'I am stepping down as president'

Absolute utter nonsense from Albert Huggins

The world wouldn't be where it is today without the events that transpired throughout the 20th century. These important historical events have indeed shaped our world. It paved the way for the 21st century and everything else we have coming in the future. Some events signaled significant changes in human rights and equality, while others were tragedies or wars that happened out of spite. Source

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—Known action by the Biden-Harris administration, combined with secrecy, “creates an impression” that the federal government has its “thumb on the scales” for the Nov. 5 presidential election, Kansas Attorney General Kris Kobach says. Kobach, a Republican, is leading a multistate lawsuit to strike down President Joe Biden’s 2021 executive order on elections.  “It appears it could be designed to register more Democrats than Republicans,” Kobach said of Biden’s order in a phone interview Wednesday with The Daily Signal.  The Kansas attorney general referred to a March letter, cited in footnotes in the lawsuit, from Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin of Illinois and other Senate Democrats to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland about voter registration through the Federal Bureau of Prisons.  “Durbin’s letter is applauding registration in prisons, and prisoners have disproportionately been Democrats,” Kobach told The Daily Signal. Kobach and eight other state attorneys general filed the lawsuit Tuesday in the U.S. District Court for the District of Kansas, calling for Biden’s Executive Order 14019—which he signed in March 2021—to be struck down as unconstitutional and unlawful.  The lawsuit asks the court to enjoin all federal agencies from implementing Biden’s order for them to help increase voter registration and turnout. “President Biden has sought to convert the federal bureaucracy into a voter registration organization and to turn every interaction between a federal bureaucrat and a member of the public into a voter registration pitch,” the suit says. “That exceeds any authority executive entities have under federal law, violates the Constitution, threatens states’ attempt to regulate voter registration, and thus ultimately undermines the voter registration systems set up by the states.” The Biden-Harris administration has argued that the order—which also calls for agencies to partner with private organizations—promotes voting rights.  Critics refer to the order as “Bidenbucks” because it puts taxpayer-funded resources behind turning out likely Democratic constituencies.  The other Republican attorneys general in the case are Austin Knudsen of Montana; Brenna Bird of Iowa; Marty J. Jackley of South Dakota; Lynn Fitch of Mississippi; Michael T. Hilgers of Nebraska; Drew Wrigley of North Dakota; Gentner Drummond of Oklahoma; and Alan Wilson of South Carolina. Biden and his Cabinet members are named as defendants. Vice President Kamala Harris, Democrats’ impending nominee for president, is not. “This is very late in the game, but better late than never,” lawyer Cleta Mitchell, who chairs the Election Integrity Network, told The Daily Signal. “Anything that can be done to stop this use and misuse of taxpayer resources for partisan political activity needs to be done.” Mitchell, a former member of the Oklahoma House of Representatives from Oklahoma, said she is glad her state is one of the plaintiffs.  The reason the lawsuit was filed more than three years after Biden signed the executive order is in part due to the secrecy surrounding it, Kobach told The Daily Signal.  “Part of the reason is we didn’t know what the impact would be,” Kobach said. “If the administration had done this under the Administrative Procedures Act, there would have been public notice and comment. They just proceed ahead.” The Kansas attorney general added: “It would be interesting to know how many people were registered [to vote] through federal agencies, and if specific states were targeted.” The litigation by the nine state attorneys general expresses frustration over the secrecy.  “Rather, all an agency does is submit the plan to the White House; nothing else is necessary for the plan to be effective,” the complaint says at one point. “Further, in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Act, the Biden-Harris administration has asserted that the plans are subject to privilege and may be withheld from public scrutiny.” The lawsuit specifically makes an argument tied to the separation of powers in government under the U.S. Constitution.  “Agencies cannot take money Congress allocated and reuse it for improper purposes. And they certainly cannot do so without following the laws that establish procedures laid out by Congress,” the complaint says. It later says: “There was no legal authority for President Biden to issue the EO [executive order]. No provision of the Constitution grants him such power. Neither does the NVRA or any other federal statute grant him such power.” The acronym NVRA refers to the National Voter Registration Act. This is at least the third lawsuit against Biden’s executive order on voting. A group of Pennsylvania state legislators, all Republicans, filed a lawsuit in March. The America First Policy Institute, founded by veterans of the Trump-Pence administration, led a lawsuit targeting the order in July.  Separately, the House Administration Committee, which oversees elections, subpoenaed 15 Cabinet members to explain to Congress how Biden’s order is being implemented. The litigation by the nine state attorneys general uses Durbin’s letter to Garland about voting information for federal prisoners as an example of agencies implementing the president’s order without following any of the procedures laid out by Congress.  “For example, the U.S. attorney general is registering imprisoned felons to vote—but there was never notice nor comment on that policy to allow the public to weigh in on whether that is right,” the lawsuit says. “And in many states, felons voting is illegal. Because the U.S. attorney general failed to follow neutral processes the likelihood of potential conflicts between federal action and state laws is heightened.” The lawsuit also notes that federal services, such as farm loans and government benefits, are instructed to engage in voter registration under the order. Plaintiffs note this could give the wrong idea to beneficiaries.  “They failed to consider the fact that linking voter-registration activities or material to federal benefits would pressure recipients of those benefits to either participate in those activities or register to vote,” the lawsuit says.  Neither the White House nor the Justice Department—which would defend the Biden-Harris administration’s policy—responded to The Daily Signal’s inquiries on the litigation.  However, last week, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre responded to a reporter’s question related to the executive order.  “I think that is something that not just, obviously, the vice president and the president have spoken to since almost Day One—Day One of their administration, when the president signed an executive order, to do everything that we can from the federal level to make sure that voting is more accessible—is more easily accessible to Americans across the country,” Jean Pierre said during the Aug. 6 press briefing. “And that is something that the president understands and continues to do everything that we can to make that happen,” she said. Last month, during remarks to the NAACP’s national convention, Biden said his executive order on turning out the vote was all that he could do constitutionally. However, he urged Congress to pass new measures to expand voting.  “Kamala and I are calling on Congress to pass the John Lewis Voting Rights Act,” Biden told the audience. “I did all that I was constitutionally able to do with executive authority, but we need the act. And we need to pass the Freedom to Vote Act.  And I will sign them both into law immediately.” The post Biden-Harris Admin Has ‘Thumb on the Scales’ in Electioneering Order, Kansas AG Says appeared first on The Daily Signal.

A young cat hopped into a truck to "rescue himself," but as it turned out, he chose the perfect place to do so. CarlLittleWanderersNYCOn a bright and early morning last week, an orange stray jumped into a parked truck and decided he was not going anywhere.The driver was pleasantly surprised by the uninvited feline guest who began exploring the interior, walking around with his tail held high. He was instantly friendly and made himself comfortable as if he owned the vehicle.As it turned out, the clever young cat named Carl had chosen the right place to seek help. He jumped into a truck and refused to leaveLittleWanderersNYC"This sweet six-month-old kitten jumped into the truck of one of our long-time transportation volunteers. And he would not leave," Little Wanderers NYC, an animal rescue, shared with Love Meow.Carl was one of the many homeless cats roaming the streets of NYC, surviving on whatever they could scavenge. He was sweet and trusting, didn't belong outside, and took it upon himself to change it. Carl cuddled with his rescuer and purred up a stormLittleWanderersNYC"We could not say no to him even though our intake is closed. We didn't want to send him to our overcrowded shelter."Volunteers came together to get Carl the care he needed and ensure a soft landing. The sweet tabby sat in a carrier contentedly, sticking his head out for attention. He was starved of love, purring up a storm as he leaned into the transport volunteer. LittleWanderersNYC"He's as cute as can be. Carl is all purrs and love. We took him straight to our vet, and he's got a clean bill of health."Elizabeth Liu came across a post about Carl seeking a foster home and immediately stepped up to help. After touring his new space and filling his belly to the brim, Carl cozied up to his foster mom, snuggling and rumbling away as if to thank her for letting him in. Carl in his foster homeElizabeth Liu"He knew he was safe when he got to eat an entire can of wet food by himself," Elizabeth told Love Meow.No longer worrying about safety or where his next meal would come from, Carl slept soundly that night in his new bed. With a comfy home and a loving human, his personality quickly shone through. Elizabeth Liu"He loves to follow me around all day, sleep on the couch next to me after eating, and chase his foster siblings around the house. He tried to be fierce and growl at my house orange cat, but that didn't last long.""He is an absolute doll and has the sweetest, playful personality." He is a great "helper" around the houseElizabeth LiuCarl has flourished into a cuddle bug with a strong purr motor since he rescued himself about a week ago.He enjoys "helping" his foster mom, offering the sweetest morning greetings to start her day. He has discovered his favorite feline entertainment system by the window, basking in the sunlight while watching the day go by. Carl enjoys his feline entertainment systemElizabeth LiuCarl is thrilled to be indoors after having spent months on the streets. He's relishing every second as a spoiled house cat and can't wait to have a place of his own where he can be king.With the help of many compassionate volunteers, Carl's life has forever changed. He is a purr machine and loves to give and receive cuddlesElizabeth LiuThe smart young cat took a leap of faith and jumped into a truck last week. Now, he has a home lined up for him and a promising future filled with love and cuddles. LittleWanderersNYCShare this story with your friends. More on Carl and Little Wanderers NYC on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Cat Just Skin and Bones Walks Up to People Asking for Help, in a Month She Makes Incredible Transformation

Antifa 'Journalist' Found Guilty of Felony Riot

Who's Minding the Store When What Was Stored in POTATUS's Gourd Is About Gone?

Click to Skip Ahead Hamsters Are Omnivores Do Hamsters Like Crickets? Benefits of Crickets Downfalls of Crickets How to Serve Crickets How Many Crickets Can Hamsters Eat? Keeping/Breeding Crickets Disclaimer: Before changing your hamster’s diet or introducing new ingredients or supplements that they haven’t eaten before, especially when it comes to human food, make sure to consult your veterinarian first. Every animal is different and requires an individual approach to nutrition, depending on their age, health, level of activity, and medical history. The guidelines offered in our article have been fact-checked and approved by a veterinarian but should be used as a mere guide on food safety, rather than an individual nutrition plan. If you’re used to buying your hamster a premade bag of commercial food, you might not understand the exciting variety of items you could put on their menu. In addition to fruits and vegetables, how about insects such as crickets? Hamsters are omnivorous little creatures that delight in animal and plant products. Crickets are no exception. Hamsters can absolutely indulge in crickets. In fact, if you haven’t added crickets to your list of hammy snacks, it’s a perfect time to start! Hamsters Are Omnivores One thing you might not know about a hamster is that they are omnivores. After all, you’re simply dishing out a couple of premade pellets in their dish every day and not live animals or insects—so, it’s easy to forget! Being omnivorous means that hamsters rely on a diet supplemented with protein sources. You can add some insects, including crickets, to your rotation of hamster treats but keep in mind, as always, too much can be a problem. Store bought insects are preferred over wild ones to avoid contaminants. Do Hamsters Like Crickets? Hamsters will generally like crickets very much, but this can vary based on the individual. Some will come running up to their cage for a cricket while others may not like the taste. Image Credit: Sophie Sparks Photography, Shutterstock Benefits of Crickets for Hamsters Crickets are full of nutritious goodness for your hammy. Here are the perks of adding these little hopping insects to the menu. Protein Crickets have quite a plentiful bounty of protein, which can add to your hamster’s health. On average, 15-25% of your hamster’s diet should consist of protein. It works to promote muscle mass and healthy body functions. Energy Your hamster will get a boost of energy from eating high-protein snacks like crickets. Crickets contain amino, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fatty acids for an authentic meal! Fiber Crickets contain a large amount of fiber which helps your hamster’s system run smoothly. It aids in digestion, ensuring the gut flora stays balanced, and your little hammy is passing enough waste. Vitamins and Minerals Crickets contain valuable vitamins and minerals like potassium, magnesium, copper, folic acid, riboflavin, and biotin.   Downfalls of Crickets for Hamsters Even though hamsters are nutritious and desirable for your hamster, there are some things to consider. Here are a few risks or negatives, but luckily, they’re preventable. Live Crickets Can Bite Live crickets can damage your hamster if they really want to. While your hammy certainly has the upper hand in the situation, that doesn’t mean the cricket won’t try to defend themselves. Since hamsters can shove so much food inside their cheeks, a live cricket wouldn’t really be something you’d want them to stow there. Potential Choking Hazard Crickets can be pretty big sometimes. Depending on the size of your hamster, a cricket could just be a big choking hazard. If you feel the cricket is large for your hammy, try to piece it apart before serving. Image Credit: mordilla-net, Pixabay How to Serve Crickets to Your Hamster You can serve a hamster crickets in a few different ways. Your hamster might have a preference, or you could have some concerns about feeding them live insects. Here’s a little bit about each method of serving crickets to your hamster. Dried Crickets Dried crickets are already dead, so not only can the cricket not bite your hammy or struggle, but you won’t have to do any of the work to prepare them. Your hamster may love munching down on them, but they could easily get lodged in the cheek pouches because of the dryness. This could lead to cheek pouch impaction and infections. Rehydrated Crickets Instead of feeding your hamster dried crickets, you can always add a little water so they can soak up some extra moisture. This allows the cricket to soften, which makes it easier to swallow. Live Crickets Live crickets are one of the healthiest ways to serve crickets to your hamster. That is because all of the nutrients are still intact. However, crickets can bite hamsters, which can lead to injury. It’s always best to end the cricket’s life before you place it in the cage with your hamster. This way, no harm can come to your hamster, and the cricket won’t die gruesomely. It’s a win for everybody. Image Credit: Vladimir Wrangel, Shutterstock How Many Crickets Can Hamsters Eat? The number of crickets you feed your hamster should be carefully determined based on their size and dietary needs. It’s most appropriate to ask a veterinarian or other professional for guidance based on your personal circumstances. However, a dwarf hamster, for example, will eat fewer crickets than a teddy bear hamster. Too many crickets can lead to weight gain and obesity due to their high protein and fat content. It would be best to remember that crickets are a supplemental food to add to their regular diet. Hamster pellets are explicitly designed with all the nutrients your hamster needs to stay healthy. If you give a hamster a buffet of options, they will likely choose the foods that appeal most to them, leaving the rest to sit or spoil. If your hamster is overeating one thing, it can upset their digestive system or cause nutritional imbalances. Keeping/Breeding Crickets Buying crickets at the pet store can get expensive after a while. Instead of continually buying again and again, you can breed crickets yourself. Many resources are online to guide you through the steps to make your own cricket breeding farm. If you have the time, space, and energy to do so, it might be a more financially beneficial option if you plan to keep up regular feedings. Also, if you have other animals in the home, such as a reptile or an amphibian that eat insects, it can be a double reward! Conclusion You can add some yummy, juicy crickets to your hamster’s diet if you haven’t already. Remember, hamsters can enjoy more than just crickets! Try out other popular insects like mealworms, dubia roaches, and other pet store favorites. If you want to keep or breed crickets, you can set up a mini cricket farm to save money. If not, the pet store always has some of these insects available. Avoid wild caught insects just in case they have come into contact with something harmful for your hamster. Sources https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnut.2020.537915/full https://www.rspca.org.uk/adviceandwelfare/pets/rodents/hamsters/diet https://www.petmd.com/exotic/general-health/how-keep-hamster-teeth-healthy   Featured Image Credit: Sophie Sparks Photography, Shutterstock The post Can Hamsters Eat Crickets? Vet Approved Facts & Nutrition Tips appeared first on PangoVet.

The Paris 2024 Olympics will be known for its many bizarre scandals. The entire event felt upside down, backward, like a festival in Opposite Land. From the blasphemy of radicals to the unprecedented use of AI-guided mass surveillance to the nasty outcomes of gender ideology, there was a darkness looming over the games. Then, caught in the maelstrom of it all, there was Snoop Dogg. He wound up being far more than a cultural ambassador. He was everywhere. He was actually having fun, full of energy and curiosity. And it wasn’t just because he was making $500,000 a day. So it surprised nobody to see Snoop center stage at the Place de la Concorde for the breakdancing competition, which is basically interpretive dance with trash-talking and good music. Snoop conducted the traditional “three ground strikes” ritual that preceded every single Olympic event this year. He strutted out in his customized Skechers. Breakdancing, also known as breaking, was among the final events of the 2.5-week games. This year also marked its first appearance in the Olympics. The commentators gushed about how history was being made by the inclusion of breaking at the Olympics and how it was part of the sport’s “groundbreaking journey.” And they aren’t wrong. How did a music-driven subculture combining Russian folk dance with rap music wind up in the Olympics? The whole competition was bizarre and completely uncalled for. I loved it. I couldn’t decide if it was over the top politically correct (it definitely was) or beautifully subversive. Or just, well, lame and inauthentic. Breaking badly Qualifying took place in a round-robin competition, in which two opponents faced off in a battle, which is the technical term for the dance-off. Each battle is a fight over 18 points, allocated by judges. The women’s breakdance event featured girls from all over the world. There was even one from the Olympic Refugee Team (Talash). Ironically, she was disqualified for donning a cape with political messaging. Among the 16 “Breaking Bad-girls” was Raygun, the Australian "cultural studies" professor who performed worse than any other breakdancer. She started breaking in her mid-20s, which is apparently a late start; many of these dancers began honing their craft in early adolescence. At that age, Raygun (government name Rachael Gunn) was focusing on tap and jazz. Her husband, Samuel Free, is her coach. He had been into breakdancing for a while when they met and convinced her to give it a try. She intertwined breakdancing with her academic career, then eventually began to compete in international events. In 2023, she qualified for the Olympics. Even her students didn’t believe her. As the announcer put it when the 36-year-old athlete stomped out to the stage, “Dr. Rachel Gunn. University lecturer by day, B-girl by night, and now an Olympian.” It was a rocky debut. In her first battle, she faced Logistix, the 21-year-old B-girl who began breaking when she was 7 years old. Raygun's dancing here reminded me of “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia” dance scenes, like this one. If she had danced like that at a wedding reception, she’d have been a massive hit. For her second performance, Raygun yawned with performative boredom. (This classifies as a power move.) The commentator, with impressive kindness, complimented her for “starting a conversation.” Each B-girl had three chances to score. Raygun didn’t score a single point. Zero. Unanimous. To some, this was like failing out of clown school. But what’s more impressive is that by tanking, Raygun actually legitimized the sport. She separated it from the inclusive and overly interpretive art form. This was the most postmodern Olympics to date. In her failure, Raygun won adulation. “It’s all about commitment,” said one of the announcers during Raygun’s disastrous routine. “Dance is all about character, all about showing who you are.” Her political compass is nuts. She’s practically the Robin DiAngelo of hip-hop culture. Or maybe Rachel Dolezal. As an academic, her politics align with the leftist wing of the academic class. He dissertation examines "the intersection of gender and Sydney's breaking culture." Her type tend to be pretentious, unbearable, nasty. They relish their control as gatekeepers. But they seem to have lost their authority over coolness. Still, is Raygun’s political orientation bad enough to justify the trolling she’s faced? Most of the mockery just seemed mean. Raygun never forced politics into any of it — either in her performance or its weird viral spillover. She posted a quote on Instagram: "don't be afraid to be different, go out there and represent yourself, you never know where that's gonna take you" Wreck the technique Meanwhile America walked away from the Olympics with a single bronze medal in the sport/art form it invented Competitive breakdancing has official guidelines and metrics. Judges assess breakdancers according to five criteria: technique, vocabulary, execution, musicality, and originality, all of which require coordination, flexibility, rhythm, and style. “Vocabulary” denotes the breakdancers' variability in moves. “Style” is a measure of uniqueness. Every breakdancer is expected to have a distinctly personal approach to moving around. Part of this is attitude, the performative confidence a B-boy or B-girl exudes. For all of these reasons, breaking was a difficult sport for the Olympics, although there are plenty of judge-determined competitions, many of which also involve an artistic and creative style. “Repeating,” for example, is when one of the breakdancers reuses a move already performed. There are flips, leaps, and spins, including the famous head spin trick. Or the “freeze,” another common maneuver, which requires the breakdancer to stop abruptly in order to seem stunned mid-air. All of these are officially classified as “power moves.” Which is hilarious. Fear of a wack planet Before Raygun vanishes from the public consciousness, we should talk about the future of Olympic breakdancing. It may not have one. It won’t be part of the the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles, which will feature flag football and squash, as well as the re-emergence of softball and baseball. But breakdancing paired well with the unhinged weirdness of the 2024 Olympics. I hope it sticks around. Dancing is hard, but worthwhile. It takes a lot of courage to dance. To practice dancing is as strange as it is to practice talking. “This dance really does bring the world together,” says one of the commentators for the women’s qualifying breakdance. Maybe it sounds hokey. Maybe it’s easy to laugh at. But who cares? Dancing is our oldest human voice. Dancing is an expression of vitality. Throughout history, it has been an act of youthful defiance. Dance is galvanic; it bursts and springs. Maybe it's that dancing feels so perfect. To dance is to forget, to forget the intoxicating whirl of life, in the place you fell, in the same untucked schedule of each day you thought you knew, guided always by something that can only be called “belief.” To dance is to fall apart in front of everyone. To dance is to break open. To dance is to cry in public. To dance is to be a freak show in undiscovered territory, a place where everyone is freakish and on display yet happy to have company. To dance is to pretend a new backstory.

Three Years After Botched Withdrawal, Taliban Parade Thanks Biden-Harris for the Free Military Equipment