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Democrats block ban on congressional stock trading — bill goes down 53 to 47. Democrats block data center bill 57-43.

 A House-passed bill to restrict members of Congress from buying and selling stocks failed on the Senate floor Wednesday in a party-line vote, with Democrats insisting it would not do enough to curb lawmakers’ trading.

Senators voted 53-47 on advancing the Stop Insider Trading Act, short of the 60 votes needed. Every Democratic and independent senator voted to reject the measure, which would prohibit members and their spouses from purchasing individual stocks and institute new reporting requirements.

Among other criticisms, Democrats argued the bill would not require lawmakers to sell stocks they already own.

“The Republican toothless stock trading bill is as ineffective as a screen door on a submarine,” Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said on the floor Wednesday. “This bill has no reform, no accountability, no substance.”

 https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/democrats-block-ban-on-congressional-stock-trading-bill-goes-down-53-to-47-democrats-block-data-center-bill-57-43/

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A 77-year-old man was handcuffed over feeding stray cats on his property

Cities reliant on property tax for more than 40% of tax revenues.

Milwaukee 96%

Boston 92%

Minneapolis 76%

Miami 73%

Virginia Beach 70%

Dallas 70%

Charlotte 65%

Raleigh 64%

Baltimore 64%

Nashville 63%

Jacksonville 61%

Memphis 60%

Atlanta 60%

San Francisco 59%

Oakland 59%

Fort Worth 58%

Tampa 57%

Houston 56%

Austin 56%

Las Vegas 56%

El Paso 55%

Portland 55%

Baltimore 54%

San Jose 53%

San Antonio 52%

Omaha 52%

Indianapolis 51%

Los Angeles 49%

New York 47%

Arlington 46%

Chicago 44%

Seattle 44%

San Diego 43%

 https://itep.org/how-the-50-largest-american-cities-raise-revenue-and-what-that-means-for-tax-equity/

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 Last U.S. troops leave Iraq. Baghdad calls it a holiday.

  America leaves. The armed groups that wanted America gone still keep their weapons.

The Pentagon said the last troops and gear left Erbil Air Base.

Operation Inherent Resolve’s Iraq chapter is closed after 12 years.

About 2,500 Americans had been the recent ceiling.

Roughly 1,500 were left in the Kurdish north.

Those bases took regular fire after the U.S. and Israel opened the Iran war on Feb. 28.

Prime Minister Ali al-Zaidi called it a “new phase.”

Iraq named four holidays as Days of Sovereignty.

The 2024 deal paired the exit with militia disarmament by Sept. 30.

That date slipped to June 2027.

CENTCOM said the anti-ISIS headquarters moves to Jordan.

https://www.cnn.com/2026/09/30/middleeast/us-military-withdrawal-iraq-intl

 https://www.npr.org/2026/09/30/nx-s1-5983426/u-s-withdraws-final-troops-from-iraq

 https://www.investmentwatchblog.com/last-u-s-boots-leave-erbil-baghdad-throws-a-sovereignty-week/

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CNN blurred legal and illegal immigrants. Pipko pushed back.

  They tried to talk over her. Elizabeth Pipko wasn’t having it.

After the CNN panel blurred the line between legal and illegal immigrants for the third time, Pipko, the daughter of Soviet refugees, told them straight up: legal immigrants deserve to be treated BETTER than those who cut in line.

PIPKO: “I’m genuinely just surprised that we all think it’s okay to conflate immigrants and illegal immigrants. Genuinely baffled…”

[Panel tries to interrupt]

PIPKO: “No, I have to get this out. I talked to my dad earlier today who told me that he got MORE PAPERWORK earlier today on the death of his father at the hands of the KGB, as he was trying to escape. The people who come to this country, who go through hell and back to respect our laws and do it the right way, deserve to be treated BETTER.”

FUN FACT: Drug overdose deaths are down 35% since Trump sealed the border and cut off the cartels’ fentanyl pipeline.

 Funny how that never comes up on CNN.