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Gas-stove ban: As U.S. moves closer to action, cooks want to know, ‘What’s the real risk?’
https://www.marketwatch.com/story/gas-stove-ban-u-s-draws-closer-to-action-with-a-consumer-agency-turning-up-its-scrutiny-11673373286?siteid=yhoof2
California already bans the installation of new gas stoves, and New York City will in 2024. Chicago weighs its own ordinance.

he U.S. as a whole could be edging nearer to a ban on gas stoves, if the interest of a federal consumer safety agency is any indication.

The agency is reviewing gas stoves and range tops, opening a comment period for now, a member of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission told Bloomberg News in a recent interview. Attention on these appliances has increased in the wake of new studies of respiratory and certain cancer risks linked to their use, as well as research on their contribution to global warming from the greenhouse gases that the combustion of natural gas NG00, +0.21% and other fossil fuels releases into the atmosphere.

Gas appliances are “a hidden hazard,” CPSC commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. said in the interview. “Any option is on the table. Products that can’t be made safe can be banned.”

He said the agency could also consider other actions, including setting standards on emissions from the appliances, or take no action at all.

Trumka later tweeted: “To be clear, CPSC isn’t coming for anyone’s gas stoves. Regulations apply to new products. For Americans who CHOOSE to switch from gas to electric, there is support available – Congress passed the Inflation Reduction Act, which includes a $840 rebate.” Read more on the IRA.

Still, his position sparked a social media response, including from Sen. Joe Manchin, an energy-state Democrat. “The federal government has no business telling American families how to cook their dinner. I can tell you the last thing that would ever leave my house is the gas stove that we cook on,” Manchin tweeted.

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Corruption ring (D-california) gets busted.
D politicians bribing and defrauding each other.
It's a circus of bribery and fraud in sunny California
https://voiceofoc.org/2023/01/former-irvine-councilwoman-says-democratic-consultant-tried-defrauding-her-not-bribing/

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>After winning legislative seats and taking over governor’s mansions, Democrats will try to implement reforms and beat back Republican efforts to restrict voting access.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/democrats-voting-rights-states_n_63cb0781e4b0c2b49ad56964

After a surprisingly successful midterm election in which Democrats increased their power in state governments, party leaders now find themselves in a position to advance or protect one of the party’s top issues: voting rights.

Major voting rights bills are on the move in states like Minnesota, where Democrats won complete control of state government for the first time in five years, and New York, where Democrats held on to their majorities. In Michigan, Democrats will now implement and possibly expand on voting rights reforms enacted by voters after winning full control in the state for the first time in 40 years. And in other states, like Arizona and Wisconsin, Democratic gubernatorial wins will thwart any Republican laws rolling back voter access.

After the 2020 election’s dual crises of pandemic and insurrection, Democrats in several states enacted a series of bills, constitutional amendments and ballot initiatives to expand voting rights and voter access. The COVID-19 pandemic revealed the public’s desire for easy access to alternatives to in-person election day voting, while the Republican Party’s lies about that voting access showed the need to shore up systems of democratic elections.

With many reforms already enacted in Maryland, Massachusetts and Michigan, the big action on voting rights will occur in Minnesota, where Democrats hold a one-vote majority in the state senate.

“There is a big opportunity this session to take action on democracy reforms that we haven’t had in the last 40 years,” said Lilly Sasse, campaign director for We Choose Us, a coalition of grassroots, advocacy and union organizations in Minnesota backing democracy reform.

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Leaked memo from General Mike Minihan comes as tension remains high over Taiwan


Please use the sharing tools found via the share button at the top or side of articles. Copying articles to share with others is a breach of FT.com T&Cs and Copyright Policy. Email licensing@ft.com to buy additional rights. Subscribers may share up to 10 or 20 articles per month using the gift article service. More information can be found at https://www.ft.com/tour.
https://www.ft.com/content/2b50ce67-bf88-4aff-bac9-eb9ac1b3b2ca

A top American air force general has predicted that the US and China will probably go to war in 2025, in the most dramatic warning yet from a senior military officer about the likelihood of a conflict over Taiwan.

General Mike Minihan, head of US Air Mobility Command, said the two military powers were likely to end up at war because of a series of circumstances that would embolden Chinese president Xi Jinping.

“I hope I am wrong. My gut tells me we will fight in 2025,” Minihan wrote in a private memo to his top commanders obtained by NBC news and seen by the Financial Times.

“Xi secured his third term [as Communist party general secretary] and set [sic] his war council in October 2022. Taiwan’s presidential elections are in 2024 and will offer Xi a reason,” Minihan wrote. Minihan added that the 2024 presidential elections in the US would create a “distracted America” that would benefit the Chinese president.

“Xi’s team, reason, and opportunity are all aligned for 2025,” he concluded.

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https://nypost.com/2023/01/26/biden-calls-for-peaceful-protest-after-5-memphis-cops-arrested-in-beating-death/

Biden calls for ‘peaceful protest’ after Memphis cops arrested in Tyre Nichols death

President Biden asked for “peaceful protest” Thursday after five fired Memphis police officers were arrested and accused of beating to death Tyre Nichols.

Nichols, 29, was pulled over by police on Jan. 7 and died three days later from his injuries. He and all five officers are African-American.

“I join Tyre’s family in calling for peaceful protest. Outrage is understandable, but violence is never acceptable,” Biden said in a written statement. “Violence is destructive and against the law. It has no place in peaceful protests seeking justice.”

Biden added, “Public trust is the foundation of public safety and there are still too many places in America today where the bonds of trust are frayed or broken. Tyre’s death is a painful reminder that we must do more to ensure that our criminal justice system lives up to the promise of fair and impartial justice, equal treatment, and dignity for all.”

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https://kuenselonline.com/bhutan-store-in-perth-facing-difficulties/

Bhutan Store, ‘Grown & Made in Bhutan’ retail store in Perth, Australia is facing financial, certification and shipping challenges.

According to the CEO of Bhutan Store, Sonam Chophel, Bhutan Store by Druksell Australia was in collaboration with the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MoENR) for a large number of Bhutanese diaspora living abroad.

Inaugurated in December last year, the store is slowly picking up and is yet to send its second consignment. However, the absence of logistics and shipping assistance from the government is a major challenge.

According to Sonam Chophel, the cost of logistics and certification on 125 products is a major problem in shipping goods from Bhutan to Australia. “The government should address such challenges that the entrepreneurs are facing and make export from the country convenient compared to the imports.”

He said that improving marketing strategies could encourage entrepreneurs. “The government could provide short-term financial support to the entrepreneurs to make good use of the existing resources rather than investing in hundreds of failed projects.”

The Promoter of the Bhutan Store in Australia, Kunzang Wangdi, said that it was difficult for Bhutanese goods to compete in the global market due to the lack of robust investment in the packaging industry. “Investment in the creative industry on proper marketing and branding would help in strengthening the supply chain from farm to the market.”

“The response and support from Bhutanese in Perth is optimistic. We hope that such a store will not only be a platform for the CSI market but also help in promoting the local products in Australia and other countries,” he said.

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Funny how one of the most 'progressive' states in the US has no personal income tax yet on the national level they bitch about it when Republicans try to do it
https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/justices-weigh-effort-to-balance-washington-state-s-tax-code/ar-AA16KGTM

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Widespread fraud in Ukraine. They are taking after their friends in the American Democratic Party.
Among those defrauding foreign aid include one of zelensky's personal aids, who stole a Chevy tahoe meant for evacuating civilians
https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/27/us/politics/ukraine-corruption-scandal.html

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Republicunts actually fall for this shit.

https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-amendment-flops-only-13-republicans-back-her-1776965

An amendment proposed by Republican Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene failed on Thursday, as just 13 of her GOP colleagues joined her in voting in favor of it.

The amendment to the Strategic Production Response Act would have prevented the president from selling oil but was defeated by a vote of 418 to 14, with seven members not voting.

Footage of the moment the amendment failed was shared to Twitter on Thursday by user @Acyn and had been viewed more than 1.6 million times as of early Friday morning.

The Strategic Production Response Act was introduced by Republican Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers and it "limits the drawdown of petroleum in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve until the Department of Energy develops a plan to increase the percentage of federal lands leased for oil and gas production," according to a summary of the bill provided on Congress' website.

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https://abcnews.go.com/US/former-fbi-official-charles-mcgonigal-arrested-ties-russian/story?id=96609658

A former top FBI official in New York has been arrested over his ties to a Russian oligarch, law enforcement sources told ABC News Monday.

Charles McGonigal, who was the special agent in charge of counterintelligence in the FBI's New York Field Office, is under arrest over his ties to Oleg Deripaska, a Russian billionaire who has been sanctioned by the United States and criminally charged last year with violating those sanctions.

McGonigal retired from the FBI in 2018. He was arrested Saturday afternoon after he arrived at JFK Airport following travel in Sri Lanka, the sources said.

He was charged along with a court interpreter, Sergey Shestakov, who also worked with Deripaska.

McGonigal, 54, is charged with violating U.S. sanctions by trying to get Deripaska off the sanctions list. McGonigal is one of the highest ranking former FBI officials ever charged with a crime.

McGonigal and Shestakov, who worked for the FBI investigating oligarchs, allegedly agreed in 2021 to investigate a rival Russian oligarch in return for payments from Deripaska, according to the Justice Department. McGonigal and Shestakov are accused of receiving payments through shell companies and forging signatures in order to keep it a secret that Deripaska was paying them.

Both face money laundering charges in addition to charges for violating sanctions. Each of four counts carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison

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At least the reasons she gave is kind of adorable.
>Marie Kondo delivered a shock to fans during a recent webinar to promote her latest book, "Marie Kondo's Kurashi at Home: How to Organize Your Space and Achieve Your Ideal Life." The decluttering queen is no longer tidying up as much after giving birth to her third son, or as Kondo put it, "My house is messy" (via The Washington Post).

>Kondo became an international phenomenon in 2019 with the launch of her Netflix reality series "Tidying Up," in which she helped people clean up their messy homes and declutter their spaces in an attempt to restore calmness and "spark joy" in their lives. While Kondo has long been devoted to decluttering "physical" spaces, her new book also stresses the importance of cleaning up mental and emotional spaces. In other words, keeping your clothes folded and organized can be just as important as listening to classical music in the morning or making time for your children.

>"Tidying up means dealing with all the 'things' in your life," Kondo writes in the book. "So, what do you really want to put in order?"

>During a recent webinar to promote the book, Kondo added, "My home is messy, but the way I am spending my time is the right way for me at this time at this stage of my life. Up until now, I was a professional tidier, so I did my best to keep my home tidy at all times. I have kind of given up on that in a good way for me. Now I realize what is important to me is enjoying spending time with my children at home."

>Kindo followed up her eight-episode "Tidying Up" series with a second Netflix series, 2021's "Sparking Joy With Marie Kondo." Both series are now available to stream on Netflix.
https://variety.com/2023/tv/news/marie-kondo-stops-tidying-up-home-messy-1235504610/

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Republican Rep. Rick Allen of Georgia said on Jan. 12 that the way to handle problems with Social Security and to increase wealth is for people to work longer and retire later. Allen said that his constituents have told him that that is exactly what they want to do.

As seen in a video released by the organization, Allen is asked in a hallway in Congress by a staffer with Social Security Works, an advocacy group whose mission is to protect and expand Social Security, "How do you guys plan on cutting Social Security this Congress?" Allen replies, "We're not going to cut Social Security."

The staffer then asks about "raising the age of retirement."

"You know, uh, it's interesting that you ask that question," Allen says. "People come up to me, they actually want to work longer." The staffer prompts, "So that's on the table, you're saying?" and Allen responds: "Well, you know, if people want to work longer, maybe you need to give them incentive to do it. That's the way to solve every one of these problems, by the way, and actually grow wealth at the same time." Pointing to his head, Allen concludes, "It just takes that right there."
The exchange comes as congressional Republicans discuss making cuts to social safety net programs to reduce government spending.

Currently, people can opt for what the Social Security Administration calls "early retirement" by receiving reduced benefits at age 62. If they wait to start receiving benefits until they are between the ages of 66 and 67, depending on the year they were born, they are eligible to collect the full benefit.

Conservative lawmakers and groups have been pushing to raise the retirement age, saying that people now live longer and thus receive Social Security benefits for longer, which they claim will eventually make the program insolvent.

https://americanindependent.com/house-representatives-georgia-rick-allen-social-security-budget/

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>Even after calls for Medicare and Social Security cuts failed to produce their expected 2022 'red wave,' they are still plowing ahead with calls for 'reforms.'

https://americanindependent.com/republicans-begin-the-new-congress-determined-to-cut-safety-net-programs/

Republicans could soon push for cuts to social safety net programs, including Social Security, even though such proposals are unpopular and may have hurt them in the 2022 midterm elections.

On Tuesday, CNN reported that a slide shown at a House Republican caucus meeting detailing budget and spending priorities contained items that included "Adopt an FY24 budget resolution balancing within 10 years" and "Reforms to Budget Process and Mandatory Spending Programs."

While some of the federal government's annual spending is subject to the discretion of Congress, including funding of defense and many domestic programs, funding of entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security is automatic.

During the 2022 campaign, several Republican incumbents and candidates advocated for major changes to the programs, including cuts and annual funding reauthorization.

Florida Sen. Rick Scott, who was then chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, released an 11-point legislative agenda for his party last February that included a provision making all federal laws expire every five years. Asked in March why he proposed to sunset Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security in an election year, he told Fox News that doing so was the best way to "preserve those programs."

Wisconsin Sen. Ron Johnson, who narrowly won reelection by a 1% margin, said in an August radio interview that every mandatory spending item should be made optional: "What we ought to be doing is we ought to turn everything into discretionary spending, so it's all evaluated, so that we can fix problems or fix programs that are broken, that are going to be going bankrupt."

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https://www.forbes.com/sites/qai/2023/01/16/us-government-to-hit-debt-ceiling-on-thursdaywhat-happens-next/

The US is hitting its debt limit next Thursday, and Congress has been notified of the fact by Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen. The government running out of credit might seem pretty dramatic, and while it’s not exactly nothing, it’s also a situation that arises on a semi-regular basis.

Even so, Yellen wasn’t mincing words in her letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, stating that “Failure to meet the government’s obligations would cause irreparable harm to the US economy, the livelihoods of all Americans, and global financial stability. I respectfully urge Congress to act promptly to protect the full faith and credit of the United States.”

Usually this type of thing is a bit of a formality for Congress, but these days we can’t necessarily rely on anything going smoothly in Washington D.C.

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It's those people doing political crimes again
The people who start with "D" and end with "rat"
https://www.inquirer.com/politics/election/philly-mayors-race-amen-brown-debts-lawsuits-20230126.html
An Inquirer review found that Brown’s business and real estate dealings over the last decade have been mired in repeated accusations of legal and financial impropriety.