 Information on the "IKE DIKE" Coastal Barrier
National Public Radio's long-standing liberal tilt has gone off the rails, a veteran insider claimed in an essay that has raised new questions about political bias at the taxpayer-funded radio and television network. NPR is slated to receive more than $91 million in 2024 from the taxpayer-funded Corporation for Public Broadcasting. Uri Berliner's viral essay about his observations as a longtime NPR producer and editor warned against defunding the organization. But at the same time, he made the case for it, chronicling NPR's lurch to the far left after Donald Trump's presidential victory in 2016 and its dedication to "identifying and ending systemic racism" following the death of George Floyd, a Black man killed in police custody in 2020. NPR's news coverage after 2016, Mr. Berliner wrote in The Free Press, "veered toward efforts to damage or topple Trump's presidency," while race and identity "became paramount in nearly every aspect of the workplace." At the same time, NPR began to completely shut out viewpoint diversity. Mr. Berliner's piece triggered new calls to yank NPR's public funding, or at least alter the funding formula to provide local public radio with more control over its coverage. NPR received $9.43 million in direct payments in 2024 and cites the figure to claim a mere 1% of its budget came from taxpayers. A much bigger pot of federal money — $81.77 million — will also end up at NPR in 2024 by way of direct CPB grants provided to public radio stations, who must use the money to purchase NPR content. April 10: The Epoch Times: Biden attempting to take over voter registration; Secretaries of State claim A power struggle over voter registration is playing out between the White House and some state attorney generals who say the federal government is trying to take over the voter registration processes from states. It stems from Joe Biden's March 2021 Executive Order that says, "It is the responsibility of the Federal Government to expand access to, and education about, voter registration and election information." This is in opposition to Article 1 Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution, which says the times, places, and manner of holding elections shall be left to the state legislatures. Matters of voting have always been a state-level function. The Executive Order requires every federal agency head to design plans related to voter registration, ensure access to certain incarcerated individuals in federal custody, and design a ballot tracking system for absentee voters under the Uniformed and Overseas Citizens Absentee Voting Act (UOCAVA). "There is no such responsibility enumerated in the U.S. Constitution, and the 10th Amendment clearly states that powers not expressly given to the Federal Government by the Constitution are reserved to the states," said West Virginia Secretary of State Mac Warner in a statement. "West Virginia will emphatically not give up our state's duty to register voters in a nonpartisan manner to the federal government, nor will we accept voter registration forms collected by Federal agents. White House overtaking of state responsibilities is something we will fight all the way to the Supreme Court," Warner said. The statement comes after a "frustrating and convoluted conference call" last week between the White House and secretaries of state. "Section 7 of the National Voter Registration Act says states—not the federal government—shall offer voter registration opportunities," Warner said. "The White House knows they are prohibited from self-assuming power over the states' voter registration processes. Biden's executive order is federal overreach. This executive order is nothing more than another attempt by the White House to take away states' powers, federalize our elections, and turn voter registration into a partisan activity. Voter registration should be an apolitical service by individual states." April 10: The Daily Wire: Trump makes preemptive strike; the Abortion debate Democrats are going to try to shift the entire election so it becomes about abortion. Donald Trump made a very savvy political move in dissociating himself from the issue entirely; he said that the federal government should not be involved in the abortion issue. Though I am strenuously against abortion, the reality is that the most the president of the United States can do unilaterally without congressional approval is implement items like the Mexico City policy, which is funding for abortion overseas, or target spending at Planned Parenthood domestically. The reality is that there used to be a fairly wide consensus that the federal government should not involve itself in abortion by funding abortion. Joe Biden is the one who broke that pact by saying that you and I should fund abortions across the country. He's the one who said the Hyde Amendment should go. So, Trump made a politically moderate move by saying let the states take care of it. Then, on Tuesday, an Arizona state Supreme Court decision came down that reinstated a 160-year-old abortion ban in the state of Arizona unless it was necessary to save a woman's life. Pro-abortion proponents will attempt to pin the Arizona decision on Trump; something he had nothing to do with. April 9: Senator Kennedy (R-LA): Schumer should not attempt to avoid a trial on the Impeachment of Mayorkas Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, today joined Republican colleagues in calling on Sen. Chuck Schumer (D-NY) to hold a full, and fair trial in the Senate to consider the House of Representatives' articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The House of Representatives has impeached Mayorkas for "high crimes and misdemeanors," which are outlined in [LINK] two articles of impeachment. The U.S. Constitution, within Article I, Section 3, Clause 6, vests the Senate with the sole power to "try all Impeachments." "A charitable interpretation of what Sen. Schumer is planning to do does not exist. It doesn't. He is going to either make a motion to table or to dismiss the work done by the U.S. House of Representatives," explained Kennedy, in light of Senate Democrats' apparent plans to bury the impeachment charges without a full trial. The Senate has held a full trial in every impeachment except in four cases where the official was either removed or resigned, so dismissing or tabling the articles against Mayorkas would be unprecedented. It's really very simple, Kennedy said, "We're either going to follow Senate custom, Senate rules and Senate history, or we are not." "Now, originally, Senator Schumer had planned to do this on the Thursday when everybody is trying to get back to their districts. Isn't that special? Wonder why he picked a Thursday... This is unconscionable, people," the Senator said. "This ranks right up there with getting rid of the filibuster. We're either going to have a United States Senate as set up by our founders or we're not, and that's what's going on here," Kennedy contended. April 9: The Nebraska Examiner: Senate may, or may not, act on Mayorkas impeachment next week U.S. senators returning from recess this week may soon have to deal with the two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that U.S. House Republicans passed last month. Eleven House Republican impeachment managers are expected to walk the two articles of impeachment to the Senate next week, where Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) will have to decide whether to hold a trial or call a vote to either table or dismiss the charges. Once the articles arrive in the Senate, the chamber would have to begin next steps immediately. "The Senate will receive the managers as they present the articles of impeachment for Secretary Mayorkas to the Senate," Schumer wrote in a letter to his caucus Friday. "Please be advised that all Senators will be sworn in as jurors in the trial the day after the articles are presented." Washington state Democratic Sen. Patty Murray would preside over an impeachment trial, Schumer said. But Schumer could also have the Senate vote on dismissing the charges without a trial. He has called the articles of impeachment a "sham." The White House, of course, has taken the same stance. Democrats reportedly are concerned that a trial could layout issues about the invasion of the southern US border for all to see; an issue that has venerable Democrats underwater and is one of the primary issues in a critical election year. The first article of impeachment accuses Mayorkas of a "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law," and the second accuses him of a breach of public trust. April 9: Axios: Israeli Defense Minister tells US, Rafah invasion date hasn't been set yet Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant told U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin on Monday that Israel hasn't yet set a date for an operation in Rafah, despite Prime Minister Netanyahu's public claim Monday that "there is a date," according to a source with direct knowledge. The Biden administration is pushing Netanyahu not to proceed with an operation in Rafah, where more than one million displaced Palestinians are sheltering. Netanyahu has presented the plans as a done deal, but both U.S. officials and now Gallant are now contradicting him. Netanyahu had said several times in recent months that he approved plans for an operation in Rafah, but the military hasn't been given any order to move forward with it, Israeli officials say. April 9: Fox News: USA Today changes headline on Trump after Biden campaign gaslighted it USA Today changed a headline about presumptive GOP nominee Donald Trump's abortion stance on abortion after the Biden-Harris campaign called it "egregiously false." On Monday, Biden-Harris campaign manager Julie Chavez Rodriguez, deputy communications director Brooke Goren and pro-abortion advocate Kaitlyn Kash held a press call to discuss media coverage of Trump announcing his position on whether abortion should be banned. Trump explicitly affirmed his support for in vitro fertilization (IVF) and he emphasized his support for states determining their own laws for abortion so long as there are exceptions for rape, incest and life of the mother. "The states will determine by vote, or legislation, or perhaps both, and whatever they decide must be the law of the land – in this case, the law of the state," Trump said. "Many states will be different. Many states will have a different number of weeks…at the end of the day it is all about the will of the people." On the press call, members of the Biden-Harris campaign team slammed coverage of Trump's announcement. "One particularly egregiously false headline even said Trump, quote, 'opposes a national abortion ban and will leave it up to the will of the people,'" the Biden-Harris staffer said. USA Today's headline that said, "'The will of the people': Trump opposes national abortion ban; says states should decide." About two hours after the Biden-Harris press call the headline was changed to "Donald Trump says states should decide abortion policy, avoids talk of a national ban," but failed to include any sort of editor's note explaining the change. USA Today's website notes that the story was "updated"  roughly seven hours after it was initially published but doesn't explain why. April 9: Fox Business: McDonald's $25 "Deal" goes viral on the Internet While the meal is designed to serve four people, it demonstrates how prices at the fast-food chain have risen over the years. A recent study by Finance Buzz found that McDonald's prices have increased by 100% since 2014. The price of the meal bundle was $25.39 — including sales tax, it would come to roughly $27. In the video, the social media user lamented that the meal didn't even include a drink. "OK, so it's $25.39 for 40-piece nuggets and two large fries," she said. "You couldn't even throw in the Sprite? April 9: The Washington Examiner: Arizona Supreme Court decision on Abortion case has both parties up in arms Arizona Republicans are blasting the state Supreme Court ruling on Tuesday that upholds a Civil War-era near-total abortion ban, claiming the decision goes too far in a state where abortion rights will likely weigh heavily on the outcome of the 2024 election. The Arizona Supreme Court ruling bans abortions with the only exception being in cases in which the mother faces immediate life-threatening conditions. Healthcare providers who perform the abortion unlawfully will receive a mandated jail sentence of two to five years, as well, under the ruling. The court ruling, based on an old territorial law passed before Arizona was a state, issued a wave of disapproval and outrage from both Democrats and Republicans, including vulnerable members of Arizona's House delegation and Senate candidate Kari Lake.  IApril 8: The Daily Wire: CCP gas emissions more dangerous than greenhouse gas emissions
Sulfur hexafluoride, a gas 24,300 times more potent at creating the greenhouse effect than carbon dioxide, is being released into the atmosphere at an alarming rate as China seeks to expand its electric power grid. The findings were from a new study conducted by researchers at the MIT Joint Program on the Science and Policy of Global Change, Fudan University, Peking University, University of Bristol, and Meteorological Observation Center of China Meteorological Administration. "Greenhouse gases differ widely in their Global Warming Potential (GWP), or ability to absorb radiative energy and thereby warm the Earth's surface," MIT said. "For example, measured over a 100-year period, the GWP of methane is about 28 times that of carbon dioxide (CO2), and the GWP of sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) is 24,300 times that of CO2." Sulfur hexafluoride, SF6, is used "primarily in high-voltage electrical switchgear in electric power grids," the report said, adding that atmospheric concentrations of the greenhouse gas have skyrocketed as the global demand for electric power increases. The report said that the increase in SF6 in the atmosphere, which communist China is largely responsible for, threatens the world's efforts to combat so-called "climate change."  April 8: The Texas Scorecard: Contract with Texas proposed by Texas House members
A group of current and incoming Texas Republican lawmakers are proposing a Contract with Texas, a set of reforms promising to improve the integrity, transparency, and efficiency of the Texas House. The letter, signed by 13 members and members-elect, notes that while Republicans hold every statewide office and both chambers of the legislature, Democrats have held an outsized role in determining policy in the Texas House. "[F]or far too long, Republican Speakers of the Texas House have centralized power to themselves, which renders individual Texans without effective representation, and colluded with Democrats to advance progressive policies and stop Republican priorities," the letter reads. "The House's most recent session was marked by obstruction, dysfunction, and a lack of fundamental fairness in application of the House's Rules, and this cannot continue. The message of last month's primaries was self-evident and sent a clear message that business as usual is not acceptable." To that end, the lawmakers have called on the next Speaker of the House to implement 12 reforms, including: Only solicit support for Speakership from Republican members; End the practice of awarding Democrats with committee chairmanships; Ensure all GOP legislative priorities receive a floor vote before any Democrat bills; Replace the current liberal Parliamentarians with staff committed to only offering advice on adherence to House rules, not to advancing their personal ideology; and Limiting the Speaker to two terms to reduce their power over individual members April 8: The Washington Examiner: DOJ; No, you can't have the Robert Hur audio tapes of interviews with Joe Biden The Justice Department is refusing to provide the House Judiciary and Oversight committees with the audio file of then-special counsel Robert Hur 's interview with Joe Biden over his handling of classified documents, claiming the committees' request to receive the file is not in the spirit of "legitimate oversight." In a letter to Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Oversight Committee Chairman James Cormor (R-KY), Assistant Attorney General Carlos Uriarte said the department has now responded to each of the four subpoenas sent by the committees. However, Uriarte wrote, the DOJ is concerned with the "threats of criminal contempt" from the committees despite providing what they believe are the necessary records regarding Hur's investigation, which yielded no recommendation for criminal charges against the president. "The Committees' reaction is difficult to explain in terms of any lack of information or frustration of any informational or investigative imperative, given the Department's actual conduct," Uriarte wrote. Uriarte's letter comes as House Republicans continue their impeachment inquiry into Biden as part of a larger investigation into the president and his family. House GOP members have stood firm on their accusations of a "two-tiered justice system" as well after former President Donald Trump received criminal charges for his handling of classified documents and Biden did not.  April 7: The Gateway Pundit: Norway to increase defense spending with an ambitious 12-year defense plan All over Europe, nations are rebuilding their military forces to respond to an increasingly dangerous and unpredictable world. The Nordic countries are no exception, with Sweden, Denmark, and Finland all beefing up their capabilities to face what they see as a growing Russian threat. Now, Norway also joins the trend, with plans to raise its military spending by an accumulated $56 billion through 2036. The goal is to bolster its defense against Russia and other security challenges, the NATO founder country's government said. "'This plan represents a historic boost in defense spending, and involves a significant strengthening of all branches of the armed forces', Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Stoere told a press conference. The planned annual defense spending in 2036 will, on a comparable, inflation adjusted basis, be around 83% higher than the current level, the finance minister said." The war in Ukraine shifted the country's stance on military spending, triggering a debate on how to guard against eventual aggression by the Russian neighbors. April 7: The Daily Caller: Left attacks Judge in Trump document case because they aren't getting their way Legal experts say criticism of the judge overseeing President Donald Trump's classified documents case lacks a legal justification. Judge Aileen Cannon, appointed to the bench by Trump in 2020, has repeatedly come under fire by liberal commentators and left-leaning legal analysts for decisions seen as favoring the president and intentionally slow-walking the case. But other legal experts said she's simply being fair and following normal procedure. "Most of the partisan, left-wing criticism against Judge Cannon is not grounded in legal substance and instead is due to their personal dislike of the defendant, President Trump," said John Shu, a constitutional law expert and legal commentator who served in the George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush administrations. "Judge Cannon was very well-regarded prior to her joining the bench and a dozen Democrat senators, including staunch liberals like Dianne Feinstein and Pat Leahy, voted in favor of her confirmation." Cannon has faced calls to recuse herself throughout the case over decisions perceived as favoring Trump. Tension grew after she issued a March 18 order on jury instructions that the prosecution contends agrees with Trump's argument that the Presidential Records Act gives a president unreviewable discretion to designate records in his possession as personal. Special Counsel Jack Smith slammed the order as based on a "fundamentally flawed legal premise" and urged her to make her decision on the legal theory clear, threatening to appeal if she disagreed with the government's position. Meanwhile criminal defense attorney and former federal prosecutor William Shipley has said her handling of the jury instructions is in the "normal course" — not unusual. April 6: News Max: Defendant in Georgia case threatens lawsuit if Willis refuses to step down from case A co-defendant in the Georgia election interference case has threatened to pursue legal action if Democrat Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis "does not recuse herself from this case by noon on Monday." Harrison Floyd, the former head of Black Voices for Trump, took to social media on Thursday night and suggested Willis may have been guilty of illegal wiretapping. "I don't want to put a black woman in Jail. But if Fani Willis does not recuse herself from this case by noon on Monday, I may have no other choice than to pursue all lawful remedies. Make Fulton [County] Great Again," Floyd said on Twitter [X] with an alleged snippet of an Atlanta Journal-Constitution story. The snippet said that Willis' office shared a recording of a conversation the DA had with Floyd's attorney, Carlos J.R. Salvado, in an unrelated criminal case in Maryland. Floyd suggested that Willis' office may have violated the Maryland Wiretap Act, which makes it unlawful to record any private conversation unless you're a party to the conversation and have the permission of all of the parties. Newsweek reported that under Maryland law, recording a private conversation without consent from both parties is punishable by up to five years in prison, a fine of up to $10,000, or both. Floyd's attorney, Christopher Kachouroff, made the same accusation against Willis during the week while talking to the outlet.  April 6: The Washington Examiner: Biden's backing away from support for Israel; A bad political calculation? History will judge Joe Biden's break with Israel in its war on Hamas, but the political consequences may come much sooner. Biden's shift from standing foursquare behind Israel after the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack to demanding an "immediate ceasefire" six months later is at least partially motivated by his precarious political position. Since the beginning of the war, Biden has faced considerable dissent on Israel from progressive Democrats, inside his own White House team, in the halls of Congress, and among the activists who power the Left on college campuses and in big cities. This has only gotten worse as the civilian casualties in Gaza have grown. Hamas embeds itself within civilian population centers, making itself difficult to strike without high death tolls, and Israel has increasingly faced international scrutiny of its conduct of the war. Biden's stance on Israel threatened to deepen his problems with younger and minority voters, some of whom are disproportionately found in the battleground states that will decide the presidential election. Michigan in particular is home to many Muslim and Arab American voters. Biden has been no better than tied with Trump in any recent Michigan poll, trailing him by 3 points in the Wall Street Journal's swing-states survey and by nearly as much in the RealClearPolitics polling average for the state. In the recent primary, Biden easily won but 13.2% of the total number of votes were cast for uncommitted delegates. April 6: Fox News: Biden-appointed Judge slams DOJ attorneys for defying subpoenas A Biden-appointed judge slammed the Justice Department's apparent hypocrisy on Friday for allowing attorneys involved in the Biden family investigation to defy subpoenas. District Judge Ana Reyes ripped the DOJ at a status conference for not letting DOJ lawyers Mark Daly and Jack Morgan provide testimony as part of the House Judiciary Committee's investigation into the Biden family and the impeachment inquiry into the president. "There's a person in jail right now because you all brought a criminal lawsuit against him because he did not appear for a House subpoena," Reyes said during a hearing on the Judiciary Committee's lawsuit and seemingly referring to former Trump advisor Peter Navarro. Navarro was sent to prison in March for four months, charged and convicted with contempt of Congress after he refused to comply with a congressional subpoena demanding his testimony and documents relating to the January 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol. Navarro said he could not cooperate with the committee investigating the Jan. 6 attack because Trump had invoked executive privilege, an argument that lower courts have rejected. "I think it's quite rich you guys pursue criminal investigations and put people in jail for not showing up," but then direct current executive branch employees to take the same approach, Reyes blasted. "You all are making a bunch of arguments that you would never accept from any other litigant." April 6: The Daily Wire: Hunter Biden's attorney met with White House before defiance of the subpoena Reportedly, White House visitor logs showed that an attorney for Hunter Biden met with one of First Lady Jill Biden's top aides as well as Joe Biden himself days before the Hunter defied a congressional subpoena. The New York Post reports Hunter's attorney Abbe Lowell had a meeting with Anthony Bernal, who has been an aide for Jill since 2008, in the East Wing of the White House on December 11, 2023. "We've called on the White House to provide information about whether President Biden sought to influence or obstruct our investigation by preventing, discouraging, or dissuading his son from complying with the subpoenas for a deposition as part of the House of Representatives' impeachment inquiry, but the White House has refused to provide any information," House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) told the Post. "The White House must provide the public with information about the contents of this meeting in order to provide transparency to the American people," he added. Two days after Lowell visited the White House, Hunter skipped his scheduled deposition with congressional investigators regarding the corruption-focused impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. April 5: The Washington Examiner: US preparing for an attack from Iran within the next week, officials say The United States is preparing for an attack from Iran, according to senior Biden Administration officials. Joe Biden "…and the Prime Minister [of Israel] spoke about these threats yesterday (as the White House noted in its readout)," a senior administration official said in a statement. "Our teams have been in regular and continuous contact since then. The United States fully supports the defense of Israel against threats from Iran. I will not go beyond that given the sensitivity of the topic and information based on intelligence sources." The concerns come after Israel bombed the Iranian Embassy in Damascus, Syria, killing a senior Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander, along with several others. The airstrike killed the most senior Iranian military figure since the U.S. assassination of former IRGC leader Qassem Soleimani. Iran has publicly vowed retaliation after the strike. Senior U.S. officials told CNN the attack is expected to be "significant" and that it is "inevitable." One official said the attack is expected within a week. Israel has been taking major precautions since its attack, canceling all leave for Israel Defense Forces soldiers. It is unclear where an attack might be. Given the open border policies of this administration it could even be in the United States homeland.  April 5: The Washington Free Beacon: Baffling; Biden's DOJ slow-walks "slam dunk" case against man who allegedly tried to kill Justice Kavanaugh Joe Biden's Department of Justice is dragging its feet in prosecuting Nicholas Roske, the man accused of trying to assassinate Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh, leaving legal experts perplexed about the slow-moving pace of the case. Roske was indicted for attempted murder of a Supreme Court justice nearly two years ago in June 2022, after allegedly traveling from his parent's home in California to the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C., with the intent to kill Kavanaugh. Roske, a biological male who identified in some online posts as a transgender woman, was upset over the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion overturning Roe v. Wade, according to court documents. "It's noteworthy that after nearly two years, there is still no trial date or plea agreement in this case," Gerard Filitti, senior counsel at The Lawfare Project said. "While pretrial motions would resolve questions about the admissibility of some of the evidence, including statements made by Roske, there is no underlying procedural reason why it would take this long to get to trial." Filitti said that due to the case's high visibility and political ramifications, it was possible prosecutors are seeking to "let public interest simmer down before a plea agreement is quietly announced." By comparison, earlier this week, after entering into a plea agreement with prosecutors in December, a Florida man was sentenced to 14 months in jail for threatening to kill Supreme Court Chief Justice John Roberts last July. That case moved far more quickly than the Roske case. Roske's most recent court appearance was nearly a year and a half ago, and there has been little activity since then, aside from the frequent continuances and motions deployed by Roske's defense. April 5: Fox Business: Biden above the law? In defiance to SCOTUS making plans to forgive student loans just before the November election The Biden administration is reportedly preparing to take a second crack at broad student loan forgiveness for millions of Americans after the Supreme Court struck down its first attempt. According to the Wall Stret Journal, the administration will roll out proposed regulations offering sweeping bailouts as early as next week, and "the president's advisers hope to use the rules to begin canceling waves of student debt in the run-up to the November election." Biden's initial student loan handout plan, which would have provided up to $20,000 in debt relief to borrowers who make less than $125,000, was rejected last year by the Supreme Court, which found the administration did not have the authority to cancel the debt. That program was expected to cost the government more than $400 billion. The White House did not respond to requests for comment on this story.  April 5: Law Enforcement Today: Michigan police officers association – 12,000 strong – endorses Trump
In a significant political move, the Police Officers Association of Michigan (POAM) has thrown its support behind President Donald Trump for the 2024 presidential election. Representing a formidable force of 12,000 law enforcement officers across Michigan, announced its endorsement of Trump during a recent event in Grand Rapids. During the event, Trump discussed a tragic incident involving Ruby Garcia, a young woman from Grand Rapids who was killed. The accused, Brandon Ortiz-Vite, had re-entered the country illegally after being deported. He also Biden's immigration policies, emphasizing that such incidents wouldn't have occurred under a Trump administration. Sheriff Daniel Abbott from Van Buren County, Michigan, provided statistical insights, revealing that 10% of the county's jail population consists of individuals from Mexico or Guatemala. The endorsement from the POAM provides a significant boost to Trump's 2024 campaign, signaling strong support from a key segment of law enforcement. Michigan holds particular importance for Trump's electoral strategy. While he performed well in the state during the 2016 election, he lost it to Biden in 2020. Winning Michigan again in 2024 could be crucial for Trump's path to victory. April 4: The Epoch Times: Trump trumps Biden in fundraising; $43M vs. $26M [Palm Beach vs. Big Apple] Thanks to one big fundraiser in Palm Beach, Florida, President Donald Trump's campaign will emerge $43 million richer this weekend, an event host confirmed. "The response to our fundraising efforts has been overwhelming, and we've raised over $43 million so far," said billionaire John Paulson in an email that a spokeswoman sent. "There is massive support amongst a broad spectrum of donors." The amount secured for the April 6 "Inaugural Leadership Dinner" is 65% higher than the record-breaking $26 million that his Democrat opponent, Joe Biden, raked in from a star-studded event in the Big Apple last week while Trump was attending the wake of murdered NYPD officer Jonathan Diller. At the time, Biden's campaign said no other political fundraiser in history had generated so much money.  April 4: Fox Business: CA Foster's Freeze shuts down after 70 years in business over $20 p/hr minimum wage; can't absorb the cost increase, just the beginning
Another California small business and its workers have seemingly suffered at the hands of the state's newly enacted $20 minimum wage law. The Froster's Freeze owners choose not to notify their workers before Easter so the bad news wouldn't ruin their religious holiday. When workers showed up the day after Easter, and as the new California law went into effect, they were notified the company was closing operations. The owner, Loren Wright, told local Fox affiliate KMPH that this was the "last thing" they wanted to do, but knew by Friday night the business likely wouldn't be able to absorb the wage hike and didn't "want to ruin their Easter Sunday." This is probably just the tip of the iceberg, as many small businesses in the state face similar challenges. The lesson? Legislatures need to understand that their actions have consequences, often unintended consequences! April 4: The Daily Caller: Legal Experts; Special Counsel Smith's latest gambit puts into question going to trial before the Election Special Counsel Jack Smith's latest threat to appeal over a jury instructions order issued by the judge overseeing the Trump classified documents case would almost ensure a trial does not take place before the election, legal experts have said. In Judge Aileen Cannon's order requiring the parties to file proposed jury instructions, she included two scenarios that seemed to agree with Trump's argument that he has discretion under the Presidential Records Act (PRA) to designate documents in his possession as personal, and that those decisions cannot be reviewed. Smith told Judge Aileen Cannon in a filing Wednesday that her order relied on a "fundamentally flawed legal premise," saying jury instructions based on Trump's theory would "distort the trial." The dispute touches on a central issue of the case, legal experts said, which is why Smith indicated he will appeal if Cannon does not agree with the government's position. "The issue over jury instructions is basically the crux of the entire case," former federal prosecutor Andrew Cherkasky said. "Mr. Trump's authority to convert classified documents to his personal records would create an overwhelming advantage for Mr. Trump and could seriously frustrate the Government's ability to prove its case beyond a reasonable doubt." April 4: The Daily Signal: Judge refuses to dismiss GA charges against Trump based upon 1st Amendment argument The judge overseeing President Donald Trump's alleged racketeering case in Georgia declined Thursday to dismiss the charges based on the First Amendment. Trump's attorneys argued in a December motion that the indictment "directly targets core protected political speech and activity," urging Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee to dismiss the charges as violations of the First Amendment. But McAfee found that the state "alleged more than mere expressions of a political nature," writing that the defendants did not find "any authority that the speech and conduct alleged is protected political speech." "Although the defendants characterize the relevant speech or actions as petitions to Congress regarding the validity of electors which must be afforded constitutional protection, at this stage the court must consider the method and manner of the criminal enterprise as alleged in the indictment," the judge wrote.  April 3: The Washington Free Beacon: Biden decides not to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve; placing nation's security' in possible jeopardy The Biden administration on Tuesday canceled plans to refill the Strategic Petroleum Reserve after selling off nearly half of the U.S. oil reserve in 2022 in order to bring gas prices down just prior to the November election. The Department of Energy said that in "keeping the taxpayer's interest at the forefront" it would not go through with a planned purchase of roughly three million barrels of oil for a reserve site in Louisiana. The refill cancellation came as American oil price benchmark West Texas Intermediate on Tuesday rose above $85 a barrel, about $6 more than the administration's target price for purchasing oil to refill the reserves. Apparently, they have finally recognized that selling low and buying high doesn't work economically and especially in the minds of the voters.  April 3: Breitbart News: "Goodbye Zuckerbuck!" Wisconsin voters ban private funding of elections
Wisconsin voters approved a constitutional amendment on Tuesday night, banning the private funding of elections in the swing state. The amendment directs that "donations and grants may not be applied for, accepted, expended, or used in…connection with the conduct of any primary, election, or referendum," according to the question on the state ballot. AP reports the ballot question passed 54.4% to 45.6%. Wisconsinites also voted in favor of a second part to the amendment on ballot question two, mandating "that only election officials designated by law may perform tasks in the conduct of primaries, elections, and referendums." That question passed with 58.6%. April 3: News Max: WSJ poll: Trump leads Biden in 6 of 7 battleground states President Donald Trump is holding a lead over Joe Biden in six out of seven of the nation's most competitive battleground states, both on test ballots that include third-party and independent candidates and in a one-on-one matchup, according to a new Wall Street Journal Poll. The poll, reflecting dissatisfaction with the economy and doubts about Biden's job performance and ability to serve, showed Trump with leads of between 2 and 8 percentage points in North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Nevada, Michigan, Georgia, and Arizona when the independent and third-party candidates were included, and by similar numbers with just himself and Trump. In Wisconsin, Biden came out ahead by 3 points on both test ballots. April 3: The Times of Israel: Strike on Iranian general "a blow to Tehran, risks inflaming the region an alleged Israeli strike that killed Iran's top Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps commander in Syria was a strategic blow to Tehran and may risk an escalation of tensions in the region, current and former US officials have said. Though it was blamed by Iran and its allies, Israel has not officially commented on the attack on the building in Damascus, which killed Gen. Mohammad Reza Zahedi, the IRGC's most senior official in Syria, along with his deputy Gen. Mohammad Hadi Hajriahimi, five other IRGC officers and at least one member of Hezbollah. In the wake of the strike, US troops based in southeastern Syria intercepted an attack drone, marking the first such incident in two months, a Defense Department official said speaking on condition of anonymity. Iran-backed militias had refrained from attacking US bases in an apparent attempt at de-escalation after three US troops were killed in a drone strike in Jordan in January. April 3: Fox News: PA Democrat Senator; George Floyd (23) Laken Riley (0) Bob Casey, Jr. (D-PA) has yet to say anything on social media about the recent murder of nursing student Laken Riley, but he has tweeted nearly two dozen times about the 2020 killing of George Floyd, according to a review of the battleground state lawmaker's social media accounts. A review of Casey's official Senate Twitter (X) account as well as his campaign Twitter (X) account and finds he has tweeted at least 23 times underscoring the tragedy surrounding Floyd's death in 2020 during an interaction with police in Minneapolis. When searching for any tweets on Riley, the accounts turned up empty. Fox News repeatedly reached out to Casey's campaign regarding the tweets on Floyd versus none on Riley but didn't receive comment. Casey has long been a Pennsylvania Democrat stalwart, first winning his election to the Senate in 2006 and serving in a state where his father was elected governor in 1987. Casey has said this year's election will be a "tough race" as he works to hold onto his seat in a swing state that will likely help determine the results of this year's presidential election. April 2: The Washington Times: Schumer (D-NY) vows revenge on federal judges over court-shopping allegations Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said he will strike back with legislation after a court in Texas said it won't agree to his demand to change how it assigns cases — a seemingly technical issue, but with significant implications for how some major cases are decided. At issue are federal courthouses where only one judge hears cases. Depending on how cases are assigned, plaintiffs can sometimes be assured of the judge. Plaintiffs can sometimes orchestrate their cases to file in a single-judge courtroom where they are virtually guaranteed a judge likely to deliver a favorable outcome — what's known as judge-shopping. [Of course, Schumer would not be opposed to the many times progressives had done the exact same thing!] He called this an "odious practice" and has urged courts to adopt guidelines that would instill some randomness into the selection process. Schumer has been particularly aggrieved by cases decided by Judge Matthew Kacsmaryk, one of 11 regular judges for the Northern District of Texas and a Trump appointee, but the only judge who sits in Amarillo, giving plaintiffs who file there a good assurance he will be presiding over their cases. He has issued major rulings blocking a lenient Biden immigration policy and curtailing the use of mifepristone, the chemical abortion drug.  Of course left-wing plaintiffs also court-shop. They have filed cases in courtrooms that feed into the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, famous for its liberal approach to interpreting immigration law. Josh Blackman, a professor at South Texas College of Law, said the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California has 14 judges, not one appointed by a Republican. That court has become a favorite for immigrant rights groups to sue to stop enforcement policies. April 2: News Max: Trump: Biden has betrayed union workers, African Americans, and Hispanics President Donald Trump rallied supporters in downtown Green Bay, WI on Tuesday, where he voiced strong criticisms of the Biden administration's policies. Speaking to a crowd of supporters, Trump accused Joe Biden of betraying various demographics, including African Americans, Hispanic Americans, and union workers. "I will fight for you like never before," Trump asserted, suggesting that union membership would decline and minority communities would suffer due to Biden's current policies. "The unions, they're not going to be unions very long; they're not going to be able to sustain it. But I think the worst hurt will be the African Americans. Then you're going to have the Hispanic Americans; they're going to be hurt tremendously by this invasion" at the U.S. southern border," he said.  April 2: The Washington Examiner: Complaint filed after judge give interview about gag order on Trump
A legal group filed a misconduct complaint Tuesday against a federal judge in Washington, DC, after the judge gave a rare national television interview on the topic of former President Donald Trump's gag order in New York. Mike Davis, an ardent Trump supporter writing on behalf of the Article III Project, called Judge Reggie Walton's interview on CNN last week "highly inappropriate" and "highly prejudicial" in a letter to the Judicial Council of the District of Columbia. Walton, an appointee of former President George W. Bush, had spoken during his TV appearance about comments Trump recently made about the daughter of the judge who is overseeing Trump's hush money case in New York. "It's very disconcerting to have someone making comments about a judge, and it's particularly problematic when those comments are in the form of a threat [see more on this], especially if they're directed at one's family," Walton had said. Ethics rules prohibit judges from commenting on the merits of pending cases in any court. At one point Walton opined on the gag order the New York judge had issued. "Judge Walton must have known his interview was highly prejudicial to President Trump, who now must face jury pools — in New York City (starting in less than two weeks), Washington, DC (where Judge Walton presides, including over many related January 6th criminal cases), Atlanta, and Florida — who have now heard a sitting DC federal judge essentially accuse a criminal defendant of making 'violent threats' against another judge and his family for simply raising potential judicial bias by that judge presiding over his case," Davis wrote. To be clear, Trump DID NOT threaten New York Judge Juan Merchan or his daughter Loren, but he did blast them both in statements of outrage for what Trump perceived as a conflict of interest in the hush money case. Trump's criticisms prompted Juan Merchan to tighten restrictions on a gag order against Trump. April 1: Breitbart News: Trump posts $175 million bond in NY, forestalls seizure of assets, clears the way for appeal of the civil verdict by biased judge President Donald Trump posted a $175 million bond on Monday to prevent New York from seizing assets like Trump Tower as he appeals the recent civil fraud case that ruled he cheated business partners to increase his company's profits. Trump recently appealed a ruling claiming he, his son, and two former executives inflated the value of his assets in order to get a better interest rate on loans. The lenders testified that they were not damaged by the terms of the loans, that they were paid back on time or earlier, and that they would be happy to do business with the Trump organization in the future. In other words, they were not injured by the transactions. It is highly likely that Trump will win on appeal, experts from different sides of the political spectrum have said. April 1: The Gateway Pundit: Prosecution can't definitively prove AZ rancher fired the fatal shot that killed an invading migrant On January 30, 2023, Arizona rancher George Alan Kelly, 75, was arrested and charged with the murder of Gabriel Cuen-Buitimea. Cuen-Buitimea was crossing the border from his hometown of Nogales, Mexico, with a group of seven other illegal immigrants donning camouflage attire and rifles. One of the illegal immigrants said the squad of armed men crossed the border into the United States to look for work but scattered after seeing Border Patrol agents. Shortly thereafter, Kelly became aware of the group. He was making lunch when he heard a single gunshot and then noticed five of the men crossing through his 170-acre ranch along the southern border. Kelly claims he saw one of the men point their rifle at him when he went to his porch to investigate. Kelly responded by firing warning shots with his own rifle over the group's heads. Cuen-Buitimea was struck by a bullet that prosecutors alleged came from Kelly's rifle. However, responding officers, including local police and US Border Patrol, did not initially find Cuen-Buitimea's body when they investigated. It wasn't until later when Kelly went to check on his horse, that the body was discovered. Kelly had previously called the police several times that day to report a group of armed men trespassing through his property. On Friday, during the trial, a key piece of evidence was revealed to be missing: the bullet that killed Cuen-Buitimea was never recovered. During the testimony of forensic scientist Rick Wyant, defense attorney Brenna Larkin asked, "So number one, you can't prove who the shooter was, correct?" to which Wyant answered, "That's correct." "You can't prove which firearm caused this wound. Is that correct?" the defense attorney asked. "Caused the wound? Correct," the witness answered. "You can't prove which type of ammunition caused this wound, correct?" Without this kind of proof, the prosecution's case is in serious jeopardy. April 1: News Max: Iranian Guard commander killed in Israeli airstrike Israeli warplanes struck the Iranian consulate in Damascus on Monday, and a Lebanese security source told Reuters a senior commander of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, Mohammad Reza Zahedi, had been killed in the attack. Reuters reporters at the scene in the Mezzeh district of the Syrian capital saw smoke rising from rubble of a building that had been flattened, and emergency vehicles parked outside. An Israeli military spokesperson said: "We do not comment on reports in the foreign media." Since the Iranian-backed Palestinian faction Hamas's attack on Israel on Oct. 7, Israel has ramped up airstrikes in Syria against Lebanon's Iranian-backed Hezbollah militia and Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC), both of which support the government of President Bashar al-Assad. March 31: Just the News: Harvard applications plummet; harbinger for other schools dealing with antisemitism Harvard University has seen a decline in applications following months of scandals involving antisemitism, plagiarism and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs in what critics are calling a warning to other schools facing such challenges. "Let all of US higher education be warned: If you don't kick the radicals off campus and off the school's board, shut down the DEI offices and focus on offering an education worth the cost of tuition, you could be next," the New York Post wrote Saturday. While Harvard had nearly 57,000 applicants for the class of 2027, applications declined more than 5% to about 54,000 for the incoming 2028 class. The day of the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel, which was the bloodiest day for Jews since the Holocaust, was met with displays of antisemitism at the Ivy League school. Harvard student groups signed a letter blaming Israel for the Oct. 7th terrorist attack hours after the assault began, while Hamas was still on its murderous rampage that killed about 1,200 people. Then-Harvard President Claudine Gay came under fire for her handling of antisemitism on campus, and scrutiny increased after she told a U.S. House committee that it depended "on the context" whether calling for the genocide of Jews violated school policies. She subsequently resigned in January following dozens of plagiarism allegations. But Harvard is not the only elite school to suffer a decline in applications following antisemitism allegations. The Brown Daily Herald reports Brown University applications also fell by nearly 5% from last year. March 31: The Washington Examiner: Retired California judge wants to put Trump in jail if he violates left-wing New York judge's gag order A former California judge is suggesting that the consequences need to be harsh for President Trump should he break a gag order he has been placed under, recommending he be put in jail. Former CA Superior Court Judge LaDoris Cordell said, "There has to be an immediate consequence when he defies a court order," such as the gag order he was placed under by Judge Juan Merchan in the New York hush-money criminal case. However, he acknowledged it doesn't appear Trump has yet violated the gag order. "When he steps across that gag order line, and I do hope it will be expanded, there should be only one response: bring your toothbrush, Donald Trump, because you're going to sit in a jail cell for a while," Cordell said. [See Related Story] March 31: The Jerusalem Post: A revolving door; Terrorists released in past come back to threaten Israel in the present The IDF raid on the Shifa hospital complex, beginning on March 18, has led to the arrest of hundreds of terrorists and the killing of around 200 in clashes and gun battles. The terrorists shifted back to the hospital over the last several months, probably assuming that the hospital compound would be safe from a second Israeli raid after Israel had secured and cleared the area in November. However, the second Shifa raid has two sides to it. On the one hand, tactically, it was a great success. On the other hand, some of the terrorists were older, ones who had been let out in the past and should have been arrested or eliminated years ago. So, in a way, the raid also sets a low bar on the kinds of terrorists that are being eliminated. The raid tells us more about Israel's failures in not defeating Hamas in the past than it might tell us about the defeat of Hamas today. One of them was Faid Dewik, a senior operative in Hamas' intelligence unit who carried out a shooting attack in 2002, killing four people. He was imprisoned and then released in the Schalit deal in 2011. This man was involved in plotting attacks in the West Bank. At Shifa, he fled to the maternity wing, where he was eventually eliminated. Zakariya Najeeb was with him, another operative who focused on West Bank operations for Hamas and was involved in the kidnapping and killing of IDF soldier Nachshon Wachsman in 1994. He was too released in the Schalit deal. Failure to deal with these threats in the past has caused the need to deal with them again in the present. We are witnessing part of the toxic relationship between Israel and Hamas that is two decades old. In this narrative, Hamas was able to survive and thrive by getting terrorists released. Israel would then arrest them or fight them again. March 31: iHeartMedia/KTRH: Trump blasts Biden for declaring Easter Sunday as "Transgender Day of Visibility" Former President Donald Trump put blasted the Biden Administration for declaring Easter Sunday "Transgender Day of Visibility." Trump's national press secretary, Karoline Leavitt, called it "appalling and insulting." Leavitt said the president's announcement is an example of the Biden administration's "years-long assault on the Christian faith." "We call on Joe Biden's failing campaign and the White House to issue an apology to the millions of Catholics and Christians across America who believe tomorrow is for one celebration only — the resurrection of Jesus Christ," she said. The White House's response was for spokesperson Karine Jean Pierre to double down on the Biden decision to promote transgenderism. "On Transgender Day of Visibility, the Biden-Harris Administration honors the extraordinary courage and contributions of transgender Americans and reaffirms our Nation's commitment to forming a more perfect union where all people are treated equally," Jean-Pierre posted to Twitter [X] March 31: Axios: Change in interest in investment in Communist China; "Convince us to stay!" For decades, Corporate America has raced to cash in on the Chinese economy. Now China officials are in sell-mode, a stunning reversal from years past. Many CEOs know the two nations are economically intertwined in a way that can't easily be undone. But executives are more cautious, a significant shift of power dynamics. China president Xi Jinping last week hosted CEOs from delivery giant FedEx, chipmaker Qualcomm, mega-insurer Chubb and others in an attempt to solidify economic ties. This is the second time he has done so in the last six months. Meanwhile there are raising preferences in the U.S. to buy products that are not made in China. The flow of money into China from overseas firms has slowed and for the first time on record, during the last year more foreigners have yanked funds out of China than those that put funds in. The latest government data shows foreign direct investment in China has dropped 20% in the first two months of this year, compared to the same time in 2023.  March 30: Law Enforcement Today: Trump was correct; Judge in hush money case has ties to the Biden/Harris campaigns
Snopes has confirmed the daughter of the judge assigned to the hush-money criminal case against Republican candidate and former President Donald Trump has been involved with Democratic campaigns including working for the Kamala Harris and Joe Biden campaign. The far-left media has spent a lot of time trying to debunk such claims made by President Trump and his supporters that the daughter of Judge Juan Merchan, who is overseeing the so-called "hush money" case involving the former president, used to work on campaigns for Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. According to Snopes, Loren Merchan was the director of "digital persuasion" for Harris' failed 2020 presidential campaign and also worked "indirectly" for the Biden-Harris 2020 campaign via a communications company that provides services for far-left progressive campaigns. Trump, who believes the vast number of criminal complaints he is faced with are politically motivated. He has blasted Judge Mercan's gag order that was issued this last week. March 30: The Daily Wire: You can't make this up; Biden declares Easter Sunday as "Trans Day of Visibility" while banning religious symbols from the White House People are voicing outrage following news of Joe Biden declaring Easter Sunday as "Transgender Day of Visibility." Biden's Friday proclamation said that "all Americans" should join in lifting up "the lives and voices of transgender people throughout our Nation" and work toward "eliminating violence and discrimination based on gender identity." "Biden is banning religious symbols from Easter celebrations at the White House, while flying the trans flag and declaring Easter Sunday to be 'Trans Visibility Day," Donald Trump Jr. reacted online. "This is the left's new religion. They want people worshiping the trans flag instead of God. They must be stopped." Notably, the White House has banned religious themed Easter egg designs for an annual art contest. March 30: The Gateway Pundit: Surveillance footage exposes Ohio poll manager bringing blank ballots into polling place on eave of an election The integrity of the election process in Lorain County, Ohio has come into question after a polling place manager was captured on surveillance footage transporting blank provisional ballots into a local bar. An investigation has been launched by multiple enforcement organizations. Video from the MAHD House Bar and Grille has gone viral that clearly shows the poll manager entering with bags and placing them inside a booth, only to leave them unattended while he enjoyed a meal. The owner of the establishment, James Tucker, expressed his concern upon realizing what the bags contained. "After he ordered his dinner, he went over and started stuffing these bags which we could see in them they said ballot on it and I'm like that don't look right," Tucker told 19 News. "I mean, we're right across the street from the Lorain County Board of Elections. I've been here seven years, ain't never seen nobody bring no ballot bags in. I don't know what just happened, but I'm a little nervous," Tucker said. Paul Adams, the Board of Elections Director, assured the public that the matter is being taken seriously. "That was a great concern for us and one of the reasons why that person is no longer in that role and has been replaced and been removed from his position," Adams said. The individual in question, identified as Democrat Mark Provenza, a former city law director and veteran poll worker. The Board claimed that the seals on the ballot bags remained intact, ensuring no tampering occurred. March 30: The Epoch Times: Trump appeals ruling to allow GA DA Willis to remain on lawsuit President Donald Trump and several codefendants appealed Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee's decision to not disqualify Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis in the Georgia Court of Appeals on March 29. Willis is prosecuting President Trump and 14 others in a high-profile racketeering case that charges them with participating in a criminal conspiracy to challenge the results of the 2020 election. The appeal was joined by Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Jeffrey Clark, Robert Cheeley, Michael Roman, David Shafer, Harrison Floyd, and Cathleen Latham, who argued that the trial court judge found "damning evidence" of a "significant appearance of impropriety" yet failed to order a remedy. "It is neither prudent nor efficient to require the courts, the parties, or taxpayers to run the significant and avoidable risk of having to go through this painful, divisive, and expensive process more than once when an existing structural error can be remedied by this Court now." They further argued that disqualification is the "minimum that must be done to remove the stain of her legally improper and plainly unethical conduct from the remainder of the case." The defendants also pointed out that Ms. Willis had previously been disqualified from prosecuting a case against a defendant because she had helped fundraise for his political rival. They argued that her behavior has now been "separately denounced by two superior court judges" and her removal from the case is ethically "necessary."  March 29: The Daily Caller: NY Gov. leaves a wake of murdered peace officer; Family, your not welcome
Democratic New York Gov. Kathy Hochul abruptly left the wake of slain hero New York Police Department officer Jonathan Diller on Friday, police sources told the New York Post. Hochul showed her face around 1:45 p.m. for the second day of viewing in Long Island, funeral home hosting the services. One man, dressed in a black suit, appeared to yell at the governor as he was seen speaking animatedly and gesturing boldly as she entered her car on the way out. Several cops were seen applauding the man after he confronted her. Officer Diller's widow was also seen having what appeared to be an "animated" conversation with the governor. A family member told the governor "[w]e don't want you here. You're not wanted here. You have blood on your hands. If you want to do something, change the bail laws," a witness reportedly said. Fox News' Brian Kilmeade reported Gov. Hochul and New York Attorney General Letitia James were denied requests to speak at the Saturday morning service. March 29: The Epoch Times: Federal Appeals Court: PA mail-in ballot requirement found to be legal Pennsylvania rules that require mail-in ballots to be dated are legal, a federal appeals court has ruled. A state law that says voters must fill out, date, and sign envelopes containing the ballots is not prevented by the Civil Rights Act of 1964, a majority said in the March 27 ruling. The act bans denying "the right of any individual to vote in any election because of an error or omission on any record or paper relating to any application, registration or other act requisite to voting." But that provision "only applies when the state is determining who may vote," U.S. Circuit Court Judge Thomas Ambro, appointed by former President Bill Clinton, wrote for the majority of a U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit panel. "In other words, its role stops at the door of the voting place. The provision does not apply to rules, like the date requirement, that govern how a qualified voter must cast his ballot for it to be counted." About 7,900 ballots were not counted in the 2020 election because they were missing a signature or date, or had an inaccurate date, according to state officials.  March 29: Fox Business: Restaurant owner says Newson's minimum wage will cause the collapse of CA economy One Los Angeles-based restaurant owner is voicing her concerns over customers – and employees – having to eat up the costs of California's soon-to-be enacted fast food minimum wage. "We are the ones that were strong enough to be the mom-and-pop shops that survived COVID. And now we're hit with this, and it directly impacts the small businesses," Angela Marsden said Friday. "We're going to have massive layoffs, massive job losses," she continued. "And when it comes to being a mom-and-pop shop, if you can get $20 an hour dropping fries at McDonald's, what do you expect, you want me to pay to make a nice meal or a nice hamburger? My hamburger, currently, is going up to 20-some dollars an hour." In December, California Gov. Gavin Newsom called for and signed a law that increases the minimum wage for food industry workers to $20 per hour. The minimum wage for workers in other industries across the state stands at $15.50, among the highest in the nation. "Now they're getting laid off. They're losing their jobs," the restaurant owner said. "Gavin Newsom, I hope the United States is watching. I hope he never becomes president. This man is destroying California. I don't understand why people can't see that he's the biggest trickster of all time." March 29: Texas Scorecard: Perry's influence dwindling in Texas Former Texas Gov. Rick Perry, once an imposing figure in state politics, is watching his stature wane as he works to cash in on his remaining political currency. The former presidential candidate has recently endorsed causes and candidates often at odds with the conservative base. In 2023 and 2024, the gambling lobby and Texans for Lawsuit Reform have called on Perry to advance their agendas. Last year, ahead of Attorney General Ken Paxton's impeachment trial, Perry lent his name to an editorial in the Wall Street Journal, lobbying Senators not to dismiss the case. This PR gambit was hatched by Texans for Lawsuit Reform and seen through by political operative Karl Rove. Paxton ultimately overcame the evidence-less impeachment, worked to unseat three Court of Criminal Appeals jurists, and had a political prosecution on security charges abruptly dropped. Perry's primary endorsements in 2024 saw mixed results. Jill Dutton (TX-HD2) received Perry's endorsement for an open seat and narrowly won a special election run-off in January but lost in the GOP primary in March after receiving over three-quarters of a million dollars from TLR. He also endorsed John Harvey Slocum to replace retiring Kyle Kacal (TX-HD12) who came in a disappointing third place. Kacal, like many other retiring representatives, chose not to seek reelection after voting to kill a school choice measure in the final special session of 2023. The Dutton and Kacal endorsements were the only races where Perry risked his endorsement against that of Gov. Greg Abbott, and he lost both. Perry also endorsed House Speaker Dade Phelan who has been censured by his local GOP and who was forced into a runoff election with local conservative activist David Covey. Regardless of who wins in this race Phelan's job as speaker is in jeopardy. March 29: The Epoch Times: Trump responds to another Gag Order, again from New York City President Donald Trump on March 27 criticized the New York judge overseeing his "hush money" case and criticized the judge's daughter, just hours after the judge handed down a gag order against him. Judge Juan Merchan is presiding over the criminal case brought by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg accusing Trump of making payments during the 2016 election to actress Stormy Daniels in exchange for her silence about an alleged affair which the former president has denied. On March 26, the judge issued a gag order blocking the former president from making public comments about court staff, jurors, witnesses, or prosecutors in the case "This Judge, by issuing a vicious 'Gag Order,' is wrongfully attempting to deprive me of my First Amendment Right to speak out against the Weaponization of Law Enforcement," Trump contended. Trump's attorneys attempted to fight the gag order, warning that it would amount to unconstitutional and unlawful prior restraint on his free speech rights. "President Trump's political opponents have, and will continue to, attack him based on this case," Trump lawyers Todd Blanche and Susan Necheles said in a recent court filing. "The voters have the right to listen to President Trump's unfettered responses to those attacks—not just one side of that debate."  March 28: The Times of Israel: IDF destroys 1.55 miles of Hamas tunnels between north & south Gaza The IDF says it has destroyed a large section of a Hamas tunnel, 2.5 kilometers [1.55 miles] long, that was part of an underground network that connected between northern and southern Gaza. IDF Spokesman Rear Adm. Daniel Hagari in a press conference says more than 30 tons of explosives were used in the overnight demolition. The military releases footage of it blowing up the tunnel. March 28: The Washington Examiner: RNC sues Michigan Secretary of State over absentee voting rules The Republican National Committee filed a lawsuit Thursday against Democratic Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, claiming that she covertly tried to evade the state's absentee voting protections. Benson allegedly gave secret instructions to Michigan election officials telling them they must presume whether an absentee voter's signature is valid ahead of the state's presidential primary in February. Benson's actions are in violation of the state's constitution, according to the lawsuit. "Requiring election officials to approve signatures with discrepancies based on mere speculation is completely inconsistent with the Michigan Constitution and the Michigan Election Law," the lawsuit contends. Michigan's constitution requires election officials to verify absentee ballot voters' signatures by looking at their signatures on their registration records. If the signatures do not match, election officials have to notify the voter and give them enough time to correct the issue before their vote can be counted.  March 28: Breitbart News: Trump attends wake of fallen NYC officer while Biden fundraising in NYC; what a contrast President Donald Trump somberly told reporters that it was "an honor" to attend the wake of slain New York City Police Officer Jonathan Diller on Thursday and declared the United States must "get back to law and order." Meanwhile, Joe Biden skipped the wake in favor of a glitzy fundraiser in New York City with Barack Obama and Bill Clinton, as well as celebrities. None of the "three stooges," as Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung called them in a statement attended Diller's wake. Trump spoke with reporters briefly after attending the wake for Diller, who was fatally shot below his bulletproof vest at a stop on Monday, and meeting with his family, including Diller's widow, Stephanie. Authorities have identified Guy Rivera (right), 34 and whom had been arrested 21 times prior to the deadly assault on Diller. March 28: The Epoch Times: Federal Judge rebukes DOJ over failure to release January 6th defendants A Jan. 6 defendant seeking to be released from prison was granted it in part by the United States District Court for the District of Columbia this week. The order, signed by U.S. District Judge Trevor McFadden on March 26, will grant the release of Kevin Seefried, a defendant convicted for his role in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol breach, pending the appeal of his conviction. This decision comes despite stark warnings from the Justice Department regarding the implications of such a move. Seefried received a three-year prison sentence for obstructing an official proceeding among other charges, facing a potential maximum sentence of 23 years. After his conviction, he appealed and requested release pending appeal, a request that gained new relevance when the Supreme Court decided to review a related case, Fischer v. United States, which could impact many Jan. 6 defendants. The high Court's decision on this case may influence the outcome of Seefried's conviction, suggesting it could be vacated depending on the justices' ruling. The decision to release Seefried is grounded in the ongoing legal debate over the application of 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c), the obstruction of an official proceeding statute, beyond the context of "evidence impairment." March 27: The Daily Caller: Local Radio Station accuses White House of lying about KJP interview after dramatic hang-up A local radio station in North Carolina is accusing the White House of lying about an interview they did with press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre in which she seems to hang up after being asked questions about the president's mental state and the economy. Jean-Pierre appeared on WBT with Mark Garrison, a local radio station based in Charlotte, before Joe Biden and Kamala Harris took a trip to Raleigh, North Carolina, for a campaign stop. Jean-Pierre appeared to abruptly end the interview after becoming frustrated with Garrison's questions, ending the interview with a dial tone after hanging up on the host. White House spokesperson Andrew Bates told the Daily Beast that the press secretary had back-to-back interviews with radio stations and was trying to stay within time constraints. Bates added that the dial tone sound was edited in by the station, according to the outlet. The station disputed Bates' claim, saying that the dial sound came from Jean-Pierre's side. "The White House assertion that we added a sound effect is nonsense. When she hung up, the phone noise was purely from their end," Mark Garrison said in an email exchange. March 27: NewsMax: Ship that crashed into Baltimore bridge was carrying hazardous materials The cargo ship that caused the Baltimore bridge collapse was carrying hazardous materials, the National Transportation Safety Board said. NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy said there are 56 containers aboard containing hazardous materials, including corrosives, flammables and lithium-ion batteries. She said some containers were breached and a sheen was identified in the water that will be dealt with by authorities. She said the voyage data recorder has been recovered. Homendy said the investigation could take 12 to 24 months but that the NTSB will not hesitate to issue urgent safety recommendations during that time. She said a preliminary report should be released in two to four weeks. March 27: One America News Network: Whistleblower: Michael Avenatti said Michael Cohen had an affair with Stormy Daniels since 2006, planned Trump extortion deal prior to 2016 Tony Seruga is a highly regarded Twitter (X) political pundit claims to be an "Intel Ops CIA/NSA Contractor and Whistleblower." He alleges that he once shared building space with Michael Avenatti, a convicted felon and former lawyer who represented adult star Stormy Daniels in her lawsuit that claimed then-candidate Donald Trump had given her hush money to keep their alleged "affair" private. Seruga claims he spoke with Michael Avenatti in November 2018, when they were tenants in the same building in Newport Beach, CA. He claims "Avenatti shared details of his client Stormy Daniels,… and the fact that her and Michael Cohen were actually having an affair since 2006." "The whole hush money scheme was cooked up by Michael Cohen to extort the Trump Organization before the 2016 election. Avenatti seemed pleased at how deviant Michael Cohen was." In a follow-up to his initial tweet, Seruga detailed how attorney Michael Avenatti repeatedly boasted about the plot, including sharing it with retired NBA player Dennis Rodman on a Corona Del Mar, California, patio.  March 26: The Galveston County Daily News: Presidential Immunity; Tricky issue with possible transformational implications for the nation The left filed several lawsuits against President Trump based upon a never before used combination of legal theories in attempts to block his reelection. One involves his speech on the Ellipse on January 6th. Trump's defense team argues that presidents who are involved in legal activity – like free speech -- must be immune from lawsuits while in office and afterwards. The prosecutors disagree, seeking to go quickly to trial before the November election. The Supreme Court (SCOTUS) has agreed to hear and rule on the immunity defense but it's becoming increasingly clear to many on all sides of the political spectrum that this, and the other cases, are attempts to sway the outcome of the forthcoming election, especially since Trump is the prospective Republican nominee. The assertion of Presidential immunity is ticklish a question. Previous cases haven't established whether presidents enjoy immunity from prosecution once they leave office. Some reasonably contend if presidents can be tried after leaving office it could have a "chilling effect" on their actions while in office (e.g., if immunity doesn't exist, could Joe Biden be tried for his failure to protect American lives during his botch withdrawal from Afghanistan? Without it would he have acted differently?) This decision by SCOTUS isn't going to be a small matter, it's possibly transformational. The long-lasting impact on our elections and governmental practices are at stake.  March 26: United Press International: Six Baltimore bridge construction workers assumed dead as search is called off Six missing construction workers are presumed dead as the Coast Guard announced Tuesday evening it was calling off its search and turning to a recovery, following the catastrophic collapse of the busy Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. "At this point, we do not believe we are going to find any of these individuals still alive," Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath told reporters, confirming that the length of time the workers have been missing, combined with the cold temperature of the water, made rescue unlikely. A container ship lost power a minute before impact with the bridge as a result loosing steerage. Because the bridge is a suspension type much of it collapsed into the water. The collapse of the structure will not only impact vehicle traffic in Baltimore, but also ship cargo operations. March 26: NewsMax: Biden makes a shift in policy toward Israel, applauded by Hamas terrorist group The U.S. government was able to unify Israel and the terrorist group Hamas on one key issue: Both sides now agree that President Joe Biden has undergone a shift on policy toward America's Jewish ally. Israel decried and Hamas praised an abstention by the U.S. from a United Nations Security Council vote Monday that called for a cease-fire without demanding the release of the remaining hostages. While the U.S. asserts that the resolution is nonbinding, experts say it is. Regardless, Hamas, the terrorist group that occupies and runs Gaza, is now more emboldened to do nothing in hostage negotiations. "Regarding the American administration, there is no doubt that there are clear changes in its policy towards Israel," a Hamas spokesperson said. As a result of the U.S. decision against vetoing the vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a high-level delegation visit to Washington, D.C. March 25: Breitbart News: Appeals court reduces outrageous bond requirement on trumped up case; Trump will pay it President Donald Trump vowed to post an adjusted bond amount of $175 million within ten days, according to a court ruling on Monday — while decrying the court cases against him as "election interference." The new bond amount of $175 million is far less than the nearly half a billion Trump had leftwing Judge Arthur Engoron's order required him to post. The five-panel New York appeals court ruled Trump could post a bond "in the amount of $175 million" to cover the judgment. The court also delayed enforcement of the $464 million judgment by ten days. The order also means Trump can still operate a business in New York and obtain loans from New York financial institutions, CNN reported. Trump said he would comply with the appellate court's ruling. March 25: The Epoch Times: Former SecDef pressured by Dem Jan 6th committee to keep silent on Trump offering the National Guard A former Trump secretary of defense revealed that he was pressured by the House Jan. 6 committee into staying silent about claims that then-President Donald Trump authorized the deployment of National Guard troops before the breach at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Speaking to the Daily Mail on March 23, former acting Secretary of Defense Chris Miller, who was only on the job for about two months, said that members of the Democrat-led panel used "aggressive" tactics after he spoke to several media outlets about the Trump authorization. The final report from the Jan. 6 subcommittee, which was dissolved after the current Congress took over, claimed that President Trump did not authorize the deployment of the National Guard. In 2022, Miller appeared on a Fox News. Subsequent to that interview his attorney got a call from the January 6th committee staff with vailed threats. "It was more that latent threat of, 'If you want to keep going on TV, we're gonna drag you in here again for additional hours of hearing testimony.' So that was the nature of that whole thing. It was the latent threat of the government continuing to intrude into my life." Miller said he didn't have the "resources to continue the battle" with the Jan. 6 committee and didn't want to face any more depositions. Instead, he kept to himself and did not discuss how the panel allegedly targeted him. March 25: The Independent: Netanyahu: Israeli delegation not coming to US since the US didn't have Israel's back at the UN Tensions between the United States and Israel escalated further on Monday as Washington allowed the UN to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, prompting a furious response from Benjamin Netanyahu. The US abstained from the N Security Council vote, enabling the first ceasefire resolution since the 7 October Hamas attacks. Israel's prime minister cancelled the planned visit of a high-level delegation to Washington DC in protest, and accused the US of "retreating" from what he said had been a "principled position". A statement from Netanyahu's office said the new resolution "regrettably" calls for a ceasefire "that is not contingent on the release of hostages." It added that the decision "constitutes a clear departure from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war." Some columnists believe that Israel has the right to defend themselves, especially in light of the violent surprise October 7th attack by Hamas. March 25: The Washington Times: AG Garland may be cited for Contempt of Congress House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan and Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer threatened Attorney General Merrick Garland with contempt of Congress on Monday over materials that haven't been turned over from special counsel Robert Hur's investigation into Joe Biden. In a letter to. Garland, the chairmen said he provided an "insufficient production" of materials in response to a subpoena last month by Comer, Jordan and Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO). They had requested transcripts, notes, video and audio files from Hur's investigation into Biden's mishandling of classified documents and whether the president showed them to his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer. They wrote that if further materials aren't provided by April 8, they will move forward with contempt proceedings.  March 24: Sky News: Ukrainian missiles take out two Russian ships in Crimea
March 24: One America News Network: Poland wants an explanation from Russia as to why one of their missiles crossed into their airspace on its way to Ukraine March 23: The Epoch Times: Bebe to Blinken; We will go it alone if the US decides not to join us Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told visiting State Secretary Antony Blinken on Friday that Israel could launch a ground offensive in Gaza's southernmost city Rafah "alone" without U.S. backing. Blinken met with the Israeli leader in Tel Aviv on March 22 and urged Israel not to invade Rafah, saying that such an action "risks wreaking greater havoc." "As we've said, though, a major military ground operation in Rafah is not the way to do it," Mr. Blinken said at a press conference in Tel Aviv. Netanyahu stated on Twitter (X) that he had conveyed to Blinken during the meeting that there was no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah and eliminating the remnant of the battalions there. "I told him that I hope we would do this with U.S. support but if necessary—we will do it alone," the Israeli leader stated. "I also told him that we recognize the need to evacuate the civilian population from the combat zones and—of course—also see to the humanitarian needs, and we are working to this end," he added. [See related story] March 23: The Washington Times: Budget turned on earmarks; millions for woke items like transgender hormones and underwear Buried in the newly passed $1.2 Trillion federal spending package are millions of dollars for woke causes, including groups that host drag shows and provide teens seeking to change their sex with gender-affirming hormones and underwear. Conservatives flagged a bevy of earmarks for pet congressional causes in the 1,012-page minibus that cleared the Senate Saturday, such as $400,000 for Garden State Equality in New Jersey, which promotes "FREE gender-affirming garments." They include chest binders, used to flatten female chests, and gaffs, designed to "help minimize the appearance of a crotch bulge." The earmark was requested by New Jersey Democratic Sens. Cory Booker and Robert Menendez. "It's not crazy to say that the federal government should not be subsidizing trans clothing for minors," Rep. Ralph Norman (R-SC) posted on Twitter (X). March 23: The Gateway Pundit: Biden initiates "Gun Grab" to keep weapons out of the hands of "those who pose a threat" – the question is who decides who these people are? The Biden Regime on Saturday morning continued its attack on the Second Amendment and launched a federal gun-grab operation to keep firearms out the hands of people who "pose a threat to themselves and others." The Justice Department announced that it "launched the National Extreme Risk Protection Order (ERPO) Resource Center (the Center) which will provide training and technical assistance to law enforcement officials, prosecutors, attorneys, judges, clinicians, victim service and social service providers, community organizations, and behavioral health professionals responsible for implementing laws designed to keep guns out of the hands of people who pose a threat to themselves or others. The Biden Regime waited until Saturday morning – a slow news day -- to announce a federal gun-grab operation. March 23: The Daily Wire: Putin responds to terror attack that took over 130 lives Russian President Vladimir Putin vowed revenge on Saturday for the Islamic terrorist attack that unfolded in Moscow on Friday night, leaving hundreds of people dead or injured. Islamic State Khorasan Province, or ISIS-K, claimed credit for the terrorist attack that left at least 133 dead and wounded more than 140 people who were either shot, burned, or inhaled thick black smoke. Putin said all four terrorists who carried out the were arrested by Russia authorities, and he appeared to try to lay the groundwork to blame Ukraine for the attack. Putin did not directly blame Ukraine for the attack, and DID NOT mention the fact that the U.S. issued a public warning two weeks ago that terrorists were planning on targeting large crowds of people, specifically concerts, in Moscow. The U.S. also reportedly reached out to Russian officials and warned them directly about the ISIS-K plot. Pro-Russia conspiracy theorists have claimed that the warning from the U.S. was proof that the U.S. was involved in planning the attacks, even though the U.S. has a history of alerting foreign governments — including adversaries — of potential terrorist attacks.  March 22: Rasmussen Reports: "Bloodbath?" 60% of public say the media is an "Enemy of the People"
After major news organizations distorted former President Donald Trump's comments about a "bloodbath" for the auto industry, a majority of voters now agree with Trump that the news media are "the enemy of the people." The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 60% of Likely U.S. Voters agree that the media are "truly the enemy of the people," including 30% who Strongly Agree. Thirty-six percent (36%) disagree, including 21% who Strongly Disagree. The survey was based upon 1,114 likely voters. March 22: News Max: Democrats are worried as CNN polls find Trump leading in Michigan President Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden 50%-42% in Michigan, while the two candidates are tied at 46% each in Pennsylvania, according to a new CNN poll. 54% of Michigan voters say Trump would fundamentally change things in the U.S. if elected, while 25% say Biden would. 57% of Pennsylvania voters say Trump would fundamentally bring about change in the U.S., compared to 22%, who say Biden would. The polls, which were conducted by SSRS from March 13-16, surveyed 1,097 people in Michigan and 1,132 people in Pennsylvania. The margin of error in the Michigan poll is plus or minus 3.6 percentage points. In Pennsylvania it is 3.8 percentage points. U.S. is becoming a virtual dictatorship: Meanwhile a poll by John McLaughlin says many Americans believe the country is becoming a virtual dictatorship with a solid majority saying Joe Biden wants to put President Donald Trump in jail to stop his electoral chances. We should note that Russian President Vladimir Putin just won reelection by 88%. But he did so only after Putin first jailed his leading political opponent, Alexei Navalny, and many of his supporters. (Sadly, Navalny recently died while in prison.) Now Biden's playbook against Trump seems eerily similar, at least a majority of American voters think so. The poll shows that 56% of all voters think Biden really wants to stop Trump from winning by putting him in jail. The national poll of 1,000 likely voters was taken between March 9-14. Only 30% say it's not true that Biden is trying to jail Trump. A supermajority of Republicans, 86%, agree that Biden is weaponizing the justice system against Trump. This is also not a partisan issue. Independents agree 50% to 33% that Biden is seeking to jail Trump for political reasons, with moderates agreeing 48% to 32%. March 22: Law Enforcement Today: Two people on terror watchlist caught at the southern border within days of each other An internal United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) memo confirms details about a Columbian national found to be a "positive match" on the terror watchlist after being arrested for illegally crossing the southern border. The individual, identified as Jerminton Genara-Quinones Carvajal, was also identified as a former member of the Revolutionary Forces of Columbia (FARC). Carvajal was arrested on March 8th near El Paso, Texas and allegedly admitted to previously "overseeing the transportation of goods and unmarked crates," which he knew "sometimes contained firearms, ammunition and cocaine for the FARC." He also allegedly told federal authorities that he had "demobilized" from the FARC. According to the Office of Director of National Intelligence, FARC has been deemed as one of Columbia's most powerful violent dissident groups. A counter-terrorism report by the U.S. government states that the group conducts "armed assaults, assassinations, extortion operations, and hostage-takings" largely against Colombian government and military. March 21: The Epoch Times: Judge in Florida "documents" case asks attorneys to prepare suggested language for jury instructions The judge in Donald Trump's classified documents case has ordered the preparation of jury instructions in a way that demands the parties to both consider competing sets of facts, on the premise that President Trump designated the documents he kept at his Mar-a-Lago home as "personal records," and on the premise that a jury must determine if prosecutors have proven they are not. Specifically, she ordered the preparation of two separate drafts of the jury instructions—one based on a scenario where the jury can decide if prosecutors have proven that a given record retained by President Trump was either "presidential" or "personal," and the second based on a scenario where they must accept that President Trump used executive powers to declassify the documents and categorize them as "personal." This is significant because President Trump's legal team argued in a February 22 filing that the case should be dismissed because the Presidential Records Act (PRA) "conferred unreviewable discretion on President Trump to designate the records at issue as personal." Under this scenario, President Trump's possession of the documents was not "unauthorized," as alleged in counts 1-32 of the indictment, and so the case should be dismissed. March 21: News Max: IDF: 140 Hamas terrorists killed, over 600 detained at Gaza's Shifa Hospital Israel Defense Forces troops operating against Hamas at the Shifa Hospital compound in Gaza City continue to make significant gains, with the military reporting Thursday at least 600 terrorists have been detained, in addition to at least 140 who were killed in exchanges of fire. Since Monday, the IDF has been mounting a massive military operation in an attempt to root out a resurgent Hamas presence at the compound, which Israeli forces first entered in mid-November. The army reported Wednesday it had killed 90 terrorists and captured more than 300, including Mahmoud Qawasmeh, a senior Hamas operative responsible for planning the 2014 kidnapping and murder of Israeli teenagers Eyal Yifrach, Gilad Shaer and Naftali Fraenkel that ignited that year's Gaza war ("Operation Protective Edge"). During the battle, several Palestinian Islamic Jihad operatives surrendered to the IDF, the statement revealed. Two senior officials of the Iran-backed terrorist group were transferred to Israel for questioning by the Israel Security Agency (Shin Bet). In addition to Qawasmeh, the IDF captured two more senior terrorists responsible for Hamas's operations in Judea and Samaria, the army said Thursday, adding they were also taken into Shin Bet custody. March 21: The Washington Examiner: Biden judicial nominee in trouble in the face of Manchin opposition One of Joe Biden 's judicial picks appears to be in serious trouble. Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) said Thursday that he thinks federal appellate court nominee Adeel Mangi has zero chances of confirmation in the Senate after Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WVA) backed out of supporting the Administration 's pick, marking the second Democrat to do so this week. "I believe that the nomination is dead. It's as dead as Jimmy Hoffa," Kennedy said shortly after Manchin said he would oppose Mangi's nomination, a move that could dash Biden's hopes of confirming the first Muslim American to a federal appellate court. March 21: The New York Post: The CIA stopped IRS and DOJ from interviewing witness in Hunter Biden case The CIA blocked federal investigators from interviewing Hunter Biden's "sugar brother" Kevin Morris during a five-year probe into the first son's alleged tax crimes, a whistleblower has told House impeachment leaders. House Oversight and Judiciary Committee chairmen say the whistleblower informed them the intelligence agency stopped IRS and Justice Department investigators from interviewing Morris in August 2021, a Hollywood lawyer and patron of the first son, according to a Thursday letter addressed to CIA Director William Burns. The whistleblower informed Oversight chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) that two DOJ officials were summoned to CIA headquarters in Langley, Va. — and told Morris "Could not be a witness" for their investigation into Hunter Biden. "It is unknown why or on what basis the CIA allegedly intervened to prevent investigators from interviewing Mr. Morris," Comer and Jordan said. March 21: Breitbart News: Auto insurance rates rise because of Biden's push for electric vehicles The Biden administration's push for electric vehicles (EVs) is exacerbating the country's inflationary woes by driving up the price of auto insurance, Breitbart Economics Editor John Carney said to Larry Kudlow. Kudlow noted that the Biden administration's new environmental rule aimed at eliminating gas-powered vehicles is "inflationary" in practice. "You wipe out gas-powered cars and stick EVs in, that is inflationary. You get nothing but higher prices for everything across the board," he said. Carney agreed and highlighted the inflationary pressures EVs are already having on auto insurance. "A lot of people have been noticing that auto insurance is way up," he said. "The more you get [of EVs], the higher auto insurance comes out because EVs are very expensive to repair once you get in a wreck." "So, you're going to see that auto insurance number keep climbing," he continued. "I'm told by people in auto insurance that that's been one of the drivers of why auto insurance inflation is so high because it's so much more expensive to repair a car today than it was 10 years ago." March 20: The Epoch Times: Judge grants request to appeal Fani Willis disqualification decision Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee has granted President Donald Trump's request for a certificate of immediate review, allowing the former president and seven co-defendants to appeal the judge's order denying the disqualification of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The certificate of immediate review, filed on March 20 at the Superior Court of Fulton County in Georgia, allows Trump and seven co-defendants to seek an appeal from the Georgia Court of Appeals, which has the discretion to accept or decline to hear the case. "Judge McAfee has issued a certificate of immediate review allowing us to take our motion to disqualify Fani Willis directly to the Georgia Court of Appeals," David Shafer, former chairman of the Georgia Republican Party and one of the seven co-defendants, said . March 20: The Gateway Pundit: DC AG; No criminal charges against Gold Star dad who heckled Biden at SOTU address Steve Nikoui, father of the late Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, was arrested for shouting "Abbey Gate" and "13 Marines" during Biden's SOTU speech. A terrorist suicide bomber killed his son during Joe Biden's disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan. Abbey Gate was the location where his son and 12 other Marines were killed. Several House Republicans, including Darrel Issa (R-CA) and Rep. Mike McCaul (R-TX), had tried to intervene in the days after Nikoui's arrest. But it wasn't until Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) intervened that it was agreed it was the right thing and drop the charges. The father has long requested that Biden honor the fallen Marines with a Rose Garden ceremony. He has also been fighting with the administration to retrieve his son's belongings — including SIM cards that may provide them with more answers about what happened that day. He is still waiting for cooperation from the Biden Administration.  March 20: Fox News: House hearing on the Biden family business Two former business associates of Hunter Biden testified publicly on Capitol Hill on Wednesday. Tony Bobulinski, a U.S. Navy veteran, a former Hunter Biden's business partner was one of those testifying. Hunter Biden, who had earlier said he wanted to testify in a public hearing, and who was invited was a no show. During the questioning of Bobulinski, Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) said, "During his deposition, Hunter Biden repeatedly testified under oath that his father was not involved in his business in any capacity and that there wasn't even a connection between his father and his businesses. Here is just one example, quote, 'I just state for the record one more time, under oath and under penalty of perjury, my father has never been involved in my business. I have never asked my father to be involved in my business. My father has never benefited from my business, and I have never asked anyone or my father to do anything for the benefit of anyone I've ever done business for.' "Yet," Smith continued, "the Ways and Means Committee released a WhatsApp message that was provided by the IRS whistleblowers showing that Hunter Biden wrote on July 30, 2017, quote, 'I'm sitting here with my father, and we would like to understand why the commitment made has not been fulfilled. I'm sitting here waiting for the call with my father.' Moreover, you testified that Hunter was not shy about his ability to get his father on the phone. And Devin Archer testified that there were multiple instances in which Hunter placed his dad on speaker phone. "Mr. Bobulinski," Smith asked. "was Hunter Biden telling the truth when he testified under oath that his father was never involved in any of his business dealings?" Bobulinski responded, "No, he was not. Those are all blatant lies." March 20: The Washington Examiner: Manchin; No Republicans, then I won't support Biden nominees Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WVA) declared that he would only approve of Joe Biden's judicial nominees if at least one Republican supports them. Manchin, who has attempted to rally centrists to his cause in recent years, is carrying out what he calls his "own little filibuster" by refusing to vote along the party line in judicial appointments if all Republicans are opposed. "Just one Republican. That's all I'm asking for. Give me something bipartisan. This is my own little filibuster. If they can't get one Republican, I vote for none. I've told [Democrats] that. I said, 'I'm sick and tired of it; I can't take it anymore,'" Manchin said in an interview Wednesday  March 19: Fox Business: Unilever divests itself of its left-leaning subsidiary Ben & Jerry's
In July 2021 left-leaning Ben & Jerry's [B&J] made a lightning rod decision that its parent company Unilever wasn't expecting; announcing it would no longer sell its product to Israelis in the West Bank – which it calls "Occupied Palestinian Territory." The move sparked outrage from both sides of the political aisle amid accusations that the company was boycotting Israel, which B&J denied. Actions taken to boycott doing business with Israel can be a violation of the Export Administration Regulations administered by the Bureau of Industry and Security of the U.S. Department of Commerce. Meanwhile Israel threatened to take action against Unilever over the move, and U.S. lawmakers called on the Securities and Exchange Commission to launch a probe into B&J's parent company. Unilever, which has repeatedly distanced itself from Ben & Jerry's political takes, sold the Ben & Jerry's ice cream operations in Israel in June 2022 in an attempt to stem the controversy, but its subsidiary's activism has continued to tarnish the brand and drag Unilever with it. March 19: Fox News: Former AZ GOP Gov gets the last laugh after SCOTUS decision in Texas immigration ruling A former Republican governor widely known for her clashes with the Obama Administration while attempting to crack down on illegal immigration in her state reacted to Tuesday's Supreme Court's ruling that Texas can enforce a law that allows local police to arrest migrants suspected of crossing the border illegally. . Jan Brewer (R-AZ) celebrated what she said was the court "finally realizing" it's OK with the aspects of a law similar to one her state implemented in 2010 that was later partially struck down after drawing international attention for its tough approach to illegal immigration. S.B. 4 — Texas' version of the Arizona bill — was struck down by a federal judge in February, but it was stayed by the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals before reaching the Supreme Court. The court did not explain its reasoning for ending the Fifth Circuit Court's stay, but the ruling appeared to be focused less on the merits of the case rather than the stay itself. In a concurring opinion, Justices Amy Coney Barrett and Brett Kavanaugh expressed concern about the moves by the appeals court and suggested it could rule differently on the law's merits. March 19: The Gateway Pundit: Michigan attorney arrested by U.S. Marshals after turning over evidence to law enforcement of "numerous [election] crimes" including internal emails from Dominion Voting Systems  According to the AP, Michigan attorney Stefanie Lambert Junttila was arrested in Washington, D.C., on Monday following a court hearing after she gave the "evidence of numerous crimes" to law enforcement containing internal emails from Dominion Voting Systems. Lambert attended a court hearing in Washington, D.C., for a defamation case involving Patrick Byrne, whom she represents. Byrne, the former CEO of Overstock, is being sued by Dominion Voting Systems over his claims of election fraud. Lambert's arrest occurred after it was alleged she had leaked confidential documents from Dominion to Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf, who has been actively investigating claims of voter fraud from the 2020 election. Barry County Sheriff Dar Leaf has made a bold move by sending a letter to U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-OH), urging a congressional investigation into what he claims as evidence of "foreign interference" in the 2020 election. Leaf alleges that electronic voting machines were accessed by foreign nationals across the United States, including Michigan, to manipulate election results.
March 19: The Daily Caller: Trump-backed OH candidate for U.S. Senate wins Unlike Texas, in Ohio the candidate with the most votes wins without forcing a runoff election. As of Tuesday evening, it appears the Trump-backed candidate for the U.S. Senate, Bernie Moreno, had over 41% of the vote with his closest challenger in the three-way race trailed him with just 36%. The third candidate had around 21% of the votes. In what appeared to be a close race, Moreno got last minute endorsements from some prominent and key Republicans: Trump, Senator J.D. Vance, and the Republican National Committee, which moved him ahead of the pack. Moreno will face vulnerable Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in November for what will likely be one of the most competitive races of the 2024 cycle.  March 18: The Epoch Times: Defendants in GA case challenge Judge's ruling that allows Willis to remain DA or prosecute case Trump's legal team, joined by codefendants Rudy Giuliani, Mark Meadows, Robert Cheeley, Michael Roman, David Shafer, Harrison Floyd, and Cathleen Latham have filed a request for an immediate review of Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scot McAfee's decision allowing Fulton County DA Fani Willis to remain on the Georgia elections case. "Defendants believe," the filing reads, "that the relevant case law requires dismissal of the case, or at the very least, the disqualification of the District Attorney and her entire office under the facts that exist here, and the resignation of Mr. Wade is insufficient to cure the appearance of impropriety the Court has determined exists." March 18: Fox News: Legal experts on Trump's options after failure to secure $464 million appeal bond Trump's lawyers wrote in a Monday court filing that obtaining the nearly half-a-billion appeal was a "practical impossibility under the circumstances presented." David Gelman, a criminal defense attorney and a former deputy district attorney, called the judgment a "unicorn." He argued that the judge should give Trump a lot more leeway to satisfy the bond because "not even the richest man in the world has $464 million lying around." A New York Appeals Court judge denied Trump's request late last month to delay payment of the $464 million owed as a result of the lawsuit brought by New York State Attorney General Letitia James, but said he would temporarily allow the 2024 front-runner and his sons to continue running their business during the appeals process. A New York Appeals Court judge previously ruled that the former president must post a bond for the full amount of the judgment and that an independent director of compliance will be appointed. That ruling comes after New York Judge Arthur Engoron -- who said before the trial even began that Trump was guilty -- handed down his decision earlier in February after a months-long trial beginning in October in which the former president was accused of inflating his assets and committing fraud in financial documents. The fact that none of the lenders felt they were ever defrauded; that they were happy for Trump's business and would do additional business with him if the opportunity presented itself was ignored by the leftwing judge who it appears was out to get the former president from the get go. March 18: The Daily Caller: IDF video shows the destruction of long Hamas tunnel in Gaza The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) shared a video Sunday that captured the moment when part of a major Hamas tunnel network spanning over 1.5 miles exploded. "IDF combat engineering forces destroy over 2.5 km of an underground tunnel connecting Hamas terrorists through northern and southern Gaza," the IDF tweeted. The caption to the video says that this was "the longest terror tunnel" found to date in the northern Gaza Strip. The footage turned to black and white as it showed the overview of the moment when the tunnel network exploded. A vast chain of explosions in a zigzag pattern across two lines in the ground can be seen. IDF combat engineers and the elite Yahalom unit were responsible for the demolition of this tunnel complex, the IDF said.. Israeli officials have estimated that there are about 350 to 450 miles to Hamas's underground tunnel complex in the Gaza Strip, an area of 140 square miles,. This estimate, given in January, was far higher than a previous figure given out by the IDF, which was about 250 miles of tunnels in the Gaza Strip. March 17: The Epoch Times: Trump: "bloodbath" for the auto industry if he isn't elected In a speech endorsing an Ohio Senatorial candidate, President Trump said the Chinese communist regime is "building a couple of massive plants where they're gonna build the cars in Mexico, and they think that they're gonna sell those cars into the United States, with no tax at the border." "If you're listening, President Xi," he told the crowd, "... those big monster car manufacturing plants that you're building in Mexico right now, and you think you're going to get that, you're going to not hire Americans, and you're going to sell the cars to us—no, we're going to put a 100 percent tariff on every single car that comes across the line, and you're not going to be able to sell those guys if I get elected." The former president then warned about the potential economic consequences if he doesn't win in 2024. "Now, if I don't get elected, it's going to be [an economic] bloodbath for the whole country," he contended. He then went back to speaking about how China will not be able to sell any cars in the United States if he's reelected. After the "bloodbath" comment, many mainstream media outlets including NBC News, CBS News, ABC News, NPR, the Guardian, and Yahoo, failed to mention that he was speaking within the context the auto industry in the United States. Some, like Politico, even stated that it "was unclear what the former president meant." March 17: The Israeli Times: BiBi; We're not a banana republic Mr. Schumer Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday responded directly and forcefully to criticism from Washington, saying calls last week for elections in Israel from US Sen. Chuck Schumer were "wholly inappropriate." "It shouldn't have been said, it's wrong," he said. "It's wrong to try to replace the elected leaders of a sister democracy, a staunch American ally, at any time, but especially during a time of war," said Netanyahu. "I think what he [Schumer] said is totally inappropriate. It's inappropriate to go to a sister democracy and try to replace the elected leadership there," said Netanyahu on CNN. "That's something the Israeli pubc does on its own. We're not a banana republic." During the interviews, Netanyahu declined to commit to elections following the war against Hamas, saying that it was "ridiculous" to talk about. "That's for the Israeli people to decide," he said. March 17: The Washington Times: Delay, Delay, Prosecutorial fumbles and SCOTUS bolster Trump's legal strategy The self-inflicted wounds among President Donald Trump's legal persecutors are working to his advantage and potentially pushing a politically crippling judgment beyond the November election. Judge Scott McAfee, presiding in Atlanta, ruled Friday that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis could continue prosecuting Trump over his 2020 election challenges but the "appearance of impropriety" demanded that either she or her ex-boyfriend Nathan Wade exit the case, giving the former president fuel to fire up his base. Within hours, Wade quit the team "in the interest of democracy." Willis' unforced error shifted the spotlight away from Trump and toward her personal life. The ordeal is expected to slow down the case against Trump. "That's all-self-inflicted wounds down there for what some of us thought was the strong case," said David Schultz, a distinguished professor of politics and legal studies at Hamline University in Minnesota. "He's generally done well, but he benefits from the missteps and gotten help from the Supreme Court." March 17: The Washington Examiner: "Difficult" talks to avoid government shutdown hit snags over immigration issue Senators say they are concerned that a bicameral dispute over the appropriations bill funding the Department of Homeland Security could derail efforts to avert a government shutdown. The House and Senate have until March 22 to pass the final six of the 12 appropriations bills that fund the government and narrowly averted a partial shutdown by passing the first set of six last week. Appropriators are struggling to reach a deal on the six remaining bills, which fund the Pentagon, State Department, Labor Department, Health and Human Services Department, DHS, and foreign operations. "My information is they've made a little progress, but they're not there," Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA), who serves on the Senate Appropriations Committee, said Thursday. "The negotiations are ongoing right now, and on the defense appropriations we are making excellent progress" Sen. Susan Collins (R-ME) said. "Obviously, the bill that's going to be most difficult is Homeland, but that's been the case all along," she added. March 16: The New York Post: NYC Fire Commish jeered at St. Patrick's Day Parade after call to "hunt down" NY AG James' hecklers New York City Fire Commissioner Laura Kavanagh was heckled at the city's annual St. Patrick's Day Parade after her department vowed to go after Trump-supporting FDNY members who booed New York Attorney General Letitia James at a promotion ceremony, video shows. "You suck," one protester yelled at Kavanaugh as she marched past Trump Tower on 5th Avenue on Saturday. "Firefighters are the hunters," he screamed. After she passed, city service members were seen waving and giving thumbs up to the loud group as they repeatedly chanted President Donald Trump's name. Some even stopped to shake their hands, a video shows. March 16: The Daily Wire: TN Dem call for riots after pro-police bill is sent to the Governor's desk; "You ain't seen nothing yet" A Tennessee Democratic state senator called for riots on Friday after the state Senate passed a bill preventing cities from restricting their police forces from making certain traffic stops. State Sen. Charlane Oliver, who represents Nashville, said the Republicans' pro-police legislation is "rooted in racism," and will force those in her district to "fight like hell." The bill was sponsored by state Sen. Brent Taylor after Memphis passed an ordinance that banned traffic stops for issues such as expired registrations, a single inoperable headlight or brake light, and loose bumpers, News Channel 3 reported. The Memphis city council passed the ordinance following the death of Tyre Nichols, a black man, who was fatally injured during a confrontation with five black Memphis police officers on January 7, 2023, after he was pulled over. The measure passed the Tennessee state Senate 26-6. March 16: The Gateway Pundit: Canadian PM Trudeau faces calls to step aside as conservatives maintain a huge lead in the polls Leading a floundering minority government that has been down in the polls since May 2022, Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is unhappy with his job. But apparently, not nearly as dissatisfied as the voters that are giving the opposition Conservatives 36.0% vote intention against the ruling Liberals with just 21.0%. No wonder the increasingly unpopular Globalist poster boy says he frequently thinks about leaving his 'crazy job'. Voters also seem to think about that every day. Speculation in political circles is rampant that Mr. Trudeau may be eyeing the exit, and some allies have publicly suggested it's time for him to leave. March 15: News Max: Dershowitz; GA judge in Fani Willis, case, utterly dishonest Harvard Law School professor and Democrat Alan Dershowitz blasted as "utterly dishonest" a judge's "weaselly" ruling Friday to let Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis proceed with her election interference prosecution of Donald Trump and his allies. In a brutal takedown of the 23-page ruling by Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee, Dershowitz asked, "Who are you going to believe, this judge or your lying eyes?" McAfee wrote that Willis could continue with the prosecution, but only if Nathan Wade, the lead prosecutor she appointed and with whom she had an affair, withdraws from the case, noting an "appearance of impropriety that infects the current structure of the prosecution team." "I think the result is utterly dishonest," Dershowitz said. "Everybody knows … that she profited … that she conspired to commit perjury with Nathan Wade and with the other witness. We all know there was an actual conflict of interest here," he said. "[McAfee] just doesn't have the guts to say it. And I predicted he wouldn't have the guts to say it. He has to live in Fulton County." Dershowitz conceded the judge "may have said some things that are very critical of her, but still, he should have removed [her] … from the case." He also lamented how the ruling "undercuts our legal system tremendously." "He should have ruled, honestly, yes, there's a conflict. Yes, she committed perjury. Yes, there was a conspiracy. Yes, she received financial benefit for this. That's the truth and the truth matters," Dershowitz contended. He pointed out the "actual conflict of interest" was that Willis "made money from this case. If anybody believes that she actually paid back every penny in cash, I got a bridge to sell you in Brooklyn," he said. "There are people in prison, there are people in death row, based on evidence less strong than this," he concluded. March 15: Fox News: GA lawmakers react to judge's ruling allowing Willis to stay on Trump's trial Reactions from Georgia lawmakers poured in on Friday after a judge ruled that embattled Fulton County DA Fani Willis could remain on the case investigating alleged election interference by President Donald Trump. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee issued a ruling Friday that Willis, who was accused of an improper romantic relationship that she attempted to cover up with special counsel Nathan Wade, could remain on the case if she fired Wade which prompted pushback from Georgia Republicans. "The ruling by Judge McAfee seems to clearly identify impropriety between the DA and Mr. Wade," Georgia State Rep. Josh Bonner said. "Unfortunately, it does not address the purely partisan nature of the case brought by a rogue District Attorney more interested in scoring political points than prosecuting criminals in Fulton County." "Judge McAfee clearly found significant impropriety between Fani Willis and Nathan Wade," Georgia Lt. Gov Burt Jones contended. "If Fani Willis acted in the best interest of her constituents, she would resign immediately, but we know her inflated sense of self won't allow that to happen. Regardless, the Georgia Senate investigatory committee will continue its work on behalf of the Georgia taxpayer to hold her accountable." The Georgia legislature could impeach and convict Willis, thereby removing her not only from the case but from office. Time will tell whether they will choose so to do.  March 15: The Epoch Times: Gold Star dad explains why he interrupted the state of the Union address
Joe Biden had been talking for about an hour when Steven Nikoui began feeling like he was sitting in the Colosseum in the movie "Gladiator" rather than at a State of the Union address. "They're all sitting in the stands and they're looking at the beast down there and they're getting amused. And I felt that. I rationalized it like that and I was a little sickened," Nikoui said. "These people … they wouldn't even have any of this if it wasn't for someone like my kid or … any of the others." He had hoped this would be the day that Biden would say his son's name, Kareem. But when Biden said "America is safer today than when I took office," the Gold Star father reached a breaking point. The anger and grief that had been stewing inside him for three years let loose. "Remember Abbey Gate! United States Marines! Kareem Mae'Lee Nikoui!" He shouted his son's name, U.S. Marine Lance Corporal Kareem Nikoui, and the name of the airport gate in Kabul where a suicide bomber killed his son and 12 other U.S. Marines on Aug 26, 2021, during the chaotic withdrawal from Afghanistan. Then, he was arrested. March 14: NewsMax: Senator Cotton: Schumer's Israel meddling is inappropriate Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) called for Israel to oust Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in a new election, "foreign election interference" that was denounced as "inappropriate and offensive" by Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR). "Chuck Schumer's demand for new Israeli elections is inappropriate and offensive," Cotton said Thursday. "Israel is a close ally and a healthy, vibrant democracy. The last thing Israel needs is the 'foreign election interference' that Democrats so often decry here." Calling for an ouster of an Israeli leader is a bad look for Democrats, Cotton continued. March 14: iHeartMedia/KTRH: Dems vote to count illegals in the census for representation Senate Democrats voted unanimously to allow the census to count illegal immigrants, killing a measure that would have stopped it. This could have massive effects on the balance of political power, since the census determines the number of House seats and electoral college votes each state gets. Retired Homeland Security Agent Victor Avila told KTRH, this proves Democrats have been using the border crisis to gain power all along. He said, "This is the bigger picture. We have a lot of issues like crime and healthcare, but it's about control." Avila says this will lead to conservative states having little or no voice in American politics. Or if they do have a voice, it won't really be that effective, since it will be drowned out by extra House Democrats from blue states that harbor illegal immigrants. He says this needs to be one of Republicans' top issues going into the 2024 general election. March 14: Axios: Update on Trump classified documents case The judge overseeing President Trump's classified documents case rejected one of his motions to dismiss the charges on Thursday, hours after a hearing over the arguments concluded. Trump attended the hearing in Fort Pierce, Fla., where his legal team sought to defend two motions the former president's legal team has filed in seeking to throw out the charges in his classified documents case. Judge Aileen Cannon in her filing cited "unconstitutional vagueness" in her dismissal of Trump's motion. Cannon has not yet ruled on the other motion presented during the hearing, which centered around the Presidential Records Act. Trump's legal team is seeking to dismiss the charges in the case using arguments, in part, centered around their interpretations of this act. Trump's team argued that he had "virtually unreviewable" executive authority to designate presidential documents as personal under the law. They also argued that special counsel Jack Smith used an unconstitutionally vague use of the Espionage Act to pursue charges. Cannon peppered Trump's lawyers with questions over their defense that Trump had designated the documents as personal. "It's difficult to see how this gets you to the dismissal of an indictment," Cannon said in court, adding that their defense would effectively "gut the PRA altogether." The hearing came as Cannon is also considering the trial's start date, which is currently scheduled to begin on May 20, but Cannon has previously indicated that she is open to postponing it. March 14: The Epoch Times: Trump get a 30 day delay in NY trial President Donald Trump has scored a partial win in his bid to postpone his criminal trial in New York, in which the president faces 34 felony counts for allegedly falsifying business records in connection with so-called "hush money" payments. Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has agreed to a 30-day delay of the trial, which was supposed to start March 25. Trump had requested a 90-day delay in the start of the trial—or a full adjournment or dismissal based on claimed discovery violations—in order to have a chance to review the 73,000 or so pages of evidentiary documents produced by the District Attorney's office since March 4 -- that's 2,430 documents the defense would need to review each day (including weekends) in order to finish the discovery process within the 30-day window. With the 90-day postponement requested by Trump that would bring the number down to approximately 810 documents per day. Bragg argued in the filing that the late-term production of the evidence doesn't warrant dismissal and that only about 172 pages are directly relevant to the case. "Nonetheless, in light of the distinctive circumstances, the People do not oppose a brief adjournment of up to 30 days to permit sufficient time for defendant to review the USAO productions," Bragg wrote. In particular, the Offices of the United States Attorneys (USAO) produced roughly 31,000 pages of additional records on March 13, while indicating that there would be more documents produced next week. March 13: The Texas Scorecard: Judge orders Biden Admin. to continue building Trump's border wall A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction ordering the Biden administration to continue funding the construction of a border wall. During the Trump presidency, Congress allocated approximately $1.4 billion to fund the construction of a barrier system along the southwest U.S.-Mexico border. According to Judge Drew Tipson's order, Congress provided exactly $1,904,468,000 in funding to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security in December 2019 to be used for border infrastructure purposes for the upcoming fiscal year 2020. Of the total amount, $1,375,000,000 was to be used strictly "for the construction of [a] barrier system along the southwest border." On January 20, 2021—the day Joe Biden assumed office—he paused these funds via proclamation and ordered the DHS to devise methods of redirecting them. Texas and Missouri subsequently sued to stop these actions. Judge Tipson granted the motion for a preliminary injunction to order the Biden administration to resume funding the southwest border wall. The injunction shall remain in effect until "a final resolution of the merits of this case. Attorney General Ken Paxton celebrated the motion. "Biden acted completely improperly by refusing to spend the money that Congress appropriated for border wall construction, and even attempting to redirect those funds," he said. "His actions demonstrate his desperation for open borders at any cost, but Texas has prevailed." March 12: NewsMax: Fry (R-SC); Disagrees with Hur's reasoning but its clear Biden willfully broke the law Special counsel Robert Hur's testimony Tuesday to the House Judiciary Committee revealed two things, Rep. Fry (R-SC) said. The first is that Joe Biden is currently cognitively impaired, and second, that before such a lapse, held classified documents despite knowing it was against the law to have them. Hur recommended in his report to United States Attorney General Merrick Garland against prosecuting Biden, based on the reasoning that a jury would find him to be a "sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." "But we know now, based on not only just the report itself, but Hur's testimony that Joe Biden, in nine different locations, kept classified documents. We know that he kept them for gratuitous purposes. He was clearly writing a book, and he believed that they were his. And despite 36 years in the Senate and eight years as vice president handling classified information, even knowing — his own staff, when he was vice president, had to create a memo on how to handle classified information — he continued to do so." "That was the big revelation to me," Fry continued, "and really where I pushed Mr. Hur because the willfulness doesn't trigger now; it triggers at the time the crime was committed. So we know that he is in a diminished mental capacity today, but when he was vice president, it was very different. And so, I ultimately disagreed with the finding."  March 12: Fox News: Schiff spars with Special Counsel Hur over disparaged Biden report
Adam Schiff (D-CA) sparred with Special Counsel Robert Hur during a contentious House hearing on Tuesday as the congressman accused Hur of playing politics with his report on Joe Biden's handling of classified documents, which earned pushback from Hur. "I want to go back to your opening statement in which you said that you did not disparage the president," Schiff said. "You disparaged him in terms you had to know would have a maximal political impact. You understood your report would be public, right?" "Congressman, I could have written my report, theoretically, in a way that omitted references to the president's memory," Hur explained. "But that would have been an incomplete and improper report and that it did not reflect my analysis." "Congressman, what you are suggesting is that I shape, sanitize, omit portions of my reasoning, an explanation to the attorney general for political reasons," Hur said. March 12: The Daily Wire: Transcripts from Hur investigation show Biden lied about key details in classified documents probe Joe Biden lied about his testimony with special counsel Robert Hur, according to new transcripts of Hur's interviews with Biden over his handling of classified documents. Hur's February report concluded that Biden willfully retained classified documents but recommended no criminal charges in part because it said that Biden had a faulty memory and would appear as a sympathetic old man to a jury. One of the key details included in the report was that Biden did not remember the year his son Beau died. Biden said that he was taken aback by a question about his son, claiming that it was Hur who brought up the death. "There's even a reference that I don't remember when my son died," Biden said in February. "How in the hell dare he raise that? Frankly, when I was asked the question, I thought to myself: It wasn't any of their damn business." However, the transcripts, obtained by ABC, show that it was actually Biden who brought up his son. Biden's confusion came after he was asked about what he was doing after Trump took office. Two people at the interview chimed in and said it was 2015, after which Biden said, "Was it 2015 he had died?" 
March 11: The Daily Wire: Multiple Palestinians arrested in Italy at start of Ramadan
Law enforcement officials in Italy arrested three Palestinians this week at the start of Ramadan for allegedly planning to conduct terror attacks on foreign soil. The Italian police did not disclose the names of the three Islamic terrorist suspects but said that they were connected to the Palestinian terror group Al-Aqsa Martyr Brigades. "The suspects engaged in proselytism and propaganda (…) and planned attacks, including suicide attacks, against civilian and military targets on foreign territory," the Italian police said. The arrests happened in a city as the suspects were attempting to make contact with an existing terror cell. This act shows the extend terrorist organizations will go and is "…a stark reminder that this group and its affiliates in the West Bank and Gaza are not 'resistance fighters,' … but are cold-blooded terrorists with the sole purpose of inflicting death and destruction March 11: The Washington Times: Biden nominee apologizes to the Senate A federal judicial nominee issued an apology over the weekend to senators for failing to disclose his participation at a conference with anti-Israel activists that the Washington Examiner first reported. Adeel Mangi, who is Joe Biden's pick for the 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, wrote in a letter on Saturday to the Senate Judiciary Committee that he "inadvertently omitted one responsive item" from his questionnaire in November 2023. The letter was addressed to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) and the panel's ranking member, Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC). Mangi, a New Jersey lawyer, has come under intensified scrutiny from GOP senators for previously sitting on an advisory board at Rutgers Law School's Center for Security, Race and Rights, an office that hosted a 2021 event featuring a convicted terrorist fundraiser. In 2022, Mangi moderated a panel at the annual conference for the National Association of Muslim Lawyers. His law firm, Patterson Belknap, helped sponsor the event, along with the Council on American-Islamic Relations, which federal prosecutors named as an "unindicted co-conspirator" of Hamas in a 2009 terrorism financing case. March 10: The Epoch Times: Musk: I'd support Rand Paul for Senate Leader to replace McConnell Elon Musk extended support to Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) to lead the Republican Party in the Senate after the current leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY), retires this year. On March 8, Paul held a survey on Twitter [X], asking people to choose from three candidates for the post of Senate leader—himself, Sen. John Thune (R-SD), or Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX). He received 96.6 percent support, with each of the two other candidates only getting less than two percent backing. Responding to the poll, Musk said in a Twitter [X] post that it would be "interesting to see the other Senate leadership candidates run similar polls." The billionaire then extended support for Paul. "I would support Rand Paul and suspect that other candidates will not actually run polls out of concern for the results, but let's see if they will!" Musk said in a March 9 post. March 10: The Daily Caller: Argentina's Milei goes all out in an effort to save his country's economy Javier Milei, Argentina's newly elected libertarian and self-described "anarcho-capitalist" president, is embracing sweeping reforms to save the country's struggling economy, even in the face of overwhelming obstacles. Despite challenges arising from lawmaker opposition and a soaring inflation rate that has plagued the country for years, Milei's "shock" adjustment actions have improved market and investor confidence both among the Argentinian population and abroad. Milei inherited a 140% inflation rate, an impoverished population and hundreds of billions in debt when he took office in December. Milei acknowledged on the day of his inauguration that Argentina's economy would temporarily get worse while he embraced "shock" adjustments to start making fixes. "They have ruined our lives … There is no money!" Milei said during his inauguration speech. "Therefore, the conclusion is that there is no alternative to adjustment and no alternative to shock … this is the last straw to begin the reconstruction of Argentina." [See Related Story] March 10: News Max: Biden sends ship to Gaza to build pier so aid can be delivered by sea A U.S. Army vessel carrying equipment for building a temporary pier in Gaza was on its way to the Mediterranean on Sunday, three days after Joe Biden announced plans to ramp up aid deliveries by sea to the besieged enclave where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians have been going hungry. The opening of the sea corridor, along with airdrops by the U.S., Jordan and others, showed increasing alarm over Gaza's humanitarian crisis and a new willingness to bypass Israeli control over land shipments. Israel said it welcomed the sea deliveries and would inspect Gaza-bound cargo before it leaves a staging area in nearby Cyprus. The daily number of aid trucks entering Gaza by land over the past five months has been far below the 500 that entered before the war because of Israeli restrictions and security issues. Meanwhile, Biden stepped up his public criticism of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Biden believes Netanyahu is "hurting Israel more than helping Israel" in how he is approaching its war against Hamas in Gaza, now in its sixth month but he continues to down play or ignore the atrocities inflicted upon Israel by Hamas terrorists that started it all. [See related story]  March 9: The Gateway Pundit: Biden draws paltry crowd at Atlanta Rally while Trump gets a packed house for Rome, GA rally held at the same time Joe Biden held a rally in Atlanta, GA Saturday at almost the same time as President Trump's rally in Rome, GA. Biden's rally is being held at a small capacity venue at Pullman Yards. Trump's rally is being held at the 3-4,000 capacity Forum River Center. Trump's rally is packed. Biden's rally is not. There were reportedly a couple of hundred going to see the current president, thousands coming to see Donald Trump.  March 9: Sky News: Biden caught on an open mic; A come to Jesus moment needed with Netanyahu
Biden was recorded making the comment while on Capitol Hill for his State of the Union speech. 'Come to Jesus' is American slang for a moment of recognition before a major change. The comment was made by Biden on the House Floor referring to the need to get humanitarian aid to the Palestinians. [See related story on Biden and fading support for Israel] March 9: The New York Post: Embarrassing Moment as Big Apple Firefighters boo NY AG and cheer for Trump; reprisals expected Reportedly, FDNY Commissioner Laura Kavanagh is attempting to hunt down fire fighters and other staffers who mercilessly booed New York Attorney General Letitia James – and cheered in support of Donald Trump – during a NY City Fire Department promotion ceremony this week. FDNY Chief of Department John Hodges fired off an email to other agency honchos warning a reckoning led by the department's Bureau of Investigation and Trials was coming over the chorus of boos and chants of "Trump" that James received at Thursday's event. "BITS is investigating this, so they will figure out who the members are," Hodges wrote FDNY chiefs Saturday. "I recommend they come forward. I have been told by the commissioner it will be better for them if they come forward and we don't have to hunt them down," he continued. Clearly the free speech rights of fire fighters don't exist in New York City, one person suggested. March 8: The Gateway Pundit: Biden short-circuits when he had no teleprompter and was confronted by a reporter Joe Biden was not so amped up the day after his agitated performance delivering the State of the Union address Thursday night. His brain short-circuited when he was confronted by a reporter about his accurately calling the accused killer of 22-year-old University of Georgia nursing student Laken Riley, 26-year-old Venezuelan national José Ibarra an "illegal." Ibarra illegally entered the U.S. with his wife in 2022 and was paroled by the Biden administration. During the State of the Union address Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene agitated Biden saying he should call out her name. When Greene heckled Biden during his speech, Biden picked up the button she had given him and responded by saying Riley's name, but calling her "Lincoln," not "Laken." He said, "Lincoln Riley, an innocent young woman who was killed by an illegal. That's right, but how many thousands have been killed by legals?" Until that moment, Biden had not said Laken Riley's name in public. Nor has he ever admitted that her death was due, in part, to his immigration policies. March 8: The Washington Examiner: CA City votes to require IDs to cast a ballot in local elections, State leaders not happy Voters in Huntington Beach, California, approved a ballot measure to institute voter ID for local elections despite threats from state officials. Ballot Measure A was approved by voters in the coastal Orange County city on Tuesday by a roughly 53% - 47% margin as of Friday. The measure calls for municipal elections to "require Voter Identification for elections; provide more in-person voting locations; and monitor ballot drop-boxes" beginning in 2026. The state of California does not require voter ID for elections, and California Attorney General Rob Bonta warned the city against proceeding with the ballot measure in 2023, arguing it conflicts with state law. "If the City moves forward and places it on the ballot, we stand ready to take appropriate action to ensure that voters' rights are protected, and state election laws are enforced," he said. Huntington Beach is among the few Republican hot spots in otherwise solidly Democratic California. The Golden State and the rest of Southern California tend to vote heavily for Democrats, but the city and Orange County tend to stray from the rest of the state. Voters in the city on Tuesday also approved a ballot measure banning most flags, including the LGBT pride flag, from being flown on city property. March 8: One America News Network: GOP has mixed feelings about term limits for leadership Senate Republicans are at odds over term limits following Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-Ky.) announcement that he will not be seeking another term. Senate Republicans currently have three full two-year term limits implemented for top leadership, with the exception of the party leader. Amid speculation over his successor, lawmakers are debating whether they should enact term limits. The topic was first brought up by Senator John Cornyn (R-TX), who is running to replace McConnell along with Minority Whip Senator John Thune (R-SD). In response to the suggestion, McConnell said term limits would be "totally inappropriate." "We have term limits now, they're called elections," McConnell said. "I had a contest myself during my last election as leader." This comes amid several debates on Capitol Hill and among the American public over whether lawmakers should enact congressional term limits in general. A nationwide poll recently conducted by PEW Research showed that an overwhelming 87% of adults favored limiting term limits. 56% strongly favored the move, compared to 12% who opposed it.  March 8: iHeartMedia/KTRH: Chinese-origin cranes at US ports raise concerns after discovery of communications gear A congressional probe revealed some Chinese-made cranes used in U.S. ports contain communications equipment, leading to potential spying concerns as they have no clear purpose or record of installation. The investigation, which was conducted by the House Committee on Homeland Security and House select committee on China, found that more than 200 Chinese-made cranes were installed at American ports amid heightened tensions between the two countries over national security. The U.S. Coast Guard had previously ordered for better cybersecurity directives for the maritime ports in relation to the Chinese-made cranes last month. The committee found that cellular modems capable of being used for remote communication were installed on the cranes and not documented in any contact between the U.S. ports and the Chinese crane maker ZPMC, a congressional aide with knowledge of the investigation confirmed on Thursday. The modems were already installed when U.S. port officials went to China to inspect the cranes and found to be on the ZPMC cranes by officials "on more than one occasion," the aide said. March 7: The Washington Examiner: State of the Union 2024: Katie Britt warns against reelecting a "dithering and diminished" Joe Biden Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL) plans to have a "tough conversation" with the public in her response to Joe Biden's State of the Union address on Thursday night. Biden will use his speech, the last before voters decide whether to give him a second term, to argue his policies have delivered relief to Americans facing the effects of inflation and draw a contrast with Republicans on issues ranging from abortion access to taxes. Britt, 42 and the youngest Republican woman ever elected to the Senate, pointed to her experience as a mother of two to urge voters to reject Biden at the polls in November. "Tonight, the American family needs to have a tough conversation, because the truth is, we're all worried about the future of our nation," Britt said in her speech excerpts. "The country we know and love seems to be slipping away. It feels like the next generation will have fewer opportunities – and less freedom – than we did. I worry my own children may not even get a shot at living their American Dreams." "The true, unvarnished State of our Union begins and ends with this: Our families are hurting. Our country can do better," she added. March 7: News Max: Ramadan truce unlikely as Hamas walks away from talks Hamas said Thursday that its delegation has left Cairo and that talks on a Gaza cease-fire and hostage release will resume next week, making it extremely unlikely that mediators will broker a deal before the Muslim holy month of Ramadan. Mediators had looked to Ramadan as an informal deadline because the month of dawn-to-dusk fasting often sees Israeli-Palestinian violence linked to access to a major Jerusalem holy site. The war already has the wider region on edge, with Iran-backed groups trading fire with Israel and the United States. Egyptian officials had earlier said the negotiations had reached an impasse over Hamas' demand for a phased process culminating in an end to the war. But they did not rule out a deal before Ramadan, which is expected to begin Sunday. March 6: The Galveston County Daily News: Israel is fighting for its life For centuries, those who are evil have been trying to annihilate the Jewish people. Around 470 BC a Persian Empire official devised a plan to do exactly that but God had other plans. The King's queen (Esther), a Jewess, told the King of the plan, Haman was executed, and the Jews were given permission to defend themselves. On October 7th, a precise, organized attack was carried out by Iran-backed Hamas. They invaded Israel, destroying property and brutally killing an estimated 1,200 Israeli civilians. The vicious attackers committed atrocious acts, raping and demonizing women and children in an unspeakable manner. They took several hundred hostages for the purpose of gaining unrealistic demands in future negotiations. Joe Biden is pushing for a two-state solution to the ongoing conflict. But the fallacy in trying to force this on Israel is that Iran, Hamas, and Hezbollah don't want a two-state solution, they want to overthrow and annihilate the Jews and the Jewish state. Israel has every right to protect itself and to respond. We don't want innocent civilians killed or injured, but we also don't want terrorist ruling in Gaza. We don't have a solution; but we trust that the Lord does. In the end, like in the days of old, He will prevail. As he said to father Abraham, those who curse His people will themselves cursed and those who bless them, will themselves be blessed. March 6: The Hill: Defense attorney details Willis relationship to GA Senate Committee A Georgia state Senate panel gave the floor Wednesday to the defense attorney who surfaced allegations of a romance between Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis (D) and a special prosecutor in President Trump's 2020 election interference case. Over three and a half hours, defense attorney Ashleigh Merchant described her investigation into Willis's relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade (D) without the constraints of a courtroom to hold her back. Merchant's testimony was an oral history of the historic criminal prosecution and her efforts looking into Willis and Wade's romance, further thrusting the prosecutors' romance into the spotlight as state senators investigate it over allegations Willis misused taxpayer funds. Merchant — who first brought the romance to light in a January court filing — told the panel that her investigation began after running into Wade's ex-law partner, Terrence Bradley, at court. The lawyers found themselves in a conference room in September, waiting for other matters to proceed, and Bradley "essentially went through the whole thing." Merchant said that Bradley was upset with how Wade had treated his wife, Joycelyn Wade, because the special prosecutor left their marriage after meeting Willis. The couple is currently pursuing a divorce, and Wade previously claimed his wife had a prior affair. March 6: The Epoch Times: AZ Dem. Gov. vetoes bill making illegal crossing of state's southern border a crime Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs (D) has vetoed a bill that would have made illegal border crossings a state crime. Republican state Sen. Janae Shamp sponsored Senate Bill 1231, which "makes it unlawful for a person who is an alien [illegal immigrant] to enter Arizona from a foreign nation at any location other than a lawful port of entry." Hobbs's veto statement said the "bill does not secure our border, will be harmful for communities and businesses in our state, and burdensome for law enforcement personnel and the state judicial system." The bill would have allowed state officials to fine and imprison illegal immigrants entering the state from Mexico similar to the Texas bill that was upheld in the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals last week. "It's time to take the handcuffs off of our sheriffs who have been elected to protect the citizens of Arizona, which is why I'm introducing the Arizona Border Invasion Act, SB 1231," said Sen. Shamp said. The measure would have indemnified government officials, employees, and contractors from civil liability for damages that could arise from enforcement action related to illegal entry.  March 5: The Daily Wire: Kyrsten Sinema announces she is leaving the Senate Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) announced on Tuesday that she will not seek re-election and will leave the U.S. Senate at the end of this year. Her exit from the Senate clears the way for the race to be a two-way battle between Kari Lake (R-AZ) and Rep. Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) in an election that could determine which party controls the Senate. In the video where she made her announcement, Sinema warned that America was choosing the worse course by continuing to go to the political extremes on both sides. March 4: The New York Post: Court filings: DA Willis warned Wade's lawyer; stay quiet 'They're coming after us" A new witness could testify GA DA Fani Willis warned lover Nathan Wade's former business partner to stay quiet about their affair, an explosive new court filing claims. "They are coming after us. You don't need to talk to them about anything about us," Willis is alleged to have warned Terrence Bradley in a September phone call. The call was overheard by Cobb County, GA prosecutor Cindi Lee Yeager, the court papers filed on Monday show. Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney, is currently battling to stay in her post overseeing the election interference case which charged Donald Trump and 18 others. She stands accused of carrying on a relationship with Wade, who she appointed special prosecutor, but hiding it from the court, presenting a conflict of interest. March 4: The Daily Caller: SCOTUS 9-0 decision could blow Jack Smith's Trump insurrection case out of the water Former federal prosecutor Andrew McCarthy said Monday that many people "miss" the case that would "blow up" special counsel Jack Smith's prosecution of President Donald Trump. Smith secured a four-count indictment against Trump in August related to the former president's efforts to challenge the results of the 2020 election. The Supreme Court agreed to hear a case brought against Trump's codefendants -- which is centered on the "obstruction statue" that Smith charged Trump with -- in the August indictment, scheduling oral arguments for April. If the court rules against Smith, at least half of the indictments against Trump will fade away. But there is another thing to consider. In the court's 9-0 decision today on whether Trump could be removed from the Colorado ballot, a majority of the court said that there was no definition of "insurrection" in the 14th Amendment of the Constitution and that Congress would need to define it. Since Congress has not done so, there is no definition of "insurrection" and therefore no "insurrection" case be considered against Trump. With SCOTUS making this decision, the Smith case should go away and if it doesn't there is little doubt that a guilty verdict in such a case would survive the appeals process. March 4: Fox News: SCOTUS: 9-0 Trump to remain on the Ballot: Experts; stern warning to radicals Reactions from legal experts are pouring in after the Supreme Court voted unanimously in favor of keeping President Trump on the Colorado ballot and against the efforts to remove him for allegedly taking part in an "insurrection." "The Court showed a divided nation that we remain bound by shared constitutional values," George Washington Law professor Jonathan Turley said immediately after the decision was read, adding that this was a "critical moment for this court in history." "After all of the years we have spent in this Republic we came to a point where these states claimed that they could unilaterally bar the leading presidential candidate from ballots to prevent people from voting for Donald Trump," Turley said. "The court here struck with a strong, and it appears unanimous, voice at least on the result that that's not going to happen. Voters will vote. They'll make their own verdict regardless of cases that happen involving President Trump. They will cast the most important verdict of all. They will vote for the next President of the United States."  March 4: The Washington Times: Garland beefing up team to fight voter ID and drop box limitations
Attorney General Merrick Garland said on the eve of the Super Tuesday primaries that states requiring voter ID at the polls and restricting drop boxes are suppressing Black voters, and the Justice Department has doubled the number of its lawyers to fight those laws. Garland said recent court decisions have "drastically" weakened the 1965 Voting Rights Act, and that in the wake of those rulings, states have dramatically increased laws that make it harder for millions of eligible voters to vote. He said such measures "threaten the foundation of our system of government" and that the Justice Department is "fighting back" with more lawyers in its Voting Section of the Civil Rights Division. "That is why we are challenging efforts by states and jurisdictions to implement discriminatory, burdensome, and unnecessary restrictions on access to the ballot, including those related to mail-in voting, the use of drop boxes, and voter ID requirements," Garland said Sunday. March 3: News Max: SCOTUS could have ruling Monday on attempts to remove Trump from the ballot A Supreme Court decision could come as soon as Monday in the case about whether President Donald Trump can be kicked off the ballot over his efforts questioning his defeat in the 2020 election. Trump is challenging a groundbreaking decision by the Colorado Supreme Court that said he is disqualified from being president again and ineligible for the state's primary, which is Tuesday. The resolution of the case on Monday, a day before Super Tuesday contests in 16 states, would remove uncertainty about whether votes for Trump, the leading Republican candidate for president, will ultimately count. Both sides had requested fast work by the court, which heard arguments less than a month ago, on Feb. 8. The court indicated Sunday there will be at least one case decided Monday, adhering to its custom of not saying which one. But it also departed from its usual practice in some respects, heightening the expectation that it's the Trump ballot case that will be handed down. Except for when the end of the term nears in late June, the court almost always issues decisions on days when the justices are scheduled to take the bench. But the next scheduled court day isn't until March 15.  March 3: Fox News: Pompeo: Biden Admin making "same mistake" as Obama on settlements in Jewish Biblical region
The recent Biden administration decision to revoke the Trump-era "Pompeo Doctrine," which declared Jewish residences as legal in the core biblical region of the Holy Land, has been met with fierce criticism. Biden's controversial move unfolded in late February as Israel continues its offensive in the Gaza Strip to root out Hamas terrorists after it launched a war against the Jewish state on Oct. 7. Former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said, "In reversing the Pompeo Doctrine, Biden has now decided to ignore the truth that Judea and Samaria are Israel's land, obtusely viewing it as an obstacle to peace and making the same mistake favored by his predecessor in the Obama administration." Pompeo added "Undermining Israel's right to exist in the Jewish people's homeland deepens and prolongs the conflict. It is not Israeli settlements that are an obstacle to peace – it is the unwillingness of the Palestinians to come to the table honestly and acknowledge Israel's right to exist, the gross atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7, and Hamas' continued existence. Those are the true obstacles to peace." March 3: The Washington Times: Sen. John Thune gets two endorsements to replace McConnel as Senate Minority Leader Senate Minority Whip John Thune of South Dakota was endorsed to become the chamber's next Republican leader on Sunday by two of his colleagues. Sens. Markwayne Mullin (OK) and Mike Rounds (SD) threw their support behind Thune, who currently serves as the second-ranking Republican to outgoing Senate Minority Leader. Rounds said Thune will bring a "fresh breath" and has "great moral character."  March 2: One America News Network: Reporter covering Jan 6th protest arrested 3 years later after writing columns on Capitol Police On January 6, 2021 Blaze reporter Steve Baker was covering the protests at the Capitol. This week he was arrested and charged due to his reporting of the event. The charges come after Baker broke major stories involving U.S. Capitol Police Officer Harry Dunn and Capitol Police Special Agent David Lazarus. "Steve's actions on January 6 have been known to the Department of Justice for 3 years," Baker's attorneys said. "But it is only now—after Steve has broken two major stories, greatly embarrassing to the DOJ — that he is possibly being targeted for arrest and possibly felony prosecution. Any action taken to put him in handcuffs, hold him in custody, and have him transported to court by federal law enforcement will be nothing other than retaliation for his recent reporting." Baker's attorney was reportedly told by a federal prosecutor last week that his client was expected to show up at the field office dressed in "shorts and sandals." According to Baker, this indicated that the government intended to "humiliate" him by handcuffing him, putting on an orange jumpsuit, and performing the "prison transport routine," the Blaze reported. "They didn't have to go this route," Baker said last week. "We have been told that my charges are only misdemeanors. And my attorneys have been assured that this will be an 'in and out' affair with 'no intention' to detain me. But rather than issuing a simple order to appear, they went the 'arrest warrant' route." Baker's Dallas attorney, James Lee Bright, told Blaze News that withholding the nature of the charges against his client is a "really unusual" move. March 2: The Daily Wire: As Haley continues to lose she says "Of course" criminal trials against Trump should happen before the November elections Former U.N. Ambassador and presidential candidate Nikki Haley said this week that the criminal trials against President Donald Trump should happen before the upcoming elections. Haley, who has lost to the former president in every primary and caucus event thus far, made the remarks during a CNN interview with Dana Bash on Friday when asked about U.S. Supreme Court saying this week that they will hear Trump's appeal in the federal election case that he faces in Washington, D.C., where he claims he should immune from prosecution for actions he took as president.  March 2: Fox News: Border Patrol union mocks Biden over Texas visit: "Hit beach, take nap"
The Border Patrol union mocked President Biden on Saturday for his trip to a quiet part of the Texas border this week. "Board AF1, take nap. Wake up in place called Brownsville," the union wrote on Twitter along with a photo of Biden resting in a beach lounge chair. "Read large teleprompter message, 'It's all Trump's fault.' While in Brownsville on Thursday, Biden lamented that the bipartisan immigration bill failed to pass in the Senate, blaming Trump for using it as a political issue. Many Republicans have expressed their opposition to the measure which they say doesn't do enough and because they claim Biden already has the tools to stop the immigration invasion. All he needs to do is to reinstitute the Trump policies he stopped during the first part of his administration. Biden faces increasing scrutiny over his handling of the border as the Border Patrol continues to report a record number of migrant encounters. In December alone, there were more than 300,000 encounters – an all-time record. The issue also threatens to hurt Biden politically ahead of November's presidential election.  March 2: The Daily Caller: "Slow Motion Car Crash": Dems "Freak Out" reaching a fever pitch after dismal poll for Biden According to Politico, prominent Democrats are freaking out after a new poll delivered bad numbers for Joe Biden. Biden is trailing President Trump by five percentage points and only attracting 83 percent of his previous 2020 voters, as pollsters report ten percent now say they back Trump. Democrats saying the results have the feel of "a slow-motion car crash" and are "pretty concerning." Congressman Adam Smith (D-WA) said "Not sure this latest poll changed that too much. Dems are worried about Biden's strength as a candidate for a variety of reasons — age, weakness of him and the overall campaign when it comes to delivering a message, the left attacks over Gaza. I am personally less freaked out than most… But I too wish Biden and his team were stronger campaigners." March 1: The Washington Free Beacon: Biden knows he's trailing Trump On February 29, Bloomberg News released another set of swing-state polls showing Donald Trump in the lead. The polls had Trump narrowly ahead of Biden nationwide, with Trump's margins in swing states ranging from plus 2 points in Michigan to plus 9 points in North Carolina. This is now routine with Trump beating Biden in the RealClearPolitics average of polls since last September. Currently Trump leads Biden in all the swing states except Pennsylvania where he is just trailing Biden by one point. In the battleground states of Arizona, Georgia, and Nevada Trump's lead is not close. The two impeachments, the 91 counts across 4 indictments, the huge civil penalties, the almost-a-decade-long trail of alleged controversy and scandal, the warnings from former senior officials, the shadow of January 6, 2021 — none of these have sidelined Trump as they were intended to do. None of it has changed the dynamic of the 2024 presidential race. But Biden still seems to be losing. He won't admit to making mistakes but it's clear he is trying to fix his mess. An example is his February visit to East Palestine, OH, the scene of a major train wreck, where he refused to visit for a year. He was not warmly welcomed by the residents. February 29: Breitbart News: Laken Riley's murder showcases venerable senate democrats' opposition to Kate's law Vulnerable Democrat Senators Bob Casey (PA), Sherrod Brown (OH), and Joh Tester (MT) are facing criticism for their soft-on-crime voting record after the murder of Laken Riley. Riley, a 22-year-old Augusta University nursing student was killed allegedly by an illegal alien released into the United States and is the latest American woman to fall victim to the federal government's inability to enforce immigration law. The tragedy has cast renewed attention on the fate of Kate Steinle, a 32-year-old murdered in 2015 allegedly by a seven-time felon, five-time deported illegal alien, Jose Garcia Zarate. He was acquitted of murder but convicted for federal gun charges in association with the murder. After Steinle's murder, Republicans tried to prevent similar crimes from being committed by writing Kate's Law, which would institute a mandatory minimum of five years imprisonment for deported felons who illegally re-enter the United States. Kate's Law was included in the Stop Sanctuary Policies and Protect Americans Act, legislation which would also hold sanctuary jurisdictions accountable for defying federal law and provide liability protection for State and local law enforcement who cooperate with Federal law enforcement. Sherrod, Tester and Casey each voted to block the bill in October of that year, sinking its chances of becoming law. Brown saw things differently. In October 2015, he was quoted as saying Kate's Law "would waste taxpayer money by increasing the prison population." February 29: The Washington Examiner: Trump and Smith spar over schedule for the documents case President Trump and special counsel Jack Smith sparred on Thursday over when the criminal classified documents case should take place, clashing just one day before the judge will deliberate on their proposals. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon is expected to issue a scheduling update during a Friday hearing amid expectations that she will delay the currently scheduled May 20 trial start. Smith requested that the trial begin on July 8, while Trump renewed his plea that it should not begin until after the 2024 election as he seeks to keep his presidential campaign calendar clear. If the judge is ultimately unwilling to delay the trial until after the election, Trump proposed an Aug. 12 start date. Cannon, an appointee of Trump, has asked both parties to submit updated proposals in advance of the proceedings, which were due by the end of the day on Thursday. February 29: The Gateway Pundit: Biden not at Eagle Pass but Brownsville Joe Biden arrived in Brownsville, Texas on Thursday for a drive-by photo-op border visit. Brownsville is a desolate stretch with virtually no illegal alien invasion compared to other hot spots such as El Paso and Eagle Pass. Trump supporters protested Biden's arrival. Biden took 94 executive actions in his first 100 days in office to weaken border security. Since then, millions of military-age men from Africa, the Middle East, Latin America and China have invaded the US. Americans are being murdered by illegal aliens and Biden responds by visiting a desolate part of the southern border in a choreographed photo-op. Biden's stiff gait as he shuffled along a calm part of the border in Brownsville shocked the public. He barely moved his arms as he struggled to walk. Meanwhile Trump was also at the Texas border, but he visited a place where Biden's border invasion is much worse – Eagle Pass – where hundreds of thousands of illegals have poured into Eagle Pass in the past few months. February 29: News Max: Congress does it again, kicks the can down the road with short stopgap CR Congress on Thursday approved a stopgap measure to avert a government shutdown, extending funding for several key federal agencies. As has become Congress' common practice it still has not approved the 12 annual spending bills that make up the federal budget, and were facing deadlines of midnight on Friday night and March 8 to keep the lights on. The House and Senate approved a short-term "continuing resolution" extending the deadline for the first six bills until March 8 and making March 22 the cut-off for the remaining six. Only time will tell whether they can get the funding train back on the rails, but if the past is any guide it will continue to be an elusive task. Money for agriculture, science, veterans' programs, transport and housing had been due to run out first. A full shutdown would have come a week later, leaving defense, border security, Congress and many other departments and agencies unable to operate. All but two Democrats in the House voted yes to the continuing resolution while 97 Republicans voted against. It passed the upper chamber in a 77-13 evening vote. February 28: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS accepts Trump immunity case The Supreme Court agreed, Wednesday, o review the lower courts' decision to deny Donald Trump's presidential immunity claim from the federal criminal case charging him for actions on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump's immunity claim has delayed the case for nearly three months the postponement of its original trial date of March 4th. The high court's decision automatically stays lower courts from moving forward in the case. "The case will be set for oral argument during the week of April 22," the order reads. The court will consider "Whether and if so to what extent does a former President enjoy presidential immunity from criminal prosecution for conduct alleged to involve official acts during his tenure in office." Prosecutors argued that presidents enjoy no immunity from criminal prosecution, while defense attorneys argued that official acts of a president during his tenure are protected by presidential immunity. If the president were to lose this decision, it cold have wide-reaching and serious consequences for all presidents; past, present, and future.  February 28: The Washington Examiner: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell stepping down from leadership in November McConnell (R-KY) will be stepping down as the Senate's top Republican this November, bringing an end to a record tenure in the position. McConnell became the party's top leader in the Senate in 2006 and has won nine straight elections to maintain his position since then. "This will my last term as Republican leader in the Senate," McConnell said during a floor speech. "It's time for the next generation of leadership." Last year, McConnell beat Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), who was challenging him for the party leadership position. February 28: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Hunter Biden: Didn't involve his dad, but the evidence shows otherwise Hunter Biden claimed in closed door testimony for three House committees that he did not involve his father in any business deals. The testimony came after the younger Biden stiffed House Republicans and did not testify in December. "After Congress threatened to hold him in contempt of congress, he decided that he would schedule an appearance" said Wendell Husebo, political reporter with Breitbart News. If Hunter Biden does show up on Capitol Hill, he will sit for a closed-door deposition for both the House Oversight, and House Judiciary Committees, as part of the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden. "The media says that there's no evidence linking Joe Biden to any of Hunter Biden's business deals, but evidence contradicts that" Husebo told KTRH, "We have former Biden associates that all say Joe Biden was privy, and a part of the business." Lots of evidence, and lots of questions. We'll now have to wait and see about the answers. February 28: The Epoch Times: Trump could make billions over merger deal, left wing wants to thwart it A potential merger involving President Donald Trump's social media platform Truth Social can take the company public and will give him access to $3.5 billion in funds—a deal which his political rivals are looking to thwart. On Feb. 14, the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) approved the merger between Digital World Acquisition Corp. (DWAC) and Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG). TMTG is the owner of social media platform Truth Social. Once DWAC merges with TMTG, it can go public, with President Trump holding 78.75 million shares in the combined entity. DWAC shares trading at around $45 per shar indicating that President Trump's stake in the new entity could be worth $3.5 billion. The amount can be a substantial cash infusion for the president who has been charged with a $355 million fine two weeks ago by a New York judge in a civil fraud ruling. Adding in interest, the final amount comes to $464 million. All that is left for the merger to be completed is shareholder approval, with a vote scheduled for March 22nd. Trump's political opponents of President Trump could seek to block the merger to prevent his potential financial gain. February 28: News Max: Senate Republicans block consideration of In Vitro Fertilization Senate Republicans have blocked legislation that would protect access to in vitro fertilization, objecting to a vote on the issue Wednesday even after widespread backlash to a recent ruling by the Alabama Supreme Court that threatens the practice. Sen. Tammy Duckworth's (D-IL) who used IVF treatments to have her two children after struggling with years of infertility. Duckworth's bill would establish a federal right to the treatments as the Alabama ruling has upended fertility care in the state and families who had already started the process face heartbreak and uncertainty. Several clinics in the state announced they were pausing IVF services as they sort out last week's ruling, which said that frozen embryos can be considered children under state law. The court said that three Alabama couples who lost frozen embryos during an accident at a storage facility could sue the fertility clinic and hospital for the wrongful death of a minor child.  February 27: News Max: Ginsburg opinion may help Trump in his NY fraud case President Donald Trump's appeal of the $454 million civil fraud judgment against him in New York could be helped by an opinion written by the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg. In February 2019 Ginsburg wrote the majority opinion in Timbs vs Indiana, in which the high court voted 9-0 to rule against Indiana, which was seeking to confiscate the defendant's $42,000 Land Rover to pay for a $10,000 fine. In support of the unanimous ruling, Ginsburg wrote: "The prohibition [in the 8th amendment] embodied in the Excessive Fines Clause carries forward protections found in sources from Magna Carta to the English Bill of Rights to state constitutions from the colonial era to the present day," Ginsburg argued in the case. "Protection against excessive fines has been a constant shield throughout Anglo-American history for good reason: Such fines undermine other liberties." Ginsburg added that such fines "can be used, e.g., to retaliate against or chill the speech of political enemies." Trump has appealed the New York civil fraud judgment, challenging Judge Arthur Engoron's finding that he lied about his wealth. Testimony disclosed that Trump had, if anything, undervalued his properties and the judge, prior to the start of the trial, said Trump was guilty – indicating that he had already decided the trial's outcome ahead of time. February 27: The Epoch Times: GA DA and her lover's case against Trump appears to be unraveling A prominent law professor warned that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' case against President Trump appears to be "unraveling" amid questions over her relationship with Special Prosecutor Nathan Wade. Over the past several days, attorneys for Trump have filed new court documents in Georgia, suggesting that Willis and Wade may have been in a relationship for much longer than they admitted in court, following an analysis of Wade's cellphone data. A co-defendant in January accused the pair of being in a secret relationship from which Willis and Wade allegedly profited. In court this month, both Wade and Willis made contradictory statements, which Georgetown University professor Jonathan Turley said could imperil their case.  February 27: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Macy's to close 150 stores and shift its customer focus As part of the new plan, Macy's will be closing 150 "underperforming stores" across the country, with 50 locations closing before October. After the closures, Macy's will still have 350 retail stores, including Bloomingdale's and Bluemercury. While Macy's locations are closing, the company said it will be opening 15 new Bloomingdale's stories and 30 Bluemercury locations. The retailer has not announced which stores will be closing down. February 27: The Daily Wire: Judge: DOJ can't selectively prosecute right wingers while ignoring Antifa A judge in California threw out charges against two far-right political agitators, saying the federal government engaged in "selective prosecution" by charging right-wing rioters but not the far-left agitators they fought against, and who did the exact same thing. Robert Rundo and Robert Boman attended a pro-Donald Trump "free speech" rally in Berkeley on April 15, 2017, as members of a white nationalist" group that engaged in violence against left-wing groups like Antifa. One of those groups was By Any Means Necessary (BAMN), which would descend upon right-wing events to shut them down and start fights. "Antifa and related far-left groups decided they needed to 'shut this down.' … They came prepared for violence, bringing weapons including pepper spray, fireworks, knives, and homemade bombs," Judge Cormac J. Carney of the US District Court for the Central District of California wrote. "And they used those weapons, as well as their bodies. Judge Carney objected to the fact that federal prosecutors charged only right-wing participants, even though left-wing agitators performed identical conduct or worse at the same event—which prosecutors' own evidence acknowledged. February 26: News Max: Rep. Perry (R-PA) says the Speaker shouldn't invite Biden to give a State of the Union address Congressman Scott Perry, the former chair of the conservative House Freedom Caucus, said Monday that House Republicans should cancel Joe Biden's State of the Union address next month. Perry, who sits on the House Committee for Oversight and Accountability, told Fox Business that House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) should "use every single point of leverage" to put pressure on Biden over the border. He added Biden "comes at the invitation of Congress" for the State of the Union speech, "and Republicans are in control of the House. There's no reason that we need to invite him to get more propaganda and actually blame the American people for the crisis he's caused." February 26: The Free Beacon: Former Penn President signed off on sanctions for speech of conservative Prof. while allowing an antisemitic literary festival to proceed The former president of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill, who resigned in December after telling a congressional panel that calls for genocide of Jews did not necessarily constitute bullying or harassment, signed off last year on the suspension of Amy Wax -- a tenured law professor who criticized diversity initiatives -- for a year at half pay and to strip her of a named chair. Magill signed off on the penalties just weeks before she defended the right of Penn faculty to host the controversial Palestine Writes literary festival featuring prominent anti-Semites, some of whom have likened Israel to the Nazis, who claimed "most Jews" are "evil," and who blamed Jews for destroying Europe's economy. Magill's lack of equal treatment of divergent views was plainly evident. February 26: The Times of Israel: Entire Palestinian government submits resignation to Abbas Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said on Monday he was resigning to allow for the formation of a broad consensus among Palestinians about political arrangements after the conclusion of Israel's war against terror group Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The move comes amid growing US pressure on PA President Mahmoud Abbas to shake up the Authority, which would allow it to take a greater role in ruling postwar Gaza. International efforts have intensified to stop the fighting in Gaza and begin work on a political structure to govern the enclave after the war. His resignation must still be accepted by Abbas, who may ask him to stay on as caretaker until a permanent replacement is appointed. February 26: News Max: Trump campaign responds to NY DA Bragg's request for a Gag order The Trump campaign fired back at Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's team of prosecutors for requesting a "restrictive gag order" in the New York criminal case involving alleged hush money payments made prior to the 2016 election. Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung said that the gag order, "if granted, would impose an unconstitutional infringement on President Trump's First Amendment rights, including his ability to defend himself, and the rights of all Americans to hear from President Trump." The case centers around allegations that Trump had his then lawyer Michael Cohen make payments to adult entertainer Stormy Daniels on the condition she refrain from discussing an alleged affair that Trump has denied. Trump has been accused of falsifying business records to conceal the payments. Judge Merchan has said that jury selection is to begin on March 25. February 26: The Daily Caller: Turley: Hunter "blew away" a possible defense strategy George Washington University law professor and Constitutional scholar Jonathan Turley argued Monday that Hunter Biden "blew away" the "suggested defense" of his lawyer Abbe Lowell by discussing his sobriety with Axios. He is facing three counts for providing false statements and knowingly purchasing a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018 while under the influence of drugs. "I think the problem with his interview with Axios is that he blew away the suggested defense of his counsel, [who] suggested that he might argue that he was in a period of sobriety when he signed the statement. Turley contends he contradicts that his first day of sobriety was actually the day before his father announced for president. It was the day of his wedding, that's eight months after he signed that form."  February 25: The Epoch Times: Haley loses major financial backing The billionaire Koch family's libertarian policy advocacy group "Americans for Prosperity Action" has said that it is pulling back its financial backing of GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley. Following the former South Carolina governor's performance in her home state's primary on Saturday, in which she trailed former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, by about some 20% of the vote, Americans For Prosperity (AFP) CEO Emily Seidel said on Sunday that the group's policy arm had decided it was time to "take stock" of its campaign spending. President Trump received 47 of South Carolina's delegates, while Ms. Haley got three. February 25: The Gateway Pundit: Hurr unable to determine who had access to Biden's stolen classified documents because logs were deleted Special Counsel Robert Hur could not determine who had access to Joe Biden's stolen classified documents stored at Penn Biden Center because security deleted all the visitor logs from 2017-2021. According to Hur, Joe Biden kept more than 600 pages of classified documents in unlocked drawers/closets at the Penn Biden Center and stored some of them in dilapidated boxes in his Delaware garage and other unsecured locations. The FBI identified numerous folders, including many labeled "EYES ONLY VPOTUS" which contained highly classified material related to intelligence sources and methods. But unlike Trump; Biden was still not charged and none of his aides, handlers or gatekeepers were charged with obstruction or conspiracy. Reportedly Hur couldn't determine who had access to Biden's unsecured classified docs or whether they passed thru foreign hands because the Penn Biden Center's security deleted all the visitor logs, 2017-2021: "We cannot account for all visitors to the Center." What a coincidence! February 25: The Post Newspaper: Will the real employment numbers please stand up? February 2nd, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), reported unexpected employment creation numbers. According to BLS’s “Establishment [Payroll] Number,” an estimated 353,000 (seasonally adjusted) new jobs were created, compared to the experts’ estimates of 185,000. Annually, between December and January there is drop in employment after the Christmas season to the tune of between 2.5 and 3 million jobs. So, either BLS’s figures are really good news or somebody is blowing smoke! Unfortunately, it appears the BLS numbers don’t hold up under closer scrutiny. The point is your government may not be being honest with you. The reasons are for you to decide, but as a wise man once said, "Don't take everything on face value." Check other available sources and see whether they confirm what you are being told is the truth. [Read the entire column] 
February 24: Fox News: Trump wallops Heley in her home state of SC With 78% of the vote in, Trump has 60.5% to Haley's 38.8% of the SC vote. President Trump said he is not sure Nikki Haley is "even really in the race" after winning yet another Republican primary Saturday night, saying he is focused on beating Joe Biden in the general election in November. The Fox News Decision Desk declared Trump the winner of the South Carolina Republican Primary just moments after the polls closed Saturday night. Trump defeated former two-term South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in her home state, and came another step closer to clinching the 2024 GOP nomination. "I was honored that I received the largest vote in the history of the state," Trump said. February 24: The Washington Times: McCain comment in 2022 may hurt Lake in reaching moderate Republicans Kari Lake danced on John McCain 's political grave in 2022, but the late Arizona senator may get the last laugh this November. Lake's criticism of McCain and his brand of Republicanism in her failed gubernatorial campaign is coming back to haunt her as she looks to broaden her appeal with moderate Republicans and independent voters in her bid for the U.S. Senate. Her recent attempts to play nice and recast the disparaging McCain remarks as a joke are meeting some stiff resistance and outright scorn - including from McCain's family. Meghan McCain, the late senator's daughter, says Lake has already shown her true colors and says she is softening her message purely for political reasons. Polls, meanwhile, show Lake's MAGA magic is working in the primary but could cost her, for a second straight time, in the general election. "Kari Lake's charmless charm offensive isn't going the way she hoped," said Barret Mason, an Arizona-based GOP strategist. "Instead, she's reminding moderate Republicans and right-leaning independents just how much vitriol she held for them." February 23: The Epoch Times: Trump moves for dismissal of Mar-A-Lago case; Smith lacks authority President Donald Trump filed several motions to dismiss a classified documents case being pursued against him in Florida on Thursday, arguing that, amongst other things, special counsel Jack Smith "lacks the authority" to prosecute the case. In one of four motions, attorneys for the former president contend that neither the U.S. Constitution nor Congress had officially established the special counsel's office, rendering Mr. Smith's appointment invalid. Furthermore, they argue that the special counsel's office is being funded "off the books" by the Biden administration. The motion, which cites the Appointments Clause, argues that Attorney General Merrick Garland did not have the authority to appoint a "like-minded political ally" as special counsel "without Senate confirmation." "As such, Jack Smith lacks the authority to prosecute this action," the motion reads. President Trump's lawyers argue that the only remedy is to dismiss the superseding indictment. February 23: News Max: White House restores Trump-Rescinded policy in step away from support for Israel The Biden administration on Friday restored a U.S. legal finding dating back nearly 50 years that Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories are "illegitimate" under international law. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the U.S. believes settlements are inconsistent with Israel's obligations, in the Biden administration's latest shift away from the pro-Israel policies pursued by former President Donald Trump. Blinken's comments came in response to a reporter's question about an announcement that Israel would build more than 3,300 new homes in West Bank settlements as a riposte to a fatal Palestinian shooting attack. It wasn't clear why Blinken chose this moment, more than three years into his tenure, to take this action. But it came at a time of growing U.S.-Israeli tensions over the war in Gaza, with the latest settlement announcement only adding to the strain. It also came as the United Nations' highest court, the International Court of Justice, is holding hearings into the legality of the Israeli occupation. February 23: The Daily Caller: DA Willis, in the GA Trump case is in the hot seat, could face disbarment and jail time Special prosecutor Nathan Wade's cell phone data suggests he and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis may have lied on the witness stand, opening them up to greater consequences than disqualification from the case against former President Donald Trump, legal experts said. Phone records contained in a Friday court filing by Trump's attorney appeared to contradict Wade's testimony that he visited Willis' condo less than 10 times, showing "a minimum of 35 occasions" where his phone was in her neighborhood for an extended time, and appears to undermine Willis' claim that he never spent the night. If they are found to have lied under oath, Willis and Wade could face charges and potential disbarment, legal experts said. The data, which revealed "over 2000 voice calls and just under 12,000 text messages" between the pair in 2021, also further calls into question the timeline of their relationship, which they have insisted began in 2022, after Wade's contract started. Atlanta-based defense attorney Andrew Fleischman said that the "cell phone location data is powerful circumstantial evidence of a close personal relationship before 2022, as are the sheer number of texts and phone calls exchanged." "The judge may find that the State was not truthful in its testimony and that its conduct in defending against disqualification is an independent basis to remove them," Fleischman said. February 22: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: AT&T working to restore cell phone service after massive nationwide blackout AT&T says it's restoring services to thousands of customers who woke up to a cellular outage today. Other carriers, including Verizon and T-Mobile, had issues, but those were on a smaller scale compared to AT&T. The outages started overnight and at one point impacted more than 70,000 customers. As for what caused the outage, AT&T isn't saying. All the company said in a statement was that, "Some of our customers are experiencing wireless service interruptions this morning. Our network teams took immediate action and so far three-quarters of our network has been restored. We are working as quickly as possible to restore service to remaining customers." A defense official told Fox News that there was "no indication it was a cyber attack." The Federal Communications Commission said it was aware of the outages. "We are aware of the reported wireless outages, and our Public Safety and Homeland Security Bureau is actively investigating," the FCC posted on X. "We are in touch with AT&T and public safety authorities, including FirstNet, as well as other providers." February 22: News Max: Speaker calls out Biden election year actions after three years of allowing open borders House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., excoriated President Joe Biden for "brazenly" misleading the public about his authority to address the southern border crisis but said that ultimately, any talk of Biden now thinking of addressing the border amounts to "election-year gimmicks." Johnson released a statement Thursday reacting to Wednesday's report that Biden is mulling executive action that would stem the flow of migrants through changes to asylum standards and stricter points of entry. This after emphatically telling Americans he needed Congress to give him authority to use executive action and after Johnson telling Biden he had the power already. "Now, in an election year, after the president has surrendered the border to cartels and smugglers … the President suddenly seems interested in trying to make a change using the legal authority that he claimed until recently didn't exist," Johnson said in the statement. February 22: Breitbart News: Biden oversees 7.2 million illegal aliens at Southern border; equivalent of two years of U.S. births Joe Biden has overseen a record-breaking level of illegal immigration at the United States-Mexico border — a large portion of which is being released directly into American towns and cities. From February 2021 through January 2024, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) data shows that more than 7.2 million illegal aliens have arrived at the nation's porous southern border. Thus far in Fiscal Year 2024, with only four full months completed, nearly a million illegal aliens have crossed the southern border. In Fiscal Year 2022, Biden broke records by overseeing close to 2.37 million illegal aliens at the border, and he shattered that record the following fiscal year when 2.47 million arrived. This year, the nation's foreign-born population is expected to hit 50 million thanks, in part, to Biden's policies regarding illegal immigration, as well as legal immigration levels that import more than a million legal immigrants annually to the U.S. In January, DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas reportedly said in private that the agency is releasing into the U.S. interior about 85% of all border crossers and illegal aliens arriving at the southern border.  February 21: Fox News: Trump says who maybe on list for VP running mates President Trump indicated that at least a half a dozen contenders — including three former rivals for the 2024 Republican presidential nomination — are on his shortlist for running mate. The commanding frontrunner for the GOP nomination had plenty of praise for one of those potential candidates who joined Trump at Fox News town hall on Tuesday in this upstate South Carolina city. During the program, Trump was asked about half a dozen potential running mate choices: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, multimillionaire biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem, Rep. Byron Donalds of Florida, and former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, a Democrat turned independent. "Are they all on your shortlist?" Laura Ingraham asked the former president. "They are," Trump answered. "Honestly, all of those people are good. They're all good, they're all solid." February 21: The Daily Caller: Democrats hope of holding on to the Senate may have just gotten a setback; Hogan (R-MD) Democrats' hopes of holding a Senate seat in the blue state of Maryland might have just gotten crushed as a widely popular, moderate Republican is now in the running. Former GOP Gov. Larry Hogan, who was comfortably elected twice statewide, launched a surprise Senate campaign on Feb. 9 for the seat currently held by retiring Democratic Sen. Ben Cardin. After receiving a batch of daunting poll numbers, several Maryland-based political operatives believe Hogan's candidacy is upending the Democrats' chances at holding what otherwise would've been an easy seat to retain. "Republicans view this as a gift, and the Democrats view it as a nightmare," Paul Ellington, Republican strategist based in Maryland and former state GOP executive director said. Hogan won the governor's race in 2014 by nearly four points and secured a second term by roughly 12 points in 2018, becoming only the second Republican in state history to be reelected to the position. The former governor left office in early 2023 with his statewide popularity intact, as 77% of Marylanders approved of his job performance. Democrats awarded Hogan with higher numbers than Republicans did at 81% to 68%, respectively, and 76% of unaffiliated voters approved of the governor. "I think there's a very real chance that he could win, because he has a record to run on. He has eight years as being the governor, he did not raise taxes, he governed from a common-sense point of view and [focused on] kitchen table issues. February 21: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Dems continue to use illegal methods to win elections and hold on to power As if Harris County voters needed any more reasons to doubt election integrity, the Harris County election board has been caught encouraging people to 'vote Democratic,' likely an illegal display of partisanship. KTRH spoke with policy analyst James Quintero, who remarked, "I think it's fairly obvious that their lawless acts are only becoming more brazen." He explained that even at the school board level, Democrats are resorting to cheating in elections to maintain their grip on money and power. When asked about the solution to this problem, Quintero emphasized that we have the laws to address these petty election crimes; they simply need to be enforced. He stated, "The next Texas legislature needs to step up and make improvements to the existing system so that people can begin to regain confidence in election results." This issue is particularly significant when it occurs in blue jurisdictions with lenient District Attorneys, as Attorney General Ken Paxton, under a ruling by the Criminal Court of Appeals, can no longer prosecute them.  February 21: The New York Post: Commander-in-Chief gives Commander away after he draws blood
Joe Biden has given first dog "Commander" to relatives, the White House said Wednesday following revelations of more brutal attacks on Secret Service employees — including a case in which White House tours were suspended to mop up blood from the floor of the East Wing and another attack where an agent suffered a "severe deep open wound" at Biden's Delaware vacation home. Commander's propensity for biting Secret Service members was first revealed in July 2023, with internal documents showing at least seven agents were injured — but the Biden's didn't immediately part with the German shepherd, claiming that the secret service agents were lying about an attack by his previous dog "Major." Major was also relocated after multiple incidents were reported. February 21: The Epoch Times: The "Rage" of the progressives; NY AG says she may seize Trump properties if he doesn't pay the fine New York Attorney General Letitia James said on Feb. 20 that she's prepared to seize former President Donald Trump's buildings and assets if he can't pay the penalty imposed in the state's civil fraud case. The former president was recently ordered to pay nearly $355 million and barred from doing business in New York state for three years by liberal and biased state Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron. During an interview with ABC News, Ms. James said that it was "really not my business" if President Trump doesn't have the money to pay the penalty, while also noting that she has her eyes on the Trump Building in Lower Manhattan. "If he does not have funds to pay off the judgment, then we will seek, you know, judgment enforcement mechanisms in court, and we will ask the judge to seize his assets," she said. February 21: News Max: America's oldest gun maker leaves New York for Georgia; seeking a more favorable business climate Remington, the nation's oldest gun manufacturer, which has been located for more than 200 years in Ilion, New York, will move to LaGrange, Georgia, on March 4. "Two hundred and eight years of history. Gone, gone," Ilion Mayor John P. Stephens told the New York Times. "Ilion is Remington. Remington is Ilion." "The history and the nostalgic loss that we're going to suffer is almost, if not bigger, than the financial loss," Stevens added, whose father was an employee at Remington for 37 years. Remington said it no longer feels welcomed in left-leaning New York. The company's chief executive, Ken D'Arcy, referred to Georgia as "a state that supports and welcomes the firearms industry." "We are deeply saddened by the closing of this historic facility," D'Arcy continued. " New York State's legislative environment remains a major concern for our industry." The bottom line? Actions by politicians have economic realities. February 20: The Epoch Times: New York gets unwanted news: Businesses say they won't invest given treatment given to Trump Real estate investors are losing interest in investing in the Big Apple after biased New York Supreme Court Justice Arthur Engoron's staggering ruling last week in a civil fraud case against President Donald Trump. President Trump and Trump Organization executives were ordered on Feb. 16 to pay $355 million in fines, plus interest, after Justice Engoron found them liable for inflating the values of their assets to obtain better rates from lenders and insurers. The judge also barred the former president and his sons from managing  their businesses in New York for three years. If it can happen to Trump, it could also happen to us one person observed. "I'm shocked at this. I can't even understand or fathom the decision at all. There's no rationale for it," "Shark Tank" investor Kevin O'Leary told Fox Business. The Canadian businessman, often called "Mr. Wonderful," described New York as a "mega loser state" for business. "New York was already a loser state, like California's a loser state," he said. "There are many loser states because of policy, high taxes, uncompetitive regulation. It was already on the top of the list of being a loser state. I would never invest in New York now."Meanwhile the Trump legal team says the President is willing to pay a $400 million bond in order to appeal the judge's ruling. It is likely he would win such an appeal since nobody was injured -- in fact the banks would love to do business with him again -- and the lenders said during the trial that no fraud took place in that Trump probably undervalued the worth of the properties he was putting up for collateral. Not likely, but some think Trump should seek damages from the state if he wins on appeal. February 20: News Max: Arab voters urge Democrats to ditch Biden over Palestinian issue Joe Biden is receiving flak from Arab American grassroots organizations, with one calling for him to resign because of his support for Israel and urging voters to select "uncommitted" for Michigan's Democrat presidential primary on Feb. 27. Arab American are feeling betrayed by Biden's support for Israel in its war against Iranian-backed Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip after Hamas massacred more than 1,200 Israeli citizens and took about 250 others – including infants and women – hostage. Biden hasn't outright called for a cease-fire and has tried to negotiate with Israel for a temporary pause to allow for the return of the remaining hostages, some of whom are believed to be Americans. The U.S. on Tuesday also vetoed a widely supported U.N. resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the war, the third time it has vetoed a U.N. cease-fire resolution.  February 19: The Washington Times: Alabama Supreme Court rules that embryos are children under state law The Alabama Supreme Court has ruled that frozen embryos are children in a wrongful death lawsuit over the destruction of several frozen embryos, reversing a lower court's decision to dismiss the case. Three couples had sued a fertility clinic, The Center for Reproductive Medicine, and the Mobile Infirmary Medical Center after a wandering patient trespassed into the area, handled their embryos and dropped them. It's alleged the patient burned himself on the sub-zero freezer, causing him to drop the embryos, thus killing them. The lawsuit claimed the facilities were negligent and breached their contracts with the couples. It also cited the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act. The finding reinstates the lawsuits against the medical facilities. "The Wrongful Death of a Minor Act applies to all unborn children, regardless of their location," the court said in its opinion. "Neither the text of the Wrongful Death of a Minor Act nor this Court 's precedents exclude extrauterine children from the Act's coverage. Unborn children are 'children' under the Act, without exception based on developmental stage, physical location, or any other ancillary characteristics." February 19: Fox Business: ITC decision could shutter WVA producer and adversely impact U.S. canned food sector A West Virginia steelworkers' union president is livid over the International Trade Commission's (ITC) decision against tariffs on foreign tin imports, a verdict that could shutter the doors of a mill in the Mountain State and put nearly 1,000 jobs at risk. "This is a total travesty. It's totally un-American to me. It's one of the most un-American decisions that has ever been made that's going to jeopardize the food industry in this country. It's going to be a national security issue," Mark Glyptis, president of the United Steelworkers Local 2911 union, said Monday. "I'm going to do anything I could possibly do to overturn this decision. It's a wrong decision by our government. They're supposed to be looking after America and its people, not foreigners," he said. According to the Associated Press, Steelmaking company Cleveland-Cliffs announced last Thursday it would be shuttering the Weirton, West Virginia plant indefinitely after the International Trade Commission voted against the foreign tin tariffs.  February 19: News Max: Biden push for two-state solution falling on deaf ears as Israel continues winning against Hamas A push by Joe Biden's administration for a two-state solution is falling on deaf ears because Israel is winning the war against Hamas and could end it in less than a month, retired Brig. Gen. Blaine Holt said Monday. "The Israelis are winning this war right now," Holt said. "Even Egypt is backing off. And when you're winning a war, you don't tend to look at your ally and say, 'Oh, we'll stop fighting now.' They're going to victory, and then they're going on their way to Hezbollah." The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) rejected the latest Hamas calls for a cease-fire as it prepares for a final invasion of Rafah, giving the terrorists until March 10 to release the remaining hostages, which are estimated to be in the range of 100 that have yet to be confirmed dead. Holt said Israel and world leaders have little fear in telling the Biden administration to stay out of their war decisions. "Openly and on the world stage, you've got states now telling the United States and this administration in particular: 'You're not going to bully us; you're not going to – just because you have a political problem at home with your own elections doesn't mean you get to inflict political damage here in our country where we've endured horrific, barbaric attacks that are unprecedented in the modern age and that we would somehow reward the Palestinians' – who three times by the way rejected a two-state solution, because they want a one-state solution where Israel is driven into the sea, in their words only," Holt said. "The administration, its academics, it's nonpractitioners – it's folks who know zero about warfare and geopolitics – are looking at polls here domestically with the Arab populations that they have lost for voters. February 19: The Washington Examiner: Congress should investigate Joe Biden & Hunter Biden's business dealings if DOJ doesn't If the Department of Justice doesn't open an investigation into Joe Biden 's involvement in Hunter Biden's foreign business, Congress should investigate. The Biden family's former business associate, Tony Bobulinski, told Congress last week that no one in the DOJ, FBI, IRS, or local law enforcement followed up on an explosive interview he gave the FBI on Oct. 23, 2020. At that meeting, Bobulinski outlined serious allegations against the family and backed his accusations with significant corroborating evidence. Since then, Bobulinski's credibility has been buttressed directly and indirectly by other witnesses and evidence. To date there is no indication of action by DOJ. Bobulinski, a past donor to Democratic campaigns. Hunter and his uncle James enlisted Bobulinski as CEO of a joint investment venture they and two associates put together with CEFC, a huge Chinese conglomerate tied to the Chinese government. Bobulinski says he was told Joe Biden was a silent partner in the deal when he was vice president in 2015. He also says he discussed these business dealings with the man who is now president on "multiple occasions" in 2017. The Chinese agreed to provide the entire $10 million for the venture, half for its ownership stake and half as a forgivable "loan" to the Bidens. In effect, it seems as though the Bidens got a $5 million share of a company despite putting up no money. February 18: The Washinton Examiner: Senate GOP scuttles Biden border plans, he reacts; Black mail? One week after Senate Republicans rejected the White House-backed legislation that would have sent $3.7 billion to bail out sanctuary cities while also mandating the catch and release of all migrants arrested for illegally entering America from Mexico, Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials threatened to release thousands more migrants into the U.S. by slashing capacity to detain them at the border. This unveiled threat by Joe Biden is despicable, but is also laughably empty, for the cuts he is threatening are to the exact levels his administration sought in his last budget. Biden's plan to deal with budget shortfalls at ICE, caused entirely by his misgovernment of the border, is just a rehash of how he wanted to deploy ICE resources in the first place. When Biden took office, ICE could detain more than 55,000 migrants at one time. Immediately upon taking office, Biden began dismantling this detention capacity to just 29,000 beds. He has sought to lower it further, requesting 25,000 detention beds in each of his last two budget requests. Instead of detaining migrants, Biden prefers to release them into the country. In the final year before Biden came into office, the Department of Homeland Security issued just 200,000 "Notices to Appear" to migrants arrested at the border. These notices begin the deportation process and are the documents most commonly given to migrants when they are released into the country. February 18: The Daily Caller: Liberal groups back proposed rule that would further entrench the bureaucracy as polls show Trump surging Liberal advocacy organizations are throwing support behind a proposed federal rule that would make firing bureaucrats more difficult amid polling suggesting that President Donald Trump may win November's presidential election. According to the Federal Register, a proposed Office of Personnel Management (OPM) rule would make it more difficult for civil servants to be reclassified as Schedule F employees, who can be fired at will by a president. Liberal organizations like Democracy Forward and Protect Democracy, which are involved in efforts to obstruct a potential second Trump term, have voiced support for the rule. Some conservative organizations have expressed opposition to the proposed rule, citing the necessity to root out political bias in the federal bureaucracy. "The federal workforce has ideologically polarized, and this rulemaking would impede the ability of presidents whose views differ from the bureaucracy's to implement their agendas," the America First Policy Institute argued in a letter to OPM. Some former federal employees also oppose the rule saying that whether a person continues in federal service should be based upon merit and that refusing to live within the lawful policies provided by duly elected officials should be grounds for removal. February 17: The Daily Wire: They won't get away with it! Trump's attorney says President Donald Trump's attorney Alina Habba slammed Judge Arthur Engoron and New York Attorney General Letitia James on Friday, following an unbelievable and stunning judgment against Trump in a controversial civil fraud case brought by James. Engoron ordered Trump to pay more than $350 million, barred him from doing business in New York for three years, and fined his sons, Don Trump Jr. and Eric Trump, more than $4 million each. "I think the biggest message I can give the American people tonight is that he's not going to get away with it," Habba said of Engoron on Fox News. "Letitia James is not going to get away with it; the Biden administration is not going to get away with it." Now that the trial was over and she felt "free to speak," Habba made it clear that the legal team will "come at them," "come hard," and "will literally fight until the truth comes out." "They will not get away with it," she continued. "President Trump has done nothing wrong. All he has done is win a campaign, and that is scaring them because they know when he goes back in November 2024. He is going to clean house, and that is truly the problem. It's not about Mar-a-Lago's worth." February 17: The Epoch Times: Gov. Abbott want to build large National Guard "Base Camp" on the border/Eagle Pass Texas Gov. Greg Abbott announced Friday a plan to build a military base camp in Eagle Pass that will house Texas National Guard troops tasked with responding to what he refers to as "President Joe Biden's border crisis." The base camp will be built on 80 acres of land in Eagle Pass and accommodate up to 1,800 Texas National Guard members, with room for an additional 500, to bolster the state's border security capabilities. Other states have offered to augment the Texas Guard and the facility will accommodate them as well. "This will increase the ability for a larger number of Texas Military Department soldiers in Eagle Pass to operate more effectively and efficiently," Mr. Abbott said at a press conference. The Republican governor said that the base camp, called "Forward Operating Base," would "dramatically improve" living conditions for soldiers deployed to the U.S.-Mexico border. "Texas would not be able to respond to President Biden's border crisis without the brave men and women of the Texas National Guard, and it is essential to build this base camp for them," he added. The base camp will include a 700-seat dining facility, a recreation center, laundry facilities, WIFI access, individual rooms for soldiers, chaplaincy programs, and medical and psychological health facilities.  East Palestine residents protest Biden's visit one year after toxic train crash Joe Biden on Friday departed the White House for East Palestine, Ohio. The visit was to the scene of a massive toxic train wreck that happened over a year ago. On Feb. 3, 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed near East Palestine, a small Midwestern town of about 4,800 people near the Ohio border with Pennsylvania. At least 11 of the train cars that derailed contained hazardous materials. Several cars were carrying vinyl chloride, a cancer-causing substance. Government officials decided to burn the chemicals rather than let them drain onto the ground. The chemical explosion was enormous. The chemicals formed a gigantic toxic plume over the region. Residents protested the Biden visit sending a simple message, "Too Little Too Late Joe!" One young protestor held a sign that read "Don't Sniff Me. And another's sign read "Resident not President!" President Trump arrive in the town right after the derailment to deliver supplies to residents in need. February 16: The Daily Wire: NY Judge, who declared Trump guilty before trial, fines President millions of dollars President Donald Trump was fined hundreds of millions of dollars in a civil fraud trial on Friday and was banned from running his businesses in the state for three years. Judge Arthur Engoron ordered the President and the Trump Organization pay more than $350 million in damages. The controversial judge who declared Trump was guilty before the trial started, banned Trump from serving in top roles at any company in the state for three years and extended the punishment for a two-year period to both of his sons and ordered that they both pay more than $4 million. Other former top executives at the Trump Organization were also banned from "serving as an officer or director of any New York corporation or other legal entity in New York for a period of three years." Trump will almost certainly appeal the ruling and will likely ask an appeals court to pause restrictions that stop the family from running the business while the court evaluates the case. In the end, some experts expressed doubt, given the judge's open bias in the case, that the ruling will stand. February 15: The Epoch Times: Filings with SCOTUS differ over Smith's desire to go to trial in the midst of an election President Donald Trump, in response to special prosecutor Jack Smith's filing, on Thursday again urged the Supreme Court to grant a stay of his trial over his alleged actions related to Jan. 6, 2021. "There are overwhelming reasons why the case should not go to trial 'in three months or less,'" President Trump's attorneys said. The case involves almost 13 million pages of discovery, thousands of hours of video footage, and hundreds of potential witnesses," they said. "With any other defendant, it would be virtually unthinkable for the case to go to trial so soon, and 'wildly unfair' to do so." President Trump's legal team seeks to dismiss a federal criminal case against him based on presidential immunity. The appeal aims to stay a lower court decision pending a review from SCOTUS. Trump's attorneys said "it makes no sense to conduct a complex criminal trial while a case is pending in [SCOTUS] that might invalidate half the charges in the indictment." A decision by the Supreme Court regarding President Trump's request is imminent. Special Counsel Smith wants to finish the trial prior to the November election and has claimed that the public has a right to a speedy trial. However, statutes state that it is the Defendant who has a right to a speey trial and not the public nor the prosecution. If the justices opt to review the case, it is likely to extend the trial timeline by several months, with the Supreme Court expected to schedule oral arguments later this year. In the Trump filing they point out a "logical inconsistency" in Special Counsel. Smith's requests to the Supreme Court. "The Special Counsel argued in December that it is 'imperative' that the Court should grant certiorari in this case. He now insists, with a straight face, that the Court should somehow not grant certiorari on the same issues. Logical consistency is absent from the Special Counsel's response, and he provides no convincing reason to deny the requested stay. The stay requested by President Trump should be granted." February 15: The Washington Examiner: Trump team files brief with SCOTUS over immunity while in office President Trump made his final pitch Thursday to the Supreme Court in his bid to pause a trial over the 2020 election subversion charges brought against him by special counsel Jack Smith. "There are overwhelming reasons why the case should not go to trial 'in three months or less,'" the 16-page filing states. "With any other defendant, it would be virtually unthinkable for the case to go to trial so soon, and 'wildly unfair' to do so," Trump's lawyers argued. They contend that any former president should have immunity from charges over actions they took while in office and has said that Congress must secure a conviction during the impeachment process in order for any former president to face criminal charges in a court of law. Trump was impeached twice by the Democrat-controlled House but the Senate failed to convict him both times. The court could within the next few days decide on Trump's bid to have them take up the case, which if they choose so to do would extend the delay in his criminal trial. February 15: The Daily Caller: Willis's lover dodges questions about what he did with the money she gave him Special prosecutor Nathan Wade dodged inquiries Thursday on where he placed cash that was given to him by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis for various outings, including a birthday celebration. President Donald Trump's co-defendant Michael Roman alleged in a Jan. 8 motion that Willis improperly benefited from appointing Wade as special prosecutor when they went on vacations together using funds earned from his position. Wade's testimony took place during a hearing on whether Willis should be disqualified from her case against Trump. Meanwhile News Max reported on DA Willis's taking the stand and getting heated. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis took the witness stand Thursday and pushed back against what she described as "lies" about her romantic relationship with a special prosecutor during an extraordinary hearing over misconduct allegations that threaten to upend one of four criminal cases against Donald Trump. A visibly upset Willis, who originally fought to stay off the witness stand, agreed to testify after a previous witness said her relationship with special prosecutor Nathan Wade began earlier than she had claimed. The testimony grew heated under questioning from a defense attorney who's trying to remove Willis from Trump's 2020 election interference case, with the prosecutor at one point raising papers in front of her and shouting: "It's a lie!"  February 15: News Max: USCG intercepts and seizes ship transporting weapons from Iran to Houthi rebels
U.S. forces intercepted an Iranian vessel packed with missiles and drones bound for Houthi rebels, the Pentagon said Thursday. The seizure, on Jan. 28 in the Red Sea, marked another instance of Iran's support for the Houthis in their maritime attacks. The operation, reminiscent of a previous January mission where two Navy SEALs perished during the boarding of an Iranian ship, resulted in the discovery of over 200 packages containing various weapons and equipment, including ballistic missile components, explosives, and anti-tank guided missile launcher assemblies, along with other weapons and equipment February 14: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Trump; Biden not too old, just too incompetent To date, President Trump has chosen not to go after Joe Biden for being 81 years old. He continued this position after a Special Counsel released a statement this week saying Biden was guilty his handling of classified documents he wasn't aphorized to keep after he left office as Vice President but that because he of was feeble, old, has had memory losses he shouldn't be prosecuted. Trump stated Biden shouldn't be reelected, not because of his age but, because he is incompetent. He pointed to several people who served in high leadership positions – like Winston Churchill – in their old age and that history judged them to be good national leaders.  February 14: AmmoLand.com: Criminals posing as asylum seekers turning major U.S. cities into war zones Criminals posing as asylum seekers are turning American cities into war zones. The Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua, feared for how it tortures its victims, is setting up business in New York City, police sources reveal. Gang members recruit migrants from shelters and as they come off buses from Texas, putting then to work in retail theft rings or on mopeds, grabbing phones and handbags and roughing up pedestrians. NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban warns of a "wave of migrant crime." Democrat pols deny it. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul says migrants "are looking for a better life." True for many, not all. Two-man teams snatch pedestrians' phones and deliver them to Tren de Aragua stash houses, where professional hackers make fraudulent banking transactions and drain cash from all accounts. Then, the phones are wiped clean and shipped to South America for resale. February 14: The New York Post: George Soros looking to purchase nations' second largest radio network, conservatives feel threatened George Soros is poised to take a massive stake in the nation's second-largest radio company, which owns more than 220 stations nationwide, according to court filings and sources close to the situation. The left-leaning billionaire's Soros Fund Management has bought up $400 million of debt in Audacy — the No. 2 US radio broadcaster behind iHeartMedia. One insider close to the situation, noting that he was a Republican, said he believed it was possible Soros was buying the stake to exert influence on public opinion in the months leading up to the 2024 presidential election. "This is scary," the source said. Sources told The Post that Soros's stake is equal to about 40% of the company's senior debt — a massive chunk which, although not a majority, could yield effective control of the media giant when it emerges from bankruptcy. February 13: The Daily Wire: Chinese flood the border Customs and Border Protection (CBP) apprehended 269 Chinese nationals attempting to enter the U.S. illegally on Monday, raising the number of Chinese illegal immigrants encountered by Border Patrol agents to over 20,000 in the past five months alone. A CBP source the Border Patrol's San Diego Sector detained 269 illegal immigrants from China in a single day after CBP reported that agents from the same border sector apprehended over 8,500 illegal immigrants from 73 different countries in one week at the beginning of February. In fiscal year 2024 alone, which began in October 2023, saw more than 20,000 Chinese nationals being encountered at the border — that's compared to 450 who reportedly crossed in all of fiscal year 2021. Chinese nationals currently make up he fastest-growing group of illegal migrants crossing the southern border. President Trump said earlier this month that he believes the Chinese Communist Party is directing the flow of Chinese nationals coming to the U.S. February 13: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS asks for DOJ input on Trump's immunity assertions Chief Justice John Roberts has requested the Justice Department (DOJ) respond to President Donald Trump's attempt to assert presidential immunity in his ongoing Jan. 6-related case in D.C. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit rejected Trump's attempt to overturn Judge Tanya Chutkan's refusal to dismiss DOJ's prosecution based on presidential immunity. Justice Roberts' Feb. 13 request comes less than a week after the justices heard President Trump's appeal a Colorado ruling that he was disqualified from appearing on the state's ballot. With a deadline of Feb. 20, the Court's request points to an urgency for the judicial system to address relatively untested questions of law that could impact the 2024 presidential election. President Trump is asking for the Supreme Court to halt the appellate decision because it incorrectly ruled that presidential immunity didn't apply to Mr. Smith's prosecution of him. His attorney, D. John Sauer, had argued in January that the Constitution required presidents first face impeachment and trial by Congress before they could be criminally prosecuted within Article III courts. Additionally, Trump poses the question, if a president can be prosecuted, other than impeachment, for his official acts, will any president be willing to make the hard calls while in office? February 13: News Max: House Dems considering a discharge petition to get consideration of the Senate bill giving Ukraine billions Senior House Democrats are considering the use of a discharge petition to get around Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) if he refuses to allow consideration of the $95 billion overseas aid bill approved by a 70-29 vote in the Senate on Tuesday. Discharge petitions seldom succeed since they require a majority of House members backing it Johnson has not said if he will bring the bill to the floor. The Senate's bill allows $60 billion of military aid for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, $8 billion for Taiwan, and less than $10 billion in wider humanitarian assistance, including in Gaza. Johnson has said on numerous occasions the he prefers separate measures.  February 13: The Gateway Pundit: FOIA documents reveal secret 2020 CISA election meeting
Recently, investigative journalist Yehuda Miller received several FOIA documents that completely reshaped what we were told to believe about the 2020 US presidential election. The election was billed by the Democrat Party, Joe Biden, the mainstream media, and former CISA Chief Chris Krebs as the most secure election in US history. Today, we are learning that The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) had a secret 2020 Election Day phone call. CISA was originally intended to be an ancillary agency designed to protect "critical infrastructure" and guard against cybersecurity threats. In the years since its creation, CISA metastasized into the nerve center of the federal government's domestic surveillance and censorship operations on social media. The discovery that a private meeting was organized by CISA officials on November 3, 2020, at 3:30 PM Eastern Time with select members of a secret "Election Security Initiative," has raised some eyebrows. The meeting included representatives from ERIC, Dominion and ES&S -- which have been embroiled in issues over the use of their voting machines and the ability to hack them. The Gateway Pundit has reported extensively on the ERIC voter roll system that is used in 23 states, including Texas at one point, and which was originally promoted as a tool to clean up voter rolls. More recently, it has come to light that ERIC has over 7 million registered voters in Wisconsin, a state with less than 4 million eligible voters. The Pundit has also discovered that the ERIC founder was sharing information from ERIC with Mark Zuckerberg-funded leftwing organizations during the 2020 election. February 12: Axois: House Republicans want recordings of Biden's special counsel interview A trio of Republican-led House committees are demanding the Justice Department turn over any transcripts, video or audio from Joe Biden's interview with special counsel Robert Hur's office. Details of the 81-year-old's memory lapses in the interview sparked a firestorm among lawmakers in both parties last week. House Oversight Committee Chair James Comer (R-KY), Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan (R-OH) and Ways and Means Committee Chair Jason Smith (R-MO) made the demand in a letter on Monday. DOJ has previously rebuffed their requests for information about the special counsel probe on the grounds that it was ongoing, they wrote, adding that it "has now concluded." The committee chairs said the request is part of their impeachment inquiry into Biden. House Republicans are negotiating with Hur to testify to Congress as soon as early March, according to two sources familiar with the matter. The special counsel investigation was opened last January to probe Biden's retention of classified documents from his vice presidency. Hur ultimately decided not to recommend charges for Biden, with the report listing as a factor that Biden would present to a jury as a "sympathetic, well meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," citing his interview. February 11: News Max: Narrowly divided Senate move closer to funding Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan A narrowly divided Senate moved closer to passing a $95.34 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan on Sunday, showing undiminished bipartisanship despite growing opposition from Republican hardliners and Donald Trump. The Democrat-led Senate cleared the latest procedural hurdle and moved the foreign aid measure -- of just shy of $1 trillion which the US doesn't have -- further on toward an ultimate vote on passage at some point in the coming days. The money is viewed as crucial by Kyiv, as it grinds toward the second anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. But Senate passage would send the bill on to the Republican-controlled House of Representatives, where it faces an uncertain future. The bill includes $61 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel in its war against Hamas and $4.83 billion to support partners in the Indo-Pacific, including Taiwan, and deter aggression by China. February 11: The Epoch Times: SECDEF back in the hospital DOD reports Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin has been readmitted to hospital, the Pentagon said Sunday afternoon. Pentagon Press Secretary Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder gave an update on the defense leader's condition, saying that the hospital admission had occurred early Sunday afternoon. "Today, at approximately 2:20 pm, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III was transported by his security detail to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center to be seen for symptoms suggesting an emergent bladder issue," he said. Following criticism over an earlier hospitalization that was kept a secret from the public and even the White House, the press secretary said that the deputy secretary of Defense and the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff had been notified of Austin's admission in addition to notifying Congress. February 11: Breitbart News: Sanctuary City, Denver, cuts services to Americans in order to serve migrants The Democrat mayor of Denver, CO, is imposing a wartime-like "share sacrifice" on Americans rather than curbing his welcome of tens of thousands of illegal migrants. Mayor Mike Johnston — like other Democrat big city mayors — is also hoping his imposed sacrifice on Americans will spur voter turnout against former President Donald Trump. Johnston spoke at a February 9 press conference, three days after Republicans blocked a bad migration deal pushed by Majority Leader Schumer D-NY) and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY). McConnell's deal opened Americans' border to the government-directed mass inflow of migrants and also provided $5 billion to help the migrants settle in a myriad of cities and towns. February 10: The Washington Examiner: Interesting week as control of the Senate in 2025 gets complicated It was a consequential week for the 2024 race for control of the US Senate, where a contentious GOP primary in Montana may help Democrats and a decision by a popular GOP former governor in Maryland could make the race for current Senator Ben Cardin's (D) seat more competitive. Congressman Matt Rosendale (R-MT) has announced he will run for the Montana senate seat, defying the wishes of national Republicans and setting up a contentious primary to take on vulnerable Democrat Senator Jon Tester (D-MT). Meanwhile, Maryland's Larry Hogan (R-MD) a popular former governor, announced plans to run for to run for the state's open Senate seat, potentially making the race to replace Senator Ben Cardin (D-MD) a much more competitive race. February 10: The Gateway Pundit: Georgia DA Willis accused; Over half of her campaign contributions allegedly tied to illegal money laundering The Soros-funded Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis is now at the center of another scandal involving her campaign finances. A new complaint filed alleges that nearly half of Willis' campaign contributions, amounting to approximately $168,000, are linked to illegal activity, including money laundering and identity theft. A bombshell investigation has apparently uncovered jaw-dropping connections between Fani Willis and a sprawling web of election fraud and money laundering activities. Sources close to the matter suggest Willis was a massive beneficiary in the Federal and Georgia RICO enterprises. It appears that she is currently playing a key role in orchestrating a systematic scheme to manipulate election outcomes, casting doubt on the integrity of the entire electoral process. February 10: The Epoch Times: Difficult week for Biden; mental acuity called into question, memory lapses Joe Biden has probably had one of the most difficult weeks of his political life, with his mental acuity called into question by a special counsel report detailing instances of memory lapses. Special counsel Robert Hur's report, issued Thursday, found evidence that Joe Biden "willfully retained" and shared highly classified information after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen [and not authorized to have said documents], but determined that should not be charged due, in part, to an inability to convict "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." The report referred to the Biden's memory as "hazy," "significantly limited," "faulty," and "poor." The White House attacked the report's findings about Biden's memory, calling them "gratuitous" and "politically motivated." The report stated that during an interview with the special counsel's office, Joe Biden displayed poor memory, as he couldn't recall the start or end of his vice presidency. February 10: The Daily Wire: Trump: Charges against me should be dropped if Biden not charged for same thing President Donald Trump argued Friday night for charges against him to be dropped in his classified documents case after a DOJ special counsel recommended no charges for Joe Biden in a separate classified documents probe. Trump spoke to a crowd gathered for a National Rifle Association meeting in Pennsylvania and said that Special Counsel Robert Hur's Thursday report suggesting no criminal charges for Biden is an example of "selective persecution." Hur's investigation concluded that there is "evidence that President Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen," but said "no criminal charges are warranted in this matter."  February 9: The Daily Wire: Democrats panic after Biden disastrous press conference, worse than indictment! Joe Biden's press conference on Thursday has sent shockwaves throughout the Democrat Party, with several top officials reportedly saying on background that the event was an unmitigated disaster for the 81-year-old. Biden held the press conference after Special Counsel Robert Hur released the findings from his criminal investigation into Biden's handling of classified material which concluded that, while Biden "willfully retained and disclosed classified materials," no charges should be brought with one of the top reasons that Biden showed strong signs of having serious memory issues — including not remembering when his son died or when he served as vice president in the Obama administration. Hur concluded a jury would view Biden as "a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory." Biden decided to hold a press conference late Thursday night in response to the report during which he exploded at reporters who pointed out voters' concerns about his age. Biden declared he was the most qualified person in America to be president. During the event, he mixed up the presidents of Egypt and Mexico, forgot the name of the church where his deceased son got the rosary that he wears every day, and forgot key details from the special counsel's report. February 8: The Galveston County Daily News: Voter Fraud is still with us; examples from across the nation Naysayers claim fraudulent voting doesn't exist; their claim is based on a lack of prosecutions. Under a ruling by Texas courts, our Attorney General is prohibited from prosecuting election fraud cases – only the local District Attorneys can do so. This reduces the number of prosecutions but it can work with well DAs like we have in Galveston County. But this isn't so in all counties. Testimony last year in Austin made clear that voter fraud exists, especially in Harris County, where thousands of dead people, voters who no longer live in the county, and people who didn't request an absentee ballot were actually voted illegally and there were no prosecutions. We need to clean up voter rolls and perhaps move to a biometric method on absentee ballots -- like fingerprints on carrier envelopes -- to verify it's a real person voting, and -- if contested -- to be able to identify who the voter is while ensuring ballots aren't being harvested. This isn't voter suppression; it's ensuring every eligible voter can vote while stopping those who want to threaten the integrity of our elections. There is voter fraud, and together we need to stop it. February 8: The Daily Caller: It appears most of the SCOTUS justices are dubious over Colorado's attempt to kick Trump off the ballot Nearly every Supreme Court justice expressed reservations Thursday about allowing a single state to remove former President Donald Trump from the 2024 election ballot. The justices heard oral arguments Thursday for Trump's appeal of the Colorado Supreme Court's December decision to disqualify him from the ballot under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment. The practical consequences of the decision, along with the historical context of the Civil-war era amendment, left a strong majority seemingly skeptical about letting the ruling stand. Justice Elena Kagan boiled the problem with the Colorado voter's position down to one question: Why does a single state get to decide who gets to be the president of the United States? With this question, followed by others involving what would happen if another state's court developed an alternate factual record or came to a different conclusion about whether Trump engaged in an insurrection, the justices left Jason Murray, the attorney for the Colorado voters, with little ground to stand on. Chief Justice John Roberts urged Murray to consider the "plain consequences" of his position and how it might be used to advance partisan goals on the other side of the aisle. "Your position has the effect of disenfranchising voters to a significant degree," Justice Brett Kavanaugh told Murray.  February 8: Breitbart News:Special Counsel report: Joe Biden "willfully retained" classified documents but he is too mentally feeble to prosecute Special Counsel Robert Hur won't charge Joe Biden for his handling of classified documents he was not authorized to have as a former Vice President/Senator because of Biden's deteriorating mental state; perhaps something that is more damming to him politically. The report says the investigation "uncovered evidence that [Joe] Biden willfully retained and disclosed classified materials after his vice presidency when he was a private citizen." Yet Hur's assessment of Biden's "significantly limited" memory played a part in his decision not to prosecute. "We have also considered that, at trial, Mr. Biden would likely present himself to a jury, as he did during our interview of him, as a sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory," the report states. "Based on our direct interactions with and observations of him, he is someone for whom many jurors will want to identify reasonable doubt."  February 8: News Max: Report: Biden's memory "hazy" and "poor" raising questions about his ability to run the country The longstanding concerns about Joe Biden's age and memory intensified on Thursday after the release of a special counsel's report investigating his possession of classified documents. The report described the 81-year-old Democrat's memory as "hazy," "fuzzy," "faulty," "poor" and having "significant limitations." It noted that Biden could not recall defining milestones in his own life. "He did not remember when [the years] he was vice president, forgetting on the first day of the interview when his term ended ('if it was 2013 — when did I stop being Vice President?'), and forgetting on the second day of the interview when his term began ('in 2009, am I still Vice President?')," the report said. "He did not remember, even within several years, when his son Beau died." The report could undermine Biden's message to voters that he can manage the government and safeguard the country. Voters are already going into this year's election with severe misgivings about Biden's age, having scrutinized his gaffes, his coughing, his slow walking and even a tumble off his bicycle. February 8: The Gateway Pundit: Tucker Carlson interviews Putin for two hours Former Fox News anchor Tucker Carlson acknowledging the risks of meeting with such a high-profile leader as President Putin listed a few reasons why he decided to go forward. He said the first purpose is because it is the sworn duty of a real journalist and the press to inform the public. He went on to elaborate on how big of a disaster the Ukraine War is and noted it has wholly upended global and military trade alliances. He went on to bash the American networks for lying to their viewers about the  actual state of the conflict. The Russian media reported "Tucker got what he wanted" and held the interview with the Russian leader. "Americans have a right to know all they can about a war they're implicated in, and we have the right to tell them about it because we are Americans, too. Freedom of speech is our birthright. We were born with the right to say what we believe. That right cannot be taken away, no matter who is in the White House. But they're trying anyway," Tucker contended. "Almost three years ago, the Biden administration illegally spied on our text messages and then leaked the contents to their 'servants' in the news media. They did this in order to stop a Putin interview that we were planning last month. We're pretty certain they did exactly the same thing once again. But this time, we came to Moscow anyway. We are not here because we love Vladimir Putin. We are here because we love the United States and we wanted to remain prosperous and free," Tucker said. You can watch the entire interview on Twitter (X).
February 7: Finish the Race: Thousands of Chinese nationals enter California illegally as the invasion continues 60 Minutes correspondent Sharyn Alfonsi reported Sunday night on a tiny gap in the border wall in southern California near the town of Jacumba located about sixty miles east of San Diego where thousands of Chinese migrants who illegally enter the United States every week, are processed by Border Patrol and then shipped off to San Diego where a well-funded NGO helps the migrants make connections to move further into the U.S. The gap is promoted on TikTok with 'step-by-step' instructions on how to get there. Migrants showed Alfonsi the TikTok videos on their smartphones. The timing of the stunning report didn't bode well for the controversial Senate border-Ukraine bill that dropped Sunday night. The land where the migrants enter is owned by a legal immigrant from Yugoslavia who was arrested last year for firing a warning shot because a group of migrants camping on his land were knocking down and burning his trees for warmth. He was not charged but his gun was confiscated. He says about 3,000 migrants a week enter his property through the wall break. Video shows his property looks like a homeless camp with tents and trash everywhere. February 7: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Senate GOP leadership changes its mind: Efforts to move harmful border, Ukraine, Israel, and Taiwan bill thwarted; legislation killed in a procedural vote The so called "bipartisan" border bill that many conservatives had panned as being the wrong approach and harmful to U.S. national security has died in the Senate. This is the same measure that the House Speaker said would be dead on arrival and wouldn't be voted on in the House if it some how made it out of the Senate. The vote was 49-50. It needed 60 votes to pass. The vote went mostly along party lines. The $118 billion package included $60 billion for Ukraine, $14 billion for Israel, aid to Taiwan and humanitarian assistance to Gaza, and $20 billion in measures to tackle the historic and ongoing crisis at the southern border. It came in response to a White House supplemental funding request submitted to Congress late last year and would allow 5,000 illegal migrants to enter the U.S. each day before actions would be taken to stop them. The Senate will now have to pass a package with aid for Israel and Ukraine without tying it to the border, something the Biden Administration did not want to do. February 7: The Washington Examiner: Willis attempts to quash subpoena by Trump co-defendant Wednesday, Fulton County DA Fani Willis sought to quash subpoenas that would force her and members of her staff to testify as part of a hearing to find out whether she engaged in misconduct and should be barred from prosecuting Donald Trump and a number of co-defendants in her election interference case. Willis wrote in her motion that "each of these subpoenas appear transparently to be an attempt to conduct discovery in a (rather belated) effort to support reckless accusations made in prior court filings." Former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark had become the sixth defendant to file a motion seeking to disqualify Willis. The calls are for Willis to recuse from the case due, in part, to co-defendant Mike Roman's mid-January motion, in which he accused Willis of engaging in a romantic relationship with Nathan Wade, the attorney she appointed to serve as special prosecutor to oversee the case. Roman alleged Wade was not qualified for the job and that by paying for vacation expenses, uncovered in credit card statements from the special prosecutor's divorce case, he and Willis benefited financially from the case. February 7: The Washington Times: Perjury issue delays NY civil case against Trump A monumental ruling that could upend President Trump's business empire in New York is on hold while the judge tries to figure out if Trump organization Chief Financial Officer Allen Weisselberg lied from the witness stand. Judge Arthur Engoron told lawyers in the case he wants to know more about reported plea talks between Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg and Weisselberg because of alleged false testimony last October. Engoron said it is important that he get the full scope of Weisselberg 's testimony, which focused on the size of Trump 's apartment at Trump Tower, before he issues his ruling. Lawyers for both sides are waiting for Engoron to deliver a ruling on whether Trump submitted false financial statements to gain favorable terms on loans and insurance. The lenders testified that Trump undervalued his holdings. Trump said he followed normal real estate practices and that banks were happy to do business with him because they were repaid in full, made money on the loans and in a number of cases were paid early. February 6: Fox News: In a close vote Impeachment of Mayorkas fails with three GOP defections On Tuesday, the U.S. House failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the crisis at the southern border – marking a major blow for House Republicans who have pushed for Mayorkas' removal. The House voted mostly along party lines, but Republicans suffered a number of defections that torpedoed the vote. Four Republicans ultimately voted no: Rep. Tom McClintock (R-CA), Ken Buck (R-CO), Mike Gallagher (R-WI), and Blake Moore (R-UT), who switched his vote at the last minute in a procedural move to be able to bring the resolution back to the floor. But Democrats remained united. The vote was 216-214. Lawmakers voted on a resolution combining two articles of impeachment that accused Mayorkas of having "refused to comply with Federal immigration laws" and the other of having violated "public trust." A Cabinet secretary has not been impeached since 1876, when Secretary of War William Belknap was impeached.  February 6: Breitbart News: Trump endorsed by International Union of Police Associations (IUPA)
IUPA endorsed President Trump in his bid for the White House as polling shows crime is a top issue to American voters. n a press release, IUPA announced the organization's executive board of directors unanimously endorsed Trump. "President Trump's history of support for the men and women of Law Enforcement is unmatched. His policies and actions were directed at improving safety in our communities and the men and women who provide that shield," the release stated, adding that the 45th president "earned and deserves" the IUPA's "wholehearted support." The organization, first chartered in 1979, went on to call out aspects of Democrats' "doctrine" that have had "tragic" impacts on communities. February 6: News Max: King Charles has cancer, Buckingham Palace reveals King Charles III's cancer diagnosis heaps more pressure on the British monarchy, which is still evolving after the 70-year reign of the late Queen Elizabeth II. When he succeeded his mother 17 months ago, Charles' task was to demonstrate that the 1,000-year-old institution remains relevant in a modern nation whose citizens come from all corners of the globe. Now the king, who turned 75 in November, will have to lead that effort while undergoing cancer treatment. Buckingham Palace announced Monday that Charles had been diagnosed with an undisclosed form of cancer. The king plans to continue fulfilling his state duties, such as reviewing government papers and meeting with the prime minister, but he will step back from public appearances. February 5: The Daily Wire: Chip Roy (R-TX): Senate "border Bill" does little to stop illegal immigration and hurts the USA On Monday, Rep. Chip Roy unleashed a harsh critique of the "bipartisan" Senate legislation combining border security reforms with money for foreign wars and other causes, calling it the "War, Debt, and Open Borders" bill. Using the Twitter/"X" [LINK] X the Texas Republican warned the $118 billion package is geared toward getting Joe Biden re-elected in a prospective 2020 rematch against former President Donald Trump. Roy also compared some of the 370-page measure 's provisions to H.R. 2, which is a border security bill the GOP-led House passed last year that the Democrat-controlled Senate never took up for consideration. The Senate bill "is NOT well-intended. It is also not a border security bill. It is, however, a bill designed by Democrats to boost Biden against Trump by helping Dems blame Republicans for open borders," Roy said, "a trap into which some GOP willingly walk in order to fund an insatiable desire for endless wars." February 4: Fox News: Biden fears political fallout over report showing how he handled classified documents he wasn't supposed to have! Biden's team reportedly is fearing photos included in Special Counsel Robert Hur's imminent report on the handling of classified documents could impact his 2024 re-election bid. Axios reported that Biden's aides do not expect criminal charges as a result of the investigation, but they are concerned about potentially embarrassing photos included in Hur's expected report that could be released as soon as this week. The images could show how Biden stored classified materials, which were discovered in late 2022 in the garage of Biden's Delaware home, as well as in a private office he used. The classified documents were carried over from Biden's time as former President Obama's vice president. The treatment of Biden's handling of classified documents he was not authorized to take with him when he left office verses the treatment of President Trump – an assault on his Mar-a-Logo residence by armed FBI agents – is a comparison the Administration would rather avoid if possible. Biden's aides told Axios that they are fearful President Trump's campaign could use the photos against the Democrat incumbent ahead of their likely 2024 rematch. Trump himself is facing more than 40 counts, including obstruction of justice and willful retention of national defense information, for improperly storing classified documents at his private residence at Mar-a-Lago in Florida after leaving the White House following a probe by Special Counsel Jack Smith. February 4: The Epoch Times: Trump drops two names as possible VP choices; Scott and Noem President Donald Trump has dropped the names of several contenders for his running mate. Names that have been mentioned in the past are Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) and Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SC), Sen. J.D. Vance (R-OH) and House Republican Conference Chairwoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY). Trump only mentioned Scott and Noem when asked who was in the running for the number two slot. The key consideration, Trump said is "who would be a good president?" February 4: The Daily Wire: Biden official – Sullivan – Contends a separate Palestinian state is needed now more than before Hamas' violent attack, October 7th Jake Sullivan, Joe Biden's national security adviser, argued over the weekend that it was more important now to create a Palestinian state than before Palestinian terrorists with Hamas killed 1,200 Israelis during their unprecedented terrorist attack. The remarks from Sullivan, made during a Sunday interview on ABC News come after top Israeli officials have warned that the creation of a Palestinian state would threaten the very existence of the state of Israel. "The U.S. position on this is very straightforward," Sullivan said. "The only long-term answer to peace in the region, to Israel's security in the region, is a two-state solution, with Israel's security guaranteed. A Palestinian state that also has security guarantees for Israel. That's what we're going to keep working for." However, Sullivan is ignoring the goal of Iran, and the terrorist groups it supports, that want to eliminate Israel. "We were doing that before October 7th," he continued. "I think since October 7th the need to work on that has only increased and we would like to deliver an outcome over time that has alluded administrations of both parties for decades that is in the best interests, we believe, of everyone in the region and in the wider world." On October 7, 2023, thousands of terrorists from Hamas and other Palestinian civilians stormed into Israel during a surprise attack that was years in the planning. In addition to killing 1,200 Israelis on that day, more than 5,000 were injured and hundreds were taken hostage February 4: Axios: Haley's campaign coffers take off, partly from Dem and "never Trumper" contributions Nikki Haley had an eye-popping month of fundraising in January, hauling in almost as much cash as the prior three months combined, Axios has learned. The Haley campaign has the money to keep her long-shot presidential bid alive, even as many leaders in her party have called for the GOP primary to come to an end. She has raised $16.5 million in January. Haley's campaign raised more cash than it spent in 2023, while rival campaigns like Trump, Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) all burned through more cash than they brought in. February 3: The Daily Mail: Manhattan Dem DA Bragg defends releasing illegals accused of attacking police in Times Square Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg has defended the decision to release a group of migrants who allegedly attacked police officers in Times Square, as Bragg is slammed by Supreme Court justice for prosecuting COVID vaccine card dodgers. On Saturday, seven suspects were arrested and charged with robbery and felony assault following a vicious attack on NYPD officers in Times Square. Four of those believed to have been involved were released without bail are now feared to have fled by bus to California using a church-affiliated migrant charity. Earlier this week, state Supreme Court Judge Brendan T. Lantry slammed Bragg and dismissed felony charges brought by his office against two New Yorkers who bought fake COVID vaccine cards. In a ruling, Lantry called the case overkill and threw out the charges against them the two unknown individuals. Hundreds of people were accused of purchasing fake vaccine cards in order to avoid needing to choose between getting COVID shots or losing their employment. February 3: The One America News Network: NYC launching massive pre-paid credit card program for illegal alien/asylum seekers New York City will be launching a $53 million program to offer migrants pre-paid credit cards. According to reports, the goal of the Mobility Capital Finance and Mayor Eric Adams' (D-N.Y.) office initiative is to help immigrants with their food costs while they wait for federal authorization to work. Only bodegas, grocery stores, supermarkets, and convenience stores accept the cards. In order to avoid being kicked out of the program, recipients must sign an affidavit promising to use the money only for food and baby supplies. Various amounts will be loaded onto cards based on the size of the family and their income. A family of four could get $35 per day or $1,000 per month and refills for cards will be made every 28 days. While NYC is claiming the influx of illegals is putting a strain on their finances, the amounts involved in this program are potentially greater than the stimulus checks sent to people by the Biden Administration earlier in it term in office. February 3: The Daily Caller: House to move standalone aid package for Israel as Senate omnibus bill faulters House Republicans put forward a $17.6 billion standalone Israel aid package on Saturday as a compromise Senate proposal faces increasingly long odds. The Senate bill includes funding for border security and Ukraine rather than just Israel aid and negotiations were dragging on as well as facing Republican opposition. House Republicans are proposing this new bill to move faster and not combine aid for various issues in one bill. It also puts members on Congress in the position of voting for or against Israel and not complicating the issue with other funding. The Biden Administration wants to tie Israel funding to a so-called border security measure that would allow up to 5,000 illegal immigrants to enter the country per day, that's 1,825,000 annually and that's not border security, Republican members contend. February 2: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: Fulton County DA admits to affair with Trump prosecutor; meanwhile the GA House is moving forward to impeach Willis and there appears to be enough votes in the GA Senate to convict her Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis admitted in a Friday court filing to a relationship with a lawyer she appointed to prosecute President Donald Trump. While she admits having the relationship, Willis claims it did not interfere in the case. This is the first time Willis as admitted the affair. If Willis ends up recusing herself from the case, it could end the county's prosecution of Trump or potentially delay the proceedings until after the election. Earlier this week, Georgia House members passed a bill to recreate a committee to remove Willis. Gov. Brian Kemp supports this and was against launching a criminal investigation into Willis. 
February 2: The Texas Scorecard: FL sending National Guard troops to TX to help secure the border
After December's record-breaking number of illegal alien encounters, Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) announced he will be sending National Guard troops from his state to assist Texas Gov. Greg Abbott in securing the Texas-Mexico border. On Thursday, DeSantis held a press conference announcing that he will be deploying up to 1,000 troops to Texas. Fox News reports 100 soldiers are being sent initially. "We are here to join as Floridians to say that we need to stop this invasion at our southern border once and for all," DeSantis said. In addition to the National Guard, the Florida State Guard will also be deployed, making it the first time they have been sent out of the state. Two dozen other states have also voiced support, although some states have yet to say whether they will send troops. Idaho's Governor Brad Little authorized a small envoy of state troopers to the Lone Star State last week as he proclaimed January to be "Idaho Stands with Texas in Securing the Nation's Border Month." The support comes as Texas is currently fighting multiple legal battles with the Biden administration over border security. February 2: The Daily Wire: Biden tells Iran when and where US will retaliate for 3 US shoulders killed by Iran-backed terrorists The U.S. Military officially began its retaliatory strikes against Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) and Iranian-backed terrorist groups in the Middle East late Friday, U.S. Central Command (USCC) reported. The strikes come after the Biden administration has repeatedly telegraphed its plans to Iran over the last several days, including general details about when the strikes would likely start, where they would occur, and what they would target. "The airstrikes employed more than 125 precision munitions," USCC said. "The facilities that were struck included command and control operations, centers, intelligence centers, rockets, and missiles, and unmanned aerial vehicle storages, and logistics and munition supply chain facilities of militia groups and their IRGC sponsors who facilitated attacks against U.S. and Coalition forces." February 2: Fox News: Trump's DC trial postponed indefinitely; may not happen until after November election, if then President Trump's trial stemming from Special Counsel Jack Smith's 2020 election interference investigation has reportedly been delayed indefinitely. The trial was set to begin on March 4 — a day before the critical Super Tuesday primary contests, when Alabama, Alaska, American Samoa, Arkansas, California, Colorado, Maine, Massachusetts, Minnesota, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee, Texas, Utah, Virginia and Vermont vote to select a GOP nominee. Washington, D.C., federal Judge Tanya Chutkan on Friday formally vacated the March 4 trial date, saying the court will "set a new schedule if and when the mandate is returned." February 1: iHeartMedia/KTRH Houston: OR Supreme Court rules 9 GOP Senators can's seek reelection The Oregon Supreme Court has ruled that ten state senators who engaged in walkout last year may not run for reelection, upholding a newly passed measure that limits the number of unexcused absences. Measure 113 was passed in 2022 after Republicans held up business by refusing to show up for votes on controversial legislation. State law requires that at least two-thirds of the members must be in attendance to have a quorum to hold the session. While the Democrats control the 30-person chamber with 17 members, they need at least three Republican attendees in order to meet the quorum requirements. Republicans used the quorum rule to hold up votes by boycotting sessions, causing anger among some voters. The Democrat-controlled legislature approved 113, which bars any lawmaker with more than ten unexcused absences from running for reelection. February 1: The Israeli Times: Biden executive order takes unprecedented actions against Israelis reacting to Palestinian actions Joe Biden signed an executive order on Thursday declaring a national emergency that allows him to implement new measures to combat settler violence, including sanctions concurrently announced against four Israelis who carried out "acts of violence" in the West Bank. The action is the furthest that any administration has taken to address the phenomenon, which has persisted despite repeated US warnings for Israel to address it, including after a series of first-of-their-kind visa restrictions were announced in December. The announcement also comes amid growing heat between Biden and progressive Democrats over his continued support for Israel in the war against Hamas and Biden's opposition to a permanent ceasefire. "The situation in the West Bank — in particular high levels of extremist settler violence, forced displacement of people and villages, and property destruction — has reached intolerable levels and constitutes a serious threat to the peace, security and stability," Biden said in the order. 
February 1: One American News Network: Capitol Hill police refuse to file charges against two men taping and engaging in gay sex act in Senate committee room The U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) announced on Thursday that they will not file charges against the two men who had recorded themselves inappropriately engaging in homosexual intercourse in a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing room last December. "After consulting with federal and local prosecutors, as well as doing a comprehensive investigation and review of possible charges, it was determined that, despite a likely violation of Congressional policy, there is currently no evidence that a crime was committed," USCP said in a statement. "The two people of interest were not cooperative, nor were the elements of any of the possible crimes met," the statement added. "Our investigators are willing to review new evidence should any come to light." Sen. Ben Cardin's (D-MD) aide Aidan Maese-Czeropski, who was dismissed after a video of the gay tryst went viral on social media, has been named as one of the males involved. However, the other man in the video still remains a mystery. Police have not disclosed the second man involved. February 1: The Washington Examiner: Biden gets a reelection gift from House Republicans Joe Biden received a win for his economic agenda this week from an unlikely source — the Republican-led House of Representatives! A bipartisan coalition of Republicans and Democrats overwhelmingly passed a $78 billion bill that expands the child tax credit and renews key business investment deductions. The bill was negotiated between House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO) and Senate Finance Committee Chairman Ron Wyden (D-OR) and advances the key agenda for the Biden administration in expanding the child tax credit. The legislation, which still must pass a vote in the Democratic-controlled Senate, increases the maximum refundable per child credit each year through 2025. For tax year 2023, it goes from $1,600 to $1,800, then rises to $1,900 in tax year 2024 and $2,000 for tax year 2025. The GOP helping pass a bill that advances one of the president's agenda items in an election year has been a head-scratcher for some conservative critics, such as the Wall Street Journal editorial board, who questioned the "in-kind contribution" to Democrats' 2024 pitch. January 31: Fox News: House panel votes articles of impeachment for DHS Secretary Mayorkas On Tuesday the House Homeland Security Committee approved two articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas -- teeing up a floor vote as early as next week to impeach the embattled Biden official. The committee voted along party lines to approve the two impeachment articles, which accuse Mayorkas of having "repeatedly violated laws enacted by Congress regarding immigration and border security" and of having "made false statements to Congress" that the border is secure and closed and that DHS is in operational control of the border. The articles will now go to the House where they will be voted on the House floor. The vote came after a lengthy, and at times, fiery hearing in which Republicans outlined their case for why Mayorkas should be removed from office for  allegedly mishandling the crisis at the southern border and Democrats accused Republicans of debasing the impeachment process for political purposes. Of course, they didn't have the same objections when they impeached Donald Trump and attempted to remove him from office. Meanwhile, iHeartMedia/KTRH reported that the articles of impeachment passed by the committee is not guaranteed to pass the full house. Mayorkas impeachment in the House isn't assured. Congressman Chip Roy (R-TX) said on KTRH "Hopefully we'll pass it. We have a very thin majority now. We can only afford to lose one or two votes. We'll see what happens on the floor." Democrats claim that what happened in committee is revenge. Roy says that's the furthest thing from the truth. "The Secretary lied to us under oath, has failed to secure the border, does not have operational control of the border, and as a result has endangered the people of Texas," Roy explained. January 31: The Gateway Pundit: The White House refuses to release transcript of Biden's Ukraine speech where he called for the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor investigating the company his son was involved with "The White House is REFUSING to hand over early drafts of President Biden's 2015 Ukraine speech where he called for the firing of the Ukrainian prosecutor, Viktor Shokin." the House Oversight Committee said. "These drafts are important as it is believed, based on public reporting, that the then-VP "called an audible" and changed U.S. policy toward Ukraine to benefit his son on the plane ride to Ukraine," the Committee said. "Joe Biden later bragged about withholding a U.S. loan guarantee if Ukraine did not fire the prosecutor." "For more than five months the White House has declined to authorize the production of these draft speeches to the Oversight Committee or to assert a valid privilege over them," the letter to White House Counsel Edward Siskel said. January 31: Breitbart News: Biden and Blinken reportedly considering the unilateral recognition of a Palestinian State, a slap in the face to Israel US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has reportedly asked his department to review options for a unilateral recognition of a Palestinian state at the end of the war between Hamas and Israel – a major break from past US policy and from Israel. While U.S. officials say there has been no policy change, the fact the State Department is even considering such options signals a shift in thinking within the Biden administration on possible Palestinian statehood recognition, which is highly sensitive both internationally and domestically. For decades, U.S. policy has been to oppose the recognition of Palestine as a state both bilaterally and in UN institutions and to stress Palestinian statehood should only be achieved through direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian Authority. January 31: The Western Journal: GA state Senator causes fuss at Allanta airport over illegals in hidden room guarded by US soldier A Republican Georgia state senator caused a fuss at Atlanta's airport Tuesday night as he sought to document illegal immigrants passing through the facility. State Sen. Colton Moore, vice chairman of the Georgia Freedom Caucus, said he went to Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport after getting a tip from a whistleblower about the presence of illegal immigrants at the airport. What he found was a room filled with illegals with what appeared to be a U.S. soldier guarding them. "The room was absolutely packed with people from every continent on this planet," Moore said. He called out Joe Biden and Governor Brian Kemp (R-GA) saying "this is a total dereliction of your duty and breach of public trust onto Georgians. GA Borders are Breached. Treason!" January 31: The Washington Times: Gingrich: The bedrock principle of religious liberty faces a historic test right now in Japan Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told an audience at a major summit in Washington this week, the bedrock principle of religious liberty faces a historic test right now in Japan, warning that a dangerous, communist-backed effort to punish the Unification Church could carry severe consequences for people of all faiths around the globe. Gingrich and other speakers at the International Religious Freedom Summit 2024 cast a bright spotlight on the Japanese government's push to strip the tax-exempt religious status of the Unification Church, which has operated in the country since the late 1950s. Gingrich and others say the roots of the campaign against this religious sect can be traced back decades, but the most recent spark started after the 2022 assassination of former Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. The killing of Abe and its aftermath seem to have emboldened fringe Japanese communists. Critics say they have since tried to smear and discredit Abe's long-ruling Liberal Democratic Party over its links to the sect. The gunman who shot Abe allegedly was motivated by the former prime minister's links to it, which he blamed for bankrupting his family two decades ago.  January 30: The Epoch Times: Trump attorney says judge disallowed key witnesses for the defense in NY civil trial An attorney for Donald Trump has claimed that her experts were denied the chance to testify before a New York jury that ultimately ruled in favor of a writer who accused the former president of defamation. Attorney Alina Habba said the presiding Judge Lewis Kaplan allegedly made sure that "every single defense that President Trump had" was not raised in the case. She said her team's "experts were denied" and couldn't take the stand. Her comments came just hours after a jury ruled that President Trump should pay $83.8 million to writer E. Jean Carroll, finding that he defamed her in 2019 when he denied accusations that he assaulted her decades earlier. It was the second time Ms. Carroll was awarded damages from the former president after making those accusations, which he denies to this day. The case will be appealed and will likely be overturned. 
January 29: Fox Business: Kudlow: Biden should read up on military history According to the LA Times in 1988, on April 18 of that year U.S. warships and aircraft sank six Iranian naval ships and also took out two Iranian oil platforms, that were also used as command-and-control radar sites. President Reagan called it a measured response to renewed Iranian mining of the Gulf that damaged a U.S. frigate. Reagan said: "We've taken this action to make certain the Iranians have no illusions about the cost of irresponsible behavior. We aim to deter further Iranian aggression, not provoke it." The late president added: "They must know that we will protect our ships – and if they threaten us, they'll pay a price." Some military analyst said at the time that, on that one day, Reagan took out nearly half the Iranian navy. Today, U.S. military assets in the Middle East have taken over 165 hits from Iran or Iran-sponsored terrorist groups. Three US servicemembers tragically lost their lives Saturday, apparently two of our best of the best Navy SEALs may be lost from an earlier Iranian-backed action. 80 U.S. servicemembers have been injured by Iran-backed attacks since October 17 – plus reportedly more than 40 injured this past Saturday night and still the Biden administration has refused to strike back directly at the Iranian puppet-masters and paymasters. Appeasement, not deterrence, continues to reign over Biden foreign policy. January 29: The Epoch Times: Ex-IRS contractor who leaked Trump's tax returns sentenced to 5 years in prison A former contractor for the IRS was sentenced to five years in prison on Jan. 29 for leaking tax information associated with thousands of individuals, including former President Donald Trump. Charles Littlejohn, 38, pleaded guilty in October 2023 to one count of unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information. He leaked President Trump's information to The New York Times in 2019 and shared data on some of the wealthiest Americans with ProPublica in 2020. His crime, U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes said, was the "biggest heist" in IRS history. His sentence included $5,000 in fines and community service. "It cannot be open season on our elected officials," Judge Reyes said before adding that judges had a duty to make that clear. She later noted that Mr. Littlejohn purposefully sought his job at least in part to leak tax information. January 29: The Daily Caller: GA Lt. Gov to announce members of investigatory committee looking into the Fani Willis affair Reportedly, Georgia Lt. Governor Burt Jones will announce members of a new investigatory committee Monday that will have subpoena power and are looking into Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The committee will be bipartisan, with six Republicans and three Democrats, and will look into Willis' relationship with her alleged lover Nathan Wade, an alleged misuse of taxpayer funds, and failure to report how funds were used. Willis has faced continued scrutiny over whether her indictment against Trump was politically motivated. "The Georgia Senate has the right and responsibility to investigate misuse of taxpayer resources by public officials. I have full faith in the members of this investigative committee, chosen this morning by the Committee on Assignments, and their efforts to pursue the truth wherever it may lead," Jones said. January 28: The Daily Wire: Senators call upon Biden Administration to respond directly against Iran for three dead service members at the hand of Iran-back terrorists U.S. Senators pushed for direct military action against Iran on Sunday after news broke that at least three U.S. soldiers were killed in a terrorist attack carried out by an Iranian-backed terrorist group. U.S. Central Command said in a statement that "three U.S. service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack [Unmanned Aircraft System] that impacted at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border." Subsequent reporting said that more than 30 U.S. soldiers were injured in the attack. Joe Biden said in a separate statement that the attack was "carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq." There was a bipartisan show of support among U.S. senators for the Biden administration to hold Iran directly responsible. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) was the most direct in stating what he believes the U.S. should do in response. January 28: The Daily Caller: House releases draft articles of impeachment against DHS Secretary Mayorkas The House Homeland Security Committee released draft articles of impeachment Sunday against Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. The first article of impeachment against Mayorkas is for "willful and systemic refusal to comply with the law" and the second is for "breach of the public trust. The committee held two hearings recently on impeachment proceedings against Mayorkas that centered around his handling of the southern border and heard the testimonies of Republican attorneys general, legal experts and mothers who've lost their kids to fentanyl and an MS-13 gang member. The first article surrounds the record levels of migrants coming illegally and getting released into the country that has happened under Mayorkas' watch. One of the ways the committee believes Mayorkas played a role in the issue is through a September 2021 memo in which he directed his agency to limit immigration enforcement. The second article asserts that Mayorkas lied to Congress when he said the southern border is "secure," "no less secure than it was previously," that it's "closed," and that DHS has "operational control" of the area. One section of the article points to Mayorkas' previous statements supporting a false narrative accusing Border Patrol agents of "whipping" illegal migrants in September 2021. January 28: The Epoch Times: Arizona GOP announces new state chair after former chair attempted to bribe Kari Lake not to run for office The Arizona Republican Party selected a new Trump-endorsed chair on Jan. 27 after the former party leader resigned following a bribery controversy. "We proudly present our new Chairwoman [Gina Swoboda], alongside the dynamic new AZGOP Board!" the party said in a Jan. 28 post on Twitter [X]. "With a laser focus on the 2024 elections, our mission is clear: to win additional seats in the state legislature, reclaim our Senate and Congressional seats, take control of school boards, and win back the White House. We are ready for victory!" Swoboda was elected at the annual GOP meeting held at Dream City Church in north Phoenix on Jan. 27, which was attended by more than 1,000 people. Previously, only elections for the party's lower-level positions were scheduled for the day. January: The Gateway Pundit: Culling v Raffensperger lawsuit; Evidence Dominion voting machines have vulnerabilities now in the Federal Record On January 9th, the seven-years-long federal lawsuit -- Curling v. Raffensperger -- began in Atlanta, GA. in Judge Amy Totenberg's court. The case challenges the constitutionality of the Dominion Voting machines (used since 2002 and replaced in 2019 by Fulton County), arguing that the touchscreen Ballot Marking Devices (BMD) fail to create a voter-verifiable ballot because the actual voter intent is contained in a QR code that cannot be read by the voter. Just before the plaintiffs rested their case to allow the defendants to proceed, attorney David Oles was able to show evidence to the court from the expert witness declarations of Professors Philip Stark and J. Alex Halderman. Dr. Halderman testified that he was able to hack into the Dominion ICX BMD in just five seconds using a ballpoint pen, which in deed he did in the courtroom before the judge. He asked the state's attorney to let him borrow his pen and with it was able to place the Dominion machine in safe mode and then to change the vote totals. This was a significant development in the case as the overall theme thus far has revolved around the illegality and vulnerabilities of the touchscreen BMDs. However, the case has all but ignored significant vulnerabilities in the computerized election system as a whole and has shown support for hand-marked paper ballots counted by optical scanners, as done in most election jurisdictions throughout the country. January 27: The Post Newspaper: Stop Trump movement; What will they try next? First there was the Russia hoax, then two impeachment attempts, and now attempts to keep Trump off the ballot. Here's something to ponder; perhaps, just perhaps, those who are threatened by Trump and his America First policies feel they cannot win at the ballot box and they'll try anything to stop him. Case law and a SCOTUS ruling from the time the 14th Amendment was enacted shows a concern overzealous prosecutors who were attempting to disqualify Southern Democrats from serving. Congress was forced to passed a statute which required that section 3 could only be used if a Federal Case was brought by a Federal Prosecutor using a Federal Grand Jury convicting the defendant of insurrection by a unanimous verdict using a standard of beyond reasonable doubt and fully affirmed on appeal. Since none of these requirements have been met, SCOTUS should find the 14th Amendment doesn't apply to Donald Trump. January 27: Fox News: Texas stands firm – Doesn't blink – in standoff with Biden's DHS over access to Texas-owned land Texas has again rebuffed demands from the Biden administration for it to have "full access" to the Shelby Park area of Eagle Pass amid an ongoing standoff between the federal government and the state. DHS had written to Attorney General Ken Paxton this week seeking "full access to the Shelby Park area currently obstructed by Texas" after Gov. Greg Abbott's administration had taken control of it earlier this month. DHS has repeatedly sought access to the area, and in response last week Texas said it will allow entry to any Border Patrol personnel responding to an emergency. In response, DHS said it wants unrestricted access during emergencies, as well as regular access to the port of entry, the boat ramp and border barrier entrances. Paxton dismissed the DHS demand and its claim that the U.S. government owned some of the land they want access to. Paxton said, "With respect to parcels identified in your maps that are actually in the vicinity of the park, publicly available records suggest the United States does not even purport to own what your latest letter claims." He went on to request that the agency supply maps and deeds showing the areas it claims the U.S. government owns and how officials are blocking access to them. He also dismisses claims by the administration that it needs access to the area to patrol the border noting "… you (unsurprisingly) omit the statutory language that your agency continues publicly to disregard: Border Patrol is tasked with 'patrolling the border to prevent the illegal entry of aliens."  January 27: Sky News: Traffic through the Suez Canal down 45% because of rocket attacks in the Red Sea Freight travelling through the Suez Canal has almost halved since Yemen's Houthi rebels began attacking cargo vessels in the Red Sea. The key shipping lane links between producers in the Asia-Pacific region and Western markets in Europe are being impacted as alternative routes such as going around the African continent are being used with increased shipping times and additional costs. The attacks are by the Iranian-backed militant groups, which it says are in support of Palestinians in Gaza. The United States and Britain have carried out airstrikes against rebel positions but this has not seemed to deter attacks from rebel forces. UNCTAD (United Nations Conference on Trade and Development), which supports developing countries in global trade, said the number of ships using the canal over the last two months had fallen by 39%, leading to a 45% decline in freight tonnage. Jan Hoffmann, the agency's head of trade logistics, said there were now three key global trade routes disrupted, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the Panama Canal, where low water levels from drought meant shipping last month was down 36% year-on-year and 62% from two years ago. January 27: The Jerusalem Post: UN-RWA chief is "shocked" by countries pausing funding after staff members found to be caught up in the October 7 attack on Israel The head of the UN Refugee Agency for Palestinians (UNRWA) said on Saturday that nine countries' decisions to suspend funding over allegations staff were involved in the October 7 attacks on Israel was shocking and urged them to reverse course. "These decisions threaten our ongoing humanitarian work across the region, including and especially in the Gaza Strip," Philippe Lazzarini said in a statement. Meanwhile, The Israeli Times reports, Foreign Minister Israel Katz says UNRWA chief Philippe Lazzarini should step down, after the head of the UN agency for Palestinian refugees expresses alarm as countries pull funding over allegations that UNRWA staff were involved in Hamas's October 7 terror onslaught in southern Israel. "Mr. Lazzarini please resign," reads a terse tweet from Katz. January 26: The Washington Times: McCaul (R-TX) calls for investigation of Commerce Department's handling of tech transfers to China House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) has investigated the Department of Commerce's Bureau of Industry and Security and determined that BIS had effectively enabled the flow of American technology to China, facilitating the PRC's rise into a technological, economic and military superpower rivaling the U.S. The committee's investigation found that BIS overwhelmingly approved license applications for the transfer of technology to blacklisted companies identified on the Entity List, which names foreign people and institutions that are not allowed to receive U.S. technology and products because of national security concerns. Mr. McCaul's investigation said the bureau is understaffed and lacks resources to conduct proper oversight. The House Foreign Affairs Committee is the committee with authorization and oversight responsibility over BIS and the Export Administration Act. [Editor's Note: Things have changed since the 1990-early 2000's when I worked with this agency, its licensing and enforcement arms. I'm sad to hear what Chairman McCaul found in his investigation.] January 26: News Max: Texas AG Paxton; the SCOTUS decision allowing Feds to cut razor wire on the border doesn't stop us The U.S. Supreme Court siding with the Department of Homeland Security to allow federal border officials to cut state-installed razor wire along the Rio Grande "does not stop us from protecting our areas that we control, that are owned by Texas governments," says Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. "All they did was remove the injunction from the federal government to come onto our property and cut down wire. It does not stop us from protecting our areas that we control, that are owned by Texas governments, and it does not stop the state of Texas from continuing to put up fences and wire, so it doesn't do anything to change what we should be doing," he added. "I don't think [Texas Gov. Greg Abbott] is going to stop, I don't think he should stop." Texas has installed rows of razor wire in the park and says more is being added after the Supreme Court cleared the way for Border Patrol agents to cut or remove the sharp metal barrier. The fencing has become one of Republican Gov. Greg Abbott's most visible measures to deter migrants in the border city of Eagle Pass. Texas seized control of the park this month and began denying entry to Border Patrol agents, escalating a feud between Abbott and Joe Biden's administration, which the governor accuses of not doing enough to curb illegal crossings. On Tuesday, the Department of Homeland Security sent the state a letter demanding access again to Shelby Park, which is next to the Rio Grande, to date, the state of Texas has not stepped down. An interesting side note: The move by the Biden administration to actively remove barriers (such as razor wire and buoys) meant to deter or at least slow down illegal border crossings flies in the face of an important campaign issue which recent polling shows voters want the flow of an invasion on our southern border stopped.  January 26: Fox News: Biden/Senate border bill "Dead on Arrival" House Speaker Johnson says Joe Biden on Friday appeared to tout negotiations between his administration with the Senate to address the crisis on the southern border despite House Speaker Mike Johnson saying such legislation would be "dead on arrival" in his chamber. The measure pieced together by Senate Democrats and moderate Republicans has been opposed by conservative senators like Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Mike Lee (R-UT). In a statement released by the White House, Biden urged Congress to support a bipartisan package that would tie border security measures with aid to Ukraine. He said the terms negotiated with senators would be the "toughest and fairest" set of reforms ever to secure the border. Critics are asking why Ukraine funding is being linked to efforts to secure the U.S. border and are not enthused with providing Ukraine funding until the invasion at the border is stopped. January 26: One American News Network: U.S. pauses funds to UN Relief and Works Agency over disclosure some of its staff were involved in the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel Due to numerous claims that United Nations (UN) staff members were involved in the Hamas attacks on October 7th, the U.S. has decided to suspend financing for UNRWA, the UN's organization for Palestinians. According to the UNRWA, the agency has now fired "several employees" and launched an inquiry into data provided by Israel. However, many reports have stated that at least 12 employees were discovered to have been directly involved in the attack. Antonio Guterres, the secretary-general of the UN, expressed his horror at the news and demanded a prompt investigation. In the historic and tragic attack, Hamas killed at least 1,200 individuals, the majority of them civilians. 250 individuals were also kidnapped during the incident. January 26: The Washington Examiner: Trump attorney blasts biased judge for not allowing a valid defense in civil defamation case Alina Habba, attorney for former President Trump, blasted U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan for not allowing her client any defense in front of the New York jury deciding whether Trump defamed E. Jean Carroll over her allegations of rape. "We were stripped of every defense, every single defense before we walked in there, and I am proud to stand with President Trump because he showed up, he stood up, he took the stand, and he faced this judge," Habba said. A jury found on Friday that Trump should pay $65 million in punitive damages to Carroll, a former Elle magazine columnist, and $18.3 million in compensatory damages for emotional harm and other damages for defaming her in his denial of her claim that he raped her in the mid-1990s. Carroll accused Trump of raping her in a Bergdorf Goodman department store in New York, which Trump called a "hoax" and Carroll a "liar." The judgement is likely to be appealed. January 25: The Epoch Times: Federal Judge hints Trump's January 6th trial will be delayed The federal judge overseeing former President Donald Trump's looming Jan. 6-related trial may have signaled that his case will be delayed after she scheduled a different case just a few weeks after the trial is slated to start, former prosecutors say. U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, based in Washington, on Wednesday scheduled an alleged Jan. 6, 2021, defendant, Anthony Mastanduno, to start on April 2. That's only about three and a half weeks after she initially set the former president's trial date for March 4. All progress in the case against Trump was halted by the judge on Dec. 13, 2023, as the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals hears whether the former president is immune from prosecution in the case. Earlier this month, Judge Chutkan hinted that his trial date might be pushed back, which served as a blow to special counsel Jack Smith, who brought the charges against the former president and who wants to proceed prior to the Novembre 2024 election. January 25: Axios: Chaos on Capitol Hill over the invasion of the U.S. by illegal migrants The logistical and humanitarian crisis along the U.S.-Mexico border is triggering constitutional challenges and a massive political headache in Congress — with upcoming election season only pouring more fuel on the fire. Some Republican senators are working furiously to salvage a bipartisan border security package that Trump opposes because he believes, given their history, the Biden Administration won't implement. Meanwhile, Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) is contending the Biden Administration has failed in it constitutional duty to defend states from a border "invasion." Earlier this month, the Supreme Court got rid of the stay which prohibited federal law enforcement from cutting and/or removing concertina/razor wire erected by the state of Texas. It did so, on a temporary basis, until the appeals process works its way through the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals – not on the merits of the case. So in the midst of all this, Capitol Hill is in chaos as Democrats are trying to establish that they have done something about border security which is a major campaign issue in which they, and the Biden Administration, find themselves underwater in recent polling.  January 25: The Daily Caller: Biden nominee "freezes" under questioning from Senator Kennedy (R-LA) Republican Louisiana Sen. John Kennedy who has a history of stumping judicial nominees from the Biden Administration did it again. His point is that a nominee should, at the least, understand what the court he or she is being nominated for does and what kinds of situations he or she might encounter. In the latest case Kennedy asked nominee Robin M. Meriweather questions about how the Court of Federal Claims works. He started his line of questioning by asking how many motions Meriweather has argued in the court of federal claims. Meriweather attempted to answer the question, missed the mark, to which Kennedy asked "Okay, so the answer is zero?" The witness concurred. This was the first of several inquiries Kennedy made of the witness with the same answers. Finally, Kennedy said, "I'm going to run out of time. What's a contract of adhesion. If you don't know, just tell me." Meriweather responded "…I have not dealt with the question of what a contract of adhesion is but should it be presented to me I would…" "Sure, you'll look it up," Kennedy interjected. According to Cornell University, an adhesion contract is a "contract where the parties are of such disproportionate bargaining power that the party of weaker bargaining power could not have negotiated for variations in the terms of the contract. These contracts are prepared by the party with greater bargaining power for use in all similar business transactions and given to customers on a take-it-or-leave-it basis." January 25: The Daily Wire: Younkin; Virginia stands with Texas Siding with Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) on Wednesday, Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) criticized Joe Biden and his "border czar" for continued problems at the US/Mexico border. Abbott is in a dispute with the White House over the security at the border. According to Abbott, Texas has a "constitutional right to self-defense," and therefore the right to try to secure the Texas border if Biden refuses to enforce federal immigration laws. "Virginia stands with Texas," Youngkin said on Twitter (X) on Wednesday. "Greg Abbott is doing the job Joe Biden and his border czar refuse to do to secure our border," Youngkin continued, referencing U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. "The Biden administration has turned every state into a border state," the Virginia governor continued. "We must stop the flow of  fentanyl, save lives, and secure our southern border." In the meantime, the Biden Administration wants to cut razor wire put up by Texas and there by removing a barrier that will, at the least, slow down border crossings by illegal aliens.The Daily Wire reports further that all the Republican governors (25 of them) have banded together to support Texas' efforts to protect its borders. Twenty-five Republican governors from across the country released a joint statement Thursday afternoon expressing support for the state of Texas as it fights to secure its border with Mexico. The statement comes as the Biden administration is fighting to stop Texas from securing its borders and preventing millions of illegal aliens from flooding into the state. "Biden and his Administration have left Americans and our country completely vulnerable to unprecedented illegal immigration pouring across the Southern border," the statement, said. "Instead of upholding the rule of law and securing the border, the Biden Administration has attacked and sued Texas for stepping up to protect American citizens from historic levels of illegal immigrants, deadly drugs like fentanyl, and terrorists entering our country." January 24: The Daily Signal: Ohio Senate overrides Gov. DeWine's veto of Gender and Women's Sports measure The Ohio State Senate voted to override Gov. Mike DeWine's (R) veto of House Bill 68, which will protect minors from experimental transgender treatments euphemistically referred to as "gender-affirming care" and safeguard fairness in women's sports. The override passed the Senate 24-8 Wednesday, after passing the House of Representatives, 65-28, on Jan. 10. The measure, that will now become law, will bar physicians from performing gender-reassignment surgery on a minor and from prescribing cross-sex hormones or drugs to block puberty for the purpose of gender transition. It also will enable students to sue if they are deprived of a fair playing field in sports due to gender activism and protect parents' rights to raise their children according to their biological sex. January 24: News Max: Kari Lake (R-AZ) pressured not to run for Senate, Head of Arizona GOP resigns Arizona's top Republican Party official pushed Kari Lake, a loyal supporter of former President Donald Trump, into not running for a U.S. Senate seat, DailyMail.com reported. The outlet obtained an audio recording of a supposed conversation between Lake, who's running for the Senate seat currently held by Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ) and Jeff DeWit, chair of the Arizona Republican Party. On the recording, DeWit, 51, whose identity was confirmed by two sources, is heard asking Lake to name her price to stay out of politics for two years. "There are very powerful people who want to keep you out," DeWit tells Lake in a conversation reportedly recorded in March. At the time, Lake was considering entering the Senate race. DeWit tells Lake that he thinks Trump will lose in the 2024 presidential election and it's time to make way for someone else. He then asks Lake not to mention the conversation to anyone. "So the ask I got today from back east was: 'Is there any companies out there or something that could just put her on the payroll to keep her out?'" DeWit reportedly says to Lake. An irritated Lake responds: "This is about defeating Trump and I think that's a bad, bad thing for our country."  January 23: News Max: Expert: Dominion voting machines can be hacked According to Law360, which is covering the trial, a voting systems expert testifying in a Georgia trial last week demonstrated that Dominion Voting Systems machines were so easily hackable he could use a Bic pen and smart card to copy, edit, and change votes in seconds. Professor J. Alex Halderman of the University of Michigan, the author of a highly publicized report detailing deficiencies in Dominion's voting machines, testified at an Atlanta trial Thursday in a case filed in 2017 against the state of Georgia. The suit was originally filed by the Coalition for Good Governance, a liberal activist group, which claimed the state's use of voting machines which include touch-screen computers to cast ballots without the benefit of a verifiable print ballot, made the voting counts susceptible to manipulation. After the suit, Georgia election officials changed their voting vendor in 2020 to Dominion Voting Systems, which also used a touch-screen ballot but provided voters with a paper ballot containing a QR code containing their vote information. The Good Governance suit, however, asked a federal judge to order Georgia to stop using Dominion since they claimed their machines remain vulnerable to attack. The suit also claimed the Dominion machines offer voters a paper QR code that cannot easily be read to verify the accuracy of their vote. Halderman, who wrote a 96-page report in July 2021, began his demonstration before U.S. District Court Judge Amy Totenberg in Atlanta by asking a plaintiffs' attorney to borrow a pen. The professor then inserted the pen into the Dominion voting machine and held it there for a few seconds, which caused the machine to reboot into "safe mode," according to Halderman. Halderman then explained that a person could copy or change files on the voting machine, change its operating settings, or install malware. Halderman said accessing the "terminal emulator" could allow a user to bypass the computer's normal security settings and obtain "super-user" access — something that allows a person to read, monitor, and change "anything," including ballots, on the voting machine with "no limits." January 23: The Daily Caller: Trump defeats Haley in second match up – New Hampshire Former President Donald Trump won the New Hampshire primary Tuesday night, defeating former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley and effectively marching his way into the GOP presidential nomination. Historically, Trump is in an excellent position to become the GOP's next standard-bearer. Except for Joe Biden in 2020, no presidential candidate has won the Republican or Democratic nomination and placed below second in the first two nominating states. Trump won both. At the time of this writing Trump received 54.1% support from New Hampshire voters compared to Haley's 45% (some of whom were reportedly Democrats who switched parties in an effort to help the lady from South Carolina win). The former president has now won the first two nominating contests of the 2024 season, as he secured 51% of the vote in the Iowa caucus just last week. January 22: The Daily Wire: Judge's decision in divorce proceeding could spell trouble for Georgia DA Fani Willis A judge ruled Monday that the divorce case of Nathan Wade, who is the special prosecutor in the Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis' racketeering and election interference case against former President Donald Trump, can be made public. The ruling from Judge Henry Thompson could spell bad news for Willis, who is already under scrutiny for allegedly being romantically linked to Wade. Reportedly Judge Thompson, who is overseeing the divorce case of Wade and his wife Joycelyn Wade, ruled during an emergency hearing in Cobb County that the case be unsealed for public access. A court filing from Joycelyn says Wade paid for Willis to accompany him on at least two trips; one in 2022 to Miami, and one last year to San Francisco. That filing includes credit card statements from a Visa Signature Business account that purports to show Wade booking round-trip flights for himself and Willis. The credit card statements are significant, since it is seemingly the first hard evidence backing up allegations of a romantic relationship first made by Trump co-defendant Michael Roman. January 22: The Texas Scorecard: SCOTUS allows feds to cut Texas razor wire The United States Supreme Court ruled today that border patrol agents have the authority to cut Texas' concertina wire fencing previously installed at the southern border to deter illegal border crossing. The one-page court order voids a December 19 decision by the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals that previously prohibited federal agents from destroying or removing the wire fences. The 5-4 vote by the Supreme Court follows a granted emergency request by the Biden administration to allow federal agents to destroy the border fences. The justices voting in the majority were Chief Justice John Roberts and Justices Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagan, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson. "The Supreme Court's temporary order allows Biden to continue his illegal effort to aid the foreign invasion of America," Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton wrote on Twitter (X) today. "The destruction of Texas's border barriers will not help enforce the law or keep American citizens safe. This fight is not over, and I look forward to defending our state's sovereignty."  January 22: One America News Network: Local "In and Out" burger joint in Oakland CA closing due to rising crime The only In-N-Out restaurant in Oakland, California, is closing down due to rising crime. Company Chief Operating Officer Denny Warnick released a statement saying that the store was profitable, but that regular car break-ins, property damage, theft, as well as armed robberies of customers and employees led to the decision to shut it down. "We are grateful for the local community, which has supported us for over 18 years, and we recognize that this closure negatively impacts our Associates and their families," Warwick said. "Additionally, this location remains a busy and profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and wellbeing of our Customers and Associates – we cannot ask them to visit or work in an unsafe environment." And so it is that lack of support for law enforcement hits those communities which need a police presence the most.  January 21: News Max: Russian region on high alert over suspected targeting by Ukrainian drones Russia's Leningrad region, home to a fuel export terminal disrupted on Sunday by a fire that Ukrainian media reported was the result of a Ukrainian drone attack, announced it had put key facilities on high alert. "In all districts of the Leningrad region, a high alert regime has been declared at critical infrastructure facilities," the regional administration said on Telegram. "Security units and law enforcement agencies have received orders to destroy Unmanned Aerial Vehicles if they are detected in nearby territories," it said. The Interfax-Ukraine news agency, citing unnamed sources, said the fire at the Ust-Luga complex, on the Gulf of Finland about 110 miles west of St. Petersburg, was the result of a special operation carried out by Ukraine's security services. January 21: The Washington Examiner: Soros dumps cash into Texas in attempt to save Congressional seat The move by left-wing billionaire George Soros to pour major cash into turning Texas blue in 2024 shows Democrats are afraid of the GOP's momentum in the state, Republican candidate and ex-Rep. Mayra Flores said in an interview. Soros personally has transferred at least $100,000 since August 2023 to the Democratic Party Executive Committee in Cameron County, which is part of the Lone Star State's 34th Congressional District, where Flores is seeking to unseat Rep. Vicente Gonzalez (D-TX). The Democratic megadonor also made donations to Hidalgo and Dallas counties and has wired hundreds of thousands of dollars to the liberal Texas Majority PAC, according to financial disclosures. January 21: The Epoch Times: Trump retires "DeSanctimonious" nickname after DeSantis suspends campaign Former President Donald Trump announced after Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis's departure from the presidential race that he was officially retiring his nickname for the Florida Republican, "Ron DeSanctimonious." Earlier, DeSantis dropped out of the race, saying he had no path to victory after failing to achieve a significant upset in Iowa. He immediately endorsed President Trump. President Trump's campaign responded to the departure graciously, thanking the Florida governor for his endorsement and calling on the Republican Party to come together behind the clear frontrunner. "With only a few days left until President Donald J. Trump's victory in New Hampshire, we are honored by the endorsement from Governor Ron DeSantis and so many other former presidential candidates," a statement emailed to President Trump's supporters read. The campaign repeated calls from the 45th president and others for the GOP to come together behind President Trump and focus their attention on defeating Joe Biden. "It is now time for all Republicans to rally behind President Trump to defeat Crooked Joe Biden and end his disastrous presidency." January 20: The New York Post: Not "Peachy," Calls continue for Georgia prosecutor of Trump to step down following disclosure of romantic affair with DA Fani Willis A Trump impeachment lawyer called on the lead prosecutor in the Georgia election fraud case against the former president to step down amid explosive allegations he was hired while in a relationship with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. Norm Eisen, who served as special counsel to the Democrat House Judiciary Committee during former President Donald Trump's first impeachment trial told The Washington Post the controversy surrounding Nathan Wade's hiring as special prosecutor will only continue to snowball — and the allegations of impropriety risk delaying a verdict for the former president and his 14 co-defendants. "If he were to come to me as ethics czar … I would tell him that no matter the law discretion is the better course of valor," Eisen told the outlet. He went on to call the pair's personal relationship "unwise," and added that while there's no legal basis to disqualify Wade from his role as special prosecutor under Georgia law, the pair's alleged behavior — such as claims that Wade showered Willis with airline tickets and other gifts — could violate Fulton County's ethics policies. On Friday, county Commissioner Bob Ellis demanded Willis provide any information related to Wade's appointment as special prosecutor in the Trump case. January 20: One America News Network: Senator Scott (R-SC) endorses Trump Senator Tim Scott has endorsed former President Donald Trump ahead of the New Hampshire Republican primary. On Friday, former GOP presidential candidate Scott endorsed the 45th president while on stage with the former president at a campaign event in Concord, New Hampshire. "We need a president who will close our southern border today. We need Donald Trump," Scott said. "We need a president who will unite our country. We need Donald Trump. We need a president who will protect your social security and my mama's social security. We need Donald Trump." January 20: Breitbart News: GOP senators warn against immigration deal Sens. Mike Braun (R-IN), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), and Tim Scott (R-SC) all warned against the bipartisan immigration deal, believing it would do nothing to stem the migrant crisis at the southern border. Sen. James Lankford (R-OK) and congressional Democrats have struck an immigration framework that Breitbart News has said would only reward illegal immigration. Among other things, the deal's framework would include: Increase green cards by 50,000/year, award work permits for adult children of H-1B holders, Give immediate work permits to every illegal alien released from custody, assign taxpayer funded lawyers to certain UACs and mentally incompetent aliens. Would increase expulsion authority for a limited number of days ONLY if encounters exceed 5k/day over a seven day period. And would restrict parole for those who enter without authorization between ports of entry. January 19: Axios: Netanyahu inflames tensions with Democrats over Palestinian statehood Democratic members of Congress and the Biden administration are admonishing Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for opposing the establishment of Palestinian state after the Israel-Hamas war. It's just the latest rift between Democrats in Washington and Israel as Joe Biden begins to lose patience with the Israeli premier. "He's just proving to be an incredibly problematic partner ... it's a growing issue," said a House Democrat, adding, "The special relationship is with Israel, not with Bibi." January 19: The Washington Times: Speaker Johnson losing support including from some in GOP leadership Once again, House Speaker Mike Johnson relied on Democrats to pass another short-term funding measure to keep the government open, but this time even fewer Republicans voted in favor of the legislation. Among the 106 Republicans who bucked the speaker on Thursday — 13 more than the last stopgap in November — were key lawmakers in positions of power in the House GOP, including House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik (R-NY) and a member of the speaker's leadership team. Stefanik said that she had concerns about how the stopgap did not address issues with an influx of illegal migrants in her "northern border district," which is why she voted against the measure. Stefanik's defection, along with a slew of committee chairs like Budget Committee Chair Jodey Arrington (R-TX) and Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN), could signal a rocky path forward for Johnson. Complicating matters for the Speaker is the GOP's razor-thin majority and how archconservatives have used that tenuous grip on power to steer the speaker toward shutting down the government and rejecting a spending deal with Democrats. January 19: The Daily Caller: Biden Admits Border Isn't Secure Nanoseconds After Saying He Has No Clue Why Republicans Are Impeaching Joe Biden admitted the southern border isn't secure just moments after saying he had no idea why Republicans were moving to impeach Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas. For weeks, Biden's supplemental package that would fund Ukraine and Israel has been held up in Congress while Congressional leaders debate border security initiatives. Meanwhile, according to federal data, under Mayorkas' leadership, U.S. Border Patrol encountered more than 2.2 million migrants crossing the southern border during the 2022 fiscal year and more than 2 million in the 2023 fiscal year. "What do you say to Republicans who are trying to impeach Mayorkas?" a Fox News White House correspondent asked Joe Biden. "I don't get it," Biden responded. Then moments later the reporter asked Biden if he believes the border is secure. "No, it's not," Biden responded. "I haven't believed that for the last 10 years," he continued. "And I've said it for the last 10 years." January 18: Axios: Revenge likely in response to Speaker's CR at current spending levels The House Freedom Caucus may begin to routinely hijack Republican messaging bills as an act of retaliation against House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), according to multiple members of the group. It would mark a significant escalation in hardliner's rebellion against Johnson after he pursued bipartisan deals to pass critical government funding bills. "If they don't want or need our votes for the material legislation that impacts the country or the large spending packages ... you shouldn't presume that you have our votes for the messaging bills that will go nowhere in the Senate," said Freedom Caucus Chair Bob Good (R-VA). Rep. Michael Cloud (R-TX) said he "wouldn't be surprised" if Freedom Caucus members tank votes when the House returns later this month. January 18: The Jerusalem Post: Israel slow to eliminate Hamas threat in Southern Gaza Despite reports that the military has an updated operational plan for entering Rafah in southern Gaza Strip, or for at least securing the Egypt/Gaza border, known as the Philadelphi Corridor, there is, at the current time, no immediate decision to move forward. In the initial stages of the war, Israel wanted to give millions of civilian Palestinians a place to retreat to – Southern Gaza. But may of the Hamas terrorist leaders moved south as well. Israel is concerned that not upset the Egyptians or force a massive evacuation from southern Gaza across the Egyptian border. At the same time, they want to wipe out the Hamas terrorist leadership. The two objectives, at times, seems to contradict each other. Ergo, the slow speed of Israel's advance into Southern Gaza. January 18: The Daily Signal: GOP bill would require mothers be shown an ultrasound of their baby before getting an abortion Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ) is introducing legislation this week that would require a woman to be shown an ultrasound of her unborn child before she obtains an abortion. His Ultrasound Informed Consent Act stipulates that abortionist or "an agent under the supervision of the" abortionist must perform an obstetric ultrasound on the pregnant woman while simultaneously providing an explanation of what the ultrasound is depicting. Under the measure the abortionist must "display the ultrasound images so that the pregnant woman may view them" and "provide a complete medical description of the ultrasound images," including the baby's dimensions, cardiac activity, and the "presence of external members and internal organs." "The Biden administration's heinous pro-abortion policies continue to incentivize women to end the lives of innocent, unborn American children," Biggs said. If the measure were to pass the House it would certainly be dead on arrival in the Senate. January 18: The Daily Wire: First son to be deposed February 28th House Republicans announced on Thursday that Hunter Biden will appear next month for a deposition, signaling an end to a standoff in the impeachment inquiry into his father, Joe Biden, for the first son's testimony. Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) shared the news in a brief statement that included interview plans for other witnesses. "Hunter Biden will appear before our committees for a deposition on February 28, 2024. His deposition will come after several interviews with Biden family members and associates. We look forward to Hunter Biden's testimony," they said. IMAGE: BOSTON-WalgreensClosing.jpg  January 17: The Daily Wire: Dem cities legalize shoplifting then are shocked that businesses are leaving Suffolk County, Massachusetts — which includes the city of Boston — embarked on a first-of-its-kind, real-life social experiment. Under the leadership of their new district attorney, Rachel Rollins, Suffolk County decided to stop prosecuting criminals who were accused of most non-violent misdemeanors, including disorderly conduct and shoplifting. The cops would arrest the shoplifters, and then the prosecutors would just let them off the hook. Their reasoning was if you let criminals get away with shoplifting, they're less likely to get in trouble with the law in the future. But that doesn't mean they've stopped shoplifting and committing petty crimes. In fact, if anything, it means they're shoplifting a lot more than they used to, because why wouldn't they? They're going to shoplift so much that it becomes impossible for businesses to stay open, which means that very quickly, so-called "disadvantaged communities" will lose access to convenience stores and pharmacies. They will become even more disadvantaged, which is supposedly the opposite to the stated goal of "restorative justice." As an example, Walgreens is closing its fourth store in Boston and minority and disadvantaged area are losing access to corner stores and pharmacies. IMAGE: MR&MRSTrump.jpg  January 17: Fox News: Trump to skip trial appearance in order to attend mother-in-law's funeral; Judge refused to delay the trial for 24 hours President Trump said he will miss the E. Jean Carroll trial on Thursday so that he can attend his mother-in-law's funeral, blasting saying the judge presiding over the case was "nasty" for not delaying court proceedings for the day. "So, it happened very terribly as we asked to just delay the trial for one day so I could go to the funeral tomorrow and then we could start Friday or Monday or any time they want," Trump explained. "And he said, absolutely not, the trial will go on just as it is." "I thought it was terrible. I thought it was terrible," Trump continued. "So, he would rather have me miss the funeral or go to the funeral and miss the trial." He added: "That's a nasty man. He's a nasty judge. He's a Trump-hating guy. And it's obvious to everybody in the court it's a disgrace, frankly, what's happening. It's a disgrace." Trump was referring to Judge Lewis A. Kaplan, who was a Clinton appointee. Former first lady Melania Trump's mother, Amalija Knavs, passed away last week at the age of 78. January 17: News Max: House Committee to markup Mayorkas impeachment January 31st Republicans have scheduled a markup for articles of impeachment against Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for 10 a.m. on Jan. 31, according to an internal GOP memo. The plan detailed in the memo tracks with the timeline already pledged by House Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) who sought prompt proceedings to expel Mayorkas from his current post. Green would not "corroborate a memo" when asked. "I'm not confirming or denying any dates or time," he said. Green said, "We're not playing this game anymore. "Mayorkas' passive aggressiveness about trying to schedule us is a smokescreen. That's all it is. And we're just not going to play that game. We've been after him to come since August. And he keeps saying no." January 16: The Epoch Times: MSNBC's refusal to air Trump's victory speech after Iowa win portends future treatment/coverage According to legal scholar Jonathan Turley, MSNBC's refusal to air former President Donald Trump's victory speech and the media platform's framing of his supporters as fascists serves as an omen of future election coverage. Upon former President Trump's victory at the Iowa Caucus, Rachel Maddow, MSNBC co-host, told her viewers that they would not air his speech because he speaks "untrue things." About his speech, Maddow said the news platform will "keep an eye on that" and let its audience know if he makes any "noteworthy, substantive, and important" statements. In other words, they want to censor and cut and paste what they air so it fits with their narrative. January 16: The Daily Wire: Special Counsel rips Hunter Biden attempt to dismiss gun charges: We "found drugs" on his gun pouch Special Counsel David Weiss' office shredded Joe Biden's son, Hunter Biden, in a court filing on Tuesday for attempting to get the felony gun charges he faces dismissed. The filing came in response to a motion that Biden's team filed last month that claimed he faced a "selective and vindictive prosecution" that was politically motivated. "The charges in this case are not trumped up or because of former President Trump — they are instead a result of the defendant's own choices and were brought in spite of, not because of, any outside noise made by politicians," Weiss wrote in the filing this week. Hunter Biden's team argued that Weiss "buckled" under political pressure from "former President Trump (who appointed Mr. Weiss), extremist House Republicans, and the far-right media." Weiss fired back in his filing, saying that Hunter Biden produces no evidence to support his allegation that the Executive Branch, led by his father, Joe Biden, and its Justice Department, led by the Attorney General appointed by his father, authorized prosecution by the U.S. Attorney and Special Counsel of their choosing for an "improper political purpose." January 16: The Washinton Examiner: Lloyd Austin's team requested a "subtle" ambulance during health scare The person who called an ambulance for Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin requested they approach his Virginia home without their lights and sirens. Austin underwent surgery to treat prostate cancer on Dec. 22, and on Jan. 1, someone with him called 911 as he suffered from "nausea with severe abdominal, hip, and leg pain," as his doctors have since said. The member of his inner circle who called 911 asked the dispatcher, "Can I ask — can the ambulance not show up with lights and sirens? Um, we're trying to remain a little subtle," according to the recording, the Daily Beast reported. The individual also told the dispatcher he hadn't passed out and was alert. The dispatcher affirmed the request, noting that "usually when they turn into a residential neighborhood, they'll turn them off." Pentagon spokesman Patrick Ryder told reporters last week that Austin's personal security detail accompanied him to the hospital and his junior military aide was there to see him the next day.  January 16: News Max: Axelrod warns Biden about "formidable" Trump Former White House senior adviser and noted Democrat strategist David Axelrod said Tuesday that Joe Biden and his campaign had better "get into gear" because they're going up against a "formidable" opponent in GOP front-runner Donald Trump. Axelrod, an adviser to former President Barack Obama, made the comments Tuesday morning in the aftermath of Trump's landslide victory in the Iowa caucuses the night before. "The president and his campaign need to get into gear, and they need a message," he said on "CNN. Axelrod has been a frequent critic of Biden, previously saying that Biden is solely going after Trump as a threat to Democracy, reiterating Tuesday that Biden will need more than that. "And they need a message that takes in not just democracy but the day-to-day concerns that people have, and they need to prosecute it every single day through every single surrogate," Axelrod said. Trump won in Iowa with 51% of Republican support, a margin of roughly 30 points over Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, living up to the polls almost to the number. Further, 66% of the caucus-goers said Biden's win in 2020 was illegitimate, Biden almost certainly won't win Iowa under any circumstances in the general election, but there are likely voters in swing states who feel the same way about the 2020 election, meaning Biden had better have a Plan B, Axelrod said. January 15: The Daily Caller: Contracts show Willis offered top RICO expert lower hourly rate than he alleged lover in the case against Trump According to recently obtained documents, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis paid her alleged romantic partner, Nathan Wade, to work at a higher hourly rate on the case against former President Donald Trump than she contracted one of the state's leading racketeering experts. John Floyd, who wrote a book on federal and state Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) statutes and is considered Georgia's top expert, entered into a contract with the Fulton County District Attorney's office on March 10, 2021 at an hourly rate of $150 per hour. Nathan Wade, who Willis appointed special prosecutor, was retained at a rate of $250 per hour, the documents show, although Willis claimed Sunday all her special counsels were paid the same rate. It's possible the other attorneys were later paid at a higher rate, as the records obtained only extend through April 2022. One of Trump's co-defendants claimed in a motion seeking to dismiss the case last week that Willis' alleged lover benefited from the awarding of "lucrative" contract because he used payments he received for his position to take her on cruises and vacations. Wade filed for divorce from his wife on Nov. 2, 2021, the day after his contract to work under Willis began. DA Willis claimed that her "friend" Wade was only being attacked because he is black. January 15: Fox News: Obama appointed Ex-US Attorney: Willis should step down over alleged romantic relationship with her employee Fulton County, Georgia district attorney Fani Willis, who brought charges against President Trump on election interference, should step away from the case amid allegations brought against her of having an "improper" romantic relationship with a prosecutor, according to an Obama-appointed former U.S. attorney. Court documents filed earlier this month say Willis hired special prosecutor Nathan Wade, her alleged romantic partner, to prosecute Trump and benefited financially from the relationship in the form of lavish vacations that the two went on using funds his firm received for working the case. Interestingly, Willis has not confirmed or denied the claim. Former U.S Attorney Michael Moore said if the allegations of an improper romantic relationship between Willis and Wade are true, they are an "unforced error by the Fulton County DA that would challenge the integrity of the case. January 14: The Epoch Times: Attorney says Trump co-defendants in Georgia trial ready to testify in possible case against AG Willis An attorney for a Trump co-defendant in Georgia's Fulton County said there are witnesses who are willing to testify against Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis and her top prosecutor. Last week, defendant Michael Roman issued a court filing in Fulton County that alleged Ms. Willis engaged in an "inappropriate" relationship with a special counsel she had appointed, Nathan Wade. Few details were provided in the filing about the relationship, while neither Wade nor Willis have denied the allegations. Wade has played a significant role in the case against former President Donald Trump and more than a dozen co-defendants. The court filing, in part, claims that Wade had paid for vacations with Willis while using Fulton County taxpayer funds that his private law firm had received, while Roman is seeking to disqualify Willis from overseeing the case. "I would never have filed something like this if I didn't have multiple sources to corroborate," Roman's attorney, Ashleigh Merchant, told a local news outlet over the weekend about the recent bombshell filing. Meanwhile, the attorney said that she has documentary evidence and witnesses to back up the claims in the filing. "We look forward to litigating this motion in court where we can bring forward all of our evidence," she added, saying that eyewitness testimony about the alleged Wade-Willis relationship will be provided soon. January 14: The Washington Times: Fulton County top Trump prosecutor Wade found in contempt of court for failure to provide financial documents Fulton County special prosecutor Nathan Wade (mentioned in the Epoch Times story above) was held in contempt of court for "willfully" failing to turn over court documents relating to his income, including income gained from prosecuting the case regarding President Donald Trump. Wade has come under national scrutiny regarding an alleged undisclosed relationship he had with Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, potentially jeopardizing the election interference case against Trump. Wade was put in charge of the prosecution of Trump by Willis, despite allegedly having little experience in such cases and while carrying on a romantic relation with Willis. Wade has allegedly been paid over $650,000 for his prosecution and using at least part of it to take DA Willis on expensive vacations. The court overseeing Wade's divorce case with his wife reportedly asked Wade to produce a record of his finances since 2016 as part of the discovery process -- which would allegedly include the billable hours related to the prosecution of Donald Trump. To date Wade has failed to provide said documents. IMAGE: RedChineseExpected2esclateTentions.jpg  January 14: Axios: Red China communists expected to increase pressure on Taiwan/USA after elections on the Island nation didn't go their way
China is likely to increase its coercive measures towards Taiwan in an attempt to push both Taipei and Washington to adopt more accommodating positions towards Beijing after the island elected ruling Democratic Progressive Party's William Lai president on Saturday. China's growing military and economic pressure on Taiwan could fracture the already delicate balance between the U.S. and China, sending relations between the two superpowers spiraling and risking stability in the region. Lai's election marks an unprecedented third term for the DPP, which in the past eight years under President Tsai Ing-wen has seen Taiwan further strengthen its relationship with the U.S. and move to diversify its trade away from China. Beijing is expected to pressure Taiwan through a variety of means, an analysts told Axios. There will likely be an "immediate uptick" in the number of Chinese military incursions into air and sea near to Taiwan to "send the signal, you voted poorly," said Dean Cheng, senior advisor to the China program at the U.S. Institute of Peace. Beijing could "conduct some kind of military demonstration around inauguration day to signal their displeasure with the incoming Lai administration," Raymond Kuo, director of the RAND Corporation's Taiwan Policy Initiative, said. There could also be "new trade restrictions on Taiwanese companies, and heightened cyberattacks on Taiwan. IMAGE: WHITEHOUSEunderSeige-SMALL.jpg  January 13: Fox News: White House staffers "relocated" after pro-Palestinian/anti-Israel protestors storm perimeter "anti-scaling" fences
Anti-Israel protesters and rioters gathered outside 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue on Saturday night, with some demonstrators damaging security fencing and hurling objects at police. The demonstrators were heard chanting "Ceasefire Now" and "Free, Free Palestine," with many waving Palestinian flags. "Yemen, Yemen makes us proud / Turn another ship around," was also recited at the demonstration, hours after strikes were launched against the Houthis in Yemen. The U.S. Secret Service said some fences were damaged outside the White House, and that staff members and journalists were "relocated" as a result. The White House also said on Saturday that Biden is currently at Camp David. "The right to peacefully protest is one of the cornerstones of our democracy, and the Metropolitan Police Department has long supported those who visit our city to demonstrate safely," Pamela Smith, DC's Police Chief said. "However," she added, "violence, destructive behavior, and criminal activities are not tolerated." No arrests were made and damage to the fence was quickly repaired by Secret Service Support Staff. January 13: News Max: Record cold temps forecast for Iowa as it prepares for the first in the nation primary caucus Despite the record cold forecast for Iowa for Monday's first-in-the-nation caucus, Arizona's Republican Senate candidate Kari Lake predicted the record-breaking will be for President Donald Trump and his margin of victory. "The greatest victory we've ever seen historically in Iowa since 1972 in the caucus, when there's been a crowded field, is a 12-point victory; I think President Trump will surpass that," Lake said. "But we can't go out and act like it's going be a blowout and we don't show up. So that's one thing I worry about. We've got to get out there. Iowa, you've got to get out there and show up, assume it's a 1-point victory and get out there and show up." Lake is a native Iowan is predicting the record cold temperatures will only make Trump's extreme voter enthusiasm surpass all challengers in the state. "The people of this state love President Trump," Lake said. "They really do. They know what he did for them during his four years as president. In three years, he brought this state more than 22,000 new jobs, more than half of them in manufacturing. Conversely, you know, Biden lost this state a couple 1,000 jobs, so they know that he helped make ethanol a year-round fuel and actually was helpful in making us energy independent. They know that he [Trump] had the courage, the spine to take on the CCP and China, which was doing so much damage to the Iowa economy, and he had the courage to take them on. While Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has a strong ground game in Iowa, having completed the "Full Grassley" tour of all 99 counties, named after longtime Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IO) Lake sees a potential surprise finisher being Vivek Ramaswamy. "I think the surprise could be that Ramaswamy might actually do better than one of these others — perhaps he comes in third place — who knows?" Lake said. January 13: The Daily Caller: Why can't they do their job? Congressional leaders kick the funding issue down the road, again Congress intends to vote on a stopgap funding bill next week that would fund the government through early March, according to multiple reports. Congressional leaders agreed on a continuing resolution (CR) to prevent a government shutdown from happening and a source familiar confirmed same. The resolution would maintain the "laddered" two-part approach of the November CR, extending funding for four departments until March 1 and the others until March 8. A spokesperson for Senate Majority Leader Chuck (D-NY) said the measure's text would be posted online on Sunday evening. House Republicans intend to hold a conference call Sunday evening on the plan. Johnson said in December that "operating by CRs and shutting down the government is a dereliction of duty," and yet, that appears to be exactly what they are doing. January 12: The Washington Times: Hunter Biden makes a U-turn, now willing to appear for a deposition with the House committee after an "in your face" rejection earlier this year Hunter Biden will provide closed-door testimony to a House committee investigating his father for corruption as he faces a contempt of Congress charge for refusing to comply with two subpoenas. Hunter's lawyer, Abbe Lowell, wrote to lawmakers Friday criticizing the two subpoenas and the looming House contempt of Congress vote against Biden, but offered to accept a new request now that the House has formally voted to hold an impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden's involvement in his son's business deals. "If you issue a new proper subpoena, now that there is a duly authorized impeachment inquiry, Mr. Biden will comply for a hearing or deposition. We will accept such a subpoena on Mr. Biden's behalf," Lowell said. Biden's capitulation comes two days a after House panels voted to hold him in contempt for failing to show up for a Dec. 13 deposition and as the House is poised to vote on, and likely pass, the contempt resolution. House lawmakers said they plan to keep the contempt vote on the table until Hunter Biden agrees to a date for the deposition. "While we will work to schedule a deposition date, we will not tolerate any additional stunts or delay from Hunter Biden. The American people will not tolerate, and the House will not provide, special treatment for the Biden family," House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH) said. If the contempt resolution were to pass it could place the Justice Department, which would be responsible for enforcement, in an untenable position, having prosecuted Trump staffer Steve Bannon, but not wanting to prosecute the president's son. January 12: One America News Network: Fetterman slams South Africa for suing Israel for genocide Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) has slammed South Africa for accusing Israel of committing genocide. When speaking before the Orthodox Union Advocacy Center on Wednesday, he criticized the nation for suing Israel in the International Court of Justice (ICJ). Fetterman said that it's ironic that South Africa is accusing Israel of apartheid given they practiced segregation until the 90's. He then laid out all the human rights abuses that Hamas has committed against the Jewish State. "Who are they really fighting?" he asked. "It's a group of cowards. They hide in tunnels, they hide behind civilians, they attack, kill and mutilate children and women, and they do that. Stop talking about proportion on that." On December 29th, South Africa brought a case against Israel where they accused the county of committing a genocide against the Palestinian people. Oral arguments began on January 11th. January 12: Fox 5 Atlanta: Jim Jordan (R-OH) announces investigation into DA Fani Willis' alleged lover/prosecutor U.S. House Committee on the Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan has announced an investigation into Fulton County Special Prosecutor Nathan J. Wade. The committee, in a letter addressed to Wade, expresses its belief that he may "possess documents and information about the coordination of the Fulton County District Attorney's Office (FCDAO) with other politically motivated investigations and prosecutions, as well as the potential misuse of federal funds." Wade is accused in the letter of receiving a substantial amount of money from Fulton County, which he reportedly spent "extravagantly on lavish vacations" with his superior, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. The letter further points out that invoices submitted by Wade for payment by the Fulton County District Attorney's Office shed light on the "collusion" between FCDAO and other politically motivated prosecutions. Specifically, the new information seems to substantiate the House Judiciary Committee's concerns that "Ms. Willis's politicized prosecution, including the decision to convene a special purpose grand jury, was aided by partisan Democrats in Washington, D.C." Meanwhile, Clay Travis and Buck Sexton on the EIB Network raised the question of whether DA Willis hired her lover, paid him over $600,000, and then together they enjoyed the use of the money she paid him. If this turns out to be the case, they contend, if could be a criminal offense or, at minimum, a conflict of interest on the part of Willis. January 11: Texas Scorecard: Gov. Abbott take control of park on the border, prohibits Federal agents access while detaining illegal aliens that use the park Reports from the border indicate Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX) has taken over riverfront land and is denying federal officials access to the illegal crossing point near the international bridge in Eagle Pass. Shelby Park has been a hotspot for illegal crossings, and now the State of Texas under the governor's emergency powers has seized all city property along the riverfront. As reported in NewsNation "All access to the property is limited to state authority only. Border Patrol will be permitted to enter the property to remove their equipment and supplies — Agents will not have access to the area unless there is a medical emergency." All individuals who cross the border illegally into Shelby Park are expected to be cited for criminal trespass— which can include a punishment of 180 days in jail if found guilty. The governor's spokesperson said, "Texas is holding the line at our southern border with miles of additional razor wire and anti-climb barriers to deter and repel the record-high levels of illegal immigration invited by [Joe] Biden's reckless open border policies." "Texas will continue to deploy Texas National Guard soldiers, DPS troopers, and more barriers, utilizing every tool and strategy to respond to President Biden's ongoing border crisis," according to the governor's office. January 11: Fox News: Trump gives closing statement in his NY civil trial – trial is another form of election interference President Donald Trump said Thursday that his "legal issues" have been "set up" by Joe Biden and the Democrats, declaring that it is "their new form" of election interference. He held a press conference after closing arguments were delivered in the non-jury civil trial stemming from New York Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit against him. James claimed Trump inflated the value of his holdings in order to get a better deal with lenders. However, the lenders involved have said he actually undervalued the properties Trump used as collateral. Additionally, Trump has repeatedly said his financial statements had disclaimers, requesting that the numbers be evaluated by the banks. The judge in the trial stated before the case was presented that Trump had acted fraudulently – so much for blind justice -- and is likely, he will find Trump guilty. However, it should be pointed out that five of the judge's rulings in the case have already been appealed and all have been overturned. If found guilty, Trump is expected to appeal the findings and legal observers believe that a guilty verdict will also be overturned. January 11: News Max: Judge Napolitano: Trump makes a compelling argument in his NY civil trial President Donald Trump "makes a compelling argument" that the New York civil fraud case against him was "brought for political reasons," former New Jersey Superior Court Judge Andrew Napolitano said. "He bases that on the words out of the mouth of the AG [Letitia James] herself when she was running for AG, 'I'm going to get Trump.' We know that," Napolitano continued. "She did make a prima facie case. He did show that some of the buildings on which loans were taken, the amounts of pledge, the security for the loan was not consistent with the true value. But Trump showed that nobody lost a nickel, that jobs were created, that everybody was paid back, and that the bank that he supposedly defrauded said it would do business with him tomorrow." "He's going to lose in the trial court and, in my opinion, prevail in the appellate court. This judge [Arthur Engoron] has been appealed five times during the trial; he's lost all five times," he added. "This is not consumer fraud. This is no fraud. It is a fraud on me," Trump said in his closing argument. A verdict in the case is expected by the end of the month. January 11: The Daily Caller: CNN's political commentator Jonah Goldberg on Trump's NY civil trail CNN political commentator Jonah Goldberg said Thursday that New York Attorney General Letitia James' case against President Donald Trump should have never been brought, describing it as entirely political. Trump gave a closing statement as his civil trial concluded. AG James brought the case in Sept. 2022, alleging Trump inflated the value of his properties to obtain better loan terms. The Democratic AG is seeking a penalty of $370 million and to ban Trump from doing real-estate business in the state for life – given the way NY has treated him, why would he want to stay there in any case, one person observed! Goldberg said, "I think this whole trial, prosecution was a mistake. I think it's very political. Someone campaigned on an election to do this. It's an elected judge. It was part of sort of the party machinery." Goldberg called Trump a "sleazy businessman" before doubling down on his description of the trial as "politicized." January 11: The New York Post: Hunter Biden arrives for arraignment in LA on tax fraud charges Hunter appeared in court without his Hollywood lawyer Kevin Morris or the camera crew (which trailed him yesterday for his surprise "visit" at his contempt hearing on Capitol Hill) for his long-promised documentary. Hunter, who lives in Malibu, buttoned his navy-blue suit and told the judge in a serious tone, "Not guilty," when judge Scarsi asked how he would like to plead. Scarsi imposed several standard conditions of pretrial release on Hunter, including a prohibition on using drugs or alcohol, a ban on gun possession and a requirement that he seek employment. He also ordered Biden to submit his state and federal taxes, detail his income and inform his case judges in both Los Angeles and Delaware if he has any travel plans. Hunter's legal team asked for more time for discovery to which the prosecutors countered they had already turned over three "voluminous" sets of documents from their five-year investigation. Hunter's legal team has argued that a probation-only plea deal remains in effect, even though their client jettisoned the pact at a dramatic July court hearing in Delaware where the Federal judge refused to agree to the "sweetheart" deal. January 10: The Daily Wire: Christy, before he drops out of race for president, rips Haley on an open mic Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie slammed former U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley during a hot mic moment on Wednesday, saying that he believes she is going to get "smoked" in the Republican Party primary race. The moment came right before Christie told supporters in Windham, New Hampshire, that he was suspending his campaign for president. "I mean, look, she spent $68 million so far, just on TV. Spent $68 million so far, $59 million by DeSantis. And we spent 12," Christie said on the hot mic. "I mean, who's punching above their weight and who's getting a return on their investment, you know? And she's going to get smoked. And you and I both know it. She's not up to this." DeSantis responded to the hot mic moment by posting on X: "I agree with Christie that Nikki Haley is 'going to get smoked.'"  January 10: The Epoch Times: Hunter attends contempt of Congress hearing unannounced, leaves before Rep. Green (R-GA) called for his arrest, and spurned showing up for a deposition Hunter Biden could have been arrested when he appeared on Jan. 10 during the House Oversight and Accountability Committee's markup session on a Contempt Resolution citing him for refusing to comply with a congressional subpoena. However, a majority would have to approve such an event, according to the Congressional Research Service. Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) told members of the Oversight Committee during the tumultuous proceeding marked by Joe Biden's son's unexpected appearance in the audience that he should be taken into custody by the Capitol Police. "I think Hunter Biden should be arrested right here right now and go straight to jail," Mace declared. "This nation is founded on the rule of law and the premise that the law applies equally to everyone no matter what your last name is." The subject of the committee's markup was Biden's refusal to appear at a closed-door deposition after receiving a subpoena. During the Jan. 10 session, Mr. Biden and Abbe Lowell, his lead attorney, were seen frequently whispering and laughing as Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (D-MD) exchanged barbs, challenges, and interruptions. According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), any individual who refuses to comply with a lawfully issued congressional subpoena, can be arrested and detained under the inherent contempt power. "In comparison with the other types of contempt proceedings, inherent contempt has the distinction of not requiring the cooperation or assistance of either the executive or judicial branches. The House or Senate can, on its own, conduct summary proceedings and cite the offender for contempt," to a 2012 CRS report. In addition to "the long dormant inherent contempt power [that] permits Congress to rely on its own constitutional authority to detain and imprison a contemnor until the individual complies with congressional demands," the CRS said.  January 10: iHeartMedia/KTRH: Judge prohibits Trump from making closing arguments in NY Civil Trial
Donald Trump will not be delivering a closing statement in his civil fraud trial in New York. Trump's lawyers asked for permission to have Trump speak during their closing statement, and Judge Arthur Engoron granted him permission to do so on Monday (January 8). However, his approval came with caveats, and he asked Trump's legal team to ensure that their client would remain on the topic while he spoke. On Wednesday, Engoron rescinded permission for Trump to speak for failing to respond to his request about keeping the closing arguments to "relevant" facts about the case. During Trump's testimony earlier in the trial, he was scolded by Engoron for going off on tangents and refusing to answer questions from the prosecutor. Trump was scheduled to take the stand as a defense witness but abruptly changed his mind at the last minute. Engoron said he plans to issue a written verdict on the case before the end of the month. Trump could face hundreds of millions in fines and be barred from doing business in New York. January 9: The Daily Caller: Legal analysts say allegations against Democrat DAr Fani Willis warrant a "pause" in the case against Trump Fox News analyst Gregg Jarrett on Tuesday compared the scandal surrounding allegations that Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis hired a romantic partner to serve as a prosecutor against former President Donald Trump to a "screwball comedy," and that the judge should "pause" the trial to investigate the allegations. Attorneys for Michael Roman, a former Trump campaign aide, filed a motion that alleged that Willis hired Nathan Wade, who she was allegedly seeing romantically, to help prosecute the former president on a 13-count indictment the Fulton County district attorney secured against Trump in August, including state RICO charges, over the former president's efforts to contest the state's elections results. Jarrett told Fox Business host Larry Kudlow the allegations, including that Wade paid for lavish vacations for the pair derived from the fees he was paid to prosecute Trump, were serious, and called for a delay in the trial while the allegations are investigated. January 9: Fox News: Judge rule in favor of student newspaper against pro-choice Notre Dame professor A pro-choice professor at the University of Notre Dame has lost a defamation lawsuit against a conservative student newspaper that she said misrepresented and defamed her. Tamara Kay, a sociology and global affairs professor, sued the Irish Rover in May over two of its articles that she said contained "false and defamatory information," according to a copy of the complaint. The complaint specifically named two student journalists, W. Joseph DeReuil and Luke Thompson. In response, the Irish Rover said the lawsuit violated Indiana's Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) law. St. Joseph County Judge Steven David reportedly wrote that the alleged defamatory statements were in fact true and not made with actual malice and did not contain "a defamatory inference." Stevens noted there were no damages that could be "causally linked" to the articles in question and that the reporting was "lawful."  January 9: The Epoch Times: Fauci could remember many things when asked questions by House Committee
Dr. Anthony Fauci said a surprising number of times that he could not recall when he was asked questions about the COVID-19 pandemic in a close-door session with a Congressional committee, top lawmakers said on Jan. 8. "There may be over 100 or so, so far, 'I don't recall', 'I don't remember' answers," Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-OH) told reporters on Capitol Hill after Dr. Fauci answered questions for seven hours. Fauci, the longtime head of the U.S. National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) until around the end of 2022, was testifying to the U.S. House of Representatives Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic. He was speaking in the private session under oath for the first time since he left office. The last time he spoke under oath, he also said he didn't recall in response to a number of questions. Fauci was accompanied by two personal lawyers and two government lawyers. Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY) said that lawmakers were going through the grants process with Fauci and trying to figure out whether any U.S. money helped fund the creation of COVID-19. She said that Democrats did ask Fauci briefly about his involvement with a paper that claimed COVID-19 could not have come from a laboratory, even though the paper did not show that, and that Republicans might delve into that later. January 8: Fox Business: Larry Kudlow Torpedoes Biden Admin leadership Joe Biden can blather on as much as he wants about Republican insurrectionism that never existed. I'm going to vote that the voting public could care less about what was essentially a protest rally that went bad three years ago. Trump was neither charged nor convicted of insurrection. It's a Biden red herring meant to distract from all of the Biden policies gone bad. This will not work. Besides unaffordable Bidenomics, the catastrophe at the Southern border and $3 trillion of regulations stifling small businesses – even decent employment reports have been revised lower by an incredible 443,000 in just the last four months. In the middle of two wars, arguably three if you count the southern border catastrophe, Joe Biden forgot to talk to his Defense Secretary for a week and now Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and the White House are scrambling to paper this over. From my own experience – the situation room people are very good and I worked for a president who was constantly calling at all times, day or night. How could this communications chain of command break down? There's something seriously wrong with the Biden operation. It has nothing to do with insurrection. The Bidens need to look at themselves in the mirror, re-check all their badly managed operations, and, while they're at it, think about completely changing their failed left-wing policies. January 8: The Daily Wire: Trump: Biden should fire "SecDef" for "Dereliction of Duty" President Donald Trump called on Joe Biden to terminate Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin after the Pentagon chief was incapacitated for days without telling anyone including the Commander in Chief. Trump said the defense chief should be "fired immediately" after Austin failed to notify the White House or top national security officials for several days that he was hospitalized. Austin checked into Walter Reed National Military Medical Center last week over complications from an elective surgery. Biden claimed Austin was missing for a week, and nobody, including his boss, (the Commander in Chief) had a clue as to where he was, or might be." People are asking what would have happened if an emergency situation had developed? Even worse, what would have happened because Austin's chief deputy was out of the country on vacation.  January 8: The Daily Signal: FBI reportedly had 200 assets in the January 6th riot
A member of Congress investigating the Jan. 6, 2021 protest at the U.S. Capitol estimates the FBI had 200 undercover assets both inside and outside the building. "We believe that there were easily 200 FBI undercover assets operating in the crowd, outside the Capitol, embedded into groups that entered the Capitol or provoked entry of the Capitol," Rep. Clay Higgins (R-LA) said. Higgins appeared with Tucker Carlson for an interview that aired on the third anniversary of the day now commonly known as J6. He's among the elected Republicans still questioning the official media narrative about the day's events. "Given the scope of the operation and the number of doors where entry was allowed or even encouraged—and the number of people that were actually outside the Capitol and that entered—we believe 200 [is a] conservative number," Higgins said of his estimate. Carlson reacted by saying "It's shocking what you're saying and confirms everyone's worst suspicions about this," Carlson told Higgins. "It's clearly true." January 8: The Washington Times: Rising political violence stokes fear of serious bloodshed in 2024 Joe Biden has blamed former President Donald Trump and his followers for the growing wave of political violence in the U.S., but analysts say the surge in threats and attacks is a bipartisan phenomenon. In a series of speeches to kick off the campaign year, Biden said Trump and his supporters "embrace political violence and laugh about it." Those who study the issue say both sides of America's increasingly hostile politics have plenty of culpability. "It's not all about Trump. There are forces on the left that are just as intemperate as Trump," said Benjamin Ginsberg, who researches political violence at Johns Hopkins University. "Trump bears some of the blame, but there are plenty of Democratic politicians and operatives who are intemperate and prone to violence." He pointed to the violent rhetoric spewed by Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA). "Maxine Waters told Democrats to 'get in the face' of Republicans. It is a prelude to shooting at them," he said. As 2023 came to a close, at least three Republican members of Congress said they were victims of "swatting," in which someone falsely reported a shooting, prompting a heavily armed police SWAT team to show up at a target's home. The prank has potentially deadly consequences. Other Republican candidates have received death threats. January 6: Fox News: Missouri official threatens to remove Biden from the 2024 ballot if Trump is not allowed on the ballot Missouri Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft is threatening to remove Joe Biden from the election ballot as other states make efforts to disqualify President Trump from securing a second term over his alleged actions during the U.S. Capitol riot on Jan. 6, 2021. The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to decide whether Trump can appear on Republican primary ballots in Colorado after the state Supreme Court ruled, he couldn't, citing the 14th Amendment's insurrection clause. The Colorado Supreme Court decision was the first time in history that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment was used to bar a presidential contender from the ballot. On Friday, Ashcroft, said the efforts in Colorado and Maine were "disgraceful" and "undermines our republic." "While I expect the Supreme Court to overturn this, if not, Secretaries of State will step in & ensure the new legal standard for Donald Trump applies equally to Joe Biden!" Ashcroft wrote on Twitter. "I'm not in favor of going down this path. But if we will go down this path, it's inevitable, if the Supreme Court does not stop this," Ashcroft told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. "The rules will be applied equally. I just hope they will not be the rules of Colorado and Maine." Republicans have heavily criticized Democrats for attempting to remove Trump from 2024 presidential election ballots, saying it undermines the will of voters. Last month, Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick suggested taking Biden off the ballot because of his handling of the southern border. January 6: Breitbart News: Chinese Police arrest underground Catholic bishop for being loyal to the Pope not the CCP Chinese security forces have arrested Peter Shao Zhumin, an underground Catholic bishop, who has refused to join the state-run Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association. Bishop Shao was ordained coadjutor bishop in 2011 with a papal mandate from Pope Benedict XVI but has never been recognized by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) because of his unwillingness to enlist in the Patriotic Association. Shao was supposed to assume the leadership of the Catholic diocese of Wenzhou — one of China's oldest and most vibrant Catholic communities — upon the death of his predecessor, Bishop Vincent Zhu Wei-Fang, in 2016, but he has been prevented by authorities from carrying out his ministry. Beginning in 2014, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has targeted Wenzhou in its brutal cross-removal program where authorities have removed more than 2,000 crosses from church buildings. The crusade to eradicate the iconic Christian symbol from China's landscape has included the demolition of crosses and churches as well as beatings and arrests when Christians have attempted to resist. January 6: The Daily Wire: SCOTUS allows Idaho abortion law to remain in effect until case can be heard on its merits The Supreme Court has allowed an Idaho law making it a crime to perform an abortion to take effect before it weighs in on the law. A federal judge had previously blocked implementation of Idaho's "Defense of Life Act" after the Biden administration sued to overturn the law saying that it violated the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. The Supreme Court is expected to hear the case in April, but will allow the law to be enforced in the meantime. The law says that those who administer abortions shall be punished with two to five years in prison and the suspension of medical license on first offense and revocation on second. In response to the decision, the White House claimed that the law "denies women critical emergency abortion care required by federal law." The Biden administration has argued that federal law would allow doctors to do abortions in circumstances not allowed by state law. January 5: The Washington Examiner: Argentina isn't a Venezuela, at least not anymore! In January 2007, the newly reelected Hugo Chavez sent a "chilling message to foreign investors." "Let it be nationalized," the Venezuelan president said of, the country's largest telecommunications provider. "All that was privatized, let it be nationalized." And he did so, tightened his grip on Venezuela's economy, nationalizing gold mining, banking, and transportation sectors among others. His policies proved disastrous. Its gross domestic product took a nose dive. Estimates are that between 2016 and 2019, Venezuela inflation was just under 54 million percent with 96% of its population living in poverty (79% in extreme poverty), ergo the mass exodus from the country. In Argentina, the second largest economy in South America, something very different is happening. As it approached its national election in November its annual inflation rate had reached 161%, a consequence of a massive expansion of its money supply. But since the election when Argentines chose a different path and elected libertarian Javier Milei the number of federal ministries is being cut from 18 to nine. Milei initiated a massive currency devaluation, but he didn't stop there. In a recent televised announcement, Milei said he would "repeal rules that impede the privatization of state companies." He backed up those words by a 300-measure order designed to deregulate internet services, eliminate various government price controls, repeal laws that discourage foreign capital investment, abolish the Economy Ministry's price observatory, and "prepare all state-owned companies to be privatized." Milei intimately knows Adam Smith and has adopted Smith's view of economics. America's own economic trajectory is more than a little alarming, which is why Americans should be paying attention to events in South America. In the coming decades, as our federal debt continues to surge, interest payments on the federal debt snowball, and the dollar's purchasing power is further eroded, we're likely to face a choice similar to that of the Venezuelans and Argentines. Will we choose Argentina's new approach! January 4: The Epoch Times: Carlson; Tucker Haley is a puppet for the Democrats Democrats are increasingly backing GOP presidential candidate Nikki Haley who is serving as the party's "puppet," former Fox News host Tucker Carlson has claimed. Carlson made the comments in a video alongside Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy which was published on Twitter. He contends Democrats are backing former SC governor Haley. Carlson said Democratic donors are increasingly turning to Haley, whose campaign raised $24 million between October and December and who has received recent major endorsements from New Hampshire Gov. Chris Sununu and Americans for Prosperity Action, which is backed by billionaire Charles Koch. "So what do you do?" Carlson asked. "Well, if you're smart, maybe you subvert the other party. Maybe you back a Republican candidate who's actually a Democrat, whose priorities are identical to yours. And of course, they found one, her name is Nikki Haley," he said. "Strip away all the outward characteristics, and Nikki Haley is identical in her priorities to Joe Biden and the people who back Joe Biden," he said. Tech entrepreneur Mr. Ramaswamy then weighed in on Mr. Carlson's claims, concurring with the TV host that Ms. Haley is a "puppet" for the Democratic Party, and branding her a "Trojan horse." January 4: News Max: NYC Mayor's lawsuit against Texas bus companies is absurd, Arizona Congressman contends The lawsuit New York City Mayor Eric Adams filed Thursday against 17 Texas charter bus companies for transporting thousands of migrants into the city is the "most absurd, frivolous lawsuit I can imagine," and "stupid ideas" like it will continue to happen if Republicans keep funding the Biden administration, said Rep. Andy Biggs, (R-AZ). "This is the most absurd, frivolous lawsuit that I can imagine, and I hope that [Adams] has sanctions issued against him and his legal team," Biggs said Thursday. "There are a handful of us that have actually stood up and voted 'No' time after time, because that's all we got because our colleagues continue to fund this administration. And as long as you fund this administration, you're going to get stupid ideas like Eric Adams suing bus companies who are providing a lawful service under contract. And you're going to continue to have an open border. January 4: Fox News: Prosecutor on Jack Smith's team discouraged FBI from investigating Clinton Foundation in 2016 A top prosecutor on Special Counsel Jack Smith's team discouraged the FBI from pursuing an investigation into the Clinton Foundation in 2016 due to what he viewed as negligible evidence, despite reportedly multiple Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) related to hundreds of thousands of dollars in foreign transactions. Ray Hulser, the former chief of the DOJ's Public Integrity Section (PIN), who serves on Smith's team currently prosecuting former President Donald Trump, was identified as the official who "declined prosecution" of the Clinton Foundation in 2016 in Special Counsel John Durham's report. According to the report, in January 2016, "three different FBI field offices, [New York, Washington, and Little Rock field offices] opened investigations into possible criminal activity involving the Clinton Foundation." The report reveals that the case was opened referring to an intelligence product and corroborating financial reporting that a particular commercial "industry likely engaged a federal public official in a flow of benefits scheme, namely, large monetary contributions were made to a non-profit, under both direct and indirect control of the federal public official, in exchange for favorable government action and/or influence." The New York and Little Rock investigations included predication "based on source reporting that identified foreign governments that had made, or offered to make, contributions to the Foundation in exchange for favorable or preferential treatment from Clinton." January 4: iHeartMedia/KTRH: House Speaker Phalen faces an up hill battle for reelection in 2024 Usually the person serving as Speaker of the Texas House is in a safe district, but given Dade Phalen's attempt at impeaching Attorney General Ken Paxton and his efforts to circumvent enacting many of the Texas GOP legislative priorities he is facing stiff opposition back in his district with two candidates working hard to unseat the Speaker. Phalen's polling in his district is underwater as is his popularity. Add to this all the special sessions the Governor has called, which essentially kept the House in session all of 2023, resulted in eating up valuable time the Speaker had to be back in his district to mend fences. He may still be able to pull the rabbit out of the hat in a three-way race, but it won't be a walk in the park. January 4: The Daily Wire: Trump accuses Special Counsel Smith of violating a court order; wants him cited for contempt On Thursday, President Donald Trump accused special counsel Jack Sith of violating a court order pausing the proceedings in the case against the president and wants to hold Smith in contempt of court. The Trump lawyers pointed to a stay of the proceedings granted by U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan, an Obama appointee, after the Trump team appealed her rejection of their request to dismiss the case. Although the appeal, which hinges on presidential immunity and double jeopardy claims, was taken up by the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals, Smith's team went along making submissions anyway, Trump's team noted. Prosecutors violated last month's stay "almost immediately" by serving thousands of pages of discovery and a "purported" draft exhibit list, the filing said. . Despite a "warning" from Trump that he would seek relief if their "malicious conduct" continued, prosecutors then filed another motion filled with "partisan rhetoric, including false claims," the filing added. "In this manner, the prosecutors seek to weaponize the Stay to spread political propaganda, knowing that President Trump would not fully respond because the Court relieved him of the burdens of litigation during the Stay," Trump's legal team wrote. "Worse, the prosecutors have announced their intention to continue this partisan-driven misconduct indefinitely, effectively converting this Court's docket into an arm of [President Joe Biden's re-election] Campaign." January 3: The Epoch Times: Appeals court may soon consider whether appointment of Special Counsel Smith was illegal On Tuesday, the Washington Circuit Court of Appeals wrote that it could consider questions regarding whether Jack Smith was lawfully appointed to oversee President Trump's case. Outside legal experts question whether Smith is authorized to hold the position of special counsel. The court may ask questions regarding whether special counsel Jack Smith was lawfully appointed, coming after a former attorney general, Edwin Meese, filed an amicus brief suggesting that he wasn't. The appeals court wrote in a brief order that involved parties should be prepared for "any inquiries by the Court regarding discrete issues raised in the briefs" raised by former Attorney General Edwin Meese in his filing that Mr. Smith's appointment was illegal. He, along with two law professors, argue there is no provision in the Constitution to allow an attorney general to name "a private citizen to receive extraordinary criminal law enforcement power under the title of Special Counsel," which is what they argued was done in regards how Smith was appointed by the Department of Justice. Other friends of the court briefs that were filed in the case were submitted by the nonprofit group American Oversight saying to the appeals court that President Trump's immunity appeal can't made because he hasn't been tried or convicted on such matters. January 3: The Washington Times: Cartels make $32 million a week from illegal aliens headed to America The smuggling cartels are making $32 million a week for bringing illegal immigrants into just one 245-mile stretch of the border, according to congressional Republicans who are on a tour of the southern boundary Wednesday. The House Judiciary Committee posted the eye-popping figure on Twitter [X], saying the estimate came from the Border Patrol. January 3: News Max: House to start impeachment process for HHS Secretary Mayorkas Reportedly the House Homeland Security Committee is moving forward with the impeachment of Department of Homeland Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, as proceedings are scheduled to start Jan. 10. Homeland Security Committee Chair Mark Green (R-TN) said last month at the conclusion of the panel's probe that it has provided House Republicans with enough evidence to impeach the secretary. Green accused Mayorkas of misusing taxpayer funds and intentionally ignoring border security measures. "Our investigation made clear that this crisis finds its foundation in Secretary Mayorkas' decision-making and refusal to enforce the laws passed by Congress and that his failure to fulfill his oath of office demands accountability," Green told Punchbowl News. "The bipartisan House vote in November to refer articles of impeachment to my committee only served to highlight the importance of our taking up the impeachment process – which is what we will begin doing next Wednesday."  January 3: The Epoch Times: Wisconsin Judge rules mail-in ballots with certain errors must still be counted
A judge in Wisconsin on Tuesday ruled that state election clerks can accept absentee ballots that contain errors, including missing portions of witness addresses. The Dane County Circuit Court ruled in favor of the League of Women Voters of Wisconsin in its lawsuit to clarify voting protections for voters whose absentee ballots have minor errors in listing their witnesses' addresses. The county circuit judge wrote that "After all, a witness's address says nothing about the voter's citizenship, age, or residency. Nor does it say anything about whether the voter has been disenfranchised due to a felony conviction or adjudicated incompetent to vote. The address is simply not material to determining the eligibility of a voter." However, the ruling did not address the possibility that the witness might be bogus or be a ballot harvester. Judge Nilsestuen had previously served as chief legal counsel to Democrat Wisconsin Gov. Tony Evers' office. Evers named him to the post in December 2022. January 3: Fox News: Reportedly, Putin may kill families of "criminals" if he cannot find the "criminals" themselves Chechen leader Ramzam Kadyrov a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has called for the execution of family members of suspected criminals who cannot be found. During a Dec. 30 meeting of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Chechen Republic Kadyrov told security commanders that relatives are acceptable recipients of punishment for criminal suspects who are not apprehended. "If someone infringes on public safety, an officer or a tourist, and if we don't even find the offender, we won't keep looking for them, but we will definitely find their relatives," said Kadyrov, according to translations from Newsweek. January 2: The Georgia Record: Federal judge rules in favor of True the Vote in 3-year voting integrity case The Federal Court of the Northern District of Georgia has ruled in favor of True the Vote in their three-year long case brought by Stacy Abrams NGO, Fair Fight. The Judge said "the Court finds that there has not been any violation of Section 11(b) of the Voting Rights Act by any of the named Defendants in this case." The case recently went to trial in Gainesville, where many speculated that the motivation for Fair Fight NGO to bring the suit was about stopping efforts to clean up Georgia's voter rolls. By tying True the Vote up in court for the past three years, efforts to demonstrate that Georgia's rolls contain hundreds of thousands of invalid registrations have been hampered. Registrations containing inaccurate voter information (in many cases for voters who no longer reside in Georgia) are no longer legally qualified to vote in the State. Catherine Englebrecht and the True the Vote team, brought forward data to Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger's office in a meeting in December 2020 and provided research showing over 300,000 such erroneous registrations were included in Georgia rolls, to which Raffensperger and his team replied "that sounds about right." Raffensperger's office has been under heavy scrutiny in recent days as word of errors found in 2021 has spread across Georgia. SoS Investigators, Gabe Sterling, Assistant AG Charlene McGowan, and certain members of the State Election Board all appear to have taken steps and made statements to deflect the facts of the errors away from Raffensperger, even though a letter from Brian Kemp (following an investigation by the Governor's office) confirm the validity of the findings which first surfaced in 2021. The outstanding question remains; What is the State of Georgia going to do about this issue?  January 2: The Washington Examiner: Biden asks SCOTUS to wade into issue over Texas razor wire at the border
The Biden Administration asked the Supreme Court on Tuesday to lift an injunction imposed by an appeals court that allows Texas to keep wire barriers at the southern border, arguing the barriers inhibit Border Patrol agents from crossing and arresting illegal immigrants. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 5th Circuit in December halted a lower court order that gave Border Patrol agents the green light to cut concertina wire that Texas military had put in place along the banks of the Rio Grande to prevent immigrants from walking into the state of Texas and the United States. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a third-term Republican, sued the Biden Administration in October, arguing that Border Patrol agents wrongfully destroyed state property when its agents cut through the concertina wire, allegedly to "assist" immigrants to "illegally cross" the border. January 2: The Texas Scorecard: Fed court backs Texas requirement for a physical signature in order to register to vote Texas can continue requiring original "wet" (physical) signatures on voter registration applications after a federal court shot down claims by Democrat attorneys that the bipartisan election security measure was unconstitutional and violated civil rights laws. A three-judge panel of the U.S. Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last month that requiring applicants to physically sign voter registration forms, creating a "wet" signature instead of simply an electronic signature, fulfills a legitimate state interest in secure elections and does not unduly burden the right to vote. "Texas's interest in voter integrity is substantial," the judges wrote, adding that the state's interest "relates to the qualifications to vote—are the registrants who they claim to be?" Because the state's application form includes the qualifications for voting and penalties for perjury next to the signature line, the court determined that an original signature attesting to the truth of the information provided is "a material requirement." State legislators enacted the election law requirement in 2021 with near-unanimous bipartisan support. The law clarified that applicants who submit a voter registration form by fax must also mail a paper application to their county voter registrar that contains "the voter's original signature."  January 2: The Daily Wire: Harvard's woke President resigns claiming "Racial Animus" not malfeasance
As reported in the Harvard Crimson, Claudine Gay resigned as president of Harvard University on Tuesday in a letter to the university community. Gay's reported resignation comes in the wake of numerous plagiarism allegations as well as her controversial congressional testimony on what Harvard is doing to combat anti-Semitism on campus after Hamas' attack on Israel. Gay tried to diminish the allegations against her by claiming "racial animus" had fueled some of the criticism against her. One of her critics posted on Twitter (X); "Rather than take responsibility for minimizing antisemitism, committing serial plagiarism, intimidating the free press, and damaging the institution, she calls her critics racist. This is the poison of DEI ideology. Glad she's gone."  January 2: Fox News: Trump defense team appeals decision by Maine's Secretary of State to boot Trump off the ballot
President Trump, on Tuesday, appealed the decision to remove him from Maine's Republican primary ballot based upon allegations he played a role in the efforts to enter the Capitol building on January 6, 2021. The decision to keep him off the ballot was made by left-wing Democrat Shenna Bellows, Maine's Secretary of State, a member of the state's executive branch, doing so without any evidence or any indictment for insurrection having been presented to any court in Maine. Bellows is claiming Trump "engaged in insurrection," even though Trump has not been indicted or charged with doing so. January 1: Fox News: Harvard students turn on their president, call for her resignation Harvard students penned an editorial in the university's student newspaper calling on embattled President Claudine Gay to resign from her position following weeks of allegations regarding antisemitism and plagiarism. "University President Claudine Gay should resign," the piece said. "Harvard's presidency is no mere empty honor; it is a deeply challenging managerial job with deeply challenging duties, not least of which is navigating national outcry," the piece continued. "In each of these respects, Gay has failed," the students stated in their Harvard Crimson editorial. "The Harvard Corporation must find a leader who can do better."  January 1:
News Max: Iranian warship enters the Red Sea Iran's Alborz warship has entered the Red Sea, the semi-official Tasnim news agency reported on Monday, at a time of soaring tensions on the key shipping route amid the Israel-Hamas war and attacks on vessels by forces allied to Tehran. Tasnim did not give details of the Alborz's mission but said Iranian warships had been operating in open waters to secure shipping routes, combat piracy and carry out other tasks since 2009. Yemen's Iran-backed Houthis have been targeting vessels in the Red Sea since November to show their support for the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas in its war with Israel. The Alvand class destroyer had been a part of the Iranian navy's 34th fleet, alongside the Bushehr support vessel, and patrolled the Gulf of Aden, the north of the Indian Ocean and the Bab Al-Mandab Strait as far back as 2015, according to Iran's TV Press. | |
| GO TO THE CHRONOLOGY OF NEWS COVERAGE JULY THROUGH DECEMBER 2023 |
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to expand mail in ballots in Texas 
April 21: 
property a stormwater storage area for Texas. 
April 11: 