Latest Stories
Most recently published stories in The Swamp.
Ryan Wasted $73 Million on Midterms
Now that all the dust has settled, and every race determined, it turns out the grand total of all the money the Congressional Leadership Fund wasted on attack ads was $73,177,712. That doesn’t include the just over $3 million they spent on Conor Lamb’s special election in Pennsylvania.
John HeckenlivelyPublished 5 years ago in The SwampAmazon HQ2
With Black Friday just passing and onward to Cyber Monday which will continue on to a holiday increased shopping period through the remainder of the year, Amazon is on a lot of people’s electronic screens and taking in their hard-earned dollars…. Dollars that were taxedon earnings. Unlike Amazon, who avoids paying federal taxes using a variety of tax credits and tax exemptions that are legal and built into the U.S. federal tax code. A big one for this past year was the ability to deduct stock-based compensation of executives.
BJ TyrrellPublished 5 years ago in The SwampThe Future of the British Furniture Industry Post-Brexit
Following on from Theresa May’s recent declaration that the UK had agreed to a withdrawal agreement with the European Union, there have been positive murmurings emerging from a range of different industries within the business community. While the agreement has not been positively received across the whole of the public and political spectra, there is the possibility that MPs will eventually push the agreement through parliament to avert an unprecedented political crisis developing in the UK.
Jeff NevilPublished 5 years ago in The SwampThe Brilliance of a Speech—Charlie Chaplin
Charlie Chaplin, one of the great film figures of the 20th century and known for his silent work in film, took a great leap of faith and showed moral courage by his performance parodying Adolf Hitler in The Great Dictator. This film was the first one where Chaplin had any actual dialogue even though he had been in numerous silent films in previous decades from the 1910s through the 1930s. By that time of the late 1930s, Chaplin had achieved worldwide success and critical acclaim as an actor and a comedian but at that tumultuous time in world affairs, he knew he had the responsibility to speak out about growing militant nationalism that was surging in both Europe and Asia.
Black Friday Can Suck a Big One
Let me begin by saying I love a discount; I do. Paying full price for something when I could be saving money is amazing. That being said, we end up paying a different price when it comes to Black Friday.
Luis RamosPublished 5 years ago in The SwampThe War on Christmas
It's that time of the year again. You put up your Christmas trees, hang a wreath, maxing out your credit card buying crap that will only satisfy your family members for one year and even getting that holiday ham to stick into the oven. The best time of the year for some of us
Johann HollarPublished 5 years ago in The SwampHow Evers Beat Walker
In 2014, Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker beat bicycle entrepreneur Mary Burke by 136,793 votes. In 2018, Walker lost to State Superintendent of Education Tony Evers by a margin of 30, 576. What factors shifted over 167,000 votes between the two elections? There were several.
John HeckenlivelyPublished 5 years ago in The SwampGun Control
There was recently a shooting at Mercy hospital in Chicago. I live in the suburbs, so this hit close to home. It also gave me a minor panic attack when I got an alert on my phone that there was a shooting at Chicago hospital and didn't say which one. Details are important and should be displayed on phone alerts. Anyway, as with most shootings, the topic of gun control came into play again. Living in a pro-gun house, a family member's immediate reaction was to ask me to get my concealed carry license. Believe me, with recent stories in the news, the thought has often crossed my mind. Honestly though, I don't feel safe carrying because I have seizures. I don't feel safe having guns in my house because I have seizures and a young child that lives with me. There's no reason for me, personally, to own a gun inside my house at this time. I've taken gun safety courses, I know how to operate a gun, I have my FOID card, and I love going to the shooting range. I am not a monster, I'm just someone who's explored their options and the legal ways in which to own and operate them.
Michelle SchultzPublished 5 years ago in The SwampWhy Hilary Clinton's Comments on Immigration Show the Weaknesses of the Centre Left
Former Democratic Presidential candidate Hilary Clinton this week suggested a plan for Europe to prevent the rise of right wing populists; by essentially taking a leaf out of their book.
Patrick HollisPublished 5 years ago in The SwampUS Involvement in the Middle East Is a Double-Edged Sword—Here's Why
When Americans think of the Middle East in the present day, we immediately think of bloodshed and violence. The Fertile Crescent was home to various empires that spanned several nations, with Babylonia, Assyria, Persia, Canaan and Phoenicia later becoming autonomous countries that would remain enemies millennia later; the nations that are now Iraq, Syria, Iran, Israel and Lebanon will possibly remain both political, cultural, and religious rivals for centuries more. As complex as the history of the Cradle of Civilization may sound from the average point of view, it is actually quite simple to explain: one area wants the other dead or suffering. For example, countries aligned with Israel and Saudi Arabia want nations aligned with Palestine and Syria to be either nonexistent or poverty-stricken. United States involvement can have both positive and negative outcomes. Backing the deposition of a dictator can result in either prosperity and peace or rampant poverty and brutal dictatorships. Although the region has been rife with conflict for thousands of years, Western involvement is truly a double-edged sword. As stated in a recent PragerU video made by Dennis Prager, “It’s simple. One side wants the other dead.” All of the benefits have their disadvantages.
Devin Nassar-ReisPublished 5 years ago in The SwampNothing Is Black and White with the SNP
First there was the visit to Poland, and the day trip to Auschwitz. One of the most important historic sites in the world. A place where unspeakable horrors were carried out. Not exactly the place for cheap publicity stunts by a politician. But Scotland's First Minister decided to hitch herself to a school trip to the infamous Nazi death camp.
Michael BlairPublished 5 years ago in The SwampPride and Privilege
The one thing in our “children,” starting with the millennials, that has been instilled, is a since of pride. Pride in the soil on which they stood, whether it was American soil, Mexican soil or Canadian soil. Pride in where they lived and where they came from. They were taught to always remember their roots, no matter how far they made it in life and no matter how big they ever became. Jenny from the block ring a bell? They were taught to have pride in what they have in life and not what they didn’t have, but most importantly, pride in who they were as an individual in the sea of life. That pride was instilled in every child by every parent, nanny, housewife, working father, step parent, teacher, and anyone else who had influence in these children’s lives.
Xander AlexanderPublished 5 years ago in The Swamp