Dan Bongino Picked As FBI Deputy Director

Above, Dan Bongino. Photo by Gage Skidmore.

This is great news as far as I am concerned!

From AOL/Associated Press:

FILE - Conservative commentator Dan Bongino speaks at the Conservative Political Action Committee annual conference in National Harbor, Md., March 6, 2014. (AP Photo/Susan Walsh, File)ASSOCIATED PRESS

WASHINGTON (AP) — Dan Bongino, a former U.S. Secret Service agent who has penned best-selling books, ran unsuccessfully for office and gained fame as a conservative pundit with TV shows and a popular podcast, has been chosen to serve as FBI deputy director.

President Donald Trump announced the appointment Sunday night in a post on his Truth Social platform, praising Bongino as “a man of incredible love and passion for our Country.” He called the announcement “great news for Law Enforcement and American Justice.” 

I am a follower of Bongino for several years on Twitter (now X) and Facebook.

To read more, go here. 

Mexico Passes $42 Immigration Tax for Cruise Passengers

There's nothing like being welcomed as a tourist to a foreign country. Unless, of course, that country wants to charge tourists an immigration levy who arrive aboard a cruise ship.

According to AP News:

MEXICO CITY (AP) — Cruise ship industry players are up in arms after the lower house of Mexico’s Congress voted this week to charge a $42 immigration levy for every passenger on cruise ships that dock in Mexico.

Two-thirds of the money raised, moreover, would go to the Mexican army, not to improve port facilities.

The Mexican Association of Shipping Agents cried foul late Thursday, saying the charges could make Mexico uncompetitively expensive for cruise ships.

In the past, cruise ship passengers had been exempted from the immigration fee, because they sleep aboard the vessels and some don’t even get off the ship during port calls. They would apparently be charged the $42 fee anyway, according to the new budget law.

To read more, go here. 

Osaka World Expo 2025

Above, the time capsule from World Expo '70 at Osaka Castle.

Osaka is getting geared up for next year's World Expo.

The city last hosted the World Expo in 1970. During G-TOUR in 2004, we saw a time capsule from the 1970 World Expo on the grounds of Osaka Castle (image above). Will it be opened during next year's World Expo?

According to AP News:

OSAKA, Japan (AP) — Visitors to Tokyo and Kyoto might not realize it, but Osaka — one of Japan’s biggest and oldest cities, known more as a business hub than a tourist destination -- is gearing up to host next year’s World Exposition.

The city has been plastered with the Expo’s red-and-blue “Myaku-Myaku” mascot for months and is abuzz with preparations. For many here, the excitement is mixed with nostalgia for the last World Expo hosted by Japan, back in 1970.

There are doubters, especially outside Osaka. Construction costs are turning out to be exponentially higher than expected. Preparations have been marred by political and business infighting. And many Japanese, jaded after Tokyo’s difficult experience hosting the Olympics during the COVID pandemic, question whether the idea of a World Expo is still relevant.

Many retain vivid memories of the 1970 Expo. They remember schoolchildren attending multiple times, particularly those from the Osaka area. There were long lines to see the moon rocks on view at the U.S. pavilion; prototypes of electric cars; displays featuring the first ethernet cables (LAN); and the introduction of Western foods like yogurt and baguettes.

To read more, go here.

Judge Stops Graceland Foreclosure Sale

Above, Graceland from Elvis Presley Blvd. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

A Memphis judge has halted a foreclosure sale of Elvis Presley's Graceland mansion that was scheduled for today.

AP News reported:

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (AP) — A judge on Wednesday said Elvis Presley’s estate could be successful in arguing that a company’s attempt to auction Graceland is fraudulent as he halted a foreclosure sale of the beloved Memphis tourist attraction.

Later Wednesday, a statement from someone who appeared to be a representative of the company said it would drop its claim, which the Presley estate has argued is based on fake documents. Online court records did not immediately show any legal filings suggesting the claim had been dropped.

Shelby County Chancellor JoeDae Jenkins issued a temporary injunction against the proposed auction that had been scheduled for Thursday in Memphis, where the king of rock ‘n’ roll’s former home is located. Jenkins’ injunction essentially keeps in place a previous restraining order issued at the request of Presley’s granddaughter Riley Keough. 

To read more, go here. 

Tribes and Feds Agree On Fort Wingate Restoration

Above, the front entrance to the Fort Wingate Army Depot. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

About 10 miles west of my home (as the crow flies), Fort Wingate sits unused since 1993. It is a former Army depot.

Two tribes have come to an agreement with the federal government on future restoration of the Fort Wingate property.

AP News (Associated Press) reported:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — Two Native American tribes, the state of New Mexico and the U.S. Army have finalized a restoration plan for a former military installation near Gallup.

Explosives and munitions were stored and disposed of at Fort Wingate until it closed in 1993.

The Navajo Nation, Zuni Pueblo and the New Mexico Office of Natural Resources Trustee reached an agreement with the federal government in March 2022 to settle claims that land, water and cultural resources were negatively impacted by hazardous substances at the site.

The site now is undergoing environmental cleanup before the tract of land can be transferred to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs to benefit the two tribes. Both tribes have long-standing historical ties to the lands in and around Fort Wingate, which sits on about 24 square miles (62 square kilometers). The land is almost entirely surrounded by federally owned or administered lands, including national forest and tribal lands.

To read more, go here. 

Heavy Snow Hits Tokyo Area

Above, snow in Chiba Prefecture in 2014. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The following story reminds me of my February 2014 trip to Japan when a heavy snowstorm arrived ther at the same time I did. Another heavy snowstorm arrived a few days later.

I was stuck in Chiba Prefecture on a commuter train for several hours while trying to head into Tokyo from Narita Airport.

For the first time in two years, the Tokyo area has been hit be a heavy snowstorm.

The AP News (Associated Press) reported: 

TOKYO (AP) — Heavy snow hit the Tokyo area on Monday, disrupting trains and grounding more than 100 flights, with transport officials cautioning drivers to avoid nonessential travel.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said the snowfall was expected to peak Monday night, with up to 55 centimeters (21 inches) predicted in mountainous areas north of Tokyo.

The snowfall was much less in central Tokyo, where more than 1 centimeter (0.4 inch) was reported for the first time in two years, Kyodo News said.

To read more, go here. 

New Mexico Governor Slammed For 'Anti-2nd Amendment' Push

New Mexico's lunatic Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham's outrageous anti-Second Amendment proposals are being widely covered in the national media.

Fox News, Yahoo! News, The Gateway Pundit and Associated Press are among others covering the story. It looks like "the fit has hit the shan" over this.

From Yahoo! News:

New Mexico Republicans are accusing Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham of undermining the Second Amendment after the Democrat introduced gun control proposals on Friday.

Lujan Grisham announced that a 30-day state legislative session slated to begin Tuesday that will include "the largest and most comprehensive public safety package in our state's history."

The gun control proposals include a 14-day background check waiting period on gun purchases, prohibiting guns in polling places and parks, and a minimum age requirement of 21 years on semiautomatic firearm purchases.

The package also includes the Firearm Industry Accountability Act, which would "amend the state statue [sic] to allow gun manufacturers to be held liable for deceptive trade practices."

"The constitutionality questions are beginning to be very complicated in the arena of gun violence," Lujan Grisham said at a press conference Friday. "We are going to continue this effort, following what is going on around the country.

"There will be others who will follow in our footsteps, creating their own public safety corridors, which in effect also make New Mexicans safer."

State Sen. Greg Baca, the Republican minority floor leader, accused the two-term governor of taking "a hyper-partisan turn."

"Senate Republicans are eager to join the governor in tackling New Mexico’s crime epidemic, and to that end, we have introduced a number of commonsense solutions," Baca said in a release.

To read more, go here. 

It is the same radical left-wing crap that comes from Gov. Gavin Newsom in California.

For additional reading:

The Gateway Pundit.

Fox News.

Piñon Post.

7.6 Quake Hits Japan

A major earthquake has hit the main Japanese island of Honshu's west coast (the Sea of Japan side) today.

According to the Associated Press:

TOKYO (AP) — Japan dropped its highest-level tsunami alert, issued following a series of major earthquakes on Monday, but told residents of coastal areas not to return to their homes as deadly waves could still come.

The quakes, the largest of which had a magnitude of 7.6, started a fire and collapsed buildings on the west coast of Japan’s main island, Honshu. It was unclear how many people might have been killed or hurt.

The Japan Meteorological Agency reported more than a dozen quakes in the Japan Sea off the coast of Ishikawa and nearby prefectures shortly after 4 p.m.

To read more, go here. 

Government Shutdown Averted Until Nov. 17

Above, Mesa Verde National Park will be open for eclipse watchers. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

The impending government shutdown has been averted, at least for 45 days.

According to the Associated Press (via AOL):

WASHINGTON (AP) — The threat of a federal government shutdown suddenly lifted late Saturday as President Joe Biden signed a temporary funding bill to keep agencies open with little time to spare after Congress rushed to approve the bipartisan deal.

The package drops aid to Ukraine, a White House priority opposed by a growing number of GOP lawmakers, but increases federal disaster assistance by $16 billion, meeting Biden’s full request. The bill funds government until Nov. 17.

The national parks will remain open. Some, like Mesa Verde National Park, will be open for eclipse viewers on October 14.

To read more, go here. 

Sec. Haaland's Celebration of Drilling Ban Blows Up In Her Face

Above, ruins at Chaco Culture National Historical Park. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Things didn't quite go as planned for Interior Secretary Deb Haaland when she tried to enter Chaco Culture National Historical Park for a "celebration" of the Biden Administration's 20-year ban on gas and oil drilling.

Protesters blocked her from entering the park.

The Associated Press reported:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — It was supposed to be a homecoming of sorts for U.S. Interior Secretary Deb Haaland, after her agency spent many months hosting public meetings and talking with Native American leaders about curbing the pace of oil and gas development in the San Juan Basin and protecting culturally significant sites.

But her return to Chaco Culture National Historical Park on Sunday was derailed when a group of Navajo landowners blocked the road, upset with the Biden administration’s recent decision to enshrine for the next 20 years what previously had been an informal 10-mile (16-kilometer) buffer around the World Heritage site.

Social media posts showed protesters yelling “Go Home!” as some held signs that read no trespassing on allottee land.

The landowners and Navajo leaders have said Haaland and the Biden administration ignored efforts to reach a compromise that would have established a smaller buffer to protect cultural sites while keeping intact the viability of tribal land and private Navajo-owned parcels for future development.

The "celebration" had to be moved to Albuquerque.

To read more, go here.

US To Propose New Flight Cancellation/Delay Rules

Above, at Twin Falls Magic Valley Regional Airport in 2020. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Since 2019, I had two flights cancelled allegedly due to weather conditions.

The first was in 2019 when I was returning home from G-FEST in Rosemont, Illinois. My flight was cancelled allegedly due to weather. This was in the middle of July, so I had to wonder what weather condition would cause the cancellation. This forced me to stay overnight at a Motel 6 in Rosemont near Chicago O'Hare International Airport.

The second time came in 2021 (July again) as I was returning home from the Wells Fun Run in Wells, Nevada. The closest airport was the Twin Falls Magic Valley Regional Airport. There were thunderstorms everywhere during the trip, including Wells. My connecting flight from Salt Lake City, Utah to Albuquerque was cancelled allegedly due to thunderstorms. I had to stay one night in a motel in Salt Lake City. 

Of course, the airlines claim that both instances were "beyond their control" due to weather. Don't they fly above the storms? And, one has to ask, why couldn't they just have the planes fly around the storm cells? It seems that this would eliminate the "beyond control" issue.

The Biden Administration is going to propose new rules on flight cancellations and delays. 

According to the AP News:

President Joe Biden said Monday his administration will write new regulations that will require airlines to compensate air travelers and cover their meals and hotel rooms if they are stranded for reasons within the airline’s control.

The compensation would be in addition to ticket refunds when the airline is at fault for a flight being canceled or significantly delayed. It would give consumers in the United States protections similar to those in the European Union.

“I know how frustrated many of you are with the service you get from your U.S. airlines,” Biden said. “That’s why our top priority has been to get American air travelers a better deal.”

Biden added, “You deserve more than just getting the price of your ticket (refunded) — you deserve to be fully compensated. Your time matters, the impact on your life matters.”

Biden’s pledge comes just weeks before the start of the peak summer travel season, when air travel could exceed pre-coronavirus pandemic records.

It would have been nice to have my hotel bills reimbursed by the airlines in both instances.

I remains to be seen what proposed new rules they will come up with.  

To read more, go here.

Jack Holder, R.I.P.

 

Above, the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

From the Associated Press:

PHOENIX (AP) — Jack Holder, a Pearl Harbor survivor who went on become a decorated World War II flyer who flew over 100 missions in the Pacific and European theaters, has died in Arizona. He was 101.

Darlene Tryon, a close friend and the executor of Holder’s estate, said he died at Friday at a hospital in the Phoenix suburb of Chandler. The Pearl Harbor National Memorial also announced the death. Born to a farming family in Gunter, Texas, Holder joined the Navy in 1940 when he was 18.

He was on duty at Ford Island within Oahu’s Pearl Harbor when Japanese aircraft bombed the U.S. naval base on Dec. 7, 1941.   

In December 2021, a nonprofit company took Holder on an honor flight out of Mesa’s Falcon Field to celebrate his 100th birthday. Asked at the event to tell his secret to a long life, Holder said “good heart exercise and two scotch and sodas every night.”

Fed Judge Blocks Parts of California Gun Law

A federal judge blocked key provisions of a California gun law, ruling them as violating the Second Amendment.

The Associated Press reported:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — A federal judge on Monday blocked key provisions of a California law that drastically restricts the sale of new handguns in the state, saying parts of the legislation violate the Second Amendment.

A lawsuit challenging the law was filed last year by the California Rifle & Pistol Association and other gun rights supporters following a landmark 2022 decision from the U.S. Supreme Court that set new standards for evaluating firearm restrictions. The ruling left many laws aimed at regulating and limiting the sale and use of guns — in California and nationwide — at risk of being struck down.

U.S. District Court Judge Cormac Carney, sitting in Santa Ana, wrote Monday that California’s requirements for new handguns are unconstitutional and cannot be enforced. Because of these restrictions, Carney wrote, no new models of semiautomatic handguns have been approved for sale since 2013 and Californians are forced to buy older and potentially less safe models.

I am wondering when a lawsuit will be filed against New Mexico's H.B. 9 law that was just signed by Gov. Lujan Grisham.

To read more, go here. 

Visa, Mastercard Pause Decision To Track Gun Shop Purchases

 

A victory for the Second Amendment came after Visa and MasterCard announced their "pause" in implementing the decision to categorize gun shop purchases.

While this is good news, this doesn't go far enough. They need to definitely end this categorization permanently.

From the Associated Press:

NEW YORK (AP) — Visa and Mastercard paused their decision to start categorizing purchases at gun shops, a significant win for conservative groups and Second Amendment advocates who felt that tracking gun shop purchases would inadvertently discriminate against legal firearms purchases.

The decision is, at the same time, also a defeat for gun control groups. There had been hope that categorizing credit and debit card purchases would allow authorities to potentially see red flags — like significant ammunition purchases — before a mass shooting could happen.

After Visa and Mastercard announced their plans to implement a separate merchant category code for gun shop purchases, the payment networks got significant pushback from the gun lobby as well as conservative politicians. A group of 24 GOP state attorneys general wrote a letter to the payment networks threatening legal action against Visa and Mastercard if they moved forward with their plan.

To read more, go here. 

Cindy Williams Dies At 75

Above, actress Cindy Williams.

Jeez, what is going on here? Celebrities seem to be dying in rapid succession 

The latest is actress Cindy Williams, one of the stars of the Laverne & Shirley television show of the 1970s and of the movie, American Graffiti.

The Associated Press reported:

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Cindy Williams, who played Shirley opposite Penny Marshall’s Laverne on the popular sitcom “Laverne & Shirley,” has died, her family said Monday.

Williams died in Los Angeles at age 75 on Wednesday after a brief illness, her children, Zak and Emily Hudson, said in a statement released through family spokeswoman Liza Cranis.

“The passing of our kind, hilarious mother, Cindy Williams, has brought us insurmountable sadness that could never truly be expressed,” the statement said. “Knowing and loving her has been our joy and privilege. She was one of a kind, beautiful, generous and possessed a brilliant sense of humor and a glittering spirit that everyone loved.”

I didn't think Williams was that old. She played Ron Howard's girlfriend in American Graffiti and he is a month younger than me. I assumed she was around our age (68). 

To read more, go here.

New Mexico Civil Guard Activities Restricted By Judge

New Mexico Civil Guard. Now that's a name I haven't heard for a while (about a couple of years or so).

A District Judge, Elaine Lujan (What, another Lujan?! They seem to come out of the woodwork like cockroaches.) ruled against the New Mexico Civil Guard over activities during protests of of BLM and others of two years ago when they were out vandalizing statues and other private and public property.

According to the Associated Press:

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. (AP) — The New Mexico Civil Guard has been barred from publicly acting as a military unit without authorization or assuming the role of law enforcement by using organized force at public protests or gathering, according to a newspaper.

The Albuquerque Journal reported Tuesday that District Court Judge Elaine Lujan also has banned such activity by the group’s directors, officers, agents, employees, members and any of their successor organizations and members.

Lujan granting a motion by Bernalillo County District Attorney Raúl Torrez, who told the Journal that the decision, “fundamentally represents a victory for the rule of law….We’re trying to prevent violent extremism.”

There may be some constitutional protections that support the Guard that can be used as a basis in filing an appeal over Judge Lujan's ruling. After all, the police did nothing to protect property, so somebody had to step in.

To read the full article, go here.

Japan Eager To Welcome Tourists Amid Weak Yen

Above, Akihabara electronics shopping district of Tokyo. Photo by Armand Vaquer.

Tomorrow is the day that Japan welcomes foreign tourists as in the pre-pandemic days.

The big change that the Japanese and tourists are eager for is the "cheap yen", which provides more purchasing power for tourists.

According to the Associated Press:

TOKYO (AP) — It’s hard to tell from his serious demeanor, but Akky International Corp. Chief Executive Hideyuki Abe can barely contain his excitement.

Foreign tourists are coming back, those big-spending visitors from abroad who used to flock into his colorful store in Tokyo’s Akihabara electronics district, its colorful shelves filled with watches and souvenirs like samurai swords and toy cats with bobbing heads.

Individual travelers will be able to visit Japan without visas beginning on Tuesday, just like in pre-COVID-19 times, and electronics stores, airlines and various tourists spots have big hopes for a revival of their businesses.

Japan kept its borders closed to most foreign travelers during much of the pandemic. Only packaged tours have been allowed since June. Meanwhile, the yen has weakened sharply against the dollar, giving some visitors much heftier buying power and making Japan nearly irresistible to bargain hunters.

To read more, go here. 

Re: Student Loans

A bit of a firestorm has hit after His Fraudulency Joe Biden announced his student loan forgiveness action.

Is it legal? Some say it is, but one can bet that this action will be challenged in court.

From the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — The Biden administration is tying its authority to cancel student debt to the coronavirus pandemic and to a 2003 law aimed at providing help to members of the military. Legal challenges are expected.

Skeptics of the administration’s ability to act on its own, without new legislation, had once included President Joe Biden himself and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

But in a legal opinion released Wednesday, the Justice Department said that the HEROES Act of 2003 gives the administration “sweeping authority” to reduce or eliminate student debt during a national emergency, ”when significant actions with potentially far-reaching consequences are often required.”

The law was adopted with overwhelming bipartisan support at a time when U.S. forces were fighting two wars, in Afghanistan and Iraq. It gives the Education secretary authority to waive rules relating to student financial aid programs in times or war or national emergency.

Where's the "national emergency"? Hmmm?

To read more, go here.

Some opposing reactions from Twitter:

Political Shift: 1 Million Voters Switch To The GOP

Is there going to be a "red wave" in the upcoming November general election?

If the following is any indication, it might just happen. A million-plus voters have switched party alliances to the GOP. 

According to the Associated Press:

WASHINGTON (AP) — A political shift is beginning to take hold across the U.S. as tens of thousands of suburban swing voters who helped fuel the Democratic Party’s gains in recent years are becoming Republicans.

More than 1 million voters across 43 states have switched to the Republican Party over the last year, according to voter registration data analyzed by The Associated Press. The previously unreported number reflects a phenomenon that is playing out in virtually every region of the country — Democratic and Republican states along with cities and small towns — in the period since President Joe Biden replaced former President Donald Trump.

But nowhere is the shift more pronounced — and dangerous for Democrats — than in the suburbs, where well-educated swing voters who turned against Trump’s Republican Party in recent years appear to be swinging back. Over the last year, far more people are switching to the GOP across suburban counties from Denver to Atlanta and Pittsburgh and Cleveland. Republicans also gained ground in counties around medium-size cities such as Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Raleigh, North Carolina; Augusta, Georgia; and Des Moines, Iowa.

This is not a total surprise when one considers the turmoil the Democrats have wrought. People are waking up to the sheer madness of the Democrats in dealing with law & order, social issues, inflation, fuel costs, foreign policy failures, abuse of power and the economy. People have had enough.

To read more, go here. 

Republican Mayra Flores Wins Texas Special Election

 

From Fox News:

Republican Mayra Flores is projected to win a special election in Texas' 34th Congressional District, flipping a House seat after Rep. Filemon Vela, who held the seat for nearly 10 years, resigned in March and vacated the seat.

Flores, who had 51% of the vote to Democratic candidate Dan Sanchez' 43% when The Associated Press called the race, will become the first Mexican-born congresswoman to serve in the House. Her family moved to the United States when she was 6 years old.

To read more, go here.