This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire By Adam Andrzejewski Real Clear Wire Commuters may want high-speed rail but at what price? Apparently $3 billion. That’s what the U.S. Department of Transportation committed this month for Brightline West‚ a private intercity passenger railroad‚ to help build a $12 billion high-speed railway between Las Vegas and Southern California‚ the Washington Post reported. Another $3 billion will go to California High-Speed Rail Authority to continue construction of a 500-mile train connecting Los Angeles and San Francisco. The $3 billion for Brightline is “an almost unheard of infusion of federal money for a private project‚” the Post reported. The trains would travel 218 miles Las Vegas and suburban Los Angeles at 186 mph by 2028. The other three-quarters of the project’s cost would be covered by capital and tax-free debt known as private activity bonds to finance the rest. Company officials claim they needed the federal funding to begin construction. Brightline West received a $25 million federal grant in June to pay for the design and construction of two stations in California. Brightline‚ which is the only private intercity passenger railroad in the U.S.‚ says it would take travelers along the median of the interstate between Las Vegas and Rancho Cucamonga in 2 hours and 10 minutes. Rail advocates say the train would remove about 3 million vehicles from the road‚ create 35‚000 jobs and increase tourism between Nevada and California. The rail company – which recently expanding it Florida service to Orlando – still hasn’t said how much they’ll charge customers to travel on their private trains. Its website states: “Ticket pricing will be determined closer to the start of operations but can be expected to be priced on par with the cost of gas and parking‚ but without the stress and extra time in traffic‚ fluctuating gas prices‚ and other things that can add time and money to your trip.” Brightline is aiming its construction completion and opening to be in time for the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. While that’s nice to have for the Olympic games‚ why should taxpayers give a private train company $3 billion of their dollars? The #WasteOfTheDay is brought to you by the forensic auditors at OpenTheBooks.com This article was originally published by RealClearInvestigations and made available via RealClearWire. President Trump’s Plan to Save America’s Cities This story originally was published by Real Clear Wire By Newt Gingrich Real Clear Wire With all the devastating news about urban crime‚ drug overdoses‚ illegal immigration‚ rampant homelessness‚ out-of-control budgets‚ and educational failures‚ it is encouraging that President Donald Trump has committed his next administration to a saving America’s cities. As Just the News reported‚ “With the nation’s first primary state as a backdrop‚ former President Donald Trump took aim Saturday at Democrats’ urban strongholds‚ vowing to both secure and revitalize blue cities weary from years of violence and economic decay.” As the outlet reported‚ President Trump told a crowd in Durham‚ New Hampshire‚ “We’re going to rebuild our cities into beacons of hope‚ safety‚ and beauty. It will be the greatest investment ever made.” This is encouraging. All too often‚ Republicans have neglected our great cities – or been openly hostile toward them because of their Democratic leadership. Perhaps the most famous example of this was an Oct. 29‚ 1975 speech in which then-President Gerald Ford explained why he would not help New York City with its fiscal crisis. The following day‚ the New York Daily News had a huge page-one headline: “Ford to City: Drop Dead.” President Ford was philosophically right as a fiscal conservative and federalist‚ but the political message was devastating for Republicans. I served with Buffalo Congressman Jack Kemp‚ who was the most innovative pro-city Republican with whom I have ever worked. Kemp developed a program for enterprise zones to help encourage business development in the poorest parts of cities. Working with civil rights activist Bob Woodson‚ the two developed a program to allow people in public housing to put in sweat equity and eventually gain ownership of their units. Kemp and Woodson followed Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher in trying to create an ownership society. One of the most striking moments in U.S. House debate history was when an outraged Democrat Congressman Barney Frank‚ who opposed Kemp’s proposal‚ argued that under the plan‚ a poor family in New York City might be able to acquire a property worth $1 million in the New York market. It did not seem to occur to Frank that helping poor people become wealthy was a good idea. President Trump‚ a product of Queens and Manhattan‚ understands that we cannot be a great nation if our great cities decay and die. Consider his own words from a speech about saving America’s cities in Reno‚ Nevada: “[W]e’re going to indemnify police officers and law enforcement officials throughout the United States from being destroyed by the radical left for taking strong actions on crime. They’re going to be indemnified… Policemen are forced not to do anything when they want to‚ and under the threat of losing their pension‚ their house‚ their family‚ they lose everything‚ and they’re afraid to move. … We’re not going to let that happen anymore. “In addition‚ we will take over our horribly-run Washington‚ DC – and clean up‚ renovate‚ and rebuild‚ our Capitol‚ so that it is no longer a nightmare of murder and crime. You see what’s happening. But rather‚ will become the most beautiful Capitol anywhere in the world. It’s a mess. It’s a filthy‚ disgusting‚ mess. Our parks will be cleaned‚ the tents and graffiti‚ all of these tents and graffiti‚ right in the middle of the most beautiful parks in the world. Those tents and graffiti will be removed. Slum areas will be demolished and rebuilt to the highest level of architectural elegance. Washington‚ DC will become a symbol of beauty‚ security‚ freedom‚ and strength… “In addition to our Capitol‚ we are going to rebuild our cities into beacons of hope‚ safety‚ and beauty. Better than they have ever been before. We are going to focus on our cities… It will be the greatest investment ever made in these cities. And we will work closely with Democrat leaders. They are all run by Democrats‚ if you can believe it. But we’ll work closely with the Democrat leaders of all these failing places to make sure that this rebuilding will be a lasting and compassionate one. It’ll be a great rebuilding. Safety will again be restored‚ so that our children can go out with their parents‚ mother‚ and father‚ and play in the park without being beat up‚ molested‚ or shot. Students will be able to walk to school in peace‚ criminal rates will plummet‚ and people will long just long to move back to the city again.” The fact that President Trump explicitly included working closely with Democrat leaders is a good step toward making the second Trump administration more bipartisan – but still deeply committed to reform. This was an encouraging speech for our future and a real commitment to save America’s citizens. It is a good step toward bringing Americans together and healing some of the partisan divisions. Those who are committed to union incompetence‚ leftwing extremism‚ and keeping power will fight against a program to save America’s cities. Most Americans‚ however‚ will be excited by the vision of a safe‚ prosperous‚ and forward-looking urban future. I expect the American people will win. For more commentary from Newt Gingrich‚ visit Gingrich360.com. This article was originally published by RealClearPolicy and made available via RealClearWire.

A.F. Branco Cartoon – Democrats are promising more money for the border but we all know it’s so they can process more illegals‚ not to stop the flow‚ and they want it tied to more Ukraine money. Republicans in the Senate Suddenly Take Strong Stand on the Border and Illegal Immigration in Exchange for Funding Ukraine By Kristinn Taylor Dec. 5‚ 2023 3:00 pm Days after new Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R-LA) again put the Biden administration and the Senate on notice that he would only consider funding for Ukraine if strict border and immigration reforms in H.R 2 were enacted‚ Republicans in the Senate have suddenly taken a hardline stand on the border and immigration in negotiations with Democrats on funding for Ukraine to defend itself from the ongoing… READ MORE… DONATE to A.F. Branco Cartoons – Tips accepted and appreciated – $1.00 – $5.00 – $25.00 – $50.00 – it all helps to fund this website and keep the cartoons coming. Also Venmo @AFBranco – THANK YOU! A.F. Branco has taken his two greatest passions (art and politics) and translated them into cartoons that have been popular all over the country in various news outlets‚ including NewsMax‚ Fox News‚ MSNBC‚ CBS‚ ABC‚ and “The Washington Post.” He has been recognized by such personalities as Rep. Devin Nunes‚ Dinesh D’Souza‚ James Woods‚ Chris Salcedo‚ Sarah Palin‚ Larry Elder‚ Lars Larson‚ Rush Limbaugh‚ and President Trump

Officials in Israel are holding clandestine discussions with the Democratic Republic of Congo and other African nations‚ regarding the ‘voluntary’ resettlement of thousands of Palestinians from Gaza‚ according to Israeli media reports. As the Israeli [...] The post Israel In Secret Talks to ‘Resettle’ Palestinians in Africa appeared first on The People's Voice.

During the latest airing of her show Megyn Kelly hinted that we will soon be hearing from the ‘late’ pedophile Jeffrey Epstein “directly” after a list of his associates was unsealed earlier this week. She [...] The post Megyn Kelly Says We May ‘Hear From Jeffrey Epstein Directly In The Coming Year’ appeared first on The People's Voice.

Joe Biden officially kicks-off his 2024 campaign against Donald Trump in Valley Forge‚ Pennsylvania. His message: Donald Trump is a Traitor.

Joe Biden has had nothing on his official schedule since December 19th‚ prompting millions of Americans to ask: Where is the President? Here is Joe Biden’s schedule from December 22 through today: Nothing. pic.twitter.com/EvGtAoy4SB— The First (@TheFirstonTV) January 4‚ 2024 His last public event was an appearance at the funeral of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor. The President is expected to deliver an address later today near Valley Forge‚ Pennsylvania to mark the third anniversary of the January 6 Capitol Riot. From CBS News: President Biden is speaking at a campaign event near Valley Forge‚ Pennsylvania on Friday to mark three years since supporters of then-President Donald Trump rioted at the U.S. Capitol. Mr. Biden’s address is the first he’s giving this year. It is becoming increasingly clear that he expects the former president to prevail in the GOP primaries and believes he will face his 2020 opponent again in the 2024 general election. The Biden campaign says the president will give remarks “to mark the anniversary of Donald Trump trying to prevent the peaceful transfer of power as a violent mob breached the U.S. Capitol at his urging.”  Mr. Biden’s campaign says it will be sharpening its criticism of Trump‚ focusing the campaign’s messaging on the argument that Trump is a threat to democracy. It’s language Mr. Biden has long used and that formed the basis of his 2020 campaign. At the time‚ he referred to Trump as an “existential threat” to America — and that was long before the Jan. 6 Capitol assault. 

Kiko Loureiro‚ who stepped down as Megadeth’s guitarist last year‚ has revealed that he wanted one of the thrashers’ most iconic ex-members to replace him

With the release of his new album 10‚000 Volts around the corner‚ co-founding Kiss member Ace Frehley wants the world to know just how good it is - especially his former bandmates