIMMEL: Okay‚ I don't even know even more.  OFFERMAN: You scotch-fiddled‚ gore-bellied‚ fox-infested‚ son of a footless hedge pig. No&;#33;