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September 17: The Washington Times: VA Governor seeks new transgender sudent policies
Gov. Glenn Youngkin's (R-VA) administration has rewritten Virginia's model policies for the treatment of transgender students, issuing guidance for school divisions that would roll back some accommodations and tighten parental notification requirements. The new model policies from the Virginia Department of Education, which were posted online Friday, say students' participation in certain school programming and use of school facilities like bathrooms or locker rooms should be based on their biological sex, with modifications offered only to the extent required under federal law. The policies also say that students who are minors must be referred to by the name and pronouns in their official records, unless a parent approves the use of something else. The new guidelines say parents must be given an opportunity to object before counseling services pertaining to gender are offered.

September 17: The Epoch Times: Federal appeals court rules Texas law that impacts free speech censorship by social media companies
A federal appeals court in New Orleans has ruled in favor of a Texas law that seeks to rein in the power of social media companies like Facebook and Twitter to censor free speech. The decision by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upholds the constitutionality of a Texas law signed last year and delivers a victory to Republicans in their fight against big tech censorship of conservative viewpoints. "Today we reject the idea that corporations have a freewheeling First Amendment right to censor what people say," U.S. Circuit Court Judge Andrew Oldham wrote in the opinion. "Because the district court held otherwise, we reverse its injunction and remand for further proceedings," Oldham added, setting the stage for a showdown in the U.S. Supreme Court. The judge said the implications of the big tech platforms' argument are "staggering" as they would allow entities like social media companies, banks, and mobile phone companies to cancel the accounts of people who express views or spend money in support of political parties or views such corporations oppose. Oldham also said that the protections sought by platforms in challenging the Texas law would allow them to win a dominant market position by attracting users with misleading claims of being champions of free speech but later cracking down on expression.

September 17: Fox News: Martha's Vineyard merchant; There's a process for coming to America, follow that
At least one person on this oasis of leftist elites blames federal officials for the illegal immigration crisis that thrust Martha's Vineyard into the national spotlight. Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) sent 50 migrants by plane Wednesday to the Massachusetts island, which boasts one of the wealthiest and most hard-left voting blocs in the nation. "I think it was a political stunt," Paul Sinclair of Rhode Island told Fox News Digital on Saturday, as he sold t-shirts and surf gear during a street festival on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs, one of the commercial hubs of Martha's Vineyard. Sinclair saw the "stunt" as a way to make voters in the northeast pay attention to the burden faced daily by small border communities in the American southwest. "In terms of coming (to America), I have no issue with that," said Sinclair. "But there is a process. There is a path you should follow. Follow that. Document it, the process and procedure for coming over."

September 17: The Washington Examiner: DC Mayor: We can't handle migrants, we're not Texas
Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser says her city does not have the "infrastructure" to handle the sudden influx of immigration because it is not a "border town" or state. The Democratic mayor addressed the recent busing of illegal immigrants from Texas to the Naval Observatory, the home of VP Harris, on an order from Gov. Greg Abbott (R-TX). "We're not a border town," Bowser told reporters "We don't have an infrastructure to handle this type of and level of immigration to our city. ... We're not Texas." Well guess what, Mayor, neither does Texas, which may be part of the reason they are being sent to you.

September 16: The Washington Times: Special Master wasted no time in getting started
The newly appointed special master reviewing the records seized by DOJ last month from President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, wasted no time Friday evening by quickly scheduling a hearing between Trump's legal team and lawyers from the Justice Department. U.S. District Court Judge Raymond Dearie, who was appointed Thursday night by a Florida federal judge, ordered both sides to appear in a Brooklyn federal courthouse at 2 p.m. on Tuesday. Judge Dearie also requested the lawyers submit proposed agenda items for the meeting by the close of business Monday.

September 16: iHeart Radio – KTRH Radio News (Houston): Another mass grave found in Ukraine
At least 440 bodies were found at a mass burial site in Izium after the city was recently recaptured from Russian forces, Ukraine's Defensive Ministry announced on Friday. The announcement comes after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky vowed that his country's citizens and international journalists would be shown what had been uncovered by authorities. "We want the world to know what is really happening and what the Russian occupation has led to," Zelensky said. Some of the graves found at Izium were described as "fresh," while most of the corpses are believed to be "civilians," according to Ukraine's Center for Strategic Communications. Izium was the site of Russian artillery attacks in April and served as a key hub for five months of occupation during its ongoing invasion. Ukrainian troops took back control of Izium last Saturday.

September 16: News Max: Apparently the residents of Martha's Vineyard don't want illegal migrants either, MA National Guard moves them to Joint Base, Cape Cod
Migrants flown to Martha's Vineyard by Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) are being transported to Joint Base Cape Cod (JBCC). Gov. Charlie Baker's (D-MA) administration on Friday released details to provide shelter and humanitarian support for the migrants, and added that the National Guard will be activated as part of the relief effort. "Buses have arrived to transport the migrants from Martha's Vineyard. I just spoke with two men who traveled together who said they don't know where they are headed, but we're told it would be somewhere safe and with more room," NBC Boston reported. Apparently, the affluent residents of Martha's Vineyard like the idea of having sanctuary cities but just not in their own backyard. Southern border states have been sending a small number of migrants to sanctuary states in the north, but in numbers far short of those who are invading the southern border.

September 16: News Max: Judge says NYC can't fire city firefighter for not getting a COVID shot
A New York Police Department officer can't be fired for not having been vaccinated against COVID-19, a judge in Manhattan has ruled. Manhattan Supreme Court Justice Arlene Bluth ruled on Tuesday that officer Alexander Deletto should be permitted to keep his job, according to the New York Post. She said the city did not provide the Brooklyn-based cop with an explanation on why it rejected his application for a religious exemption. The newspaper said the ruling could aid nearly 24 police officers who have filed similar cases.

September 16: The Jerusalem Post: Abraham Accords stronger two years later
The signing of the Abraham Accords two years ago marked the start of a positive relationship for the benefit of all; like all relationships, there must be an effort to maintain it. This week marked the second anniversary of the Abraham Accords, under which Israel signed normalization agreements with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain, which were later extended to Morocco. Skeptics at the time noted Israel had not been at war with these Arab Muslim states and downplayed the idea that the accords –reached under the Trump Administration and Netanyahu government – could be called "peace treaties."

September 15: The Epoch Times: Judge names Special Master to review Trump documents seized by the FBI
Florida-based U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon on Thursday appointed a senior Brooklyn federal judge to serve as special master to independently review documents the FBI seized from President Trump's Florida estate. U.S. District Judge Raymond Dearie will serve as an independent arbiter in the case, tasked with deciding whether any of the seized documents are privileged and should be off limits to federal investigators. Cannon rejected the DOJ's bid to revive its criminal investigation into classified documents seized during the unprecedented raid at Mar-a-Lago last month. The matter is expected to move quickly to an appeals court, and potentially the U.S. Supreme Court. Earlier in the week DOJ said Dearie has "substantial judicial experience" in cases involving national security and privilege concerns to qualify him for the special master role. President Ronald Reagan appointed Dearie to the federal bench in Brooklyn in 1986, where he was chief judge of that court from 2007 to 2011. Before that he served as U.S. attorney there. He now serves as a semi-retired senior judge. Dearie also served on the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance (FISA) Court between 2011 and 2019. That court reviews warrant applications from the U.S. government on matters of national security. [See related story]

September 15: The Daily Caller: Residents of Martha's Vineyard scramble to take care of the 50 illegal aliens flown in by DeSantis
Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts, is scrambling to support a "humanitarian crisis" of just 50 illegal migrants sent to the island by Republican Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Local officials are soliciting outside help and preparing to open more shelter space as they prepare for more flights to arrive. The island has opened two local shelters thus far, according to a statement from the Dukes County Emergency Management Association. Meanwhile, some local officials are seeking non-local shelter options. The State of Massachusetts is also working to set up a "temporary shelter" at Joint Base Cape Cod.

September 15: One America News Network: Records show Biden has leased fewer oil and gas leases than any president in the last 80 years
A new report from the Department of the Interior (DOI) shows the Biden Administration has leased fewer acres of land for oil and gas drilling on federal lands and waters since former President Harry Truman in the 1940s. DOI has given out leases for 126,228 acres through August 20, 2022, according to a Wall Street Journal analysis. The last president to lease out less than 4.4 million acres at this point in the first term of his presidency was Richard Nixon in 1969-1970. "Joe Biden has beent simply a radical throughout his entire career in public service," Larry Behrans, communications director for Power the Future, told One America News. "And so, the fact that he had the reins of the federal government and is punishing American energy independence like he has is something that really should surprise no one." Biden failed to mention that inflation hit a worse than expected 8.3% earlier today. Specifically, energy services increased 19.8% year-over-year and utility (piped) gas service jumped 33%. Berhans says Biden refusing to lease acres for drilling is sending Americans a terrible message in light of these numbers. "The green ideology and the cult of the environmental movement is more important than American family budgets," Behrans said. "It's really that simple." Behrans says the Biden Administration could not care less that the average American family is struggling to make ends meet.

September 15: Fox News: Russia; US will cross a red line if it gives Ukraine long-range missiles
On Thursday, Russia issued another threat to the U.S., saying it would cross a "red line" if Washington supplied Ukraine with longer-range missiles. Moscow "reserves the right to defend its territory," Foreign Minister Maria Zakharova said during a briefing, according to Reuters. The U.S. has already provided 16 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (shown) to Ukraine with more on the way. They have a range of roughly 50 miles. Ukraine has called on the U.S. and other nations to assist it further as it pushes the frontline farther east and retakes territory in the northern Kharkiv region. Kyiv has argued for months that it needs missiles with a longer reach like the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS), which has a range of roughly 185 miles, to grapple with its roughly 1,500-mile-long battle front. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said his troops will not stop resisting Russia until all of Ukraine has been liberated, including Crimea, which Russia has occupied since 2014. The current administration is not likely to provide ATACMS systems to the Ukrainians.

September 15: The Daily Caller: IL Gov declares emergency over illegal immigrants sent to his state
Democrat Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker declared a state of emergency which will unlock resources as migrants are being dropped off in Chicago from Texas. The declaration will allow state and local agencies to provide humanitarian assistance and resources including emergency shelter, housing, food, transportation and medical assessments, he announced. He also announced the deployment of 75 members of the National Guard manage the migrant influx. The governor then condemned Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott for sending the migrants to Chicago and other cities around the country. Some migrants have voluntarily boarded the buses and there is no indication they have been forced to travel to other locations.

September 15: iHeart Radio-KTRH Radio News(Houston): Unions and railroads reach tentative deal in effort to avoid a nationwide strike
Major railroads and union workers reached a tentative deal after 20 hours of negotiations to avoid a strike that could've led to nationwide disruption, Biden announced. "For the American people, the hard work done to reach this tentative agreement means that our economy can avert the significant damage any shutdown would have brought," he said. Biden's statement didn't expand on details of the new deal and neither labor unions or railway companies have provided comments as of Thursday morning.

September 14: The Washington Examiner: Zelensky is fine after car crash
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was involved in a car crash in Kyiv that wounded his driver but left the leader unharmed, the president's spokesman said Thursday local time. Serhiy Nikiforov announced in a statement that there were no serious injuries, and the president was cleared after being examined by medics. The crash happened as Zelensky was returning from the newly retaken city of Izyum, in the Kharkiv region where Ukrainian forces have Russia's invading military on the run-in recent days.

September 14: One America News Network: My Pillow CEO had his cell phone seized by the FBI and was then told not to tell anybody about it! He did so anyway!
MyPillow CEO Mike Lindell claims he was surrounded by the FBI. During his show on Tuesday, he broke the news to his audience that the government agency surrounded him at a Hardees restaurant and seized his cell phone. The FBI has since confirmed it executed a search warrant, which was authorized by a federal judge. Lindell later showed what appears to be a subpoena for his phone then said the FBI also told him to keep "hush" on the matter while the investigation is ongoing.

September 14: The Daily Caller: Railroad strike could impact 30% of goods, shutting down the economy
As time runs out for railway unions and railway companies to avoid a strike before a Friday morning deadline, logistics experts warned that a rail strike would have a "ripple effect" that would negatively impact every facet of the U.S. economy. Two of 12 major railway unions have yet to sign an agreement with rail companies, citing concerns regarding sick days and attendance, while a third saw its members vote down the agreement on Wednesday despite the White House-brokered deal including a record-breaking 24% pay hike over the next five years. Should the unions strike on Friday, it could prompt 7,000 long distance daily freight trains to be left idle, representing nearly 40% of all long distance trade in the United States, the largest of all forms of transit, according to CNBC.

September 14: Fox News: Florida sends two airplanes full of migrants to Martha's Vineyard -- home of the rich and famous
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis followed through on his promise to drop off illegal immigrants in progressive states, sending two planes full of migrants to Martha's Vineyard on Wednesday. A video provided to Fox News Digital shows the migrants deboarding the planes at Martha's Vineyard Airport in Massachusetts. "States like Massachusetts, New York and California will better facilitate the care of these individuals who they have invited into our country by incentivizing illegal immigration through their designation as 'sanctuary states' and support for the Biden administration's open border policies," she said. "As you may know, in this past legislative session the Florida legislature appropriated $12 million to implement a program to facilitate the transport of illegal immigrants from this state consistent with federal law," she added. The office of Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker responded to an after-hours email from Fox News Digital, saying it was aware of the situation and that the arrivals were provided short-term shelter.

September 13: The Epoch Times: Kagan: SCOTUS expect a leak update soon
Supreme Court Justice Elena Kagan said on Sept. 12 that justices will be updated by month's end on the progress of an internal investigation into the wintertime leak of a draft abortion opinion that previewed the reversal of Roe v. Wade. If those investigating have "not figured out who the perpetrator was," it remains to be seen how the court would prevent another leak from happening, she said. The justices need to be able to privately deliberate "and you can't do that if you know that you might wake up tomorrow morning and there is a decision and it is on the front page of newspapers." Kagan's comments came as the Supreme Court prepared to embark on a new term on Oct. 3. High-profile cases scheduled or expected to be heard include a case about the authority of state legislatures to set the rules for redistricting and congressional and presidential elections, a challenge to affirmative action in college admissions, a challenge to the Clean Water Act, a case about a Colorado law forcing a graphic designer to create websites to celebrate same-sex marriage despite her religion-based opposition to them, and a case about California's efforts to export its agriculture policies to the rest of the country.

September 13: The Epoch Times: Biden decides not to enforce vaccine mandate on federal contractors
Joe Biden's administration has opted not to enforce a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for federal contractors, following a recent court decision that enabled the government to enforce the rule in some parts of the country. The White House Safer Federal Workforce quietly updated its website on Aug. 31 to say that the government "will take no action to implement or enforce" Biden's executive order mandating COVID-19 vaccination for contractors. Clauses in existing agreements that implement requirements of the order will also not be enforced "absent further written notice," the workforce added. The workforce also made other updates, including clarifying that screening for COVID-19 symptoms for contractors can be self-conducted and does not need to be verified by government workers. The administration is already facing multiple suits regarding the mandate, and the decision could stem from wanting to avoid additional litigation, Ben Brubeck, ABC's vice president of regulatory, labor, and state affairs, said.

September 13: The Washington Times: Affidavit shows Trump had returned more documents than previously reported
A federal judge on Tuesday unsealed new portions of the affidavit used by the FBI to justify its search of former President Trump's residence, revealing for the first time that he had returned more documents to the government than originally reported. But it also revealed that the FBI had "probable cause to believe" that it would find additional classified materials, including national defense information, at Mr. Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence beyond what he had already turned over to the National Archives and Records Administration. The newly unredacted portions show that Trump handed over additional documents with classification markings in response to a grand jury subpoena. Those materials were in addition to the original 15 boxes of records that Trump provided the National Archives in January.

September 13: Fox Business: August inflation breakdown: Where are prices hitting Americans the hardest
Inflation rose more than expected in August as the rising cost of food and rent offset a major decline in gasoline prices. The Labor Department said Tuesday that the consumer price index, a broad measure of the price for everyday goods including gasoline, groceries and rents, rose 8.3% in August from a year ago. Those figures were both higher than the 8.1% expected inflation rate. The higher inflation rate is a worrisome sign for the Federal Reserve as it seeks to cool price gains and tame consumer demand with an aggressive interest rate hike campaign. The FED will meet this coming month and projections are that there could be an interest rate increase as much .75%-1%. Stocks sank on the surprisingly with the Dow Jones Industrial Average shedding more than 1,000 points on Tuesday afternoon.

September 13: The Washington Times: Ukraine's new dilemma; How far and how fast
Ukraine's stunning successes on the battlefield in recent days have sparked renewed optimism in Kyiv that a lasting, decisive victory over Russia may be within reach. Still, the rapid pace of the Ukrainian counteroffensive comes with high-stakes questions. Military analysts openly cautioned Kyiv on Tuesday to slow its attacks or risk overextending its forces and giving the shellshocked Russian army an opportunity to regain its footing. Striking the right balance between pressing its advantage and exercising strategic restraint will be the key challenge to Ukrainian military leaders — and their U.S. and other Western military advisers — over the coming days and weeks. After months of defense against relentless Russian ground attacks and artillery barrages, Ukraine's counteroffensive campaign has quickly retaken ground, including the strategically vital northeastern city of Kharkiv, with more modest gains in the south near Kherson.

September 12: The Epoch Times: Attorney; suspicious actors in January 6th raid never arrested
Members of an Ohio-based Christian group called the Salt and Light Brigade were among the "suspicious actors" who breached the police lines on the east side of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and engaged in a so called "stunning conspiracy" to commit illegal acts that were falsely ascribed to the Oath Keepers, a defense attorney contends. The attorney, Brad Geyer, Kenneth Harrelson's lawyer in his January 6 criminal case, filed a motion identifying dozens of people allegedly associated with the Salt and Light Brigade as among those who pushed past police on the east side and moved up to the Columbus Doors entrance to the Capitol Rotunda. Geyer said Salt and Light Brigade members engaged in a "stunning conspiracy" to attack the Capitol, but have faced no charges. Several members and associates of the group claim to have worked in intelligence jobs, including a former Green Beret with experience in "special operations, covert operations, psychological operations, undercover operations, [and] surveillance operations." Others have claimed they have high-level government security clearances, he said. In his filing, Geyer also alleged DOJ has hamstrung defense attorneys by not providing evidence requested by the defense and failing to provide exculpatory information such as the FBI's possible use of confidential human sources—informants—inside the Oath Keepers.

September 12: CNN: Who will serve as Special Master?
One of the candidates that former President Donald Trump's legal team put forward as a special master to review the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago could be appointed, according to a court filing. DOJ said senior Judge Raymond Dearie is acceptable, along with its two previously proposed selections: retired federal judges Barbara Jones and Thomas Griffith. "Each have substantial judicial experience, during which they have presided over federal criminal and civil cases, including federal cases involving national security and privilege concerns," prosecutors wrote. Dearie, originally a nominee of former President Ronald Reagan, has served as a federal judge in New York since the 1980s. He retired in 2011 and is now a senior judge on the circuit. Dearie also served a seven-year term on the US Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, or FISA court. He was one of the judges who approved an FBI and DOJ request to surveil Carter Page, a Trump campaign foreign policy adviser, as part of the federal inquiry into the now debunked Russia Gate inquiry.

September 12: Breitbart News: German minister blames Merkel for 16 years of bad energy policy as the nation faces a cold winter
Germany's economy and climate minister has angrily lashed out at Angela Merkel's party, accusing it of being responsible for "16 years of energy policy failure." While the ongoing gas crisis across Europe gets steadily worse, political tensions in Germany appear to be growing, with the country's economic and climate minister, Robert Habeck, angrily lashing out the Christian Democratic Union party of former chancellor Angela Merkel. Despite having been warned by then-President Donald Trump that relying on Russia for energy was endangering the security of both Germany and her allies, Merkel's government presided over a green agenda-fueled shift away from domestic fossil fuel production that made the country ever more reliant on gas exports supplied by Moscow. Now, in the wake of the Ukraine war, Germany has all but completely lost access to its supply of gas from Vladimir Putin, prompting fears that many will be unable to properly heat their homes this winter.

September 11: The Washington Free Beacon: St. Paul's rings the bell of hope on 21st anniversary of the terrorist attack on the world trade center
St. Paul's Chapel (ritght), located across from the World Trade Center, rang its Bell of Hope in remembrance of the September 11 terrorist attacks that took place 21 years ago. Every year since 2002, the chapel has rung the bell at the precise moment that the first plane struck the World Trade Center. The bell was gifted to New York City by London and was created by the same foundry that forged the Liberty Bell.

September 11: News Max: Russian nationalists rage after Putin's setbacks in Ukraine
Russian nationalists called angrily on Sunday for President Vladimir Putin to make immediate changes to ensure ultimate victory in the Ukraine war, a day after Moscow was forced to abandon its main bastion in northeastern Ukraine. The swift fall of Izium in Kharkiv province was Russia's worst military defeat since its troops were forced back from the Ukrainian capital Kyiv in March. In an 11-minute-long voice message posted to the Telegram messaging app, Chechen leader Ramzan Kadyrov, a Putin ally whose troops have been at the forefront of the campaign in Ukraine, dismissed the loss of Izium, a critical supply hub. But he conceded the campaign was not going to plan.

Meanwhile, News Max noted a New York Times report crediting U.S. intelligence in helping Ukraine plan an effective counteroffensive that might have Russia on the run in the east and south of Ukraine. Ukraine, which had been reluctant to share intelligence with U.S. officials, has stepped up its sharing and capitalized on U.S. knowledge of Russian munitions, positions, weaknesses, and targets in plotting the current move this summer, officials told the Times. "The Ukrainian military's counteroffensive is moving faster and taking terrain even faster than expected," former CIA officer Mick Mulroy said. "Now is the time for the Ukrainian army to exploit every opportunity they have to degrade and destroy the Russian capacity to fight."

September 11: The Washington Examiner: Prince Andrew to inherit the Queen's pooches
Prince Andrew and his ex-wife Sarah Ferguson will take ownership of Queen Elizabeth's corgis, a source close to the royal said on Sunday. Andrew and Fergie, amicably divorced in 1996 but continued to live together at the Royal Lodge on the Windsor estate. The mansion is located just a few miles from Windsor Castle, one of the late monarch's primary residences until her passing last week. The former couple, along with their two daughters: Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie, gifted the queen the two corgis early last year, at about the time of her husband Prince Philip's death.

September 10: The Washington Examiner: Democrat LA mayoral candidate's home burglarized
Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rep. Karen Bass (D-CA) says her home was burglarized over the weekend and two guns were stolen from the property. Bass's campaign said in a statement Saturday that the Friday break-in at her Baldwin Vista home took place when no one was home and that no valuables besides the firearms were taken. Still, the burglary comes at a time of skyrocketing crime in the Golden State, a major issue in Bass's mayoral race against Republican businessman Rick Caruso.

September 10: The Epoch Times: 'Unethical' and Up to 98 Times Worse Than the Disease: Top Scientists Publish Paradigm-Shifting Study About COVID-19 Boosters for Young Adults
A team of nine experts from Harvard, Johns Hopkins, and other top universities has published paradigm-shifting research about the efficacy and safety of the COVID-19 vaccines and why mandating vaccines for college students is unethical. This 50-page study, which was published on the Social Science Research Network at the end of August, analyzed Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and industry-sponsored data on vaccine adverse events, and concluded that mandates for COVID-19 boosters for young people may cause 18 to 98 actual serious adverse events for each COVID-19 infection-related hospitalization theoretically prevented.

September 10: The Daily Caller: Biden calls upon federal judge to appoint Democrat donor as Special Master over Trump documents
Joe Biden's Justice Department (DOJ) is proposing that a federal judge appoint a Democratic donor and former judge to serve as special master in the Trump Mar-a-Lago investigation. The DOJ recommended in a Friday filing that the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida appoint Barbara Jones as special master — an appointee who oversees litigation and makes court recommendations. Records show Jones, a retired judge in the Southern District of New York, has donated thousands to Democratic causes.

September 10: Fox News: Recommendations for Special Master for Trump documents submitted to federal judge
The United States government and the legal team of former President Trump have both submitted their preferred candidates to serve as an independent special master to review the records seized by the FBI during its unprecedented raid of Mar-a-Lago last month but the two sides disagree on the scope of duties that person would have. The Trump team proposed one retired judge, Raymond Dearie —the former top federal prosecutor in the Eastern District of New York — and a prominent Florida lawyer, Paul Huck, Jr. U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon had given both sides until Friday to submit potential candidates for the role of a special master, as well as proposals for the scope of the person's duties and the schedule for his or her work. On September 12th, both parties are expected to advise the judge about their respective positions. Lawyers for Trump said they believe the so-called special master should review all documents seized by the FBI during its search last month including records with classification markings, and filter out any that may be protected by claims of executive privilege. DOJ, by contrast, said it does not believe the arbiter should be permitted to inspect classified records or resolve potential claims of executive privilege.

September 9: The Daily Caller: Mayors of sanctuary cities balk at buses with illegal immigrants being sent to their cities
Democratic mayors who once touted their cities as sanctuaries for illegal migrants are now complaining about receiving migrants bused from the border. Republican Texas Gov. Greg Abbott began busing illegal migrants to Washington, D.C., in April, New York City in early August and Chicago in late August. Republican Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey also began busing illegal migrants to Washington in May. And this month, the Democrat-controlled city of El Paso has chartered buses to follow suit. All of the destinations are considered sanctuary cities, which means illegal migrants' immigration statuses won't be reported to authorities. Despite their open rhetoric towards illegal migrants, the Democrat mayors running those cities are now complaining about the arriving buses.

September 9: Fox News: Russia arrests five who charged Putin with treason over the Ukraine invasion
Russian police arrested five people who proposed officials arrest and charge Vladimir Putin with treason for his decision to launch the invasion of Ukraine, which has led to catastrophic outcomes for Russia and its interests. "The fact that several municipal deputies in St. Petersburg, Putin's hometown, came forward accusing [him] of treason and calling for his removal is highly significant," Rebekah Koffler, a former DIA intelligence officer and author of "Putin's Playbook," said. "They know the punishment will be severe. They can easily face a death sentence based on Russian federal law. The significance of this act of defiance and dissent by a handful of Russian officials cannot be possibly overstated." The deputies appealed to the central governing body known as the Duma to punish Putin for countless deaths of military personnel, prompting economic sanctions from other nations, motivating NATO to expand and leading Ukraine to build its military power.

September 8: Politico.com: Local Nevada county official charged with stabbing of investigative journalist who uncovered the official's misdoings
Police in Las Vegas have charged a local elected official with murder in connection with the stabbing death of Jeff German, an investigative reporter with the Las Vegas Review-Journal who had spent the last few months exposing misdeeds and turmoil in the official's office. Clark County Public Administrator Robert Telles, a 45-year-old Democrat, was taken into custody on Wednesday after police conducted a search in his home. On Thursday, Sheriff Joseph Lombardo told reporters Telles had been charged with murder after authorities found a positive match for Telles' DNA with the genetic material found underneath German's fingernails and part of the cut up disguise the is alleged to have used.

September 8: United Press International:
Queen Elizabeth II passes at 96 being the longest
serving monarch of the British Empire
Buckingham Palace announced today that Queen Elizabeth II, the longest-serving monarch in British history, died at her Balmoral estate in Scotland on Thursday at the age of 96. "The queen died peacefully at Balmoral this afternoon. The king and the queen consort will remain at Balmoral this evening and will return to London tomorrow," the palace's statement read. Her son, Charles, would ascend the throne. He will be known as King Charles III.

September 8: Fox News: New UK Prime Minster ends ban on fracking amid rising energy crisis
UK Prime Minister Liz Truss ended England's ban on fracking Thursday, opening the door to domestic shale gas production amid a European energy crisis. The return of fracking is just one piece of a larger energy and economy plan Truss is pursuing in her first weeks since gaining office. Her administration also announced a national freeze on household energy prices, a plan that will cost the government tens of billions. Under Truss's plan, household energy costs will be limited to $2,900 per year after ballooning to $4,100 in 2022. The U.K. and other European countries have faced a worsening energy crisis due to heavy dependence on oil and gas imports from Russia which in recent days has limited supplies to NATO countries after they imposed economic sanctions because its invasion of Ukraine.

September 8: The Washington Times: Biden Administration adopts lenient policy on welfare for illegal immigrants
Biden's Department of Homeland Security on Thursday announced it has adopted a new lenient policy on immigrants' use of welfare, tossing a Trump-era policy that would have been far stricter. Under the new system, known as the "public charge" rule, immigrants will only be penalized for potential welfare use if the government believes they will eventually become "primarily dependent" on government payments. By contrast, living in government housing, using Medicaid for health coverage or accepting food stamps wouldn't count against an immigrant.

September 8: The New York Post: Justice Department to appeal Federal Court
Justice's decision calling for a special master to review documents seized from Trump The Justice Department will appeal a federal judge's decision ordering the selection of a special master to review documents taken by the FBI last month from former President Donald Trump's Florida home. The department filed a notice of appeal Thursday. US District Judge Aileen Cannon ruled Monday that an independent third party should review documents taken by agents Aug. 8 from Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate, which the authorities say included official secrets. Trump's legal team claims that personal medical and tax records were seized by FBI agents during the raid.

September 6: Fox News: White House press secretary taken on over 2016 comment on election being stolen from Hillary Clinton
Fox News reporter Peter Doocy confronted White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre with her own past tweets denying election results and asking her whether it was as "extreme" to do so in 2016 and in the Georgia gubernatorial election of 2018 as it was in 2020. Jean-Pierre claimed on Twitter that Trump had stolen the election in 2016 and that Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp had stolen his election in 2018. Doocy pressed the White House spokesperson to explain why "MAGA Republicans" were facing so much criticism for their claims that the 2020 election was stolen when she and other Democrats had cast doubt on other elections.

September 6: The Washington Times: Biden refuses to list Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism as requested by Ukrainian government
Joe Biden is rejecting calls from Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to designate Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism. The White House said Tuesday that the designation could have "unintended consequences for Ukraine and the world" and undermine the U.S. ability to support Ukraine at the negotiating table. "We do not think this is the most effective way to go or the strongest path forward," White House press secretary Karine Jeanne-Pierre told reporters. br />

September 6: The Daily Caller:
Reportedly the FBI secretly pressured Americans to waive their gun rights
Reportedly the FBI secretly pressured Americans into signing forms that relinquish their rights to own, purchase or even use firearms, according to a trove of internal documents and communications. The forms were presented by the FBI to people at their homes and in other undisclosed locations documents unearthed through the Freedom of Information Act request of the FBI by the firearm rights group Gun Owners of America (GOA). Apparently at least 15 people between 2016 and 2019 signed the secret forms, which ask signatories to declare themselves as either a "danger" to themselves or others or lacking "mental capacity adequately to contract or manage" their lives.

September 5: The Epoch Times: Human interest story; WVA coal miners help electric vehicle owner whose car ran out of juice in the middle of nowhere
A Washingtonian who was stranded on their way to a town in West Virginia was discovered by some coal miners who pitched in and helped save the day! The driver was heading for a getaway weekend and was about 170 miles away from home when his EV battery went dead. But luckily for him, five coal miners from a local mine pushed his vehicle to the mine's guard shack and plugged the vehicle in to recharge the batteries. There are several barriers that make Americans hesitant to buy an EV. One is how many miles an EV can last after a full charge. More than half of Americans say concern about how far a full charge will take them has been holding them back from buying. Another is the distance a vehicle can go on a full charge. Finally prospective buyers are concerned over charging logistics – one cannot count on having five friendly WWA coal miners handy to push their vehicle to an electric power source, even a power source that's powered by coal! According to news sources concerns over charging logistics is greatest among white and English-speaking Asian Americans at 67 percent for each group.

September 5: The Washington Examiner: Judge halts DOJ investigation of Trump while a third-party special master is appointed in reviews the seized documents
A federal judge placed a roadblock on DOJ prosecutors conducting a criminal investigation into President Donald Trump's handling of documents until a special master is appointed and has completed his or her work. "The Court does not find that a temporary special master review under the present circumstances would cause undue delay" to the investigation, District Court Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida, said when granting Trump's motion for a third-party review to look for privileged materials. She said the government is "temporarily enjoined from further review and use of any materials seized from" Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida last month "for criminal investigative purposes" until the special master's review process is complete.

September 5: The Washington Times: Biden uses Labor Day speech to call MEGA Republicans a threat to democracy
Joe Biden used a Labor Day campaign speech to hurl continued vitriol at President Donald Trump and his supporters, telling rallygoers in Wisconsin on Monday that "MAGA Republicans" post a threat to their personal and financial freedoms. Biden doubled down on his claim that the Trump-wing of the party supports "semi-fascism" and is unrelated to traditional conservatives with whom he served in Congress.

September 5: Fox News: U.S. military
flies B-52 nuclear-capable bombers in the Middle East amid growing tensions with Iran
The US military flew two nuclear-capable B-52H Stratofortresses over the Middle East on Sunday alongside allied aircraft from the air forces of the United Kingdom, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, US Central Command (CENTCOM) said. It's the fourth bomber task force (BTF) mission so far this year and comes amid increased tensions with Iran, which attempted to seize multiple US sea drones that were operating in international waters last week. During Sunday's mission, the B-52 long-distance bombers took off from England and flew over the Eastern Mediterranean, Arabian Peninsula, and Red Sea.

September 4: The Washington Examiner: US Ambassador to Russia leaving post
The U.S. ambassador to Russia left his post in Moscow on Sunday amid the most strained relations between the two countries since the Cold War. The envoy, John Sullivan, was picked to be ambassador to Russia in 2019 by President Trump, and his nomination passed the Senate with a 70-22 vote. He was one of a small group of Trump-appointed diplomats to be asked by the Biden administration to stay in their post. When asked in a June interview with TASS whether he thinks the U.S. and Russian embassies could be shut down, he responded, "They could be, they could very well be, although I think it would be a big mistake." He said the only way the U.S. would shut down its embassy would be over security concerns and noted there was no intention within the U.S. government to do so. Sullivan has worked under five Presidents during his long tenure in public service.

September 4: The Epoch Times: Dershowitz: DOJ likely attempting to ensnare Trump in an obstruction of justice charge
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is likely attempting to ensnare President Trump on obstruction of justice charges, predicted Harvard Law professor emeritus Alan Dershowitz. "The only possible case they could consider making against the former president and a future presidential candidate — it's not going to be mishandling of classified information — would be … obstruction of justice," he said. "And the only way you get an obstruction of justice conviction — and I don't think there's any evidence of it now — is to show that there was willful and deliberate destruction of subpoenaed material, which is what happened in the Nixon case."

September 4: The Daily Caller: GOP House will use power of the purse to get transparency from Biden DOJ
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-WI), a member of the House Intelligence Committee, denounced a "massive abuse of power" and vowed to use congressional funding powers to get transparency from the Biden administration about the Aug. 8 raid on Mar-a-Lago. "For something of this magnitude, something unprecedented, you would expect the FBI and the DOJ to go to great lengths to insure they are conducting themselves with the highest level of professionalism, but they never notified our committee — which you would expect them to do if, indeed, there was a danger posed by the classified material that was in Donald Trump's possession," Gallagher said, adding that many committee members found out details of the raid from news reports based on leaks from the Justice Department.

September 4: The Epoch Times: FBI apparently searched Trump's 16 year old son's room and Melania's closet, leaving them in a mess
Donald Trump revealed Saturday that the FBI searched his 16-year-old son Barron's room during the raid on Mar-a-Lago last month. Apparently, they also rifled through First Lady Melania Trump's closet. The President told a crowd in Wilkes-Barre, PA that the agents left "everything they touched in far different condition than it was when they started." He said "The Biden administration invaded the home of their chief political opponent, who is absolutely destroying him [Biden]… in the polls…" The 45th president said the search was merely an attempt to meddle in the midterm elections in November 2022. Elaborating, Trump also addressed the Department of Justice including a photo of documents that FBI agents scattered on the floor and used in a court filing.

September 4: United Press International: Russian weapons rely upon western – not home grown -- technology
A 9-year-old boy was killed and at least 10 people were seriously injured in a Russian rocket strike in the southern Ukrainian town of Zelenodolsk as Ukrainian forces have pushed their counteroffensive in the south of the country. The news of the rocket strike Saturday came as a report from Conflict Armament Research (CAR), an independent armed conflict investigation group based in Britain, revealed that Russia has been using outdated foreign technology in its advanced missiles systems and helicopters. In its report on Russian advanced weapons systems, CAR said its field investigation team traveled to Ukraine in mid-July to document items that Ukrainian officials had recovered from Russian weapons, including components from a Ka-52 helicopter, multiple cruise missiles, and drones. CAR identified that components used in the weapons came from 144 non-Russian manufacturers and were made after 2014, when Russia illegally annexed the Ukrainian territory Crimea leading to initial sanctions from the European Union and United States. "The Russian Federation's ability to develop advanced weapon systems such as cruise missiles is thus highly reliant on very specific non-Russian technology," the report reads. Much of the Russian weapons systems rely upon foreign technology from the United States, Europe, and Asia.

September 3: United Press International: UN/IAEA inspectors to remain at Ukraine nuclear facility
The head of the United Nations' nuclear watchdog said the agency plans to release a report on the damaged Ukrainian plant in Zaporizhzhia next week. In the meantime, two inspectors will remain at the site to continually monitor safety. Rafael Mariano Grossi, director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency [IAEA] said his team wasn't surprised by anything they found at the nuclear power plant, which has been under Russian control since early March. Still, fighting between Ukrainian and Russian forces has continually threatened the safety of the site. "My concern would be the physical integrity -- would be the power supply and of course the staff," Grossi said Friday after his team arrived at the airport in Vienna, Austria. Of the 14 IAEA experts who traveled to the site for the inspections, six remained, two of whom will staty until fighting has ended.

September 3: Fox Business: Russia pulls the plug on Europe; Should have seen this coming
The Russian energy giant Gazprom said it is extending indefinitely its cuts of gas to Europe. The state-owned energy company cited urgent maintenance was behind its reasoning and did not provide a date when it intends to reopen the Nord Stream 1 Pipeline, which distributes natural gas to Europe through Germany. The announcement came just hours before gas was scheduled to start flowing again. But the Friday evening announcement is just the latest in a series of measures taken by the company since June that has reduced gas flow to Europe amid Russia's highly contested war in Ukraine

September 3: Fox News: Vulnerable Dems avoid connections to Biden anti-MAGA remarks while GOP candidates give their reactions
Trump-backed candidates are blasting Joe Biden's Thursday "soul of the nation" speech, where he claimed "MAGA forces are determined to take this country backwards," meanwhile vulnerable Democrat Senators seeking reelection this fall have mostly avoided discussing Biden's divisive rhetoric. During his remarks, Biden said "And here, in my view, is what is true: MAGA Republicans do not respect the Constitution. They do not believe in the rule of law. They do not recognize the will of the people. They refused to acknowledge a free election." About 74 million Americans voted for President Donald Trump and the "Make American Great Again" (MAGA) movement in the 2020 presidential election. Biden's remarks were to attack MAGA supporters – who actually support following the Constitution and the rule of law – but he failed to mention the status of the economy, rising inflation, the fentanyl crisis, or abortion. Meanwhile Democrat candidates like Mark Kelly (AZ) and Tim Ryan (OH) have avoided making any comment.

September 3: News Max: Candidate Doug Mastriano (R-PA) says Biden's "attack speech is inappropriate"
It was "inappropriate" for Joe Biden to use Independence Hall for his speech attacking Republican supporters of President Donald Trump, Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial candidate Doug Mastriano said on Saturday. "Sleepy Joe just guaranteed the red wave in Pennsylvania," Mastriano said. "It was dark. It was inappropriate. It was at a national shrine, Independence Hall, where it all began for America in 1776, the birthplace for the country." But Biden gave a "very dark, sinister speech, painting his political adversaries is these enemies of the state, you know, bedecked with Marines behind him," Mastriano added. "Presidents go to Independence Hall to bring the country together, not to attack his political foes. I didn't hear anything about China or Iran or our energy crisis. It was all about trying to destroy his political foes, and it's completely wrong and out of line."

September 2: One American News Network:
The White House attempts to spin negative feedback over Marine escort at Biden's Thursday night prime-time angry speech
Biden's so-called 'Battle for the Soul of the Nation' speech on Thursday night is not getting the roaring applause he may have hoped for. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre was forced to defend the decision to have Marine Corps Officers stand in the background of Joe Biden's divisive speech after he caught heat from not only Conservatives but from left-wing media mainstays. A CNN reporter was one of many to point out that the military is meant to be kept apolitical. Brianna Keilar claimed that Biden standing in front of two Marines was disparaging to half the Country. A guest on her show, an Iraq War veteran, also weighed in. Allison Jaslow said that though she may agree with sentiments in Biden's speech, it's hard to not see the Marine Officers as a prop.

September 2: The Washington Examiner: Colorado's senate "sleeper race" just got real
There is something going on in Colorado politics that is not much different than what happened in Virginia exactly one year ago — a shift away from the status quo and the odds-on favorite Democrat toward his Republican challenger. Sen. Michael Bennet (D-CO) is seeking a second full term against Republican challenger Joe O'Dea. And the question, in a state where people tend to dislike both parties but increasingly favor Democrats, is whether O'Dea is independent enough to earn their vote. Democrats viewed O'Dea as enough of a threat that they dropped $10 million into the Republican primary to manipulate voters into backing his "stop-the-steal" primary rival. Their advertising to Republican voters aimed to paint O'Dea as a centrist, which complicates their task now. Meanwhile, Joe Biden is very unpopular in this state.

September 2: The Washington Examiner: Biden's American Carnage speech
The story behind the speech is the new energy Democrats feel about the coming midterm elections. Once resigned to a huge loss, some Democrats now believe the party has a chance to keep control of the House and Senate. For three reasons: 1) a few signs that inflation, while still historically high, might be easing, 2) their belief that they can successfully use the Supreme Court abortion decision against Republicans, and 3) the rising profile of Trump as a factor in congressional races. However, recent polls show Republicans garnering a small lead over their Democrat opponents and, for many, the Biden speech didn't help move the needle in the Democrats direction.

September 2: The Epoch Times: According to an inventory released by the FBI over 11,000 materials were taken from President Trump's home
According to an inventory released on Sept. 2, FBI agents seized over 11,000 documents and photographs without classified markings from the home of Donald Trump. The inventory shows that 11,179 materials that were not marked as classified were seized. They also took 103 documents marked classified but which Trump and others have said he declassified while serving as President. The search warrant authorized the agents to seize any documents with classification markings and containers in which such documents may be found. The detailed inventory shows that the FBI seized 1,673 magazines/newspapers/press articles and other printed media, some dating back to 2008; 48 empty folders with classified banners; 42 empty folders labeled "return to staff secretary/military aide"; 19 articles of clothing/gift items; and 33 books. The original inventory listed no gifts or clothing, no folders, and no books.

September 2: The Epoch Times: Political strategists say the FBI raid on Trump's home is unlikely to have a major impact the November midterm elections The fresh controversy stoked by ongoing revelations about the FBI's raid of the Mar-a-Lago home of former President Trump is unlikely to have a significant effect on the outcome of the November midterm elections, political strategists say. The issues of concern to voters still struggling with massive inflation, and a bloated national debt exacerbated by Joe Biden's plan to forgive some $500 billion worth of federal student loans, will be much more decisive factors in the minds of voters heading to the polls, they say. In spite of these revelations, the investigation into documents transferred from the White House at the time of Trump's departure in January 2021 is still at an early stage, is prone to missteps and possible backfiring, and none of the findings are likely to dissuade voters from supporting Republican candidates or drive them to cross the political aisle and vote for the incumbent party, experts say. In part, this is simply a function of the timing of the investigation and of the November elections.

September 2: Fox News:
Newsom's (D-CA) in-laws fled California for Florida during the COVID pandemic
Not only did the in-laws of Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) give money to one of his biggest political foes; they fled from his state during the pandemic. Kenneth F. Siebel Jr. and Judith A. Siebel, parents of Newsom's wife Jennifer and longtime California residents, became Florida residents in 2020 after purchasing a home in Naples in March of that year. The Siebels appear to still have ownership of their California home in a northern San Francisco suburb, however, officially became registered voters in the Sunshine State as of June 2020. The voter registration shift occurred as their son-in-law (Governor Newsom) enacted some of the country's strictest COVID lockdowns, which have widely been juxtaposed to the lack of restrictions in red states like Florida.

September 2: Fox News: Really? Biden changes mind after prime-time speech gets push back
On Friday, Joe Biden backtracked on his prime-time speech, saying he does not consider any Donald Trump supporters to be a "threat" to the U.S. His comments were in answer to a question from Fox News' Peter Doocy who asked if Biden considered all Trump supporters to be a threat to the country less than a day after he blasted "MAGA Republicans" in his speech. "You keep trying to make that case. I don't consider any Trump supporters a threat to the country," Biden said. "I do think anyone who calls for the use of violence, refuses to acknowledge an election…changing the way you count votes, that is a threat to democracy." That seemed to contradict his Thursday speech, when he said that U.S. politics is in a battle between "equality and democracy," and that the GOP have assaulted those principles.

September 1: The Epoch Times: Southwest Airlines fined $5M for abridging flight attendant's protective speech
Charlene Carter -- who testified that at age 19 she had an abortion and who, as a result, has been "haunted" in almost every facet of her life -- was unanimously awarded more than $5 million by a jury in her five year quest to be reinstated as a Southwest flight attendant. The jury found that she was fired her for "protected speech" about religious beliefs and her opposition to her union -- the Transport Workers Union of America Local 556. She also believed she was carrying the torch for freedom of speech, employee rights, and right versus wrong. Additionally the jury decided that Local 556 breached its duty to represent Carter. Instead of protecting Carter's interests, the union president sought to get Carter fired for social media activities. On Facebook, Carter railed against the union's participation in the 2017 Women's March [a massive protest that abortion provider Planned Parenthood sponsored in Washington, D.C., the day after President Donald Trump's inauguration]. In addition concerns are mounting over the alleged unholy alliance that Carter's case exposed: union leaders and company management working in concert to target union dissidents for terminations. Now that Carter's trial transcripts are publicly available, many airline employees have been reading them. "And they see this is much bigger than her, and that she's not just some crazy right-wing, pro-life nut," a Southwest employee said. "This is about freedom of speech for all of us, freedom to oppose the union, and to stand up for what you believe in."

September 1: Fox Business:
Mixed messages from California:
Go Green but don't charge your electric vehicles
California residents are reacting to mixed messages from California leadership. The state is asking residents to refrain from charging electric vehicles amid heat wave blackout fears, just one week after passing legislation banning the sale of gas cars by 2035. "It's kind of scary," a California resident said. "What if you really need it [your car]? What if we really got to go somewhere and you got an emergency?"

September 1: News Max: Senator Grassley to DOJ: Hands off whistleblowers, they should be allowed unrestricted access to talk with Congress
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) assailed Attorney General Merrick Garland for ordering Justice Department employees not to communicate with members of Congress following whistleblower disclosures regarding the FBI probe into Hunter Biden's business affairs. Garland issued an Aug. 30 memo saying that all communication with Congress must be conducted through the DOJ's office of legislative affairs. Grassley, the ranking member of the Judiciary Committee, fired a letter to Garland on Thursday to condemn the AG's orders. "I write this letter to make clear to you that whistleblowers are the most patriotic people I know and they play an integral part in ensuring that inappropriate influences, political influence, and improper conduct within the Department and its components, such as the FBI, are exposed," Grassley said. "Under your leadership, the Department and FBI have failed to be responsive to congressional oversight requests. Accordingly, it is often only because of whistleblowers that Congress and the American people are apprised of the type of wrongdoing that your memo seeks to protect against." The senator, a strong advocate for government whistleblowers, warned Garland that whistleblowers have rights.

September 1: The Daily Signal: Biden's speech is a display of an authoritarian environment in this administration
Joe Biden confirmed on Thursday night that if you oppose him, you are an extremist who hates democracy. Flanked by two members of the military and illuminated on a podium in blood-red lighting, Biden spent half an hour blasting his political opponents in a prime-time address to the nation. Biden, who delivered his rant in front of Independence Hall in Philadelphia, defined his political opponents—the "MAGA Republicans"—as illegitimate monsters, a rich statement to make just weeks after the FBI raided the home of former President Donald Trump, the man who opposed him in the last election. People who oppose and disagree with his administration are against democracy. Biden never really got around to the important issues that most Americans are concerned about right now. He said nothing about the runaway inflation, the economy, the border crisis, or any of that—just a long string of invectives against his political opponents followed up by statements about "unity" and "hope." Biden then smeared his political foes as an existential threat to the country: "Too much of what's happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundations of our republic."

September 1: The Washington Times:
Pro-Trump Republicans are "threat to democracy" Biden claims
Nearly two years after Joe Biden pledged to be a "president for all people" — including those who didn't vote for him – he kicked off the Democrats' fall campaign season by tearing into pro-Trump Republicans as a threat to democracy. In a prime-time event in Philadelphia, Biden struck a somber mood, framing the upcoming midterm elections as an eternal battle for "the soul of America." He cast supporters of President Trump and the Make America Great Again movement as a threat to the nation's rule of law and our global standing … "Too much of what is happening in our country today is not normal. Donald Trump and the MAGA Republicans represent an extremism that threatens the very foundation of our republic," Biden claimed. Biden took great pains to underscore that he wasn't painting Republicans with a broad brush, but rather targeting Trump's loyalists, whom he says have "dominated" and "intimidated" mainstream Republicans (in other words, that Trump is a threat to the deep-state and establishment Republicans and that these people should vote for Democrats).

September 1: The Daily Caller:
Biden's primetime speech slammed on Social Media - "Full Monty Mussolini" [Click on image]
Joe Biden's Thursday evening speech targeting supporters of President Trump was mocked on social media, with many users poking fun at the stage. The speech, held in Philadelphia's Constitution Hall, marked continued attacks on supporters of Trump, reiterating earlier attacks in which he claimed Republicans embraced "semi-fascism" at an Aug. 25 fundraiser for the Democratic National Committee in Maryland, and also attacked "MAGA Republicans" during a speech in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. WMAL talk show host Larry O'Connor reacted to Biden's attack on MAGA Republicans, saying about Biden's remarks, "Dude… This isn't even 'semi' fascist, this is full Monty Mussolini." But the stage drew more attention, as one post on Twitter compared it to the throne room of Supreme Leader Snoke from "Star Wars: The Last Jedi." "Dark blood red background, evil and condescending tone of voice & squinting eyes," former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell posted. "Negative words & themes – and constant condemnation. Who staged this? Who wrote this? Huge mistake."

September 1: The Daily Signal: European energy crisis explained
Decades of bad policy decisions by European countries combined with Russia's "weaponization" of its oil and natural gas resources are to blame for Europe's ongoing energy crisis, one expert in energy security says. Energy prices this week reached new heights. Notably, in one benchmark Monday, Germany's expected prices in 2023 peaked higher than 1,000 euros (about $999.80) per megawatt hour, CNN reported. "American and security leaders have been telling Europe since the rise of the Soviet Union that they needed to diversify their energy supplies and not be captive to Russian oil and gas," Brigham McCown, a senior fellow at the Hudson Institute and director of its Initiative on American Energy Security said in a telephone interview. "And even as bad as the Cold War was at times, Germany and the then-Soviet Union decoupled political policy from energy policy."

September 1: News Max: Trump's poll numbers increase after FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago
Former President Donald Trump says his poll numbers have improved after the FBI's raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in South Florida. In an interview he was asked if the raid was a "political hit job against the leader of our movement, who is in opposition" to Joe Biden getting another term. Trump replied: "Well, there's no question about it. Nothing like this has ever happened." and, "…my poll numbers have gone through the roof because of it." Addressing the FBI's seizing of documents and a photo showing some of them spread out on the floor, Trump said: "A lot of people think that when you walk into my office I have confidential documents, or whatever it might be — all declassified — spread out all over my floor like a slob. Like I'm sitting there reading these documents all day long or somebody else would be. "It's so dishonest when you look at it. And so, people were concerned because they said: 'Gee, that's a strange thing.' You look at the floor and see documents. They [the FBI] put them there. And they put them there in a messy fashion. And then they took a picture, and they released it to the public. And this is what we're dealing with these people."

August 31: iHeart Media KTRH Radio News:
Spin Doctors at work; GOP may not flip the Senate
The left, along with their partners in the media, have begun to change their narrative before the midterms. With a little over two months to go until the November elections, the spin now is that Republicans are barely hanging on by thread, while the Democrats are mounting a massive comeback. "It's predictable" said J. Robert Smith, political writer for American Thinker, "But if you look at Republican performances, even in 2020, the prediction was that the Republicans were going to lose seats in the House. Well, they ended up gaining seats in the House, and they came very close to gaining the majority." So, not only are Republicans expected to regain control of the House. They are also in good shape to win back the Senate, despite what you hear from the mainstream media. "You really do have to look at [the] voters, you have to look at what's going to drive them to the polls" Smith told KTRH, " I think most of us are not rich people, we're struggling out here. And I think that's going to be reflected at the polls in a big way." But maybe the bigger determining factor is simply, Joe Biden. "His numbers on inflation, on the economy, on crime, and on the border, are all under water by the same numbers, if not worse" noted Smith, "If you start drilling into the issues, things that are going to get people out to vote this fall, Biden isn't doing very well, and Democrats are going to pay the price for that."

August 31: The Epoch Times: FBI/DOJ photo could be misleading (click on image)
Constitutional lawyer Jonathan Turley wrote that a newly disclosed FBI photo taken at former President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago could leave a "misleading impression." The image appears to show six documents labeled "top secret" and others dubbed "secret," apparently captured inside Trump's Florida residence during the FBI raid in early August. It was included toward the bottom of a government filing in response to Trump's motion seeking a special master, or a neutral third party, to review the materials before the Department of Justice (DOJ). "The picture could be seen by many that secret documents were strewn over the floor when this appears the method used by the FBI to isolate classified documents. It also seems entirely superfluous in releasing this one picture," Turley, a professor of constitutional law at George Washington University, wrote. The DOJ's choice to include the photo is unusual and could easily be taken out of context. "It is curious that the DOJ would release this particular picture which suggests classified material laying around on the floor. The point is to state a fact that hardly needs an optical confirmation. Turley then suggested that the release of the photo follows a pattern of "exaggerated claims" that are being made about the case and the FBI raid and "may appear" to be "another effort (with prior leaks) to help frame the public optics and discussion."

August 31: The Washington Examiner: DOJ says NO to Trump Request for a special master to review documents seized at Mar-a-logo; Judge to hold hearing Thursday
The Justice Department published a photo of classified documents on the floor of former President Trump's Mar-a-Lago resort as part of its response to his petition for a special master to review materials seized by federal officials. The photo might appear to the uninformed that Trump stored said documents on the floor, when, in fact, the documents were placed there by FBI agents for purposes of taking the photo. The image was included in a DOJ filing made just moments before the midnight deadline set by Judge Aileen Cannon of the Southern District of Florida. "Plaintiff's [Trump's] motion to appoint a special master, enjoin further review of seized materials, and require the return of seized items fails for multiple reasons, DOJ claimed. DOJ claimed that the documents belong to the National Archives, not the President, even though President Obama currently has tens of thousands of similar kinds of documents from his administration in storage outside of Chicago. "Furthermore," DOJ claimed, "this Court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate Plaintiff's Fourth Amendment challenges to the validity of the search warrant and his arguments for returning or suppressing the materials seized." Justice Cannon, a Trump appointee, has already signaled her "preliminary intent" to side with Trump in the special master request and scheduled a hearing on the special master request for Thursday.

August 31: News Max: Trump legal team files new motion asking for a special master to review FBI-seized documents
Former President Donald Trump's attorneys filed a new motion Wednesday, renewing calls for a special master to review documents seized in a search of his residence, which they say they will eventually argue was unconstitutional. "Left unchecked, the DOJ will impugn, leak, and publicize selective aspects of their investigation with no recourse for Movant but to somehow trust the self-restraint of the currently unchecked investigators," the lawyers' latest filing read. The motion used the "gratuitous" release of photos of the Mar-a-Lago search as proof the Department of Justice cannot be trusted with the handling of the documents seized from Trump's home.

August 31: iHeart Radio KTRH Radio News:
50% of companies reveal they anticipate layoffs
Despite the spin from the White House, there are bad numbers coming in for the Biden administration. According to a new survey conducted by left leaning NBC News, 50% of employers expect to lay off workers in the next six months. "Unfortunately, labor is typically one of the easiest costs to cut" said Hank Lewis, economist with Lone Star College, "It's very easy to lower people's hours, or to cut staff, it's the easiest cost that employers can control, and so when costs are rising some opt to go that rout." Some have already done so, as our country continues to deal with this historically high inflation. Gas prices have lowered only temporarily, due to Biden's release from the SPR, and most economists fear that our nation's economic woes are only going to worsen in 2023. "It's very similar to the late 1970's" Lewis told KTRH, "If I was a betting man, I would say the odds are 80% that by next year, we're going to be in a worse position than we are now." Probably, right after the midterms.

August 31: Fox Business: August job numbers tank as employers take a conservative approach in response to an expected recession
Private payroll job growth slowed markedly in August, suggesting that companies are pulling back on hiring amid growing fears of an economic slowdown, according to the ADP National Employment Report released Wednesday morning. Companies added just 132,000 jobs last month, sharply missing the 288,000 gain that economists had predicted. That is also below the 270,000-gain recorded in July and is the lowest since May, when employers hired just 128,000 workers. "Our data suggests a shift toward a more conservative pace of hiring," ADP chief economist Nela Richardson said. "We could be at an inflection point, from super-charged job gains to something more normal."

August 31: iHeart Media KTRH Radio News: Expert says Biden Admin doesn't understand oil industry as it asks to limit exports
With U.S. oil refineries working triple time this summer, the Biden administration is now asking them to limit exports. Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm insists we need to be prepared in case a hurricane forces shutdowns along the gulf. That's what the strategic petroleum reserve – which Biden has been drawing down in order to counter bad energy policy decisions and increasing gas prices -- was set up for, those types of natural disasters. "So they're talking out of both sides of their mouth, which is nothing new," says Rick Perry, former energy secretary and Texas governor. Energy expert Stephen Schork told Fox News it's clear the secretary has no idea how the global market operates. "It will create logistical nightmares. You're going to swap certain markets. You're going to deprive other markets of product. This is a boom for energy traders. It will do nothing to help alleviate the cost for the consumer at the pump." Tim Stewart, president of the U.S. Oil and Gas Association, says limiting exports will hurt European allies, desperate for alternate fuel supplies amid the Russia-Ukraine war. "It's hypocritical to be promising to our European allies that we'll do everything we can to help them," he said.

August 30: The Washington Times: Garland restricts DOJ appointees' political activities amid GOP criticism
Attorney General Garland on Tuesday banned political appointees at DOJ from participating in political campaign events, changing a longtime policy at an agency under intense political scrutiny and fending off allegations of partisanship. "We must do all we can to maintain public trust and ensure that politics — both in facts and appearance — do not compromise or affect the integrity of our work," Garland wrote in a memo to Justice employees. "The problem is that the cat is already out the bag," some observers have said. Under previous Justice Department policy, government appointees could "passively" attend partisan political activities with permission from their supervisors. They could also attend political events if they had a close relative running for office or were off the clock. Under intensive political heat Garland has changed the rule to allow for no exceptions. [See Related Story]

August 30: The Washington Times: Top FBI agent exits amid charge of political bias undermining the Hunter Biden probe
A senior FBI official in the bureau's Washington field office has abruptly resigned after coming under congressional scrutiny for suspected political bias in handling the investigation of Hunter Biden's laptop computer. The Washington Times learned that Timothy Thibault, an assistant special agent in charge, was forced to leave his post. The information came from two former FBI officials familiar with the situation.

August 30: The Washington Examiner: Mikhail Gorbachev, former Soviet leader and Nobel Prize winner dies
Mikhail Gorbachev (left), the last leader of the Soviet Union, has died, Central Clinical Hospital reported. The Soviet reformer was in his 90s. He was being treated for a long-term illness in Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow, according to Russian media reports.

August 30: Fox News: Georgia Senate race tightens; Walker has a slight lead; The economy is the main issue on voter's minds
Political newcomer and football legend Herschel Walker (R-GA) holds a slight lead in the Georgia Senate midterm race against Sen. Raphael Warnock (D-GA) while Georgia voters express their concerns for the economy heading into the midterm elections this fall. A new Emerson College poll shows Walker with a two-point lead over Warnock, 46%-44%, in one of the country's most heated Senate races of the year. Seven percent of voters in the state remain undecided. Warnock is the choice for 66% of urban voters, whereas Walker holds the edge among rural and suburban voters. Thirty-six percent of voters believe the economy, which includes jobs, inflation and taxes, is the most important issue facing Georgia right now, while abortion access is the top concern to 20% of Georgians. Crime ranked third with 15% saying it was the most important issue.

August 30: The Daily Caller: Sanders Presidential campaign slapped with fine after hiring illegal aliens
Sen. Bernie Sanders' 2016 and 2020 presidential campaigns are being fined thousands after unlawfully hiring illegal aliens for top staffer roles, according to a Federal Election Commission (FEC) ruling. The Aug. 11 ruling, which the FEC has not yet made public, concluded both Sanders' campaigns broke federal law after "knowingly" employing three "foreign national" staffers from Mexico and Argentina who participated in the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program. Both campaigns have agreed to pay an FEC penalty of $15,000 combined.

August 29: The Washington Examiner: DOJ finds attorney-client privileged information in seized Trump documents
The Department of Justice said it has already identified and reviewed a "limited set" of records that "potentially" include "attorney-client privileged information" among the documents seized from Mar-a-Lago, having looked at the material prior to a Federal judge making a decision about whether an independent "Special Master" should look at the seized items first. The Monday revelation from top DOJ officials came in response to a federal judge saying she was leaning toward granting former President Trump's request for an independent "special master" to review the information the FBI had seized during its unprecedented raid of his Florida resort home.

August 29: The Epoch Times: Youngkin (R-VA) vows to get rid of "ridiculous" California-style ban on fossil fuels
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vowed to put a halt to his state's requirement to follow California in adopting strict rules for vehicle emissions, calling it a "ridiculous edict" that would eventually ban the sale of gas and diesel-fueled vehicles. State officials said last week that Virginia is on track to adopt California's new rules for transitioning to zero-emission vehicles based upon a bill passed by what was then a Democrat-controlled legislature, linking Virginia's emission standards to California's. The California Air Resources Board (CARB) recently adopted new rules to curb emissions, with a target that 100 percent of new cars and light trucks sold in California will be zero-emission by 2035. The Virginia law linking the state's vehicle emission standards to California's is a state of affairs that Republican leaders in Virginia have pledged to end now that the GOP is in control of the governorship and state House. "I am already at work to prevent this ridiculous edict from being forced on Virginians. California's out of touch laws have no place in our Commonwealth," Youngkin added.

August 28: The Washington Times: Navy warships transit the Taiwan Strait; China isn't happy about it
Two American warships sailed through the Taiwan Strait on Sunday for the first time since House Speaker Pelosi's controversial trip to independent island nation earlier this month, sparking an angry warning from the Chinese military and further ratcheting up tensions between Washington and Beijing. China claims the self-ruled island as part of its sovereign territory, but U.S. Navy ships regularly traverse the waterway separating Taiwan from the mainland to reinforce U.S. claims that the strait is open to all international traffic. Those voyages were more frequent under President Trump and have continued under Joe Biden. The Pentagon had not authorized a transit until the high-profile Congressional visits to Taipei.

August 28: The Washington Examiner: Governor Sununu (R-NH) calls on Biden to apologize for "semi-fascism" comment
Joe Biden should apologize for comparing the philosophy of Republicans loyal to former President Donald Trump to "semi-fascism," according to a Republican governor. Gov. Chris Sununu (R-NH), who has also been critical of Trump, defended the "MAGA" wing of the party by denouncing Biden's remarks at a Democratic Party fundraiser last week during an interview with anchor Dana Bash on CNN's State of the Union on Sunday. "I mean, the fact that [Joe Biden] would go out and just insult half of America, because, effectively, half of America votes Republican… … call half of America semi-fascist, because he's trying to stir up controversy, he's trying to stir up this anti-Republican sentiment right before the election,,, it's horribly inappropriate," Sununu said. "It's insulting. And people should be insulted by it. And he should apologize."

August 28: The Washington Times: Lois Lerner claims she didn't know about IRS targeting of the TEA party
Lois Lerner claimed to have little knowledge of the tea party movement and what it stood for, even as she oversaw the IRS' intrusive scrutiny of tea party groups' applications for nonprofit status, according to newly released transcripts of a long-secret deposition she gave. In her 2017 testimony, given in a class-action lawsuit brought by tea party groups that the IRS admitted were wrongly treated, while Lerner portrayed herself as a cog in the machine trying to figure out how to process cases efficiently rather than the anti-conservative crusader. She brushed aside her email to colleagues about joining a pro-Obama group ahead of the 2012 election as "a joke" and defended venomous remarks about the Republican Party. She said she made the remarks in her personal capacity and it didn't infect her official work.

August 28: The Epoch Times: Does the President have the authority to declassify any document he wants?
Joe Biden issued a response to assertions made by former President Trump's team that he declassified materials that were taken to Mar-a-Lago, which were the apparent subject of an FBI raid earlier this month. Trump's team and former aide Kash Patel have said that while president, Trump had a standing order to declassify material that was taken from the Oval Office to Mar-a-Lago. "He had a standing order that documents removed from the Oval Office and taken into the residence were deemed to be declassified," Trump's office told news outlets in a statement issued in mid-August. "The power to classify and declassify documents rests solely with the President of the United States. The idea that some paper-pushing bureaucrat, with classification authority delegated by the President, needs to approve of declassification is absurd." On his final day in office on Jan. 19, 2021, Trump issued an order declassifying some material relating to the FBI's Crossfire Hurricane investigation. Neither the Department of Justice nor the FBI has said what the Aug. 8 raid was targeting or whether it was related to those documents. On August 26th a reporter asked Biden as he was heading for another vacation whether Trump might have declassified these documents. He failed to respond but appeared to mock Trump's statements about declassifying materials.

August 28: The Epoch Times: In a related story, Former FBI Assistant Director says he believes DOJ/FBI has "no case" against President Trump
A former assistant director in the FBI said he believes the affidavit used to obtain a search warrant of President Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate reveals the government has "no case" against him. "We now know why the DOJ wanted the affidavit—which is supposed to articulate the probable cause needed for a legitimate search—to be kept under seal," wrote Kevin R. Brock, the former assistant director of intelligence for the FBI and principal deputy director of the National Counterterrorism Center (NCTC). The heavily redacted affidavit -- which revealed very little about what the FBI agents were actually searching for on Aug. 8 -- was ordered released by a U.S. magistrate judge last week. In order to obtain a warrant, it's not sufficient for the affidavit to only argue that there is cause to believe Trump had allegedly classified documents at Mar-a-Lago, the former official said. Additionally, the unredacted portions do not make the case that Trump wasn't authorized to have the documents at his Florida residence. "A criminal violation of those statutes only exists if it can be established that the person being investigated was not authorized to possess, store, transfer or copy those documents," Brock said. He also noted just because the National Archives had requested the documents there is nothing in the unredacted portions of the affidavit indicating that Trump refused to cooperate. Finally, Brock said, "As president, he had broad, legally intimidating authority, established by law and court determinations, to declassify any and all documents and to determine what is and is not a presidential record. Trump and his legal team have asserted that this authority was exercised while he was still president. Therefore, a violation of these fairly low-level and seldom-prosecuted document-oriented statutes cannot be proven."

August 27: Fox News: Nearly 100 Congressmen urge Pelosi to hold Biden accountable for $500 billion student loan forgiveness without getting Congressional approval
Nearly 100 House Republicans signed onto a letter to House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) calling on her to hold Joe Biden accountable for his $500 billion student debt handout. Congressman Jody Hice (R-GA) led the spicy letter with 93 of his colleagues to Pelosi demanding the speaker take action to hold the president accountable for his taxpayer-funded student debt handout. "Speaker Pelosi explicitly stated in July of 2021 that [Joe] Biden 'does not have the power,' to cancel federal student loan debt. 'That has to be an act of Congress,'" Hice said in a press release. "I'm demanding that Speaker Pelosi decisively act and stand by her previous statement – a direct repudiation of Joe Biden's executive overreach yesterday.

August 27: The Epoch Times: Not all the names in the DOJ affidavit were redacted; Kash Patel complained his was one of them
Former federal prosecutor Kash Patel on Aug. 26 denounced federal officials for not redacting his name in a heavily redacted search warrant affidavit. "Today marks another vicious attack from DOJ/FBI who intentionally jeopardized my safety by un-redacting my name in the most reviewed search warrant in the history of the United States," Patel said in a post on Truth Social. Patel is one of only two people identified by name in the affidavit, most of which was redacted. The other is Rep. Carolyn Maloney (D-NY) who was referenced because she was told by the U.S. archivist earlier this year details about materials the archivist received from Trump's estate. Other figures were discussed but not named, including the archivist, a DOJ lawyer, and a Trump lawyer. Other names were redacted, including the name of the FBI agent who wrote the affidavit.

August 27: Fox Business: More 20 million U.S. families are behind on their utility bills
New data indicates a staggering number of American households are currently behind on making utility payments due mainly to soaring energy costs, sparking fears that mass power shutoffs are on the horizon. The National Energy Assistance Directors Association (NEADA) says more than 20 million U.S. families are behind on their utility bills, numbers NEADA's executive director Mark Wolfe believes are "historic." The NEADA chief said what's even more alarming is the surge in the collective amount owed, which sat at roughly $8.1 billion at the end of 2019 and has now skyrocketed to around $16 billion. The average delinquent bill climbed from $403 to $792.

August 27: Fox News: White House refuses to say who is paying the $500,000,000,000 student loan handout
The White House remains mum on how it plans to pay for Joe Biden's decision to cancel between $10,000 to $20,000 in student debt for some Americans or if future tax hikes will be needed to cover the proposal which, by some estimates, costs more than $500 billion. Despite unveiling the policy earlier this week, administration officials have yet to clarify how the proposal will be paid for in the long term. Since the current plan calls for the government to forgive the debt, that means taxpayers are likely on the hook for much of the principal and interest is dumped on top of the nearly $31 trillion in existing U.S. debt. Fox News Digital asked the administration again how it plans to pay for the handout. The White House did not respond to the question, nor did it deny it was eyeing future tax hikes to make up for Biden's student loan handout.

August 26: The Daily Caller: NBC may make drastic changes due to decline in viewership
NBC is reportedly considering cutting back their prime-time hours due to the network's declining popularity. The network may stop programming the 10 to 11 p.m. time slots and give them to local TV stations instead, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported Friday. No future plans on the matter have been finalized with NBC's affiliate board, meaning the 10 p.m. time slot may remain. The change would likely occur in the fall of 2023. The network's late-night programming, including "The Tonight Show" would likely move to an earlier time slot, from its current 11:30 p.m. slot. Cutting back programming will save NBC tens of millions of dollars in content costs, and satisfy affiliates who will earn more ad revenue by adding an extra hour of programming, the outlet reported.

August 26: One America News Network: NY Gov. tells GOP voters to leave the state; GOP responds We ain't moving!
Gov. Kathy Hochul (D-NY) spent the last night before Election Day using a new campaign tactic– encouraging GOP voters to leave the state. "Jump on a bus and head down to Florida where you belong," Hochul said to her opponent, Lee Zeldin, and other Republicans, implying anyone who is not a supporter, therefore, "is not a New Yorker." This reminds us of the time Joe Biden told black voters they "ain't black" if they were considering voting for former President Donald Trump. "If you have a problem figuring out whether you're for me or Trump then you ain't black," Biden said in 2020. Hochul for the second time in recent weeks used her platform to play into national party politics by attacking the state of Florida. Yet, it is Hochul's own decisions and policies that actually have New Yorkers envious of the sunshine state. The biggest disconnect: Crime. Voters throughout the state in recent public polling have ranked crime and public safety concerns as top issues. Congressman Lee Zeldin made those issues centerpieces of his campaign.

August 26: Fox News: Lawmakers outraged at heavy redactions in affidavit used to justify raid on Trump's Florida residence
Lawmakers are outraged at the heavy redactions in the much-anticipated affidavit used to justify this month's raid on Donald Trump's residence. The Democrat supporting Florida Magistrate Judge Bruce E. Reinhart unsealed the affidavit, which was heavily redacted and shared precious little information, Friday that the FBI used to obtain a search warrant for Mar-a-Lago on Aug. 8. "So much for transparency," Congressman Dan Bishop (R-NC) wrote on social media following the documents' release. Approximately 20 pages of the 38-page affidavit were either significantly or fully blacked out.

August 26: Clay and Buck: Charge Trump over this stuff? Are you crazy?
Clay and Buck, who took over the Rush Limbaugh show following his death, took on the Biden Administration's raid on Trump's Florida residence this week. Buck Travis said "…the idea that they could even consider bringing a criminal charge against President Trump right now is crazy. The problem, though, is that I think some of these people are crazy. So that's why, I don't underestimate their willingness to, especially what we've seen with the Russia collusion mess and the two impeachments over what, right? Clay conjectured that maybe the FBI and DOJ were going on a fishing expedition hoping there is a smoking gun related to the January 6th protests and using the National Archives dispute as a pretext to be able to go into Mar-a-Lago and look around. Clay suggested it seems like Merrick Garland is getting all this pressure, and the way that he alleviates the pressure is by having a raid on Donald Trump, which is unprecedented, over these documents, which is ultimately not that significant, and that this is his release valve. After all the attempts to cut the legs from under Trump (The "RussiaGate" hoax, the Muller investigation, impeachment 1 and 2) Trump is still standing and strengthening in the polls. I'm just trying to think through it, Clay said.

August 26: The Epoch Times: Wisconsin citizen files complaint against Milwaukee Elections Director for violating the state's laws
Citizen investigator Peter Bernegger has filed a complaint with the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) alleging Milwaukee elections director Claire-Woodall-Vogg violated numerous state laws in connection with the recent primary election. Bernegger alleges that on primary polling day a tent was set up by the city's elections office in an alley between city hall and another downtown office building to serve as a mail-in ballot drop-off station. "The entire operation was illegal. The actions of the two men demonstrate that they were not properly approved by a clerk and trained as election workers." They should not have been handling other people's ballots. "It is a violation of Wisconsin law and a grave breach of the chain of custody," Bernegger said. The workers verbally acknowledged to an investigator that they were DPW employees who volunteered to help with the election, and they had admitted to receiving no training Surveillance photos show there were no secure ballot containers in or near the tent as required by law. Bernegger's team alleged the workers did not check the mail-in ballot return envelopes for the names of the person voting the ballot, his or her address, or the names of witnesses who are supposed to sign the envelope as required. Observers said the two workers left the open bag of mail-in ballots on the table unattended multiple times as they went out to the street to meet motorists pulling up in their cars to drop off ballots. They alleged there were no locking devices of any kind used to secure the full bags of mail-in ballots as they were being transported from the alley into city hall. He asked the commission to order that Woodall-Vogg be supervised by two independent observers and ultimately that the City of Milwaukee terminate her employment.

August 25: News Max: Kushner: Trump is an "Existential Threat" to D.C. power
Offering unique insight into the family and former President Donald Trump's White House, Jared Kushner said the Trump administration had to reject the forces of the establishment to get things done, even if things went "haywire." "So the amazing thing about government is that nobody can accomplish anything by themselves," Kushner, Trump's son-in-law, said. "So what it is, is it's a group of people coming together, agreeing on a common objective, formulating a plan to accomplish that objective, and then all rowing in the same direction in order to accomplish it.

August 25: Yahoo.com: Carlson, Dobbs, and Hannity to be deposed in Dominion defamation lawsuit
Top Fox News talent including Sean Hannity, Lou Dobbs and Tucker Carlson are expected to sit for depositions next week in the $1.6 billion defamation suit being pursued against the top cable network by Dominion Voting Systems, The New York Times reported. "We are confident we will prevail as freedom of the press is foundational to our democracy and must be protected, in addition to the damages claims being outrageous, unsupported and not rooted in sound financial analysis, serving as nothing more than a flagrant attempt to deter our journalists from doing their jobs," a Fox News Media spokesperson said in a statement Thursday.

August 24: The Epoch Times: Tea Party files lawsuit to remove judge from DOJ/FBI case against Trump
Tea Party Patriots Action filed a federal complaint against the judge who approved the FBI search of former President Donald Trump's Florida home. "Judge [Bruce] Reinhart has a conflict of interest and a pattern and history of hostility to President Trump," said the filing. The lawsuit then listed several examples including purported Facebook posts that show Reinhart had criticized Trump while praising the late Rep. John Lewis (D-GA). Reinhart also reportedly donated to former President Barack Obama and to former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush when he was running against Trump in 2015, the lawsuit said, citing publicly available reports. The lawsuit seeks to have Reinhart, a U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida judge, removed from the case or even removed from his position.

August 24: iHeart Media KTRH: California liberals sink to new low in trying to keep flow of residents to Texas
The battle between Texas and California is back on again, with liberals in the 'golden state' sinking to a new low, with a new billboard that has gone up in Los Angeles. It reads: 'The Texas Miracle Died In Uvalde - Don't Move To Texas.' According to reports, more than 161,000 people have moved from California to Texas from 2018 to 2021, and some believe that number may actually be higher. One thing that is for certain, there are more Californians who have come to Texas, than from any other state. "It's becoming quite difficult to even live in California" UH political science professor and tv personality Jacquie Baly said, "People are being housed out their markets, and they're being taxed out of the state, and you're seeing mobs and just lawlessness take over the entire state. That's something you won't see here in Texas." "It's a sign of desperation" noted Baly, "The Democrats are quite fearful of what's going to happen in the midterms, their domestic policies have been an abject failure. But at the end of the day, in a state like Texas, they're not really going to worry about a billboard."

August 24: The Washington Times: DHS advisory council shoots down Secretary's proposal for a disinformation board
The Department of Homeland Security's advisory council on Wednesday gave a final, unanimous rejection to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas' plans to create a disinformation board, but said the department does need to play a role in combatting disinformation. That means stepping up technology to detect and counter new disinformation efforts that interfere with the department's jobs, said former DHS secretary Michael Chertoff whom Mayorkas tapped to lead a review of his proposal. But he and co-chair Jamie Gorelick said that doesn't mean the department should police disinformation writ large. "They don't have a red pencil to correct everything in the world that's not true," Chertoff said.

August 24: The Washington Examiner: Biden's debt cancellation seen as unfair concession to the elites
A cascade of organizations and politicians ripped Joe Biden Wednesday, saying the president's planned student loan cancellation was an "unfair" handout to "privileged college graduates." The White House announced Wednesday that the administration would be implementing a student loan forgiveness program that will see federal student loan borrowers with an annual income of less than $125,000 eligible for $20,000 in loan forgiveness if they received a Pell Grant to attend college. All other borrowers in that income bracket would be eligible for $10,000 in loan forgiveness. According to Breitbart News, after the president delivered his speech at the White House, he was asked by reporters how he could see his plan as "fair" compared to students who either did not take out loans or already paid them off. Biden appeared annoyed by the question and compared his decision to Republican-passed tax reform legislation in 2017. Estimates are that the Biden plan will cost American taxpayers at least $300 billion.

August 24: Fox News: Biden Administration has no idea whose tab the student debt cancellation will go on
The White House on Wednesday declined to say who will be on the hook for a massive $300 billion student loan forgiveness plan announced by President Biden moments earlier. During a news briefing, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre outlined the benefits of the plan but skirted questions about who will pay for it when asked by Fox News correspondent Peter Doocy. "When you forgive debt, you're not just disappearing debt so who is paying for this?" Doocy asked. Jean-Pierre replied that once the pause on student loan payments is lifted at the end of 2022, the funds will "offset a lot of what we're doing as well."

August 24: iHeart Media KTRH: Federal Judge in Texas blocks HHS guidance on abortion practices for healthcare facilities receiving federal funds
A federal judge in Texas has blocked the abortion guidance issued by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. Under the guidance, hospitals were required to provide emergency abortions to women even if abortion is illegal in the state. U.S. District Judge James Wesley Hendrix ruled that the guidance went beyond the scope of Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act. "That guidance goes well beyond EMTALA's text, which protects both mothers and unborn children, is silent as to abortion, and preempts state law only when the two directly conflict. Since the statute is silent on the question, the guidance cannot answer how doctors should weigh risks to both a mother and her unborn child. Nor can it, in doing so, create a conflict with state law where one does not exist," the judge said in his opinion.

Senator Ted Cruz with Bob Mitchell and Mayes

August 24: The Galveston County Daily News: Senator Cruz meets with local officials in support of the Ike Dike
U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) visited Galveston City Hall Wednesday to discuss the coastal barrier project — the largest construction project the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) has ever undertaken. Cruz was one of the members who voted to include the barrier system in the Water Resource Development Act on July 27th. The bill authorizes but doesn't fund the project. The bill includes the USACE plan for sea gates at the Bolivar Roads channel and approximately 70 miles of storm surge barriers. "We're on the finish line of getting the authorization through," Cruz said. "It has passed both the Senate and the House and hopefully in a month or two, it will be on the president's desk." The entire project [which includes more than just the Ike Dike] is estimated to cost $31 billion, of which local sponsors are required to pay about $10 billion. In 2021, the Texas Legislature created the Gulf Coast Protection District, a taxing entity, to raise funds for the local costs of the barrier project. The Ike Dike portion of the project is expected to cost closer to $20 billion. Putting that into perspective, the damage and restoration after hurricane Ike costs upward of $30 billion. If it's funded for construction, the project still would require another two to five years of design. The entire project is expected to take 20 years to complete.

August 24: The Daily Caller: Texas bans BlackRock for pushing an anti-oil agenda
Texas placed restrictions on 10 finance firms, declaring that the firms' opposition to fossil fuels could "undermine" the state economy, according to Texas Comptroller of Public Accounts Glenn Hegar. Hegar, a Republican, listed several firms that will be banned from entering into most contracts with state and local entities after his office determined that the companies "boycott" the oil industry. Between March and April, Hegar requested information from more than 100 firms to determine whether they were steering clear of the oil industry. The move came after the state passed a law in 2021 limiting Texas governments from working with certain firms that have nixed ties with the oil industry. Texas is the nation's top producer of both natural gas and crude oil.

August 23: iHeart Media KTRH: Homeschooling in Texas sees a whopping 40% increase
Two years after the COVID pandemic caused an exodus from Texas public schools, the trend not only continues, but it is accelerating. The latest report from the Texas Home School Coalition (THSC) analyzing state enrollment data shows that, following a notable rise in home school enrollment during the initial pandemic year of 2019-2020, there was another 40-percent rise in homeschooling across Texas during the 2020-2021 year. "That means there was a 40 percent increase over the biggest single-year explosion of homeschooling in Texas history, happening last year," says Tim Lambert, THSC president in a video posted on the group's website. Of course, school closures, classroom restrictions and mask mandates implemented during the pandemic played a large role in declining public-school enrollment. However, the THSC report notes "more families now cite concern over the public-school environment and the quality of academics as a reason they chose to homeschool." Lambert further explained those findings. "We're continuing to see this issue of 'anti-racism' and 'anti-racist' curriculum---which is really just racism---being taught in the public schools," he says.

August 23: The Washington Times:
Unveiled memos raise questions about Biden's role in Trump probe
A newly revealed letter shows that Biden authorized the National Archives and Records Administration to reject any executive privilege claims that President Donald Trump might use to stop the Justice Department from accessing classified documents stored at his Mar-a-Lago estate. A letter posted late Monday on the website of conservative journalist John Solomon — one of the few people authorized by Mr. Trump to review National Archives records — revealed that Biden ordered the National Archives to share all materials it had requested from Trump to be shared with the Justice Department and the FBI. The letter, written by National Archivist Debra Wall to Trump attorney Evan Corcoran, says Biden cleared the way for her to rule on Trump's executive privilege claims. That opened the door for the National Archives to allow the FBI and the Justice Department to review the missing documents, which culminated in this month's raid on Trump's residence.

August 23: Axios: Federal judge asks for clarification of Trump's request for an independent master
A Trump appointed federal judge overseeing President Donald Trump legal motion regarding the Mar-a-Lago raid asking for clarity as to what the former president wants. Trump unveiled a lawsuit Monday seeking to block the Justice Department from reviewing seized documents, but Judge Aileen Cannon expressed confusion over what Trump's legal team is seeking and gave them until Friday to answer five questions about his motion. Cannon is overseeing his case in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida. Her five questions center on legal points such as "the precise relief sought" in the case, whether Trump is pursuing an immediate injunction in the matter, and the rationale for why her court would have jurisdiction in the case. The judge also inquired about the effect of Trump's demands on the proceedings before Magistrate Judge Bruce Reinhart, who authorized the search warrant earlier this month.

August 23: Fox News:
Biden plan to forgive $10,000 in student debt will cost U.S. taxpayers billions
Joe Biden is expected to announce a much-anticipated loan forgiveness program Wednesday, sources familiar with the plan told the Associated Press. Americans are poised to foot a nearly $300 billion deal with Biden's expected announcement on Wednesday to forgive thousands in federal student loan debt and extend a repayment pause to next year. According to the Penn Wharton Budget Model, a one-time maximum debt forgiveness of $10,000 for borrowers who make less than $125,000 will cost around $300 billion for taxpayers. The actual cost increases to around $330 billion if the program is continued over the standard-10-year window, according to the figures. The precise details of Biden's plan were being kept to an unusually small circle within the Administration and were still not finalized on the eve of the announcement, sources told AP.

August 23: One American News Network:
Raid on Trump's FL residence increases support for the Former President
President Donald Trump appears to be enjoying a surge in popular support, following the FBI invasion of his Mar-a-Lago home. According to an NBC poll, Trump's popularity among Republican voters increased by seven-points since the raid. 41% of voters said they identify with Trump more than the GOP, which is up from 34 percent before the raid. This data comes after a report found the Biden administration was conspiring with the National Archives since April to force Trump to return all materials he had from his presidency. Meanwhile, Trump is suing the federal government to force officials to give him back all items stolen from his property.

August 22: The Washington Times:
Tapes stored in Clinton's sock drawer could impact possible prosecution of Trump
A 2012 court case denying access to White House audiotapes kept in former President Bill Clinton's sock drawer after he left office could help the Trump legal team in its battle to retrieve records that the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago this month. The 10-year-old court ruling, issued by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, rejected arguments by a conservative watchdog group that sought access to dozens of tapes recorded by Mr. Clinton and historian Taylor Branch during his administration. Judge Jackson ruled that the tapes belonged to Mr. Clinton, even though the discussions included a broad range of presidential matters. The court ruled that the National Archives and Records Administration had no power to "seize control of them" because Mr. Clinton had used his authority under the Presidential Records Act to declare the recordings part of his personal records. The Clinton case could impact the pending court battle over dozens of boxes of records that former President Donald Trump had declared personal, but which the FBI seized from his Mar-a-Lago home on Aug. 8.

August 22: The Washington Examiner: Congressman Jim Jordan says more FBI whistleblowers are coming forward every other week
A growing number of FBI whistleblowers are coming forward to Republican investigators in Congress, Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) disclosed on Monday. The congressman, who is the ranking member of the House Judiciary Committee, said in an interview there are now "over" 14 agents who have raised concerns with GOP lawyers on the panel over matters including the controversy surrounding a school boards memo, Jan. 6, and pressure to label cases "domestic violence extremism." "It overall shows the political nature, unfortunately, that we now have at the Justice Department," Jordan said. This uptick from six a couple of months ago came after the FBI raid of Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. On the Senate side, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) has disclosed his team received whistleblower disclosures, including those related to the federal investigation into Hunter Biden. All this is happening as Republicans raise expectations for a wave of investigations with subpoena power if they win one or both chambers of Congress in November.

August 22: The Daily Caller: Fauci announces his retirement prior to an expected GOP take over of the House and possibly the Senate
Doctors, political pundits and government officials across the spectrum reacted to Dr. Anthony Fauci's announcement Monday that he will step down at the end of 2022. Fauci was lauded by a number of Democratic leaders and activists after the announcement of his plans. Conservatives were much harsher, blasting Fauci for a lack of transparency about his dealings with the Wuhan Institute of Virology and inconsistencies in messaging during the COVID-19 pandemic. Dr. Richard Ebright, a molecular biologist at Rutgers University said, "The resignation of the serially malfeasant, serially perjurious, NIAID Director will lift a burden from, and remove threat to, operations of NIAID and the NIH. In addition, it will remove the official who has done more than any other over two decades to enable, expand, and excuse high-risk gain-of-function research and to oppose and obstruct strengthened federal oversight of biosafety, biosecurity, and biorisk management."

August 22: The Epoch Times:
Trump asks federal judge to bar the DOJ reviewing seized documents
Former President Donald Trump on Aug. 22 filed a motion asking a federal judge to bar the Justice Department from reviewing documents seized from his Mar-a-Lago residence until a third-party watchdog can be appointed. In the first court motion from Trump's legal team since the Aug. 8 FBI raid on his residence, the attorneys sought the appointment of a "special master," a more detailed list of inventory taken, and the return of any item seized that was not within the scope of the search warrant, according to a filing on Aug. 22. Special masters, often retired lawyers or judges, are appointed in certain cases where there is concern that materials seized by authorities include information that is protected by the attorney-client privilege or other forms of privilege. A special master was appointed in 2018 to review former Trump lawyer Michael Cohen. The FBI agents had taken "privileged and/or potentially privileged materials" such as photos, handwritten notes, and multiple Trump passports, the filing said, which they said were "outside the lawful reach of an already overboard warrant." "Law enforcement is a shield that protects Americans. It cannot be used as a weapon for political purposes," Trump's lawyers wrote in the filing.

August 21: The New York Post:
Hundreds of illegal migrants line up at NY hospital for free care, food and phones
Hundreds of migrants — at least some bused to the Big Apple by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott — lined up outside Lincoln Hospital in the Bronx on Sunday to get health care coverage, food and other items including school supplies and free phones. The event, organized by the city hospital system, was billed as a "resource and family fun day" for the migrants and their children, many of whom have come to New York City in droves in recent weeks. "I came to New York about three days ago. I am a welder, and I am looking for work here," Venezuelan refugee Adrian Medina, 32, said through a translator.

August 21: The Epoch Times: Former DOD official said FBI may have taken records relating to the false "Russiagate" collusion investigation
A former top Department of Defense official, Kash Patel, said the FBI may have taken documents relating to the Russia–Trump collusion investigation. Amid a disagreement between Trump and the National Archives, Patel said that documents that were stored at Mar-a-Lago marked as classified were actually declassified before Trump left office. Federal officials will have a difficult time proving that those documents were not declassified, he contended. "The bottom line was he said this information has to get out to the American public," Patel said. Patel said he did not know firsthand what was in the boxes taken from Trump's home. It will be difficult for DOJ to prove that these documents are still classified.

August 21: The Washington Examiner: "Russiagate" binder contains yet to be released messages between Strzok and Lisa Page
A cache of Russiagate documents President Donald Trump wanted released during his final days in office contained information about a pair of former leading FBI officials infamous for their private exchanges disparaging Trump, according to a new report. Never-before-seen text messages between ex-FBI special agent Peter Strzok and former FBI lawyer Lisa Page, as well as unreleased information about the FBI's investigative steps, were part of this binder of Crossfire Hurricane investigation materials. White House chief of staff Mark Meadows had a plan to give the binder to at least one conservative journalist, but he backed off when Justice Department officials warned that circulating these messages from Strzok and Page could put officials in jeopardy of being sued over privacy law violations, sources told the news outlet.

August 20: The New York Post: Raid on Trump's Florida home is unprecedented
When you cross the Rubicon, there is no going back. Democrats are getting very close to that fateful moment. Their dream to indict Donald Trump has turned into determination, putting them on a collision course with history. No president has ever been prosecuted after leaving office, with even Richard Nixon escaping that infamy after Watergate because of how it would tear America apart. Yet day by day, the evidence shows Dems have liberated themselves from such concerns and are resolved that this time will be different. The number and fervor of their army of prosecutors reveal a contagious fever, and it often appears they are competing to be the first to file charges.

August 20: The Daily Caller: Here is what happened to the ten Republicans who voted to Impeach Trump
Of the ten House Republicans who voted to impeach President Donald Trump, only two have survived their primaries to make it to the general election in November, each of them in states that use a top-two primary system. Reps. David Valadao (CA) and Dan Newhouse WA) advanced into the general election, running in two of the four states that use a top-two primary. Republican Reps. Fred Upton (MI), Adam Kinzinger (IL), John Katko (NY) and Anthony Gonzalez (OH) all opted not to run for reelection. Peter Meijer (MI), Jaime Herrera Beutler (WA), Tom Rice (SC) and Liz Cheney (WY) all lost their primaries to a Trump-endorsed opponent. Valadao (CA) likely benefitted because two Trump supporting candidates ran against him and likely ended up splitting the vote.

August 20: The Epoch Times:
SCOTUS blocks Georgia Public Service Commission election
The Supreme Court issued an emergency order on Aug. 19 blocking upcoming elections for Georgia's Public Service Commission, upholding a lower court ruling that found that the election rules currently in place discriminate against black voters. The state's Public Service Commission (PSC) regulates electric, natural gas, and telecommunications companies. There are five elected commissioners who are elected on a statewide at-large basis. The election for two of the seats was scheduled for November 8th. Judge Steven D. Grimberg, a Trump appointed justice, found that statewide at-large elections for the PSC were racially discriminatory because this method of election "unlawfully dilutes the votes of Black citizens under Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which prohibits discrimination on the basis of race, color, or membership in one of a listed language minority groups. The case was presented to Justice Clarence Thomas, who oversees the 11th Circuit. Thomas referred it to the full Supreme Court, which issued the order. No justices dissented from the unsigned order.

August 20: The Washington Times:
Pence dials back willingness to testify before the January 6th Committee
Vice President Pence is tapping the brakes on his willingness to testify before the House Jan. 6 committee, saying he has to ponder "profound constitutional issues" and the partisan nature of the probe before agreeing to any request. Pence recently surprised political analysts when he said he would consider testifying to the Democratic-led committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, chaos at the Capitol. But is saying there is a myriad of issues he must sort out before he agrees to talk to the panel. "If the committee wanted to extend a formal invitation I would consider it, but we would reflect very carefully on my obligations to preserve the separation of powers and the constitutional framework that I served in," he said.

August 19: The Epoch Times:
Gohmert (R-TX) the raid on Mar-a-lago just started the snowball rolling
According to many, the FBI raid on Mar-a-Lago was just another attempt by Democrats to prevent former President Donald Trump from running again in 2024. But according to Rep. Louie Gohmert, it was just the beginning. The Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment prohibits states from denying anyone within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the law. That means every person must be treated the same way in the application of the laws as someone else in similar conditions and circumstances. Attorney General Merrick Garland admitted he personally approved the warrant application authorizing the raid on President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago home. The warrant was based on alleged violations of the Espionage Act of 1917 as well as three other statutes related to the destruction of federal documents, the mishandling of defense information, and the concealment, removal, mutilation, obliteration or destruction of federal documents. However, these same laws apply to Hillary Clinton's potential violations in 2016 when she deleted 33.000 subpoenaed emails from her personal server, attempted to bleach the computer to wipe its hard drives clean, and had government-issued mobile devices smashed with hammers. Former FBI Director James Comey even disclosed that 110 of the emails in Clinton's possession contained classified material.

August 19: Fox News:
Trump hints of something coming regarding raid on Mar-a-Lago
President Trump suggested his camp is preparing a response to the FBI search of his Florida home earlier this month. Taking to his social media account on Truth Social, Trump hinted that a big response is pending. "A major motion pertaining to the Fourth Amendment will soon be filed concerning the illegal Break-In of my home, Mar-a-Lago, right before the ever-important Mid-Term Elections. My rights, together with the rights of all Americans, have been violated at a level rarely seen before in our Country. Remember, they even spied on my campaign. The greatest Witch Hunt in USA history has been going on for six years, with no consequences to the scammers. It should not be allowed to continue!

August 19: The Washington Examiner: Judge issues new permanent injunction on pause of buying oil and gas leases on federal land
A federal judge placed a permanent injunction against Joe Biden's pause on federal oil and gas leasing in 13 states, following up on a temporary injunction placed on the Biden order last summer. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee, ruled late Thursday the federal government may not stop issuing leases on federal lands and waters in accordance with the pause Biden ordered during his first week in office. Doughty's order said federal law requires the Interior Department to carry out lease sales, citing the Mineral Leasing Act, which requires the department to hold sales "where eligible lands are available" and to do so "at least quarterly."

August 19: News Max:
GOP launches ads attacking the (non)inflation reduction act
Republicans have launched an ad targeting a Democrat who voted for the $740 billion healthcare, climate, and tax bill, Axios is reporting. A $750,000 ad buy from the Congressional Leadership Fund is aimed at Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine for voting for the legislation, known as the Inflation Reduction Act. "Prices are up," a narrator says in the 30-second ad. "The economy is weak. Maine families are drowning. But instead of helping, Jared Golden cast one of the deciding votes for Biden's new massive spending bill that will make inflation even worse. "Tax hikes for nearly everyone. And up to 87,000 new IRS agents, who can harass the middle class. Times are tough. When Maine families need a lifeline, Jared Golden threw us an anchor," the ad contends.

August 19: Iheart Media KTRH: Harris County fights complying with the
Election Code audit requirements; fighting transparency
Harris County Democrats are fighting a second state audit of local election results planned for November. County Commissioners this month voted 3-2 along party lines to instruct their attorney to take legal action against the Secretary of State, claiming its "random" audit is "politically motivated." "Given the fiasco we had this spring with how the primaries were run, I personally think they should be welcoming an audit in order to restore the voters' faith," says Harris County GOP Chair Cindy Siegel. "Have them come in. Be as transparent as you can." Siegel says more is coming out about new elections administrator Clifford Tatum's time in D.C. The Washington Times reported in 2012 about numerous problems in that year's election. "Machines didn't work. People were given the wrong ballot to vote on. There were ADA issues. There were long lines. Not sufficient polling locations." Siegel fears more of the same this November.

August 19: The Washington Examiner:
McConnell's Senate skepticism seen as a continuation of his feud with Trump
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell's (R-KY) statement that Republicans might not retake the Senate in the midterm elections angered conservatives, who saw it as another front in the senior lawmaker's simmering feud with former President Trump. Left unsaid is McConnell's belief that the quality of the winning primary (Trump endorsed) candidates could weaken the chances for GOP wins.

August 18: News Max:
Senator Grassley: FBI whistleblowers allege "political bias"
Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) says whistleblower allegations reveal an alleged political bias at the FBI that has influenced high-level investigations, especially in the bureau's Washington, D.C., office. Grassley, ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, has written several letters to FBI Director Christopher Wray to request an accounting for the "deeply rooted political infection" within the bureau. "Starting on May 31, 2022, I've written three letters to you regarding political bias that has infected the FBI's Washington Field Office," Grassley wrote. In two of the letters Grassley cited information from "numerous" whistleblowers that said the FBI approved probes into the Trump campaign based on questionable information, and "shut down investigative activity and sources, which included verified and, information, relating to Hunter Biden." The Senator is still waiting on a response from the FBI which appears to be slow walking a response.

August 18: The Epoch Times:
FBI authored the affidavit used to get a warrant to search Trump's Florida Home
A document made public on Aug. 18 for the first time shows that an FBI agent authored the request for a search warrant for President Trump's resort in Florida. The document, an application for a warrant, was made by an FBI special agent. The document also shows that an agent, possibly the same one, authored the affidavit, or a sworn statement that outlined to the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida why it should grant the application. The identity of the agent who signed the application and the name of the agent who signed the affidavit are redacted.

August 17: The Daily Signal:
What happened with the papers of the last three presidents?
Although an FBI raid on the home of a former president had been unprecedented until this month, clashes over compliance with a law called the Presidential Records Act are nothing new. The 1978 law, signed by President Jimmy Carter specifies that "the United States shall reserve and retain complete ownership, possession, and control of presidential records." Here are three past controversies involving presidents' records:
- When President Barack Obama left office in January 2017, some 30 million pages of documents from his administration were moved to a warehouse near Chicago. The major difference between the Obama center and previous presidential libraries is that it would be run by the Obama Foundation, a nonprofit established by the former president and former first lady Michelle Obama.
- President Clinton's presidential library in Little Rock, Arkansas, delayed the release of tens of thousands of pages of records in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential race in which Hillary Clinton was the expected Democrat front-runner. The episode led to Congress' passing a law that year to curb White House prerogatives on secrecy. The legislation updated the Presidential Records Act to direct that no one use personal email to conduct White House business.
- In November 2001, in response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush issued an executive order to limit access to presidential records, protecting records from going public after a president leaves office. Bush's order resealed the presidential records maintained by the National Archives and required a "demonstrated, specific need" for documents to overcome a past president's assertion of executive privilege to prevent their release. Bush's executive order was rescinded by Obama when he took office.

The FBI raided the Florida home of President Trump armed with assault weapons and making a show of force. The Epoch Times has done a documentary on what happened, what may have been behind it and the impact on our democratic republic. May require a free user ID to access.

August 17: The Washington Examiner: Trump may have standing to raise legitimate challenges to overly broad FBI raid on his Florida Home
President Trump can likely raise legitimate legal challenges to the FBI's search of his Florida resort following revelations that his passports and privileged documents were seized during the raid, a former FBI assistant director said. "Trump's attorneys could have a runway to argue the scope of the search is overly broad," former FBI Assistant Director for Intelligence Kevin Brock said. "Search warrants normally require a level of specificity that seems to be missing in this warrant. Specificity is important in order to protect 4th Amendment rights from exuberant government overreach designed to find whatever they can." For example, why was the FBI going through Mrs. Trump's clothing, why did they insist that security cameras in the residence be turned off, why did they seize Trump's passports? The FBI apparently returned three passports belonging to Trump that were seized during the raid on Tuesday, and Fox News reported on Saturday that at least five of the boxes the FBI seized from Mar-a-Lago contained information protected by attorney-client privilege. "This apparently makes a novel legal assertion that any presidential record kept by a former president is against the law," Brock said. "You have to wonder what the other living former presidents think about that. They have the right and, apparently, clear desire to remain silent."

August 17: The Washington Times: Biden climate official banned for five years by National Academy of Sciences for violating its code
White House climate official Jane Lubchenco has been barred for the next five years from the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), which determined she violated its code of conduct in a prior role before joining the administration last year. Lubchenco, deputy director for climate and environment at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, edited a paper for NAS that was later retracted because it contained outdated information and was co-written by her brother-in-law. The move to rebuke the climate official and prohibit her from NAS publications and activities came after the conservative American Accountability Foundation and congressional Republicans questioned whether her current role of "developing and overseeing this administration's best practices for scientific integrity" was appropriate, given her recent past. The paper she edited was retracted in October 2021.

August 17: The Daily Caller: The massive climate bill that Biden signed expands EPA as well as the IRS while having a limited impact on inflation reduction
The Democrats' massive climate spending package, which Joe Biden signed into law on Tuesday, will give over $40 billion to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), just as the bill allocates almost $80 billion to expand the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). The bill, dubbed the Inflation Reduction Act, includes $369 billion in total climate spending, and will give the EPA more than $40 billion in the current fiscal year to combat climate change, enforce environmental standards and secure "environmental justice," according to a Congressional Research Service report. The EPA's enacted budget for 2022's fiscal year was about $9.5 billion, according to the agency figures, meaning the bill will more than quadruple the EPA's current annual spending. Additionally, the bill will increase taxes on middle class and small businesses.

August 16: News Max:
AG Garland waited weeks to authorize raid on Trump's FL home, Why?
Despite claiming an urgent need to conduct a raid at President Donald Trump's private residence at Mar-a-Lago, Attorney General Merrick Garland was weighing whether to green light the action for weeks, sources told the Wall Street Journal. DOJ and the FBI had been meeting on the nature of the raid for weeks, according to these sources, and the final raid was executed when Trump was in New York City before a meeting with New York Attorney General Letitia James. The seeming lack of urgency to retrieve documents from Mar-a-Lago was pointed out last week by attorney Rudy Giuliani. "The warrant for Mar-a-Largo was signed Aug. 5, but not executed until Aug. 8," he said Friday. "Sure makes it clear that what they were looking for wasn't really serious if you could take the weekend off before acting on it." But the Journal sources say the process was put in place perhaps weeks earlier. There is an ongoing battle over the affidavit used to secure the search and seizure warrant from Judge Bruce Reinhart who, by the way recused himself from an earlier case involving Trump. Trump's lawyers and Republicans want to see the predicate for the raid, while the Justice Department is seeking to keep it sealed to protect sources and methods in the investigation. One observer noted usually it's those who want to keep things secret who have something to hide as opposed to those who want things to be in the public domain.

August 16: The Washington Times: Increasing number of red states deciding not to do business with "woke" businesses that want government contracts
More Republican-led states are refusing to do business with financial institutions that embrace a "woke" agenda on issues such as climate change, guns and other social issues. It is part of a growing pushback among conservative elected officials against banks and investment managers that base business decisions and investment choices not on maximizing profits but on progressive views about environmental, social and governance issues or what's known as ESG principles. The ESG movement has major Wall Street firms putting the fossil fuel industry on the chopping block because of climate change, a move that could result in costly financial implications for energy companies, banks and taxpayers alike. West Virginia was the first state to give some of the world's biggest banks the boot, barring five major Wall Street firms — Goldman Sachs, JPMorgan, Morgan Stanley, Wells Fargo and BlackRock, one of the globe's largest asset managers — from doing business with the state. Citing the firms' anti-coal policies, the state will pull out tens of millions of dollars.

August 16: Townhall.com:
The latest FBI raid development shreds the agency's narrative
The most recent development about this federally stamped plundering of Trump's home is that Attorney General Merrick Garland dithered on signing off on the search warrant for several weeks. Apparently, the decision had been the subject of weeks of meetings between senior Justice Department and FBI officials. Garland now faces a more momentous decision that will further sharpen an already unprecedented and politically fraught situation: whether to pursue charges against Trump or any of his allies over their handling of the records at issue and their interactions with Justice Department officials seeking to retrieve them. A decision to bring charges in the matter against Trump or his allies would thrust the Justice Department deeper into a political environment in which the former president's supporters and Republican lawmakers are already accusing AG Garland and the department of overreach. The problem with these revelations is that DOJ has been saying this search had to be executed immediately; it was urgent. This seems to fly in the face of the DOJ narrative.

August 16: The Washington Examiner:
Grassroots say the effort to recall Los Angeles DA Gascon isn't over
The campaign to recall LA County District Attorney George Gascon will regroup and begin to sort through 46,807 invalid voter signatures that doomed an effort to oust the beleaguered prosecutor in a future election. The registrar-recorder's office announced Monday that the campaign failed to deliver 566,857 valid signatures to qualify for an election. This is the second time in two years that a grassroots coalition has sought to remove Gascon from office over claims that he caters to criminals instead of victims. But the volunteers are not ready to give up yet and are suspicious of the county's tally given Gascon's support among local elected officials. The bipartisan recall was backed by the prosecutors union, which included 98% of the attorneys in the office, law enforcement, victims, and 37 cities, including Beverly Hills. Prosecutors and law enforcement have said they are desperate to recall Gascon over contributing to a crime wave by downgrading charges for violent felons that include minimizing the use of a gun or belonging in a gang.

August 15: The Daily Signal:
Biden says there's no voter fraud but his Justice Department keeps prosecuting it
The Biden administration's Justice Department successfully prosecuted election fraud cases last month in Pennsylvania and Louisiana, even as "Uncle Joe" has spent much of his term so far asserting that voter fraud is a myth. Federal prosecutors in individual U.S. attorney's offices also have brought separate cases in Arizona, North Carolina, and New York during Biden's administration. Meanwhile Biden has ratcheted up rhetoric against state reforms aimed at preventing voter fraud. Late last year, the White House issued a press release touting plans to "restore and strengthen American democracy" and improve "voting rights." Part of that effort by the Biden administration included "combating misinformation and disinformation" that could "sow mistrust" in elections, or was that an effort to stifle free speech?

August 15: News Max:
"Justice" opposes revealing the affidavit that was used to get the FBI warrant to raid Trump's home
The U.S. Justice Department on Monday said it opposes unsealing the affidavit that prosecutors used to obtain a federal magistrate judge's approval to search President Donald Trump's Florida home, where they seized classified documents that the president says he declassified while in office. "If disclosed, the affidavit would serve as a roadmap to the government's ongoing investigation, providing specific details about its direction and likely course, in a manner that is highly likely to compromise future investigative steps," prosecutors wrote in their filing. Trump's Republican allies in recent days have ramped up their calls for Attorney General Merrick Garland to unseal the document, which would reveal the evidence that prosecutors showed to demonstrate they had probable cause to believe crimes were committed at Trump's home — the standard they had to meet to secure the search warrant.

August 14: The Daily Caller:
White House fumbles the ball in trying to explain misstep in the inflation numbers
White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre fumbled Sunday when asked about the "Orwellian" nature of the Inflation Reduction Act. An ABC News/Ipsos poll from early August found only 37% of Americans approve of Joe Biden's handling of the economy, Jon Karl explained to Jean-Pierre, and asked her why, if things are getting better with inflation, so many Americans disapprove of the Biden. Jean-Pierre argued the White House is aware of what the American people are feeling. She then gave examples of how the Biden has "partly" helped in attempting to improve inflation issues, noting the introduction of the Inflation Reduction Act. "Let me ask you. It's called the 'Inflation Reduction Act,' but the Congressional Budget Office [CBO], which is nonpartisan, said there would be a negligible impact on inflation this year and barely impact inflation at all next year," Karl responded, "Isn't it almost Orwellian? How can you call it the 'Inflation Reduction Act' when nonpartisan experts say it's not…"

August 14: The Washington Examiner: You may never see the "Russiagate" documents even though they have been legally declassified by President Trump
Justice Department officials appear to be maneuvering to block the disclosure of documents from the so-called "Russiagate" controversy, according to a top Pentagon official from the Trump administration. Kash Patel, who was chief of staff to acting Defense Secretary Christopher Miller, claims that Trump issued sweeping declassification order of documents. Speculation is that the raid on Trump's Florida home could have been to retrieve the documents to that they will never be made public, even though they have been declassified. "…you will never be allowed to see the Russiagate docs or any other docs that President Trump lawfully declassified, and they will hide it from the public," Patel said.

August 14: News Max:
Congressional Delegation visits Taiwan following high profile visit by Speaker Pelosi
A delegation of U.S. lawmakers arrived in Taiwan on Sunday for a two-day trip during which they will meet President Tsai Ing-wen, the second high-level group to visit while there are military tensions between the self-ruled island and China. Beijing, which claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, has conducted military drills around the island to express its anger over U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit to Taipei in early August. The de facto U.S. embassy in Taipei said the delegation is being led by Senator Ed Markey, who is being accompanied by four House lawmakers on what it described as part of a larger visit to the Indo-Pacific region.

August 14: The Epoch Times: "Woke" military policies are to blame for recruitment crisis
The U.S. Army is expected to fall nearly 40,000 troops short of its recruiting goals over the next two years. Fiscal year 2022 is expected to miss the mark by 10,000 troops, while the number in fiscal year 2023 could reach 28,000. These figures mean that this year is on track to be the Army's worst recruiting year in almost 50 years. The Army plans to circumvent the problem by offering $1 billion for its recruiting program and placing more emphasis on the use of its reserve units.

August 13: Fox News: Report: FBI seized documents subject to attorney client privilege; DOJ opposes request for an independent review
The FBI seized boxes containing records covered by attorney-client privilege and potentially executive privilege during its raid of President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home, sources familiar with the investigation told Fox News, adding that the Justice Department opposed Trump lawyers' request for the appointment of an independent, special master to review the records. Sources familiar with the investigation said the former president's team was informed that boxes labeled A-14, A-26, A-43, A-13, A-33, and a set of documents—all seen on the final page of the FBI's property receipt —contained information covered by attorney-client privilege. The FBI seized classified records from Trump's Palm Beach home during its unprecedented Monday morning raid, including some marked as top secret. But the former president is disputing the classification, saying the records have been declassified.

August 13: One American News Network:
U.S. tightens export controls on chips and gas turbine technology
The United States on Friday adopted new export controls on technologies that support the production of advanced semiconductors and gas turbine engines that it said are critical to its national security. The "emerging and foundational technologies" covered by the move include gallium oxide and diamond, because "devices that utilize these materials have significantly increased military potential," the Commerce Department said. "Technological advancements that allow technologies like semiconductors and engines to operate faster, more efficiently, longer, and in more severe conditions can be game changers in both the commercial and military context," said Commerce Under Secretary for Industry and Security Alan Estevez.* "When we recognize the risks as well as the benefits, and act in concert with our international partners, we can ensure that our shared security objectives are met." The four technologies are among items that 42 participating countries reached consensus to control at December 2021 meetings. The United States export controls cover a wider range of technologies, including additional equipment, software, and technology used to produce semiconductors than the international agreement. *Your editor worked for BIS during some of his time in Washington, DC

August 12: The Daily Signal: Some facts about the IRS weapons arsenal
Some of the 87,000 new IRS agents whom Democrats propose to could come with some extra firepower. The bill would double the current size of the IRS to beef up enforcement. According to the watchdog group OpenTheBooks, as of two years ago, the IRS reportedly had an arsenal of 4,600 guns. Two federal investigations in the past decade found that IRS agents had not been sufficiently trained and were accident-prone with the weapons they have. According to a Senate hearing, armed IRS raids on nonviolent taxpayers surfaced as a concern almost 25 years ago. During debate in the House, Representative Boebert (R-CO) raised concerns about arming IRS agents. "This bill has new IRS agents and they are armed, and the job description tells them that they need to be required to carry a firearm and expect to use deadly force, if necessary," he said. "Excessive taxation is theft. You are using the power of the federal government for armed robbery on the taxpayers." In a posted job opening for a special IRS agent, the IRS specified that applicants should be "willing and able to participate in arrests, execution of search warrants, and other dangerous assignments," and able to carry "a firearm and be willing to use deadly force, if necessary." As of 2020, the IRS arsenal included 3,282 pistols, 621 shotguns, 539 rifles, 15 fully automatic firearms, and four revolvers. A GAO 2018 report showed that the IRS had 3.1 million rounds of ammunition for pistols and revolvers.

August 12: The Wall Street Journal:
The FBI may have recovered documents that Trump declassified before leaving office
FBI agents who searched President Trump's Mar-a-Lago home Monday removed 11 sets of "classified" documents, including some marked as top secret and meant to be only available in special government facilities, according to documents reviewed by The Wall Street Journal. However, Trump's attorneys claimed the documents he had in his possession had been declassified prior to Trump's departure from the White House, not to mention that the property is guarded 24/7 by the Secret Service. The FBI agents seized around 20 boxes of items, binders of photographs, a handwritten note and a copy of the clemency of Roger Stone. The agency's special agents would not allow Trump's legal counsel to observer what they gathered from is residence, thereby raising questions about the raid in the minds of critics.
Here is the text of the warrant and list of items seized.

August 12: The Daily Caller:
The FBI doesn't seem to care enough to explain their raid on the FL home of President Trump
From the moment Donald Trump came down the escalator to formally step onto the political stage, America's leading establishment figures have misjudged what was happening. Most still refuse to think deeply about what drove such massive popularity for Trump. Some of it was his focus on issues, such as extended wars in the Middle East and a lack of border security, where there was a growing chasm between voters' desires and politicians' priorities. The biggest part, though, was a growing mistrust felt by many Americans for their political leaders altogether. There are still so many open questions about the FBI's raid on Trump's Florida home this week, but one thing for sure is it reinforced the feeling many Americans have that the system is rigged. The Biden Justice Department just reinforced the sentiment that brought Trump to power in the first place. All of this, like so many of America's recent problems, could have been avoided. How about an explanation? Did AG Garland even consider the damage he would do by raiding a popular ex-president's home with no explanation whatsoever? It's as if those running America are trying to drive a huge swath of voters away from any trust in the system.

August 12: The Washington Times:
The DOJ still owes answers beyond unsealing warrant for raid on Trump's FL home
House Intelligence Committee Republicans say they will still have questions after the Justice Department's expected release of the warrant that led to the search of President Donald Trump's Mar-a-Lago residence in Palm Beach, Florida. GOP lawmakers on the committee say they remain concerned about the perception of an unwarranted escalation by the FBI that led to the raid and reports that they had an informant placed within. Trump's inner circle. They vowed to continue to press Attorney General Garland and FBI Director Christopher Wray for answers.

August 11: The Epoch Times: FBI may have planted listening devices in Trump's home
A person close to the Trump family suggested the FBI may have planted "listening devices" during a raid targeting President Donald Trump's Florida residence earlier this week. Lawyers for the president previously said that FBI agents would not allow Trump's team to observe or supervise their search of Mar-a-Lago in Palm Beach. One lawyer, Lindsey Halligan, told Fox News on Thursday that agents are believed to have searched Trump's bedroom, office, and a storage room.

August 11: The Washington Times:
Ongoing struggle in Ukraine hurts Russian defense industry
Russia's invasion of Ukraine is straining Moscow's ability to provide armored military vehicles to other countries, traditionally a lucrative export opportunity for Russia. Belarus recently announced details of its plans for a domestically upgraded T-72B main battle tank (MBT). "Belarus probably developed this alternative solution in place of an MBT modification program previously contracted to (the) Russian state-owned company UralVagonZavod," according to a Twitter post by British military intelligence officials on Thursday.

August 11: News Max: Officials told to stop talking about Ukraine tactics
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy on Thursday told government officials to stop talking to reporters about Kyiv's military tactics against Russia, saying such remarks were "frankly irresponsible." In the wake of major blasts that wrecked a Russian air base in Crimea on Tuesday, the New York Times and Washington Post newspapers cited unidentified officials as saying Ukrainian forces were responsible. The government in Kyiv, on the other hand, declined to say whether it had been behind the explosions. "War is definitely not the time for vanity and loud statements. The fewer details you divulge about our defense plans, the better it will be for the implementation of those defense plans," Zelenskyy said in an evening address.

August 11: The Epoch Times: Treasury Secretary tells the IRS not to target middle income earners when they get $80 billion for enforcement
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen has ordered the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) not to send tax enforcers to audit households making less than $400,000 per year after concerns were raised that a massive funding boost to the agency would be used to crack down not on wealthy tax dodgers but to bully middle-income Americans. The Inflation Reduction Act, which recently cleared the Senate in a partisan vote and is expected to be approved by the House as soon as Friday, allocates some $80 billion in additional funding for the IRS, with a portion earmarked for increased enforcement such as audits.

August 10: News Max: Kelly; Raid on Trump's FL home has zero to do with January 6th
Media personality Megyn Kelly told News Max on Wednesday that there is "zero chance" Attorney General Merrick Garland is pursuing President Donald Trump over allegedly withheld "classified documents" following the FBI raid at his Mar-a-Lago home in Florida. "If you believe that Merrick Garland actually sent 30 to 40 FBI agents down Mar-a-Lago to raid Trump's home so he could pick up a few boxes that it might have classified information, I got a bridge in Brooklyn that I really want to want you to take a hard look at," Kelly said! "It's a lie. It's BS. It's a pretext for what he's really after, in my view, and that is evidence that would finally tie Trump to some crime connected with the Jan. 6 riot. To me, it seems obvious there is zero chance he's going after Trump for classified documents."

August 10: The Post Newspaper | Sarges.com:
The US Supreme Court reigns in government overreach during its 2022 session
The last session of the United States Supreme Court [SCOTUS] was an interesting one. It clearly followed the Constitution by returning powers not enumerated to the federal government to the jurisdiction of the state governments. In addition, it held the "Administrative State" to task making it clear that agencies like EPA, OSHA, and the CDC may not stray beyond the authority granted to them by the Congress. In all these cases the court said there was no clear reasoning from the original authorizing legislation which would empower unelected federal agencies to take such actions. This court's decisions have set a bar where those who have been unable to get their wacky legislative proposals enacted are being held in check.

August 10: KTRH iHeart Media: Trump invokes the 5th amendment in order to not participate in a NY DA's "witch hunt" deposition
President Donald Trump invoked his Fifth Amendment rights and declined to answer questions during a scheduled deposition as part of New York state's Attorney General Letita James' investigation into the Trump Organization. "What Letitia James has tried to do the last three years is a disgrace to the legal system, an affront to New York State taxpayers, and a violation of the solemn rights and protections afforded by the United States Constitution," Trump said in a statement. "I did nothing wrong, which is why, after five years of looking, the Federal, State, and local governments, together with the fake news media, have found nothing." The investigation is a "unfounded politically motivated Witch Hunt," Trump contended. Critics have suggested this investigation and the FBI raid on his Florida home are just a continuation of efforts by Democrat operative -- such as "Russia Gate" and "January 6th" -- efforts to keep Trump from running for office again.

August 10: The Washington Times: Former FBI agent; politicization of the FBI started under Mueller
The politicization of the FBI began under former director Robert S. Mueller's transformation of the bureau from a traditional law enforcement agency to counter intelligence powerhouse in the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to a former G-Man. Thomas J. Baker, an agent with 33 years of experience, said the switch changed the culture of the agency. "The ethics of an intelligence agency is different from a law enforcement agency," he said. "In a traditional law enforcement agency, agents live every day for the time to come when they get on the witness stand and say nothing but the truth. But an intelligence agency deals with lies and disruption. It's a whole different mindset between the two."

August 9: The Washington Times: The raid on President Trump's home may be legal but may also be viewed as an abuse of power
The FBI 's stunning search of President Trump 's Florida home may have been legally justifiable to the judge who approved it, but the move still could be viewed as an abuse of power and so further damaging to the bureau's credibility from which it may never recover, former agents have said. "The FBI has been at a tipping point since the Comey-McCabe false Russian collusion investigation," said former FBI assistant director of intelligence Kevin Brock said. "That could be cited as an isolated operation that didn't affect the FBI 's credibility, but now there has been a cascade of events that have pushed the FBI to the precipice in the minds of half the country." Thomas J. Baker, who spent 33 years as an agent and served as an instructor at the bureau's training academy in Quantico, Virginia, said the raid may have been legally sound, but was also an abuse of power. Agents showed up at the Trump estate with automatic weapons at the ready while the President was out of town. With the President out of town they avoided a possible confrontation with the secret service, whose job is to protect Trump.

August 9: One America News Network: AZ's Kari Lake denounces FBI raid on Trump's Florida home
Arizona Republican gubernatorial nominee Kari Lake called the FBI raid at former President Donald Trump's home in Mar-a-Lago "one of the darkest days in American history." In a statement on Monday, Lake said the Biden administration hates America and has "weaponized the entirety of the federal government to take down Trump." She denounced the raid as an "horrendous abuse of power" and the work of tyrants who will stop at nothing to silence their opponents. Lake vowed to fight the federal government as governor and asserted she will seek to crackdown on the federal government's power in Arizona.

August 9: The Daily Caller: Fox News' Doocy asks directly is the White House weaponizing the DOJ and the FBI against political opponents
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy asked White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre Tuesday if the Biden administration is "weaponizing" the Department of Justice (DOJ) against political opponents. Doocy asked Jean-Pierre if the administration views former President Trump as a "political rival" of Joe Biden following the FBI raid on the former president's Mar-a-Lago home. The press secretary denied Doocy's claims that she "talks about Trump all the time." "Ultra-MAGA, you guys were criticizing his handling of COVID last week, you mentioned his January 6 response a couple days ago," Doocy said. "So based on all that, I didn't say anything about Mar-a-Lago, I'm just asking you if you consider the president…" "I'm just saying from here, I'm not gonna comment on that," Jean-Pierre said.

August 9: Newsweek: Ammunition depot near Russian airfield in Crimea could lead to escalation of Ukraine invasion
If Ukraine is behind the series of explosions in the area of a Russian airbase in Crimea, it could result in an escalation in the war, which has been ongoing since Russia's invasion in late February, according to experts. Videos showed the blasts near the Saki airfield on Tuesday, and Russia's Defense Ministry said they were caused by detonated aviation ammunition, killing one and injuring several others, the Russian state-owned news agency reported. But while Russia points away from an attack as the cause of the explosions, The New York Times reported that a senior Ukrainian military official with knowledge on the matter said that Ukraine was behind it.

August 9: CNN: Reports; Russia offering inmates in their jails freedom if they will fight against the Ukrainians
Promises of freedom and riches are made to convicts in cramped Russian jail cells. Frantic phone calls ensue between relatives and inmates weighing the offer. Then prisoners vanish, leaving their loved ones to sift through reports of the wounded arriving in hospitals. This scene is playing out in the convict communities across Russia. With a regular army stretched thin after nearly six months of a disastrously executed and bloody invasion of Ukraine, there's increasing evidence that the Kremlin is making ugly choices in its ugly war and recruiting Russia's prisoners to fight. Activists believe hundreds have been approached in dozens of prisons across Russia -- from murderers to drug offenders. Some have even been taken from the prison where one high-profile American jailed in Russia, Paul Whelan, is held. His brother David said in a statement in July he had heard ten volunteers had left IK17 in Mordovia for the frontlines in Ukraine.

August 8: The Dailly Signal: Was the Raid on Trump's home necessary or is it a sign of possible corruption in DOJ/FBI?
President Donald Trump said Monday evening his home had been raided by a "large group of FBI agents." "Nothing like this has ever happened to a president of the United States before," Trump said in a statement. "After working and cooperating with the relevant government agencies, this unannounced raid on my home was not necessary or appropriate." Trump's estate, Mar-a-Lago, is located in Palm Beach, Florida. Florida's governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, tweeted that the raid was an "another escalation in the weaponization of federal agencies against the Regime's political opponents, while people like Hunter Biden get treated with kid gloves." Reportedly the raid was made to find classified records but seeing that Trump still has an active security clearance and was working with the relevant agencies as to what documents he was allowed to keep, a raid by FBI agents with guns at the ready seemed unnecessary, especially since no similar action was taken against former Secretary of State and Presidential candidate Hillary Clinton who had classified on an unprotected personal server in her personal residence.

August 8: The Washington Free Beacon: FL Dem frontrunner says Democrats would defund police in a very thoughtful way
Florida Democratic Senate hopeful Val Demings wants voters to know she would never support abolishing the police. Two years ago, she praised a group of radical activists working to do just that as "thoughtful." In a June 2020 interview, Demings voiced support for Minneapolis City Council members who pledged to "abolish the Minneapolis Police system as we know it" following the police killing of George Floyd. Demings had no doubt the council members and their activist allies would "come out with a plan" for a new policing system that would "keep Minneapolis safe but also bring the community and the police together in a much needed and long overdue way." Days later the council voted unanimously to eliminate the Minneapolis Police Department without establishing any kind of replacement. Now, as Demings fights to unseat Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL), the Democrat is running away from her praise for the council.

August 7: The Washington Examiner: Dems vote against defining pregnancy as a condition unique to biological females
All 50 Senate Democrats and the independents who caucus with them voted Sunday against an amendment to the Inflation Reduction Act that would federally define pregnancy as a condition unique to biological females. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced the measure to the sweeping budget reconciliation bill in a marathon voting session in which Republicans introduced dozens of provisions that don't have the votes to be enacted but force Democrats to take a stance on contentious issues. The GOP so far has only been successful in one matter, blocking a provision that would cap the monthly price of insulin at $35.

August 7: Fox News: Democrats scorned for passing a multibillion-dollar economic package without a single Republican vote
Republicans on Sunday heaped scorn on Democrats for passing a multibillion-dollar economic package without a single Republican vote, warning that it would come back to haunt them in the November midterms. "Democrats will pay the price in November for raising taxes on families during a recession," Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel said in a statement. Her statement reflects criticism among Republicans that the inflation reduction Act will do the opposite of its intended purpose. In a statement, Sen. Ted Cruz, (R-TX) likened the bill to a "give-away to the Democrats' radical leftist base at the expense of middle-class Americans."

August 7: The Epoch Times: Democrats continue to block the release the tapes of the January 6th protest at the U.S. Capitol
As the Select Committee to Investigate the January 6 Attack on the United States Capitol and continues its effort to prove allegations of insurrection against former President Donald Trump and his supporters, the Capitol Police and House Democrats continue to block all efforts to force the release of all surveillance video footage and emails, which could possibly exonerate those being accused of wrongdoing. Now, Rep. Louis Gohmert (R-TX) is citing the United States Code -- 2USC 1979 that states 'any Member … of either House of Congress' can 'obtain information from the Capitol Police regarding the operations and activities of the Capitol Police that affect the Senate and House of Representatives.' -- as the authority to force release of the tapes. He contends that Subsection (c) makes clear that nothing in that law may be construed to prevent us, as Members of the House of Representatives from our ability to obtain those videos." Gohmert concluded that "Releasing this information is absolutely essential to proper governance and truth to protect and perpetuate this self, governing nation.

August 7: News Max: Trump and the makeover of the Republican Party
Former President Donald Trump has "orchestrated a makeover" of the Republican Party before his return in 2024, bringing the "fire" for midterm election turnout that is sorely needed, according to presidential adviser Dick Morris. "In 2016, Trump orchestrated a takeover of the Republican Party," Morris said "Now, he's orchestrating a makeover of the Republican Party. It's unprecedented… The former incumbent president really is reshaping the Republican Party and making it into a MAGA, America First institution."

August 7: Fox News: NYC Mayor blasts Texas Governor for sending illegals to New York
New York City Mayor Eric Adams blasted Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Sunday after a second bus full of illegal migrants arrived at his doorstep. Adams gave a news conference Sunday morning at the Port Authority where he greeted an incoming bus of around 40 migrants — only 14 of whom disembarked in the Big Apple. "This is horrific when you think about what the governor is doing," Adams said, noting that many of the arriving families did not realize they were coming to New York City. "We're finding that some of the families are on the bus that wanted to go to other locations, and they were not allowed to do so," the mayor said.

August 6: News Max: Chinese play war games simulating an attack on Taiwan
Taiwan officials said Chinese aircraft and warships rehearsed an attack on their island on Saturday, part of Beijing's retaliation for a visit there by U.S. House Speaker Pelosi that has also seen it halt talks with the United States on issues including defense and climate change. Pelosi's brief visit this week to the self-ruled island that China regards as its territory infuriated Beijing and prompted military drills that are unprecedented in scale around Taiwan and have included ballistic missiles fired over the capital, Taipei. U.S. Secretary of State Blinken accused China of taking "irresponsible steps" by halting key communication channels with Washington, and said its actions over Taiwan showed a move from prioritizing peaceful resolution towards use of force.

August 6: The Washington Free Beacon: Granit State not buying bipartisan pitch of Senate Democrat campaign
Sen. Maggie Hassan's reelection campaign ads tout that the Granite State Democrat is the "most bipartisan" lawmaker in the Senate. But state residents across the political spectrum say they consider Hassan a reliable vote for the Biden administration. Sean Chambers, a 43-year-old construction worker and registered independent, said Hassan's time in the Senate has been "nothing but broken promises." He said he has yet to decide on whether he will vote Republican in November but refuses to back Hassan. "She says she's for the worker but hasn't done anything," Chambers said. "I don't buy the bipartisan talk. There's a big divide and nothing is getting done."

August 6: News Max: Indiana becomes the first state to enact abortion legislation post Roe v. Wade
Indiana on Friday became the first state in the nation to approve abortion restrictions since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, as the governor quickly signed a near-total ban on the procedure shortly after lawmakers approved it. The ban, which takes effect Sept. 15, includes some exceptions. Abortions would be permitted in cases of rape and incest, before 10-weeks post-fertilization; to protect the life and physical health of the mother; and if a fetus is diagnosed with a lethal anomaly. Victims of rape and incest would not be required to sign a notarized affidavit attesting to an attack, as had once been proposed. Under the bill, abortions can be performed only in hospitals or outpatient centers owned by hospitals, meaning all abortion clinics would lose their licenses. A doctor who performs an illegal abortion or fails to file required reports must also lose their medical license — wording that tightens current Indiana law that says a doctor "may" lose their license.

August 5: Fox News: Republican Senators promise to make debate on budget resolution-inflation expansion bill hell for those moving the bill forward
Republican senators are promising to make the Senate's upcoming vote-a-rama "hell" for Democrats over their social spending and tax increase legislation, and are even threatening to tank a continuing resolution as payback. "What will vote-a-rama be like? It will be like hell," Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC) said. "They deserve this. As much as I admire Joe Manchin and Sinema for standing up to the radical left at times, they've empowering legislation that will make the average person's life more difficult." Graham added: "I'm hoping that we can come up with proposals that will make sense to a few of them, and they will abandon this jihad (against the American people)." First, Democrats will have to move through the procedures of the reconciliation process, including a vote-a-rama, in which senators are allowed to offer unlimited amendments to the bill. The session can include dozens of votes and drag on for the better part of a day, sometimes overnight into the wee hours of the morning. Senate GOP Conference Chair John Barrasso, R-Wyo., said Friday Republicans plan to introduce amendments on "energy, inflation, border and crime," during the session. Republicans hope to at least use the process to make Democrats take uncomfortable votes ahead of the midterm election They may also be able to change the bill with their amendments, and perhaps sink it entirely if one of those successful amendments causes some Democrats to oppose the bill.

August 5: The Washington Times: China will refuse to accept deportees amid Pelosi's trip to Taiwan, raising issues over a White House response or lack thereof
China said Friday that it will stop accepting deportees from the U.S. as part of its retaliation for House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's visit this week to Taiwan. The move was among nine steps announced by China's Foreign Affairs Ministry, along with ending cooperation on transnational crime and drugs, and halting talks on climate change. It also raises the stakes for the Biden administration, which under U.S. law can punish countries that refuse to cooperate on deportations by refusing to issue new visas to that country's citizens. "This is really an opportunity for the Biden administration to show it's not going to be jerked around by China," said Jessica Vaughan, policy studies director at the Center for Immigration Studies, which backs stricter immigration enforcement. Under section 243(d), the part of immigration law that governs the issue, the government could deny all visas, though traditionally administrations have been more targeted. Refusing to issue short-term tourism or business visas to government officials and their families has been the most common use of 243(d). "It's the elite members of these societies who are able to travel to the United States any time they want to, desperately want to come here to shop, to go to Las Vegas, to send their kids to our universities, and maybe even to work. They would very likely be swayed by even a very targeted suspension of visas," she said. "We don't want to suspend travel from everyone from China, and we don't need to. That's the beauty of this kind of leverage."
[Question: Could we deny permission for any Chinese government official to travel to the US to go to the UN or their embassies or consults? Or should we?]

August 4: News Max: DeSantis removes states attorney who vowed not to prosecute abortions
Gov. Ron DeSantis(R-FL) suspended a county state attorney who vowed not to enforce state laws, such as prosecuting doctors who perform abortions. DeSantis made the announcement to remove Hillsborough County State Attorney Andrew Warren during a Thursday morning press conference. "We don't elect people in one part of the state to have veto power over what the entire state decides on these important issues," DeSantis said. "The Constitution of Florida has vested the veto power in the governor, not in individual state attorneys. "And so, when you flagrantly violate your oath of office and you make yourself above the law, you have violated your duty, you have neglected your duty, and you are displaying a lack of competence to perform those duties. And so, today, we are suspending State Attorney Andrew Warren effective immediately."

August 4: The Washington Times: Manchin bucks Biden after caving on budget reconciliation
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WVA) bucked his fellow Democrats Thursday by voting with all Republicans to roll back environmental regulations set by Joe Biden in a bid to streamline infrastructure and energy projects. Manchin was the lone Democrat to back the forced vote from Senate Republicans, allowing it to pass 50-47 in the evenly split chamber. While the measure faces certain defeat in the Democratic-led House, the vote offered a glimpse into the political battles that lie ahead in the coming weeks when Democrats will try to pass energy-permit reform. The bill was crafted to cut bureaucratic red tape on the subject, which will require the backing of at least 10 GOP senators to overcome a filibuster — potentially more, if far-left members refuse to get on board.

August 4: The Daily Caller: Cruz confronts Wray on Project Veritas leak
At a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing, Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) confronted FBI Director Christopher Wray about a leak of alleged FBI material by the conservative activist group, Project Veritas. Cruz made the case that the FBI has a repeated pattern of targeting conservatives and "patriotic Americans." He pointed to a copy of FBI training material obtained by Project Veritas that allegedly listed the Betsy Ross, Gadsden and Gonzales Battle flags as themes "indicative of militia violent extremism." "Director Wray, what are you all doing?" Cruz asked. "Do you agree with this FBI guidance that the Betsy Ross flag and the Gadsden flag and the Gonzales Battle flag are signs of militia violent extremism?" Wray responded, that he was not familiar with the document. "But I will tell you that when we put out intelligence products, including ones that reference symbols which we do across a wide variety of context, we usually make great pains to put caveats and warnings in the document that make clear that a symbol alone is not considered evidence of violent extremism." Cruz commented that the document does not include symbols connected to Antifa and Black Lives Matter.

August 4: Fox News: Lake secures GOP nomination for AZ governor
According to the AP, Kari Lake has won the Republican nomination for governor in Arizona's primary election. For "days," the hotly contested race between former TV news anchor Kari Lake and real estate developer Karrin Taylor Robson was too close to call as Lake's lead was fewer than 12,000 votes. As of Wednesday morning, Lake had 46.2% of the vote, and Taylor Robson had 44.5%. Lake will now attempt to succeed term-limited Gov. Doug Ducey, a Republican.

August 3: The Washington Examiner: Arizona county responds to primary election chaos
Officials from Pinal County, AZ, said they aren't completely sure what went awry during the primary election Tuesday, when at least 20 precincts reported ballot shortages at polling locations, prompting the Republican Party to raise concerns. A scramble is underway to determine why precincts had not been given an adequate number of ballots in advance of the election and are open to conducting an audit to get to the bottom of what went wrong, two county officials said during a press conference Wednesday. "We opened the boxes, and there weren't enough ballots ... so we're not really quite clear how that occurred," said Jeffrey McClure, chairman of the Pinal County Board of Supervisors. During primary night, a number of voters were told their polling station ran out of ballots and were offered the opportunity to wait or come back at a later time after the county printed out more ballots. Officials said they are not sure how many voters were affected by the shortage and emphasized that not all of the roughly 20 precincts that requested additional ballots ran out.
[Editor's Note: This is one of the issues election offices potentially face with using preprinted paper ballots instead of electronic ballots with paper backups.]

August 3: The Washington Times: Taxpayers face a supercharged IRS under the new Schumer/Manchin budget reconciliation bill
The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is about to get a lot more nosy. If Democrats succeed in passing their new climate and budget package this month, it will add some $80 billion to the agency over the next decade, with the majority of that going to enforcement. The result will be a "supercharged" tax agency with roughly 65% more funding to investigate, audit, talk to and collect from Americans. "Despite a long history of IRS abuses, Democrats have revived their proposal to send 87,000 new IRS agents after you and your family-owned business on the belief that everyone is a tax cheat," Republicans on the House Ways and Means Committee said this week. One Republican analysis figures nearly half of the agency's new audit work will be aimed at taxpayers with incomes of $75,000 or less. Democrats insist that's not their goal but it has become clear such will be the consequence of their actions.

August 3: News Max: Senate supports Finland joining NATO 95-1
Senators delivered overwhelming bipartisan approval to NATO membership for Finland and Sweden Wednesday, calling expansion of the Western defensive bloc a "slam-dunk" for U.S. national security and a day of reckoning for Russian President Vladimir Putin over his invasion of Ukraine. Wednesday's 95-1 vote — for the candidacy of two Western European nations that, until Russia's war against Ukraine, had long avoided military alliances — took a crucial step toward expansion of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its 73-year-old pact of mutual defense among the United States and democratic allies in Europe.

August 3: Fox News: Follow the money, Joe Manchin
Senator Joe Manchin (D-WVA) raised only a fraction of his campaign funds from voters in his home state, according to a Fox News analysis, while out-of-state contributions and corporate donations make up the bulk of his fundraising. Manchin, who shocked Washington last week after announcing an agreement to advance a very expensive and inflationary green energy and pharmaceutical spending bill received approximately $6.1 million from individual donors who gave more than $200 in aggregate to his campaign between January 2021 and June 30, 2022, according to Federal Elections Commission (FEC) filings. Over $6 million of his campaign donations came from individuals in other states. Manchin is not up for re-election until 2024 — and he has not announced whether he will seek another term, while his campaign war chest continues to grow.

August 2: Breitbart News: Pelosi defies Biden and Communist Chinese, lands in Taiwan
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) landed in Taipei, Taiwan, late Tuesday evening local time in defiance of the Biden administration's and China's warnings not to go. The trip marks the first time in 25 years that a U.S. official of her level visited Taiwan. The previous visit was in 1997 by then House Speaker Newt Gingrich (R-GA). "Our Congressional delegation's visit to Taiwan honors America's unwavering commitment to supporting Taiwan's vibrant Democracy," Pelosi said in a statement. "Our discussions with Taiwan leadership will focus on reaffirming our support for our partner and on promoting our shared interests, including advancing a free and open Indo-Pacific region. America's solidarity with the 23 million people of Taiwan is more important today than ever, as the world faces a choice between autocracy and democracy," she added. Taiwan is also an important economic US ally with about 90% of the world's computer chips being manufactured in either Taiwan or South Korea.

August 2: Fox News: Paul Pelosi had drugs in system, slurred speech, and handed law enforcement a police privilege card
According to court documents, Paul Pelosi, the multimillionaire husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, allegedly had a drug in his system, addressed officers with slurred speech, and tried to hand them a police courtesy (get out of jail free) card during his May arrest on DUI charges. Pelosi's 2021 Porsche and the other driver's 2014 Jeep sustained "major collision damage" in a crash around 10:17 p.m. on May 28, and responding officers found Pelosi in his driver's seat in his damaged car. Pelosi allegedly handed officers his driver's license and an "11-99 Foundation" card when they asked for his ID, according to the documents. The 11-99 Foundation is a California Highway Patrol charity that supports officers and provides scholarships for their children.

August 1: The Washington Free Beacon: Manchin caves; Budget reconciliation package includes items he once called ludicrous
Sen. Joe Manchin's $485 billion budget reconciliation package includes a provision he once called "ludicrous" and counterproductive to fighting inflation, according to a review of the bill. The deal Manchin struck with Senate Democrats to fight inflation includes tens of billions of dollars' worth of electric vehicle tax credits, a policy once considered a non-starter for Manchin. As recently as April, Democrats thought negotiations reached an impasse after he said electric tax credits "make no sense to me whatsoever." "There's a waiting list for EVs right now with a fuel price at $4.00, but they still want us to throw $5,000 or $7,000 or a $12,000 credit to buy an electric vehicle," Manchin said on the Senate floor. "We can't produce enough product for the people that want it and we're still going to pay them to take it. It's absolutely ludicrous, in my mind." Regardless of such pronouncements, Manchin will support the inflation stoking bill which will include up to $7,500 for the purchase of electric vehicles. Apparently, Manchin is not content with relying upon the market place and free will decisions by automobile purchasers, instead opting to sweeten the pie to encourage purchases that would otherwise not be seriously considered. Why Manchin caved on electric vehicle subsidies is unclear after making statements like being "reluctant to go down the path of electric vehicles" while manufacturers are unable to produce enough of them; and, "I'm old enough to remember standing in line in 1974 trying to buy gas. I remember those days," he said. "I don't want to have to be standing in line waiting for a battery for my vehicle, because we're now dependent on a foreign supply chain, mostly China."

August 1: The Epoch Times: Louisiana DA expects a treasure trove of information from subpoena of Biden Administration
The subpoenas and discovery requests sent out as part of a lawsuit against the federal government are going to bring back reams of information, Louisiana Attorney General Landry says. Landry and Missouri Attorney General Eric Schmitt, both Republicans, sued the Biden administration in May, arguing the government colluded with big tech companies to violate the constitutional rights of Americans. U.S. District Judge Terry Doughty, a Trump appointee, recently ruled in favor of the plaintiffs. Government officials like Dr. Anthony Fauci and companies including Facebook were served soon after. "We've got a treasure trove of information that we think are going to come to us here shortly," Landry said.

August 1: News Max: Pelosi to visit Taiwan amid threats from the Communist Chinese
U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Taiwan, CNN reported Monday, citing sources, as China warned that its military would never "sit idly by" if she visited the self-ruled island claimed by Beijing. Pelosi, who began an Asia trip earlier Monday in Singapore, was due to spend Tuesday night in Taiwan, Reuters reported, also citing unidentified sources. Taiwan's foreign ministry said it had no comment on reports of Pelosi's travel plans. The U.S. official told CNN that Department of Defense officials are working to monitor Chinese movements in the region while securing a plan to keep the speaker safe.

July 31: The Washington Examiner: Former "spy chief" says Biden Administration mismanaged Pelosi plans to visit Taiwan
Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe criticized the Biden administration for its handling of speculation that House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) will visit Taiwan despite warnings by the Communist Chinese. The former spy chief argued Chinese President Xi Jinping is capitalizing on Joe Biden's "weakness" as Beijing and its mouthpieces in the media threatened severe consequences if Pelosi ends up visiting Taiwan, which China claims as its territory. "It's been mismanaged by the Biden administration," Ratcliffe said. At this point, Ratcliffe said, "…she does need to go for the sake of our national security, so that the American people see that the Chinese Communist Party is not the one dictating American foreign policy, that it is the American government doing that…"

July 31: The NY Post: FBI, Director Christopher Wray are in for a rude wake-up call over Hunter Biden investigation
FBI Director Christopher Wray may face tough questions from Republican members of the House Oversight Committee over the mounting evidence that something is very rotten inside the agency Wray runs. At the top of the list is the curious question of why the FBI reportedly dis nothing with Hunter Biden's laptop, which was handed to two agents on Dec. 9, 2019, by an alarmed owner of the computer repair shop near the Biden family homes in Greenville, Del., where Hunter had dropped off his MacBook eight months earlier. Among other potential crimes to be found on the abandoned laptop, you would expect the FBI to be interested, on national security grounds, in the incriminating evidence of a corrupt foreign influence-peddling scheme run by the Biden family throughout Joe Biden's vice presidency. Equally curious is why the FBI apparently did nothing with another voluminous trove of corroborating material, given to it in October 2020 by Hunter's former business partner, Tony Bobulinski, including emails and other documents that replicate those on Hunter's laptop.

July 31: The Post Newspaper: There is a common thread between slavery and abortion
Last month our nation observed Juneteenth, which celebrates June 19, 1865, when Union troops arrived in Galveston Bay and announced that more than 250,000 slaves in Texas were free by executive decree. Last month, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down the claim that the U.S. Constitution grants a woman's right of abortion; sending the authority to allow or prohibit abortions back to state legislatures to decide. There is a common thread between these two. People -- born or unborn -- are not property that can be bought, sold (even for body parts), or discarded. The bottom line is that some of the darkest parts of our country's history still remain. We need to stand against and oppose measures that dehumanize people, born or unborn. God creates life and doesn't smile kindly upon a society which seeks to destroy life or dehumanize it as property.

July 30: The Washington Examiner: The latest SCOTUS Justice will not recuse herself on affirmative action case as promised in confirmation hearings
Supreme Court Justice Jackson will be able to weigh in on a lawsuit surrounding alleged discriminatory college admissions practices after the high court decoupled a pair of cases surrounding affirmative action policies at Harvard University and the University of North Carolina , Chapel Hill. Jackson, who was sworn in as the first black woman on the court last month, said in March that she planned to recuse herself from the previously consolidated lawsuits during her Senate Judiciary Committee hearings due to her role on Harvard's Board of Overseers, which concluded on May 26. But last Friday, the Supreme Court made a procedural step to separate the cases, thereby allowing her to vote on the UNC case. Federal law states judges must recuse themselves from cases in which their "impartiality might reasonably be questioned," which may include close ties to a political party, a financial interest in the outcome, or participation at an earlier stage of the litigation process.

July 30: Townhall.com: Senator Cotton: Biden leaked Pelosi's plans to go to Taiwan
There's an old saying in the Navy "loose lips sinks ships!" Is that what happened when Speaker Pelosi's plans to visit Taiwan on her "Asian tour" became public or was it a political move by Biden? In her Friday press conference, Pelosi (D-CA) remained mum about whether her trip to Asia would include a stop in Taiwan citing security concerns for her congressional delegation of lawmakers heading abroad to show emphasis on the U.S. interest in Asia. According to U.S. Senator Tom Cotton (R-AR), though, not everyone has been so tight-lipped about Pelosi's travel plans. In an interview earlier in the week, Cotton said it's common knowledge on Capitol Hill that Pelosi's plans to visit Taiwan were leaked to the Chinese Communist Party in Beijing by none other than Joe Biden himself. "… the pressure came from Joe Biden who doesn't want her to take this trip because he's once again kowtowing to Beijing," Cotton contended.

July 29: Fox News:
Chinese warn they might shoot down Pelosi's plane if she dares to visit Taiwan
The former chief editor of the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) state tabloid, the Global Times, suggested the country shoot down U.S. Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi for visiting Taiwan if her plane refuses to divert course. Meanwhile the Communist Chinese have warned they will take forceful measures" if Pelosi visits Taiwan after the Financial Times reported she would travel to the Chinese-claimed island nation next month. The Chinese see a visit by Pelosi as an "invasion," especially if her plane is escorted by U.S. fighter jets.
[Editor's Note: Why is Taiwan so important to China? Here are some thoughts. First, China's economy is tanking based upon some bad choices such as locking down its businesses due to Covid. Secondly, Taiwan is one of two major producers of computer chips. Between Taiwan and South Korea, they produce about 85-90% of the world's computer chips and Taiwan is a prosperous nation. Perhaps China sees its smaller neighbor as being able to provide a boost for its failing economy.]

July 29: The Washington Times: Wharton reports says Biden inflation reduction bill won't reduce inflation
An independent analysis of Joe Biden's ballyhooed Inflation Reduction Act finds it won't reduce inflation at all. The proposal, which includes $433 billion in new spending on climate and other items, "would very slightly increase inflation until 2024… …These point estimates are statistically indistinguishable from zero, thereby indicating low confidence that the legislation will have any impact on inflation," the study said Friday. Biden is proclaiming the bill as the antidote to 41-year-high inflation of 9.1%, which has contributed to his low approval ratings. "This bill will reduce inflationary pressures on the economy," Biden said after Senate Democrats reached a tentative agreement.

July 29: The Daily Caller: Vulnerable AZ senator caught in lie saying he supported Trump's border wall
Arizona Democrat Sen. Mark Kelly, who's facing a tough re-election bid, touted his role in getting the Biden administration to fill gaps in the border wall despite having voted against legislation aiding the barrier in the past. Kelly applauded the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) decision to close the gaps. But the former astronaut voted against border wall initiatives at least three times in 2021, including an amendment to prohibit the federal government's cancellation of border wall contracts and two other amendments seeking to stop the cancellation of border wall contracts that had already received appropriated funding. The Arizona Democrat has also changed his stance on other immigration-related issues, including the public health policy used to quickly expel migrants during COVID-19, when the Biden administration announced it would end in April. Kelly is up for reelection in a "Toss Up" race, according to the Cook Political Report, facing off against a Republican candidate soon to emerge from the highly competitive August 2nd primary.

July 28: The Washington Times: U.S. economy shrinks for second quarter while Biden mocks chatter about recession
The U.S. economy shrank for the second straight quarter, but Joe Biden dismissed concerns of a recession Thursday as "chatter" and plowed ahead with plans for a tax increase and another huge boost in spending over the objections of Republicans, who say those policies have sparked historic inflation and reversed growth. Addressing the nation from the White House, the Biden noted that unemployment is at a 50-year low and quipped, "That doesn't sound like a recession to me." The Bureau of Economic Analysis reported that total economic output contracted from April through June at an annual rate of 0.9%, raising alarm in many quarters that the U.S. is tipping into a recession in the midterm election year.

July 28: The Washington Examiner: Here we go again; LA prohibits poll watchers at counting of signatures for the recall election of Soros-supported DA
Monitors will not be allowed to view the vote-counting process to recall District Attorney George Gascon because the county of Los Angeles does not view the event as an election, county officials say. However, opponents insist that the law clearly states that the recall is an election and the process should be public. Support from left-wing Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democrat politicians helped usher far-left Gascon into office two years ago, and the recall campaign wants to make sure the voter petitions are accurately counted to place the measure on a ballot. "We are concerned about it, and we have attorneys looking at it," retired LAPD Sgt. Dennis Zine, one of the campaign organizers, said of the petition counting. The issue begs the question; if there is nothing to hide, why prohibit observers?

July 28: The Stars and Stripes:
USS Reagan carrier strike group enters South China see amid tensions with China
A U.S. aircraft carrier and strike group has entered the South China Sea as part of what the 7th Fleet said was a scheduled operation amid rising tensions with China over a potential Taiwan visit by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The USS Ronald Reagan, a Nimitz-class nuclear-powered supercarrier, made its way to the disputed waters following a five-day port call to Singapore, departing Changi Naval Base on Tuesday. The voyage follows remarks this week by China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian that Beijing was getting "seriously prepared" for the possibility that Pelosi could visit Taiwan, a self-governing island that China considers part of its territory. The 7th Fleet has declined to reveal the Reagan strike group's destination it had already been conducting maritime security operations in the South China Sea prior to its arrival, having left for its annual spring patrol in May from its home port Yokosuka, Japan. China claims more than 80% of the South China Sea, one of the world's busiest shipping routes. The U.S. estimates that more than 30% of the global maritime crude oil trade passes through the waters.

July 28: The Daily Caller: It took two months for mainstream media to address this about Monkeypox
More than two months after the ongoing global monkeypox outbreak began, corporate media outlets are finally addressing the fact that gay men are most at risk of contracting the virus. Government agencies and healthcare authorities have already been prioritizing men who have sex with men in their monkeypox response. The U.S. allocated its first batch of vaccines to that group, and the World Health Organization (WHO) is recommending that gay men limit their number of partners to reduce risk. But some journalists were first preoccupied with addressing the "stigma" that could come from openly discussing that gay men are accountable for the vast majority of monkeypox cases.

July 27: One America News Network: Americans brace for another major interest hike by the FED
The looming GDP report has been released and shows another contraction in the second quarter. The Bureau of Economic Statistics revealed the national GDP shrank by 0.9 percent. This marks the second straight quarter of decline, further fueling fears of a recession. The news comes on the heels of the Federal Reserve's move Wednesday to hike interest rates for the fourth time this year, which is the second consecutive increase of 0.75 percent, in an attempt to combat inflation. In the month of June, Inflation hit 9.1 percent, which is the fastest increase in prices in 40 years. America's top central banker, Jerome Powell, is denying assessments that an economic downturn has hit the US. In a statement Wednesday, he said unemployment is low and the labor market is strong. Powell added, "it doesn't make sense" that the US economy would be in a recession at this point.

July 27: Fox News: Ukraine forces stall Russian plans; no advancement in last two weeks
Ukrainian forces took out a key bridge in Kherson, defense officials said on Wednesday, "destroying" Russia's plans as it looks to advance its troops in the south. Head of the joint coordination press center for the Ukrainian Defense Forces (UDF), Natalia Humeniuk, said that high precision strikes had hit the Antonovsky Bridge in an attempt to control Russian logistical and transportation routes, Ukrainian news outlets first reported. Humeniuk told reporters, "We are destroying the enemy's plans." The bridge, which crosses the Dnieper River, has become a major strategic target for Ukrainian defense forces in recent weeks as they look sever access between the Russian army in Kherson to occupied areas off of the Crimean Peninsula. The attack comes as Ukraine has stalled Russian forces along the front lines with the aid of U.S. supplied High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS). "The enemy is concentrating its main efforts on preventing the advance of our troops," Ukrainian Defense officials said in an operational updated Wednesday. The enemy actively uses unmanned aerial vehicles for reconnaissance. UDF officials have confirmed that Russian forces have remained stalled on the front lines for two weeks following the successful deployment of HIMARS. However, they warn that Ukrainian forces will need at least 50 systems like the HIMARS to "hold back" Russian forces and at least 100 systems "for an effective counter-offensive."

July 26: The Daily Caller: Biden Admin can't have it both ways; who really backs the Blue?
Joe Biden tried to paint Republicans as being anti-police on social media and in a Monday speech before black law enforcement executives. "How can Congressional Republicans claim to be pro-police?" Biden asked in a Tuesday Twitter post. But Biden's own vice president praised a Democratic mayor in 2020 for reducing his city's police budget. "I applaud Mayor Garcetti for doing what he's done," Kamala Harris said about Democratic Mayor Eric Garcetti's decision to seek a cut off $150 million from the Los Angeles Police Department during the 2020 campaign, according to the New York Post.

July 26: Fox News: Turning Point hits Disney-owned ABC with cease or desist demand
Turning Point USA issued a scathing cease and desist letter to ABC News on Tuesday, calling for the Disney-owned company to "retract the defamatory statements" made earlier in the week on "The View" or face legal action. "The false statements of fact intentionally made during The View's July 25th segment were unquestionably harmful to TPUSA's reputation and brought the organization and its student affiliates into disrepute with the public, potential donors, and current and future business partners, posing a significant financial loss to the organization," the letter said.
[Editor's Update: ABC and "The View" subsequently apologized.]

July 26: The Epoch Times: Mistakes made Police on January 6th [video]
In a documentary video produced by the Epoch Times, issues are raised about the actions taken by the Capitol Police and Washington Metro Police. The documentary shows a side of what happened on January 6, 2021 at the nations Capitol that up to this point has not been reported by the mainstream media nor the House of Representatives January 6th committee. Law enforcement and legal experts point out that the force being used by was not used in a manner that would allow them to either arrest individuals or to disburse them in a way that ensured demonstrators would not be injured. In one clip, a law enforcement officer is shown shoving a demonstrator off a wall with a 20-foot drop. The protestor received multiple injuries as a result of the fall.

July 26: Fox Business: Bombshell report links Chinese to targeted FED employees
The Chinese government has targeted the Federal Reserve in an effort to undermine American monetary policy since at least 2013, according to a report released Tuesday by Republicans on the Senate Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. The report detailed the actions of several Federal Reserve employees known as the "P-Network," whose foreign travel patterns and academic backgrounds raised concerns internally. One of these employees was detained four times during a 2019 trip to Shanghai as Chinese officials "threatened the individual's family unless the individual provided them with economic information and assistance." Other FED employees also had "close ties" to the People's Bank of China, Chinese academic organizations, and the state-owned Xinhua News Agency, according to the report.

July 25: Fox Business: Energy group makes six figure media buy comparing Biden to Jimmy Carter's presidency
An energy group announced Monday that it had purchased a "high six-figure" digital advertisement campaign comparing Joe Biden to former President Jimmy Carter. Power The Future will run the ad on social media in Alaska, New Mexico, Colorado, Ohio, Pennsylvania and select districts in Texas, targeting energy-producing regions of the U.S., the group told FOX Business. The 90-second ad draws a parallel between Biden's and Carter's energy policies and the high inflation rates experienced during their two administrations. "… Biden, if you're going to plagiarize someone else's tired ideas, make sure it's not from a failing student," the ad says after playing clips of Biden and Carter talking about their respective energy agenda. Power The Future's ad also shows a clip of Carter boasting about the creation of the Strategic Petroleum Reserve before cutting to Biden's recent remarks announcing a release of one million barrels of oil per day for six consecutive months. "A half century may have passed between the Carter and Biden administrations, but their policy ideas have not changed and neither have the outcomes," Power The Future Founder and Executive Director Daniel Turner said. "Unfortunately, history is repeating itself, and the biggest losers are the wallets of middle-class Americans." "Energy touches every facet of our economy, and Biden's relentless war on the industry and its workers has driven inflation to levels not seen since the Carter years," he continued.

July 25: The Daily Caller: The Biden approach; in order to avoid the coming recession simply change the definition of what a recession is
The Biden administration preemptively downplayed concerns about the state of the economy ahead of second quarter GDP growth data and, according to some, sought to redefine what constitutes a recession. Economic commentators frequently use two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth as a "rule of thumb" that an economy is in a recession. While the economy shrank by 1.4% in the first quarter, Joe Biden's economic team is arguing that even if second quarter GDP growth is also negative it is still "unlikely" that that would indicate the economy is in a recession. Google defines a Recession as "a period of temporary economic decline during which trade and industrial activity are reduced, generally identified by a fall in GDP in two successive quarters." This definition dates back to as early as World War II. However, the White House argues that because industrial production, employment, and spending have increased this year, two quarters of declining output should not be used to measure inflation. Of course, the fact that admitting that the country is in a recession, doesn't look good for the White House and its economic policies.

July 25: The Washington Times:
Russia to further reduce the flow of natural gas though its pipeline to Europe
Russia's oil giant Gazprom said Monday it would further reduce natural gas flows through a major pipeline to Europe to 20% of capacity, citing repairs of equipment. The Russian state-owned company tweeted that it would reduce "the daily throughput" of the Nord Stream 1 pipeline to Germany to 33 million cubic meters as of Wednesday. The head of Germany's network regulator confirmed the reduction. The company reduced the gas flow through the Nord Stream 1 pipeline by 60% in mid-June, citing alleged technical problems involving the equipment that partner Siemens Energy sent to Canada for overhaul and couldn't be returned because of sanctions over the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

July 25: The Washington Examiner: With Manchin having covid the opportunity for Senate Dems to pass legislation is closing
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) announced Monday morning that he has tested positive for COVID and will not be coming to Washington this week. The announcement could derail any last hope Joe Biden had of getting major legislation done before the midterm elections. Last week, Manchin had suggested there was a possibility he would help Democrats advance reconciliation legislation before the end of July. With Manchin in West Virginia this week, those hopes are gone.

July 24: Fox News: Israeli Navy sinks Palestinian fishing vessel smuggling equipment to Hamas terrorists in Gaza?
The Israeli Navy has sunk a Palestinian fishing vessel that was allegedly smuggling "equipment" to Hamas terrorists in Gaza on Sunday. The vessel reportedly ignored multiple hails and commands to stop from Israeli vessels. The two Palestinians aboard the boat swam ashore before it sank. "Navy soldiers called via loudspeakers to the vessel, and when it did not respond to the calls, the soldiers fired in accordance with the open-fire policy," the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said. The IDF only stated the vessel was smuggling "equipment." Footage of the incident circulating on social media shows the fishing vessel smoking as Israeli boats close in.

July 24: Fox Business: Treasury Secretary Yellen acknowledges the U.S. is experiencing an economic "slowdown"
Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen acknowledged Sunday that the U.S. is experiencing an economic "slowdown" but downplayed the potential for a recession, arguing that the country is in a period of "transition" following rapid economic growth. "The economy is slowing down," Yellen said on NBC's "Meet the Press," adding that a correction is "appropriate" for a healthy economy. "The labor market is now extremely strong," she said. "This is not an economy that's in recession, but we're in a period of transition in which growth is slowing. And that's necessary and appropriate, and we need to be growing at a steady and sustainable pace. So, there is a slowdown, and businesses can see that and that's appropriate, given that people now have jobs, and we have a strong labor market."

July 24: The Washington Times: Ukraine says grain shipments will continue even with Russian invasion
A deal to begin shipping Ukrainian grain to markets around the world will proceed despite Russia's surprise attack on the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Ukrainian officials said Sunday. International condemnation continued to pour in for the Russian cruise missile strike Saturday, which came just after a deal brokered by Turkey to ease the blockade of Ukrainian ports and allow the grain to be shipped. Russia and Ukraine are two of the world's biggest exporters of wheat and other agricultural products, especially to developing countries in the Middle East, sub-Saharan Africa and Asia. Russia's invasion of Ukraine — which reached the five-month mark on Sunday — has sharply reduced supplies and sent prices soaring on world markets.

July 24: Fox Business: Yellen predicts Fed's anti-inflation policies will be "successful." After wrongly calling it "transitory"
Despite admitting in May she'd been wrong about the path inflation would take, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday she expected the Federal Reserve's policies to be "successful." "The Fed is charged with putting in place policies that will bring inflation down. And I expect them to be successful," Yellen said on Sunday after downplaying recession fears. The Biden administration, including Yellen, previously dismissed concerns about rising costs and said the contributing factors were "transitory." Since then, the U.S. has experienced 13 straight months of high inflation. In June, inflation surged to 9.1%, marking the fastest pace of inflation in more than 40 years.

July 24: The Epoch Times: Now that a federal appeals court allowed mail-in ballots which didn't meet statutory requirements to be counted; the PA GOP file suit to throw out the entire mail-in voting law because of a non-severability clause in the law
Pennsylvania Republicans have filed a lawsuit arguing a 2019 law, that largely expanded mail-in voting in the commonwealth, has been made invalid by a federal court ruling. Fourteen GOP lawmakers filed the suit on July 20th, seeking to throw out Act 77, Pennsylvania's universal mail-in ballot law. The suit claims the mail-in voting law should be nullified under a federal appeals court's May decision that had allowed PA election officials to count undated mail-in ballots even though the state statute required all mail-in ballots to be dated. The federal court said requiring the dating of ballots by mail would violate voters' civil rights. Sections 6 and 8 of Act 77 both require voters to "fill out, date and sign the declaration printed on such envelope," which goes against federal law based on the court's judgment. A non-severability clause written into Act 77 states that "the remaining provisions or applications of this act are void" if any of its requirements are struck down. Plaintiffs, therefore, requested that the court declare all remaining provisions of Act 77 invalid and quash the law.

July 24: The Washington Examiner: Senate poised to pass a bipartisan bill to help build semiconductor chip facilities in the U.S.
The Senate is poised to pass bipartisan legislation to boost domestic semiconductor chip production this week, with a final vote expected on Tuesday or Wednesday. The yearslong effort to rebuild the nation's chip manufacturing capacity and compete technologically with China had faced recent setbacks in Congress, but the Senate will hold a cloture vote to break the filibuster and advance the CHIPS Act early this week. Should the bill pass that hurdle, which it is expected to, it will face a final vote midweek. The package is a scaled-down version of the U.S. Innovation and Competition Act, which passed the Senate in June of last year with bipartisan support but stalled in the House of Representatives. The House passed its own version of the legislation back in February.

July 23: The Washington Times: VA AG "reviewing" complaint that VA hospital system rejected "multiple" religious vaccine exemption applications
Inova Health Systems is violating Virginia law by denying "multiple employee requests" for religious and disability exemptions from the firm's COVID-19 vaccine mandate, state attorney general Jason S. Miyares said in a letter Friday. He said his office is reviewing complaints made by Inova employees who were turned down for such exemptions. Inova announced the mandate in July 2021. Citing "information from multiple sources" that exemption requests are being denied, Miyares told Inova CEO Stephen Jones that the rejections "are resulting in terminations and threatened terminations of critical healthcare professionals" in the state. "These denials appear to be based on an incorrect judgment of the sincerely held religious beliefs of individuals, a breakdown in the interactive process, and an outright failure to accommodate reasonable requests and required by law," Miyares wrote. He said the state's Human Rights Act "prohibits employment discrimination on the basis of religion and disability," explaining that "religion" includes "any outward expression of religious faith."

July 23: The Washington Times: Did you see this one coming? WHO declares Monkeypox a global emergency
The World Health Organization (WHO) declared the growing monkeypox outbreak a global health emergency on Saturday, signaling an expanding international concern over the virus. The WHO's declaration comes as the monkeypox infection has been transmitted in more than 70 countries. The rapid growth has prompted health experts to call for increased global efforts to fight the spread. "The bottom line is we've seen a shift in the epidemiology of monkeypox where there's now widespread, unexpected transmission," Dr. Albert Ko, public health and epidemiology professor at Yale University, told the Associated Press. "There are some genetic mutations in the virus that suggest why that may be happening, but we do need a globally-coordinated response to get it under control."

July 22: Fox News: Gubernatorial candidate predicts attacker will be released on own recognizance
A man who reportedly attacked Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY) with a sharp object at a campaign stop in Perinton, New York, Thursday evening was charged with a felony and released from custody within hours of his arrest, the Monroe County Sheriff's Department said. The suspect, identified as David G. Jakubonis, 43 of Fairport, NY, was charged with attempted assault in the second degree. Jakubonis was arraigned and released on his own recognizance. Zeldin, who is a GOP candidate for governor, predicted the alleged attacker would be released. "His words as he tried to stab me a few hours ago were 'you're done' ,… but several attendees , quickly jumped into action & tackled the guy," Zeldin tweeted early Friday. "Law enforcement was on the scene within minutes. The attacker will likely be instantly released under NY's laws." Zeldin was giving a speech about bail reform at a Veterans of Foreign Wars post when the alleged assault happened.

July 22: The Daily Caller: Biden touts renewable energy at shuttered Massachusetts power plant
Joe Biden touted New England's transition away from fossil fuel plants to renewable in his speech on Wednesday. However, experts have said the region routinely experiences energy shortages as renewable energy alternatives like offshore wind fail the grid during the region's severe winters. Biden praised New England as a new hub of "clean energy construction" while criticizing the pollution of fossil fuels during his speech at Brayton Point, a decommissioned coal plant in Somerset, Massachusetts. Part of the planned wind energy hub is to have almost 250 miles of heavy-duty subsea cables to connect the off shore windmills to the plant. Although the plan is to reduce carbon gas emissions, New England's grid is routinely taxed during the winter months when energy consumption is at its highest, thanks in large part to the region's reliance on wind energy, experts have said. "Biden did not acknowledge that wind turbines only work when the wind is blowing, and therefore, they do not supply the steady power that the coal plant supplies," said Meredith Angwin, author of "Shorting the Grid: The Hidden Fragility of Our Electric Grid.," "The only sure thing is that more and more steadily operating plants are shut down, and more and more intermittent plants are built," Angwin contended. Instead of wind energy, he has promoted using nuclear power in place of coal. But, he says, "Unfortunately, the same people who hate coal also hate nuclear, even though nuclear makes steady power without greenhouse gases."

July 22: Fox News: Biden selling SPR oil to China? Who knows the truth?
The White House on Friday said claims that the Biden administration is funneling oil from the U.S. Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) to foreign countries — specifically China — are "ridiculous and false," while stressing that Biden has "had no personal involvement" in the process of private companies selling crude oil "whatsoever." Reports earlier this month suggested that more than 5 million barrels of SPR oil have been diverted to European and Asian nations instead of U.S. refiners, which prompted criticisms.
A White House official explained that when oil is released from the SPR, the Department of Energy is "required by law to sell it 'in a competitive auction to the highest bidder,' regardless of whether that bidder is a foreign company." Members of Congress are "…now criticizing Biden now do not appear to have raised concerns about the sales under President Trump. And, so far, they seem pretty silent about whether they think President Trump was wrong," the White House official said. He contended 16 companies had submitted 126 bids for DOE evaluation and that 12 firms eventually were awarded contracts. The president had no personal involvement in this process whatsoever," he said.

July 22: The Epoch Times: Communist China will eventually attempt to invade Taiwan
CIA Director William Burns he doesn't think communist China will invade Taiwan immediately but warned not to underestimate CCP leader Xi Jinping's "determination" to take over Taiwan eventually. At a security forum in Aspen, CO, Burns said, "I wouldn't underestimate President Xi's determination to assert the People's Republic of China's control over Taiwan. I think he's determined to ensure that his military has the capability to undertake such an action, should he decide to move in that direction. I think the risks of that become higher, it seems to us, the further into this decade that you get." He added: "I think the Chinese leadership is trying to study the lessons of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, and what it tells them." His sense is they are considering how and when they will do so. The Russia–Ukraine war was a "strategic failure" for Putin, who predicted he would take Kyiv within a week, and that the war may have "unsettled" Beijing, Burns contended. In order to successfully invade the island nation, it would take overwhelming force and logistics. Burns said, "The lesson that the Chinese leadership and military are drawing is that you've got to amass overwhelming force. If you're going to contemplate that in the future, you've got to control the information space, you've got to do everything you can to shore up your economy against the potential for sanctions—even though the Chinese economy, as you know, is far stronger and more entangled with economies around the world than Russia's ever was—and you've got to do everything you can to try to drive wedges across the Indo-Pacific, between the United States and its allies."

July 21: The Washington Times: Army to shift a billion dollars to recruiting and retention as numbers dwindle
The US Army will shift about $1 billion to recruiting programs and will rely more heavily on reserve units as its ranks dwindle and the service struggles to attract new soldiers. Army officials said in a memo this week that a high-stakes "war for talent" that confronts America's armed forces and comes at a crucial moment for national security is proving challenging for its recruitment efforts. Faced with demographic shifts and a red-hot civilian job market, Army officials said the number of active-duty soldiers is expected to drop considerably over the next several years. They said troop strength will be about 466,000 by the end of the fiscal year. It could drop to as low as 445,000 by the end of 2023, they said, "barring a significant positive change in the current recruiting environment."

July 21: The Washington Examiner: US allies think Iran is playing Biden for time at risk of war
Iran is manipulating the international nuclear talks to buy time for its weapons research, according to U.S. allies monitoring the need for a military strike against the regime. Secretary of State Anthony Blinken's team has conducted extensive "indirect talks" with Iran about a joint return to the 2015 nuclear deal, which President Donald Trump exited in 2018. The continuing progress of Iran's nuclear program has forced Israeli and Gulf Arab officials to acknowledge in public the possibility of a clash with Iran if a deal is not reached — and another major U.S. ally is warning that Tehran doesn't want to come to an agreement. "I don't think the Supreme Leader of Iran wants to cut a deal," MI-6 Chief Richard Moore said Thursday at the Aspen Security Forum. "The Iranians won't want to end the talks either, so they could run on for a bit."

July 21: Fox News: GOP candidate for governor attacked at a campaign stop
Congressman Lee Zeldin (R-NY), was attacked during a gubernatorial campaign stop in Perinton, New York on Thursday night where an individual allegedly attempted to attack him with a sharp object. Zeldin was at the Veterans of Foreign Wars post event giving a speech about bail reform when a man allegedly got on stage and "wrestled with him a bit, and pulled a blade out," according to a witness who spoke with local media reporters. The individual who allegedly tried to attack Zeldin was reportedly taken down by AMVETS national Director Joe Chenelly. After the attack, Zeldin went back on the stage and continued talking. The Monroe County Sheriff's Office said it is "aware of an incident at the speech of gubernatorial candidate Zeldin this evening. A suspect is in custody and Major Crimes is investigating. We will update as further information becomes available."

July 20: The Washington Times: New York legislator gets GOP backing to take on 6-term Democrat Congressman, Chair of the Democrat Congressional Campaign Committee
New York Assemblyman Mike Lawler's bid to join Congress by taking down the head of the House Democrats' campaign organization has gotten a nod from Republican leadership. The National Republican Congressional Committee recently announced that Lawler was added to their "On the Radar" slate of candidates, the first rung of the GOP's Young Guns fundraising program, meaning he will have access to national party funds. His opponent will be Democrat Rep. Sean Patrick Maloney in a congressional district in the Lower Hudson Valley. Maloney is also chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee and is facing a somewhat more difficult run this time as he seeks a sixth term after this year's redistricting in New York.

July 20: The Daily Caller: As "Woke-ism" infects military recruitment and retention efforts, the Army has reduced its recruiting goals for this year
The Army cut its force size projections for 2022 and 2023 Tuesday in the midst of a historic recruitment struggle, raising questions about overall readiness as it has been forced by the Biden administration to cling to its "woke" agenda. The Army could miss its recruitment goal for 2022 by 25%, Army Gen. Joseph Martin, vice chief of staff for the Army said. Projected end strength, the total size of the Army including active and reserve components, is set to decrease by 10,000 troops this year and an additional 14,000 to 21,000 in 2023.

July 19: The Washington Times: Biden can't get what he wants out of Congress so he is preparing to act on his own to get climate change initiative restarted
Biden is prepared to announce executive actions to combat the threat of climate change, say lawmakers who have spoken to him and are urging him to act unilaterally now that Congress' negotiations on green energy legislation have fallen apart. Biden is expected to announce steps he will take to reduce carbon emissions as soon as Wednesday when he visits the shuttered Brayton Point power plant in Somerset, Massachusetts, to talk about what he is calling a climate crisis. But, given the SCOTUS 6-3 decision on the West Virginia coal case where EPA got its hand slapped, critics question whether Biden has the constitutional authority to act on his own. Meanwhile, Senator Ed Markey (D-MA) claimed Biden "…is poised to use his commander-in-chief authority to invoke a domestic mobilization against the climate crisis." The Massachusetts power plant, formerly one of the largest electricity producers in New England, is undergoing a conversion from coal to wind power and will serve as a backdrop for Biden's call for more renewables in the power grid. Of course, the question remains; if the wind isn't blowing (like what happened recently in west Texas) then the power is not being produced and brown outs and power grid failures should be expected. Local sources add that in the past there have been loud cries from rich and prominent citizens who live on the coast who don't want their view of the Atlantic obstructed by windmills that also have a history of killing birds.

July 19: The Washington Examiner: Will China make some of the same mistakes Russia did in its invasion of Ukraine
Chinese military logistics appear to suffer from some of the flaws that weakened Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Defense Department analysts. A sophisticated analysis of the Chinese People's Liberation Army's public discourse and practical actions shows that Beijing is working to ensure that its forces can operate efficiently in a major war. That's a difficult challenge given their lack of recent experience in such a large-scale conflict, and some current and former U.S. government analysts question whether Chinese military planners are prepared to take on Taiwan. "Can the PLA really get its forces across [the Taiwan/Formosa Strait], and if it gets them across, can it sustain them in combat on the island?" George Washington University's Lonnie Henley, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer who retired from the government in 2019, said Tuesday. "I personally suspect that the PLA air force can only sustain their combat operations for about two weeks. But we really can't answer that question because we don't have the data, and we haven't had the focus on those questions that we need in order to develop the data." "Feedback from PLA logisticians suggests that additional refinement and investment is required to overcome long-standing limitations of PLA supply in order to sustain ground forces in a maneuver conflict like that in Ukraine," said Maj. James Roger "J.R." Sessions, who was characterized as appearing at the Center for Strategic and International Studies event in his personal capacity. "PLA observers note myriad shortfalls in post-reform logistics that mirrors similar problems Russian forces reportedly have faced in Ukraine."

July 19: Fox News: Progressive-Socialist Soros writes big check to help Beto become the next Governor of Texas
Progressive mega-donor George Soros contributed $1 million to Texas Democratic gubernatorial nominee O'Rourke's staggering fundraising efforts last month. O'Rourke, who's challenging two-term Governor Greg Abbott (R-TX) in November's election, last week announced that he brought in $27.6 million in fundraising from late February through June, topping Abbott by $2.7 million and shattering the existing record for fundraising in Texas. O'Rourke's campaign finance report was posted online on Tuesday and indicates that Soros contributed $1 million — issued on June 23 — to the Democratic gubernatorial nominee's campaign. Much of O'Rourke's funding is coming from out of state sources. Soros, the Hungarian born American billionaire businessman, has been a prominent contributor to Democratic Party candidates and causes for decades, most notable among them district attorneys like the one recently recalled in San Francisco and the one who faces a similar effort in Los Angeles.

July 18: Fox Business: Elon Musk to counter sue Twitter as the plot thickens
Sources close to the case told The New York Post that the countersuit was intended to push a Delaware Court of Chancery judge to grant Musk's legal team more time to gather information about bots on Twitter – the primary reason Musk gave for reneging on the deal. Twitter sued Musk last Tuesday in a bid to force him to complete his $44 billion takeover of the social media company, accusing him of "outlandish" and "bad faith" actions that have the platform irreparable harm and "wreaked havoc" on its stock price. Musk pledged in April to pay $54.20 a share for Twitter, which agreed to those terms after reversing its initial opposition to the deal. But the two sides have been bracing for a legal fight since the billionaire said a week ago that he was backing away from his agreement to buy the company. In a filing with the Delaware Court of Chancery on Friday, Musk's lawyers accused Twitter of withholding information about fake accounts and of creating delays, providing evasive responses and putting up technical obstacles. The filing also disputed Twitter's request for an expedited trial, claiming that it would take months to obtain information from Twitter and to depose numerous witnesses on the subject of fake accounts.

July 18: Breitbart News: California School Board considering placing a Planned Parenthood facility in a high school in an 80% Hispanic neighborhood
California's Norwalk-La Mirada Unified School District (USD) is considering options for putting a Planned Parenthood clinic on a local high school campus. Planned Parenthood of Los Angeles is looking to open a clinic at John Glenn High School in the 80 percent Latino, 90 percent minority school district. While abortions, puberty blockers, and hormone "therapy" are not listed as services to be offered at the proposed high school site, clinic staff will be allowed to refer students to off-campus Planned Parenthood sites for "services not offered." Under California law minors have the right to consent to reproductive health services without parental consent or notification. The proposal lists diagnosis of sexually transmitted diseases, prescription and dispensing of pharmaceuticals including contraceptives, and the "insertion" of certain types of contraceptives such as IUDs, among other things, as services that would be available at the Planned Parenthood high school clinic.

July 17: The Daily Caller: TX & AZ buses of illegals to Washington taking a
toll on DC homeless shelters
Democratic Washington D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser told CBS "Face The Nation" host Margaret Brennan, Sunday, that she fears people are being "tricked" into getting on buses to D.C. Brennan cited a story by the Washington Post that she claimed said, "homeless shelters in D.C. were filling up, and groups are getting overwhelmed by these buses that governors of Texas and Arizona are sending here full of migrants." The story cited doesn't mention homeless shelters, but was about a Migrant Solidarity Mutual Aid Network (SAMU) shelter, specifically for migrants, that was full, according to the Washington Post

July 17: News Max: Ukraine: Russia prepares for the next stage of attacks
Russia is preparing for the next stage of its offensive in Ukraine, a Ukrainian military official said, after Moscow said its forces would step up military operations in "all operational areas." As Western deliveries of long-range arms begin to help Ukraine on the battlefield, Russian rockets and missiles have pounded cities in strikes that Kyiv says have killed dozens in recent days. "It is not only missile strikes from the air and sea," Vadym Skibitskyi, a spokesman for Ukrainian military intelligence, said late on Saturday. "We can see shelling along the entire line of contact, along the entire front line. There is an active use of tactical aviation and attack helicopters. "Clearly preparations are now underway for the next stage of the offensive."

July 17: The Washington Times: Biden comes up empty handed from Middle East trip
Joe Biden's ended an arduous four-day visit to the Middle East over the weekend without a major success to appease his liberal base, which has criticized him for pandering to oil-rich autocrats and walking back a campaign pledge to make a pariah of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. Biden did succeed in promoting stronger security coordination between Arab powers and Israel - a once unthinkable but increasingly viable pursuit amid mutual Arab and Israeli concern over threats emanating from Iran. He also used the visit to project assurances that the U.S. will remain regionally engaged on a range of fronts from "climate change" to infrastructure investment. But after a highly criticized meeting with the Saudi crown prince, whom U.S. intelligence officials say orchestrated the 2018 murder of Washington Post opinion writer Jamal Khashoggi, the president came up empty-handed on another major goal of the trip: Convince Saudi Arabia to increase its oil production. Following a closed-door meeting with Saudi leaders Friday, Mr. Biden appeared to acknowledge his failure to secure a commitment from the kingdom to pump more crude onto the global market.

July 17: The Epoch Times: Zelenskyy fires head of Ukraine's powerful
domestic security agency
President Zelenskyy on Sunday abruptly fired the head of Ukrailne's powerful domestic security agency, the SBU, and the state prosecutor general, citing dozens of cases of collaboration with Russia by officials in their agencies. The sackings of SBU chief Ivan Bakanov, a childhood friend of Zelenskyy, and Prosecutor General Iryna Venediktova, who has played a key role in the prosecution of Russian war crimes, were announced in executive orders on the president's website. He said 651 cases of alleged treason and collaboration had been opened against prosecutorial and law enforcement officials, and that more than 60 officials from Bakanov and Venediktova's agencies were now working against Ukraine in Russian-occupied territories. The sheer number of treason cases lays bare the huge challenge of Russian infiltration faced by Ukraine as it battles Moscow in what it says is a fight for survival. The firings are easily the biggest political sackings since Russia invaded on Feb. 24, forcing the entire Ukrainian state machine to focus on the war effort.

July 17: Breitbart News: Soros-linked group gets $182 million to help
illegals avoid deportation
It was revealed this week that a left-wing group linked to billionaire George Soros has won almost $172 million in a federal contract from the Biden administration to help young illegal border crossers avoid deportation. The Vera Institute of Justice, with financial ties to Soros, has won a federal contract for $171.7 million that will provide attorneys to Unaccompanied Alien Children (UACs) to avoid deportation from the United States. The federal contract could end up showering the Vera Institute of Justice with $1 billion in taxpayer funding, Fox News reported. As Breitbart News reported in 2018, the Vera Institute of Justice was previously awarded $310 million by the Obama administration to help UACs avoid deportation.

July 17: The Daily Caller: Tucker Carlson; if and when Biden steps down it will be a "mad scramble for power"
Tucker Carlson delivered the keynote speech Friday at Iowa's Family Leadership Summit, where he suggested that President Joe Biden will not run for reelection in 2024. Carlson alluded to a potential run by former President Donald Trump, but suggested that there's no way of knowing who might run for Democrat party leadership in 2024's Presidential election. As those closest to Biden will not admit that he's stepping down after his term, there will be a "mad scramble for power" by the Democrats once this does happen, he argued. Carlson predicted the scramble would start the Wednesday after the 2022 midterm elections. "You have all the power," he told the audience, "you can decide who represents you and on the basis of what issues." Politicians are "very simple organisms," he quipped, but all they want to do is "win elections."

July 17: News Max: Former White House doctor predicts that with Biden's
cognitive decline, he may not last through his term
Rep. Ronny Jackson (R-TX) said Sunday that Joe Biden's mental cognition is worsening, and that he might not last out his term in office. The physician who served under former President Donald Trump claimed Biden's cognition is "becoming a real issue for us." "I just don't see this getting any better," he said. "This is, you know, all of these issues we talked about with cognitive decline related to age, they get worse not better with time, and this is going to continue to get worse, and they're going to have to do something about it," he said. According to Jackson, Democrats are "starting to abandon him and run away from him because of his polling and his cognitive issues and the embarrassment that he's become for the party." "I think that they will look for opportunity to throw him under the bus in the next few years, next few months and try to get rid of him because I know, I think that they also know he cannot make it to the end of his term in 2024," he claimed.

July 16: Fox News: Biden's Secretary of Transportation slammed for telling us how to avoid high gas prices; buy electric cars
Critics heaped scorn upon a clip showing DOT Secretary Pete Buttigieg excitedly talking about the prospect of "most Americans" switching to electric vehicles due to high gas prices. During the short clip, which was taken from a Thursday interview between the government official and radio show BigBoyTV, Buttigieg discussed how the U.S. government is looking to cut the cost of electric vehicles so that more Americans will buy them and get out of paying so much for gas. All smiles, Buttigieg claimed, "We're for cutting the cost of electric vehicles, because when you have an electric vehicle then you're also gonna be able to save on gas, but you've got to be able to afford it in the first place." Not mentioned was the high cost of electricity and the supply chain issues related to the batteries and precious metals required to build these vehicles.

July 16: The Washington Free Beacon: Texas; life goes on after SCOTUS
decision on abortion
When the state legislature banned abortions after six weeks last September, Texas Democrats saw an opportunity. Fatigue with incumbent Gov. Greg Abbott (R.) was setting in and the public mood was restless. Momentum was shifting, and Democrats wanted to capitalize. They planned a Women's March-caliber mobilization to observe the one-month anniversary of the Texas Heartbeat Act in October. They scheduled dozens of rallies and protests across the state, banking on a popular uprising to buoy progressives to success in next year's statewide elections, much as the Women's March presaged the Democratic wave in 2018. But hardly anyone showed up. The city itself hinted that turnout would be sparse. Texas's experience suggests that overturning Roe v. Wade will not prove to be a seismic political event, at least as far as election outcomes are concerned. The muted reaction to the Texas Heartbeat Act, the beginning of the end of abortion in Texas, only emboldened pro-life elements across the state. "The sun rose as usual. Life went on. And there was not a tsunami of opposition to that law," said Joe Pojman, Ph.D., an aerospace engineer who now leads the Texas Alliance for Life.

July 16: Fox Business: Nonprofit investment fund aims to bring tech edge
and jobs back to the US from China
A new non-profit fund aims to restore the technological advantage -- and the jobs and investment that comes with it -- to the United States, amid fears that the U.S. is losing the tech race to the Communist Chinese. America's Frontier Fund is a non-profit "deep-tech" fund formed to draw investment back to the U.S. -- focusing on areas such as microelectronics, AI, 5G and 6G and advanced manufacturing. It says doing so will create "a strategic advantage for the United States and its allies and broad-based prosperity for the American people, with the potential of generating strong financial returns." While it hasn't released the funding it has attracted so far, it has picked up the backing of both Google CEO Eric Schmidt and PayPal co-founder Peter Thiel. On the group's board are high-profile former government officials including former Defense Secretary Ash Carter and former National Security Adviser H.R. McMaster. The group is seeking to attract investment and then, using its team of experienced investors, deploy it in a way that benefits the U.S. in accordance with its mission.

July 16: The Washington Examiner: Hispanics drifting away from Democrat's
positions on abortion, gun control and the January 6th Committee
It's not every day that a politician's gaffe perfectly encapsulates his or her party's growing separation from a community that has been a vital part of its electoral coalition. But Mrs. Biden made exactly such a misstep on Tuesday when she said Hispanics in the United States were as "distinct as the bogidas of the Bronx" (meaning to say "bodegas") and as "unique as the breakfast tacos here in San Antonio." No wonder Hispanic voters are shifting so rapidly from their traditional Democratic home to the Republican Party. Already, a series of local and national elections in South Texas have confirmed this trend.

July 16: The Epoch Times: Byrne testifies behind closed doors to Jan. 6th Committee
Former Overstock CEO Patrick Byrne testified before the House Select Committee investigating the events on Jan 6, saying he told them that they are "drawing a tiger from a cat." During the 8-hour closed-door hearing on Friday, Byrne discussed his key role in a post-election White House meeting where he urged then-President Donald Trump to investigate fraud allegations. Prior to the hearing Byrne did an interview with the Epoch Times which when into detail about his meeting with the president on Dec. 18, 2020, and his concerns over the integrity and safety of election equipment. Byrne was the latest witness to testify in front of the committee and described the meeting as "surprisingly friendly, cordial, and professional." "Notwithstanding the fact that we weren't going to agree" about the Nov. 3, 2020, election, "we agreed that there was a lot for me to fill in from Nov. 4 until Jan. 7 [2021]. I think they seemed to be appreciative," he said. "They had a lot of questions, and they really did not know the answers, and I was happy to provide them with the answers. I do feel that if they knew the truth about everything, they would understand the truth was different than [what] they were guessing—and significantly more benign."

July 15: News Max: Senator Scott (R-SC) says Manchin (D-WVA) will not
support Democrat Build Back Better (light) killing the bill for this year
Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) said on Friday that West Virginia Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin's opposition to a scaled-back version of Joe Biden's $2 trillion "Build Back Better" budget reconciliation bill, due to inflationary concerns, is "a sigh of relief" for the American people. "I prefer to call it "Build Back Broker" because the truth of the matter is [Democrats] must not understand what causes inflation," Scott said. "When you think about adding more fuel to the fire, or more money to the economy, you're literally talking about increasing inflation.

July 15: Fox News: Mexico nabs cartel boss on FBI's most wanted for
murdering DEA agent
Mexican forces have arrested the infamous drug lord Rafael Caro-Quintero nearly a decade after he walked out of prison and returned to drug trafficking. An official with Mexico's Navy on Friday confirmed Caro-Quintero's arrest but provided no further details. Caro-Quintero left prison in 2013 after serving 28 years of a 40-year prison sentence for his involvement in the 1985 kidnapping and killing of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent Enrique "Kiki" Camarena. Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador has maintained that he is not interested in detaining drug lords and prefers to avoid violence. The FBI added Caro-Quintero to the Top ten most wanted list in 2018 and offered a reward of up to $20 million for information leading to Quintero's arrest and/or conviction. An appeals court overturned Caro-Quintero's verdict. The Supreme Court upheld the sentence, but Caro-Quintero had disappeared before the ruling could be applied.

July 15: The Washington Times: Threat of election-eve rail strike tests Biden's pro-union persona
Biden is under new pressure to resolve a labor dispute that threatens to disrupt freight rail lines and the nation's supply chain just weeks before the November election. He plans to appoint a team of arbitrators to a Presidential Emergency Board as early as Monday to negotiate a settlement between the rail companies and 12 labor unions that have been unable to reach a new deal on pay, benefits and working conditions after two years of negotiating. Rail workers and labor activists are now counting on the White House to appoint an arbitration board that supports their contract demands and upholds Biden's pledge to be "the most pro-union president leading the most pro-union administration in American history." But rail companies have rejected many of the union demands for higher pay, better benefits and work reforms. If Biden's arbitration team cannot break the impasse, up to 115,000 rail workers are poised to strike in mid-September, just weeks before the Nov. 8 elections. A rail strike would cause major disruptions in the nation's pandemic-addled supply chain and would be politically disastrous for Mr. Biden, who is already suffering low approval ratings from voters who blame him and his Democrats for high inflation and gasoline prices.

July 15: The Daily Caller: Biden puts enemies first Americans last
After initially rescheduling his trip to get some extra rest, Joe Biden is on the ground in the Middle East. His trip abroad underscores his failed foreign policy and shows that with Biden in office, America is weaker on the world stage than it was under President Trump and Republican leadership. Biden's America-last foreign policy lets down our allies, emboldens our adversaries and puts us at a disadvantage in one of the most turbulent regions in the world. One of the main goals of Biden's trip is to revive the Obama-Biden administration's failed Iran Nuclear Deal, which rewarded Iran – the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism – with billions of dollars, among other concessions. Some of the reported wins that Biden wants to hand Iran include removing the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps from the terror blacklist and waving sanctions on Iran's "civilian" nuclear program. Believing that Iran is operating in good faith would be a fatal, incompetent mistake – but then again, this is the same person who claimed that Afghanistan wouldn't fall only to see the Taliban seize control of Kabul days later.

July 15: The Epoch Times: What really happened in the Trump White House
meeting as told by a person who was there
Patrick Byrne met with President Donald Trump in the Oval Office on Dec. 18, 2020, to urge him to investigate allegations of election fraud. Byrne, the founder and former CEO of online retailer Overstock, is set to testify before the Jan. 6 House Select Committee on July 15. In an exclusive interview, Byrne recounted his meeting with Trump, which included former national security adviser Michael Flynn and Sidney Powell, former attorney to Trump's campaign and former federal prosecutor, along with a number of White House officials. In a video interview he lays out what happened in that meeting and asks viewers to compare what he says with the sound bites he expects to be released by the January 6th Committee where he is scheduled to testify before tomorrow. Highlights: He volunteered several options for the President noting that these ideas came from him and not the President or his legal team.
- The first was to determine whether there was sufficient evidence of foreign meddling in the 2020 election and whether it met the bar established by President Obama's 2015 executive order and Trump's 2018 follow on executive order, both of which would justify an investigation into the matter.
- Second, if the evidence met the bar, that the President pull together a team of experts to do a quick investigation – up to two weeks – and if there was not sufficient evidence of foreign meddling that Trump concede the election.

Byrne, who said he didn't vote for Trump in 2016 and hadn't ever voted Republican, said he was impressed at "how smart he [Trump] is," which never came across "from the way he was portrayed in the media." He also said that Trump had hinted that evening at least twice that the idea of leaving the White House held an appeal. "I'll never spend a night in this town again. I've got my golf courses; I've got my friends. Trust me Pat, my life's going to get a lot better," he said, according to Byrne. "But how can I do that? If I think that this election was stolen and there might be a foreign element involved, how can I really do that?" Byrne also said it was also clear that Trump "was being completely undermined by everyone around him," including his White House counsel. Trump, at one point, turned to White House Counsel Pat Cipollone to express his disappointment that he hadn't been alerted to the executive powers. "Why didn't you even tell me about these orders, Pat? … Why did I have to hear it from them? At least they

July 14: Rumble.com: Congressman Chip Roy talks about having an alert system [Video Left]

July 14: News Max: House passes active shooter legislation, sends it to the Senate
The House approved legislation that would create an Amber Alert-style communication network to send mobile alerts to people near active shooter situations. The Active Shooter Alert Act was approved by a 260-169 vote – with 43 Republicans supporting the measure – on Wednesday night. The legislation now goes to the Senate. Democrat Rep. Ron Kind, (D-WI), voted with 168 Republicans in opposing the bill. Republicans argued that the bill would be ineffective and potentially induce panic in people not in immediate danger. "Democrats are pushing an 'active shooter alert bill' in response to the Uvalde shooting," Congressman Gaetz (R-FL) said. The question is, why should this be a federal statute as opposed to being initiated in the individual states by state legislatures?

July 14: Rumble.com: Congressman Jim Jordan asks witness what is "excessive" [Video, left]

July 14: Fox News: Ex-CIA engineer convicted of largest theft of secret information in the agency's history
A former CIA programmer was convicted Wednesday of nine federal charges in connection to the massive Vault 7 theft of secret information provided to WikiLeaks in what the Justice Department describes as "one of the most brazen and damaging acts of espionage in American history." According to the US Attorney the defendant Joshua Adam Schulte, had "access to some of the country's most valuable intelligence-gathering cyber tools used to battle terrorist organizations and other malign influences around the globe." Reportedly Schulte "began to harbor resentment toward the CIA, he covertly collected those tools and provided them to WikiLeaks, making some of our most critical intelligence tools known to the public – and therefore, our adversaries," the US Attorney said. Schulte told jurors that the CIA and FBI made him a scapegoat. The so-called Vault 7 leak revealed how the CIA hacked Apple and Android smartphones in overseas spying operations, and efforts to turn internet-connected televisions into listening devices. Prior to his arrest, Schulte had helped create the hacking tools as a coder at the agency's headquarters in Langley, Virginia.

July 14: The Washington Times: Environmentalist not happy with Democrats
who put their agenda on the back burner after SCOTUS decision
Congressional Democrats have put on the back burner new climate change legislation to work around a recent Supreme Court ruling that dealt a major blow to Joe Biden 's green agenda. The lawmakers' go-slow approach doesn't sit well with environmentalists. They are calling for swift congressional action in the immediate aftermath of the SCOTUS ruling. The high court last month slashed the Environmental Protection Agency's ability to regulate harmful emissions from power plants, a ruling that Democrats said they lack the bandwidth to address amid a crowded legislative calendar and a fast-approaching August recess and midterm elections. The court ruled that EPA had overreached its authority by claiming the decades-old Clean Air Act permitted them impose blanket carbon caps across the nation's electricity producers.

July 13: The Washington Times: New Dem "must pass" spending bill getting
a close review by Manchin (D-WVA)
Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WVA) hardened his stance on new federal spending Wednesday in the wake of a new federal report showing inflation in June swelled to a new 40-year-high of 9.1%. The centrist Democrat is in negotiations with Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer to reach a deal on a special tax and spending bill that Democrats need to pass before the mid-term elections and which if passed, will be along party lines. "I'm very, very cautious," Manchin told reporters. "I'm going to make sure that I have every input on scrubbing everything humanly possible that could be considered inflammatory."

Meanwhile One American News Networkreports Republicans have major concerns over the Democrats attempts to pass a new version of Biden's "Build Back Better" spending bill. Senate Republicans are addressing concerns over the potential attempt by Democrats. While speaking to the press Tuesday, GOP leadership addressed the matter while asserting their colleagues on the left are attempting to solve the economic crisis by spending more money, which many believe is causing the inflation hitting most Americans in their pocketbook. "We've got rampant, runaway inflation," stated Senate Minority Whip John Thune (R-SD). "The American people are paying the price and what is the Democrat prescription? To double down, to spend more and to tax more." The alleged new spending package could supposedly cut the initial cost by $1 trillion and aims to focus on health care costs and energy. However, this would require raising taxes, which would primarily hit business owners and corporations – who, in turn, would pass on this cost to consumers and increase the on-going inflationary spiral, reported this morning to be 9.1% a 40 year high.

July 12: The Daily Caller: What is he thinking? Biden supporting Canadians
restarting Russian pipeline while shutting down US energy supplies
Joe Biden's administration is supporting Canadian Prime Minister Trudeau's decision to ship natural gas pipeline equipment to Germany, which will lead to the European economic hub importing more Russian natural gas. State Department spokesman Ned Price expressed Washington's support for the move. Trudeau's government plans to ship the equipment for the Russian-German Nord Stream 1 pipeline back to Germany after it had been kept in Montreal due to sanctions on Russian gas. The decision is aimed at preventing serious economic turmoil in Germany due to high energy prices. "We support the Canadian government's decision to return a natural-gas turbine to Germany for use in the Nord Stream 1 pipeline," Priced said, adding that the move "will allow Germany and other European countries to replenish their gas reserves, increasing their energy security and resiliency and countering Russia's efforts to weaponize energy."

July 12: Fox News: Hawley: Can only women get pregnant?
A Senate Judiciary Committee hearing on abortion and the legal consequence of the Supreme Court's decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization blew up during a tense back and forth between Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) and Berkeley Law Professor Khiara Bridges when the senator questioned her characterization of who can get pregnant. Bridges continually referred to "people with a capacity for pregnancy." So, Hawley asked if she meant women. She contended that some transgender men (i.e., a woman who has transitioned to being a man) and non-binary people can get pregnant. She then went on to say, "I want to recognize that your (Hawley's) line of questioning is transphobic, and it opens up trans people to violence by not recognizing them," said Bridges, who teaches courses in family law as well as reproductive rights and justice. "Wow," Hawley said, "you're saying that I'm opening up people to violence by asking whether or not women are the only folks who can have pregnancies?" IMAGE: BorderPatrolOnHorses.jpg

July 12: Washington Examiner: Biden throws the Border Patrol under the bus
Two Border Patrol agents tried to help the Texas Department of Public Safety secure the southern border last September. For that "crime," Joe Biden wants them punished, but for what? Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility released a 500-page report Friday, summarizing the findings of a 10-month investigation into a 15-minute incident involving two Horse Patrol Unit agents on the bank of the Rio Grande near Del Rio, Texas. The two agents earned the ire of a spineless White House after pictures of them allegedly "whipping" Haitian migrants shocked Democrats. The problem for Biden is that CBP's final report makes clear that no horse ran over anyone and no one was "strapped." It was all a figment of Biden's geriatric imagination, as everyone paying attention knew at the time, since the photographer explained the scene, he had witnessed firsthand. What actually happened was this: As a candidate, Biden famously told migrants around the world that if he was elected, he would undo Donald Trump's border security policies, making it easier for them to cross the border. "You should come," Biden told them.

July 12: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS forces PA officials to count mail ballots not
correctly filled out, even though they were following the state's election laws
Pennsylvania state is suing officials of three counties to force their local government to count undated ballots by mail in a recent primary election. The PA Department of State (DOS) filed a lawsuit against the Board of Elections of three counties in the Commonwealth—Lancaster, Berks, and Fayette—to seek a court injunction forcing the counties to count undated mail-in ballots. Democrat PA AG Josh Shapiro said the three Republican-controlled counties refused to count the ballots that were received by election day but which failed to have a date on the returned carrier envelope. But the Lancaster County Board of Elections responded that counting these ballots would be "… contrary to the law or any existing court order." "To be absolutely clear, the Lancaster County Board of Elections properly certified the 2022 primary election results…" in accordance with the PA Election Code. The county contended "The Commonwealth's demand is contrary to the law or any existing court order. The County will vigorously defend its position to follow the law to ensure the integrity of elections in Lancaster County." Pennsylvania state law requires ballots that are received on time and cast by a qualified voter but are missing a handwritten date on the envelope to be rejected. After a series of court decisions and appeals the case was referred to the SCOTUS which 6-3 allowed the county to count the disputed ballots. Justices Thomas, Gorsuch, and Alito dissented saying the court's decision "seems plainly contrary to the statutory language," and the US Constitution that gives the authority on conducting elections to the individual states. [Although it would seem appropriate to count any absentee ballots received by Election Day, this SCOTUS decision seems to be taking on the role of making policy which is reserved for the state legislature and not interpreting the statutes as written.]

July 11: The Washington Times: Report: Iran is providing Russia with drones for use in Ukraine
The Iranian government intends to provide Russia with "hundreds" of drones for its ongoing war in Ukraine, White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan said Monday. He said the U.S. has intelligence showing that Iranians are preparing to train Russian military forces to use unmanned aircraft vehicles (UAVs). Moscow could be using the drones as soon as this month, he said but didn't say whether any of the drones had already been delivered to Russia. The pact between Iran and Russia seems to be evidence that Moscow is losing its own weapons in the war. Similar drones were provided to Yemen's rebels by Iran, allowing them to attack Saudi Arabia. The revelation comes as Joe Biden prepares to travel this week to Israel and Saudi Arabia, where Iran's nuclear program is expected to be one of the most heated topics of conversation.

July 11: The Washington Examiner: Ohio AG hasn't heard any evidence of a
ten-year-old being raped and seeking an abortion in Indiana
The Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost said his office has not found any evidence of a 10-year-old rape victim in the state who, according to a report cited by Joe Biden, was six weeks pregnant and traveled to Indiana to receive an abortion. "Not a whisper" has been heard of a report filed for the 10-year-old rape victim, as an Ohio provider would be required to report any case of known or suspected physical, sexual, or emotional abuse or neglect of a child under state law, Yost said Monday. "We have regular contact with prosecutors and local police and sheriff's. Not a whisper anywhere. Something maybe even more telling, Jesse, my office runs the state crime lab. Any case like this, you're going to have a rape kit, you're going to have biological evidence," Yost told Fox News host Jesse Watters. "There is no case request for analysis that looks anything like this." Is this just another instance of fake news or inaccurate reporting? The story was originally reported in the Indianapolis Star on July 1st and, according to KTRH radio in Houston, the single source for the story was an abortion-providing doctor in Indiania.
[An update: Ohio has confirmed that a ten-year-old girl was raped, the perp who did it was arrested and is being held on a $2 million bail, and that the child was elgible to get an abortion in Ohio under the circumstances.]

July 11: The Washington Times: Democrats "overreacting" with rush
to ban abortion extradition
Democratic governors are fueling fears of a red state crusade targeting women for criminal prosecution who travel out of state to terminate their pregnancies, but legal experts say such draconian scenarios are highly implausible, even "silly." "A state could not constitutionally prosecute a woman for leaving a state for an abortion. Such an action, even if attempted, would fail in a rapid and spectacular fashion in federal court," said Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School. "There are a host of legal and constitutional barriers to such an action," Mr. Turley said. "There are serious issues facing women in states banning abortion, but this is not a credible threat." Even so, a dozen Democratic governors have signed executive orders or legislation barring cooperation with states seeking to reach across their borders for women traveling to states with abortion-friendly laws or the providers who perform their procedures.

July 11: Fox News: Florida School Board turns off parent's microphone when he wanted to read pornography from books in the school's library (video)
The Clay County School Board in Florida turned off the microphone of a parent who was complaining about three pornographic books in the school libraries, calling for the person responsible for allowing them to be fired. When he attempted to read the language of the books into the hearing record he was stopped because the school board didn't want anything pornographic read out loud where children might be viewing the live broadcast of the hearing. The parent, subsequently walked up to the school board dais and placed a trifold display of the language Infront of the school board member who told him to stop reading.

July 11: The Washington Time: Ukraine says the supply of U.S. HIMARS rockets is a game-changer
Ukraine now has eight U.S.-made HIMARS (High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems) to help fight off Russian invaders and will be receiving four more as part of a just-announced $400 million military aid package. But even that relatively modest number of systems is reportedly having an outsized impact on the battlefield. "HIMARS have already made a HUUUGE difference," tweeted Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov. "More of them as well as (U.S.) ammo and equipment will help to demilitarize the terrorist state." Ukraine has used the HIMARS in a campaign to take out Russia's key military structures, including destroying vital ammunition depots. In the past four weeks, about 20 have been hit or completely destroyed in the disputed Donbas region and other Russian-occupied areas in Ukraine, according to the Kyiv Independent newspaper. "It is an almost everyday occurrence," the newspaper reported. "Russia's ammunition depots blow up, with large fires erupting as tons of ordnance detonate for hours. Some of these incidents cause giant blasts with a radius of hundreds of meters."

July 10: Fox News: Russian state making more now from oil sales than it
did prior to the war with Ukraine; the sanctions aren't working
CNN host Fareed Zakaria criticized the Biden administration and European countries Sunday for allowing themselves to become dependent on Russia for gas and oil. His remarks came during his opening monologue. "It is now clear that the economic war against Russia is not working nearly as well as people thought it would," he said. "Vladimir Putin cares less about what these sanctions do to the Russian people than he does about what they do to the Russian state. Thanks to rising energy prices, Bloomberg projects the Russian government will make considerably more revenue from oil and gas than it did before the war, around 285 billion in 2022 compared to 236 billion in 2021," he continued.

July 10: One America news network: Soros-backed LA DA Faces a recall
election after a sufficient number of signatures has been verified
The Los Angeles Department of Elections determined the petition to recall District Attorney George Gascon has enough signatures to trigger an election. In a press release Saturday, the voter registrar stated the raw count of recall petition signatures was 715,833. A total of 567,000 valid signatures are needed to trigger a recall which the department will verify by a random sample of the signatures turned in by petition organizers. The earliest a recall election could take place is November 8 in a general election that includes runoff races for Los Angeles city mayor and county sheriff, as well as congressional midterms. If it's put to a vote more than 50 percent of voters would have to vote to oust Gascon. Growing frustrations with Gascon have centered on his all or nothing policy stances. On his first day in office, Gascon barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, trying juveniles as adults and filing sentencing enhancements. This increased the amount of prison time a defendant will face in certain situations, including if they use a gun in the commission of a crime.

July 9: The Washington Examiner: Army threatens to cut off pay
of unvaccinated National Guard troops
The woke federal government places its heavy hand on national guard troops who serve under state governors. The Army has announced that the over 60,000 National Guard and Army Reserve soldiers that remain unvaccinated against COVID-19 can't participate in their military duties, effectively cutting them off from some of their benefits. The impact of this decree is that many of the men and women who are highly skilled and trained will be culled from our military while the services are having difficulty meeting their recruitment goals. Regardless, the Army has said, "Soldiers who refuse the vaccination order without an approved or pending exemption request are subject to adverse administrative actions, including flags, bars to service, and official reprimands. In the future, Soldiers who continue to refuse the vaccination order without an exemption may be subject to additional adverse administrative action, including separation."

July 9: Fox News: Retired army general suspended from civilian position after post saying Jill Biden finally figured out what a woman is
Retired Lt. Gen. Gary Volesky, a three-star army general who is serving as a civilian and "mentor" in the Combined Arms Center has been suspended after he sarcastically congratulated Jill Biden for learning "what a woman is." The Army confirmed the suspension and speculation that the veteran was under internal investigation for mocking Biden, even though it was done on his own time and might be considered a freedom of speech issue. Volesky mocked Biden on social media in June, responding to a tweet she posted about the SCOTUS decision returning decisions on the availability of abortion to the states by overturning Roe v. Wade. Biden falsely claimed that women had stolen from them the "right to make [their] own decisions about [their] bodies" to which Volesky replied "Glad to see you finally know what a woman is." The tweet has since been deleted but the wokeness that is infecting our military remains.

July 9: The Epoch Times: An earthquake beneath Puget Sound could be devastating with little time to react
A finds that a tsunami could be triggered by a major earthquake beneath Puget Sound and could likely arrive at the shores within three minutes of the event. It could likely reach further inland than initially anticipated. Models showed a tsunami following a magnitude 7.5 quake would inundate Seattle's shoreline under more than 20 feet of water, and reach parts of Bainbridge Island, Elliott Bay and Alki Point within three minutes. Waves could reach a staggering 42 feet at the Seattle Great Wheel and reach as far inland as Lumen Field and T-Mobile Park.

July 9: News Max: Trump exhibited leadership in his "short" talk in Las Vegas; laid out campaign strategy for 2022 midterms
Without officially declaring for a 2024 presidential campaign Friday night in Las Vegas (Clark County), Nevada, President Donald Trump laid out a platform of strong-on-crime policies to "liberate our communities from the scourge of crime," "protect the innocent," "deliver justice to the guilty," and "defend our police." "Law and order is at the very heart of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness," Trump told the crowd at a midterm campaign event in Las Vegas, Nevada. "Without law and order, there is no justice, there is no safety, there is no prosperity, and there is no freedom. "That's why impartial rule of law has been at the core of our Make America Great Again movement. In his 45-minute speech – much shorter than most – talked about how the Democrat party is soft on crime. "If we are going to make America great again our first task is to make America safe again," said Trump. In 2021, Clark County saw a 49% increase in murders and an 11% increase in property crime, according to the most recent annual report.

July 8: The Daily Caller: Former Montana AG calls out his party's
January 6th committee
Former Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock of Montana left a CNN host sputtering as he delivered a reality check on the Jan. 6 Committee Thursday night. "No one's going to talk to me about these hearings," Bullock, who also served as attorney general of Montana, told guest host Kasey Hunt. "They're going to talk to me about gas prices, about things that impact their daily lives. Now we know, if there was a seven-part hearing on gas prices, not only would a lot more people watch it, but every cable television network would actually cover the thing." "It doesn't impact people's everyday lives outside of this place we gather called Washington, D.C.," Bullock said.

July 8: The Epoch Times: Nine months of investigations; Result: "no evidence"
Nine months after horse patrol agents were accused of "whipping" illegal immigrants at the border in Del Rio, Texas, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus said an internal review found "no evidence Border Patrol agents struck any person, intentionally or otherwise." "The investigation concluded that there were failures at multiple levels of the agency, a lack of appropriate policies and training, and unprofessional and dangerous behavior by several individual agents," the report states. But this will not keep the Administration from disciplining some of the agents who were attempting to stop illegal immigration. One faces actions for using inappropriate language, another for allowing his mount to get too close to a child. Magnus said the report took so long, in part, because the U.S. Attorney's office took months before declining to prosecute the agents involved.

July 8: The Washington Examiner: San Francisco swears in new DA
One of the leaders of a campaign to oust far-left San Francisco District Attorney has now been sworn in to take over his job. Brooke Jenkins, 40, was an assistant district attorney under Boudin when she resigned last year to begin a campaign that successfully recalled her boss over his lax treatment of violent criminals and drug offenders. Jenkins was appointed by Mayor London Breed and sworn in on Friday. "The paramount mission of the district attorney's office is to promote public safety. And as your next district attorney, I will restore accountability and consequences to our criminal justice system here in San Francisco," Jenkins said. "Violent and repeat offenders will no longer be allowed to victimize our city without consequence." The unprecedented recall saw 61% of voters agree that skyrocketing crime, particularly hate crimes against Asians an issue they wanted addressed. Census data shows that San Fran has had a 6.3% population drop, the biggest in the nation.

July 8: Fox News: Dem leadership is deeply concerned with Biden
Leadership as the mid-term election draw nearer
A new report from Politico indicated that a large group of Democrats are worried that Joe Biden and his White House team are running "out of time" to reverse their "flagging poll numbers" ahead of the midterm elections. They reported Friday that Democrats are dealing with "frustration" over Biden's messaging and handling of the country's crises, that has now become "outright worry."

July 7: The Washington Times: SCOTUS: Kavanaugh and Roberts turn out
to be majority makers
As goes Justice Brett Kavanaugh, so goes the Supreme Court — at least in the recent term. Flip his vote, and Roe remains precedent, albeit with major new loopholes. Another flip, and Joe Biden's catch-and-release policy at the border takes a major hit instead of being bolstered. The same goes for a means-of-execution case for death row inmates and Biden's vaccine mandate for medical workers. Justice Kavanaugh and Chief Justice Roberts emerged as the majority makers for the court, joining the majority decision in all but three of the court's roughly 60 decisions on argued cases. The two Republican-appointed justices were also responsible for more than half of the cases in which the court's liberal bloc emerged as victors in 5-4 rulings, delivering a few key wins to Biden on executive powers in what was otherwise a brutal term for the political left. Carl Tobias, a law professor at the University of Richmond, said the Democratic appointees seem to have a chance of persuading the two justices to agree in cases "that involve the court as an institution, and precedent."

July 7: Townhall.com: CNN admits Red Flags don't work
Red flag laws have been the forefront of talk since multiple deadly mass shootings have taken place only months apart in the U.S., but what is overlooked is how such laws infringe upon Americans' Second Amendment rights. While Democrats were quick to push red flag laws, one CNN analyst is admitting that they don't actually work. During a segment on CNN Newsroom, Paul Callan said that the July 4 mass shooting during a parade in Illinois is a "shocking failure" of the state's red flag laws. "This is a shocking failure of the Illinois red flag law… it's also a shocking failure, I think, of police officials in Highland Park, Illinois," Callan said. He questioned whether these laws can actually ever work after law enforcement failed to "flag" the alleged shooter who killed seven people and injured 24. "It's a very affluent town of 30,000 people. I think they have 59 police officers on the force, and I can tell you … in most affluent towns in America, the police chief would know if a kid with a tattoo on his face who's attempted to commit suicide and subsequently threatened to kill every member of his family, the police chief would know if that kid had a permit to get a weapon," Callan said, adding "and there was a tremendous failure here that this wasn't picked up on, and we've got a lot of fatalities as a result of that."

July 7: The Washington Examiner: Soros-supported Los Angeles District Attorney
likely to be recalled in the upcoming November election
Crime victims, prosecutors, and police have been trying for a year to oust freshman District Attorney George Gascon from office in Los Angeles, and they could finally have their chance later this year. County officials have about four months to count recall petitions and set an election date after grassroots organizers delivered 717,000 signatures to the registrar of voters office on Wednesday. An attempt to recall Gascon fizzled last year for lack of signatures, but this time, the numbers appear to break records, said former Los Angeles City Councilman Dennis Zine. "I'm told that the numbers we submitted have beat every other [recall] record," said Zine, one of the recall campaign leaders. "You can't do this with volunteers alone. You have to pay people. We spent $60 million on this campaign. It's a lot of money to get a guy out of office who is doing a terrible job. A lot of people are invested in this issue of public safety." Gascon is accused of being soft on crime and anti-victim in order to promote a social welfare version of justice with less prison time. This is at odds with strict California laws, such as the "three strikes" law, that lock up criminals for life after a third violent felony conviction. A new campaign formed on Jan. 31 with a small army tasked with collecting 567,000 signatures, which is 10% of the voters who ushered Gascon into office. Organizers then collected an extra 150,000 signatures to account for any errors, such as duplicates or nonregistered voters.

July 7: Fox Business: Biden hammered for decision to sell strategic petroleum reserves to the Chinese
Lawmakers sharply criticized Joe Biden on Thursday following reports of emergency U.S. oil being sent to China and other nations. More than five million barrels of oil released from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) have been diverted to European and Asian nations instead of U.S. refiners, Reuters reported, citing customs data. Biden has ordered the Department of Energy to release a total of about 260 million barrels of oil stored in the SPR over the last eight months to combat record fuel prices hitting American consumers. "The American people deserve answers as to why our emergency energy reserves are being sent to foreign adversaries like the Chinese Communist Party, compromising our energy security and national security," House Energy and Commerce Committee Ranking Member Cathy McMorris Rodgers said. "Biden needs to remember that our strategic energy reserves are for emergencies, not to cover-up bad policies. America needs to flip the switch and increase our capacity to produce and refine oil here at home," she continued. "Now is not the time to use our strategic stockpile."

July 6: The Daily Caller: Maryland GOP Candidate is wooing Democrats and
independents in his Fight to become governor
Democrats are propping up the "America First" candidate in Maryland's gubernatorial Republican primary, and the campaign is openly courting Democratic voters in return. Dan Cox, a Republican state delegate and lawyer, has claimed the mantle of "America First" candidate for Maryland governor, and is endorsed by former President Donald Trump. He also has the backing of the Democratic Governors' Association (DGA), which has spent more than $1 million promoting him to GOP primary voters.

July 6: The Epoch Times: Has UTMB had ties to the Communist Chinese Wuhan Institute of Virology? Texas Congressman wants to find out
Rep. Chip Roy (R-TX) in a July 6 letter questioned Dr. James LeDuc, former director of the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB), about the ties between UTMB and the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV). Roy's letter accuses LeDuc of violating both federal and Texas state law in an agreement he signed with the WIV. Roy raised questions after documents obtained under open records acts suggest that a "Memorandum of Understanding" (MOU), contained a so-called "memory-hole" provision. "The confidentiality obligation shall be applicable throughout the duration of the MOU and after it has been terminated," the provision read. "The party is entitled to ask the other to destroy and/or return the secret files, materials and equipment without any backups." "The federal government," Roy continued, "has awarded over $2.5 billion in grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) plus hundreds of millions in grants and contracts from other federal agencies to UTMB. It is concerning that any public institution receiving federal government funding would enter into a cooperation agreement with an entity controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP)." This "… raises serious concerns that a prominent recipient of federal taxpayer dollars would enter into an agreement with any foreign entity—but especially an adversary—with such a glaring 'memory hole' provision that authorizes research materials and files to be destroyed upon request," Roy contended.

July 6: Fox News: Conservative pastor brandishes AR15 against "Democrats in Klan Hoods" in viral campaign advertisement
Jerone Davison (R), a congressional candidate in Arizona's 4th District, uses an AR-15 to scare off the KKK (Klu Klux Klan) in a viral campaign ad released Wednesday. In the ad Davison says, "Democrats like to say that nobody needs an AR-15 for self-defense, that no one could possibly need all 30rounds," he narrates in the video. "But when this rifle is the only thing standing between your family and a dozen angry Democrats in Klan hoods, you just might need that semi-automatic, and all 30rounds." Davison commented on gun control saying the country needs to, "Make Rifles Great Again." The video quickly garnered more than 1.5 million views in less than 24 hours. Davison, a former Arizona State University student and NFL player, is running against four other Republicans in the highly competitive Congressional race. "The media wants to divide us. Red vs Blue. Black vs White. Man vs Woman. Poor vs Rich," the Pastor Davison said. As part of his message, he also pledges to "unite people from across the ideological spectrum."

July 6: The Daily Caller: Massive swing state (Florida) turning a solid red
Republicans beat out Democrats in new registered voters in Florida for the second year in a row with 175,911 more registered voters in total, according to the Florida Division of Elections. There are 5,135,749 registered Republicans compared to 4,959,838 registered Democrats in the Sunshine State as of May 31. The Florida Republican Party has added 82,900 more voters to its ranks since the last major U.S. election cycle in 2020. The registration numbers reflect Florida's gradual shift toward becoming a solidly red state. After the 2022 election, it's likely Florida may no longer be a swing state.

July 5: News Max: Two of UK's ministers resigned; could impact Johnson's MP position
Britain's finance and health ministers resigned on Tuesday in what could spell the end for Prime Minister Boris Johnson's premiership after he had tried to apologize for the latest scandal to blight his administration. Both finance minister Rishi Sunak and health minister Sajid Javid sent resignation letters within minutes of each other to the prime minister, in which both took aim at his ability to run an administration that adhered to standards. The resignations came as Johnson was apologizing for what he said was a mistake for not realizing that a former minister in charge of pastoral care was unsuitable for a job in government after complaints of sexual misconduct were made against him, in the latest embarrassment to have engulfed his government.

July 5: Fox News: Musk cracks joke on Twitter; apparently it hit too close to home
Musk appeared to get into the spirit of Independence Day by sharing a fake Tweet depicting "Twitter in 1775" where iconic American historical figure Paul Revere was fact-checked by Twitter for saying, "The British are coming, the British are coming!" The fake tweet depicted a misinformation label reading, "Learn how British taxes are beneficial for society." Revere is most remembered for his famous ride from Boston the night of April 18, 1775, warning local militia of approaching British forces who had intended to destroy military supplies in Concord. The following morning, on April 19, the Battles of Lexington and Concord took place and the Revolutionary War.

July 5: The Washington Examiner: Can you believe this? DOJ is suing Arizona because it is requiring voters to prove they are U.S. citizens
The Justice Department filed a lawsuit Tuesday against Arizona challenging its law that requires proof of citizenship for residents to vote in presidential elections. The lawsuit was announced by DOJ during a press call with reporters arguing Arizona's law is "a textbook violation" of the National Voter Registration Act of 1993. It has long been a federal requirement that voters be U.S. citizens but Democrat-run DOJ sees requiring proof of citizenship to be a burden upon potential voters. Arizona Attorney General Mark Brnovich had anticipated the court challenge from Biden's DOJ and wrote a letter on Friday pledging to defend the voting law all the way to the Supreme Court "if necessary." "After Biden invites millions to illegally enter our country, his DOJ is challenging Arizona's law to ensure only citizens can vote. Alas the clouds part to show the true sky. We'll see you in court!" Brnovich tweeted on July 1. The bill signed earlier this year is scheduled to take effect January 2023.

July 5: The Daily Caller: Germany went all out for green energy now their
economy is teetering on the brink
After pouring billions of dollars into green energy, Germany is facing economic calamity, including potential collapse should Russia shut off gas supplies. According to the Wall Street Journal, on July 5, Germany announced their plan to rewrite 1970s legislation to send taxpayer funds to energy suppliers in an attempt to prepare for a possible recession. The collapse comes after Germany unveiled their plan to spend $220 billion to transfer all their energy needs to renewable sources. The funds for Germany's energy plan were meant to expand the use of renewable energy and make the country less reliant on Russia. Last week, a large German utility company asked for state support as it prepares for a bailout due to a lack of Russian supplies. Russia's natural gas cuts are occurring as households are suffering from CO2 price increases and a rise in inflation. Germany's economy relies on Russia for 35% of its natural gas supply.

July 5: The Epoch Times: Highland Park (Chicago) shooter charged with seven homicides
The Highland Park Fourth of July parade suspect shooter, Robert Crimo, has been charged with seven counts of murder. Lake County State's Attorney Eric Rinehart told reporters on Tuesday evening "We anticipate dozens of more charges centering around each of the victims. psychological victims, physical victims, [attempted] murder charges, aggravated discharge, aggravated battery charges," and if convicted Crimo would face a mandatory life sentence with no possibility of parole. Rinehart described the tragedy as a "well-orchestrated and carefully-planned crime" and stressed that he would ask a judge to hold Crimo without the possibility of bail. Crimo fired more than 70 rounds from atop a commercial building into the crowd who gathered for the Independence Day parade in Highland Park, an affluent community on the Lake Michigan shore, near Chicago.

July 5: Fox News: After saying "I know nothing," White House dodges questions about Biden knowing about Hunter's business dealings
The White House on Tuesday dodged questions about a leaked voicemail Joe Biden purportedly left for his son Hunter about his overseas business dealings, maintaining that any materials that allegedly originated from his son's now-infamous laptop would not be discussed. "Uncle Joe" has repeatedly denied discussing Hunter's business ventures with him. His son is currently under federal investigation for his tax affairs predicated by suspicious foreign transactions.

July 5: News Max: Biden encouraged not to make the same mistake Carter did regarding inflation
Veterans of former President Jimmy Carter's administration are warning Joe Biden against making the same mistakes that were made in the 1970s, including acknowledging there is a problem and supporting aggressive measures to bring prices back down. "The basic problem that Biden faces is really not too dissimilar from the one that confronted Carter," W. Michael Blumenthal, Carter's Treasury secretary, said. Blumenthal, now 96, was removed from the Carter cabinet in 1979. Before that, he and other of the then-president's key advisers met for weekly lunch meetings and mainly offered optimistic forecasts about the economy. However, by 1978, Democrats lost seats in Congress and Blumenthal lost his seat the following year. Carter lost his bid for reelection in a landslide and the Federal Reserve raised interest rates to the point that the economy entered into a recession. Republicans are comparing Biden to Carter in midterm arguments. "Americans suffering from rising prices and the highest inflation in 40 years need to demand the results Presidents Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump gave them," former Speaker Newt Gingrich said.

July 4: The Washington Examiner: bailed out Industry during COVID has cancelled more flights this year than last
The number of flight cancellations over the last six months has already surpassed last year's totals, positioning 2022 to become one of the worst years on record. Thousands of flights were canceled in the days leading up to the Independence Day holiday weekend, with airlines reporting 121,918 cancellations between Jan. 1 and the end of June — compared to 121,552 for all of 2021. A large portion of those was canceled over the last month, with more flights being canceled in June 2022 than any June in previous years. The numbers put 2022 on track to be one of the worst non-pandemic years on record for flight cancellations since 2019, which recorded 170,632 total cancellations. The only other year on record to have surpassed the 200,000 threshold was 2001, when thousands of flights were grounded after the 9/11 attacks. Airlines are also being hit by an increase in flight delays, with roughly 20% of flights being delayed so far in 2022 compared to just 13.1% in the first half of 2021, data show.

July 4: News Max: Joe Biden underwater in 48 states according to recent poll
A new CIVIQS survey has Joe Biden posting an "underwater" job-approval rating in 48 different states, including his home state of Delaware and the typically left-leaning California. The term "underwater" refers to a politician's disapproval rating being higher than his/her approval numbers. In Biden's case, CIVIQS has him with an average of 30% approval and 58% disapproval. There are only two states where Biden's approval ratings are higher than his disapproval figure: Hawaii and Vermont. Uncle Joe his highest approval rankings in Hawaii: (45%), Vermont: (44%), Massachusetts (40%), Washington: (38%), California and Maryland with 37% approval rating and New York with 36%. His lowest approval ratings came from Wyoming: (16%), North Dakota: (17%), West Virginia: (17%), Kentucky: (19%), Tennessee, Oklahoma, and Utah: (20%), and Arkansas with 21% and Missouri with 22% .

July 4: Fox News: Who would ever want to be a Chicago Police Officer; crowds attack
Violent crowds in Chicago attacked police cars with fists and fireworks in at least two incidents this weekend, injuring one officer. Police first came under attack Saturday night when a crowd jumped on top of a patrol car, kicking and punching the vehicle until the windshield broke. One officer was injured in the incident, according to CBS News Chicago. A second incident early Monday morning saw a crowd shooting firework at patrol cars, which reversed away slowly as the crowd kicked and punched the vehicle. There have been no reported injuries from the second incident, and police made no arrests.

July 4: The Epoch Times: Mass shooting at Independence Day parade in state
with strict gun control laws
Multiple people are feared dead after a mass shooting during a Fourth of July parade in a Chicago suburb, officials said. Six people were killed and at least 24 hospitalized in a parade in downtown Highland Park, officials told media. "Numerous law enforcement officers are responding and have secured a perimeter around downtown Highland Park," the statement said. Witnesses told local media that crowds of people fled the scene after shots were heard. The Lake County Sheriff's Office confirmed that a shooting took place and told people to stay away. The office did not confirm the number of victims.

July 3: News Max: California Gov. runs ad in Florida, trying to woo companies back to his state
California Gov. Gavin Newsom aired an ad over the July Fourth weekend, inviting Floridians to California for more "freedom." "It's Independence Day," Newsom said in the Twitter ad. "So let's talk about what's going on in America. Freedom is under attack in your state. "Republican leaders," he continued, are "banning books, making it harder to vote, restricting speech in classrooms, even criminalizing women and doctors. I urge all of you living in Florida, to join the fight — or join us in California." The ad comes as businesses and citizens are leaving California in droves due to Newsom's far left policies.

July 3: Daily Caller: Hutchinson repeats "hallway gossip" as fact before the Jan. 6 Committee
The January 6 committee's key witness, Cassidy Hutchinson, called the committee "bs" in a recently received text message shared with the media. On Feb 1. Hutchinson reportedly sent a text to a conservative activist with connections to the First Amendment Fund, which is a group started by the American Conservative Union that helps Trump officials cover costs for Jan. 6 lawyers. Matt Schlapp said Hutchinson approached CPAC for help through the First Amendment Fund. Schlapp said he is happy they did not end up assisting her because she was relaying White House "hallway gossip as fact."

July 2: The Epoch Times: Companies flee to Blue States for Florida, Texas and Tennessee
Amidst predictions of a political "red wave" in the upcoming mid-term elections, an economic wave has been building for years with no end in sight as companies flood out of blue states and into red states. And as a result of its political divisions, America appears to now be dividing itself into prosperous, high-growth states and states that are suffering a chronic decline. But Democrat-run states believe their abortion policies could be a key factor in attracting companies back. Caterpillar and Citadel, announced in June their exit out of Illinois, and are only the latest firms to leave high-tax, high-regulation states. Tesla, HP, Oracle, and Remington are also among the hundreds of companies flocking out of California, Illinois, New York, and New Jersey to business-friendly places like Texas, Florida, Arizona, and Tennessee.

July 1: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS decisions will impact state gun control legislation
The Supreme Court followed up its June 23 landmark ruling that for the first time recognized a constitutional right to carry firearms in public for self-defense, by issuing a series of rulings June 30 reversing federal appeals court decisions that upheld gun restrictions in California, New Jersey, Maryland and Hawaii. Courts will find it difficult to uphold the firearms laws in question after these SCOTUS rulings. The Second Amendment of the Constitution says: "A well-regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed." In recent years the court has strengthened the rights of an individual to carry a weapon outside of his home. Justice Thomas wrote, in a June 23rd decision "…the Second Amendment guarantees an 'individual right to possess and carry weapons in case of confrontation,' and confrontation can surely take place outside the home. … Many Americans hazard greater danger outside the home than in it."
In a new June 30th decision the court summarily disposed of the four pending cases sending them back to lower courts to reconsider based upon the June 23 New York gun control decision:

- In the Maryland case a coalition of 25 states led by Arizona challenged Maryland's Firearms Safety Act of 2013. The statute, which was upheld by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit in September 2021, required pistol purchasers to seek a license, complete safety training, and be fingerprinted. Maryland bans popular weapons such as the AR-15 and similar rifles and limits magazine capacity to 10 rounds.
- The California case and a similar case in New Jersey challenged the state's ban on magazines containing more than 10 rounds. The ban went further, requiring the confiscation of such magazines, which had previously been lawful to own.
- In New Jersey, the law also forbids the transfer or sale of these magazines but allows owners to keep them if they modify them to reduce how many rounds may be held. Failing to comply with the law is a crime that can be punished with a sentence of up to 10 years of imprisonment and $150,000 in fines.
- In the Hawaii case a petitioner challenged the state's gun licensing system that allows the transportation of an unloaded firearm only in an enclosed container and only to and from a gun repair shop, target range, licensed gun dealer, hunting ground, or police station. Licensed firearms may only be used for hunting or target shooting. Concealed-carry permit applicants must show the applicant has a "reason to fear injury to the applicant's person or property" in order to obtain a permit. Permits allowing open carry are granted only "where the urgency or the need has been sufficiently indicated" and the applicant "is engaged in the protection of life and property."
All four cases were sent back to the lower courts for further consideration in lieu of the June 23rd SCOTUS decision.

July 1: The Washington Examiner: 93 year old stops home invasion,
shoots q perp
A 93-year-oldl Californian stopped a home invasion and shot one of the intruders after they broke into his residence this week. The retired plumber was home when a group of would-be burglars broke in, he said. Tired of being the victim of previous break-ins, he decided to flip the script on the intruders, Riverside County Sheriff's Department said. He grabbed his gun and confronted the perps. "I approached them to put them under citizen's arrest. They wouldn't adhere to that, and then one of them came at me with a fishing pole," the homeowner said. "It was just like somebody comes to a gunfight with a pocketknife, you know," he said. Still holding them at gunpoint he called authorities, describing the situation. When officers arrived, they discovered one of the intruders had been shot, and a witness said that they saw multiple people flee from the 93-year-old's home before the deputies arrived. The injured suspect was taken to a local hospital in critical condition. Authorities indicated the homeowner acted appropriately and said they didn't plan on charging him.

July 1: The Washington Times: Large number of White House press corps members demand
full access to Biden; not just a preselected few friendly members of the media
Nearly 70 journalists have urged White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to drop the secretive pre-screening process the administration has been using to limit reporter access to large events with Joe Biden. The letter was signed by scores of journalists across dozens of outlets. White House aides have restricted event access to only reporters who have been "pre-credentialed" for events with Mr. Biden. When reporters have pressed for reasons on why they were not approved for an event, they've heard varied explanations ranging from COVID-19 restrictions to limited space in the room where the event was held.

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