During a meeting of the House Financial Services Committee this month‚ government officials discussed developments in digital identity technologies and central bank digital currencies. These technologies are terrifying to civil liberty advocates because of their potential to turbocharge government oversight and surveillance capabilities. Democrat legislators expressed support for these surveillance tools while decrying legislative efforts aimed at halting the progress of CBDCs. Digital IDs‚ in particular‚ received strong support from Rep. Bill Foster of Illinois. He endorsed them to be enforced to protect against artificial intelligence‚ whatever that means. Additionally‚ he commended the digital ID systems implemented in countries like India‚ Estonia‚ and Korea for their ability to police the web. “A secure digital ID biometrically synced to your smartphone allows individuals to remotely verify that they are who they say they are‚ saving costs‚ reducing the likelihood of fraud‚ and to allow individuals to defend themselves against deepfake identity fraud‚” Foster said. Foster asked about the benefits of having digital IDs during the COVID-19 pandemic and their usefulness in online transactions. While fawning over India's digital ID system‚ he failed to address the various controversies associated with it‚ such as significant privacy concerns‚ financial exclusion for non-participants‚ and the implementation of mandatory digital ID checks in certain sectors. Hearing Entitled: Fostering Financial Innovation: How Agencies Can Leverage Technology to Shape... youtu.be Foster described the digital ID systems in India‚ Estonia‚ and Korea as voluntary‚ highlighting that these countries offer secure digital identification. However‚ he’s lying‚ as the digital ID is not optional in Estonia. From birth‚ Estonian citizens are integrated into the system with an assigned identity code. Charles Vice‚ the director of financial technology and access at the National Credit Union Administration‚ informed the committee that the NCUA is exploring digital ID technology. He mentioned that several credit unions have already initiated pilot programs for digital ID and spoke positively about the introduction of mobile digital driver's licenses in various U.S. states. Democrat Rep. Stephen Lynch of Massachusetts shifted the committee's discussion to central bank digital currencies‚ emphasizing the importance of the United States not lagging behind other nations in CBDC development. If China does something‚ then we must follow suit‚ I guess. With a straight face‚ he expressed frustration that some of his colleagues on the subcommittee support legislation that would halt CBDC development. Rep. Lynch failed to articulate the myriad of reasons why many are concerned about implementing CBDCs. Critics of CBDCs‚ including lawmakers advocating against CBDC-focused bills‚ argue that such currencies could lead to increased surveillance of financial transactions and potentially enable the control of consumer purchasing choices. Republican Rep. Warren Davidson of Ohio approached the topic of CBDCs with skepticism during his questioning of Michael S. Gibson‚ director of the division of supervision and regulation at the Federal Reserve. Davidson's concerns centered on the hiring efforts of the San Francisco and Boston Federal Reserve Banks for CBDC development roles. He pressed Gibson for clarity on the Federal Reserve's research into CBDCs and whether this research signifies a move toward more comprehensive CBDC development. “You hire people that write code‚ it starts seeming like you’re developing and building versus researching‚” Davidson said. Gibson claims it’s only for research and that the Federal Reserve is “a long way off from the thinking about the implementation of anything related to a CBDC.” However‚ we've been hearing members of the Fed itself sounding the alarm about the implementation of the digital dollar. The Fed's Neel Kashkari on CBDC:\n\n"If they want to monitor everyone of your transactions you could do that (...) And if you want to directly tax customer accounts you could do that (...) So I get why China would be interested. \n\nWhy would the American people be for that?" #CBDC — (@) The differing viewpoints expressed during this hearing highlight the broader ideological divide between Democrats and Republicans in the ongoing debate over digital technologies such as digital IDs and CBDCs. Republicans and civil libertarians tend to approach these technologies with skepticism‚ focusing on the overwhelming risks and harmful implications. This concern has led to the introduction of various bills aimed at limiting or outright banning these technologies. Democrats generally view these technologies as progressive innovations that will bring equality. Even if you assign the best of intentions to these organizations that would implement CBDCs and digital ID (which‚ after the last few years‚ why would you?)‚ the level of control we would be handing over to the central banks is frightening. With the click of a button‚ they could shut off banking access to anyone they deem an enemy. Preppers‚ anti-war leftists‚ religious dissidents‚ “cryptobros‚” or the political bogeyman du jour could all be simply unbanked. If you don’t think that’s possible‚ ask the Canadian truckers.

An elected Democratic official from Washington‚ D.C.‚ was recently fined for voting twice in the 2020 general election.The District of Columbia Board of Elections fined Vanessa Rubio‚ an elected advisory neighborhood commissioner‚ $500 after she cast her vote in both D.C. and Maryland.Rubio was first elected as a neighborhood commissioner in 2020 and re-elected in 2022. Elected candidates serve two-year‚ unpaid terms.Rubio was one of six people fined this month for double voting in the 2020 election. The five other individuals were penalized $100 each‚ while Rubio received a greater fine since she is an elected official. The board stated in its decision‚ "We see fit to hold her to a higher standard than other voters."All of the individuals‚ including Rubio‚ claimed they voted twice by mistake. Rubio admitted that "she did vote in person in DC in the 2020 [general election]‚ but that she did not recall voting" in Maryland‚ the board reported. When shown her signature on the Maryland voting card‚ Rubio "acknowledged that the signature was hers‚ albeit a 'sloppier' version." Rubio reportedly stated it was "possible" she voted in Maryland but did not "recall doing so."According to WRC-TV‚ Rubio voted in Maryland on November 1‚ 2020‚ and in D.C. on November 3‚ 2020. Documents obtained by the outlet stated that Rubio claimed she did not think it was illegal.The documents read‚ "Rubio acknowledged voting twice‚ but reiterated her understanding that it was permissible to vote in D.C.‚ as it was not a state‚ and then vote in a state election."The board's ruling also noted‚ "Ms. Rubio stated that it was 'never really stated that you are not able to vote in more than one state‚' and that she thought that if one attempted to do so‚ the 'system' would block one from doing so."Sarah Graham‚ a spokesperson for the D.C. Board of Elections‚ told WTOP‚ "Voters should be aware that D.C. and other jurisdictions including states do have laws on the books against voting more than once.""It can result in fines or other legal actions‚" Graham added.It is unclear whether Rubio will also face penalties in Maryland.Rubio did not respond to multiple requests for comment from several outlets‚ including NBC‚ WRC‚ and WTOP. Elected DC official fined $500 for committing voter fraud. Advisory Neighborhood Commissioner @vanessarubio01 voted in DC &; MD in 2020. She told @vote4dc she thought since DC isn\xe2\x80\x99t a state‚ it was ok. 5 other voters each fined $100 for double voting in 2020 @nbcwashington — (@) Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A terrible housefire in Arizona over the weekend left five kids dead‚ all of whom were the grandchildren of a fire department employee.At 4:54 p.m. on Saturday afternoon‚ first responders received a call about a fire at a duplex in Bullhead City in the northwestern corner of Arizona‚ just across the Colorado River from Laughlin‚ Nevada. Firefighters raced to the scene‚ had "water on the fire" within six minutes‚ and had extinguished the blaze entirely by 5:03 p.m.‚ police said.Before firefighters even arrived‚ neighbors were already at the residence‚ doing anything they could think of to contain the fire and rescue anyone who might be inside. Someone had found even an extension ladder and secured it to an upstairs bedroom. "We were screaming at the top of our lungs‚" said local resident Patrick O’Neal‚ but they received no response.Despite the bravery of the neighbors and the efficiency of the firefighters‚ the bodies of five children were discovered in an upstairs room in the duplex. Four of the children were siblings: 2-‚ 5-‚ and 13-year-old boys and their 4-year-old sister. The other boy was an 11-year-old relative who was "visiting at the time‚" a statement from the Bullhead City Police Department said."There were no survivors‚" the statement confirmed. No adults were home when Bullhead City fire killed 5 children www.youtube.com The siblings' father‚ who has not been named‚ was out shopping for groceries and Christmas gifts at the time. He estimated to authorities that he was gone about two and a half hours.All five victims were also the grandchildren of an employee with the Bullhead City Fire Department. For that reason‚ BCFD is not involved in the investigation into the fire. That investigation is now led by the Lake Havasu City Fire Department and the Bureau of Alcohol‚ Tobacco‚ Firearms and Explosives.So far‚ investigators have determined that the fire likely began in the foyer downstairs and then quickly spread to the staircase‚ trapping the kids upstairs. How the fire started in the first place still remains unknown‚ but authorities say they want to find out just as much as anybody else."Like you‚ we want answers‚ too‚ to try to understand what happened and bring some closure and peace to parents and families involved‚" said Police Chief Robert Trebes.Everyone is "working tirelessly to get answers‚" he added.The deaths of the five young children have left the community devastated. "There are many guys out here who would’ve gone into that fire if we’d have known there were children [inside]‚" neighbor O'Neal said.Anyone with information‚ including photos or video of the fire‚ is asked to contact the Bullhead City Police Department at (928) 763-9200.Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A prominent transgender activist in Philadelphia was arrested on Monday on allegations of child rape.Kendall Stephens‚ a biological male who identifies as a woman‚ gained political prominence after being assaulted in 2020. Stephens spoke at an event for Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner (D) in 2021 and for Sen. Bob Casey (D-Penn.) in 2022. Gov. Josh Shapiro (D)‚ moreover‚ boasted that he had secured Stephens' endorsement in last year's gubernatorial race.Police charged Stephens‚ 37‚ with eight crimes‚ including rape‚ involuntary deviate sexual intercourse by forcible compulsion‚ unlawful contact with minors‚ indecent assault of underaged individuals‚ endangering the welfare of children‚ and corruption of minors among other related crimes.The allegations are as disturbing as the charges.Law enforcement began their investigation into Stephens three months ago after the grandmother of one of the victims told police that Stephens sexually assaulted her grandchild. After digging further‚ police discovered that Stephens allegedly sexually assaulted two boys‚ ages 14 and 9.More from WCAU-TV:Stephens allegedly abused one boy on at least three occasions since 2022‚ beginning when he was just 8-years-old. A second victim also told police he was assaulted by Stephens and she had given him gifts "out of nowhere‚" investigators said.The victim believed the presents were given to him to "keep him quiet‚" according to court documents. Stephens also allegedly told one of the victims that he would be locked up if he told anyone about the abuse.Stephens is due in court for a preliminary hearing on Dec. 29. A judge set bail at $250‚000.The Pennsylvania Office of Attorney General is leading the investigation after receiving a referral from the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. As WPVI-TV noted‚ the DA's office refers cases to the state AG when there is a potential conflict of interest. Prominent LGBTQ+ activist in Philadelphia accused of raping 2 young children: Sources www.youtube.com Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The New York Stock Exchange is opening a new front in the climate fight for control of America’s natural resources: natural asset companies. And the NYSE is trying to get the Security and Exchange Commission to approve and unleash them on public investors. It isn’t easy to create a new type of company‚ particularly one that qualifies for listing on the largest stock exchange in the world. It’s quite out of the ordinary‚ in fact. The "natural asset company" designation was dreamed up by the Intrinsic Exchange Group‚ a small group that includes folks from various environmental and ecological backgrounds. The group’s own website is somewhat sketchy about its backers‚ though it lists the Rockefeller Foundation‚ the Inter-American Development Bank‚ Aberdare Ventures‚ the NYSE‚ and AES Corporation co-founder and former World Wildlife Fund chairman Roger Sant among its “investors.” NACs aren’t seeking to manage resources to improve their earnings potential. Rather‚ they are often seeking to remove the productivity of assets in the name of “climate justice.” The idea is to allow these NACs to use their money to buy the ability to control or “manage” productive public and private land and other natural resources. Their stated purpose is not to make a profit or to be productive but rather to protect‚ conserve‚ restore‚ and preserve these natural “assets.” In practice‚ an NAC could offer money to the federal government (which owns about 30% of America’s land) to manage lands that produce or cultivate food‚ water‚ timber‚ or energy or even those that are used for recreation. The company could then decide whether the current activity is bad for the environment and take the land out of productive use in the name of “restoration” or “conservation.” It’s “environmental‚ social‚ and governance” scoring on steroids. And where would these NACs attract the capital for all this? Well‚ that’s where this issue becomes even hairier. IEG pitched the world’s largest stock market‚ the NYSE‚ which became a partner. As part of this arrangement‚ the NYSE took a “small minority interest” in IEG‚ including one seat on the organization’s board of directors. The NYSE is now petitioning the SEC‚ a government agency that exists to protect investors and maintain orderly markets‚ to allow NACs to be listed and traded publicly. As a former investment banker‚ I can tell you exactly why a company goes public: to access capital broadly in order to provide both funding for growth and liquidity for existing investors. Companies are supposed to have strong merits and provide a path of growth for public investors in exchange. It is a rigorous and costly process both to go public and to stay public‚ and it is not for every business. These NACs are a debasement of that purpose. They aren’t seeking to manage resources to improve their earnings potential. Rather‚ they would often be seeking to remove the productivity of assets in the name of “climate justice.” Not only could this undermine our ability to generate and access energy‚ critical minerals‚ water‚ and even food‚ but it could also put those decisions in the hands of institutions such as foreign governments and their sovereign wealth funds‚ which could invest in these NACs and have de facto control over America’s resources. This entire scheme stinks to high heaven and is fraught with myriad potential conflicts and bad outcomes. It also came about in a way that should raise many red flags. Along with conjuring a new company type out of thin air‚ IEG’s chairman and CEO announced last year the group had invented a new type of accounting. “We created a new accounting system‚ which we called Statements of Ecological Performance‚ which account for the flow of ecosystem services in financial terms‚” Douglas Eger told Koen van Seijen of the “Investing in Regenerative Agriculture and Food” podcast. If making up a new accounting standard with ecology as a base doesn’t raise a red flag‚ I am not sure what will. It is also worth noting that IEG’s Ecological Performance Reporting Framework is based upon a U.N. framework‚ something that shouldn’t raise a lot of confidence. If you were unaware of natural asset companies before now‚ you are hardly alone. Very few people know about them‚ and IEG’s work has been relatively low-profile. But several conservative lawmakers and officials at the state and federal levels have been trying to draw more attention to the issue‚ including Utah Treasurer Marlo Oakes‚ who penned an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal focusing on the possible misallocation of capital associated with NACs. Fundamentally‚ the establishment of NACs is part of an effort by climate cultists and social engineers to exploit the financial services sector to push their anti-market‚ anti-growth agenda. IEG’s Eger has said as much. “We were looking for a private-sector approach that wasn’t dependent on policy‚ it wasn’t dependent on traditional taxes‚ regulation‚ or philanthropy to price in these assets and give investors the opportunity to invest directly in nature‚ whether that’s for climate or biodiversity‚” Eger told Politico’s E&;E News. What can be done to stop NACs? You can call your elected representatives and state officials and make a lot of noise about this quickly‚ as the SEC is set to decide in early January. Tell them to put pressure on the SEC not to allow Release No. 34-98665; File No. SR-NYSE-2023-09. The bottom line: Do not allow the NYSE to list natural asset companies. You can also contact the SEC directly to weigh in here. Again‚ you must include File No. SR-NYSE-2023-09 in the email subject or on any paper drafts. We really don’t want Wall Street‚ university endowments‚ or even foreign governments to control our natural resources. Let’s make sure that NACs remain merely a crazy idea and do not become a reality.

A North Carolina jewelry store owner had a little surprise for masked smash-and-grab thieves who targeted his store in Charlotte last week: a loaded gun he pointed right at them.What are the details?The crooks entered Ballantyne Jewelers off Johnston Road just before closing Friday‚ Queen City News reported.Security video caught the three thieves backing up their car near the front door‚ walking into the store armed with sledge hammers‚ and smashing several glass display cases‚ the outlet said.But the store’s owner‚ Yuhan Tikan‚ wasn't having it.Queen City News said Tikan grabbed his handgun‚ loaded it‚ and chased the suspects away while pointing the gun at them.“It really pisses me off; it makes me upset‚” Tikan told the outlet. “It quite honestly is a disgrace‚ and I hope that law enforcement can catch these guys and put them away for a long time.” Image source: Queen City News video screenshotThe store owner told WSOC-TV the crooks smashed 13 jewelry cases and got well over $100‚000 worth of jewelry — and while it’s all insured‚ he said what was stolen in 30 seconds will take a long time to replace.Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 704-334-1600‚ Queen City News said‚ adding that there's a cash reward for information leading to an arrest.What else?WSOC's story didn't name the jewelry store owner‚ but the owner did tell the station the suspects knew exactly which cases to hit and had cased the business previously. WSOC added that the owner said the crooks went straight for the most expensive watches.The owner also told WSOC that the thieves may have kept grabbing more loot had he failed to grab his gun after hearing the sound of shattering glass — and he didn't hesitate: “Without a second thought. I needed to protect my business‚ my family.”He added to WSOC that "they are lucky they ran out. I was ready to shoot."The owner added to WSOC that Ballantyne Jewelers is a family shop and that employees spend more time there than at home. What's more‚ he added to the station that working family members were the only employees in the store when the crooks struck.“Hard work for us‚ easy money for them‚” the store owner added to WSOC.When he grabbed his gun‚ the store owner told the station he "put the clip in‚ cocked it‚ and charged the three guys" and that he was angry at them for "intruding on our family‚ intruding on our customers‚ and our personal business."Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

The new Obama-produced Netflix flick "Leave the World Behind" has captured the hearts of conservatives everywhere — but not Jason Whitlock or actor Siaka Massaquoi. According to Whitlock and Massaquoi‚ the film was a “hot mess‚” and conservatives have been played. The right fell prey to the doomsday and racist messaging the film relayed after fears and tensions that COVID and the BLM riots induced — and all too easily. “There’s two things. One: it was just another subpar Netflix movie‚ and two: we as conservatives got got‚” Massaquoi tells Whitlock. “They literally told us how we got got in the movie‚” Massaquoi continues‚ noting that the actors drop some very specific‚ and nostalgic‚ lines. In one scene‚ the film mentions that the first and second of “three steps” are isolation and then disinformation. In another‚ a black character tells another not to trust white people. “I’m sitting there going‚ 'This is just stupid‚ and they trapped us in the idea that‚ ‘Look‚ Obama did something racist.'’ They got us‚ everyone‚ conservatives‚ Republicans. They got us working the same thing that we laugh at the left for‚” Massaquoi comments. Not even the actors could make up for the poor film. “I remember thinking the first half hour‚ 'I don’t care what happens to these people‚” Massaquoi tells Whitlock‚ adding‚ “It sucks that something happened‚ but in storytelling we’re supposed to care about these characters.” In addition‚ the dialogue was full of swearing to create drama. “The writing was so subpar‚” Massaquoi continues‚ “when the characters wanted to make a point‚ they dropped the F-bomb. That didn’t fit. Everyone cursed the exact same way.” Want more from Jason Whitlock?To enjoy more fearless conversations at the crossroads of culture‚ faith‚ sports‚ and comedy with Jason Whitlock‚ subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America‚ defend the Constitution‚ and live the American dream.

The Sims 4 offers hundreds of hours of creative gameplay‚ but it's no secret that many of these come from EA's various DLC. Whether you're looking to play with pets or have your Sims travel to mysterious tropical jungles‚ you'll often find yourself looking to own one of the game's many expansion packs. We've recently seen select DLC go up for 100% off‚ making such packs entirely free to play and keep‚ with the most recent one to go on sale for nothing being Romantic Garden Stuff. Continue reading The Sims 4 sees its prettiest DLC go free‚ but only for a limited time MORE FROM PCGAMESN: Best Sims 4 mods‚ Best Sims 4 sex mods‚ The Sims 4 cheats

The colorful green and white vase purchased at a Virginia Goodwill turned out to be a rare piece by Italian artist Carlo Scarpa. The post ‘A Gift From The Thrifting Gods’: Goodwill Vase Bought For $3.99 Sells For More Than $100‚000 appeared first on All That's Interesting.

Diana wore the dress to a dinner in Florence‚ Italy‚ in 1985 and again to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra in 1986. The post Evening Dress Worn By Princess Diana Sells For A Record-Breaking $1.15 Million appeared first on All That's Interesting.