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Three days after the FBI descended on former President Trumps Mar-a-Lago home, Attorney General Merrick Garland gave a press conference lasting less than four minutes about the raid. As he was speaking, he excoriated anyone who questions the motives and integrity of the FBI. His intent was clear: You are not allowed to criticize the FBI and its obvious double standards. Any criticism of the institution will be viewed as a threat to democracy. In true Orwellian fashion, the corporate media began parroting the same talking points.

The ruling elite is blinded by their groupthink mentality. The raid on a former president was the culmination of two decades of corruption within the big government apparatus where abuses of power have become increasingly brazen. The loss of trust in the agencies is not the result of conspiracy theories, social media, or millions of Americans simply becoming anti-government. It is a direct consequence of their actions.

The American people believed our institutions were operating in good faith and they took a laissez-faire approach for far too long, even as the evidence of an abusive bureaucracy was mounting. Consider the following:

In 2007, programs that were developed to target terrorists quickly morphed into domestic spying programs. The NSA began capturing and monitoring Americans electronic communications and metadata through the PRISM program. Both John Brennan and James Clapper denied the government was monitoring American citizens and openly lied to Congress. They were never charged with perjury, and not a single person who authorized this program was ever held accountable for this direct assault on the Fourth Amendment.

Journalists have also been routinely monitored by federal agencies making a mockery of the First Amendment. Ironically, many within the media now carry water for the institutions and serve as their private PR firms.

In 2012, then-Attorney General Eric Holder refused to provide information to Congress on the governments ill-thought-out Fast and Furious program. He was held in contempt of Congress, and there are indications that he may have committed perjury when he denied knowing about the program. Lucky for him, he never received the Steve Bannon treatment.

In 2013, the IRS admitted to targeting conservative groups. Lois Lerner deemed that these conservative and Tea Party groups were guilty of having the wrong political opinion. For her actions, Lois Lerner refused to answer questions, pleading the fifth, and was found in contempt of Congress by the House of Representatives, but the Justice Department declined to prosecute her on contempt charges. Instead, she was allowed to retire, collect her pension, and never be held accountable.

In 2014, it was revealed that John Brennans CIA was monitoring sitting members of the U.S. Senate Intelligence Committee. Neither Brennan nor anyone else involved in the program was ever held accountable.

In 2015, Hillary Clinton was subpoenaed to preserve her home-brewed email server. Following the subpoena, her email management company Platte River Network wiped the server clean, and employees sent an email with the subject line stating, Hillary cover-up operation work ticket archive cleanup.

In 2016, as the FBI was investigating the server, multiple people in the Hillary Clinton orbit were granted immunity. Cheryl Mills, who was a witness in the investigation, was allowed to claim attorney-client privilege. Compare that to the FBI raids on Trumps lawyers where long-standing norms of attorney-client privilege were thrown out the window.

Hillary Clintons top aide told the FBI that she wasnt aware of the private server, yet she had her own email account on it. We also know that then-FBI Director James Comey already had a draft letter prepared to exonerate Clinton even before she was interviewed. Then, shortly before the 2016 election, it was revealed that Clintons emails were found on a laptop shared by Abedin and her husband, disgraced former Congressman Anthony Weiner. Not a single person was ever held accountable for the lies, the deceit, and the illegal server.

As if spying on U.S. senators and turning a blind eye to Clintons malfeasance wasnt bad enough, in 2016, the FBI began its infamous Crossfire Hurricane operation where FBI agents would use a dossier paid for by Hillary Clintons campaign to investigate and surveil the Trump campaign, and later, the Trump presidency. They knew the dossier had little basis in fact but presented it to the FISA court anyway. FBI lawyer Kevin Clinesmith doctored another piece of evidence and presented it to the FISA court. Throughout the investigation, FBI agent Peter Strzok and FBI attorney Lisa Page would routinely send each other text messages expressing their disdain for Trump and his supporters.

The investigation didnt end when President Trump won the election. In 2017, FBI Director James Comey leaked sensitive information to the press in order to force then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions to appoint a special counsel. Over the next few years, the country would be torn apart, and in the end, the special counsel never found any evidence of Russian collusion.

What about the U.S. Postal Services iCOP program, where postal inspectors were monitoring peoples social media accounts and forwarding posts to the Department of Homeland Security? Again, no accountability.

Federal courts have also admonished the FBI on several occasions for illegally accessing the NSAs repository for information on Americans.

Multiple intelligence and federal law enforcement agencies continue to monitor and collect the data of American citizens, including the FBI, the CIA, and ICE. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF) has amassed millions of records on legal firearm owners even though a gun database is strictly prohibited by Congress.

What about how the Secret Service reportedly tried to cover up Hunter Bidens firearm incident or how the FBI was used to track down Ashley Bidens alleged diary? What about all the former senior-level intelligence heads stating that Hunters laptop was Russian disinformation in order to manipulate an election? Why havent we heard of any investigations into the current president given that he is directly implicated in the Biden family pay-to-play scheme?

Then you have the Department of Education, the National School Boards Association, and the Department of Justice colluding to target parents and label them as domestic terrorists.

Throughout the Covid-19 pandemic, we witnessed repeated lies from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other public health institutions, ranging in topic from vaccines to masking to lockdowns. Even worse, Dr. Anthony Faucis emails show his ruthless efforts to target any scientists or medical professionals who disagreed with him in an attempt to destroy their credibility.

The evidence of rampant abuse within the bureaucracy is widespread and illustrates that we should not blindly and obediently trust these institutions. Many of our officials act as if we exist to serve them as opposed to them serving us. They justify their abuses with a sense of righteousness as long as they qualify their wrongdoing with the sentiment of preserving democracy. In their delusional minds, they believe they are guardians of democracy.

Thomas Jefferson once warned, The time to guard against corruption and tyranny, is before they shall have gotten hold on us.

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Not Just FBI: How Institutions Across The Board Forfeited Our Trust - The Federalist

LITHIA, Fla.From Tweedle-dee and Tweedle-dumb to the Cheshire Cat and the White Rabbit, Alice in Wonderland has some iconic characters, but if its a tea party youre looking for, theres only one guy who comes to mind.

Over the next month, The Mad Hatters (Gin &) Tea Party will be taking place at Palmetto Country Cub in Lithia.

Its just like the storybook, only this time youre playing the role of Alice.

The master of ceremonies himself, the Mad Hatter, leads you down the rabbit hole into a magical world where its always six oclock.

And they come in, and they say. oh my gosh, where am I,' and we say, youre in wonderland, and were here to have a party,' said the Dormouse.

What separates this from everything else is that we have more of a storyline, more of an immersive, interactive, playful experience with each other that acknowledges everyone in the room, said the Mad Hatter.

Visitors will sit right alongside the Hatter, the March Hare and the Dormouse and join them for a large helping of entertainment and a cup of tea.

Yes, our teas, we have all different kinds of teas, and they might have a bit of a little flare on them, mixed with gin, said the Mad Hatter.

All visitors are encouraged to bring a hat, and if they dont have one, the Hatter will be happy to provide them with one.

And the queen comes to check, oh the queen, said the Dormouse.

As for the White Rabbit, dont count on him to be on time.

Hes always late, my dear boy, said the Hatter.

The tea party runs Thursdays through Sundays from now until August 14.

We want you to create new friends, create new moments with each other, as well as together with the other actors the other characters, said the Hatter.

You have to be at least 21 years old to enter, but youll leave a child at heart.

And thats my favorite part of the show, pouring that childlike wonder back to every guest, said the March Hare.

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The Mad Hatter brings his tea party to Tampa - ABC Action News Tampa Bay

[One last time from Ottawa with correspondents Ross MacDonald and Karen Coughtrey. AC]

Before the show, A Journal of Musical Things had an opportunity to chat with Jeff Burrows about their new EP Black River, and what else has been happening with The Tea Party over the past couple of years.

AJOMT: Back in February 2020 (a month before the pandemic shut things down) the Saints and Sinners Tour was announced with The Tea Party, Big Wreck (then Sloan), the Headstones, and Moist. And then you tried again in 2021. Will you try this travelling tour ( la Lollapalooza) again?

Jeff: I hope so, that was cancelled three times, we had two Australian tours cancelled, and we had a European tour cancelled. I brought that idea to the table almost ten years ago and it was swept aside, once the agency thought it was their great idea then we went ahead with it. The excitement from promoters and fans alike, it was nice, youve got so many fans and some may have not seen Moist or The Tea Party, and it was a nice way to do that whole Edgefest or Lollapalooza vibe. And it is something that this country needs, you see so much of it in America. You get a great show at a great price point. I really hope that happens once every other year.

AJOMT: It cant be an easy feat to coordinate tour schedules of four major bands.

Jeff: It was a lot of work for all four managements involved. There was a lot of nudging, at the end of the day the bands didnt care, the bands were super-excited to get out. Hopefully, we can do that again very soon.

AJOMT: On that tour, who are the Saints and who are the Sinners? Hugh Dillon is no angel

Jeff: They came up with the idea because Hugh is such a saint now, and he was definitely a sinner back then. Whereas Jeff Martin has maintained his sinnership the entire time. Dave Usher has always been a saint. Ian is a saint now. And the Sloan guys, I dont know it is swept under the rug and hidden from the public.

AJOMT: On your new EPs Black River and Blood Moon Rising, these songs are evolutionary, and yet they hearken back to your music in the 90s and the 00s. Was this a deliberate nod to long-time fans? Or is this your natural sound?

Jeff: We go by what is happening in our lives at that time. There is never any moment where we feel that we have to write Fire In The Head 2 or Save Me 2. The way it happens is, so far as songwriting, say we are doing a tour in Australia: Stuart and I will head out early, about two and a half weeks prior to, with all our ideas. And we will just start fleshing out our ideas and maybe get to recording some drums of the simpler songs. And then we will do the tour and then post-tour we will go back to them and we will have re-worked a lot of them during soundchecks. And then we will get some real drums down and some real bass down and leave that hard drive with Jeff Martin in order for him to work on his lead bits and then his vocals. Those are the geographical issues that we have to work with, it works out alright.

AJOMT: What is the writing process with the Tea Party? Do you have band members who are the main lyric/music writers?

Jeff: We all come in with our ideas and they all get flushed out, then we jam them. Words come from Jeff (Martin), he feels strongly about that, because he is the one who is singing them, and he sings right from the heart. There is nothing clinical or theoretical about what Jeff sings and how he emotes that song in a live situation; he is right into it.

AJOMT: The recording has vocals, guitars, drums, and bass all forward; nothing seems hidden in the background. Did the band have a hand in engineering the EP?

Jeff: Weve always been self-produced and weve always been open to using different mixers in the process. I have a friend in Windsor that I do these Christmas charity albums every year, weve done 12 of them. Marty Bak (of SLR Studios) who engineers, mixes, and masters all of them, I said why dont we give him a shot? And he game back and Jeff (Martin) was floored, and so did Stuart and I. Hes a crazy brainiac guy, hes a genius, hes inventing mic clips to my drums and guitar amps, all these different configurations. Hes now finding himself on the covers of audio magazines, just a young guy from Windsor. Hes always thinking of something new and interesting.

AJOMT: You have long donated time and money to Philanthropy: ending violence against women and supporting cancer patients and their families. What charities are you currently championing?

Jeff: Annually I do a 24-hour drumming marathon where I play from midnight to midnight. I have solo artists, duos, and bands, a different artist joins me every hour for 24 hours. I garner sponsorships and so on. I just finished year 16 at the end of May; since year 10 I switched it over to mostly mental health because we saw with the change in the provincial government the amount of dollars going to mental health care was slashed from a paltry 3.5% of the overall health care budget to 1.5%. We thought that we could help the CMHAs of our communities. Especially young and teen mental health. The Christmas albums are for food banks in Windsor-Essex and Chatham-Kent, we usually get $75-80k of food to them. My kids all help, they are all very giving.

AJOMT: Whats next for The Tea Party?

Jeff: Summer tour wraps up on August 8th, we are doing the majority of the country. After that we will have a writing session pre-tour of Australia in March 2023; so we will all be doing our writing on our own and ideas and bringing that to the table. In the meantime there is so much that we will be doing on our own: Stuart writes video game music all the time, Jeffs solo tour got announced for Australia, and everyone is keeping busy. For The Tea Party proper, March is Australia and New Zealand, then May/June will be Europe and a proper summer tour next year or hopefully Saints and Sinners.

The Tea Party were the last band to play on an evening that had several Canadian alt-rock bands that started their careers in the 90s. And like their studio albums, their live show has a full sound that filled the night air. In particular, Jeff Martins booming baritone vocals sound like he came straight from an opera house.

The Tea Party kicked off the show with 90s hit single The River followed up by the melodic The Bazaar. Drummer Jeff Burrows can hit the skins hard, but what is special is how he transitions between hard and soft hitting at the perfect moments. It is remarkable that a three-piece live act can sound so full.

Jeff Martin had the crowd learn the lyrics of their new single, the title track to Black River, so that they could sing along with him at the chorus. It was interesting that the band could effortlessly mash up singles like Heaven Coming Down with U2s With Or Without You, or Sister Awake with the Stones Paint It Black, and The Messenger which had the Hips Bobcaygeon mixed in. But it was still the big hits that had the crowd screaming the loudest. Songs like Temptation, where Stuart moved over to his keyboards, had everyone finishing off Jeffs lines. Ottawa still loves their alt-rock icons.

Jeff Martin: lead vocals, guitarStuart Chatwood: bass, keyboardsJeff Burrows: drums, percussion

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Our epilogue to Ottawa Bluesfest 2022 features an interview with the Tea Party - Alan Cross - A Journal of Musical Things

Southern Charm

Exes and Uh-Ohs

Season 8 Episode 5

Editors Rating 1 stars *

Photo: Bravo

It looks like a case of the clickbait To Be Continued strikes again. Thats how the last episode ended, with all the women on the cast sitting around at a tea party. It was about to kick off between Kathryn and Venita, Venita and Olivia, Kathryn and Patricia, Venita and Madison, Madison and the ghost of A-Rod and J-Los relationship, and just about everyone else who was drinking champagne and trying not to eat more than one finger sandwich. I was so excited. I thought it was going to be like a snake going through a field full of land mines or at leasta fireworks display set off by a car crash. But no. All we got was one damp sparkler that wouldnt even light, just like the one on Venitas cupcake.

It didnt have to be that way or did it? What we get is Kathryn going to an immature and defensive place almost immediately, as per ush. When Venita tries to talk to her and ask what she needs to get them on a path to being friends, Kathryn responds, I dont need shit. Okay. Thats it. Kathryn is checked out from this conversation. All thats left is for her to make fun of Patricia for asking that no one say the F word, and this scene will be complete. Oh! There it is. Cut to black. Roll the credits.

Venita took Olivia to the side at the party to discuss the confrontation they had at Naomies birthday party. (Why does that episode feel like four COVID variants ago when it was just like three weeks?) There are so many problems with what goes down here, and I think all of them can be blamed on the one flowing arm of Olivas top that looked like a wilted banana leaf was trying to take over her body like an invasive parasite. Once theyre aside, Olivia says she didnt like how Venita ganged up on her with Naomie, Patricia, and The Other Madison. Venita says she didnt like when Olivia told her to calm down and put her hand in her face.

Then Venita says that what really upset her is when Olivia walked away from the conversation. Olivia says she heard the word racist and Im not about to stick around for that. Venita then asks her the hardest, sharpest, most baller question I have ever heard: Are you not here for it because you are racist or because youre not racist? This is a sort of Do you beat your wife? question because there is no right answer. If Olivia says shes racist, then, well, she just admitted to being racist on reality television. If she says shes not racist, Venita can ask, Well, then why are you not going to have a difficult conversation? Olivia, who seems dimmer than an exhausted lightning bug, walks right into a trap of her own making.

Olivia responds, When I just hear that wordthrown out, I dont even know what the reason was you said it. Im checking out because its not okay to throw that out. Okay, lets go through this sentence like were in freshman English and this is the text ofRomeo and Juliet. Olivia puts a lot of extra ranch dressing on thrown out, so it sounds like an insult, like Venita was using the word to describe something completely benign when what she was referring to was Kathryn using the monkey emoji in an online fight with a Black woman, which brings us to the second point. Before she should get worried about the word racist or why its being thrown out, maybe she should, I dont know, inquire as to what it was referring to. How can she just shut down whenever the word comes up? If you are checking out when a difficult discussion about race comes up, you may not be a racist, but you are definitely not anti-racist.

When Venita tries to respond, Olivia says, Youre not going to cancel culture me out on this. Oh, the Tucker Carlson fan cam is strong with this one. Venita points out the kryptonite to use on every right winger who rages on about cancel culture. How can there be a cancel culture when someone like Kathryn, whose racist behavior was exposed several times last season, still has a job on the show? No one has been canceled, and no one will cancel Olivia for talking about race. Wewillcancel her for her reaction to someone trying to have a conversation with her. BREAKING NEWS: The Supreme Court just overturned Olivias cancellation 6-3. In her dissent, Justice Sonia Sotomayor writes, I love Bravo, but this right here is some bullshit.

The bullshitiest part is what comes next. Olivia says, Im all for having these conversations Um,what? She literally just said when the word racist comes up that she checks out. So, are you here to talk, or are you here to bolt like Austen the second he hears someone hes talking to at the bar is over 25? Both cant be true. She adds that she will have these conversations, but not when theyre heated. This is calledtone policing, a way to stifle debate and keep people from showing emotion when the topics under discussion are very emotional.

Other than this exchange, the rest of the episode is a total snooze. I like this Marcie character, but I only met her like three seconds ago. I dont care that she cant figure out how to put a crib together. I like St. Venita, who was canonized for the miracle of the patience she has dealing with these white women, but I dont care how organized her spice rack is. I love Paige, but I dont need to see her teach Craig the very obvious lesson that having a lunch date alone with his most recent ex is a very very very very very (How many verys are we at? Add 20 more) bad idea. I dont like Olivia (or Austen), and I really do not care about the date the producers set up for them, where he just talks about Madison the whole time. Also, if youre sitting at a picnic table and it is not out in the wilderness, you are not paying enough for this date.

Im also having difficulty caring about this road trip that Shep, Austen, and Craig are on. While were at it, Im having a hard time with this season. It all seems so disparate and diffuse. Its like no one wants to hang out, no one is really together, and the cast isnt hanging out in big groups. It seems like its the boys on one show and the girls on the other, and never the twain shall meet.Southern Charmis now the changing rooms at a Korean spa.

Back to the road trip, Austen has dragged these two beer-soaked trucker caps along with him to Charlotte so that he can meet with a supermarket chain about selling his beer and to clean out his old room before his parents sell their house. Austen is about to go to his meeting and stops by Craigs room for his seal of approval on his outfit. Austen is wearing a French blue shirt, khakis, and a belt with so many beads on it that it has been to theSmoking Groovesfestival. He asks Craig if the shirt should be tucked in. Yes, Craig says. Youre going to do business. He does not look like hes going to do business, he looks like hes going to a fraternity semi-formal, but in either case, he should tuck that shirt in.

Craig also has some good advice for Shep. Im sorry, but if a pillow salesman who also lends his name to a chain ofSaul Goodman-esque law officesis the sanest person in the squad, then you are all busted with a capital USTED. Shep calls his GF Taylor, and shes not thrilled that hes going out with the boys. Shep tells her to stop being crazy and that everything will be fine. What he leaves out is that Shep has made out with other girls when hes been out of town drinking. She isnt crazy for thinking this might happen. Shes the sanest person on this whole damn show. (Oh, look, shes so saneshe broke up with Shep yesterday.)

Craig says, That will be the consequence of the scars of infidelity in the relationship. How did Craig go from not knowing he cant go out to dinner with Naomie to totally having Sheps number in the course of 20 minutes? The boys all go bowling and order too much food and Shep is already talking to some girl at the bar about waking up in jail, and you know where this ends, in Jaegermeister, infidelity, and Fukashima levels of destruction. Craig says that Shep isnt made for relationships, that no one can tie him down. Thats cool. Thats fine. The problem is, why is he wasting a fine young girl like Taylors time if hes not going to marry her and have children like she wants? It cant always be on the woman to move on. At some point, Shep needs to stop wanting to have his Buffalo wings and eat them too.

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'Southern Charm' Season 8, Episode 5 Recap: Exes and Uh-Ohs - Vulture

Candidates facing tough reelection fights this year are banking on their crossover appeal to keep their jobs.

This week, Sen. Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., announced Republicans for Kelly, a group of nearly 50 Republicans and independents who have endorsed his reelection. The list includes business owners, a former adviser to the late Sen. John McCain, a former U.S. attorney under former President George W. Bush and the mayors of the Arizona cities of Casa Grande, Mesa, Peoria and Show Low.

Arizonans are facing real challenges right now, and we need to put our state ahead of party politics, Kelly said in a statement. Im proud of the diverse, growing coalition of folks supporting this campaign and propelling us forward towards November.

Kellys play for independents and Republicans is perhaps unsurprising in Arizona, which has a history of political mavericks and centrist Democrats, but the same trend is playing out in other races across the country as incumbents face challengers backed by former President Donald Trump, many who falsely claim the 2020 election was stolen.

In Wyoming, Republican Rep. Liz Cheneys campaign sent mailers and posted a Q&A on its website explaining how Democrats can change their party affiliation ahead of the states Aug. 16 primary. And earlier this month, Nevadas Democratic Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto proudly touted the endorsements of a pair of rural Republican elected officials.

Our Senator Catherine Cortez Masto has shown repeatedly that she has our back, and thats why Im supporting her, even as a registered Republican, Churchill County commissioner Carl Erquiaga wrote in a Reno Gazette Journal op-ed, pointing to her pushing back against a Democratic proposal he said would have hurt farmers and ranchers.

While Utah independent Evan McMullen isnt an incumbent, he convinced Democrats to not run a candidate of their own this year, hoping the states liberals would prefer him to Republican Sen. Mike Lee. A Wednesday Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics poll found 36% support for McMullen, behind Lees 41% but within striking distance.

As Sen. Lisa Murkowsi, R-Alaska, faces Trump-backed Republican Kelly Tshibaka, shes is getting support from Democratic colleagues, including Sen. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Sen. Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona. Sen. Angus King, I-Maine, even donated $5,000 to Murkowskis campaign through his Make It Work political action committee. Murkowsi is no stranger to fending off challengers on her right. In 2010, she became the first U.S. senator in more than half a century to win as a write-in candidate after losing her primary to a tea party candidate.

In a two-party system, parties have to pitch big tents for survival and candidates have to build coalitions unique to their state or district. Its why you see vulnerable Democrats distancing themselves from an unpopular President Joe Biden ahead of the midterms and post-Trump Republicans attempting to chart a new path forward for their party.

A 2021 Pew Research Center survey found the Democratic and Republican coalitions both include sizable shares of voters open to jumping ship. Among Democrats, 13% are classified as stressed sidelines whose political beliefs include both liberal and conservative views, while in the GOP, 15% are identified as stressed sidelines, and an additional 18% are ambivalent right, a group thats younger, less religious and more moderate on social issues and less supportive of Trump.

Not all crossover support is sincere. In some states, Democrats are purposefully boosting far-right candidates in hopes theyll be easier to beat. Its a strategy that Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, believes could backfire.

Its not illegal but it sure is stupid, Romney told HuffPost this week. Be careful what you wish for. You may select somebody who actually wins and then you hurt the country as well as your own party.

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Some candidates count on crossover support from the other party - Deseret News