Society's ChildS


Stock Down

US jobless claims still sunk at 52-year low with just 206,000 new claims, labour participation at record lows

jobless claims us
New weekly jobless claims ticked up slightly last week to hold near a 52-year low.

The Labor Department released its latest weekly jobless claims report Thursday at 8:30 a.m. ET. Here were the main metrics from the print, compared to consensus estimates compiled by Bloomberg:
  • Initial jobless claims, week ended Dec. 11: 206,000 vs.200,000 expected and an upwardly revised 188,000 during prior week
  • Continuing claims, week ended Dec. 4: 1.845 million vs. 1.943 million expected and an upwardly revised 1.999 million during prior week
First-time unemployment filings fell sharply to reach their lowest level since 1969 in early December, coming in below 190,000. And even with the latest move higher, the four-week moving average for new claims — which smooths out volatility in the weekly data - came in at the lowest level since November 1969, dropping by 16,000 week-over-week to reach 203,750.

Comment: At least one factor contributing to low labor force participation seems to be the vaccine mandate:


X

Noem says she will propose ban on transgender women in female sports

Noem/Women's team
© Erin Bormett/Argus LeaderSouth Dakota Governor Kristi Noem
South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) said this week that she is going to bring forth a bill that would ban transgender women and girls from participating in female school sports, according to The Associated Press. Noem vetoed a similar bill in March, saying it would have easily been struck down in court, the AP noted.

Instead, she issued an executive order amid pressure from social conservatives that urged high school and public university women sports programs to only permit girls and women whose birth certificates listed them as female to participate, according to the news service.

Noem now is reportedly seeking to codify that executive order as legislation to promote "an equal playing field" for women.

Noem said in a statement:
"Common sense tells us that males have an unfair physical advantage over females in athletic competition. This issue is about basic fairness - "only girls are playing girls' sports."

Briefcase

Thin-skinned? Tesla sues Chinese customers over criticism

tesla electric car
© Reuters / Sarah MeysonnierTesla on the road
Tesla has filed defamation claims against at least two Chinese individuals who complained about the safety and quality of its vehicles, insisting the rumors have "groundlessly damaged its reputation," according to Bloomberg.

The company is also leaning on online "influencers," demanding "steep compensation" from social media personalities who have criticized it. The electric car firm's legal team have demanded public apologies and retractions of posts on pain of litigation.

Comment: Tesla's safety record has been less than stellar. Maybe Elon should devote some of those litigious funds to improving his product?


Biohazard

Texas probe triggered over claims pharma firms pushed 'unapproved' drugs on trans kids

ken paxton texas
© Andrew Harrer/Bloomberg via Getty ImagesKen Paxton, Texas Attorney General
The FDA has not approved these drugs for gender dysphoria

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced an investigation into two pharmaceutical companies that allegedly promoted hormone-blocking drugs for children with gender dysphoria, even though the drugs have not been approved for this purpose. One of the companies told Fox News that it has not promoted the drugs for gender dysphoria.

"Puberty blockers used on minors experiencing gender dysphoria or similar mental disorders is child abuse," Paxton told Fox News in a statement Wednesday. "Doctors, parents, guardians, and counselors who aid and abet the use of puberty blockers in an improper manner are complicit in the abuse. As are prescription drug manufacturers, which is the basis of my investigation."

"Everyone involved in damaging our young people like this must be held accountable and brought to justice, and that's exactly what I'm doing," he added.

Comment:


Eye 1

Rex Murphy: Jussie Smollett injured an entire nation

Jussie Smollett
Former "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett arrives at court in Chicago to hear the verdict in his trial on Dec. 9, 2021. He was found guilty of staging a fake hate crime attack on himself in 2019. PHOTO BY SCOTT OLSON/GETTY IMAGES
Every day brings a new shame, a fresh burden, to our poor, weary and ever-spinning globe, overstocked as she patently already is with malice and folly. I imagine her sighing — "why was I the planet chosen to house Jussie Smollett?"

Most of us, alas, are familiar with the Smollett saga. Roughly three years ago this singer and secondary star of a middling TV drama series — Empire — concocted, scripted, rehearsed and executed his own fake racist drama.

He staged the cretinous "attack" on his Black and homosexual self on the 2 a.m.-streets of "MAGA-country Chicago."

Background. Smollett was not hard up. For his secondary parts in Empire he earned $65,000 to $100,000 per episode, a tidy sum for any actor. Convinced, however, that he was worth more, his wonderful brain conceived a plan that would elevate his profile — even to the unspeakable heights of being a guest on Good Morning America .

Red Flag

'All-time high' number of guns seized in US airports

guns
© Getty Images / Bytmonas
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has seized more guns in 2021 than in any other year since its creation two decades ago. A whopping 5,674 firearms were intercepted by the agency at airport security checkpoints.

The previous annual record was 4,432 guns confiscated in 2019, TSA Administrator David Pekoske said during a Monday briefing to the media.

"It's an all-time high," Pekoske noted. "The reason? I think there's just more firearm carriage in the country. That's the best answer I can give you."

Footprints

Latinos are saying 'adios' to the Democratic Party in Nevada and elsewhere

Adam laxalt Republican Nevada
© Photo courtesy Jesus MarquezJesus Marquez introduces Adam Laxalt at an event at the Nevada Republican Party HQ, Oct. 9, 2021.
Marquez: 'Latinos continue to embrace conservative messaging'

According to numerous reports, Latinos are leaving the Democratic party in large numbers. In an essay expressing great concern about the phenomenon in The Liberal Patriot, to The New York Post, Ruy Teixeira claims, "It's not as bad as you think, it's worse."

The Wall Street Journal notes:
"The nation's large and diverse group of Hispanic voters is showing signs of dividing its support between Democrats and Republicans more evenly than in recent elections, a new Wall Street Journal poll finds, a troubling development for the Democratic Party, which has long counted on outsize Hispanic support."
CNN laments: "Democrats have a major problem with Hispanic Voters"

Comment:


Snow Globe Xmas

'The situation is dire'; Salvation Army facing toy, donation shortage ahead of holidays

Salvation army red kettle christmas donations
© Jason Agnew/YouTube
The Salvation Army is facing a shortage of toys and donations ahead of the holiday season, and urge communities to find a way to help.

The nonprofit reports it gets 75% of total annual donations during November and December, and they are once again in need of support. That help can come in the form of an online donation at the virtual Northwest Red Kettle.

Comment: The article carefully omits one of the main reasons Salvation Army holiday donations may be down. Surely part of it is the fact that more people are struggling financially as 'Bidenflation' takes hold. But the wokesters who have wormed their way in to even such a venerable institution as the Salvation Army have managed to gravely insult their largest donor base: conservatives.

From the Gateway Pundit:
The Salvation Army is asking for more than donations this year. The Christian charitable organization is asking all white donors to reflect on their racism this year.

Wow.

Central Nova News reported:
The Salvation Army wants its white donors to give it more than just money this Christmas season. Its leadership is also demanding they apologize for being racist.

It's part of a push by the Christian charitable organization to embrace the ideas of Black Lives Matter, an activist group working to, among other things, "dismantle white privilege" and "disrupt the Western-prescribed nuclear family structure."

The Salvation Army's Alexandria-based leadership has created an "International Social Justice Commission" which has developed and released a "resource" to educate its white donors, volunteers and employees called Let's Talk about Racism. It asserts Christianity is institutionally racist, calling for white Christians to repent and offer "a sincere apology" to blacks for being "antagonistic.. to black people or the culture, values and interests of the black community."

In an accompanying Study Guide on Racism,Salvation Army authors explain that all whites are racist, even if they don't realize it.
The backlash was not long in coming:
On Thanksgiving the Salvation Army released a statement refuting the claims of their racial demands.

And now it appears the Salvation Army has removed its absurd "Let's Talk About Racism" guide following intense backlash over a text last week that told white donors to "sincerely apologize" for their racism while asserting that Christianity is institutionally racist.

boken link white privilige salvation army
© The Salvation Army
The link to the page is now broken and you get this when you click on it.

As a result of the guide becoming public, donors and supporters across the country have been rescinding their support of the organization en masse, which prompted the Salvation Army to discontinue the guide pending "appropriate review." But despite removing the documents - for now - nothing in their statement indicates that they are going to back down from pushing woke ideology upon donors.

In fact, it's quite the contrary. the charity now attempts to shift the blame by claiming that nefarious individuals are making "false claims" and misrepresenting the content to suit their own agenda, while simultaneously reaffirming the Salvation Army's support for woke ideology.

Completely shameless.




Syringe

The FDA approves boosters for minors - without testing boosters on minors

fauci
Late last week, on December 9, the FDA approved the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) for the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, "authorizing the use of a single booster dose for administration to individuals 16 and 17 years of age." The booster is to be given at least 6 months after vaccination.

Before we get to the data the FDA cited in the booster for kids aged 16-17, let's go through the facts:

COVID-19 is not a threat to teenagers aged 16-17. On October 25, we warned that the FDA was about to approve an experimental COVID-19 vaccine for children. It seemed unnecessary to give the EUA Pfizer vaccine to minors, as CDC data showed that for children aged 5-11 years-old, there have been 1.8 million COVID-19 cases and only 138 deaths. For older kids, from our own calculations, there have been approximately 3 million COVID-19 infections for those aged 12-18 years, leading to approximately 400 COVID-19 deaths in those ages. Children who get COVID-19 (including the age range approved for the latest booster) generally have less severe symptoms. Even the CDC concedes that "children are less likely to develop severe illness or die from COVID-19."

Comment: See also:


People 2

Thousands protest Covid restrictions as New Zealand crosses 90% fully vaccinated milestone

New Zealand protest covid
Thousands marched in New Zealand's capital Wellington on Thursday to protest against Covid-19 vaccine mandates and lockdowns, as the country reached the 90% fully vaccinated milestone.

New Zealand's tough lockdown and vaccination drives have helped keep coronavirus infections and related deaths low, but it has also drawn criticism from some calling for more freedoms and an end to mandatory vaccine requirements.

The government has mandated vaccinations for teachers, workers in the health and disability sectors, police and other public service sectors.

Protesters, mostly unmasked, marched through the central business district of Wellington and gathered in front of the parliament building, know as the Beehive.

Security was beefed up at the Beehive with entrances closed off and dozens of police deployed.