The LuLac Edition #4,756, June 2nd, 2022

 

 WILL TRUMP BE INDICTED?

TRUMP ELECTION PROBE GRAND JURY TO HEAR FROM RAFFENSPERGER

 Much is being made of the fact that Donald Trump will run for President in 2024. The Special Counsel concluded that a sitting President couldn’t be indicted but what about a President out of office? Could he be indicted for a crime he committed in office?

Georgia's top elections official was expected to appear Thursday before a special grand jury investigating whether former President Donald Trump and others illegally tried to meddle in the 2020 election in the state.

Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger was summoned to the Fulton County courthouse where the special grand jury has been meeting, according to a subpoena obtained by The Associated Press through an open records request. Other subpoenas seek documents and testimony from five other people in his office.

Raffensperger arrived at the courthouse in downtown Atlanta Thursday morning. When a reporter asked how the day would go, Raffensperger replied “hopefully short" as he walked up the steps.

Trump directed his ire at his fellow Republican after Raffensperger refused to bend to pressure to overturn the votes that gave Democrat Joe Biden a narrow presidential election victory in Georgia. Raffensperger defeated a Trump-endorsed challenger in last month's Republican primary.

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said her investigation includes looking into a January 2021 phone call in which Trump pushed Raffensperger to “find” the votes needed for him to win Georgia. Trump has said his call with Raffensperger was “perfect” and that he did nothing wrong.

We shall see about that.(AP. LuLac)

 

JIM JORDAN’S DANGEROUS TIME LINES

Jim Jordan (Photo: C-Span)

Jim Jordan has a few days to answer the following time line in the January 6^th probe. Here’s what he has to account for:

Nov. 6, 2020: Jordan requested a call with then-attorney general William Barr the day before the election was called for Joe Biden and also communicated with White House chief of staff Mark Meadows about efforts to "pressure" Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolfe to audit his state's presidential election results.

Nov. 9, 2020: The lawmaker participated in a meeting with senior White House officials to develop a "blueprint" for the Trump campaign's strategy after the election was called for Nov. 14, 2020: Jordan took part in a meeting between Trump campaign officials and members of Congress where Rudy Giuliani announced the campaign would cast doubt on the results by linking Dominion Voting Systems to Venezuelan leaders Hugo Chavez and Nicolas Maduro and Antifa activists in the U.S.

Dec. 21, 2020: Jordan participated in a meeting with Trump, Vice President Mike Pence, Trump's legal advisers and more than a dozen lawmakers about a strategy to challenge the electoral certification on Jan. 6, 2021.

Jan. 5, 2021: The congressman communicated with Meadows to advise Pence to object to certifying electoral votes that he believed were unconstitutional, which various Trump legal advisers and the president himself had urged the vice president to do against the advice of White House counsel.

Jan. 6, 2021: Jordan spoke to Trump for 10 minutes at 9:24 a.m. and at least once after lawmakers were evacuated to a secure location after the president's supporters attacked the U.S. Capitol, and he also told Meadows the president's congressional allies were losing enthusiasm "now that their revolt would be covered only by C-SPAN.

As previously stated , the hearings become public on Prime Time after June 11^th. (aol news)

 

BACK TO THE DARK AGES WITH MASTRIANO 

GOP candidate Doug Mastriano (Photo: LuLac archives) 

Doug Mastriano, Pennsylvania's Republican candidate for governor, is perhaps the state's most prominent peddler of former President Donald Trump's lie that widespread fraud cost him the 2020 election.

A state senator and retired U.S. Army colonel, Mastriano says he wants to make everyone re-register if they want to vote again. The concept flatly violates federal law, legal scholars say, and may conflict with state law, not to mention constitutional protections. It is also a throwback to laws designed by white people in past eras to keep Black people or newer European immigrants from voting.

Pennsylvania is one of the few states where governors appoint a secretary of state who oversees elections. That means a Mastriano victory in November could make Pennsylvania — a premier presidential battleground state — a test case of whether laws meant to protect voter access to the polls can be undermined.

It’s unclear where Mastriano got the idea, and he has not responded to repeated interview requests on this or any other topic. But he has pitched re-registration as a necessary step to scrub the voter rolls of dead voters and ghost voters — voters registered to nonexistent addresses — in time for the 2024 presidential election.

One wonders just what the campaign strategy is for the Mastriano effort. So far he has not reached out to the mainstream middle and it seems like the only thing that can give him a puncher’s’ chance is if Democrats get too overconfident and don’t come out and vote for Josh Shapiro. (LuLac, MSNBC)

 

 REP. CARTWRIGHT ANNOUNCES $1.6 MILLION IN FEDERAL FUNDING TO SUPPORT FAMILY PLANNING, PREVENTIVE HEALTH CARE SERVICES

Congressman Cartwright at Memorial Day Observance in DuPont (Photo: Cartwright Facebook page)

U.S. Representative Matt Cartwright (PA-08) announced $1,609,630 from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to Maternal and Family Health Services (MFHS). This funding is part of a $256.6 million nationwide investment to expand access to affordable, high-quality, patient-centered family planning and related health care services.

“I am proud of the work MFHS does to support Northeastern Pennsylvanians. This funding will help women and families by providing quality medical care to those who need it most,” said Rep. Cartwright. “This funding is an important investment in our nation’s health care infrastructure. I will continue to fight for funding for comprehensive family planning and preventive health care services for all Americans.”

“We are pleased that our organization, once again, has been awarded this vital health care grant and appreciate Congressman Cartwright’s ongoing support,” said Dr. Maria Montoro Edwards, President and CEO of Maternal & Family Health Services. “As a Title X grant recipient for over five decades, MFHS has served as our region’s direct connection to quality, affordable reproductive health care. We are dedicated to making sure our community is connected to the support and care they need to make informed, educated decisions about their reproductive health.”

Since its founding in 1971, MFHS has been working to meet the needs of women, children, and families to address health disparities by providing pregnancy care, reproductive health services, preventive screenings, nurse-family partnerships, and nutrition education. Operating in 16 counties, MFHS serves more than 90,000 Pennsylvanians annually through its programs.

For more than 50 years, Title X has been the only federal grant program providing funding for comprehensive family planning and related preventive health services. The current grant program restores access to Title X services across the country by supporting a diverse network of clinics such as state and local health departments, federally qualified health centers, hospital-based sites and other nonprofit and community-based health centers.

 

CASEY, COLLEAGUES INTRODUCE BILL TO EMPOWER FDA TO GET INFANT FORMULA BACK ON SHELVES, PREVENT FUTURE SHORTAGES

NEW BILL WOULD GIVE FDA MORE AUTHORITY TO RESOLVE FORMULA SHORTAGE, ENSURE FAMILIES CAN ACCESS LIFE-SUSTAINING PRODUCTS

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senators Bob Casey,  Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY) and Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) introduced a bill to protect families and patients who rely on infant formula and other essential sources of nutrition (ESN). The Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act would safeguard the availability of these products by requiring manufacturers to notify the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of potential supply disruptions and give the FDA additional tools to proactively work with manufacturers to help prevent or mitigate potential shortages. At present, the agency lacks visibility into disruptions that could cause shortages, limiting its ability to work with manufacturers to adequately prepare for and respond to supply chain disruptions.

“Parents and families across the country are feeling desperate and scared. There is no greater fear than not being able to feed your child or of feeding your child contaminated formula. Congress has a responsibility to do everything we can to ensure formula is on shelves and parents can feed their kids,” said Senator Casey. “I am introducing the Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act to avoid another massive disruption in availability of life-saving and life-sustaining formula and other products. I will continue to push Abbott and the FDA to get the answers we need to make sure no family ever has to go through the fear and frustration parents are feeling now.”

“This infant formula supply shortage has placed an unacceptable burden on parents and caregivers and has put the health of too many babies and infants at risk. I am proud to introduce this legislation with Sen. Casey to ensure this never happens again and that families have access to the essential formula they need,” said Senator Brown.

“Our nation's infant formula shortage is alarming, and we must do all we can to ensure it doesn’t happen again,” said Duckworth. “Shortages like these can have serious consequences for a child’s growth and development—especially in the first year of their life—and it’s unacceptable. That’s one of the many reasons I’m proud to join my colleagues in helping Senator Casey introduce our commonsense legislation to prevent these kinds of shortages in the future and support working families across the nation.”

“It is imperative that we take all steps necessary to prevent another formula shortage from happening in the United States,” said Senator Gillibrand. “75 percent of babies in the United States are fed formula at some point in their first six months of life. So this is not just a problem for some babies, it’s a problem for the vast majority of infants and their families. This urgently needed bill will help prevent Americans from facing such a shortage again.”

“The infant formula shortage has created a crisis for the babies, children, and families who rely on this essential product. I'm glad to join Senator Casey and my colleagues in introducing this legislation to prevent future shortages and help ensure American families never have to face a crisis like this again,” said Senator Warren.

The Protect Infants from Formula Shortages Act:

Requires manufacturers of ESN to provide timely notification of known circumstances that are likely to lead to meaningful disruption in their domestic supply;

Allows the FDA to expand and accelerate notification requirements for certain foods during public health emergencies;

Directs manufacturers of ESN to develop risk management plans for the supply of their product; and

Gives the FDA authority to request records in advance or in lieu of an in-person inspection, and requires that manufacturers of ESN comply with these requests.

This legislation is endorsed by the American Academy of Pediatrics, the National WIC Association, North American Society For Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology & Nutrition, the National PKU Alliance and National PKU News.

Since the recall was announced, Senator Casey has advocated on behalf of consumers to get answers. Below is a timeline of his work on the issue:

February 24, 2022: Senator Casey, Chair of the Subcommittee on Children and Families on the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee joined Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate HELP Committee, to send a letter to Abbott requesting documents and more detail on the recall.

March 22, 2022: Senators Casey and Murray responded to the troubling Form 483s from three FDA inspections conducted at Abbott Nutrition’s facility.

April 8, 2022: Senator Casey and Senator Sherrod Brown (D-OH) sent a letter to FDA Commissioner Califf pressing for answers on their actions and plans to investigate the Abbott reports.

April 29, 2022: Senator Casey raised alarms on the whistleblower report from Abbott.

May 13, 2022: Senator Casey and Senator Murray led 30 Democratic colleagues to push infant formula manufacturers to make every effort possible to get formula on the shelves.

 

GOV. WOLF: RECORD REVENUES WILL COVER HISTORIC EDUCATION INVESTMENT WITH BILLIONS LEFT OVER

Governor Tom Wolf (Photo: LuLac archives)

Governor Tom Wolf announced that Pennsylvania has collected a record $43.9 billion in revenues for the 2021-22 ​fiscal year. Gov. Wolf wants to use this revenue to make major investments in improving life and lowering costs for Pennsylvanians.

In May, Pennsylvania collected $3.2 billion in General Fund revenue, which was $402.4 million, or 14.2 percent, over estimate. Fiscal year-to-date General Fund collections total $43.9 billion, which is $4.9 billion, or 12.5 percent, above estimate.

“Right now, Pennsylvania has $4.9 billion in the bank over and above what we expected to bring in this year. That’s a big pot of money, and I want to use it to lower some of the barriers that keep Pennsylvanians from succeeding,” said Gov. Wolf. “We have the money in the bank to pay for the historic investment I want to make in K-12 education, as well as the Corporate Net Income Tax cut and reforms I have proposed to bolster Pennsylvania businesses, and still have $1.8 billion left over,” said Gov. Wolf. “At a time when Pennsylvanians are hurting and state government is not, there is no excuse not to use this huge pot of money to improve education, lower costs for taxpayers, and build a stronger economy. Investing in Pennsylvanians is how we guarantee future success for Pennsylvania.”

Over the past seven years, the Wolf Administration has righted Pennsylvania’s shaky finances through sound fiscal management. When Gov. Wolf took office, Pennsylvania was operating with a $2-3 billion budget deficit, and the Rainy Day Fund had fallen to a mere $231,800.

Today, the Rainy Day Fund contains a record $2.8 billion – more than 12,000 times what it was when Gov. Wolf took office – to protect Pennsylvania against future emergencies. The Rainy Day Fund is entirely separate from both Pennsylvania’s $4.9 billion surplus this year and the $2.1 billion in remaining federal American Rescue Plan funding that Pennsylvania must obligate by 2024 or lose.

The Governor’s plan to invest in lowering costs for Pennsylvanians is balanced based on recurring General Fund revenue and does not rely on one-time funding sources. Over the past seven years, revenues have grown an average of $2.2 billion per year, and data forecasts from nationally recognized economic forecasting firms Moody’s Analytics and IHS Markit point to continued tax revenue growth for the commonwealth.

Based on the latest revenue estimates, even if the governor’s proposed budget were implemented in its entirety, Pennsylvania would still have a multi-billion dollar General Fund balance at the end of 2022-23.

“Pennsylvania has taken in record revenues this year,” said Gov. Wolf, “and I want to take that money and invest it right back into the people of Pennsylvania by making our education system the best in the nation. This is an investment in a better future for all Pennsylvanians – one where students have the resources to succeed and workers have the skills to support themselves and their families. To ensure our economy continues to grow in the future, we need to invest in our next generation of workers, leaders and innovators.”

See below for a further breakdown of May revenue collections:

Sales tax receipts totaled $1.2 billion for May, $129.1 million above estimate. Year-to-date sales tax collections total $12.7 billion, which is $1.0 billion, or 8.7 percent, more than anticipated.

Personal income tax (PIT) revenue in May was $1.1 billion, $126.9 million above estimate. This brings year-to-date PIT collections to $16.5 billion, which is $2.2 billion, or 15.2 percent, above estimate.     

May corporation tax revenue of $510.9 million was $129.5 million above estimate. Year-to-date corporation tax collections total $6.3 billion, which is $1.2 billion, or 24.4 percent, above estimate.

Inheritance tax revenue for the month was $132.3 million, $15.6 million above estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $1.4 billion, which is $159.8 million, or 12.6 percent, above estimate.

Realty transfer tax revenue was $69.3 million for May, $13.9 million above estimate, bringing the fiscal-year total to $771.1 million, which is $153.9 million, or 24.9 percent, more than anticipated.

Other General Fund tax revenue, including cigarette, malt beverage, liquor and gaming taxes, totaled $176.3 million for the month, $3.1 million below estimate and bringing the year-to-date total to $1.6 billion, which is $16.5 million, or 1.1 percent, above estimate.

Non-tax revenue totaled $29.7 million for the month, $9.4 million below estimate, bringing the year-to-date total to $4.6 billion, which is $112.9 million, or 2.5 percent, above estimate.

In addition to the General Fund collections, the Motor License Fund received $301.1 million for the month, $10.7 million above estimate. Fiscal year-to-date collections for the fund – which include the commonly known gas and diesel taxes, as well as other license, fine and fee revenues – total $2.6 billion, which is $30.3 million, or 1.2 percent, above estimate.

 

MEDIA MATTERS

WALN TV

 

BOLD GOLD COMMUNITY FORUM

You'll hear the program Sunday at 6 on 94.3 The Talker; 6:30 on 1400 am The Mothership and 7:30 am on 105 The River.

 

BOBBY V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY  NIGHT SOCK HOP  

 

1975

1975 logo.

U.S. President Gerald Ford  arrived in Salzburg, Austria for a meeting with Egypt's President Anwar Sadat, and slipped and fell on the stairway while descending from Air Force One. 

Pictures of the tumbling U.S. President were seen again and again, giving Ford a reputation for being clumsy, both physically and in his handling of the presidency…….

.Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin announced that Israel would remove tanks, troops and weapons from the Suez Canal as a peace gesture to Egypt……New federal regulations, set to go into effect on July 21, were sent to Congress by the U.S. Department of Health, Education and Welfare. The new rules ended separate phys ed classes for boys and girls, and prohibited schools from excluding pregnant students from the classroom…srael completed its promise to withdraw half of its occupying troops from Egypt's Sinai peninsula….The Suez Canal opened for the first time since the Six-Day War eight years earlier. Because there were still mines left in the waters from 1967, the American guided missile cruiser USS Little Rock made the first transit, sailing from Port Said, where Egypt's President Sadat oversaw the celebration, to Ismailia…..In the first yes-or-no referendum ever held in the United Kingdom, the electorate voted to stay in the European Community by a margin of 17,378,581 to 8,470….Larry Blyden, 49, American game show host of What's My Line?, was killed in an auto accident in Morocco…..A new constitution  was adopted for Greece by a 208-0 vote in the Vouli ton Ellinon , the 300 member Greek Parliament, formally replacing the monarchy with a republic. All of the votes were by members of the ruling Nea Dimokratia (New Democracy) party, as members of the other parties boycotted the vote in protest over the power given to the President and this year in 1975 the number one somng in LuLac land and America was  “Swearin' to God” by - Frankie Valli.