Biden’s HHS diverting millions of funds meant for COVID-19 vaccinations to program for unaccompanied migrant children crossing the border

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The Department of Health and Human Services will reportedly take millions of dollars designated for COVID-19 vaccination efforts and divert the substantial funds to a program for sheltering unaccompanied migrant children who have entered the U.S. at the southern border.

The HHS will reallocate an additional $589 million to the agency’s unaccompanied children program, some of those funds were dedicated to COVID-19 vaccinations, according to Fox News.

“HHS informed Congress that it is diverting $225 million in National Institute of Health (NIH) funding that was part of the December COVID-19 relief bill to the unaccompanied children (UAC) program, as well as $364 million in HHS funding that was passed as part of the American Rescue Plan (ARP),” a congressional source told the outlet.

The report noted that $187.5 million was set aside for the Centers for Disease Control for “vaccine planning, distribution, monitoring and tracking” and an additional $25 million for “vaccine confidence activities.” There was also $151 million of the diverted funds that were to go to the “Supply Chain for Vaccines, Therapeutics and Medical Supplies.”

The HHS claimed that the funds being diverted to the border crisis were not planned for any ongoing vaccine efforts, and had no impact on getting Americans vaccinated.

“The Unaccompanied Children program has long relied on funding transfers to meet its mission, and this year faces the additional expense of rebuilding a decimated system while taking pandemic-related safety precautions, such as testing and social distancing,” an HHS spokesperson told Fox News.

The latest reallocation of funds means that the UAC has received over $4 billion in diverted money this year alone, according to the outlet.

A report from Politico surfaced in May that said the Biden administration pulled over $2 billion that was marked for COVID-19 health resources, and sent the money to Biden’s border crisis.

“The redirected funds include $850 million that Congress originally allocated to rebuild the nation’s Strategic National Stockpile, the emergency medical reserve strained by the Covid-19 response,” Politico reported at the time. “Another $850 million is being taken from a pot intended to help expand coronavirus testing, according to three people with knowledge of the matter.”

The HHS reportedly took approximately $436 million from a “range of existing health initiatives across the department.”

Politico reported that the $2.13 billion in diverted COVID-19 funds “exceeds the government’s annual budget for the unaccompanied children program in each of the last two fiscal years.”

The HHS’s fiscal year 2022 budget for “Refugees and Unaccompanied Migrant Children” has a total budget of $4.4 billion. In the HHS budget, they are requesting “$3.3 billion for the unaccompanied children program, an increase of $2.0 billion above the FY 2021 appropriation.”

“This investment rebuilds the nation’s refugee infrastructure to support resettling up to 125,000 refugees in 2022, the highest number of refugees admitted to the United States in 30 years,” the HHS stated.

“Funds will support the cost of caring for children referred to ACF as well as reforms to the program to better position ACF to address future surges and implement child welfare best practices,” the HHS said.

The unaccompanied children program’s mission: “Making and implementing the best shelter placement decisions for the unaccompanied children, providing home assessments for certain categories of children, and ensuring, to the greatest extent practicable, that all UC in custody have access to pro bono legal representation or counsel for immigration proceedings.”

There were more than 19,000 unaccompanied minors detained at the U.S. southern border in July, outpacing the previous high of 18,877 in March, according to the Associated Press. The number of families arriving in the U.S. reached the second-highest total on record in July, and there were a total of 212,672 people apprehended at the southern border.

Russia Calls on US To Release Afghanistan’s Bank Reserves...A Russian official pressed the United States to release billions of dollars from the Afghanistan central bank’s reserves, a move that could aid the Taliban.

 

Russia Calls on US To Release Afghanistan’s Bank Reserves

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A Russian official pressed the United States to release billions of dollars from the Afghanistan central bank’s reserves, a move that could aid the Taliban.

Kremlin envoy to Afghanistan Zamir Kabulov challenged the United States and its allies to lift restrictions on the nation’s leading financial institution, which has more than $9 billion in reserves. U.S. officials froze access to the bank’s reserves held in U.S. institutions in mid-August. Kabulov also said Moscow is vying to keep normalized relations with the Taliban.

“If our Western colleagues are actually worried about the fate of the Afghan people, then we must not create additional problems for them by freezing gold and foreign exchange reserves,” Kabulov Said. “We are already building [ties with the Taliban], our embassy in Kabul is working, and quite actively…. We need to maintain normal relations with any government in Afghanistan.”

Taliban officials on Aug. 23 appointed a new bank governor, who is considered a loyalist to the terrorist group. Republican lawmakers expressed concern to the Washington Free Beacon that the group could seize enormous financial assets from the bank, enriching its regime and allowing its rule to grow over the war-torn nation.

The move may also reveal a broader strategy from Russia to destabilize the American exit from Afghanistan. Russia has kept working relations with the Taliban even as the Kremlin arms its allies in neighboring countries. Richard Fontaine, the CEO of the Center for a New American Security and a member of the Vandenberg Coalition’s advisory board, told the Free Beacon Russia has a major interest in forcing the United States to “bleed out” of Afghanistan through a bitter withdrawal.

“Russia has had a couple of interests since all this has proceeded. One is in seeing the United States not effortlessly leave Afghanistan, but bleed out of Afghanistan,” Fontaine said. “The U.S. government has accused the Russians of providing assistance to the Taliban…. Certainly the [Russians] have not wanted to see a clean [American] exit out of Afghanistan and have engaged with the Taliban for the past five years or so.”

 

Federal Court Of Appeals Protects Pro-Life Individuals’ Right To Protest New York Abortion Provider

The federal 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals on August 26 affirmed the right of pro-life protesters to peacefully assemble outside of an abortion provider in Queens, New York.

The New York attorney general’s office had placed unsubstantiated charges of making threats and harassment against members of the Church at The Rock, located in Brooklyn, related to peaceful protests outside the abortion facility.

The accused church members, including pastor Kenneth Griepp, are represented by The Thomas More Law Center in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Senior counsel Stephen Crampton said that the decision was a “great win, to be sure.”

Crampton said that the case was always about politics and that the attorney general has wasted public funding pursuing invalid claims and persecuting Christians who were obeying the law.

The opinion from a three-judge panel of the appeals court upheld an earlier ruling by federal District Judge Carol Amon. Judge Amon, who was appointed to the federal bench in 1990 by President George H.W. Bush, had denied New York’s motion for an injunction against the pro-life activists.

The Court of Appeals initially ruled in favor of the attorney general, granting the injunction against the church members prohibiting their sidewalk assembly. In an unusual decision this May, the court granted the church members’ request for a rehearing and allowed the parties to file additional legal briefs. That rehearing led to last week’s order now affirming Judge Amon’s decision to deny the injunction.

The case now returns to Judge Amon’s court for a full trial on the case’s merits. The constitutionality of New York City’s Access to Reproductive Health Care Facilities Act is one of the topics expected to be addressed.

Attorneys for the Thomas More Society have argued that the state’s case must fail because the law in question violates the First Amendment rights of sidewalk counselors who have been coming to the Queens abortion facility since 2012 to peacefully speak to women entering the building and offering materials describing abortion alternatives.

Elizabeth Warren Parties Maskless With Deb Haaland And Real American Indians The following story is brought to you courtesy of The Federalist. Click the link to visit their page and see more stories.

 

Elizabeth Warren Parties Maskless With Deb Haaland And Real American Indians

The following story is brought to you courtesy of The Federalist. Click the link to visit their page and see more stories.

Massachusetts Democrat Sen. Elizabeth Warren appeared to join real American Indians Saturday when she partied maskless in defiance of New Mexico’s mask mandate at Interior Secretary Deb Haaland’s wedding.

Photos obtained and published by the Washington Free Beacon show Warren with the first American Indian cabinet secretary at a tribal resort in a state where Democrat Gov. Michelle Lujan Grisham has reimposed indoor mask requirements regardless of vaccination status.

“The re-implemented mask requirement applies to all individuals aged 2 and older in all indoor public settings — except when eating or drinking,” Grisham’s office wrote in an Aug. 17 press release with the policy expiration date set for Sept. 15.

A spokesman for the Interior Department wrote in an emailed statement to The Federalist “guests were required to be vaccinated and wear masks,” to be “consistent with CDC guidance and New Mexico’s public health orders.”

But Saturday’s maskless celebrations, illustrated by photos from the Free Beacon, mark the latest episode of Democrats skirting restrictive COVID protocols imposed by their own statist politicians within liberal enclaves of the country.

Gov. Grisham herself became the face of lockdown hypocrisy when local reporting from KRQE News 13 at the onset of the pandemic exposed her opening up a jewelry store to purchase expensive jewelry for herself, after she had previously shut the store down.

“We are in really tough financial times as a state,” Grisham said a month prior to her purchase, when she lectured residents to stay home and close their businesses. “It mirrors the incredible, personal sacrifices that happen every single day because people have limited ability to work, telecommuting and many people in fact, have lost their jobs.”

Haaland, 60, married her longtime partner Skip Sayre over the weekend at a wedding that the Associated Press wrote “incorporated elements honoring her Native American ancestry.” Sayre is an executive with the Laguna Development Corp., which runs the gaming and hospitality services of the Laguna Pueblo tribe to which Haaland belongs.

Warren claimed for decades that she was a member of the Cherokee Nation. Before a DNA test in the run-up to her failed presidential run, Warren cited her grandfather’s “high cheek bones” as evidence of her ancestry which she claimed when she taught law at Harvard. She was even featured by the university as proof of expanding faculty diversity, and the student newspaper referred to Warren as “the first woman with a minority background to be tenured,” according to the Boston Herald in 2012. A 1984 Indian cookbook titled “Pow Wow Chow” also included allegedly “Cherokee” recipes contributed by Warren.

Warren apologized for pushing the false identity after the published results of her 2018 DNA test failed to prove she was a true descendant of any American Indians, let alone a member of the Cherokee Nation. The test merely showed “strong evidence” of ancestry from six to 10 generations ago, putting Warren’s bloodline anywhere from 1/65 to 1/1,024 American Indian.

In August last year, the Democrat Party included Warren on an American Indian panel at the Democratic National Convention (DNC).

Biden Calls Black Advisor ‘Boy’ in Incredibly Odd Exchange The following story is brought to you courtesy of Red State. Click the link to visit their page and see more stories.

 

Biden Calls Black Advisor ‘Boy’ in Incredibly Odd Exchange

The following story is brought to you courtesy of Red State. Click the link to visit their page and see more stories.

When Joe Biden isn’t offending the family members of fallen soldiers, he’s apparently making racist comments about his advisors. But was it intentional? That’s gonna be up to your interpretation of the clip I’m about to share with you, which shows Biden calling Cedric Richmond “boy” in an incredibly odd exchange.

And honestly, I think there’s more here to note than just the casual racism.

Before Biden even gets to his slip of the tongue, he’s already struggling. I think he set a world record for most “uhs” in a 30-second span as he almost forgot his FEMA chief’s name again. It’s legitimately painful to watch, and none of what you are hearing is the result of a lifelong stutter, though, I’m sure his defenders will claim that. Prior to the last couple of years, Biden never had this kind of trouble speaking, and that hasn’t gone unnoticed by those willing to pay attention. This is a man who can’t mentally handle the job he’s been handed. That becomes more and more obvious with each passing day.

Then we get to Biden’s use of the term “boy” to describe Richmond. I’ll make an attempt at being charitable and suggest that perhaps he meant “and boy he knows” instead of “and boy who knows.” Of course, the latter is what he actually said, and had this been a Republican down to dog-catcher, charges of racism would be flying right now.

But the senility is the point here.

It’s not that Biden is purposely trying to be racist. I don’t think he is in this instance. But that’s because I’m not even sure he knows what he’s saying at any given moment. Rather, I think he just has no filter because he’s a mentally decrepit old man who shouldn’t be president. It’s common as people age for them to use terms from their younger years that are no longer politically correct. Most people have had an 80-year-old uncle say something quasi-racist while not even realizing he’s doing it. Perhaps that’s what happened here? Or maybe Biden’s brain just melted and he mixed up his words completely?

Either way, it shouldn’t make anyone feel good about the fact that Biden holds the office he does.

Monumental effort underway to rescue over 50 ‘brave’ US military dogs stranded in Afghanistan August 31, 2021 | Jon Dougherty |

 

Monumental effort underway to rescue over 50 ‘brave’ US military dogs stranded in Afghanistan

August 31, 2021 | Jon Dougherty |  Print Article

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A non-profit group is working diligently to rescue dozens of U.S. military working dogs abandoned at the Hamid Karzai International Airport on Monday as the war in Afghanistan officially ended and the last transport plane went wheels up at the Taliban-imposed deadline.

Later in the day, Pentagon officials announced that while all U.S. troops had been withdrawn, “hundreds” of Americans remained stranded in the war-torn country, though roughly two weeks ago, President Joe Biden pledged that no American would be left behind.

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But apparently, American citizens weren’t the only ones, according to Joshua Hosler, president of a group called Veteran Sheepdogs of America.

According to TMZ, the organization was tasked with the responsibility of getting 51 military working dogs out of Kabul last week, tweeting a picture over the weekend of several dog carriers in front of a helicopter that looks out of action. Those crates represented a small part of the overall number of dogs that were abandoned during the military withdrawal, Hosler said.

“UPDATE: Kabul Airfield. Working on getting working dogs out. Whatever mess you think Kabul is… it’s worse!” the group noted in a tweet accompanying the posted photo.

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A subsequent tweet included another photo of still more carriers containing more working dogs.

Hosler told TMZ he is in a desperate plea for $1.67 million to cover the costs of boarding the dogs on a 737 commercial airliner out of the country, and that he’s close to achieving his objective.

“Joshua tells us they’ve reached the $1.4 million mark with two big donors to still come through, he’s confident they’ll hit their goal of $1.67 million,” TMZ posted in an update late Monday afternoon.

Before, Hosler’s group posted that it had reached the funding goal but that an animal rights group fell through, leaving them short again.

“51 contracted military working dogs are safe & being cared for in their crates. We had all funds for the plane, but an animal rescue org fell through. So we are scrambling to cover their amount of $500,000 of the $1.67 million,” the group posted.

“State Department has heard your cries & is assisting. THANK YOU! The Turkish have taken over the airfield & things are actually smoother than the last 2 days to get info & PPR papers to Ramstein,” the massive U.S. airbase in Germany, the group wrote in another post.

The plan, the group added, is to get the dogs to Germany where they will be quarantined for a month before being put aboard planes back to the U.S. and, eventually, “donated to police departments in need.”

Another group called American Humane, which is dedicated to providing for the safety and care of animals, said Monday that it will stand by to assist in transporting contract K-9 ‘soldiers’ to the U.S. and provide a lifetime of medical care for them.

“It sickens us to sit idly by and watch these brave dogs who valiantly served our country be put to death or worse,” Dr. Robin R. Ganzert, president and CEO of the organization, said in a statement. “In order to prevent this tragedy from occurring, these K-9’s should be loaded into whatever cargo space remains and flown to safety.

“I am devastated by reports that the American government is pulling out of Kabul and leaving behind brave U.S. military contract working dogs to be tortured and killed at the hand of our enemies,” Ganzert noted further. “These brave dogs do the same dangerous, lifesaving work as our military working dogs, and deserved a far better fate than the one to which they have been condemned.”

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DeSantis follows through, withholds salaries from rogue school boards over mask mandates August 31, 2021 | Chris Donaldson

 

DeSantis follows through, withholds salaries from rogue school boards over mask mandates

August 31, 2021 | Chris Donaldson |  Print Article

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Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has followed through on his threat to withhold the salaries of rogue school boards that seek to force students to wear masks in classrooms despite an executive order that parents, and not petty bureaucrats, have the freedom to make health decisions for their children.

On Monday, the Florida Department of Education moved to punish school boards in Broward and Alachua counties by withholding funds equal to the monthly salaries of school board members, a sign that the Sunshine State Republican isn’t going to be pushed around by President Joe Biden and far-left teachers’ unions.

According to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, “We’re going to fight to protect parents’ rights to make health care decisions for their children.”

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“What’s unacceptable is the politicians who have raised their right hands and pledged, under oath, to uphold the Constitution but are not doing so,” he said in a statement.

The average salary per month for a school board member in Broward County, a Democrat stronghold, is $3,897 as reported by Politico.

JUST IN: Florida Department of Education withholds salaries of school board members defying DeSantis' parental rights order on mask mandates. pic.twitter.com/IW9fm7j4e8

— Chris Pandolfo (@ChrisCPandolfo) August 30, 2021

The state’s action comes after a judge ruled against activist parents and said that DeSantis’ ban on forced masking was unconstitutional and “without legal authority.”

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Leon County Circuit Court Judge John C. Cooper invoked drunken driving as the basis for his decision.

“It’s our right to drink alcoholic beverages if we’re over 21, but we cannot get in our car and start driving around while we’ve had alcoholic beverages that impair our ability to drive,” he said. “And the reason is, the driver exercising his or her right to drink is now putting at risk other people.”

The rights of those who do not wish to be coerced into wearing the stifling face diapers which are especially cruel to children matter little to those who have been empowered to impose their authoritarian measures upon others under the pretense of fighting COVID-19.

Florida Agriculture Commissioner Nikki Fried, a Democrat who hopes to topple DeSantis in next year’s gubernatorial election, gloated after the ruling.

Ron DeSantis isn’t just beatable in court.

— Nikki Fried (@NikkiFried) August 27, 2021

DeSantis vowed to appeal the ruling, “It’ll be appealed. We’ll end up getting it back,” he said during a news conference in Jacksonville on Monday. “I think we’re gonna have really good grounds to appeal.”

Taryn Fenske, the governor’s communications director blasted Judge Cooper’s ruling in a statement: “This ruling was made with incoherent justifications, not based in science and facts – frankly not even remotely focused on the merits of the case presented.”

Florida has become the primary battleground for the future of freedom in America with DeSantis being mauled by a sustained media propaganda campaign over the last month that has churned out stories based on manipulated case numbers which they contend show that Florida is the epicenter of the Delta variant outbreak and that kids be masked in classrooms to prevent the spread.

The White House has seized on the opportunity to inflict political damage on DeSantis, a strong contender for the White House in 2024 if former President Donald J. Trump chooses not to run again, and Biden himself went on the attack against his potential challenger, suggesting that he could intervene federally to impose mask mandates, a major distraction for the commander in chief who was oblivious that Afghanistan was about to fall to the Taliban.

Biden says he's "very concerned" about children catching COVID and it's "disingenuous" that governors accusing him of government overreach are threatening school officials who enforce protocols. He says he's "checking" if he has power to intervene in states like Texas and Florida pic.twitter.com/vqQFRA7kD4

— CBS News (@CBSNews) August 10, 2021

The Biden administration has also signaled that it would intervene to backstop school boards that have been penalized by using federal funds.

“We are eager to partner with FLDOE on any efforts to further our shared goals of protecting the health and safety of students and educators,” Secretary Of Education Miguel Cardona wrote in a letter to DeSantis and Corcoran, “If FLDOE does not wish to pursue such an approach, the Department will continue to work directly with the school districts and educators that serve Florida’s students.”

The state’s action against Broward and Alachua counties sends a message to other school districts that are in violation of parental rights and the war will soon be joined by Washington which, on Monday, opened civil rights investigations into five Republican-controlled states over school mask mandates, though Florida was not included.

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