Information on the "IKE DIKE" Coastal Barrier

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January 5: The Washington Examiner: Schumer; who is leading the Democrat Party?
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declined to say Sunday who the new leader of the Democratic Party is following Vice President Harris's electoral loss to President Donald Trump. Schumer on NBC News's Meet the Press on Sunday for the show's first broadcast of 2025, where he denied that Democrats misled the public about Joe Biden's health but claimed that the party should have shown more "empathy" to voters regarding their economic concerns heading into the November election. The senator would not answer a question about whether he should be viewed as the party's de facto leader once Biden leaves office on January 20. "Look, I think we have a lot of great leaders in our party.

Meanwhile Fox News reported about Schumer's being calling Biden's health Republican propaganda. Schumer said Sunday that they didn't mislead Americans about Biden's decline or ability to serve despite the president dropping out of the race after being faced with a February 2024 clip of him declaring the debate over Biden's health was "right-wing propaganda." Back then Schumer said, "His mental acuity is great. It's fine. It's as good as it's been over the years. All this right-wing propaganda that his mental acuity has declined is wrong."

January 5: The Gateway Pundit:
40% of all murders in the US take place in cities with Soros-backed prosecutors
According to a report from the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund (LELDF), 40% of homicides in the US take place in districts with a Soros-funded prosecutors. As Pamela Geller states, Biden should have given him jail time instead of giving George Soros the Medal of Freedom. Geller cites an article by Paul Schnee, in which he states, "What's next? Is Biden going to posthumously award the Medal of Freedom to Benedict Arnold?" "The amount of serious damage Soros has done to America is incalculable. His lifetime of public mischief has been spent wearing the mask of compassion to undo our civilized order by subverting all of our institutions particularly academia and undermining law & order by financing D.A.s whose main interest is in protecting criminals at the expense of justice for their victims. The man is a traitor, but BLM and Antifa love him."

January 4: The Washington Examiner:
One or two bills to get Trump's agenda flowing
President Trump is pushing for one reconciliation bill that will include his border, energy, and tax policy priorities, House Speaker Michael Johnson (R-LA) reportedly told Republicans in a closed-door meeting on Saturday. The move sets up a contentious vote as Trump attempts to move his ambitious agenda into one piece of legislation ahead of his inauguration on Jan. 20, which is at odds with some in the House and Senate Republican leadership. In late December House and Senate Republicans endorsed a two-step approach to enact Trump's agenda early next Congress, ensuring a border security-focused reconciliation bill is prioritized in January 2025, followed by tax legislation that would extend the Trump administration tax cuts while "including necessary spending reforms and cuts." Reconciliation bills require only a simple majority vote and cannot be blocked by a 60% closure threshold (a filibuster). Senate leader Thune had suggested the GOP focus their first reconciliation resolution on border funding, energy production, and defense spending while leaving tax-related measures for a second piece of legislation later in the year. Trump is urging one package given the tight speaker's race, which saw Johnson secure reelection in the first round of votes on Friday, that could make maneuvering both bills more complicated on top of an already difficult situation in the House. Some in the House, including Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith (R-MO), who endorsed a single bill from the start, has long championed one single package. "It shows the best and quickest approach to deliver for President Trump is one beautiful, big package," Smith said in December.

January 4: The Epoch Times: They lost all their cases except one; they
want to call Trump the only convicted felon elected as President
New York Supreme Court Justice Juan Merchan has rejected an attempt by President Trump to dismiss his business records case and ordered sentencing for Jan. 10. He had originally scheduled sentencing in the case for 2029, after Trump leaves office. However, moving the sentencing forward reportedly could hamper Trump's legal team from appealing the conviction because Manhattan DA Bragg then wants the Governor of New York to pardon Trump which would cut off the ability to appeal the conviction -- allowing Trump to be labeled a convicted felon. An important note is that legal experts from all spectrums believe an appeal would be successful because to actions taken by Merchan (such as saying Trump was guilty before the trail even started and having a daughter who has profited from the case). Merchan said in his order that he wasn't inclined to impose a prison term on the president-elect. Citing concerns about presidential immunity, he also said that "a sentence of unconditional discharge appears to be the most viable solution to ensure finality and allow the Defendant to pursue his appellate options," while not addressing reports of the NY Governor pardoning the conviction. Meanwhile, there are reports that Merchan could be facing the possibility of being disbarred and even being indicted of violating Donald Trump's civil rights (a Federal criminal indictment) based upon his actions prior to and during the trial.

January 3: News Max: New Senate Majority Leader not sure all GOP
members will vote to confirm all of Trump's nominees
New Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) said there isn't "clarity" just yet if all of President Trump's Cabinet nominees will have the full support of all the Republican senators. He predicted that "a lot of them will get through, and we'll see about all of them." Thune was asked if he knew of Republican senators who might not vote to confirm Pete Hegseth for defense secretary and/or Kash Patel for FBI director to which he responded we don't have clarity at this point. Republicans have a 53-47 advantage plus a vote by JD Vance (if necessary) over Democrats, but there has been pushback from a handful of GOP senators over Hegseth, Patel, and Tulsi Gabbard for director of national intelligence.

January 2: The Epoch Times:
County Clerk being investigated; 200 ballots in Wisconsin not counted
Almost 200 absentee ballots were left uncounted in Madison, Wisconsin, after the 2024 general election, causing state election officials to launch an investigation on Jan. 2 to determine whether the city clerk broke state law. The Wisconsin Elections Commission will investigate whether Madison City Clerk Maribeth Wetzel-Biehl flouted state laws or abused her discretion, after it voted unanimously to open a probe on Thursday. The commission is concerned that Wetzel-Biehl's office did not notify it of the problem until the end of December, which is nearly a month and a half after the election and several weeks after Commission Chair Ann Jacobs certified the state election results on Nov. 29.

January 2: The Washingbton Times:
Trump has long warned Biden of Islamist terrorism
President-elect Donald Trump has long warned that the Biden Administration was not fortifying the country against Islamist terrorism on U.S. soil, and his supporters say New Year's Day attacks in New Orleans and Las Vegas hammered home the point. Trump and his allies blamed the massacre of 14 pedestrians by an ISIS-inspired terrorist on Joe Biden's open border policies and weak leadership. They faulted the Biden Administration's focus on investigating White nationalism, religious organizations and activist parents who complain at school board meetings. "Our Country is a disaster, a laughing stock all over the World! This is what happens when you have open borders, with weak, ineffective, and virtually nonexistent leadership," Trump posted on Truth Social.

January 2: The Daily Citizen: Federal appeals court rules employers have
a right to make personnel decisions based on religious principles
A federal appeals court has upheld the right of religious employers to hire employees in accordance with the organization's faith and mission. On January 2, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in favor of several groups challenging a New York law that prohibits "discrimination based on an employee's or a dependent's reproductive health decision making." Several organizations challenged the law which alleged the law violates their First Amendment rights. The law, which applies to churches, religious schools, faith-based pregnancy care centers, and religious nonprofits, requires them to "undermine their own beliefs about abortion, contraception, and sexual morality by forcing them to employ those who cannot effectively convey the groups' message because they refuse to abide by the organizations' statements of faith and core principles about such issues." Under the law a pro-life pregnancy resource center would be required to hire a pro-abortion advocate who has had multiple abortions. Churches who are deeply pro-life could be required to hire employees who are pro-abortion. And the list goes on.

January 2: The Gateway Pundit:
FBI continues to withhold info to House
committee; Jan 6th pipe bomber
A new report released by the Committee on House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight into the January 6 pipe bomber shows the FBI stopped looking for the suspect and covered up evidence. The FBI is now refusing to cooperate with Congressional investigators. In September, former Secret Service agent Dan Bongino said according to a whistleblower, after the pipe bombs were found at the RNC and DNC headquarters, "assets on the ground, including a whistleblower, was briefed about the pipe bombs the next day and show a picture of a guy in a hoodie." However, the law enforcement agents were told to stand down two days later. Bongino said "… two days later after the pipe bombs, … without explanation, they were told to stand down! No need to look for the guy anymore." This directly contradicts previous statements by FBI Director Christopher Wray.


January 1, 2025: Breitbart News:
Ukraine shuts off Russian gas that flows
through them to Europe
Despite nearly three years of war, Russian energy has continued to transit unimpeded through Ukrainian territory every day until now, with the taps being firmly closed on New Year's Day. Zero Russian gas is flowing to European customers through Ukrainian pipelines for the first time in decades today, confirmation there was to be no last-minute deal to keep the route open, sending energy prices spiking on Tuesday. The route has seen billions of cubic feet of gas delivered since the end of the Cold War, and a five-year contract between Moscow and Kyiv governing the transit of gas continued to be observed, remarkably, right to the last moment when it expired at midnight. But no new contract has been signed, and Ukraine, through its state media, has announced today they "ceased the transportation of Russian natural gas through its territory in the interests of national security". Its energy minister said: "We have blocked the transit of Russian gas, this is a historic event. Russia is losing markets, it will suffer financial losses".

December 31: Fox News:
New charges; 2009 kidnapper gets two home invasion charges added
Prosecutors announced new charges against a man who kidnapped and sexually assaulted a Northern California woman, which was originally thought to be a hoax but ended up being a real case. Matthew Muller, 47, the man who abducted Denise Huskins in Vallejo in 2015, is now being charged in two home invasion cases from 15 years ago. Muller broke into women's homes in Palo Alto and Mountain View California in 2009, with the intent to rape them, according to the Santa Clara District Attorney's Office. Thanks to a new lead and advances in forensic DNA testing, the Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office, along with Palo Alto and Mountain View Police, were able to ID Muller in the cases.

December 30: One America News Network:
With so much crime in NYC, the Guardian Angels have been revitalized
The founder of the Guardian Angles revealed that the vigilante group will resume patrols of the New York City subway system following the shocking arson murder of a woman on a subway car last week. Founded in 1979, the Guardian Angels is a volunteer vigilante patrol squad. "We're going to have to increase our numbers, increase the training and increase our presence as we did back in 1979," founder Sliwa stated on Sunday at the Stillwell Avenue-Coney Island subway station, where a woman was killed after being lit on fire by an illegal migrant, which authorities believe was intentional. "We went from 13 to 1,000 [members] back then within a period of a year," he continued. "Because the need was there. The need is here now once again. We're going to step up. We're going to make sure we have a visual presence just like we had in the '70s, '80s and '90s." A post on Twitter said, They're Back: If incompetent NY Governor Kathy Hochul won't do her job, the Guardian Angels are now going to start patrolling the subways again! Looks like the Calvary has arrived.

December 30: The Daily Signal:
Trump endorses Johnson (R-LA) to continue as House Speaker
President Donald Trump endorsed House Speaker Mike Johnson for another round as leader of the House of Representatives Monday. Conservatives had wondered if Trump would oppose Johnson's bid after the president-elect effectively killed the first massive spending bill to fund the government earlier this month. "We are the Party of common sense, a primary reason that we WON, in a landslide, the magnificent and historic Presidential Election of 2024," Trump began in a post on Truth Social. The president-elect celebrated the fact that he won every swing state, 312 Electoral College votes, and more votes than Vice President Kamala Harris, the Democratic nominee.


December 30: The Epoch Times:
President Carter, 100, passes in Plains, Georgia
Former President Jimmy Carter, the longest-lived president in U.S. history, died at his home, his family and the Carter Center confirmed Sunday. He was 100. In a statement his foundation, the Carter Center, wrote: "Our founder, former U.S. President Jimmy Carter, passed away this afternoon in Plains, Georgia." "My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love," said Chip Carter, the former president's son. "My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs."


December 29: The Washington Examiner: Gingrich slams destructive efforts to unseat speaker Johnson
Former GOP Rep. Newt Gingrich praised House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) for his handling of the continuing resolution drama before Christmas as Johnson hopes to coast in this week's speaker election. Johnson will face his first House speaker election since he first won the job in October 2023, but during the fight over continuing resolutions earlier this month, some House Republicans expressed doubt about whether they would support him. Gingrich, himself a former House speaker, offered his praise and hit at "totally destructive" Republicans. "Mike Johnson, speaker of the House, is doing an extraordinary job. I tell everybody, I was a pretty effective speaker. I could never do his job. He has no margins. Any two or three members can rebel at any moment," Gingrich said. Gingrich stressed that Republicans should stay focused on key issues, such as tax cuts, but also be a unified front as the GOP takes over control in the Senate and the White House next month. "They need a Republican unity program for the next two years."

December 29: The Epoch Times:
COSTCO board encourages shareholders not to reject its DEI practices
Costco's board of directors has encouraged shareholders to vote to support its "diversity, equity, and inclusion" (DEI) program after it received a proposal to reject the practice. The National Center for Public Policy, a conservative think tank, had urged Costco's shareholders and board to strike DEI because it promoted discriminatory practices, according to the Kirkland, Washington-based retailer in a statement to shareholders. Several companies, including Tractor Supply Co., Harley Davidson, John Deere, Lowes, and others, have announced they'll repeal their DEI policies after facing pushback from conservatives and lawmakers. "It's clear that DEI holds litigation, reputational and financial risks to the Company, and therefore financial risks to shareholders," the National Center for Public Policy said in its proposal to Costco, according to the statement. "With 310,000 employees, Costco likely has at least 200,000 employees who are potentially victims of this type of illegal discrimination because they are white, Asian, male or straight," it added.

December 28: News Max: Trump supports H-1B visas for skilled foreign workers
President-elect Donald Trump on Saturday sided with key supporter and billionaire tech CEO Elon Musk in a public dispute over the use of the H-1B visa, saying he fully backs the program for foreign tech workers opposed by some of his supporters. Trump's remarks followed a series of social media posts from Musk, the CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, who vowed late Friday to go to "war" to defend the visa program for foreign tech workers. Trump, who moved to limit the visas' use during his first presidency, told The New York Post on Saturday he was likewise in favor of the visa program. "I have many H-1B visas on my properties. I've been a believer in H-1B. I have used it many times. It's a great program," he was quoted as saying. Musk, a naturalized U.S. citizen born in South Africa, has held an H-1B visa, and his electric-car company Tesla obtained 724 of the visas this year. H-1B visas are typically for three-year periods, though holders can extend them or apply for green cards.

December 28: The Post Newspaper:
God has a plan; A personal Christmas message
This week Christians around the world are celebrating the birth of Jesus. Some used to make a pilgrimage to Bethlehem as part of the observance. There are several reasons the birthplace of Jesus is important. One is that it fulfilled a prophesy of the Old Testament about the coming Jewish Messiah. He was to be born in Bethlehem of Ephrathah (Mich 5:2). Unlike the birth of Jesus, we don't need to go to Bethlehem to meet Him. We could be in church, on the beach, in our car; on a park bench, or even at home… It doesn't matter. In my case I was in my office in Washington, DC when I was introduced to the Jewish Messiah. Before I met Him, I was bouncing around from one thing to another. After I met Him there was a purpose for, and in, my life. This Christmas, know that God has a plan for you. You don't need to be perfect for the Lord to meet you and use you. He will meet you wherever you are, at the right time and at the right place. Know that He loves you, that He will bless you, and that He will use you in ways you can never imagine.
[Read the entire column]

December 28: News Max: Judge orders Biden White House to stop selling border wall materials
A federal judge has ordered the Biden administration to stop selling border wall materials, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said Friday. "We have successfully blocked the Biden Administration from disposing of any further border wall materials before President Trump takes office," Paxton said. "This follows our major victory forcing Biden to build the wall, and we will hold his Administration accountable for illegally subverting our Nation's border security until their very last day in power, especially where their actions are clearly motivated by a desire to thwart President-elect Trump's immigration agenda," he added.

December 28: Breitbart News: Seattle residents vow not to tip after minimum wage raises prices
Residents in Seattle, Washington, plan to stop tipping as a minimum wage hike in the Democrat-run city looms. The city's minimum wage is supposed to go from $19.97 to $20.76 an hour on January 1. Tipping workers on top of the approaching hourly rate hike does not appear to be a popular idea with some residents who have said they will no longer be shelling out the extra money for workers. Seattle's minimum wage rate is among the highest in America, KTTH radio host Jason Rantz rote in an opinion piece on Thursday. He noted that Seattle's minimum wage ordinance requires the increases based on inflation and then said "Seattle restaurant operators are panicked ahead of a minimum wage update that will now prevent tips and benefits from being deducted from hourly wages. For some Seattle restaurants, it will add about $45,000 in expenses per month that they don't have."

December 27: The Gateway Pundit:
Hunters are becoming the hunted as Jack Smith's prosecutors are lawyering up
The hunters are becoming the hunted. Earlier this month it was reported Jack Smith's team of prosecutors are lawyering up as they brace for President Trump. Reportedly Smith's team of prosecutors are also combing through their private and professional communications to make sure they haven't written anything that can be subpoenaed. Some are asking "Are they deleting evidence of misconduct and anti-Trump bias?" CNN reported, "One former senior White House official said aides inside the White House and across various federal agencies are intensely worried about the possibility that the incoming Trump administration will prosecute anyone deemed as having antagonized the president-elect," Rolling Stone magazine reported that many of Jack Smith's prosecutors are afraid they will go bankrupt [similar to what happened to Rudy Giuliani after the left wing lawfare used against him] and are inquiring about taking steps to protect their family's assets.

December 27: Fox 5 Atlanta:
Fulton County judge says GA State Senate has right to subpoena record of
DA Willis in their investigation of whether any misconduct was undertaken
A judge has ruled that the Georgia state Senate can subpoena Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis as part of an inquiry into whether she engaged in misconduct during her prosecution of President Donald Trump but is giving Willis the chance to contest whether lawmakers' demands are overly broad. Fulton County Superior Court Judge Shukura Ingram filed the order Monday, telling Willis she has until Jan. 13 to submit arguments over whether the subpoenas seek legally shielded or confidential information. Ingram wrote that she would issue a final order later saying what Willis had to respond to. The Senate committee leading the investigation has offered to narrow the scopes of the documents if doing so is necessary. Willis, reportedly, wants the judge's ruling overturned. Last month a state appeals court removed Willis from the Georgia election interference case against Donald Trump.

December 27: The Daily Caller:
Another Florida Dem. State Representative switches parties
Florida State Rep. Hillary Cassel has become the second Democrat to leave her party and become a Republican. She cited her concerns over the Democratic Party's "failure to unequivocally support Israel" and what she calls its disconnect from everyday Floridians. "As a proud Jewish woman," she said. "I have been increasingly troubled by the Democratic Party's failure to unequivocally support Israel and its willingness to tolerate extreme progressive voices that justify or condone acts of terrorism. I'm constantly troubled by the inability of the current Democratic Party to relate to everyday Floridians. I can no longer remain in a party that doesn't represent my values."

December 26: News Max:
Farmers in California's central valley bracing for mass deportations and a loss of Mexican laborers
Voters in California's Central Valley, the agricultural center of the state, are grappling with the potential for mass deportations under President-elect Donald Trump, which could gut their workforce. The Central Valley voted for Trump in November, a red bastion in a deep blue state, despite Trump's vow to deport undocumented immigrants, which make up half the state's agriculture workforce. "To say it would have an impact on California would be an understatement," said Chris Reardon, vice president of policy advocacy at the industry group California Farm Bureau Federation. Some are calling for temporary visas for agricultural workers, similar to the Bracero program initiated under Franklin Roosevelt in 1942 and which ended in 1964.

December 26: The Daily Caller: Under Trump California may see
federal funds dry up if Newsom flaunts immigration laws
Rep. Greg Murphy(R-NC) said Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom of California could put federal funds for the state at risk if he defied President-elect Donald Trump's plans to deport illegal immigrants. "What he wants to do is basically break the law. You know, we saw this a long time ago, when states did not want to integrate, and they wanted to continue with segregation," Murphy said. "These are laws, these are national laws. He doesn't get to pick and choose which one he gets." "We're not going to send in the National Guard, but you know what, they get a lot of federal money, and if they want their state to dry up even quicker because of his nasty policies, I don't think he'd last long, and this time, when the recount comes, he's gone," Murphy continued. "You can't keep flaunting and caring more about people coming in this country illegally than the people of our country. This is nonsense, the day is coming, they are going to rue the day they continue these asinine and ridiculous policies."

December 26: The Washington Examiner:
Baltic Sea power cable cut; sabotage cannot be ruled out
A power cable connecting Finland and Estonia under the Baltic Sea suffered a power outage on Wednesday, prompting an investigation. The electrical transmission through the Estline 2 connection between the two European nations was cut on Wednesday afternoon local time. Arto Pakhin, Fingrid's operations manager, told a local news organization that "the possibility of sabotage cannot be ruled out." Finnish authorities said they took control of an oil tanker on Thursday traveling from Russia under the suspicion that it could be responsible for the outage. Reportedly an anchor of the vessel that is under investigation as a possible cause of the damage. Estonian Foreign Affairs Minister Margus Tsahkna said they "can't rule out deliberate damage to the cable," and added, "there have been too many incidents at Baltic Sea that coincidences are becoming unlikely."

December 25: The Epoch Times: Interesting timing; Trump speaks, Denmark acts
The government of Denmark, which controls key aspects of the autonomous territory of Greenland, has announced a major boost to the Arctic island's defense spending, just hours after President Trump repeated his desire to purchase Greenland, citing security imperatives. Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen told Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten on Dec. 24 that the defense package would amount to at least $1.5 billion. Trump said on Dec. 22 that U.S. control and ownership of Greenland — a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark — is "an absolute necessity" for "national security and freedom throughout the world." Denmark's defense package reportedly includes new inspection ships, drones, dog sled teams, upgraded Arctic Command staffing, and an F-35 capable airport upgrade. "We have not invested enough in the Arctic for many years, now we are planning a stronger presence," he said. Greenland, which runs its own domestic matters but whose foreign affairs including defense are controlled by Denmark, is strategically important to the United States

December 25: The Washington Times:
Mexico prepares shelters needed for Trump's remain in Mexico policy
The Mexican government will open 25 new shelters to house illegal immigrants deported from the United States in preparation for a border crackdown when President Trump regains office next month. Baja California Gov. Marina del Pilar Avila Olmeda said in a meeting Monday that the country is taking Trump threat of deportation seriously. Five of the shelters will be in the city of Tijuana, with two others in Mexicali, the capital city in Baja. She did not further specify the shelters' locations. "This is a strategic plan to accommodate exclusively people who get deported after Jan. 20," Ms. Ávila Olmeda said. "What we do know, throughout his campaign, he threatened to do this, and since he was already president of the United States, we believe this time he will be stricter and tougher when it comes to deportations," she said. "We are working to get ready and receive our migrants." The migrants will only be able to stay in the shelters that can house up to 500 people for a few days before they will be sent back to their hometowns. Some will hold men, while others will hold women, families, and unaccompanied minors.

December 25: Axios:
Bald Eagle is now "officially" the symbol of the USA
The bald eagle is now officially the national bird of the U.S. after Joe Biden signed into law legislation amending a code to formally recognize the previously unofficial American emblem. "The Bald Eagle has symbolized American ideals since its placement on the Great Seal in 1782," Preston Cook, co-chair of the National Bird Initiative for the National Eagle Center, said after Congress passed the bill earlier this month. "With this legislation, we honor its historic role and solidify its place as our national bird and an emblem of our national identity," he Cook. Cook spearheaded the effort to get this bipartisan legislation enacted.

December 25: Breitbart News:
Santa Cruz (CA) wharf collapse after environmental lawsuit delays needed repairs
Repairs to the historic wharf in Santa Cruz, which collapsed in heavy swell on Monday, were reportedly delayed after an environmental and preservationist group's lawsuit delayed changes to the 110-year-old structure by several years. Waves were unusually high on Monday up and down the West Coast, bringing Christmas joy to surfers, who flocked to popular surf spots, north and south, to catch the swell; but it brought destruction to Santa Cruz. No one was hurt, but three workers had to be rescued from the detached end of the wharf, which floated out to sea. The San Francisco Chronicle recalled Tuesday that the city had planned to reinforce the wharf, but that the proposal had faced a lawsuit by a group of environmentalists and preservationists called "Don't Morph the Wharf," which caused repairs to be delayed and also caused part of the project to be abandoned.

December 24: The Washington Examiner:
Biden takes heat for vetoing a bill that would add additional judicial positions
Federal judiciary leaders have sharply criticized Joe Biden's veto of the Judges Ace, a bipartisan bill that sought to add 66 new federal judgeships to address mounting caseloads in courts across the United States. Biden fulfilled his promise to veto the bill Monday evening and has since drawn widespread rebuke from judges, lawmakers, and court watchers who stressed the urgent need for expanded judicial resources. U.S. District Judge Robert Conrad, director of the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, described the veto as "extremely disappointing" in a letter addressed to Biden on Dec. 16 that was released Tuesday. Conrad, an appointee of Republican former President George W. Bush, emphasized that Biden's decision reflects a "regrettable failure" by the administration to support the judiciary and warned that it would exacerbate growing caseloads, further delaying justice for litigants.

December 24: The New York Post: Trump serious about buying Greenland
Greenland's 836,330 square miles slightly exceed the 827,987 square miles that America gained with the Louisiana Purchase, a deal struck between then-President Thomas Jefferson and France. Most of sparsely populated Greenland's 56,000 residents are mainly Inuit — related to other indigenous groups along the northernmost fringe of Canada and Alaska — and in principle have been given permission by Copenhagen (Denmark has control over the island) under a 2009 law to sever ties should they so choose. Currently, the relatively poor residents depend heavily on an annual block grant from Denmark's government. According to the US Department of Commerce's International Trade Administration, the roughly half-billion-dollar grant contributes about 20% of Greenland's GDP and half of the public budget. "It's almost like an indenture of old, where the Greenlanders remain reliant on an economic subsidy that Denmark sends them and essentially have to bootstrap their way to a new future," one observer said. "They're an asset-rich and cash-poor — kind of frozen in place."

December 23: One America News Network: Navy FA-18 Hornet shot down by friendly fire; pilots survive; investigation underway
The U.S. Central Command reported two U.S. Navy pilots were shot down over the Red Sea in a "friendly fire" incident on Sunday. Both pilots safely ejected the jet, however, one suffered minor injuries. The two pilots were in an F/A-18 fighter jet from the USS Harry S. Truman Strike Group, when it was "mistakenly fired on and hit," by the guided missile cruiser USS Gettysburg. It was not immediately clear how the Gettysburg mistook the F/A-18 fighter jet for an enemy aircraft, however Central Command added that a "full investigation is underway." The friendly fire incident follows after Central Command announced that it had conducted precision airstrikes against the Iranian-backed Houthis in Yemen on Saturday, reportedly targeting a missile storage facility, along with a command-and-control facility. The attacks against the Houthis have been an ongoing effort to respond to the Houthi missile attacks against cargo ships, threatening the global supply chain as an estimated 12% of global supplies pass through the Red Sea shipping lanes.

December 23: The Gateway Pundit: President Clinton admitted to hospital for fever
Former President Bill Clinton, 78, was hospitalized with a fever on Monday. "President Clinton was admitted to Georgetown University Medical Center this afternoon for testing and observation after developing a fever. He remains in good spirits and deeply appreciates the excellent care he is receiving." Clinton's aide said.

December 23: News Max: China could shut down Panama Canal at will
A China expert warned that China's strategic influence over the Panama Canal poses a potential risk to global maritime trade and U.S. naval operations. Gordon Chang, a prominent journalist and China expert, cautioned Monday that China can shut down the Panama Canal if it chooses. The canal, a critical maritime artery, is increasingly under Beijing's influence, raising concerns about its strategic implications for the United States and global trade. President Trump recently claimed that the canal is a "vital national asset" for the U.S.; threatening to reassert control over it. "Well, he's certainly right," Chang said when asked about President Donald Trump's warning that China seeks to control the waterway. "China's port facilities are at both ends of the canal. And when General Laura Richardson took a helicopter ride over the Canal Zone, this was the middle of 2022; she said she 'looked down and saw all of these dual-use facilities.'" shut Chang further cited Evan Ellis, a leading expert on Latin America, who stated that "the Chinese could down the canal if it wanted to." He explained that China's infrastructure development in the area, including bridges, could be used to disrupt the canal's operations during a conflict. "If you build a bridge over the canal, you can take a bridge down over the canal, block the waterway. And that's what I think the Chinese are up to with this new infrastructure project of theirs because, at a time of war, they could make the canal totally useless," Chang said.

December 22: Breitbart News:
Trump plans to leave the UN's W.H.O. upon inauguration
The U.S. will exit the globalist World Health Organization (W.H.O.) on day one of President-elect Donald Trump's new administration taking power, a report Sunday predicts. The U.S. is the W.H.O.'s largest single donor. It provides the home to over 8,000 career bureaucrats with about 16 percent of its budget which in 2024 stood at U.S.$6.83 billion. It has previously been criticized by conservative voices for its extraordinary drain on U.S. taxpayer funds while Trump has called it a slave to China's own global ambitions.

December 22: The Post Newspaper: Can we trust Election Returns?
Prior to the 2024 election, approximately two-thirds of American voters worried about election integrity. That same number believed that deceit determined the 2020 outcome. After November 2024, voter tone softened with only 20% expressing worry. Should voters feel more confident in future results? Election integrity is still on the mind of voters. More than three-fourths of those surveyed support significant reductions in the number of days in Early Voting (we have twelve in Texas). They want results reported within 12 hours after the polls are closed, and they want to have a paper backup for all votes cast.

December 22: iHeartMedia/KTRH:
Border wall materials taken off the market after lawsuit filed to stop the sale
Border wall materials that were set to be sold by the federal government have reportedly been pulled from an auction site after Texas and Missouri filed a motion earlier this week in a district court in the southern district of Texas to hold a status conference to determine if the federal government is in breach of the court's permanent injunction from earlier this year. Additionally, President Trump filed an amicus brief this week to try and stop the Biden administration from selling off border wall materials. The original listings for the sale by GovPlanet were scheduled for an Dec. 18 auction with starting bids for the materials at $5. Joe Biden has been trying to sell off the pieces of border wall prior to Donald Trump taking office. Texas leaders including Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick said that the state would be first in line to purchase any border wall parts to give back to President Trump if they were to be auctioned off.

December 22: Fox News: Fact Checking; Sen. Warren's (D-MA ) allegation that Trump stopped funding for child cancer debunked
The GOP has dismantled a narrative put forth by Democratic lawmakers such as Sen. Elizabeth Warren that Republicans blocked funding for childhood cancer research in the spending bill, pointing to a stand-alone bill that had languished in the Democrat-controlled Senate for months. While the Democrat Party's "war room" published a press release declaring: "Trump and his MAGA minions in Congress have decided to threaten a government shutdown for his political gain — and now they've stooped as low as cutting child cancer research," Elon Musk and Trump allies slammed the narrative pointing to a standalone bill that passed in the Republican-led House back in March, and had for months languished in the Democrat-led Senate.

December 21: The Gateway Pundit: Dems caught doing exactly what they accused Trump of doing – cutting Social Security
Democrats have been caught doing the very thing they've been accusing President Trump of doing: Cutting Social Security. On Wednesday, the U.K. Daily Mail reported Senate Democrats are trying to push through a Social Security reform bill they want to see signed by Joe Biden before Trump takes office. The Social Security Fairness Act aims to repeal provisions that reduce payouts to public sector employees like police officers, firefighters, teachers, and post workers. The Mail cites The Committee for a Responsible Budget (CRFB) in their article, and that group states this would make Social Security insolvent six months earlier than current projections by giving increased benefits to 3 million people who paid into their state or local pensions that DID NOT pay Social Security. The CRFB also states, "As a result, we estimate a typical dual-income couple retiring in 2033 would see their benefits cut by an additional $25,000 over their lifetime."

December 21: The Daily Caller: Lame Duck President under pressure to fund defund police/Anti-Israel non-profit with taxpayer dollars
The Biden administration is facing mounting pressure to dole out tens of millions of taxpayer dollars to a left-wing nonprofit that advocates for defunding the police, prison abolition and the "liberation" of Palestinian territories before President Trump takes office. The left-wing advocates lobbying Joe Biden include members of his own administration's staff. A group of federal government employees, dubbed the "federal environment and energy workers for justice in Palestine," wrote an open letter to the White House, Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Department of Energy (DOE) on Thursday. The anonymous career staffers are demanding that the administration disburse all designated federal funds to the Climate Justice Alliance (CJA) and end collaboration with Israel.

December 20: The Washington Times: SCOTUS to consider No-Fly List case
A group of Americans represented by the Council on American-Islamic Relations asked the Supreme Court on Friday to review the legality of the government's watchlist. Adis Kava, one of the plaintiffs, was interrogated when he tried to board a plane. The Department of Homeland Security later confirmed he was on the no-fly list, according to the filing. Kovac and the other plaintiffs sued to be removed from the watchlist, alleging the compilation of the list runs afoul of federal law and that the agencies don't have clear authorization from Congress. The petition claims that the government can place citizens on the watchlist without probable cause for something like associating with someone already on the no-fly list or traveling to a majority Muslim country. The complaint says such action infringes on the freedom to associate. "And watch list inclusion can affect everything from a person's ability to travel on airplanes to how he is treated during traffic stops to whether he can exercise his Second Amendment right to purchase a firearm," the filing read. The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the feds' watchlist, reasoning that Congress authorized it. That decision prompted the group's appeal to the justices. A spokesperson for the Justice Department didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about the case.

December 20: News Max: House passes stop-gap funding bill,
the ball in the Democrat-controlled Senate's court
The third time was the charm for the House on Friday as it passed a stopgap bill that funds the federal government through March and provides disaster relief and aid to farmers without addressing the federal debt limit. The ball is now in the court of the Democrat-controlled Senate and Joe Biden, which faced a midnight Friday deadline to avoid a government shutdown and suspension of many services. C-SPAN reported that the Senate will take up the legislation Saturday. The final vote was 366-34, with one Democrat voting present. All 34 voting against were Republicans. The legislation faced long odds of passing because Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., suspended House rules, requiring a two-thirds majority, or 290 votes, to pass. That meant a large number of Democrats would have to support the bill without too many Republican defections. Earlier in the day, Johnson said Republicans reached a consensus on a deal to fund the government but provided no details on its measures.

December 20: Breitbart News:
Judge rules on eligibility of candidate, gives GOP a slim majority in MN House
A Minnesota judge ruled that a Democratic-Farmer-Labor (DFL) Party candidate is ineligible to be sworn in after not meeting residency requirements, giving Republicans a majority in the Minnesota House. In a ruling issued on Friday, Ramsey County District Court Judge Leonardo Castro stated that DFL candidate Curtis Johnson, who won his race to represent Minnesota's House District 40B, did not meet the residency requirements of living in "the district" for "six months before the election." Due to Castro's ruling, the balance of power goes from a 67-67 tie between Democrats and Republicans to giving Republicans a "one-seat" majority in Minnesota's House

December 19: The Daily Caller: Speaker's broken promises on CR may cost him his job
Speaker of the House Mike Johnson is facing serious blowback from those in his own party for trying to push through a continuing resolution filled with unnecessary spending. Sources on Capitol Hill, including both lawmakers and their staff, have speculated Johnson may have cost himself the Speaker's job with the poorly-received funding gambit right before Christmas. The 1,574-page spending measure will receive votes from both Democrats and Republicans, but Johnson broke several promises in the process of putting forth the bill. Johnson said in September that he has "no intention of going back" to the "terrible tradition" of a Christmas omnibus bill. A senior house aide said many in the House Republicans have lost trust in Johnson and that it will be hard for him to recover from. "It's not a competence or leadership question for some folks now. It's a trust question. That's gonna be tough to come back from," the aide said. Vivek Ramaswamy and Elon Musk and President Trump and Vice President Vance all opposed the CR measure. Johnson also promised the spending bill would be written by committee leaders in an open process and members would have at least 72 hours to read it before voting, but in reality, the new CR was negotiated behind closed doors by leadership and didn't meet the 72 hour promised deadline.

December 19: News Max:
House rejects plan B to fund government; partial shutdown likely
The House of Representatives on Thursday overwhelmingly rejected the funding bill (mentioned above) which was aimed at averting a government shutdown. The contentious legislation would have suspended the country's borrowing limit for President Trump's first two years in office and dozens of debt hawks in the Republican ranks rebelled against their own leadership to sink the package. The retooled version (Plan B) was considered under a fast-track method that required two-thirds support but Democrats had been clear that they would deny Republicans the votes they needed to make up for the rebels in their ranks and it failed to win even a straightforward majority. Republicans will likely try again with a more pared-down version, although the party leadership offered no clear path forward, telling reporters they would have to meet to discuss a Plan C. A shutdown looks almost certain, potentially sending almost a million workers home without pay over Christmas. That said, if history proves us right, in the past federal workers are compensated once the government opens up again, in essence giving them a paid vacation.

December 19: The Daily Signal:
Appeals Court: Fani Willis booted from Georgia's case against Trump
A Georgia appeals court on Thursday disqualified Fani Willis, the scandal-plagued prosecutor leading a racketeering case against Donald Trump and his 2020 campaign supporters. The appeals court left the criminal charges in Georgia stemming from the 2020 presidential election in place but booted Willis, the Fulton County district attorney, and determined that a new prosecutor needs to be appointed for the case. The court ruled, "We cannot conclude that the record also supports the imposition of the extreme sanction of dismissal of the indictment." Willis, who had appointed Nathan Wade as a special prosecutor in the Trump case and later admitted to having an affair with him. The appeals court ruled that this "significant appearance of impropriety" could taint the case in the eyes of the public.

December 19: The Gateway Pundit: Trump's border czar will go after AZ
governor Hobbs if she fails to go along with deportation efforts
The incoming Trump Border Czar Tom Homan came out swinging against radical left state officials who defy federal border policy Wednesday, saying that Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs (D), who some contend stole the election from Kari Lake, may face "multiple" criminal charges and jail time. Katie Hobbs recently declared that she would not comply with President Trump's promised mass deportation policies during a border PR appearance. This comes after Trump confirmed on Monday that he will declare a 'National Emergency' on immigration and deploy the military to initiate mass deportations. Hobbs fearmongered, claiming Trump's border policies will "harm or terrorize our communities." Her solution: continue facilitating the largest invasion in American history and allow rapists, murderers, and poisonous fentanyl to flood American cities.

December 18: News Max:
Continuing Resolution scrapped as Speaker reconsiders position
Reportedly the bipartisan federal spending plan heralded by Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA), to avert a partial government shutdown has been scrapped as House Republicans, President Trump and Elon Musk joined in criticizing the deal. Criticism of the spending package built steadily throughout the day and culminated with a lengthy statement by Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance posted on Vance's Twitter account this afternoon. It has forced Johnson back to the drawing board on a plan to prevent a possible Christmastime shutdown. "Your elected representatives have heard you and now the terrible bill is dead," Musk posted on Twitter. "The voice of the people has triumphed!" If a deal is not reached by 12:01 a.m. Saturday, funding for many federal programs will cease. Trump and Vance are also encouraging House Republicans to deal with the federal debt ceiling, which is expected to be reinstated on Jan. 1, instead of waiting for their administration, which begins Jan. 20. The debt ceiling was suspended at $31.4 trillion when lawmakers passed the Fiscal Responsibility Act of 2023 and its reinstatement, with the national debt now at $36.1 trillion, will force the Treasury Department to keep the government from defaulting on its debt if it the ceiling is not raised.

December 18: The Daily Signal: GOP in Washington in a tough spot; they don't have control for another month but the government still needs to be funded
President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance want House Speaker Mike Johnson and Republicans on Capitol Hill to play hardball with obstructionist Democrats in the ongoing government funding fight. On Tuesday night, Congressional leadership released the 1,500+ page text of the continuing resolution that will fund the government until March 14, 2025. With funding set to expire on Dec. 20, Congress needs to act in order to avert a government shutdown on the eve of a new Congress and the presidential transition of power. Republicans are in a tough spot—especially Johnson. Though the GOP earned a mandate victory in November, they won't actually have their trifecta until January. A Democrat Senate and president still have to sign off on any plan to fund the government. Meanwhile, recent polling shows that 53% of the populus feels it's okay to have a shutdown in order to cut spending. The bill includes over $100 billion in additional government spending. The bulk of the additional funding is for disaster relief aid, ostensibly for damage caused by hurricanes Helene and Milton. But the bill also has the federal government paying for the rebuilding of the Francis Scott Key bridge in Baltimore, $10 billion in aid to farmers, and changes in healthcare policy. And the kicker? It includes a raise for Congressmen and Senators!

December 17: The Epoch Times: Russian General assassinated in Moscow by bomb
The head of Russia's Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Defense Forces, Lieutenant General Igor Kirillov, was killed on Dec. 17 by a bomb planted near an apartment block in Moscow. Russia's Investigative Committee said that Kirillov's assistant also died when an explosive device, hidden in a scooter parked near the apartment block, detonated. On Dec. 16, Kirillov, 54, was sentenced in absentia by a Ukrainian court over Russia's alleged use of banned chemical weapons during the conflict with Ukraine, which began in February 2022. Ukraine's Security Service, the SBU, said they had recorded more than 4,800 uses of chemical weapons on the battlefield since 2022. Most of those uses involved K-51 combat grenades. In May, the U.S. State Department said it had recorded the use of chloropicrin—a chemical weapon that was invented during World War I—against Ukrainian troops.

December 17: The Daily Caller: Trump's NY case blows up media's narrative
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley argued Tuesday that Judge Juan Merchan's refusal to toss President-elect Donald Trump's conviction blew up the media's narrative about the Supreme Court's immunity ruling. Merchan rejected Trump's lawyers' request Monday night to dismiss the president's 34-count conviction for allegedly falsifying business records to cover up a $130,000 payment to porn actress Stormy Daniels. Turley said this decision contradicted the media's panicking about the Supreme Court's ruling in July that presidents are immune from prosecution for official acts taken while they are in office.

December 17: The Washington Times: Speaker Johnson (R-LA) bracing
for pushback from his own party over CR's spending levels
Congress' sprint to avert a government shutdown kicked off with the unveiling Tuesday of the latest short-term funding patch, which is crammed with disaster aid, economic assistance for farmers and legislation that could help attract the Washington Commanders back to the District. But the road to passing the stopgap bill, or continuing resolution as it is known on Capitol Hill, won't be easy for Speaker Johnson (R-LA) as he braces for a wave of defections from House Republicans. Congress has until Friday to avoid a government shutdown. The latest funding patch would extend government funding until March 14, well into President Trump's first 100 days, and includes over $100 billion for disaster aid, fulfilling most of President Biden's previous request, $10 billion in economic assistance for farmers, and a proposal by House Oversight Chairman James Comer to help bring Washington's NFL team into the District of Columbia. The legislation from Mr. Comer, Kentucky Republican, would transfer from the federal government to the District of Columbia the lease of the 174-acre site where the decaying Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium now sits. The lease would last for 99 years at no cost and could give the District a leg up in a bidding war with neighboring Maryland and Virginia to attract the Commanders.

December 17: News Max: Rep. McCaul (R-TX) I suspect some of the drones are China's
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chair Michael McCaul (R-TX) asserted Tuesday that at least some of the unidentified aircraft that have been roaming the skies over the East Coast are Chinese "spy drones." McCaul made the comments to reporters prior to receiving a classified briefing about the drone activity, the New York Post reported. "I was with the NASA administrator, Bill Nelson, he said that these drones have been reported over military sites, military bases. I would not think those are friendly. I would think those are adversarial," McCaul said. "We need to identify who is behind these drones. My judgment based on my experience is that those that are over our military sites are adversarial and most likely are coming from the People's Republic of China."

December 16: The Gateway Pundit: Canadian PM may be considering resignation
Trudeau is currently "considering his options" after the shock resignation of his Finance Minister Chrystia Freeland. In a public resignation letter, Freeland said that Canada faces a "grave challenge" from the incoming Trump administration, which she described as "pursuing a policy of aggressive economic nationalism, including a threat of 25 per cent tariffs." Her letter said, We need to take that threat extremely seriously. That means keeping our fiscal powder dry today, so we have the reserves we may need for a coming tariff war. That means eschewing costly political gimmicks, which we can ill afford and which make Canadians doubt that we recognize the gravity of the moment."

December 15: The Epoch Times:
In twilight of his term Biden wants to expand clemency and spend more money
The White House in a new memo on Dec. 15 has outlined Joe Biden's key priorities to accomplish his stated goals before leaving office next month. His priorities include expanding clemency and pardons, advancing climate-related initiatives, providing student debt relief, and addressing concerns about artificial intelligence (AI), according to a new memo by Ben LaBolt, senior advisor to the president and communications director. Biden will also prioritize allocating additional funds from his signature laws including the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) and the CHIPS Act. "The President has been clear to his team that we need to make every day count, and build on the historic progress we have made," LaBolt said in the memo. "In the coming weeks, you will see him do just that."

December 15: Fox News: There are so many drones it may seem like mosquitos in July but it could be a US classified operation
Former CIA operations officer Laura Ballman told Fox News the mysterious drone sightings are "extremely unsettling" as the public seeks answers. Drone sightings across New Jersey have unsettled residents for weeks with no official explanations being offered. Ballman argued that circumstances around the drone sightings suggest it may be a U.S. operation. "Deducing the statements from [National Security spokesman] John Kirby that these drones are not operating illegally, coupled with several op-eds that have been out there in the last 24 hours about the need to look at our detection systems, makes me think perhaps this is actually a classified exercise to test either evasion technology or detection technology in urban areas," Ballman said. Ballman went on to say she would be "shocked" if the drones were related to the CIA, saying it is "not their mandate to operate in the United States." She added that she is "troubled" by why the U.S. government has not been forthcoming with information regarding the drones.

December 15: NewsMax: Trump's National Security Advisor; We need stricter consequences for foreign hackers that target the U.S.
Incoming White House national security adviser, Rep. Mike Waltz, (R-FL), said that the incoming Trump administration plans to impose much stricter consequences on foreign hackers targeting the U.S. When asked about communist China's recent hack against the U.S., which officials stated was the largest breach in U.S. history, Waltz said that "we have been over the years trying to play better and better defense when it comes to cyber," he said. "We need to start going on offense and start imposing, I think, higher costs and consequences to private actors and nation-state actors that continue to steal our data, that continue to spy on us, and that, even worse, with the [Chinese hack], they are literally putting cyber time bombs on our infrastructure, our water systems, our grids, even our ports."

December 15: The Washington Times:
Three Federal judges have rescinded their retirement plans based upon Trump's election win; reactions
A federal appeals court judge has rescinded his decision to retire, becoming the third judge to decide not to give President-elect Donald Trump a chance to fill his seat. Judge James Andrew Wynn, who sits on the 4th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, announced his decision in a letter Friday to President Biden. Two district judges had previously revoked their retirements but Republicans said Judge Wynn is the first appeals court judge in history to rescind a retirement because of partisan political calculations. He had notified Biden in January 2024 that he would take what's known as "senior" status, a sort of retirement that would let him still hear some cases but would allow a president to pick a replacement. He was awaiting confirmation of Biden's pick to finalize his move. But after the Senate made clear it won't be confirming any Biden pick, Judge Wynn revoked his decision, effectively blocking Donald Trump from naming a replacement. Judge Wynn's decision drew condemnation from Republicans who called it a grim moment for the judiciary and a "brazenly partisan decision... … that demonstrates some judges are nothing more than politicians in robes," said Sen. Thom Tillis (R-NC). Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY), the top Republican in the chamber, had warned Wynn earlier this month that if he revoked his retirement, he could face ethics complaints. McConnell has also encouraged the Trump administration to demand recusals of Judge Wynn and the two district judges who rescinded their retirements, saying they are proven to be tainted. "It's hard to conclude that this is anything other than open partisanship," Mr. McConnell said at the time. "They rolled the dice that a Democrat could replace them and now that he won't, they're changing their plans to keep a Republican from doing it."

December 15: The Times of Israel:
Israel closing Dublin (Ireland) embassy over nation's anti-Israeli policies
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris says that the decision by Israel to close its Dublin embassy is "deeply regrettable." "I utterly reject the assertion that Ireland is anti-Israel," Harris wrote on Twitter. "Ireland is pro-peace, pro-human rights and pro-international law." "Ireland wants a two-state solution and for Israel and Palestine to live in peace and security. Ireland will always speak up for human rights and international law," he adds. Of course, a two-state solution doesn't match with Scripture. Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar announced that he would be closing the embassy earlier today, citing the "extreme anti-Israel policy of the Irish government" as his reason for doing so. Israel recalled its ambassador in May after Ireland became one of three EU countries that said they would unilaterally recognize a Palestinian state. Ireland has not recalled its envoy to Israel.

December 15: Breitbart News:
Mayorkas; Limited in our authority to deal with drones being flown over our country
Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said Sunday that his agency was "limited" in its authority to shoot down drones. He said, "There are thousands of drones flown every day in the United States, recreational drones, commercial drones. That is the reality, and in September of 2023, the Federal Aviation Administration, the FAA, changed the rules so that drones could fly at night, and that may be one of the reasons why now people are seeing more drones than they did before, especially from dawn to dusk. So that is the reality, but I want to assure the American public that we are on it. We are working in close coordination with state and local authorities, and it is critical, as we all have said, for a number of years, that we need from Congress, additional authorities to address the drone situation. Our authorities currently are limited, and they are set to expire. We need them extended and expanded."

December 14: The Washington Free Beacon:
Biden Admin. tries to take credit for Israeli victories he tried to prevent
Biden administration officials have claimed credit this week for the ongoing collapse of the Iranian axis, seeking to recast their role in a series of Israeli victories that they worked to thwart. Hours after the fall of Bashar al-Assad's regime in Syria on Sunday, Joe Biden touted "the unflagging support of the United States" for Israel's war against "Iran and its proxies," Hamas in the Gaza Strip and Hezbollah in Lebanon. Biden noted that Israel had weakened the coalition of tyrants and terrorists in the region to a point where it became "impossible ... for them to prop up the Assad regime." The Biden administration has overseen crucial U.S. military and diplomatic support for Israel during the past 14 months of the war. But from the outset, Biden and his aides have also pressed Israel to reach accommodation with its enemies — criticizing, threatening, and punishing the U.S. ally in the name of regional de-escalation. By early this year, before Israel had militarily defeated Hamas or seriously retaliated against Hezbollah or Iran, Biden was already publicly calling for an end to the fighting. "Biden tried to prevent us from winning this war in every way he could," Gadi Taub, a historian at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem said "Now that we're winning in defiance of him, he's pretending that he was with us all along."

December 14: iHeartMedia/KTRH:
Residents want answers about drones, Trump wants them shot down
East coast officials and residents are still looking for answers on the unidentified drones that are flying in their area. Sightings were reported overnight Friday and Saturday morning near U.S. military installations and over residences in New Jersey. People also say they saw drones in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Connecticut. Many residents on the east coast are on high alert. Others are frustrated with the White House over a lack of response. Government officials said the sightings are actually lawfully operated manned aircraft. The FBI and DHS also added that there is no evidence of a national security or public safety threat or of foreign involvement. But elected officials from both parties have expressed discomfort with the Biden White House response. Meanwhile, President Trump is calling for the government to shoot down the drones. In a Truth Social post Trump said, "Mystery Drone sightings all over the Country. Can this really be happening without our government's knowledge. I don't think so! Let the public know, and now. Otherwise, shoot them down!!!"


December 14: The Washington Times:
ABC to pay Trump $15 million for deformation in legal settlement
ABC has agreed to pay $15 million to settle a defamation lawsuit brought by President Trump, ending the dispute that centered on anchor George Stephanopoulos'' inaccurate comments surrounding a civil lawsuit against Trump. The money will be transferred to an escrow account managed by Trump's lawyer, Alejandro Brito, and will go toward the president's presidential library, according to the legal filing made public on Saturday. The network must transfer the funds within 10 days and are also on the hook for Brito's $1 million in attorney fees.


December 13: Gateway Pundit: Daylight Savings Time repealed? Time is ticking!
President Trump has announced a commitment to abolish Daylight Saving Time (DST), calling it "inconvenient and very costly to our nation." In a recent Truth Social post, Trump wrote: "The Republican Party will use its best efforts to eliminate Daylight Saving Time, which has a small but strong constituency, but shouldn't! Daylight Saving Time is inconvenient, and very costly to our Nation." Daylight Saving Time was brought into practice with the Uniform Time Act of 1966, aiming to conserve energy and make better use of daylight. However, its effectiveness has been debated, with studies showing minimal energy savings and highlighting potential health risks, such as increased heart attacks and workplace injuries following the time changes. [Additionally, it drives our dogs crazy thinking we forgot to feed them on time!!!]

December 13: One America News Network: Trump & Vance invite Penny to the Army-Navy game
Vice President-elect JD Vance invited recently acquitted Marine veteran Daniel Penny to the Army-Navy football game slated for this Saturday, multiple sources have confirmed. =Penny is expected to join Vance (R-OH) and President Trump in his suite at the game scheduled to play in Landover, Maryland. The Marine veteran had all charges dismissed this week in the death of Jordan Neely, a homeless subway rider. Neely was threatening passengers in a subway car in New York City last year and Penny intervened during the threats by putting him in a chokehold. And oh yes, NAVY WON!

December 13: Fox News:
Biden commutes sentences for 1,500 inmates, some victims aren't happy
Joe Biden has sparked anger among Pennsylvanians after he commuted the sentence of a corrupt judge who was jailed for more than 17 years after he was caught taking kickbacks for sending juveniles to for-profit detention facilities. In the "kids-for-cash" scandal, former Judge Michael Conahan shut down a county-run juvenile detention center and shared $2.8 million in illegal payments from the builder and co-owner of two for-profit lockups. Another judge, Mark Ciavarella, was also involved in the illicit scheme, the effects of which are still felt today among victims and families. The scandal is considered Pennsylvania's largest-ever judicial corruption scheme with the state's supreme court throwing out some 4,000 juvenile convictions involving more than 2,300 kids after the scheme was uncovered.

December 13: The Washington Examiner: October 7, 2023 completely changed the Middle East
While the massacre of October 7th attack on Israel was one of the most traumatic events in modern Jewish history, it's obvious now that it was a massive, perhaps existential, blunder by Islamic State, and a stunning defeat for its allies both in the Middle East and Washington. Oct. 7 transformed the Middle East in ways that seemed impossible only a few years ago. Hamas, perhaps the most immediate threat to both Jewish and Arab lives in the region, is largely eradicated. Hezbollah, the theocratic militia that's kept Lebanon in a state of turmoil and war for decades, is reeling. Indeed, it was Israel's success against the latter that helped send Bashar al-Assad, a real-world genocidal dictator, into Russian exile. Most of all, events have left Iran, which spent decades building its proxies throughout the Middle East, impotent. Barack Obama and his cronies in the Biden Administration approved another #10 billion in sanctions relief for the mullahs by waiving restriction payment transfers from the Iraqi government. These are the same people who had attempted to lift Hamas and propped up its benefactors in Iran with planeloads of cash. And the same people did everything possible to handcuff Israel in its war against Hamas and Hezbollah. Not only had the Biden White House threatened to withhold aid if the IDF went into Rafah to eliminate Hamas battalions cowering behind women and children, when Israel pulled off its ingenious pager operation, wounding and killing hundreds of Hezbollah operatives, our uncannily misguided Secretary of State Antony Blinken warned that "all parties" should "avoid escalating conflict," treating our close allies and Islamists, in this case a group that once murdered 220 Marines in Beirut, as equals.

December 12: The Gateway Pundit:
CNN should consider making casseroles on air in order to regain ratings!
CNN is in serious trouble. A few weeks ago, it was revealed that the far left network was being beaten in the rating ballot by the Hallmark channel. Now, they are being beaten in the ratings. ratings by the Food Network. More people want to watch pies and cakes being baked than hear Anderson Cooper or Jake Tapper analyze the day's news. How much lower can they go before people start getting cut left and right? Perhaps Anderson Cooper can whip up a casserole on camera or make a pizza to help CNN's struggling primetime lineup that had a smaller audience than the Food Network last week. CNN finished No. 17 among cable stations during primetime last week amid a news cycle that included the murder of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson and the ensuing manhunt for his killer, a slew of news related to President Trump's Cabinet picks, the fallout from Joe Biden announcing he would pardon his son, Hunter, and a rebel alliance's challenging Bashar al-Assad in Syria. During prime time viewing last week CNN only had 367,000 total viewers compared to 2.5 million for the Fox News Channel.

December 12: The New York Post:
The smearing of Trump's nominees shows the irrelativeness of the drive by media
Suffice it to say that much of our increasingly irrelevant media believe that their new mission -- after failing to defeat Donald Trump in the 2024 election -- is to take out as many of his cabinet picks as possible. But is it working? take the case of Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's choice for Director of National Intelligence. She is former military, having served on the front lines in Iraq. She also served several terms in Congress on the House Armed Services Committee. She ran for president as a Democrat in 2020 — and even earned more delegates than Kamala Harris in that contest. But when her party left her by embracing wars, Gabbard joined Team Trump on the campaign trail. As if on cue, the attacks flowed in once Trump named her to his cabinet.
- USA Today: "Syria is now free from Assad. And this Trump nominee has some explaining to do,"
- The Bulwark: "The Curious Case of Tulsi Gabbard: Is She a Russian Asset or a Dupe?"
- Washington Post: "Gabbard, Trump Intel pick who visited Assad, meets with senators after dictator's fall."
If legacy media had the influence they once did, one would expect these nominees to have zero shot at being confirmed. But here's the disconnect: No GOP senator is on record saying he or she opposes Gabbard.

December 12: Axios: Ron Paul questions the cost of deporting so many illegals
Senator Ron Paul (R-KY) will be gaining power next Congress. Paul, an infamous deficit hawk and libertarian, will chair the committee that oversees the Department of Homeland Security. While the Incoming Senate GOP leader John Thune is prioritizing a border package in Trump's first 100 days it is likely to include a huge cash infusion of more than $100 billion into border security and the infrastructure to carry out Trump's mass deportation promises. Paul is questioning the cost and the ability to cover same. "I'm not a big fan of what Republicans are saying, they're going to spend $100 billion on the border, another $200 billion on military to bust the military caps," Paul said. ."I think it's a terrible way to start."

December 12: Fox News: Former Stripper admits lying about gang rape by Duke Lacrosse players
Former stripper and current murder convict Crystal Mangum confessed to lying about being raped by Duke Lacrosse players in an interview with an independent media outlet. "I testified falsely against them by saying that they raped me when they didn't and that was wrong, and I betrayed the trust of a lot of other people who believed in me," Mangum said. "[I] made up a story that wasn't true because I wanted validation from people and not from God." Mangum, who is serving a prison sentence for murdering her boyfriend, falsely accused three Duke players of raping her while she was performing at a team party in March 2006. The players she accused were arrested, igniting a national controversy and conversations about racism.

December 11: One American News Network:
Inflation continues to rise; 2.7% in November
Inflation rose for the second consecutive month in November, with the Consumer Price Index (CPI) showing a 2.7% annual increase—still above the Federal Reserve's 2% target. Monthly costs climbed 0.3%, marking the sharpest rise since April, driven by higher food and gas prices.

December 11: Washington Free Beacon:
Blinken: "No one anticipated" the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan
Secretary of State Antony Blinken testified before Congress on the Biden administration's chaotic Afghanistan withdrawal in a long-awaited hearing that was originally scheduled for September. Though he claimed that "no one" in the Biden State Department anticipated the Afghan government's swift collapse, a group of diplomats warned Blinken of that very prospect roughly one month before the Taliban captured Kabul. The twenty-six diplomats, sent Blinken a dissent cable in mid-July 2021 — one month before the fall of Kabul and six weeks before a suicide bombing attack killed 13 American servicemembers — warning of Afghanistan's rapid deterioration. Asked why he ignored that cable, Blinken responded, "Very simply because no one anticipated the government and Afghan forces would collapse as quickly as they did." During several hours of testimony, Blinken faced pointed questions about his agency's failure to prepare for the Taliban's resurgence and the hurried U.S. evacuation effort that left thousands of Americans stranded in the country under terrorist rule. Blinken blamed the failure on American military leaders and the U.S. intelligence community, which he said failed to predict the Afghan government's imminent collapse.

December 11: News Max:
Drones over NJ are not from an "Iranian Mothership" nor are they from the U.S. military
The Pentagon said on Wednesday that there was no evidence that drones that had been spotted over New Jersey were from a foreign entity or adversary and dismissed a claim by a U.S. lawmaker that they were being launched from an Iranian "mothership." "What we've uncovered is alarming—drones flying in from the direction of the ocean, possibly linked to a missing Iranian mothership," Congressman Jeff Van Drew suggested on Twitter. Pentagon spokesperson Sabrina Singh said. "There is no truth to that. There is no Iranian ship off the coast of the United States and there's no so-called 'mothership' launching drones towards the United States." Singh said that drones spotted were not from the U.S. military either and the issue was being investigated by local law enforcement.

December 10: Fox News: Is there any question as to why the murder happened
when students get indoctrinated by extreme left wing professors
A University of Pennsylvania professor made some of her social media accounts private and appeared to take down her TikTok account after going viral for appearing to celebrate that the suspected killer of United Health Care CEO Brian Thompson was a graduate of the Ivy League school. The 26-year-old is accused of executing the former insurance executive on a New York City sidewalk last week. He was taken into custody on Monday at a McDonald's in Altoona, Pennsylvania. He was wanted in New York for charges including Murder in the Second Degree, Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree and Criminal Possession of a Forged Instrument in the Second Degree. After he was taken into custody as a person of interest on Monday, UPenn professor Julia Alekseyeva appeared to share several social media posts fawning over the murder suspect. The text on screen reads, "Have never been prouder to be a professor at the University of Pennsylvania," she wrote.

December 10: The Daily Caller:
Sen. Hawley confronts witness explain how flooding job market helps Americans
Sen. Josh Hawley confronted American Immigration Council senior fellow Aaron Reichlin-Melnick during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday about how flooding the job market with illegal immigrants benefits Americans. Melnick had contended that mass deportations would be detrimental to many American industries, including hospitality, construction and agriculture. During a hearing on President Trump's mass deportation policy, Hawley argued during a heated exchange with Melnick that Democrats plan to continue hurting the economy and allowing wages to go down by allowing illegal immigrants to be part of the American workforce. "Why would you want American citizens and those who are here lawfully to have to compete against illegal immigrants who by the way are not always paid minimum wage, who are not given the federally mandated benefits precisely because they are here illegally. Why would you want to drive down the wages of millions of working Americans who can't get those jobs in construction, infrastructure and hospitality because illegal immigrants are getting them [and] suppressing wages in the meantime. Why would you want to do that?" Hawley asked.

December 10: The Daily Caller:
Sen. Kennedy (R-LA) asks former General and anti-Trump person, "Did I read that accurately?"
Sen. John Kennedy clashed with retired Army Maj. Gen. Randy Manner over the general's criticism of President Trump and his supporters during a Tuesday hearing, with Kennedy asking the former officer if he considered himself "more virtuous" than Trump's supporters. Manner had appeared on CNN in October claiming Trump's supporters were "fascists themselves" while being interviewed. Kennedy brought up Manner's comments during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on "How Mass Deportations Will Separate American Families, harm our Armed Forces, and Devastate Our Economy."

December 10: The New York Post:
Capitol police arrest man for assault of Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC)
Rep. Nancy Mace said she was "physically accosted" at the US Capitol building complex Tuesday by a transgender rights activist who was later arrested by the Capitol Police. "I was physically accosted at the Capitol tonight by a pro-trans man," the congresswoman wrote. "One new brace for my wrist and some ice for my arm and it'll heal just fine," she added, suggesting she suffered minor injuries as a result of the incident. Mace, who has pushed to limit access to single-sex facilities inside the Capitol complex, indicated that the incident was sparked "over my fight to protect women." Capitol Police said James McIntyre, 33, was arrested inside the Rayburn House Office Building in connection with the incident.

December 10: The Texas Scorecard:
Texas mayoral candidate pleads guilty – Election tampering
More than four years after he was caught with a box full of fraudulently obtained mail-in ballots, Carrollton mayoral candidate Zul Mohamed pleaded guilty Monday to 109 voter fraud felonies. The punishment could be between 2 and 20 years in prison or probation. In September 2020, Denton County Elections officials received dozens of suspicious ballot-by-mail applications, all with similar writing and requesting ballots be sent to the same address—which turned out to be a commercial mailbox store. The Sheriff's Office investigators placed trackers in a box of ballots, staked out the store, and it led them to Mohamed. The candidate presumably intended to fill out the ballots for himself. He was arrested in October 2020 and charged with 84 counts of submitting fraudulent mail ballot applications and 25 counts of possessing mail ballots or carrier envelopes without the voter's knowledge or request. The number of offenses increased the violations to second-degree felonies. He pleaded guilty to all charges. A jury will determine what sentence should be applied.

December 8: The Gateway Pundit:
A Biden pardon of Fauci will not shield him from state and civil lawsuits
Regardless of whether a presidential pardon is issued, Dr. Anthony Fauci remains subject to possible prosecution for violations of state criminal codes that he (and other officials) allegedly committed during the COVID-19 pandemic. On behalf of hundreds of aggrieved families of lost loved ones during the pandemic, extensive legal briefs requesting criminal investigations of alleged state crimes have been submitted by the Vires Law Group, West Palm Beach, FL, to attorneys general in Florida, Louisiana, Texas, Oklahoma, and Missouri. For example, the recent testimony of Dr. David Martin before members of the Oklahoma state legislature regarding the use of remdesivir is daunting to say the least. His testimony is a strong indictment of those who supported and administered remdesivir, a drug publicly known to be highly toxic, causing kidney and other organ failure contributing to or causing a patient's ultimate death. Additionally the use of ventilators for COVID-19 patients, a National Library of Medicine report indicates that "— of 69 studies with more than 57,000 patients showed fatality rates of 45 percent — the fatality rate increased to 84 percent in older patients."

December 8: News Max: Trump; Day one I will pardon non-violent Jan 6ers
Donald Trump vowed on his "first day" to bring blind justice back in America, weighing pardons for nonviolent Jan. 6 protesters and potential investigations of lawmakers who sought to weaponize Jan. 6 and justice against their political opposition. "I want to look at everything; we're going to look at individual cases, yeah, but I'm going to be acting very quickly: First day," Trump said. Justice for the nonviolent protesters held by Biden's weaponized Justice Department is long overdue. "These people have been" imprisoned, Trump said, noting the inhumane conditions of the Washington, D.C., jail under fire for being unsanitary for years, "how long is it? Three or four years." "They've been in there for years, and they're in a filthy, disgusting place that should not even be allowed to be open." Also, Trump said he believes the House Jan. 6 Select Committee members who weaponized Jan. 6 and justice against their political opposition should be investigated and perhaps go to jail if they broke the law.

December 8: The New York Post: Trump calls on "weakened" Russia for ceasefire in Ukraine as Assad is toppled in Syria
Donald Trump urged Russia to negotiate a halt to the fighting in Ukraine following to fall of the Assad regime in Syria — saying the Kremlin was in a "weakened state" as a result of the war and the "bad economy." "There should be an immediate ceasefire and negotiations should begin. Too many lives are being so needlessly wasted, too many families destroyed, and if it keeps going, it can turn into something much bigger, and far worse," Trump posted on Truth Social early Sunday morning. "I know Vladimir [Putin] well. This is his time to act. China can help. The World is waiting!" Moscow has been skeptical about a ceasefire — at least in the public eye, contending that it would give Kyiv time to regroup and strengthen its defense. The Kremlin has demanded Ukraine pull out of Russian-annexed territory in the besieged country despite not having full control over it. The incoming president, who has long signaled a strong desire to end the war, huddled with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and French President Emmanuel Macron during the reopening of the Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Saturday.

December 7: The Washington Times:
Israeli Ambassador; Iranian regime severely weakened by proxy losses in Syria
Israel's recent direct military strikes against Iran and rebel advances in Syria severely weakened the Iranian regime and its proxy forces in the region, Israel's ambassador to the United States said Saturday. Ambassador Michael Herzog said during a defense conference that the Syrian regime of Bashar Assad is in danger of falling. The regime until recently was a key part of Iran's "axis of resistance" to U.S. and Israeli influence in the region. "This is a major blow to Irani and the Iranian axis," Herzog said. Syria also was a vital link for Iran to access the Mediterranean Sea, to arm and support its proxy force Hezbollah in Lebanon, and to gain access to Israel's border, he said. "All of this now is denied," Herzog said, adding that "there are no good guys" in the Syrian rebels who are Islamist radicals.


December 7: The Texas Tribune:
Texas GOP caucus supports Cook for speakership while Burrows claims he has enough
Democrat votes to make him speaker
With the Texas GOP grass roots having made it clear they don't want to have Democrat chairmen in a GOP-controlled House of Representatives, State Rep. Dustin Burrows (Lubbock) is claiming he has enough votes from both Republican and Democrat representatives to secure the speakership for himself. "The speaker's race is over," Burrows claimed at a news conference that lasted less than two minutes. "I have secured enough to be speaker of the House for the next session." He released a list of 76 supporters — 38 Republicans and 38 Democrats as proof. However, three members say they should not be on the list, debasing Burrows' claim to have the necessary votes to be elected speaker. Greg Bonnen (R-Galveston County) appeared next to Burrows at the press conference, indicating his support for Burrows. Burrows' announcement came just minutes after Rep. David Cook (R-Mansfield), Burrows' main rival for the speaker's gavel, had been declared the endorsed candidate by the House GOP Caucus by a vote of 48-14 after a contingent of Burrows' supporters dramatically left the meeting after the two rivals had stalemated in the first two rounds.

December 7: The Daily Wire: Prosecution in Penny case withdrawing most serious charge, hopeful that the lessor charge will stick
The prosecution in the Daniel Penny trial on Friday successfully requested the most serious charge -- second-degree manslaughter -- be dismissed while jury deliberations were on-going. The jury will now deliberate on the lesser charge of criminally negligent homicide, which holds up to four years behind bars instead of 15 years for the more serious charge. Some legal eagles online, and, most importantly, the defense, are concerned about this tactic by the prosecution. They see it as the state making its request as a desperate move to try to secure some kind of conviction in what many view as an extremely weak case. The defense sees the state's actions as establishing a dangerous precedent for prosecutors to overcharge defendants, knowing that they can maneuver last minute in order to obtain a lesser conviction. According to the police, Penny, a 25-year-old former Marine, put Neely, a 30-year-old homeless man, in a six-minute-long chokehold after Neely boarded a NYC subway car acting erratically. Witnesses described Neely yelling and moving erratically, with Penny's attorneys calling Neely "insanely threatening" when Penny put Neely in a chokehold, thereby protecting others in the subway car from injury or harm.

December 7: The Washington Times:
GOP Rep. call upon Biden Admin agencies to stop negotiating collective bargaining deals with bureaucrats; hindering Trump Admin from reducing the size of govt.
House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-KY) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) are calling on federal agencies to stop negotiating collective bargaining agreements with the Biden administration, in an attempt to hinder the incoming administration from reducing the size of, and reorganizing, the government. Biden's team has spent the waning weeks of his time in office negotiating or extending union deals that the lawmakers say cede "presidential authority to run the federal government to union allies." The representatives sent 24 letters to federal agencies on Friday demanding an end to the dealmaking. "By employing these short-term tactics to Trump-proof federal agencies, the Biden-Harris administration apparently did not consider — or perhaps did not care — that this abuse of labor law will further convince the public that the civil service considers itself beyond the reach of accountability," they wrote. One of the recent deals the lawmakers pointed out in their letters was struck by Social Security Administration head Martin O'Malley with the American Federation of Government Employees, locking in 42,000 positions at the agency, or 70% of the SSA's workforce, to work from home until 2029. President Trump has vowed to see federal workers return to the office. His new Department of Government Efficiency, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, has pledged to trim costs by nixing telework. The Comer-Greene letters follow a report from Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA) that was released this week finding that just 6% of the federal workforce is showing up daily for a full day's work.

December 6: The Gateway Pundit:
National Police Association endorses Kash Patel nomination for FBI Director
The National Police Association has given Kash Patel its full-fledged support for FBI Director in an endorsement, urging the Senate to confirm him. "Kash Patel's extensive career in national security, law enforcement, and public service has demonstrated his unwavering commitment to upholding the rule of law, defending justice, and protecting the American people," a new press release states. "We firmly believe that Kash Patel's appointment as FBI Director will mark a pivotal moment for law enforcement and public safety across the United States. His leadership will bring a renewed focus on collaboration, ethical standards, and the relentless pursuit of justice." The NPA is a nonprofit organization that was founded "to educate supporters of law enforcement in how to help police departments accomplish their goals." They also provide legal backing, public education, and advocate to "Support the Police and Back the Blue, because Blue Lives Matter," according to their webpage.

December 6: iHeartMedia/KTRH: Dade Phelan drops out of the race for Speaker of the Texas House
Texas State Rep. Dade Phelan has dropped out of the race for House Speaker ahead of the vote tomorrow. He said in a statement, "Out of deep respect for this institution and its members, and after careful consideration and private consultation with colleagues, I have made the difficult decision to withdraw from the race for Speaker of the Texas House." Phelan has been criticized throughout his career as Speaker for failing to work effectively with both Lt. Governor Dan Patrick in the Senate and for opposing Governor Abbott's long-term push for school choice. He has also been criticized by conservatives for appointing Democrats to chair key House committees, and for pushing the impeachment of Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton. Paxton was later acquitted by the Senate, and since then, Phelan has diligently worked to conceal both the cost of the impeachment and the details of the investigation from taxpayers.

December 6: The Times of Israel:
Israel is preparing for possible collapse of Syrian Army
Israel is said to be preparing for the possibility that the Syrian army may collapse in the face of rapidly advancing rebel forces, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu holding security deliberations on the matter on Thursday night. Israel's Channel 13 reported that the IDF now assesses the rebels may pose a real threat to the continuation of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad's rule. According to a report on Israel's Channel 12, Israel has been surprised by the weakness of the Syrian army, as it continues to swiftly lose ground to the jihadist-led fighters. The report added that Israel has sent a strong warning to Iran not to send weaponry to Syria that could reach the hands of the Hezbollah terror group in Lebanon. The news reported, citing two unnamed sources, that Israel and the United States are "detecting signs of certain collapse" in the Syrian army, and that one of Israel's main concerns is that the rebels will advance as far south as the Israeli border with Syria in the Golan Heights. Israel has reportedly conveyed messages to rebel leaders to stay away from the border.

December 5: The Daily Caller: Follow the Money; GOP senators who received money from the defense industry could derail the Tulsi Gabbard nomination
Senate GOP hawks who receive large sums from the defense industry could be mobilizing to tank one of President Trump's national security nominees. Former Democratic Hawaii Rep. Tulsi Gabbard, nominated to take over the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, could face opposition from Senate Republicans with hawkish views on national security over her beliefs on Ukraine and government surveillance powers. Though a considerable number of Trump-aligned senators have endorsed Gabbard, citing her decades-long military service and commitment to reforming the country's intelligence agencies that have been frequently weaponized against the president , GOP senators whose national security views appear to sharply diverge from Gabbard's have mostly refrained from supporting her nomination.

December 5: The Gateway Pundit:
Cornyn: Patel has enough votes to be confirmed as FBI Director
Last month President Trump officially nominated Kash Patel for the role of FBI Director in his next Administration. "Kash is a brilliant lawyer, investigator, and 'America First' fighter who has spent his career exposing corruption, defending Justice, and protecting the American People," Trump said. "He played a pivotal role in uncovering the Russia Hoax, standing as an advocate for truth, accountability, and the Constitution," he continued. "Kash did an incredible job during my First Term where he served as Chief of Staff at the Department of Defense… Kash has also tried over 60 jury trials. This FBI will end the growing crime epidemic in America, dismantle the migrant criminal gangs, and stop the evil scourge of human and drug trafficking across the Border," Trump contended. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) on Thursday said Kash Patel has the votes and will be confirmed.

December 5: News Max: Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) to introduce DOGE bills
The Blackburn legislation coincides with the new Trump agency's plan to make government more efficient. "... These bills would cut discretionary spending, move federal agencies out of the swamp, freeze federal hiring and salaries for one year, begin the process of a merit-based compensation structure for federal employees, and require agencies to get employees back in the office," the Senator contended. She said further that her legislation will not impact public safety, national security, or public health services.

December 5: Sky News:
Russia's capability to launch full scale battlefield barrages on the decline
Russia's ability to outmatch Ukraine with artillery barrages on the battlefield has significantly reduced to just 1.5 Russian rounds for every Ukrainian shell fired back, Western officials have said. This compares with Russian forces launching at least five times as many artillery rounds as Ukraine could in the war previously - with the ratio at times much higher even than that. Some Western officials put the levelling out down to a "wide variety of factors," including limitations in Russian defense production lines, difficulties with transporting more rounds to the frontline by rail, and strikes by Ukrainian drones against strategic stockpiles of Russian and North Korean ammunition supplies inside Russia. In addition, sources said Western supplies of ammunition were helping to bolster Ukraine's armory.

December 5: The Washington Examiner: TN AG declares victory in ACLU's acknowledgment denial of transgender procedures doesn't raise likelihood of suicide
Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti claimed victory in the American Civil Liberties Union's acknowledgment before the SCOTUS on Wednesday that the denial of transgender procedures for minors does not raise suicide rates. The discussion of data on suicide rates among minors experiencing gender dysphoria was one of the most significant moments, Skrmetti said, during oral arguments in the case, a case testing whether the 14th Amendment's equal protection clause precludes state law barring children under the age of 18 from undergoing transgender hormone and puberty-blocking procedures.
[See Related Story]

December 5: The Daily Wire: The idea that if you work for a private health care insurance company you should be murdered is astonishing
On Wednesday, a shocking assassination occurred in New York City, and reportedly some on the Left celebrated. Brian Thompson, the CEO of UnitedHealthcare's insurance arm, was fatally shot outside a hotel in Midtown, the center of Manhattan's business and tourist districts. Police said it was a targeted attack. The video footage makes it seem clear this was a professional hit. Thompson walked past the shooter, who appeared to emerge from the shadows. The shooter shot Thompson, shot him again, then calmly walked by him and appeared to shoot him a third time. The suspect fled on foot after the shooting. Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said this was not a random act of violence. Thompson's widow said he had been receiving death threats.

December 4: Fox News: SCOTUS hears oral arguments over TN prohibition of gender changing medical procedures for minors
Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor on Wednesday, likened the side effects of transgender medical procedures on minors to that of taking an over-the-counter painkiller during oral arguments in the U.S. v. Skrmetti case. "Every medical treatment has a risk, even taking aspirin," Sotomayor said. "There's always going to be a percentage of the population under any medical treatment that's going to suffer a harm. So, the question in my mind is not, 'do policymakers decide whether one person's life is more valuable than the millions of others who get relief from this treatment?'" Sotomayor's comments came after Tennessee Solicitor General Matthew Rice defended his state's ban on transgender medical procedures for minors, which is the first time a case involving transgender procedures has been brought before the high court. Rice argued that countries like Sweden, Finland and the United Kingdom have limited such interventions due to reported irreversible consequences.

December 4: The Daily Caller:
Trump sends warning shot to high tech companies with nomination to DOJ
President Donald Trump announced Wednesday that he will tap economic policy adviser to Vice President J.D. Vance, Gail Slater, as assistant attorney general for the Antitrust Division at the Department of Justice (DOJ). Before his second victory, Trump repeatedly called out Big Tech's involvement in manipulating information behind the scenes, alleging that the companies have "systematically" colluded to advance a "censorship regime." In an announcement on Truth Social, Trump stated the corporations have used their "market power to crack down on the rights of so many Americans" and "those of Little Tech."

December 4: The Washington Examiner: Rep. Jordan not happy with results of DOJ investigation into misconduct by Jack Smith's office
The Department of Justice recently briefed the House Judiciary Committee about an internal investigation it had opened into special counsel Jack Smith's office, according to committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-OH). Jordan said the DOJ Office of Professional Responsibility official who gave the briefing, that Jordan was unsatisfied with the information Ragsdale provided during it. Ragsdale had said during the briefing, which took place last month, that he opened the inquiry into possible misconduct by Smith's office in June 2023 but that he had not been able to take any further investigative steps while Smith's prosecutions of President-elect Donald Trump remained pending, per Jordan. Ragsdale had said any action he took would have "interfered" with Smith's cases, both of which have been terminated since Trump's election win.

December 4: One American News Network: Democrat Rep. joins "Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency" (DOGE) Caucus
Democrat Rep. Jared Moskowitz has become the first Democrat to join the Congressional "Delivering Outstanding Government Efficiency" (DOGE) Caucus, a Republican-led caucus under President Trump that will work in tandem with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy's "Department of Government Efficiency," which is also referred to as DOGE. "Today, I will join the Congressional DOGE Caucus, because I believe that streamlining government processes and reducing ineffective government spending should not be a partisan issue," Moskowitz (D-FL) stated on Tuesday. "I've been clear that there are ways we can reorganize our government to make it work better for the American people."

December 4: The New York Post:
Rumor floating that Biden will give Chaney, Schiff, and Fauci pre-emptive pardons
Joe Biden's top aides are reportedly weighing the idea of issuing "pre-emptive pardons" to current and former government officials ahead of President Trump's inauguration next month. On the list could be former Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY), Sen.-elect Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Fauci has been accused by Republicans and watchdog groups of lying to Congress about the origins of COVID-19, NIH's involvement, and his use of a private email account to do government business. Cheney, an outspoken critic of the president Trump, was a leading figure in the House of Representatives' investigation into Trump's role in the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol Building. Schiff, a congressman elected to the Senate last month, has long peddled untrue accusations about the Trump campaign's alleged collusion with Russia during the 2016 election cycle. If the Biden Administration believes pre-emptive pardons are necessary, just perhaps there are some truths behind the allegations.

December 3: The Galveston County Daily News: The Lawfare against Trump has Failed and May Have Gotten Him Reelected
The Democrat elites' lawfare seems to have failed, while it actually may have helped Trump get reelected. Noted attorney/legal scholar Alan Dershowitz (D) has suggested Trump's legal team file a writ of mandamus to prevent Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg and the judge from drawing the case out and holding it over Trumps head for four years – the judge has moved sentencing from this month to 2029 after Trump leaves office. A writ of mandamus is a "legal action that compels a lower court or government official to perform their duties or correct an abuse of discretion." If the writ is denied, it would be appealed and would, most likely, be approved by higher courts. This would force Trump's sentencing which, in turn, would force an appeal of the entire case -- an action which would most likely lead to the entire case being dismissed.

December 3: The Washington Times: South Korean President
backs down on marshal law after pushback from lawmakers
In a night of extraordinary developments in Seoul, President Yoon Suk Yeol declared martial law in a surprise late-night address to the nation, citing threats from North Korea and from his political opponents at home, only to back down hours later after spontaneous street protests and a unanimous vote against the decree by furious South Korea lawmakers. The head-spinning turn of events threatened to bring an unexpected round of political and security uncertainty to a key U.S. ally that had long considered a model of stable, democratic government in East Asia. Yoon, who sought to cement his power with the move, now faces questions over whether he can survive politically after a humiliating and very public retreat. Under South Korean law, a presidential martial law decree can be lifted with a majority vote from parliament. Meanwhile the embattled president called upon lawmakers "to immediately cease reckless acts such as repeated impeachments, legislative manipulations and budgetary disruptions that are paralyzing the functions of the state."

December 3: News Max: SCOTUS to hear lawsuit whether Docs can prescribe irreversible gender transition drugs to minors
Tomorrow, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) will hear arguments in the dispute over whether states can ban doctors from prescribing irreversible medications to minors for the purpose of gender transition. Lawyers will present their arguments in the case brought by the Biden administration against Tennessee and TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti over the state's 2023 law, which blocks puberty blockers, hormone therapy, and other treatments to children under the age of 18. Skrmetti contends the law's intent is "to protect children from irreversible, unproven medical procedures," After a preliminary injunction issued by a federal district judge in Nashville in June 2023 delayed the law from going into effect, the Sixth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals in Cincinnati stayed the injunction a month later. Now the closely watched case lies with the Supreme Court, which will rule on the case next summer.

December 2: The Epoch Times: Canada to strengthen the border
A top Canadian official confirmed the country will strengthen the security of its border with the United States after Prime Minister Justin Trudeau met with President Donald Trump following the latter's threat of a 25% tariff if nothing is done. Trudeau flew to Florida on Nov. 29 to have dinner with Trump, who last week said he would place tariffs on Canadian imports unless it prevents illegal immigrants and drugs from crossing the border. Trump also warned he would issue a similar tariff on Mexico if the country fails to curb illegal immigration and drug trafficking. Canadian Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said, "We're going to look to procure, for example, additional drones, additional police helicopters, we're going to redeploy personnel ... we believe that the border is secure." "It's important, I think, to show Canadians and the Americans that we're stepping up in a visible and muscular way, and that's exactly what we're going to do," he said, promising more details in the days and weeks to come. Canada sends 75% of its goods and service exports to the United States, meaning that tariffs would badly hurt its economy.

December 1: News Max: Senator says Trump's use of tariffs valid trade strategy
The United States has long used trade as a "strategic tool" in negotiations, as access to its economy is a "privilege" for other nations, Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) said Sunday, defending President Trump's plans for tariffs on imports from Mexico, Canada, and other nations. "If you think about it, we've made access to this economy a strategic tool ever since World War II," he said. Trump has threatened 25% tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada if action is not taken on immigration and drug imports, and Saturday said he would impose a 100% tariff on nations that threaten to undermine the U.S. dollar. "Right now, the United States has the most open market of any major economy in the world. We need to take a very hard look at countries that don't have our best interests at heart, countries that are allowing our borders to be violated, and use those tariffs as a tool to achieve our ends." Canada and Mexico, Hagerty said, engage in behavior that is "letting fentanyl flood into our border, that is allowing people to flood into our country, millions of people, undocumented, illegal people," adding that their actions need to stop.

December 1: The Epoch Times:
Trump picks Kash Patel as new FBI Director
This weekend President Trump announced his pick of Kash Patel, a former national security official, to be the new director of the FBI. Leading Republican senator who is in line to become the Senate Judiciary chairman said that President Donald Trump's choice to head the FBI must restore Americans' confidence in the federal law enforcement bureau. Patel, has backed the president's assertions about how government officials weaponized agencies against his administration. Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA), who is set to become the Senate president pro tempore when Republicans take control of the chamber in January, contended Patel "must prove to Congress he will reform [and] restore public trust in FBI."


December 1: The Washington Examiner:
Trump's plans for seeking a reduction in the deep state may end up before SCOTUS
President Trump and his top advisers have long cited "impoundment," a little-known legal theory, as a means of shrinking the federa; government. But, pursuing that path will almost assuredly bring the incoming administration before the U.S. Supreme Court. The Constitution grants Congress sole authority to appropriate a federal budget, but the "impoundment" theory essentially claims that any president has unilateral authority to ignore Congress's funding bills and withhold or "impound" funds meant for programs, agencies, or departments deemed unsuitable. A president certainly must get Congressional approval in order to use appropriated funds for activities other than for which they were appropriated. But a decision just not to use appropriated funds, in the absence of authorizing language such as "shall, must," or "will" do "X, Y, or Z" is in a gray area. Another catch, Congress passed legislation during the Nixon administration that required the president to spend funds appropriated by Congress. The question is whether it applies to all presidents or just Nixon and his administration.