SINCERETALK

Former President Donald Trump authored a "happy new year" message for the world late Saturday night that contained self-serving platitudes, familiar attacks on his political adversaries, as well as a racist swipe toward Ex-United States Secretary of Transportation Elaine Chao, who is married to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Kentucky) and whose name Trump misspelled. Trump wrote in a statement posted to his Twitter imitation app Truth Social : HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of the Radical Left Democrats, Marxist Lunatics, China loving Coco Chow and her Obedient Husband, Mitch, and Clueless RINOS, who are working so hard to DESTROY our once great Country. READ MORE: 'Broken down hack politician': Trump slurs 'crazy' Elaine Chao in attack on Mitch McConnell Trump continued: More importantly, HAPPY NEW YEAR to the Incredible, Brave, and Strong American Patriots who Built, Love, and Cherish America. The REAL leaders of our Country will always remain FAITH...

Some researchers say tinnitus is generated in the ear, while others hypothesise that it happens in the brain. At the moment, there is no cure. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/LA1pv7q via sinceretalk

While the Sharks' Siya Kolisi and co were vocal in dealing with referee Marius van der Westhuizen, the Bulls were perhaps too muted. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/mDoLPsB via sinceretalk

Proteas vice-captain Temba Bavuma admitted that he needs to convert his 50s in order for the Test team's batting fortunes to change. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/vyDr7W3 via sinceretalk

Former President Donald Trump cheated on his taxes, according to investigative financial journalist David Cay Johnston . Today, the House House Ways and Means Committee released Trump’s tax returns from 2015 through 2020. In three of the six years, Trump’s taxable income was zero. This means he paid no income tax in three of the years, and just $750 in 2016. “Over the six years, he paid $776,126 in net federal income tax,” Johnston wrote. “That’s just half of one percent of his positive income,” he added, noting, “The typical tax rate for Trump’s income class is more than 25%.” Johnston says that Trump lowered his income taxes by claiming “huge business expenses despite having zero revenue.” Put another way, Trump said his businesses spent a lot of money just to make no profit. “Trump received more than $154.2 million in wages, interest, dividends, capital gains, and pensions over the six years when he ran for president or lived in the White House,” Johnston wrote. “Despite this ...

Former Pope Benedict died on Saturday in the Mater Ecclesiae Monastery in the Vatican, a spokesperson for the Holy See said. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/iXwK3IM via sinceretalk

South Africa is a big emitter of greenhouse gasses, points out Christian Aid, and a big coal producer. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/vUOCDcb via sinceretalk

A captivating and absorbing three part journey into the southern African rock art images, their journey from caves, to museums all over the world, their role in shaping avante garde and the return home to Africa The post Between lunacy and scholarship: being Leo Frobenius appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

Holidaymakers across the country have flocked to Western Cape beaches to cool off as temperatures soar over the festive season. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/LrTcoxH via sinceretalk

Eskom applied for the licence to import its own fuel so that it could buy diesel at the basic fuel price – instead of the wholesale price, which would reduce the price from about R23 per litre to around R16. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/r1W5smG via sinceretalk

Here are some of the people who made it in worlds as diverse as entertainment, sport and politics — and made a difference on the continent The post Amazing Africans of the year show world how to achieve true greatness appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

United States Congressman-elect George Santos (R-New York) may be able to dismiss criticisms about his fake résumé, his spurious claims about being "Jew-ish," his nonexistent college education, and his sketchy finances as mere "embellishments." But what New York Magazine and Huffington Post contributor Yashar Ali pieced together late Wednesday night revealed that nothing is sacred for the embattled freshman lawmaker. Ali noticed two tweets written by Santos in 2021, which are still active on his profile, containing conflicting accounts of his mother's death. READ MORE: Marjorie Taylor Greene criticizes Tulsi Gabbard in Twitter rant for giving George Santos 'zero grace' The first was authored on July 12th: 9/11 claimed my mother's life ... so I'm blocking so I don't ever have to read this again. The second was published on December 23rd: December 23rd this year marks 5 years I lost my best friend and mentor. Mom you will live forev...

United States Congressman-elect George Santos' (R-New York) repeated claims that his mother Fatima Devolder died from complications stemming from an illness related to the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks appear to be outright lies. On Thursday evening, Rolling Stone reported that representatives from organizations that support 9/11 victims have no documentation of Devolder either receiving medical care or seeking monetary damages for the harm that Santos has insisted befell her. "Despite Santos’ assertion that his mother worked within the World Trade Center, Rolling Stone could find no employment records that would place Mrs. Devolder in or around the towers on September 11th. According to NBC News, Devolder’s only known employment was a Queens-based company that closed in 1994. A New York Times investigation found that Devolder’s main source of income was as a nurse and domestic worker," the magazine recalled. READ MORE: Watch: Candidate George Santos tol...

The corporate takeover of American politics started with a man and a memo you’ve probably never heard of. In 1971, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce asked Lewis Powell, a corporate attorney who would go on to become a Supreme Court justice, to draft a memo on the state of the country. Powell’s memo argued that the American economic system was “under broad attack” from consumer, labor, and environmental groups. In reality, these groups were doing nothing more than enforcing the implicit social contract that had emerged at the end of the Second World War. They wanted to ensure corporations were responsive to all their stakeholders — workers, consumers, and the environment — not just their shareholders. But Powell and the Chamber saw it differently. In his memo, Powell urged businesses to mobilize for political combat, and stressed that the critical ingredients for success were joint organizing and funding. The Chamber distributed the memo to leading CEOs, large businesses, and trade as...

United States Congressman-elect George Santos (R-New York), who is already under investigation for ostensibly lying to voters about vasts chunks of his personal and professional backgrounds, is now facing additional scrutiny for making incompatible statements about the effects that the September 11th, 2001 terrorist attacks had on his family. On Wednesday night it was discovered that Santos twice tweeted conflicting recollections of his mother Fatima Devolder's death. " 9/11 claimed my mother's life ... so I'm blocking so I don't ever have to read this again," Santos posted on July 12th, 2021. Five months later, Santos wrote that "December 23rd this year marks 5 years I lost my best friend and mentor. Mom you will live forever in my heart ." READ MORE: 'There is a seat in hell waiting for this man': George Santos falsely claimed his mom died on September 11th The Washington Post confirmed on Thursday that Devolder died on December 23r...

As 2022 draws to a close, the vast majority of prominent Republicans are still afraid to openly criticize former President Donald Trump. But that doesn’t mean that behind closed doors, they aren’t hoping that someone other than Trump wins the 2024 GOP presidential nomination. Although Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell avoids talking about Trump, he clearly wants his party to nominate someone else. Right-wing firebrand author Ann Coulter , once a Trump supporter, is openly calling for the GOP to nominate Ron DeSantis, not Trump, in 2024, assuming the Florida governor decides to run. And former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr, a former Trump loyalist, is saying that Trump shouldn’t be his party’s 2024 nominee, although he won’t rule out the possibility of voting for him if he is. In an opinion column/listicle published by the Washington Post on December 28, political data analyst David Byler emphasizes that “Donald Trump’s Republican opponents seem worried” about 2024. And he ...

The secretary general lashed out at Free State party leaders after it emerged that provincial departments were allegedly ordered to pay for the ANC’s birthday celebrations The post Fikile Mbalula intervenes after ANC Free State allegedly calls for departments to foot January 8 bill appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

Determined rangers rescued a baby elephant stuck in a pool at Kruger National Park, reuniting the calf with its mother. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/eVGyMm5 via sinceretalk

South Africa capitulated against rampant top-ranked Australia on Thursday to lose the second Test in Melbourne by an innings and 182 runs and with it the series. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/tzbUm8M via sinceretalk

Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi has not ruled out the possibility of commissioning an inquiry into the deadly gas tanker explosion in Boksburg on Christmas Eve. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/mdTVCkR via sinceretalk

A federal judge on Wednesday rejected a January 6 defendant's claim that then-President Donald Trump's exhortation to march to the U.S. Capitol on the day of the deadly right-wing attack should shield the alleged insurrectionist from legal responsibility for his actions. Alex Sheppard, 22, of Ohio is charged with six federal offenses in connection with the Capitol attack. He has pleaded not guilty to all of them, arguing that he believed Trump ordered patriots to enter the Capitol and "fight like hell" to "stop the steal." Shortly before right-wing rioters invaded the Capitol last year and briefly delayed the certification of the 2020 presidential election results, Trump delivered a rally speech reiterating his "Big Lie" that the contest was stolen from him. U.S. District Court Judge John Bates, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, wrote Wednesday that "Trump's words only encourage those at the rally to march to the Capi...

On Wednesday's edition of Deadline: White House , MSNBC host Nicolle Wallace and her guest panelists discussed the extraordinary revelations by the House Select Committee investigating the January 6th, 2021 Capitol insurrection that then-President Donald Trump had seriously considered issuing so-called "blanket pardons" for his Republican congressional allies who aided his efforts to overturn his 2020 election loss and foment his failed coup against the United States government. This previously unreleased plot twist by the Select Committee is yet another plunge into the rabbit hole of misdoings by Trump as he desperately tried to remain in power. "Luke Broadwater, I have to start with you," Wallace said to the New York Times' congressional correspondent. "And it feels like this whole topic of pardons was very well deployed by the Committee, but in some ways saving some of this evidence for the very end that not only did he know he lost, he knew tha...

The New York Police Department has arrested and charged a thirty-three-year-old man with assault and harassment for last week's homophobic attack on the fifty-two-year-old neighbor of openly gay New York City Councilman Erik Bottcher (D-3rd District), The Daily Beast reported on Wednesday afternoon. The NYPD confirmed to the publication that Brooklynite David Nieves was apprehended on Tuesday morning. The incident occurred in West Chelsea on Monday, December 19th, and was part of an ongoing pattern of right-wing violence targeting LGBTQ+ individuals across the United States. According to the Beast, two protesters picketing against Drag Queen Story Hour "were arrested after entering the building and reportedly refusing to leave before eventually doing so. The sidewalk outside was defaced with hateful, homophobic slurs directed against Bottcher, including 'OK Groomer,' 'Child Predator,' and 'Erik Bottcher (sic) Is a Pedo Child Groomer!'" REA...

Australia closed in on winning the second Test and the series against South Africa after Alex Carey struck a maiden century and the Proteas lost Dean Elgar early. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/KhrRTDg via sinceretalk

Australian all-rounder Cameron Green was ruled out of the third Sydney Test against South Africa with a fractured finger, and he will not bowl again in Melbourne. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/FKGRhH8 via sinceretalk

Southwest Airlines is staring down the barrel of federal and congressional investigations amid the fallout from the more than five thousand flights that it abruptly canceled since Christmas weekend. The Dallas, Texas-based carrier was crippled by "a combination of bad luck and bad planning," according to CNN Business . "About 87% of Tuesday’s US flight cancellations are Southwest, according to flight tracking website FlightAware . Southwest canceled more than 2,500 flights. The next highest: Spirit Airlines, with 83." CNN Business noted that the massive winter storm that swept across the country over the holiday hit Southwest's major domestic hubs in Denver, Colorado and Chicago, Illinois especially hard. The report also pointed out that "the storm hit just as the so-called tripledemic surged across America, leaving people and their families sick with Covid, the flu and RSV. Although Southwest says it was fully staffed for the holiday weekend, illness ...

Mark Pilgrim shared a health update from the hospital over the festive weekend. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/QiX9BeE via sinceretalk

Whether you’re looking for a bar with a view or a space where you can enjoy good vibes, we have got you covered The post The best city bars in Mzansi appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

Asian markets rose on Tuesday after China said it would end quarantine for arrivals, spurring hopes for the revival of the world's second-largest economy. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/QdebmwO via sinceretalk

The US initiates Iran’s expulsion from the UN women’s commission. The post Iran punished for ‘vile’ treatment of women appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

An alleged racist attack against two black teens on Christmas Day by white men at the Maselspoort Resort saw EFF members descend on the Free State resort to show their anger. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/ugpSOmT via sinceretalk

We also found out how many matches you get in a single Lion match box - and how long you have before you might burn your fingertips. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/0nrzNyG via sinceretalk

For the first time the party has elected three women to the top seven, but two of them are in deputy positions The post Three women in ANC top 6 welcomed but will this happen at next election? appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

Here are some unforgettable and luxurious places to travel to when looking to enjoy some downtime The post Unique travel destinations in Southern Africa appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

Allrounder Cameron Green took a career-best as Australia ripped through South Africa's fragile batting before piling on late runs to seize control of the second Test. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/JVSLpi8 via sinceretalk

What would best inform the decision to stay in the relationship is the support of the partner who makes you feel secure, loved and wanted. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/nO2u9N0 via sinceretalk

So far 151 vultures have been poisoned in the Zululand region in 2022 The post More than 45 vultures poisoned in KwaZulu-Natal appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

South African YouTube star and entrepreneur Caspar Lee is officially engaged. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/ySPj0Rg via sinceretalk

It’s time to pop some bottles. The best champagne makes you feel fancy, but the celebration makes you feel special The post Bubbles to toast 2023 appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

More than 60% of South African births were registered without details of fathers - but this is expected to change in coming years following a court ruling. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/ymcCTG1 via sinceretalk

The Proteas suggested they could shake up their batting line up for the second Test against Australia on Boxing Day. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/fzqjkiL via sinceretalk

Eskom posted a fifth straight loss and warned the gap may widen, while its auditor said that it may not be able to continue as a going concern. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/Lu3WK2E via sinceretalk

Part one of a three-part story about Southern African rock art’s journey from caves to museums all over the world, its role in shaping avant garde and its return to Africa The post Rediscovering Southern Africa’s rock art treasures appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

This year, Christmas will be the first in two years where South Africans can gather without Covid 19-related restrictions. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/tqLM4Fd via sinceretalk

Kaizer Chiefs have announced the departure of midfielder Njabulo Blom to US Major League Soccer outfit St Louis City. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/09aH3Gv via sinceretalk

Grab something to eat and drink, then sit back and relax with these more-ish TV shows The post Big viewing on the small screen: Ten shows to binge watch appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

Rapper Tory Lanez was found guilty Friday of shooting Megan Thee Stallion in the feet during a drunken argument after a celebrity party near Hollywood in 2020. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/sOUdPip via sinceretalk

Although they won at a canter and put five tries past the Lions, Sharks director of rugby Neil Powell said he was still seeking that "perfect performance". from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/MXgrlT8 via sinceretalk

With 2023 looming, we look back on the biggest stories of 2022. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/UgV0Tmf via sinceretalk

Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, has hired one of Washington, D.C.'s high-profile lawyers who served as legal counsel for Jared Kushner during a number of key cases. On Wednesday, December 21, Kevin Morris spoke with news outlets and confirmed Biden had retained Abbe Lowell to represent him, The Guardian reports. “Hunter Biden has retained Abbe Lowell to help advise him and be part of his legal team to address the challenges he is facing,” Morris told outlets. READ MORE: How MAGA Republicans’ Hunter Biden obsession underscores a 'deep psychological need': ex-Reagan speechwriter “Lowell is a well-known Washington-based attorney who has represented numerous public officials and high-profile people in Department of Justice investigations and trials as well as congressional investigations," Morris said. "[For Hunter Biden] Mr. Lowell will handle congressional investigations and general strategic advice.” The high-profile lawyer has worked with figures...

The United Rugby Championship announced it had asked Treviso to provide a report on the "abhorrent" racism suffered by Treviso's Cherif Traore after he received a rotten banana. from News24 Top Stories https://ift.tt/KpAM78v via sinceretalk

The ANC’s reaction to the Zondo findings was a precursor of its attitude to the Ngcobo ‘Farmgate’ report The post What the Ngcobo report meant for the Zondo report appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .

In November, Florida voters kicked out a judge who issued a controversial ruling denying an abortion to a 17-year-old girl because she had C-average grades in school. Now, state Gov. Ron DeSantis has appointed him to an even higher court, the Sixth District Court of Appeals. In January, Judge Jared Smith ruled that the unnamed teen couldn’t get an abortion because he doubted her “overall intelligence.” Florida law requires minors to get parental consent before getting an abortion, and the teen sought an exemption for that requirement. “(While) she claimed that her grades were ‘Bs’ during her testimony,” Smith wrote in his ruling, “her GPA is currently 2.0. Clearly, a ‘B’ average would not equate to a 2.0 GPA.” He denied her request, and an appeals court later overturned his ruling, finding that he abused his judicial discretion. In response to his ruling, several local conservatives retracted their endorsements of him . Then, in June, local voters kicked him off of the bench, pre...

On Thursday, the Jan. 6 committee published two transcripts from its extensive interviews with Cassidy Hutchinson, the former Trump White House aide who offered some of the most damning and explosive testimony to emerge from the 18-month probe of the insurrection at the U.S. Capitol. When she appeared publicly before the committee this summer, Hutchinson recounted how former President Donald Trump waved off warnings from his security detail about armed people in the crowd and urged that they be allowed to pass through metal detectors unmolested. She revealed learning about how Trump had lunged at the neck of his own Secret Service agent when his request to be ferried to the Capitol after the speech at the Ellipse was denied. She recalled the secrecy of her boss, former chief of staff Mark Meadows, who allegedly burned paperwork after a meeting with Rep. Scott Perry, an outspoken advocate of Trump’s Big Lie. Hutchinson’s testimony was an embarrassment of riches for the committee, fi...

After months of pro-Kremlin state media prediction that the U.S. support for Ukraine would die out, Russian propagandist Vladimir Solovyov became enraged when he saw an image of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky alongside House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Kamala Harris as they accepted and proudly held up the Ukrainian flag, The Daily Beast reports. As a guest was speaking, Solovyov reportedly was texting with producers, demanding that they remove the clip of Zelensky in the U.S. When the producers didn't react to his demands fast enough, he said, "Guys, get rid of this video, if you can’t read what is being written to you!” “Zelensky is already on his way to Washington. It’s perhaps a natural path for any traitor... He betrayed his entire Soviet past,” he said. “Our weapon-makers are more talented anyway. Our men are more ingenious because we’re Russians—of many different nationalities. God is with us! Either we will win, or humanity will cease to exist,...

Untrue allegations made by disgruntled humanities academic dismissed by labour court as his leave for appeal is refused The post Academic freedom upheld at University of Johannesburg appeared first on The Mail & Guardian .