News
Sean Hannity And Right-Wing Media Claimed The ‘Biden Crime Family’ Took Millions In Bribes. Their Narrative Just Fell Apart
“The Biden crime family.” It has long been a strong storyline in right-wing media and the GOP, used to demonize President Joe Biden – but it crumbled spectacularly on Thursday.
For a long time, Fox News and the rest of the right-wing media have accused Biden and his son Hunter of running an illegal $10 million bribery conspiracy to enrich themselves and sell out America. According to the tale, a representative of the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid for access to then-Vice President Biden in order to improperly use his influence and aid in thwarting a Ukrainian prosecutor’s investigation into the business.
The evidence of the bribery plan has always been poor, with most credible news sites dismissing the charges. However, MAGA media figures such as Sean Hannity went into overdrive last year when a reportedly “highly credible” FBI informant claimed to have smoking gun evidence of the conspiracy.
Sean Hannity And Right-Wing Media Claimed The ‘Biden Crime Family’ Took Millions In Bribes. Their Narrative Just Fell Apart
The revelation of a secret FBI informant swept through right-wing media, with talking heads and sites portraying the claims as overwhelming evidence of criminal activity. It spawned scores of articles. Hundreds of FOX News segments. Republican lawmakers like James Comer and Jim Jordan, anxious for media attention, came on radio and television shows to fuel conspiracy theories and demand probes.
Hannity’s programme was the major vehicle for delivering the message to the GOP base. According to data from the progressive group Media Matters, the accusations were the basis for a startling 85 segments on his News show in 2023.
Hannity told his millions of weekly viewers that Biden had been “compromised,” citing informant reports to proclaim the president “very credibly accused of public corruption on a scale this country has never seen before.”
Sean Hannity And Right-Wing Media Claimed The ‘Biden Crime Family’ Took Millions In Bribes. Their Narrative Just Fell Apart
Meanwhile, on Capitol Hill, Comer, who chairs the powerful House Oversight Committee, exploited the charges made in right-wing media to accuse the FBI of a cover-up and attempted to build a corruption case against Biden. Right-wing media then praised these activities. And the feedback circle continued.
What’s the problem? Alexander Smirnov, the informant, cooked up the entire tale, federal investigators alleged Thursday, detaining the 43-year-old at Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas.
Donald Trump’s nominee for U.S. attorney, special counsel David Weiss, charged Smirnov with fabricating documents and lying to the FBI. According to the accusation, Smirnov gave “false derogatory information” about Biden to the law enforcement agency. His “story to the FBI was a fabrication, an amalgam of otherwise unremarkable business meetings,” according to the report.
“In short, the Defendant transformed his routine and unextraordinary business contacts with Burisma in 2017 and later into bribery allegations against [Joe Biden], the presumptive nominee of one of the two major political parties for President,Hannity after expressing bias against [Joe Biden] and his candidature,” according to the indictment.
The charges delivered a setback to the narrative that Fox News had promoted on the air and that Republicans had pressed in Congress. However, the same network that had publicised Smirnov’s charges against “the big guy,” implying that they formed the basis of a huge scandal that would eclipse Watergate in history, now showed little interest in the story.
Sean Hannity And Right-Wing Media Claimed The ‘Biden Crime Family’ Took Millions In Bribes. Their Narrative Just Fell Apart
Fox News provided very little coverage of the Weiss indictment in the hours following its announcement. Most importantly, Hannity should have attempted to inform his devoted audience that the story he had been relentlessly promoting to them had crumbled. Instead, he ignored the report, as did the rest of the right-wing network’s dishonest prime-time talk show hosts.
The spectacular downfall of the assertion is simply the most recent example of a bigger pattern from Fox News and the right-wing media ecosystem in which it works.
MAGA Media figures have repeatedly pushed false narratives and conspiracy theories to their large audiences, only to look the other way when they fall. Just last year, Fox News paid a record $787.5 million to promote electoral misinformation. It never ran a retraction on air, and executives have stated that they are happy with the network’s 2020 coverage.
It’s a record that’s played repeatedly. By the time the truth catches up with the fraudulent charges pushed by right-wing media, the narrative has already been established, and the outlets have moved on to the next alleged scandal.
SOURCE – (CNN)
‘Run, Run, Run’: Chaos At A Sydney Mall As 6 People Stabbed To Death, And The Suspect Fatally Shot
‘Run, Run, Run’: Chaos At A Sydney Mall As 6 People Stabbed To Death, And The Suspect Fatally Shot
News
King Charles Could Millions Annually from Renting His Properties
A recent analysis suggests that King Charles might earn over £1 million each year by renting out royal properties to holidaymakers.
The Royal Family’s historic houses and mansions are popular holiday rentals, contributing significantly to the Palace’s revenue.
Pikl Insurance estimates that the royals may earn up to £118,775.85 per month, or around £1,425,310.20 per year, from their holiday rental portfolio. Even after accounting for cancellations, the monarchy is anticipated to generate a net annual income of somewhat more over £1.4 million.
Estimated Annual Rental Income of £1.4 Million
The four primary royal properties accepting public bookings are Balmoral Castle, Castle of Mey’s Captain House, Restormel Manor, and Dumfries House, according to Express.co.uk. Cottages at Balmoral Castle in Scotland are expected to generate £36,798.30 per month after accounting for cancellations.
According to the numbers, the 500-year-old Restormel Manor in Cornwall is the most profitable of them all, earning a solid £47,082 every month. The resort, located in the Fowey Valley, has four booking spaces and six converted barns.
Dumfries House in Ayrshire, Scotland, adds an estimated £31,185.63 and offers 25 rooms for booking. The Castle of Mey’s Captain House in the Scottish Highlands is estimated to generate a more modest £3,709.92 per month, despite the fact that the entire property is available for booking.
The analysts stated, “While the Royal Family’s primary role is undoubtedly to serve the nation, it is clear that their properties are also a valuable asset.” These estimates highlight the royal estate’s considerable financial potential and provide an intriguing peek into the monarchy’s corporate operations.”
Royal Family received £86.3 million from the taxpayer-funded Sovereign Grant in the previous fiscal year, according to official numbers released in July.
All revenues from the Crown Estate, which includes royal households, forestry, agriculture, and offshore wind, are paid directly to the Treasury, with a portion of this money, now 12%, returned to the Royal Family to finance their tasks.
The records also cover a period of jubilation, including the coronation and festivities surrounding the King and Queen’s crowning in May of last year.
News
Man Creates Candy Cane Car to Spread Christmas Cheer
In a delightful display of holiday spirit, a local resident in North Providence, Maine, has transformed his vehicle into a candy cane delight that is capturing hearts and spreading Christmas Cheer.
Over the past 15 years, Dave Clayman has transformed a simple 1991 Toyota Camry into a rolling holiday icon that captivates everyone who encounters it.
It’s wrapped in $3,000 worth of reflective tape, the same kind used on trailer trucks. Whether parked at a mall or cruising down the highway, you can’t miss it with its candy cane decorations.
This whimsical project started with an unusual idea. When an old exercise bike landed in Clayman’s possession, he mounted it on top of his car instead of letting it gather dust in his garage.
“There’s nothing like working out in the fresh air,” Dave said. That quirky addition quickly drew eyes, inspiring him to keep going.
The car features homemade rockets built from trash cans and salad bowls, candy cane-themed hubcaps, and candy cane lights dangling from the mounted exercise bike.
The Candy Cane Car cost Clayman $3,000
To top it off, it boasts a PA system and a custom horn, making it a true sensory experience.
The candy cane car has now become a local landmark every Christmas. Parked outside Clayman’s house, it’s a favourite backdrop for people snapping photos or simply stopping to admire it.
Some visitors even share stories of seeing the car as a child, reminiscing about how it’s been a beloved part of their neighbourhood for years.
“When people see it, their mood amplifies,” Clayman explained. “If they’re happy, they become happier. If they’re upset, well, they sometimes get angrier.” But for the most part, he estimates that over 96% of people love the festive car, particularly around Christmas.
Clayman said he used to wear a Santa costume when riding in his festive car for years. A few years ago, he bought a Grinch costume and never looked back.
“It’s like a state of euphoria. Every time I get behind the wheel and people see it,” he said. “Anything that people are in a better mood, it seems to make you in a better mood. It’s a labor of love you got to be committed to it.”
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News
Senate Approves Social Security Fairness Act, Heads to Final Vote
(VOR News) – On Wednesday, the United States Senate Social Security passed a measure with a vote of 73-27, indicating that the legislation, which is co-sponsored by Senator Susan Collins of Maine, is likely to be implemented before the end of the year.
The law may be beneficial to personnel working in the public sector in Maine, including teachers, firefighters, and other workers.
The Social Security Fairness Act would repeal two restrictions that lower the amount of Social Security payments paid to public employees.
These regulations would be eliminated with the passage of the act. A provision known as the Windfall Elimination Provision makes it impossible for public employees who are currently receiving pensions to continue receiving them.
The Government Pension Offset, as it is commonly referred to, is designed to limit the amount of money that can be paid to the surviving spouses of recipients who are also receiving government pensions.
This problematic situation impacts Social Security benefits.”
In November 2024, the Social Security Administration reported that more than 2 million individuals, including more than 20,000 in the state of Maine, had their Social Security benefits reduced as a result of the Windfall Elimination Provision,” Collins stated in a statement that was released by her department.
In November 2024, the Government Pension Offset had an impact on more than 650,000 individuals, with more than 6,000 of those individuals residing in the state of Maine, according to the previously mentioned line of reasoning.
A vote of 327 to 75 was necessary for the measure to be approved by the House of Representatives the previous month. On Wednesday, Chuck Schumer, the Democratic leader of the Senate, announced that he intended to work rapidly in order to deliver the act from the House of Representatives to the president’s desk.
As indicated by Schumer, who was speaking on the floor of the United States Senate today, “Passing this Social Security fix right before Christmas would be a great gift for our retired firefighters, police officers, postal workers, teachers, and others who have contributed to Social Security for years but are now being penalised because of their time spent serving the public.”
In the beginning, the measure was supported by two individuals: Sherrod Brown, a Democrat from Ohio, and Collins, a Republican. During her speech in support of the proposal, which was made on the floor of the Senate on Wednesday afternoon, Collins stated that the idea will have a significant impact on a number of individuals, including teachers in the state of Maine.
These advantages are the direct result of the effort that they put forth. During the course of her remarks, Collins asserted that the punishment in question was both unreasonable and unacceptable.
This will strain Social Security’s already shaky budget.
In a recent examination, it was discovered that the Windfall Elimination Provision was one of the primary problems that contributed to the difficulties that the teacher workforce in Maine is experiencing, which experts are referring to as a crisis.
A poll that was conducted and released by the non-profit organisation Educate Maine found that teachers in each and every county in the state of Maine identified the provision as a hindering factor in the process of recruiting new teachers.
According to the findings of the study, “this federal policy that reduces social security payouts is a disincentive,” which implies that it is detrimental to teachers who take on additional work and discourages people from switching careers in order to become teachers.
Sharon Gallant, a retired educator who worked in Gardiner for a total of 31 years, is one of the educators that are now employed there. Prior to beginning his career as a teacher in the public school system, Gallant was employed in the business sector. He made a little contribution to the Social Security system during the entirety of this time period.
“When you move into public education, you are faced with a certain degree of punishment,” according to her statement.
In letters that Gallant sent to Collins and to Sen. Angus King of Maine, who is an independent, he urged both of them to support the concept. She stated that even if it is unsuccessful, Maine will still have a difficult time recruiting teachers because of the clause that deters them from employment.
She made the observation, “If this does not pass, then it is just another reason not to enter public service.”
SOURCE: FR
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