This Day in History | 2011

Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in the United States, is killed by U.S. forces during a raid on his compound hideout in Pakistan.

Good morning Middle Americans, 

How many of you would like to go to the beach today? We are also raising our hands. Spring is in the air, and summer is right around the corner. And more and more people are saying enough is enough. We’ve talked about the armed protests in Michigan. Now in California, people are telling Governor Gavin Newsome enough is enough. 

Did you get a chance to see Joe Biden’s interview on MSNBC? If you did, do you believe him, or are you more inclined to believe his accuser, Tara Reade, who claims Biden sexually assaulted her in 1993. The pro-Biden camp is saying that Biden was fully vetted before he was selected to become Obama’s VP.  On the other hand, even if the allegations are not True Biden’s exposed as a fraud and hypocrite if you go back and look at what he said with Justice Brett Kavanaugh was accused of sexual assault.  We have links to both sides of the story.

Finally, we’re taking you north of the border to Canada where Prime Minister Justin Tredeau’s is banning assault rifles after the country’s worst mass shooting in history.

Read all about it

-Fraser Dixon  

Thousand Flock to CA Beaches to Protest Shut Down 

(OC Register) – Large crowds opposing the state’s coronavirus stay-at-home mandate took to the streets of downtown Huntington Beach on Friday, a day after the governor closed Orange County beaches and drew frustration and criticism from some residents and city leaders.

Protesters gathered near the Huntington Beach pier shortly before noon, with the crowd eventually swelling to some 2,500-3,000 people, according to Huntington Beach police Chief Robert Handy. The tightly packed crowd, with most people not wearing protective masks, repeatedly chanted “U.S.A.” as they waited for the demonstration to begin.

The protesters held signs proclaiming, “All jobs are essential,” “My freedom is essential,” and “Newsom is not essential,” as well as “Open our businesses, stand up for our rights as Americans” and “The shutdown is killing us, open our state now.”

See the protests here

Joe Biden’s Sexual Assault Allegations

POINT | Obama Team Fully Vetted Biden in 2008 and Found No Hint of Former Aide’s Allegation

(CNN) – When it became clear that Barack Obama would be the nominee of the Democratic Party in the spring of 2008, he commissioned a team of lawyers to begin an in-depth vetting process of potential candidates for vice president.

Dozens of women and men under consideration were reviewed. Those who rose on the list of contenders were subject to a deep-dive investigation of their strengths, vulnerabilities and, of course, any disqualifying defects. 

At the top of the list of those contenders was Senator Joseph R. Biden of Delaware.

Read more here

COUNTER POINT | By Biden’s Own Standards, He Is Guilty As Charged

(NY Magazine) – Like most people, I cannot know for sure what actually happened between Joe Biden and Tara Reade many, many moons ago, or, for that matter, what may have once transpired between Brett Kavanaugh and Christine Blasey Ford. No one knows for sure but the individuals (and/or eyewitnesses) themselves, and memories of long-ago encounters may not be sharp — or may become vivid in one person’s recollection and utterly vague in another’s. If I were asked to detail an incident that happened a quarter-century ago, absent serious trauma, I’d be completely stumped. There’s a reason for statutes of limitation. And a reason that in a liberal society an individual is deemed innocent until proven guilty.

Nonetheless, I tend to believe women on these matters as a starting point. They have to endure all sorts of exposure and embarrassment for coming forward, and their claims should always be treated respectfully, compassionately, and fairly. It’s been a serious gain for civilized life that women are not routinely ignored or universally trashed for protesting against their assaulters and harassers. Some trust for all women is vital.

Read more here

Canadian PM Trudeau Bans All Assault-Style Firearms

(NPR) – Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced a ban on all assault-style firearms Friday.

The ban includes “1,500 models and variants,” including the popular AR-15 rifle. It will prohibit those firearms, as well as some components, from being used, sold or imported.

According to a release from the Canadian government, the ban will not take full effect for another two years in order “to protect owners of newly prohibited firearms from criminal liability while they take steps to comply with these new rules.” There are also exceptions until April 30, 2022, for people in indigenous communities and for those who hunt to sustain themselves or their families. But ultimately all items on the list will be banned.

Trudeau’s order comes just two weeks after the mass shooting in which a gunman killed 22 people in Nova Scotia.

“Because of gun violence, people are dying, families are grieving, and communities are suffering,” Trudeau said. “It must end. Assault-style firearms designed for military use have no place in Canada. By removing them from our streets, we will limit the devastating effects of gun-related violence and help make our country safer.”

Learn more here