Biden’s FDA Releases Plan On Nicotine In Cigarettes For Some Reason

By William Teach January 17, 2025 – 6:45 am

Really, I’m surprised Biden isn’t hanging at his beach house, whiling away his final days or something

Biden releases 11th-hour plan to lower nicotine in cigarettes

The Biden administration released a proposal Wednesday to dramatically reduce nicotine levels in cigarettes, a move that anti-smoking advocates believe would save millions of lives even as it threatens the powerful tobacco industry.

The Food and Drug Administration’s plan to slash nicotine to minimally or nonaddictive levels represents a last-ditch effort by President Joe Biden to influence tobacco policy. The agency is proposing the policy in the waning days of his term, leaving it up to President-elect Donald Trump to finalize the effort – or scrap it – once he takes office.

Under the plan, tobacco companies would be required to cut nicotine in cigarettes to no more than 0.7 milligrams per gram of tobacco, which the FDA says is significantly lower than the average concentration in products on the market. The agency’s proposal would also apply to most cigars and pipe tobacco, but not to e-cigarettes or nicotine pouches.

FDA Commissioner Robert M. Califf, a cardiologist, has been a champion of the nicotine reduction plan, referring to it as “the number one priority” in an interview last month. The effort also aligns with Biden’s goal of cutting U.S. cancer rates by half.

Well, Marlboro lights actually have exactly .7 milligrams per gram. But, really, is this something they need to regulate? Is this their business? If people want their nicotine let them have it. Alcohol is way, way worse, and these same lefties are legalizing marijuana all over the country. You can smoke a whole pack of cigarettes and still be fine to drive. Not so with a joint, a couple bong hits, or some gummies. And, it sure seems like the products are way more powerful these days than back in the day when I did smoke marijuana. Just the average stuff is more powerful. I don’t do it, but, if someone wants to, have at it.

The smarter move would have been to attempt to regulate all the other ingredients, less chemicals. If you cut the nicotine then people who are used to the higher nicotine will actually, get this, smoke more. Regardless, just because Califf is on a Mission doesn’t mean that every Americans must comply.

Well, good start there. Will they approve others, like Velo and On? Zyn is too expensive, especially since they only come 15 to a pack. Very good, but, I can get Velo’s for less for 20 per pack.

Read: Biden’s FDA Releases Plan On Nicotine In Cigarettes For Some Reason »

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Good News: Democrats Employee Feddie And Frannie To Address Climate (scam) In Mortgages

By William Teach January 16, 2025 – 6:16 pm

This shouldn’t have any impact on mortgages from pretty much all lenders, right? It’s no big deal when a person has been in public service for decades and somehow made millions

CASTEN, WHITEHOUSE URGE FANNIE AND FREDDIE TO ADDRESS CLIMATE RISK FOR HOME MORTGAGES

U.S. Congressman Sean Casten (IL-06) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent letters to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac questioning the Enterprises on how they assess and manage climate-related risks for the home mortgage loans they purchase and hold.

“The U.S. mortgage market faces severe challenges due to climate-related factors, including underinsurance, increasingly unaffordable or unavailable insurance, the over-representation of under-capitalized insurers in high-risk areas such as Florida, the transfer of high climate-risk mortgages to [the Enterprises], and a high percentage of GSE-backed loans without flood insurance,” the lawmakers wrote. “These issues are a result of the destabilizing effects of climate change. We believe that how [the Enterprises] assesses and manages these risks will be crucial in maintaining stability.”

In recent months, Hurricane Helene’s destructive path across the Southeast has spotlighted the lack of flood insurance coverage in areas that have been historically perceived as ‘less risky.’ Less than 1% of the inland areas that sustained the most catastrophic damage were protected with flood insurance. Both Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac have identified flood insurance as an important risk mitigation measure for future climate-related losses to their portfolios. However, the GSEs require flood insurance only for their loans in high-risk areas (i.e., FEMA-designated flood zones and coastal areas), and have no stated requirement for medium and lower-risk areas, leaving homeowners unaware of potential flood risks to their property. As a result, there are serious concerns that the real estate markets have underpriced flood risk, where home values do not accurately account for future and increased costs from flooding. This is contributing to the overvaluation of homes, and any correction or home value deflation would disproportionately impact low-income households.

Lenders have responded to this lack of insurance by selling their risky mortgages, including in coastal areas, to Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac in order to avoid bearing the risk that homeowners will default on their mortgages. This only shifts the risk to the federal government, and by extension, the taxpayer. In the event that the federal government needs to bail out Fannie and Freddie through a string of defaults, taxpayers would ultimately pay the price.

So, this is all about linking insurance, which has gone up mostly because A) people are building in areas that have been in risky areas for a long time but had often been avoided because they were more risky, B) too many buildings, roads, and other construction which makes the areas more risky (such as an inability to move floodwaters away), and C) fearmongering from the climate cultists. What this letter would do would be to cause home mortgages to sky rocket and/or be denied, and for home prices to skyrocket even more than they had due to COVID. I mean, hell, most of D.C. is in a danger prone area, being that a goodly chunk used to be swamp, and could easily flood.

Read: Good News: Democrats Employee Feddie And Frannie To Address Climate (scam) In Mortgages »

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If All You See…

By William Teach January 16, 2025 – 1:00 pm

…is a horrible fossil fueled vehicle, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is If You Aren’t Left You Ain’t Right, with a post on Team Biden still loathing Americans.

Read: If All You See… »

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Chicago Blocks Proposal To End Being A Sanctuary City

By William Teach January 16, 2025 – 10:30 am

Well, if they want to continue to shelter and protect rapists, murderers, and child abusers then the Trump admin should make them the last to have ICE sweep in and pick up the criminal illegals. Oh, and maybe arrest some people for harboring/sheltering illegals

Chicago blocks proposal that’d allow law enforcement to cooperate with ICE on targeting criminal migrants

The Chicago city council on Wednesday blocked a proposal that would have allowed local law enforcement to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to detain migrants with a criminal record.

Chicago’s “welcoming city” ordinance, in compliance with the 2017 Illinois Trust Act, prohibits local law enforcement from participating in federal immigration enforcement.

Ald Ray Lopez and Silvana Tabares wanted to change the ordinance to enable police to cooperate with ICE to target migrants who had been arrested for gang or drug-related activities or sexual crimes involving minors. Their measure received backlash from activist groups when they first introduced the measure in 2023.

It might be a good idea for ICE to just start getting warrants instead of detainers. Have a judge available to sign off quickly and go pick up the criminals, and, if they are let go, arrest the people who authorized letting them go.

Before Chicago officials voted down the proposed amendment, Jordan Kelly, a member of the Council on American-Islamic Relations and resident of 30th ward, spoke out against Lopez and Tabares’ proposed amendment.

“Self-hating cowards such as Ray Lopez and Tabares want to turn our city into a hell for migrants who are not only Latin, by the way. CAIR Chicago has 40-50 open asylum cases currently. What do we tell these people and families if we don’t remain a sanctuary? Plus, our economy cannot handle mass deportations,” Kelly said.

That’s weird: why would a member of CAIR, linked to Islamic terrorist groups, want to make sure that rapists, murderers, and gang members, and jihadis, remain in Chicago?

One resident who spoke at the city council meeting on Wednesday slammed Johnson

“Who are you loyal to? The American citizens in Chicago or the illegal immigrants in Chicago?,” the man said. “The sanctuary law that Brandon Johnson allowed has brought criminals, drug dealers, and now terrorists.”

The resident doesn’t actually think that the Elites will listen to the peasants, do they?

Johnson’s guidelines advise that if ICE should enter city property to “contact your agency or department’s designated attorney or general counsel for further guidance. Contact the highest ranking official or designated supervisor onsite and do not take any action until that person arrives.”

The guidance advises officials to demand copies of warrants, not to consent to ICE entering “any private or ‘sensitive’ locations,” but not to interfere with any search, even if refused. There are other recommendations, like taking notes and keeping contemporaneous written records.

Refusal to allow federal law enforcement in would constitute obstruction of justice. Seriously, why are Democrats so batguano insane over protecting illegals/fake asylum seekers who have broken the law, including when felonies?

Read: Chicago Blocks Proposal To End Being A Sanctuary City »

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Judge Dismisses NYC’s Climate Lawsuit Against Fossil Fuels Companies

By William Teach January 16, 2025 – 7:00 am

Sometimes the lawfare works, sometimes it doesn’t. But, the judges still never ask “if you think fossil fuels are so bad why are you using them?”

‘Cannot Have It Both Ways’: Judge Delivers Fatal Blow To New York City’s Lawsuit Against Energy Comp

stop global warmingA judge dismissed New York City’s lawsuit seeking to make energy companies pay for climate change on Tuesday.

New York Supreme Court Justice Anar Patel tossed the lawsuit, writing in her ruling that the city could not simultaneously argue that New Yorkers were aware of the relationship between fossil fuels and climate change while being allegedly misled by oil companies about their role in climate change, according to Reuters. New York City’s lawsuit against Exxon Mobil, BP and Shell was one of many similar suits filed in Democrat-controlled jurisdictions seeking massive compensation from energy corporations for their supposed role in driving climate change.

“The city cannot have it both ways,” Patel wrote in the ruling, according to Reuters. She added that she did not find any evidence that the companies or the American Petroleum Institute engaged in a deliberate “greenwashing” effort to mislead consumers.

For a city that Cares about global boiling NYC sure does use a lot of fossil fuels. Fire trucks, police cars, ambulances, SUVs for the mayor and city council members, all the ships coming and going bringing goods and commuters, two international airports, and more. NYC couldn’t operate without fossil fuels.

“Our complaint alleged that these defendants spent millions to mislead consumers to think that they, and their products, contribute to a clean energy future,” the spokesman told Reuters. “Our complaint alleged that these defendants spent millions to mislead consumers to think that they, and their products, contribute to a clean energy future.”

So they talked up trying to be green. So what? Get over it.

Read: Judge Dismisses NYC’s Climate Lawsuit Against Fossil Fuels Companies »

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Biden Announces Hostage Deal And Ceasefire Between Hamas And Israel

By William Teach January 16, 2025 – 6:45 am

Biden may be a scumbag and incompetent, but, I think we can all hope that the deal holds and the hostages will all be released

US President Joe Biden announces Gaza ceasefire, hostage deal

President Joe Biden, alongside Vice President Kamala Harris and Secretary of State Antony Blinken, officially announced the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas from the White House on Wednesday afternoon just after Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani announced the deal from Doha.

“It’s a very good afternoon because, at long last, I can announce a ceasefire deal has been reached between Israel and Hamas after more than 15 months of conflict,” Biden said. “That began with [Hamas’s] brutal massacre on October the seventh, more than 15 months of terror for the hostages, their families, the Israeli people.”

There was no other way for this war to end other than a hostage deal, Biden said, adding he’s deeply satisfied this day has finally come for the people of Israel and the families waiting in agony and for the sake of the innocent people in Gaza who suffered unimaginable devastation because of the war.

Biden said the elements of this deal were what he laid out in detail this past May, which was embraced by countries around the world and endorsed overwhelmingly by the UN Security Council.

He explained the deal is structured in three phases. Phase one will last six weeks and includes a full and complete cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all the populated areas of Gaza, and the release of a number of hostages held by Hamas, including women, the elderly, and the wounded.

The Jerusalem Post explains how the whole think works. Will it? Biden was asked if Trump had anything to do with it, and, yeah, you know that Hamas is seriously concerned about what happens when Trump takes office

(Fox News) IDF Brig. Gen. Amir Avivi says “two things” changed regarding the Israel-Hamas cease-fire agreement after fifteen months of conflict in the Middle East.

“This deal has been on the table since May last year and Hamas opposed it completely. Why? There was no real pressure on Hamas,” Avivi told “Your World” on Wednesday. “Israel wanted to stop some of the humanitarian aid, especially some of the gasoline, but the administration wouldn’t let us do that. So Israel has no major leverage on them.”

“What’s changed is two things,” Avivi told Fox News. “One, Israel defeated Hezbollah and Hezbollah cannot support Hamas anymore. Also, Syria fell. Iran is weaker. But the big change is President Trump’s threat.”

“Once President Trump threatened them, that if they don’t release hostages, there will be hell… I think they understand that if they don’t get a deal now, the chances of getting a good deal for them will be very, very low, if at all. And therefore, they made their own assessment, and they are inclined to do the deal, thinking that they’ll maximize what they can get now and not wait to see what ‘hell’ means,” Avivi stated.

Will Hamas play games when Trump takes office? We shall see. And, if it holds, let Biden have the win.

Read: Biden Announces Hostage Deal And Ceasefire Between Hamas And Israel »

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Rich People Rush To Install Solar Panels Ahead Of Trump

By William Teach January 15, 2025 – 4:44 pm

National Public Radio is on the case

People are rushing to install solar panels before Trump becomes president

The solar power industry is growing fast, accounting for more than half of all new electricity on the grid last year. But soon President-elect Donald Trump and fellow Republicans in Congress may try to reduce or eliminate government incentives that have driven much of that growth.

That has potential customers who want to install solar on their homes worried about the future of an existing 30% federal tax credit. Some are responding by rushing to install solar now, before the credit can be eliminated. Others are deciding solar is too risky with an incoming Trump administration.

Solar installers face even more uncertainty with threats of increased tariffs that could make panels and other equipment more expensive. The industry’s main trade group, Solar Energy Industries Association, has released a policy agenda that echoes some of Trump’s language, such as “energy dominance.” But it’s not clear that will sway a president who has been openly hostile to renewable energy.

Trump has suggested tariffs as high as 60% on imports from China and 20% on all other goods coming into the U.S. With the support of a Republican-controlled Congress, Trump also could rescind programs passed as part of President Biden’s climate agenda, where allocated money has not already been spent.

The median income for those who install solar is $117K, which, in fairness, is down from $140K in 2010, which has more to do with China dumping cheap solar in the US as well as all the government subsidies and tax breaks than anything else. Regardless, most average middle and working class folks are not getting them. If you try and find the average cost of solar panels for a house, well, good luck. I’m seeing numbers from a bit over $9K to $30K and everything in between. Those are not costs that the average American can dump money on, and, how long does it take to hit that number and start saving money?

Regardless, will Trump and GOP actually do anything? Probably not. They’d have a tough time wacking those subsidies and such if they tried. The Democrats would filibuster to stop it. They aren’t the hill to die on. Especially since there are actually a lot of Republicans who have off grid houses and places in the woods and on lakes and stuff who install solar.

And, just to be clear, I am in favor of the tax rebates and such.

Read: Rich People Rush To Install Solar Panels Ahead Of Trump »

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If All You See…

By William Teach January 15, 2025 – 1:02 pm

…is horrible ice from a carbon pollution driven polar vortex, you might just be a Warmist

The blog of the day is Babalu Blog (which had disappeared from my feedreader long ago), with a post on Biden taking Cuba off the terrorism list.

Read: If All You See… »

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Sweden Changing Constitution To Be Able To Revoke Citizenship Of Imports

By William Teach January 15, 2025 – 10:30 am

It looks like Sweden has finally had enough of all the fake asylum seekers coming to Sweden and causing problems

Sweden seeks to change constitution to be able to revoke citizenships

Sweden is preparing to change the constitution to be able to take away the passports of people who obtained citizenship by fraudulent means, or who are a threat to the state, the government said on Wednesday.

People with dual nationality who received citizenship by providing false information, bribery or threats, as well as people convicted of crimes like espionage or treason could be stripped of their Swedish passports if the law is passed.

“The background is that Sweden is dealing with three parallel and very serious threats to our internal security,” Justice Minister Gunnar Strommer told a news conference. “Violent extremism, state actors acting in a hostile manner towards Sweden, as well as systemic and organized crime.”

Sweden’s minority government and its backers, the far-right and anti-immigration Sweden Democrats, won the 2022 election on a promise to keep reducing immigration and gang crime, which they say are linked. Stockholm granted the lowest number of residence permits to asylum seekers and their relatives on record in 2024. (snip)

Around 20% of Sweden’s 10.5 million citizens were born abroad.

How many of that 20% are incompatible with Sweden’s way of life, and attempt to force their lifestyles and beliefs on Sweden and the Swedish people? How many have brought their extreme Islamist religion to Sweden and refuse to assimilate? Bringing their gangs, and gang rapes, and grooming?

Sweden started cracking down on the fake asylum seekers in 2022, booting them out faster than they were coming in, and

Read: Sweden Changing Constitution To Be Able To Revoke Citizenship Of Imports »

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Biden Regime Quietly Kills Off Climate Scam Rule For Contractors

By William Teach January 15, 2025 – 7:15 am

It’s actually surprising, since the Biden-Harris regime has been doing all they can to cause problems for the incoming Trump admin. And the American people, especially the workers

Biden Admin Scraps Climate Disclosure Rule for Contractors

Over the past couple of years, a lobbying battle has been underway over a Biden administration proposal that would have required large federal contractors to publicly disclose their annual greenhouse gas emissions and climate-related financial risks.

In his announcement of the proposal in November 2022, President Biden said that it would make the U.S. the first country to require “major” contractors to set emissions reduction targets in line with the Paris Agreement on climate.

But on Jan. 10, the Federal Acquisition Regulatory Council (FAR Council), which helps coordinate procurement policy, announced it had withdrawn the climate disclosure rule, which was titled Disclosure of Greenhouse Gas Emissions and Climate-Related Financial Risk. In part, the announcement said that agencies had run out of time during the Biden-Harris administration to finalize the proposal, given the outpouring of regulatory comments on it. The rule’s fizzling out was described as a win by one of many industry trade associations that lobbied against it.

The rest is behind a paywall, so

(Crowell) The withdrawal notice explains that the agencies lacked sufficient time during the current administration to finalize the proposed rule “particularly given the large volume of public comments and the policy issues they raised” and that “[t]he agencies’ overall analysis of public comments indicates evolving practices and use of standards in industry, and since the publication of the proposed rule, differing domestic and international regulations covering greenhouse gas disclosures have been created.”

Does anyone actually believe that they care what the people think? Most likely the figured out that they did not have the statutory authority to pass this rule, and were looking at the Supreme Court Chevron ruling, which rolled back the ability of federal agencies to make rules which were not specifically authorized by Congressional legislation.

Read: Biden Regime Quietly Kills Off Climate Scam Rule For Contractors »

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