The LuLac Edition #5, 066, February 15th, 2024

 

FBI INFORMANT CHARGED WITH LYING ABOUT JOE AND HUNTER BIDEN'S TIES TO UKRAINIAN ENERGY COMPANY

An FBI informant has been charged with fabricating a multimillion-dollar bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden, his son Hunter and a Ukrainian energy company, a claim that is central to the Republican impeachment inquiry in Congress.

 Alexander Smirnov falsely reported to the FBI in June 2020 that executives associated with the Ukrainian energy company Burisma paid Hunter and Joe Biden $5 million each in 2015 or 2016, prosecutors said in an indictment. Smirnov told his handler that an executive claimed to have hired Hunter Biden to “protect us, through his dad, from all kinds of problems,” according to court documents.

Prosecutors say Smirnov in fact had only routine business dealings with the company in 2017 and made the bribery allegations after he “expressed bias” against Joe Biden while he was a presidential candidate.

 Smirnov, 43, appeared in court in Las Vegas briefly Thursday after being charged with making a false statement and creating a false and fictitious record. He did not enter a plea. The judge ordered the courtroom cleared after federal public defender Margaret Wightman Lambrose requested a closed hearing for arguments about sealing court documents. She declined to comment on the case. (AP)

 

THIS MONDAY @ 5PM 

 

WHY BIDEN CANNOT COUNT ON INDEPENDENTS

It appears that in order for President Biden to be re-elected he has to make sure there  is record turnouts among Democrats. The recent focus group conducted by the New York Times was scary. It points out the relative lack of knowledge, self absorption and lack of a moral center by some Independents in that group.

11 of the 13 blame Biden for high grocery bills and inflation. Inflation happened because of the pandemic. Other countries had it worse than we did. The President does not control prices. The people who control price and size of packages are big businesses, not the elected officials. Don’t THEY understand that?

If we were fighting World War II when these fair weather Americans were around, we’d be speaking German and Japanese right now! Talk about selfish people who can’t or won’t sacrifice.

Then there’s the attitude that we, the United States of America not help out foreign countries. They have no clue as to what international agreements mean to the defense of our country. Some were in their fifties and should know better. Some say they have their minds made up and nothing can be done to persuade them.

This is the kicker here. They don’t trust Biden to tell them the truth while at the same time they accept Trump’s lying and bad behavior.  They accept the bad in Trump as something to deal with but will not even be open to Biden’s record of accomplishments.

In short, these Independents (at least those interviewed by the Times) are selfish, lazy and only loyal to their own comfort. Screw the world, screw the country, wwah, wah, wah,  TAKE CARE OF ME!

The ironic part of their logic is they are too dense to understand that Trump and the Republican party haven’t done a damn thing  (with the exception of ending slavery) to make their lives better.

The Democrats need to galvanize support and forget these people who have chosen the path to least resistance.  

 

WHAT IF IT WASN’T BIDEN?

There are people in this country that want another nominee instead of Biden. Some of the Democrats are guilty of this. If Gavin Newsom, Kamala Harris, Michelle Obama, Joe Mancin, Josh Shapiro, Gretchen Witmer or Jesus Christ become the nominees, there will be no special treatment.

The GOP attack machine will say Newsom jwas nearly thrown out and had to fight a recall, Harris slept her way to the top, Michelle Obama will be Barack’s third term, Joe Mancin will be too middle of the road, Whitmer asked for it when people who were convicted of trying to kill her Josh Shapiro doesn’t wear a tie in public and how do they REALLY know Jesus hung on a cross to save everyone’s souls including those damn minorities, immigrants and foreigners. The GOP will find a way to demonize them one way or another.

Remember what they did to three time Medal of Honor winner John Kerry?

Getting rid of Biden is not the solution. They’ll come after anyone with their lie machine fueled by big bucks.

 

PRETZEL LOGIC BY THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE

The Senate’s big bipartisan vote Tuesday passing billions in aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan has turned up the heat on Speaker Mike Johnson and the House to do something to help some of America’s key allies.

But Johnson, R-La., signaled he won’t bring the Senate-passed package to the floor unless it’s paired with strict border policies endorsed by House Republicans after he helped kill a version of the Senate bill that included border security and asylum provisions.

WAIT! STOP THE PRESSES!!! Didn’t this spineless wimp not even take the bill under consideration? DIDN’T HE KILL THE BILL FOR BOARDER SECURITY AND NOW WANTS BORDER SECURITY?

Asked Tuesday whether he would put the aid package on the floor as is, Johnson threw cold water on it. “National security begins with border security,” he replied.

YOU KILLED A SENATE BILL WITH BORDER SECURITY! DO YOU NOT HEAR YOURSELF TALK?

The Dems and a few Republicans need to pass a discharge petition. Completely bypass these impotent little men and women of the GOP. Some moderate members in both parties have floated a “discharge petition” as a way to bypass Johnson’s leadership team entirely and force a vote on the Senate-passed bill.

It’s a rarely used tool, in large part because it requires 218 signatures — a majority of the full chamber — to force a vote. A handful of Republicans would need to join all Democrats for the procedural tactic to succeed.

With the Democrats closing in on that feeble House majority, it’s time to shelve the diaper brigade of the Republican party and put men and women of the Democratic Congress with big boy and girl pants on to do the job.

 

CARTWRIGHT CO-LEADS BIPARTISAN LEGISLATION TO ADDRESS NATIONAL EDUCATOR WORKFORCE SHORTAGES

Congressman Matt Cartwright (Photo: LuLac archives) 

U.S. Representatives Matt Cartwright (D-PA-08) and Zach Nunn (R-IA-03) and U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced bicameral and bipartisan legislation to collect demographic data on public school teachers and principals to improve the accuracy of educator workforce data. The Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act would establish a permanent, national mechanism to collect teacher and principal data at the school district-level to assist in recruitment and retention of educators.

The legislation stems from research showing that all students benefit from a high-quality, diverse educator workforce, and that students of color with at least one same-race teacher often have improved academic performance, attendance, graduation rates, and aspiration to attend college.

Current solutions to address both educator workforce shortages and diversity gaps use incomplete data that is not easily accessible. Without a national dataset, legislators cannot identify which schools need the most help, nor can they evaluate the effectiveness of federal investments in recruitment and retention programs like the Teacher Quality Partnership and the Augustus F. Hawkins Centers of Excellence.  Access to educator workforce data is necessary to track the impact of federal dollars in schools, as well as boost efforts to increase educator diversity.

“Research shows that a good teacher matters more to student achievement than any other school-related factor,” said Rep. Cartwright. “That is why we must take steps to address our nationwide teacher shortage. The Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act would direct the Department of Education to collect and centralize educator data to help policymakers and stakeholders produce data-informed policies to address nationwide teacher shortages, and strengthen the educator workforce, to better serve our nation’s students.”

"As a dedicated teacher, the Strengthening Workforce Data Act will provide legislators with the knowledge and data needed to create meaningful change within our classrooms and communities. We are seeing a desperate need to increase the educator workforce in Pennsylvania and this bill ensures that legislators and the needs of teachers are heard and respected in shaping the future of education," said Laura Sosik, Teach Plus Senior National Policy Advisory Board Member and 2nd-grade educator at Isaac Tripp Elementary School in Scranton.

Specifically, the Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act would direct the Department of Education (Department) to collect the following data from public schools, disaggregated by race, ethnicity, and sex:

  · The number of full-time principals employed and the median years of experience across the full-time principals employed, disaggregated by years of experience;

     · The number of full-time preschool and K-12 teachers employed, disaggregated by years of experience; and

     · The number of full-time teachers who hold State certificates, licenses, or endorsements in mathematics, science, English as a second language, and special education—all hard to staff subject areas.

This data would then be published through the Department’s Civil Rights Data Collection and made publicly available. The bill would ensure privacy is protected, and individually identifiable information about teachers and principals would remain confidential.

Accurate and accessible data will help to produce data-informed policies to address nationwide teacher shortages, which will allow stakeholders and policymakers to better serve students by strengthening and diversifying the educator workforce. Currently, at least 30 states and the District of Columbia publish race or ethnicity demographics of their teacher workforce, and 36 states have funded or established initiatives to support educator retention.      

“Our students, particularly students of color, perform better when taught and cared for by a diverse range of educators and administrators,” said Senator Durbin. “As our country faces educator workforce shortages, it is essential that we reach out to, recruit, and retain educators that share the background of their students.  With the bicameral, bipartisan Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act, we can take a step forward in this process by examining the demographics of our current workforce so we can invest in effective recruitment and retention programs.”

“Schools across the country, including in Iowa, are having difficulty finding and retaining qualified teachers,” said Rep. Nunn. “We must address the nationwide teacher shortage to ensure every child has access to a quality education, no matter their zip code. The Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act is a commonsense approach to strengthen the workforce and provide better opportunities for all students.”

"The country is facing an alarming rate of educator shortages. Stakeholders, school districts and policymakers across the country are racing to create policy solutions to target these complex issues,” said Kira Orange Jones, CEO of Teach Plus. “However, without comprehensive, uniform data on educators across the country, we cannot make decisions that are efficient, effective and responsible. The bicameral, bipartisan Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act will allow policymakers at all levels of government to use this data to make informed decisions on how to best support students, teachers, and schools across the country.”

Co-sponsors in the U.S. House are U.S. Reps. Gwen Moore (WI-04), Joe Morelle (NY-25), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), David Trone (MD-06), Jill Tokuda (HI-02).

The Strengthening Educator Workforce Data Act has also earned support from Teach Plus, American Federation of Teachers, National Council on Teacher Quality, The Education Trust, National Association of Elementary School Principals, The New Teacher Project, New Leaders, National Center for Learning Disabilities, Educators for Excellence, National Center for Teacher Residencies, Center for Black Educator Development, Latinos for Education, The Sikh Coalition, EDGE Consulting Partners, Leading Educators, and Opportunity Culture @ Pub,. lic Impact

 

 

CASEY RELEASES FACT SHEET DETAILING HOW THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT HAS LOWERED HEALTH CARE COSTS FOR PENNSYLVANIANS

FACT SHEET SHOWS HOW IRA HEALTH CARE PROVISIONS CASEY FOUGHT FOR HAVE ALREADY LOWERED DRUG COSTS AND HEALTH CARE PREMIUMS FOR HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF PENNSYLVANIANS

IN COMING YEARS, A NEW CAP ON OUT OF POCKET COSTS AND DRUG PRICE NEGOTIATIONS ENABLED BY THE LAW WILL LOWER COSTS EVEN FURTHER

CASEY: “PENNSYLVANIANS WILL BE SEEING THE BENEFITS OF THE INFLATION REDUCTION ACT FOR YEARS TO COME”

Senator Bob Casey (Photo: LuLac archives)

U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging, released a fact sheet detailing how the Inflation Reduction Act has already lowered health care and prescription drug costs for Pennsylvania families. 80,200 Pennsylvanians on Medicare Part B and D are paying at most $35 a month for insulin, and 346,000 Pennsylvanians are paying hundreds of dollars less for health care Marketplace premiums. The fact sheet also provides Pennsylvanians with a timeline for provisions that have yet to be implemented, such as the cap on out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 and the ability for Medicare to negotiate for fair drug prices, which will lower costs for hundreds of thousands of Pennsylvanians.

“When we passed the Inflation Reduction Act, I fought to include provisions that would bring down the cost of health care and prescription drugs and ensure that Pennsylvania’s seniors and families can afford the care and medications that they need,” said Chairman Casey. “This fact sheet shows these provisions are already working, and Pennsylvanians are seeing lower costs. As more parts of the law go into effect, those costs will continue to drop. Pennsylvanians will be seeing the benefits of the Inflation Reduction Act for years to come.”

In August 2022, Chairman Casey fought to pass the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) to lower health care and prescription drug costs for older adults, people with disabilities, and families across the Nation. Starting in January 2023, the IRA capped the cost of insulin for Medicare Part D beneficiaries at $35 a month for certain covered insulin products. The law also will limit Medicare beneficiaries’ out-of-pocket costs at $2,000 per year beginning in 2025, and it instituted a new provision to impose penalties on drug companies that hike up prices in Medicare above the rate of inflation. It also makes eligible vaccines, including the shingles vaccine, free for seniors with Medicare Part D and expands cost-sharing assistance for low-income people with Medicare, a provision Chairman Casey championed through his Lowering Medicare Premiums and Prescription Drug Costs Act. Lastly, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has released the first 10 prescription drugs eligible for negotiation, with additional prescription drugs becoming eligible for negotiation in the coming years. In August 2023, Chairman Casey celebrated the beginning of these negotiations.

Chairman Casey released fact sheets detailing how these provisions in the IRA have lowered costs in all 50 states, including Pennsylvania.  Here’s the link: https://www.aging.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/Pennsylvania%20IRA%20Implementation%20(1).pdf

 

AFTER GOVERNOR SHAPIRO PROPOSES HISTORIC INDIGENT DEFENSE FUNDING IN 2024-25 BUDGET, PCCD HOSTS INAUGURAL MEETING OF INDIGENT DEFENSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE

GOVERNOR SHAPIRO SECURED FIRST-EVER SUSTAINABLE STATE FUNDING FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE IN 2023-24 BUDGET, ALLOWING PENNSYLVANIA TO SHED THE SHAMEFUL DISTINCTION OF BEING ONE OF ONLY TWO STATES IN THE COUNTRY THAT DID NOT ALLOCATE STATE FUNDING FOR PUBLIC DEFENDERS.

BUILDING ON THE $7.5 MILLION SECURED IN THE 2023-24 BUDGET, GOVERNOR SHAPIRO PROPOSED A $2.5 MILLION INCREASE FOR INDIGENT DEFENSE FUNDING IN THE 2024-25 BUDGET – PROPOSING A TOTAL OF $10 MILLION TO BE FUNDED THROUGH PCCD AND THE INDIGENT DEFENSE ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO CREATE MORE OPPORTUNITY FOR ALL

Governor Josh Shapiro (Photo: LuLac archives)

less than one week after Governor Josh Shapiro proposed $10 million for indigent defense to be funded through the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency (PCCD) in his 2024-25 budget proposal, PCCD’s Indigent Defense Advisory Committee held its inaugural meeting to begin developing statewide standards and a statewide funding system for indigent defense services, which provide legal representation for those who cannot afford it on their own.

Until 2023, Pennsylvania was one of only two states in the country that did not provide state funding for indigent defense – but the Governor secured $7.5 million to fund indigent defense for the first time in Pennsylvania history to ensure public defenders have the resources they need to provide legal representation to defendants who cannot pay for it on their own.

“Last year, for the first time, we came together to lose the shameful distinction of being one of just two states to invest zero state dollars in public defense and allocated sustainable funding to help meet the needs of public defenders and the poor defendants who rely on them. Under the leadership of Lieutenant Governor Davis and the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee, we are working hard to drive that money out quickly, so counties can put it to work for poor defendants,” said Governor Josh Shapiro. “We need to do more to build equity in our criminal justice system, but it’s critically important that we start here – with sustained, dedicated funding for public defenders. The time to invest is right now. That’s why my budget invests another $10 million in our public defenders this year to ensure that everyone has a fair shot – and that both sides have an adequate opportunity to present a strong case in court.”

As he traveled across the Commonwealth, Governor Shapiro promised to fund legal representation for indigent Pennsylvanians, and he delivered on that promise by signing into law $7.5 million in indigent defense funding as part of the 2023-24 budget.The law established the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee within PCCD and authorizes the use of $7.5 million for the new Indigent Defense Grant Program to expand support and resources for public defenders to ensure access to constitutionally required legal defense for adult and juvenile ‘indigent’ defendants.

 “Everyone deserves fair and equal treatment in the justice system, and if someone is unable to afford legal defense, that can lessen their chances of receiving that,” said Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, PCCD Chair. “The Shapiro-Davis Administration is taking bold steps to ensure Pennsylvanians are given the tools to move their lives forward in a positive direction, and this first meeting of the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee highlighted gaps in data collection and the importance of this funding for our underserved population of indigent defendants.”

During the inaugural meeting, the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee began the work to get these critical funds out to Pennsylvania communities, laying the groundwork for a future grant program to support public defenders.

Per Act 34, the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee is also responsible for:

Proposing minimum standards for the delivery of effective indigent defense services for adoption by the Pennsylvania Supreme Court;

Developing and adopting county-level data reporting standards, and partnering with other agencies to collect data on indigent defense services;

Establishing a defender training library of programs developed and/or approved by Committee;

Adopting standards for use of case management systems/software; and

Identifying trends and effectiveness of services and submitting a biennial report to the General Assembly.

“Just last year, 200,000 adult and juvenile cases came through Pennsylvania’s criminal justice system. That’s 200,000 lives that we have the opportunity to positively impact,” said Sara Jacobson, Esq., Chair of the Indigent Defense Advisory Committee and Executive Director of the Public Defender Association of Pennsylvania. “The $7.5 million investment in Governor Shapiro’s budget last year is a good start – a down payment – and serves as a historical opportunity to serve indigent Pennsylvanians and make the justice system a fairer place.”

“As a former public defender, I am proud that Pennsylvania finally took a step toward equal justice by dedicating state dollars to indigent defense last year, and that Governor Shapiro has bolstered that commitment in this year’s budget proposal,” said Speaker Joanna McClinton. “However, even with this historic investment, many communities still lack the resources to offer the defense that is guaranteed by our Constitution. I look forward to advocating for an increased investment in this initiative and other reforms that strengthen our justice system.”

“Thank you, Governor, Lieutenant Governor Austin Davis, and all the members of this tremendous committee. I was fortunate to be appointed to this committee. I’m so glad to serve,” said Senator Art Haywood. “This entire initiative is so fundamentally about protecting the inherent dignity of our neighbors, our neighbors who will lose their liberty, but for having some decent, constitutionally required legal representation. That’s the dignity that can be lost when you have someone almost unrepresented in plea negotiations, whether they stay in jail or fight for their freedom – it’s identity that can be lost not just in the plea negotiations, but in the quality of everyday legal representation.”

“This afternoon, Pennsylvania’s Indigent Defense Advisory Committee held its first meeting. This committee is charged with ensuring that no matter what county you’re in, or the money in your bank account – if you are accused of a crime, you can afford an attorney with the time, resources, training, and team available at their disposal to give your innocence the representation it deserves,” said Representative Napoleon Nelson.

 

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’S V’S DOO WOP SUNDAY NIGHT SOCK HOP

THE BEATLE EDD FAB FOUR HOUR

Tune in every week to the Home of Rock and Roll for a jam packed, unpredictable hour starting at 9am Sundays. Host Edd Raineri gives you facts and great music from the immortal Fab Four on ROCK 107.

 

1984

Our 1984 logo

The 1984 Iowa Democratic presidential caucuses took place on February 20 in Iowa, as usual marking the Democratic Party's first nominating contest in their series of presidential primaries ahead of the 1984 presidential election…….Walter Mondale won a plurality of the precinct caucus and received a majority of the state's delegates. John Glenn, who hoped to place second, performed poorly in sixth place while Gary Hart placed second….William Grant Still's Symphony No. 3 ("The Sunday Symphony"), composed in 1958, receives premiere performance, by the North Arkansas Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Carlton Woods….6-year-old Texan Stormie Jones gets 1st heart and liver transplant…..Karin Enke of East Germany wins her 2nd gold medal of the Sarajevo Winter Games, winning the women's 1,000m in Olympic record 1:21.61; also wins 1,500m gold…Konstantin Chernenko succeeds Yuri Andropov as leader of the Soviet Union. He was the last of the Soviet old guard and passed away 13 months later….at the 26th Daytona 500: Cale Yarborough wins for 2nd consecutive year and 4th time in career; last-lap pass to beat Darrell Waltrip…and this week in 1984 the number one song in LuLac land and America was     "Karma Chameleon" by Culture Club.