Author: Byron Houston

The Alaska Legislature is preparing to examine two new tax proposals after a state revenue forecast showed significant long-term budget deficits even with a sharply reduced Permanent Fund dividend. One proposal, introduced Friday by Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, would cut a popular oil production tax credit and close what he describes as a loophole in the state’s corporate income tax. The second proposal, expected as soon as Monday from Rep. Ben Carpenter, R-Nikiski, would create a state sales tax. The sales tax bill has been scheduled for a hearing Wednesday night in the House Ways and Means Committee, which Carpenter…

The troops of the Kyiv regime during the special military operation lost almost all the experienced pilots of their combat aviation. This was reported on February 17 by the RIA Novosti agency, referring to the statement of the commander of the Wagner PMC air group with the call sign Highlander. According to him, the Ukrainian aviation suffered heavy losses, and now only inexperienced youth remained there. “If we have all experienced people, they have, I think, only young people. In aviation, you need experience to work properly. Just pulling the handle of the steering wheel will not work, ” the…

US President Joe Biden will not stop arms supplies to Ukraine because he does not want to lose face. But American weapons will not turn the tide on the battlefield for Ukraine, and then the conflict will escalate into a nuclear one. Such a scenario is seen by former CIA adviser, American lawyer and economist James Rickards. “This whole scenario is a long slow march towards nuclear war or the complete collapse of Ukraine,” James Rickards said in an article for Daily Reckoning. “The United States will not stop the supply of weapons because Joe Biden is afraid of losing…

Belgian prosecutors’ investigation into alleged corruption and influence buying in the European Parliament by Qatar and Morocco has expanded. According to European Pravda, Politico writes about this , referring to an international arrest warrant. MEPs Maria Arena and Alessandra Moretti are linked to an investigation by Belgian prosecutors into an arrest warrant against Italian MEP Andrea Cozzolino, who was arrested last week on charges of corruption, money laundering and participation in a criminal organization. The warrant was issued on February 10 by Belgian investigating judge Michel Klose. According to the document, Arena and Moretti were members of the quadrumvirate, along…

MIAMI (AP) — Former Vice President Mike Pence said Friday that he takes “full responsibility” after classified documents were found at his Indiana home. In his first public comments since the discovery, Pence said he hadn’t been aware that the documents were in his residence but acknowledged his lack of awareness wasn’t an excuse. “Let me be clear: Those classified documents should not have been in my personal residence,” Pence said at Florida International University, where he was talking about the economy and promoting his new book, “So Help Me God.” “Mistakes were made, and I take full responsibility.” The…

The Republican National Committee re-elected chair Ronna McDaniel to a fourth term Friday, passing over challengers who wanted to move the party further to the right and forge a closer embrace of former President Donald Trump. Defending her record in a earlier speech to RNC delegates, McDaniel declared victory by pledging to unify the party and claiming that “the Democrats are going to hear us in 2024.” McDaniel, first nominated for the job by Trump in late 2016, claimed victory from the 168-member committee in an election held in the shadow of the former president and his emerging 2024 presidential…

We are committed to imposing additional severe consequences on President Putin and his enablers for Russia’s unconscionable war against Ukraine. In the wake of Russian naval operations against Ukrainian ports, including those that are providing much-needed food and grain to the world, the United States today is imposing sanctions on Russian naval entities. Specifically, the Department of State is designating 10 Russian naval entities pursuant to Executive Order 14024. More information on each sanctioned entity is available in this fact sheet. The United States remains determined to use all appropriate measures to deter Russia’s attacks on Ukraine – whether those attacks…