![]() Information on the "IKE DIKE" Coastal Barrier January 1 - June 30, 2022 Go to Second Half of 2022 June 30: News Max: Biden wants the Senate to set aside the filibuster for measures dealing with abortion; Manchin and Sinema stand in his way Joe Biden on Thursday proposed that U.S. senators remove a legislative roadblock [the filibuster] to restoring abortion rights that were taken away by the Supreme Court last week, a suggestion that was shot down by aides to two key Democrat lawmakers. Biden's proposal to temporarily lift the Senate "filibuster" was rejected by aides to Sens. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ) and Joe Manchin (D-WVA). Biden, speaking from Madrid, Spain, said "we have to" pass laws making abortion a right in all 50 U.S. states. A spokesman for Manchin and an aide to Sinema, who both have opposed suspending the filibuster in the past, indicated the position of their bosses has not changed. Without their support it is likely that Biden's move will be dead in the water. June 30: 1600 PA Daily: Kentucky Dem not happy with alleged Biden nominations "deal" with McConnell A Democrat Representative from Kentucky is alleging Joe Biden will appoint a conservative lawyer to a federal judgeship in the state as part of a shadowy deal with House Minority Leader Mitch McConnell. Representative John Yarmuth (D-KY) told the Courier-Journal he believes the nomination is part of an undisclosed deal between Biden and McConnell to ensure bipartisan support for Biden's future judicial nominees. "Given that a judicial position isn't currently open on the Eastern District Court, it's clear that this is part of some larger deal on judicial nominations between the president and Mitch McConnell," Yarmuth told the paper, which first reported the pending nomination. Chad Meredith, the nominee, formerly served as Kentucky's solicitor general on a number of cases including those restricting abortion access and fighting against COVID-19 mandates. According to the AP Meredith represented former Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin in his legal fight against an abortion clinic, arguing that clinics should have written transfer agreements with full-service hospital and ambulance services in case of emergencies. ![]() Ukraine's defense ministry on Saturday claimed it had sunk a Russian Serna-class landing craft off of the now-famous Snake Island which has stood as a symbol of resistance since the beginning of the war. Undated video footage posted to social media appears to show an airstrike hitting a landing vessel that had soldiers on board. Spokesman for the Odesa Regional Military Administration said Snake Island has become "a symbol of our rock-hard endurance and our ability to shatter the enemy's most persistent efforts." Meanwhile, Fox News also reported that the Russians have apparently hastily withdrawn from Snake Island in recent days, a strategic victory for Kyiv, Ukrainian military officials say. Ukraine's operational military command posted a photo of the island covered with fire and black smoke in the aftermath of heavy missile fire from Ukrainian forces. The island is located just off the coast of Odessa. It remains unclear whether the Russian withdrawal will allow Ukraine to export its food sources as Russian mines and naval force maintain a presence in the Black Sea. Snake Island gained notoriety in the first days of the war after Ukrainian soldiers infamously refused an ultimatum to surrender or face death. June 30: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS narrows EPA's ability to regulate carbon dioxide emissions The Supreme Court ruled 6–3 this morning that the Clean Air Act does not give the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) widespread power to regulate carbon dioxide emissions that a so called popular theory says contribute to global warming. Chief Justice Roberts wrote the court's majority opinion in the West Virginia v. EPA case. He was joined by the court's five conservative justices. The three liberal justices dissented. While "[c]apping carbon dioxide emissions at a level that will force a nationwide transition away from the use of coal to generate electricity may be a sensible 'solution to the crisis of the day,'" Roberts wrote, "it is not plausible that Congress gave EPA the authority to adopt, on its own, such a regulatory scheme in Section 111(d)" of the Clean Air Act. "A decision of such magnitude and consequence rests with Congress itself, or an agency acting pursuant to a clear delegation from that representative body," he wrote. ![]() Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) rushed to the defense of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas as he faces a torrent of vitriol, including racial slurs, after voting to overturn Roe v. Wade. "I certainly think that the greatest threat to the liberal coalition are Black conservatives who stand up and think for ourselves," Scott said. "We represent the fact that the African-American community is not a monolithic community," he said. "If you can ever break the stronghold that the Democrats have on the African-American community, the entire coalition falls apart." June 29: The Epoch Times: This is what you have when vindictive bureaucrats and political hacks are in control of the government Just when the wife of one incarcerated Jan. 6 prisoner believed things couldn't get worse, the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) informed her they are going to suspend all of her husband's benefits. According to United States Representative Louie Gohmert (R-TX), "this is what you have when vindictive leftists get in charge of major parts of the government." In an unsigned letter from the VA—dated June 13 and appearing to originate from the "Director Regional Office,"—Angel and Kenneth Harrelson were notified that the administration "received information from the United States Department of Justice" that Kenneth had been "indicted and charged with Seditious Conspiracy." The letter informed them that there "Veterans Benefits are being suspended due to 38 U.S. Code § 6105 – Forfeiture for subversive activities…" Interestingly, this code requires that the individual be "convicted" of one of the listed crimes and no just "indicted." This is a clear overreach by a woke Administration. June 29: The Washington Examiner: Secret Service agents offer to testify under oath that the hearsay testimony given early this week to the January 6th select committee is patently untrue According to a person with knowledge of the matter, the committee investigating the events surrounding the breach of the Capitol did not reach out to the Secret Service about some of the allegations made by Cassidy Hutchinson about former President Donald Trump prior to her high-profile testimony on Tuesday. The first time they heard of Trump allegedly trying to grab the "beast's" steering wheel and lunging toward a Secret Service agent was when Hutchinson gave her testimony on prime-time television before the committee. However, within hours of her testimony, multiple reporters said they were told that both Special Agent Engel and the driver of the SUV are prepared to testify under oath that Trump did not grab the steering wheel or assault any agent on Jan. 6. This story adds fuel to the fire that the January 6th select committee -- from which Speaker Pelosi barred the participation of Republican Congressmen requested by the House Minority Leader – is only telling one side of the story and is not about finding out the truth. June 29: The Daily Signal: Woke Cornell University removes bust of Abraham Lincoln and a copy of the Gettysburg Address after receiving one complaint Reportedly officials removed a bust of Lincoln from a Cornell University library exhibit after somebody complained. "Someone complained, and it was gone," Cornell University biology professor Randy Wayne said. It wasn't just the bust. They removed the plaque with the words of Lincoln's Gettysburg Address too. In its place stands an empty display and a plain white wall. Perhaps that says a lot more about the current state of our "elite" Ivy League institutions than a statue of Lincoln and an ode to America's founding principles. June 29: Fox News: Justices did not promise to uphold Roe v. Wade during confirmation hearings The drive-by media is spreading misinformation that conservative justices on the supreme court lied during their confirmation hearings. Not so says Fox News Digital who checked the hearing records. Footage of conservative justices speaking about Roe v. Wade during confirmation hearings shows that not one of them promised to leave decision alone, none of them. Instead, they carefully explained the importance of precedent when asked about the polarizing decision. Alito, who wrote the majority opinion, said it was an important precedent "I think that when a decision is challenged, and it is reaffirmed, that strengthens its value." Gorsuch, like Alito, was also asked about the 1973 ruling but never promised to uphold it. "A good judge will consider it as precedent of the United States Supreme Court worthy as treatment of precedent like any other," Gorsuch said during his confirmation hearing. Kavanaugh also called Roe v. Wade an important precedent but declined to make any promises, and Barrett declared, "Roe is not a super precedent because calls for its overruling have never ceased, but that doesn't mean that Roe should be overruled." In 1991, Justice Thomas refused to offer his opinion on Roe v. Wade, saying he didn't want to compromise his ability to rule on related cases in the future. So, misinformation from the mainstream media continues to flow forth without even a red face on their part. June 29: The Epoch Times: U.S. to have a permanent military base in Poland; beef up presence in Europe The US will create a new permanent army headquarters in Poland and deploy additional land, air, and sea forces across the length and breadth of Europe in response to threats from Russia, Joe Biden said today. "We're going to continue to adjust our posture based on the threat, in close consultation with our allies," he said. Among the actions planned are establishing a permanent headquarters for the US Army's 5th Corps in Poland; doubling the number of destroyers stationed in Mediterranean seaport of Rota Spain; increasing U.S. troop strength in Europe to 100,000; and deploying two additional squadrons of advanced F-35 fighters to Britain. The White House said that the new stationing of U.S. forces in Europe is to "support NATO and to deter any aggression against our allies." June 28: The Washington Times: White House pushes back against progressive's suggestion that federal lands be used to conduct abortions < The White House on Tuesday pushed back against a progressive proposal to use federal lands for abortion services, warning there could be "dangerous ramifications" from the idea. Progressive Democrats, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY) and Sen. Elizabeth Warren (MA) have floated the idea of using federal lands to perform abortions in states that restrict the procedure. The proposal follows last week's Supreme Court decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and allowing states to set their own standards on access to abortion. Speaking with reporters, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the idea could put both women and abortion providers in legal jeopardy. ![]() Democrats have firmly held Oregon's gubernatorial office since 1987, but with the party deeply unpopular and a duo of competitive challengers, that could change in November. The race is neck and neck according to the most recent polling coming out of Nelson Research in late May. Former House Minority Leader Republican Christine Drazan stands at just under 30% and former Democrat House Speaker Tina Kotek at 28%, while Independent Betsy Johnson lags behind at roughly 19%. Democratic incumbent Kate Brown cannot run for reelection. After eight years in office, Brown is the least-popular governor in the nation, according to a Jan. 1-March 31 Morning Consult poll. During her tenure, Oregon has seen increasing rates of homelessness and crime(especially in Portland), which along with poor government leadership constitute the top three issues for Oregon's voters. June 28: The Washington Examiner: Ginny Thomas seeks justification for appearing before the Democrat January 6th Select Committee Although the wife of Supreme Court Justice Thomas, Ginni Thomas, has said she would be willing to testify before the highly partisan January 6 Committee, her lawyer is requesting investigators offer "better justification" for why she should appear for questioning. Mark Paoletta, the lawyer, wrote a letter dated Tuesday that raises concerns about a lack of sufficient reasoning to warrant testimony and raised concerns that the panel will treat her client unfairly, citing House Speaker Nancy Pelosi's (D-CA) decision to reject some of House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy's (R-CA) picks for Republican lawmakers to sit on the committee. ![]() The U.S. Supreme Court ruled on Monday that a Washington state football coach's post-game prayer on the 50-yard line was protected by the First Amendment, a decision that sets a precedent for more protections for school employees who engage in public displays of religion. Currently, Texas public school students are allowed to practice their religion at school. Some schools offer meeting rooms for students and teachers to discuss their faith. What Texas public school leaders cannot do is lead their classes in prayer, force or compel students to participate in a religious activity or prohibit students from privately practicing their own religion. Monday's ruling involved the case of Joe Kennedy, a high school football coach, who was fired for refusing to stop kneeling in prayer after games. The court's opinion was that the coach was praying as a private citizen, not as an employee of the district. June 27: The Washington Times: Union calls for DOJ to review its firing of Trump-era immigration judges The union for immigration judges has asked the Justice Department [DOJ] to revisit its ouster of several judges hired during the Trump administration, questioning whether the firings were illegal — and calling them unseemly at the very least. Three judges had each received satisfactory performance evaluations during their two-year probationary periods. That made the decision by the Executive Office for Immigration Review to kick them out of their jobs at the end of probation rather than convert them to permanent positions all the more striking, the National Association of Immigration Judges said. Worse, ordering the judges out of their offices without a chance to collect their personal belongings was "unprofessional and unbefitting," the union said. The action raises questions as to whether this was just another example of getting rid of anything associated with Donald Trump. June 27: The Washington Examiner: Biden lied; voice mail reveals he knew of his son's dealings with China Joe Biden reassured Hunter in a voicemail that he was in the "clear" following the release of a New York Times article covering his dealings with the now-defunct Chinese energy conglomerate CEFC. Biden has frequently maintained that he has "never" spoken with Hunter about his overseas business dealings. The Dec. 12, 2018, voicemail, which was located on a password-protected iPhone XS backup found on a copy of Hunter's abandoned laptop, indicates Biden did indeed have a level of awareness of his son's overseas entanglements with a man Hunter once referred to as the "spy chief of China." June 26: Fox News: Biden still does not support court packing Joe Biden does not support Democrats pushing to expand the Supreme Court, the White House announced on Saturday. Press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre confirmed Biden's position on the issue during an Air Force Once press gaggle. Some Democrats have argued for court-packing in recent years, but those calls were amplified following SCOTUS' decision to overrule key abortion cases Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey on Friday. Because they are not getting the decisions they want, some Democrats have argued there need to be more justices in order to offset the influence of the three justices appointed by Donald Trump. June 26: The Washington Times: Russia unleashes barrage of missiles on Ukrainian capital Russian forces unleashed a barrage of over sixty missiles on the Ukrainian Capitol this weekend that could have been a reaction to the Group of Seven summit in Germany or the recent arrival of another shipment of M-142 High Mobility Artillery Rocket Systems (HIMARS) to aid the Ukrainians, a senior Pentagon official disclosed. June 26: The Daily Caller: Democrat Congressman used campaign funds to pay wife and ex-con son thousands Rep. Bobby Rush (D-IL), who has a documented history of funneling campaign dollars to family members, has paid roughly $56,000 from his principal campaign committee to his wife and ex-convict son since 2019, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records show. Rush, a former Black Panther Party leader who has served 15 terms in the House, reportedly paid his third wife approximately $11,000 between June 2021 and March 2022 and his son, Jeffrey, roughly $45,000 since 2019, for what his filings called "field services" and "field operations services," which are typically for campaign duties such as door knocking, phone banking and event work. June 26: Fox News: Austin wants to decriminalize cases against abortion providers, women getting an abortion are already exempted Austin City Council members are seeking to pass legislation that would decriminalize abortion citywide after the SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade returning decisions about abortion to the individual states, and a decision that puts the Texas "trigger law" into effect shortly. Some of the council members want to deal with the new law, that prohibits abortion from the time of conception, so that the Austin Police Department would be directed to make enforcement the law the lowest priority and would restrict funding for investigations into illegal abortions and prosecutions. The sponsor of the measure said that ideally, police wouldn't take no action beyond taking a report. June 26: The Washington Examiner: Stacey Abrams (D-GA) dodges questions on abortion restrictions Gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams (D-GA) didn't give a direct answer Sunday when asked if she would support any restrictions on abortion as the top executive of the state. CNN's Jake Tapper interviewed Abrams days after the SCOTUS overturned Roe v. Wade. Trapper asked Abrams, "Do you think the government should play any role in restricting abortion? As governor, what restrictions would you be willing to support in Georgia, if any?" Abrams said her "first responsibility is to protect the life and the welfare of the women in the state and to make it safe for them to make medical choices," deflecting a direct response to the question. The SCOTUS' decision would not eliminate a woman's right to an abortion, only return the responsibility of determining the availability of this procedure to the individual states. June 25: The Daily Caller: Pro-abortion protests turn violent, lawmakers held hostage Arizona lawmakers were instructed not to exit the state capitol as protestors gathering outside the building created a "hostage" situation late Friday night into early Saturday morning. "Violent anti-abortion protestors attempt of an insurrection at the Arizona State Senate were thwarted Friday night, thanks to the swift action from local and state law enforcement," the Arizona State Senate said via a press release. "Protesters threatened to break the AZ Senate entryway glass," Arizona State Senator Wendy Rogers tweeted. Police used tear gas to disperse the protestors and regain control of the building. During the siege, one senator tweeted "Feeling safe at the Capitol as I sit by 3 of my fellow senators who are armed." June 25: The Washington Times: Senator Mike Lee (UT) poised to win the GOP primary over a "Never Trumper" Sen. Mike Lee is poised to win Utah's GOP Senate primary on Tuesday, which would normally put him on a glide path to November re-election in the deep-red Beehive State. But Mr. Lee's path to a third term may become the state's most competitive Senate race in decades thanks to Evin McMullin, who ran as an independent against President Trump in 2016 and picked up more than 20% of the vote in Utah. McMullin is now running against Lee as an independent and has the support of Utah Democrats. His campaign is spotlighting Lee's alliance with Donald Trump in a state where some voters have grown weary of the former president. As a result, some election analysts have moved the usually safe Republican seat into the "likely Republican" ![]() Joe Biden on Thursday displayed a card that showed step-by-step instructions for him during a White House meeting with wind industry leaders. Biden, 79, held up the card showing instructions that began with "YOU enter the Roosevelt Room and say hello to participants," and ended with "YOU depart." Also included were "YOU take YOUR seat" and "YOU thank participants." June 23: Breitbart News: Senate passes gun control legislation which sends funds to states that enact "Red Flag" measures The Senate on Thursday easily approved a bipartisan gun violence bill that seemed unthinkable just a month ago, clearing the way for final congressional approval of what will be lawmakers' most far-reaching response in decades to the nation's run of brutal mass shootings. After years of GOP procedural delays that derailed Democratic efforts to curb firearms, some senators decided lack of Congressional action was untenable after last month's rampages in New York and Texas. After weeks of closed-door sessions, a group of senators from both parties emerged with a compromise embodying incremental but impactful movement to curb the bloodshed. Allegedly none of the provisions in the measure would, however, have averted the shootings, while it encourages the enactment of "Red Flag" laws by the states, laws that may have the unintended consequence of requiring a lawful citizen to prove he or she is not a danger to himself/herself or the community. [Read related stories #1 | #2] June 23: The Washington Times: Gun control bill drives another wedge between conservative Senators and RINO members led by Mitch McConnell and John Cornyn Sen. Rick Scott (R-FL), head of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, came out strongly Thursday against the bipartisan gun bill poised to pass the upper chamber, putting more daylight between him and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who made the gun deal possible. Scott's willingness to zig when McConnell zags has confounded Republican leaders. It also has increased speculation about the Florida Republican's presidential ambitions and has generated an outpouring of adulation from the Trump-inspired base of the party. June 23: The Washington Examiner: Cassidy's bill would imprison SCOTUS' leaker and levy a fine of $10,000 Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) unveiled new legislation Thursday that would hold future Supreme Court leakers accountable with a $10,000 fine and 10 years in prison for releasing information about pending decisions in response to last month's unprecedented leaked draft opinion that signaled the overturning of Roe v. Wade. Cassidy said the legislation, titled the Stop Supreme Court Leakers Act of 2022, becomes law, it would not be retroactive, though it could be used to confiscate any possible profits received by the person or people who leaked the draft. "Whoever leaked this draft opinion and any future leakers must face the consequences of the damage they cause," Cassidy said. He cited the attempted assassination of Justice Brett Kavanaugh at his home in Chevy Chase, MD, as one reason for the Senate to act. June 23: The Daily Caller: Why do you suppose SCOTUS has delayed the release of the abortion decision? Despite a draft opinion indicating the Supreme Court would overturn Roe v. Wade in its decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, the court has yet to issue an opinion in the case, which some legal experts argue is a means to maintain engagement with the public. Though the court heard arguments on Dobbs in December and the draft opinion leaked in May, the court has still not issued an opinion. Jonathan Turley, an attorney and professor at George Washington University Law School, argued the Supreme Court was attempting to drum up suspense. "Chief Justice Roberts always likes to put on a show and save the best decisions for the end of the court's session," Turley said. "The timing of the decision doesn't have as much to do with the court's safety" as much as it has to do with the 'wow factor' an opinion has on the American public, he added. June 22: News Max: Infrastructure group sees Biden gas tax holiday as being harmful Business groups see Joe Biden's proposed federal gas tax holiday as potentially doing more harm than good. The lobbyists representing manufacturers, construction contractors, and civil engineers criticized Biden's plan announced Wednesday, arguing the relief for consumers on rising gasoline prices will pale in comparison to the potential delays and resulting costs of stalled infrastructure programs paid through the Highway Trust Fund and funded by those gas taxes. June 21: The Washington Examiner: SCOTUS rules on vouchers to be used for religious schools in Maine A Supreme Court ruling Tuesday found Maine had violated the First Amendment's right to free exercise of religion by excluding religious schools from a limited school voucher program. While reaction from Democrats was limited, Republicans were quick to praise the court's landmark ruling in Carson v. Makin as a victory for religious freedom and for efforts to enact school choice. Senator Ben Sasse (R-NE) said "This is pretty simple: in America, the government can't treat people of faith like second-class citizens by letting public money go to some private schools, but not religious private schools. Maine has been discriminating against religious parents for four decades, and the Court is right to put an end to it." Sen. Ted Cruz (TR-X) said the ruling was "a massive win for families, the school choice movement, and for religious liberty." June 21: Fox News: Michigan Governor has an interesting way or referring to women: "menstruating people" In a recent Zoom event put on by the Michigan state Democrat Party, Governor Gretchen Whitmer (D-MI) referred to women as "menstruating people." She made the comment after being asked a question about a proposed amendment to the Michigan state constitution protecting access to abortion for its citizens should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. The proposal is an initiative that could appear on the Michigan ballot if it garners the minimum number of "certified" petition signatures July 11. Whitmer's comments appeared to be an attempt to further use of language many have criticized as "woke," such as when Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) referred to a woman as a "menstruating person" last year. Additionally, some have asked if this terminology is inadvertently excluding older women who have gone through menopause. June 20: The Washington Times: House Republicans plan on dealing with AG Garland for politicization of DOJ if they regain control of the House Republicans are preparing to take on Attorney General Merrick Garland if they win the House majority this year, including mulling impeachment, and several Department of Justice whistleblowers have come forward to help them. Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) Ranking member on the Judiciary Committee, said more than a half-dozen whistleblowers have come forward. "We just need to investigate and get all the facts right now," Mr. Jordan said, stressing that Republicans have not yet decided on what should be the appropriate action. "We're focused on getting the truth for the American people." Republican lawmakers say they are fed up with Garland for offenses including not enforcing laws against demonstrations at the homes of Supreme Court justices and allegedly using anti-terrorism resources to target parents who speak out at school board meetings. Other GOP members of the House Judiciary Committee said they are kicking around ideas for holding Garland accountable including impeachment, contempt charges and slapping restrictions on the department's funding. June 20: The Daily Caller: Left encourages a "Night of Rage" should the SCOTUS overturn Roe v. Wade Unsettling flyers have begun to appear throughout Washington D.C., warning of riots should the Supreme Court overturn Roe v. Wade. The flyer, which has circulated on social media warns of a "night of rage" should the high court overturn the landmark ruling as anticipated. "DC call to action. Night of rage. The night SCOTUS overturns Roe v. Wade HIT THE STREETS" the poster reads. The poster continues "to our oppressors, if abortions aren't safe you're not either. "The poster is signed "Jane's Revenge," a pro-abortion advocacy group that has taken responsibility for several attacks on pro-life organizations. June 20: One America News Network: State Attorney Generals fight Biden's threat to withhold funding for school districts that fail to enfold gender identity agenda Several Republican state attorneys general are criticizing Joe Biden for imposing a policy, which would withhold funding from schools that discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation and gender identity. (Video) June 19: The Washington Examiner: Biden uses emergency powers and DPA to further his "green agenda" Joe Biden has leaned heavily on the Defense Production Act (DPA) since taking office to increase supplies of everything from COVID-19 tests to baby formula and insulation. He's also tapping into the fund provided by the law to advance some of his "green" energy priorities, whose progress has been stalled in Congress, and is considering doing so again in an attempt to deal with the consequences of the nation's shortage of oil refining capacity. Support for Biden's use of the DPA has been bipartisan in some cases, such as with his using it to boost production of critical minerals, and some lawmakers have urged him to use DPA authorities in areas he's declined to, thus far. Congress passed the DPA and it was signed into law by President Harry Truman after the Korean War began in 1950. This law (part of which is administered by the agency I worked for – The Bureau of Industry and Security of the Department of Commerce) gives the federal government authority to require private industry to give "head of the line" privileges to federal contracts dealing with the defense industrial base. The scope of this authority has since been expanded and has been employed for responding to natural disasters and terrorist attacks. June 18: News Max: Ben Carson; Nation has "schizophrenia" when it comes to God The nation has a "schizophrenia" when it comes to the issue of God, considering there are people who believe religion should not be discussed, former Secretary of Department of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson said. "When you stop and you think about it, our founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, talked about certain unalienable rights given to us by our creator, aka God," he continued. "We are one nation under God. In many courtrooms, it says, 'In God, we trust.' In every coin in the pocket in the building, it says, 'In God, we trust." And yet you have people saying you're not supposed to talk about God in public." The United States, he said, needs to "go back to recognizing those values that created the kind of country that we have," he added. His comments came after former President Trump, addressing the Faith and Freedom Coalition in Nashville, Tennessee, predicted that conservative Christian values will have a major impact on the midterm elections and said that in the United States, "we don't worship government. We worship God." ![]() Earlier this week, with his administration struggling under the weight of rampant inflation, Joe Biden tried to assuage Americans' fears, telling The Associated Press that a recession is not an inevitability. This, though he acknowledged the public is "really, really down" after a tumultuous two-year pandemic, economic volatility and record-high gas prices. "First of all, it's not inevitable," he said about predictions America is hurtling toward recession. "Secondly, we're in a stronger position than any nation in the world to overcome this inflation." But rosy predictions aside, it seems a majority of Americans don't just think we're headed toward economic recession. We're already there, they say glumly. Indeed, 53% of Americans said the U.S. has already entered into a recession in the latest IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index. Only 20% said they believed the economy was not in a recession, with 25% responding as unsure. ![]() Pro-life groups across the country are bracing themselves for future attacks from alleged pro-abortion protesters, saying authorities need to do more to stop vandalism and firebombing before they strike again in what has been more than a month-series of attacks. Dozens of pregnancy centers have been vandalized with graffiti and fire-bombings after the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion indicated Roe v. Wade may be overturned. Places of worship and Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh have also been targeted in the wave of attacks since May 2. Directors of the pregnancy centers, which offer free services to women who are considering not having an abortion, are calling on the federal authorities to launch thorough investigations. June 17: The Washington Examiner: Hungry vetoes EU adoption of global corporate minimum tax; dealing a blow to one of Biden's initiatives Hungary has thrown cold water on the European Union's plan to adopt a 15% corporate minimum tax, dealing a blow to EU leadership and the Biden administration. The plan is part of a broader push for a global minimum tax, which has support from Joe Biden and Treasury Secretary Yellen. The proposal was agreed to last October by nearly 140 countries, although implementation requires each country, or bloc of countries in the case of the EU, to codify it individually. June 17: The Daily Caller: January 6 Theater (hearings) are pushing swing state voters away from supporting Democrats, a report says Republican voters in Nevada who watched the Jan. 6 Select Committee hearings labeled them "reprehensible" and "disgusting" while becoming more supportive of former President Donald Trump, NBC News reported Friday. "It might as well be impeachment No. 3 for Donald Trump," Judy Cameron, a retiree in Reno and Republican primary voter said. "This is their big push to get Donald Trump off the ballot." The voters in the swing state, instead directed their anger towards the select committee, which reportedly has shifted its focus to persuading the Justice Department to file charges and to make changes to the Electoral Count Act. "It's all political and designed to try to prevent Donald Trump from running for president again," Tom Berenato of Clark County said to NBC News, pointing to the exclusion of opposing views by Pelosi. June 17: The Washington Examiner: Senator Cornyn booed at Texas state Republican convention over his involvement in gun control legislation Sen. John Cornyn (R-TX) was booed during an appearance at the Texas Republican Party convention over his participation in gun reform negotiations following a slew of deadly mass shootings. Video, posted to special media on Friday by a Houston Chronicle reporter, showed some people clapping, but they were mostly drowned out by boos and some chants as the senator closed out his remarks. From a source in the room: "The video doesn't do it justice. It was really bad." There is a growing conservative backlash against Cornyn. "No red flags" and "Don't take our guns" were among the phrases chanted. June 16: The Galveston County Daily News: We have a two-tiered justice system and red flag laws, if we have them at all, should be at the State, not the federal level With recent mass shootings, politicians are looking for solutions with a few of them attempting to balance their proposals against preserving 2nd Amendment rights. On August 28, 2019, we wrote a column about Red Flag Laws, cautioning about the unintended consequences of enacting such measures. For example, defendants are forced to take on the burden of proving they aren't a "danger." They're guilty unless they can prove they're not likely to commit some "dangerous" act in the future. This, in itself, is a dangerous legal road to travel. It's clear our nation currently has a two-tiered justice system [see examples] which appears to be politically motivated. So, given this by way of a backdrop, do we really want to give the Federal government the authority to act under Red Flag laws? We say no. June 16: Fox News: Pelosi pressed on her pro-abortion rhetoric and violence House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) was pressed on Thursday whether Democrats' rhetoric about the leaked Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade. is fueling violence against churches and pro-life clinics. Pelosi was asked by reporters at her daily press conference whether she believes the rhetoric coming from the blue party is what is driving the attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers and churches plaguing the country. The speaker — a Catholic who was denied communion by the San Francisco archbishop for her pro-abortion views — did not condemn the attacks, instead saying the politicization of the abortion issue "is uniquely American." "Well, let me just say this: a woman has a right to choose. To live up to her responsibility is up to her, her doctor, her family, her husband, her significant other, and her God," the speaker said. June 16: The Washington Examiner: Russian spy caught trying to embed himself in international court investigating Russian war crimes in Ukraine A Russian spy has been caught trying to embed himself within the international tribunal investigating alleged Russian war crimes in Ukraine. The operation featured a 37-year-old Russian military intelligence officer who cultivated "a well-constructed cover identity" as a Brazilian national, according to Dutch intelligence officials. The man intended to begin an internship with the International Criminal Court, which has opened an investigation in Ukraine, as the Dutch government noted. The man, whom Dutch officials identified as Sergey Vladimirovich Cherkasov, portrayed himself as a child of poverty whose biological mother died in childbirth. Her putative nationality is redacted, in the letter that Dutch officials accused the man of drafting to support his story, but the narrative implies that she was German — presumably to account for the difference between his "looks and [his] accent" and more conventional Brazilian characteristics. June 16: The Daily Caller: Ginni Thomas (wife of Justice Clarence Thomas) says she looks forward to clearing up misconceptions of the Jan 6th committee "Ginni" Thomas, wife of Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, told the Daily Caller on Thursday that she "can't wait to clear up misconceptions" amid news that the January 6 House Select Committee plans to seek her testimony. Committee Chair Bennie Thompson (D-MS) has said they "think it's time that we, at some point, invite her [Thomas] to come talk to the committee." "I can't wait to clear up misconceptions. I look forward to talking to them," Thomas told the Caller in response to the news, suggesting she would comply with a request to testify. The focal point is a text Thomas sent to John Eastman, a conservative attorney who assisted Trump in his 2020 election. The text of the message sent to Eastman is shown here: Hope you are back to health – I heard John had COVID and yet I heard John interviewed lately by Larry O'Connor – YAY! You are doing an unbelievably great job at clarifying the situation! 1. Could you present a status update to a group of grassroots state leaders on Tuesday, Dec 8th at 3:00 ET to a gathering call Frontliners that [redacted] helps me with (I am on sabbatical until this election stuff is resolved…so she is managing much of the agenda and meeting for us). 2. Is your mailing address for Christmas cards still in [redacted] or have you moved? Many thanks! And God's blessings on you all! June 16: The Washington Examiner: Prosecutors accuse Jan 6 committee of hindering their criminal investigation Federal prosecutors at the Justice Department chided the House select committee investigating the Capitol breach for withholding hundreds of key transcripts potentially pertinent to DOJ's criminal inquiries. Reiterating pleas from April in a letter to the panel Wednesday, prosecutors stressed that the January 6 committee's failure to share the documents is stymieing its legal efforts against Capitol rioters. The letter represents the latest flare-up in tensions that have reportedly been simmering between prosecutors and the Jan. 6 committee for weeks. ![]() Taiwan foreign minister warns China is preparing for war Taiwan sees "a very threatening China these days" and Taiwan Foreign Minister Joseph Wu said his country is preparing to be invaded. "We try to prepare for an event that China may launch war against Taiwan," he said. "From what we see recently, China seems to be gearing up its military preparations." Wu points to the "evidence" of China's military buildup, including naval exercises east of Taiwan for two weeks in early May and air exercises in Taiwan's airspace. Also, China has been more and more emboldened on the Taiwan Strait not being international waterway, a point of contention the U.S. has been forward in contesting of late. The Chinese Communists say that the "medium line" half way down the straight doesn't exist because Taiwan belongs to them. June 15: News Max Finance: Fed raises rates by .75%, the highest increase since 1994 The Federal Reserve on Wednesday intensified its drive to tame high inflation by raising its key interest rate by three-quarters of a point — its largest hike in nearly three decades — and signaling more large rate increases to come that would raise the risk of another recession. The move the Fed announced after its latest policy meeting will increase its benchmark short-term rate, which affects many consumer and business loans, to a range of 1.5% to 1.75%. The central bank is ramping up its drive to tighten credit and slow growth with inflation having reached a four-decade high of 8.6%, spreading to more areas of the economy and showing no sign of slowing. Americans are also starting to expect high inflation to last longer than they had before. This sentiment could embed an inflationary psychology in the economy that would make it harder to bring inflation back to the Fed's 2% target. June 15: Fox News: Climate 'Czar' Kerry; absolutely no need to drill for more oil and gas in the U.S. Twitter users reacted to Biden climate Czar John Kerry's assertions that the U.S. "absolutely" does not need to drill for more oil and gas amid an ongoing energy crisis and record-high gas prices, lambasting him for being "out of touch" and for prompting a strategy that is not "feasible." Kerry, speaking at USC, railed against fossil fuels, saying energy security concerns are "driving" complaints that the U.S. needs to perform more domestic drilling and return to coal. "No, we don't," he said. "We absolutely don't. And we have to prevent a false narrative from entering into this…" Gasbuddy writer Patrick De Haan commented, "let's see [your] private jet fly on solar please." Others said "Relying on foreign oil imports while pretending to use wind & solar is not a feasible strategy." June 15: The Texas Scorecard: TX Supreme Court disagrees with Dem interpretation of absentee ballot "solicitation" A Texas Supreme Court ruling on what it means to "solicit" mail-ballot applications rejects an interpretation sought by Democrats suing to block new election integrity laws that punish officials who push people to vote by mail. Friday's ruling responds to questions sent to the state's high court by the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. The appeals court is reviewing a preliminary injunction in Longoria vs. Paxton, a federal lawsuit that pits Harris County's disgraced Democrat Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria against Texas' Republican Attorney General Ken Paxton. Longoria's lawsuit involves a "pre-enforcement" challenge to two Texas Election Code provisions enacted last year. Under one new section of the code (276.016) it's a felony if a public or election official acting in an official capacity knowingly "solicits the submission of an application to vote by mail from a person who did not request an application." Another new section (31.129) creates a civil penalty for officials who violate the anti-solicitation law. The Texas court ruled on Friday that "soliciting" voters to submit mail-in ballot applications includes seeking applications from voters who are ineligible to vote by mail or who don't request an application. June 15: The Washington Examiner: WI election investigator slapped with $2,000 daily fine for contempt of court Michael Gableman, the special counsel overseeing Wisconsin's inquiry of the 2020 election, was slapped with a $2,000-per-day contempt fine Wednesday. Dane County Circuit Judge Frank Remington delivered a blistering rebuke of Gableman for his conduct and ordered him to pay the fine until he proves that he turned over all the documents requested by watchdog group American Oversight in compliance with prior court rulings. "Wisconsin demands more from its attorneys," Remington wrote. "Gableman's demeaning conduct has discredited the profession and every other person sworn 'to commit themselves to live by the constitutional processes of our system." June 15: Fox News: WI Association of School Boards cuts ties with NSBA With the Wisconsin Association of School Boards' (WASB) decision to cut ties with the National School Boards Association (NSBA), more than half of the nation's state school board associations have withdrawn from the group since it sent a letter to the Justice Department to investigate parents for "domestic terrorism." "Parents have seen the inside of the public school beast and understand better than ever who is feeding this beast, and are responding with a loud voice of not my child, not on my watch," Moms for America Senior Director Quisha King said. "US State school boards associations are seeing the reactions of parents in many ways, from speaking up at school board meetings to getting their children out of these classrooms and state school boards know they do not want more problems with parents across America." June 14: News Max: GOP picks up Congressional seat in the valley, may be short lived with new district lines this November Republicans gained a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives on Tuesday when Mayra Flores edged out Democrat Dan Sanchez in the Texas District 34 [located in the Rio Grande valley] special election. With 95% of the ballots counted Flores had 51% of the vote to Sanchez's 43%, while two other candidates made up the difference. The election was held using the pre-census district lines with a heavily Hispanic constituency. But Flores' seat could be short-lived since redistricting will make the district even more Democrat-friendly this November, when she'll have to defend the seat again. The election was held to replace former Democratic Rep. Filemon Vela, who stepped down earlier this year. June 14: Fox News: House passes SCOTUS protection measure with 27 Dems opposing it After delaying for over a month, the House passed a bill Tuesday to increase security for Supreme Court justices' and their immediate families, with 27 Democrats voting against. The vote occurred about a week after a man was arrested for allegedly plotting to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh. The bill that's now headed to Joe Biden's desk for final approval provides 24x7 protection for all Supreme Court justices and their families, similar to what is already provided for some members of the executive and legislative branches. The vote was 396 – 27 and had passed the Senate by unanimous consent in May of this year. June 13: Fox News: January 6th hearing nothing more than a televised news release; Brit Hume This one last week was absolutely extraordinary because the normal way in which you conduct a hearing, whether in court or in the halls of Congress, is that you have members of both sides of different viewpoints. And the witnesses are put on to do their testimony, and then their testimony is challenged by cross-examination. There were no such witnesses last week except for a couple. What there was really kind of a televised press release with soundbites. I've never seen anything quite like it in my life, and I certainly never imagined bac: in the day when I was working for one of the broadcast networks' news divisions, that such an event would ever be put on primetime television by one of the networks. And in this case, it was done by all of them. Quite remarkable. ![]() Ohio eases requirements for teachers to carry firearms in schools Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine (R) on Monday signed a bill that significantly lowers the amount of training that teachers and other school staffers must undergo in order to carry a firearm on school grounds. "In life we make choices, and we don't always know what the outcome is going to be," the governor said. "What this Legislature has [does is give] schools an option based on their particular circumstances to make the best decision they can make with the best information they have. That's all any decision-maker can do." DeWine said earlier this month that the legislation will enable "local school districts, if they so choose, to designate armed staff for school security and safety." June 13: The Epoch Times: Pro-abortionists block streets in Washington; trying to make a statement, but what are they really saying by their actions? Some 80 pro-abortion protesters descended on Washington on June 13 to block streets and make known their opposition to the court's looming decision on Roe v. Wade. "Whose courts? Our courts!" some of the protesters chanted, as they held a sign saying "Our Home Is On Fire." "We are not your incubator. [expletive] the court and the legislature," another chant went. Metropolitan Police Department officers and U.S. Capitol Police officers were standing on Monday outside the Supreme Court and walls were erected around the building in May. Protesters blocked several streets outside the court, and have said their intention was to block the entrances so justices could not enter. But heavy police presence at the rear of the court made it impossible for activists to reach the entrance. No arrests appear to have been made, even though federal law prohibits picketing or parading near a building housing a federal court with "the intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer, in the discharge of his duty." The protestors threatened at least one reporter who recounted their pre-march meetings in which they said they were not opposed to violent actions. June 13: The Washington Examiner: The leftwing pro-abortionist inflict violence across the nation Violence and threats against the anti-abortion movement have increased in recent weeks as the SCOTUS prepares to issue opinions in a landmark abortion case. An alleged assassin targeted attack on Justice Brett Kavanaugh generated headlines this week after police say they arrested an armed man near the justice's family home. But attacks against crisis pregnancy centers, some of them faith-based, have risen steadily since the leak of a draft opinion in the case Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization, which suggested the court is considering overturning the legal precedent that prevents states from banning abortion. The Examiner's review identified recent incidents of arson, vandalism, or both at at least 13 anti-abortion centers across the country. In one such case an alleged arson of a crisis pregnancy center in Buffalo, New York, destroyed much of a Christian pregnancy center and injured two of the firemen who responded to it. Other incidents are under investigation including Keizer, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin. Police have yet to make arrests. June 13: The Epoch Times: Ethics complaint filed against Michigan Congressional Democrat Michigan Democrat Rep. Elissa Slotkin is named in a complaint filed with the House Ethics Committee by a non-profit government watchdog, citing a video in which the congresswoman appears to ask a political action committee (PAC) for campaign contributions. "On May 11, 2022, Rep. Slotkin attended a virtual meeting of the Jewish Democratic Council of America (JDCA). She appears to have attended the meeting from her congressional office, presumably with congressional office equipment, with her congressional staffer present, and during the meeting discussed campaign strategy and solicited campaign contributions," the Washington-based Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) said in the complaint filed June 9. June 13: Fox News: AG Garland under pressure to enforce the law prohibiting protests outside SCOTUS justices' residences Attorney General Merrick Garland is facing growing political pressure to enforce federal law that prohibits picketing outside SCOTUS justices' homes for the purpose of influencing a decision. The law states that any individual who "pickets or parades" with the "intent of interfering with, obstructing, or impeding the administration of justice, or with the intent of influencing any judge, juror, witness, or court officer" near a U.S. court or "near a building or residence occupied or used by such judge, juror, witness, or court officer" will be fined, or "imprisoned not more than one year, or both." The Biden administration has encouraged protesting outside of Supreme Court justices' homes over the leaked abortion decision so long as it remains peaceful. Garland's DOJ, meanwhile, has yet to bring any charges against protesters. June 13: The Washington Examiner: We will defend Taiwan against aggression, SecDef declares at Singapore conference The two defense chiefs met privately face-to-face in Singapore on the sidelines of the Shangri-La defense conference Friday, and then came out swinging in public speeches over the weekend. It was the first in-person meeting between American Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chinese Defense Minister Gen. Wei Fenghe as tensions rise between the U.S. and China over Beijing's expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea and the future of Taiwan, which China vows to "reunite" with the Chinese mainland. The meeting lasted about an hour and focused mainly on Taiwan. "Our policy is unchanged and unwavering," Austin said. "We remain firmly committed to our long-standing one-China policy … We categorically oppose any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side. As a part of our one-China policy, we will continue to fulfill our commitments under the Taiwan Relations Act. That includes assisting Taiwan in maintaining a sufficient self-defense capability," he said. "And it means maintaining our own capacity to resist any use of force or other forms of coercion that would jeopardize the security or the social or economic system of the people of Taiwan." June 12: The Epoch Times: Proposed bipartisan Senate gun control framework announced A bipartisan group of senators on June 12 announced a legislative package of gun control measures that include more resources for mental health needs, school safety, and more. The proposal has the support of 10 Republican senators, which is needed in the 50–50 Senate to overcome any legislative filibuster. It was praised, notably, by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY), a longtime proponent of gun control measures. The plan calls for an "enhanced review process" for younger gun buyers. For buyers under 21 years of age, it requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement. The bill also will provide support for state crisis intervention, protections for domestic violence victims, funding for school-based mental health and supportive services, investment in children and family mental health services, clarification of the definition of federally licensed firearms dealer, penalties for "straw purchasing" of guns, and telehealth investments. It also includes a red flag provision allowing for "resources to states and tribes to create and administer laws that help ensure deadly weapons are kept out of the hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others. Red flag laws have been described as unconstitutional because they violate the due process clause of that document. There was no mention of more controversial provisions that have been proposed by some Democrats, including unilateral bans on semi-automatic rifles or bans on magazines that hold more than 10 rounds. ![]() A second Russian general is reportedly dead after heavy fighting in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region over the weekend. Lt. Gen. Roman Berdnikov, formerly the commander of Russian troops in Syria, is believed to have died Sunday, possibly in the same battle that killed Russian Major General Roman Kutuzov. The generals were in an armored column that was ambushed by Ukrainian forces, possibly on a bridge somewhere in the Donbas, according to the report. The exact details of the exchange are not yet known. Berdnikov's death has not been confirmed by Russian state-run outlets or the Kremlin. If confirmed, the death of such a senior leader would be a blow to Russia's stated goal of occupying the Donbas, despite the success of the Kremlin's offensive in the northern half of the region in recent days. Kutuzov's death was confirmed Sunday by Russian state media journalist Alexander Sladkov. He did not provide any details as to the location of the attack that killed the general, nor did he mention Berdnikov's death. June 11: Fox News: Federal Judge strikes down another Biden Admin immigration policy A federal judge on Friday struck down the Biden administration's restrictions on Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) which dramatically limits which illegal immigrants the agency can arrest and deport -- marking the latest legal defeat for the Biden administration on immigration policy. Texas Judge Drew Tipton, responding to a lawsuit filed by Texas and Louisiana which said the rules violated federal law, shut down the policy but stayed the implementation of the ruling for seven days to give the Biden administration time to appeal. The administration in September issued a memorandum that made official prior guidance that limited ICE agents to focusing on three groups of illegal immigrants: Recent border crossers, threats to national security and threats to public safety. The agency has also told agents to consider factors like military service. June 10: The Epoch Times: West VA notifies six banks they may be violating the state's anti-fossil fuel boycott statute Six banks have been warned by the West Virginia State Treasury that they may be in violation of a new law preventing the state from doing business with financial institutions boycotting energy companies. The office said it had sent out letters on June 10, but did not share the banks' names on the record. Enacted in March 2022, the law directs the state to notify financial institutions that they are slated for placement on the restricted financial institution list 45 days before the document is published. Those institutions must respond within 30 days of receiving those notification letters to avoid winding up on the list. In June 2021, Texas passed a similar law barring state agencies from investing in funds boycotting energy companies. "We felt like we had a clear conflict of interest," said West Virginia Treasurer Riley Moore at a June 8 press conference. ![]() Prices faced by U.S. consumers rose to 8.6% in May, defying expectations that inflation had peaked in March and indicating that the Federal Reserve's task of bringing it back under control will be much more challenging than Biden officials anticipated. Compared with April, prices rose one percent. Inflation hit a four-decade high of 8.557 percent in March and moved down to 8.3 percent in April. Economists had expected inflation to tick down to 8.2 percent in May. This is the twelfth straight month of inflation above 5 percent and it has happened on the Biden Administration's watch and some would say because of his energy policies and massive spending. Excluding food and energy, prices were up six percent compared with a year ago, more than the 5.9 percent anticipated. On the month, prices rose 0.6 percent, matching last month's gain and beating the expectation for a slowdown. June 10: The Epoch Times: Mortgage Rates hit the roof; applications drop like a rock Average long-term mortgage rates in the United States have jumped after almost a month of declines as the Federal Reserve looks all set to raise interest rates in its upcoming meeting. A year ago, the interest rate on a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage was just 2.96%. Until April, the interest rate had not breached the 5 percent level in over a decade. The rising interest rate is coinciding with a drop in mortgage applications. According to data from the Mortgage Bankers Association (MBA), the volume of mortgage applications fell by 6.5% for the week ending June 3 compared to a week earlier. June 10: Fox News: Media, Democrat rhetoric toward Kavanaugh and other SCOTUS justices under scrutiny after attempted assassination Democratic politicians and their allies in the media have come under scrutiny for incendiary rhetoric in regard to the Supreme Court, protests, and Justice Brett Kavanaugh, who recently came under threat of violence/assassination from an armed man. Nicholas John Roske, 26, of Simi Valley, California, had a gun, ammunition, a knife, pepper spray, a screwdriver, zip ties, and other gear when he was arrested by Montgomery County Police Wednesday morning, according to a criminal complaint. The media reacted in a variety of different ways to the news, but never highlighted their own instances of charged language as a possible motivator for the assassination attempt. Media analyst Joe Concha called the media disinterest in Kavanaugh's attacker both "sad and pathetic." Referring to the inflammatory language used by Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) he said, "If a Republican senator or lawmaker had attacked a liberal Justice like Sotomayor or Kagan or Jackson, declared without ambiguity that 'they will pay the price,' it is virtually guaranteed you would see wall-to-wall coverage if an attempt was made on their lives." ![]() pleads guilty to election fraud A former U.S. congressman from Philadelphia has pleaded guilty to several election fraud charges, including bribery and falsification of voting records, according to the Justice Department. Former Rep. Michael Myers (D-PA), 79, admitted to bribing an election judge (Demuro. Demuro) in Philadelphia, to illegally add votes for certain individuals, including candidates for federal and state offices. Both Democrats, supported fellow Democratic candidates. Myers would receive payments from the candidates by cash or check, and send a portion of the funds to Demuro. Demuro was charged separately and pleaded guilty in May 2020. The judge of elections for the 39th Ward, 36th Division in South Philadelphia would then add fraudulent votes for Myers's clients. "At Myers's direction, Demuro would add these fraudulent votes to the totals during Election Day, and then would later falsely certify that the voting machine results were accurate," the DOJ said in a statement. The fraud took place during elections starting in 2014 and going through 2018, authorities said. June 9: The Washington Times: Biden does nothing to address the Chinese tsunami of trade in Latin America at the Summit of the Americas Hopes that the United States could seize on the Summit of the Americas this week to counter China's growing influence and investment clout in Latin America appear to be falling flat, and the Biden administration may have itself to blame. In speeches at the summit, neither Biden nor Kamala Harris made a single direct mention of China or the tsunami of trade and infrastructure lending deals companies linked to the communist regime have struck with governments across the region over the past decade. Additionally, the official State Department schedule for the Los Angeles gathering of heads of state from across the Western Hemisphere also made no mention of China, despite a chorus of regional analysts who say expanding Chinese influence risks turning Latin America into a strategic liability for Washington. June 9: The Daily Caller: The US is almost completely dependent on China for key ingredients used in making ammunition The U.S. military depends almost completely on China for a mineral essential to the production of ammunition and other defense products, Defense News reported Wednesday. The House Armed Services Committee released draft legislation on Wednesday, which would require a briefing on the antimony supply by October and a five-year outlook on supply chain vulnerabilities. The U.S. has no domestic mine for the mineral antimony [defined as a metalloid element with atomic number 51 that commonly occurs in a brittle, metallic, silvery white crystalline form and that is used especially in alloys], which is reportedly used in the production of night vision goggles, armor-piercing bullets, explosives and nuclear weapons. "China in particular does a remarkably good job of hoarding these materials," Rep. Seth Moulton (D-MA), a member of the House Armed Services Committee, said. "China clearly has a comprehensive global strategy to corner the market on these materials and we're behind and we're playing catch-up." In 2020, reportedly approximately half of the antimony mined originated in China, Russia and Tajikistan. June 9: News Max: Fact Check on Cheney's claim that Trump did not condemn breaching the Capitol In her opening remarks Thursday night, Rep. Liz Cheney (R-WY) claimed then-President Donald Trump "did not condemn the attack," but he in fact did in a video which Twitter quickly blocked, along with an Oval Office address a week later. Also, Cheney used Trump's words of "love in the air," as the House Jan. 6 Select Committee showed protesters breaching the U.S. Capitol Building on Jan. 6, 2021, but those words were taken out of context, because they were made about the Stop the Steal rally, and not aimed at those breaching the Capitol during the joint session of Congress. Trump, in fact, urged peace and that the protestors "go home." "'I know your pain. I know you're hurt,' Trump said in the 62 second video that Twitter quickly blocked. 'We had an election that was stolen from us. It was a landslide election … But you have to go home now. We have to have peace. We have to have law and order. We have to respect our great people in law and order. We don't want anybody hurt.' June 9: The Washington Times: Dems attempt to pin the Jan 6th storming of the Capitol on Trump; fail to mention he had authorized 20,000 national guard troops four days prior to the incident Democrats eager to convince the public of President Trump's so-called guilt in provoking the Jan. 6, 2021, incursion at the U.S. Capitol staged a prime-time hearing Thursday to lay out a case that he had attempted to overturn the presidential election, resulting in the incident. It was the first of several prime-time hearings to be conducted by a committee created last year by House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA). Republicans have denounced the inquiry as a political witch hunt especially given documentation that Trump had offered and authorized the use of up to 20,000 nation guard troops to assist in maintaining security at the U.S. Capitol. One question that was not addressed is why would Trump authorize the use of the national guard if he was trying to insight the storming of the Capitol and also why Pelosi and Senator Chuck Schumer (D-NY) declined Trump's offer of assistance. Critics are also asking questions as to why the House Democrat Leadership authorized the hiring of a Hollywood producer to script the public presentation and the funds used for that purpose. Meanwhile according to the Washington Examiner, Fox News' host Tucker Carlson tore into the House select committee for dredging up the past while the U.S. has "never in its history been closer to a nuclear war." "In the 18 months since January 6, gas prices have doubled, drug [overdoses] have reached their highest point ever, U.S. economy is now [heading for a] devastating recession," he told his listeners during his opening monologue Thursday. "And scariest and least noted of all, this country has never in its history been closer to a nuclear war. Yet the other networks couldn't be bothered to cover any of that tonight." Taking note of how Fox News has opted not to run the prime-time spectacle, Carlson chided other networks for carrying the hearing live, dismissing the hearings as a "propaganda lie." June 8: Fox News: Former Obama official said Biden's "reckless riffs" and foreign policy gaffes "have unnecessarily undermined" the U.S. Former Director of Global Engagement for the Obama White House Brett Bruen declared Tuesday that Joe Biden's "reckless riffs" and foreign policy gaffes "have unnecessarily undermined our standing and irresponsibly handed propaganda points to our adversaries." In a USA Today article Bruen said, "I used to cringe when Vice President Joe Biden took to the podium. Despite all the preparation that went into an event and his remarks, as a staffer on the National Security Council, you never quite knew what he might say." "At times, his offhanded comments could spice up what otherwise would be a pretty boring policy address. Yet, there were other times, too many times, when it could veer into dangerous terrain," he continued. June 8: The Epoch Times: California man tries to murder Justice Kavanaugh over Roe v. Wade The California man accused of attempting to murder Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh made his first court appearance on June 8 in federal court. Nicholas John Roske, 26, appeared in court hours after being arrested with a Glock 17 pistol and a tactical knife in Chevy Chase, Maryland, near where Kavanaugh and his family reside, according to court documents. Roske was arraigned inside the federal courthouse in Greenbelt on a charge of attempted murder or threatening to murder a justice, which could land him 20 years in prison. Asked if he understood the charge against him, Roske said: "I think I have a reasonable understanding, but I wouldn't say I'm thinking clearly." ![]() A key Texas petroleum refinery that produces more than 200,000 barrels of fuel per day is facing a premature shutdown that could increase pressure on domestic fuel supplies. The Houston, Texas, facility — which spans 700 acres and was built in 1918 — is scheduled to permanently close by the end of 2023, but could shut down earlier if a "major equipment failure" spreads to major units, two people familiar with the issues said. The refinery processes 268,000 barrels per day (bpd) of oil and produces 92,600 bpd of diesel fuel, 89,000 bpd of gasoline and 44,500 bpd of jet fuel. "The Houston Refinery is currently operating as planned," the company said Tuesday. June 7: The Washington Examiner: Biden's social media staff costs taxpayers around $6.7 million Joe Biden's social media presence may be costing taxpayers millions of dollars per year, according to an analysis of White House personnel records and recent reporting about Biden's messaging challenges. A recent story detailing White house staff dysfunction included information attributed to spokesman Andrew Bates that more than 70 staffers help create and manage Biden's social media content. Based on salary data, the combined salary for 70 White House staffers would be roughly $6,695,436, not including equipment or other costs. June 6: News Max: Another high ranking Russian general killed in Ukraine invasion Another Russian general was killed in eastern Ukraine, a Russian state media journalist said on Sunday, adding to the string of high-ranking military casualties sustained by Moscow. The report did not say precisely when and where Major General Roman Kutuzov was killed. Russian forces have intensified attacks to capture Sievierodonetsk, a key city in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region that Moscow is targeting after failing to take the capital Kyiv early in the war. Britain's defense ministry said on Monday that Russia appeared to have suffered significant losses amongst mid- and junior-ranking officers in Ukraine. June 5: The Washington Examiner: Ratcliffe: Durham can expand indictments after Sussmann trial Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe voiced confidence in special counsel John Durham after the prosecutor lost the high-profile case against Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann. The Trump-era spy chief made a prediction on Sunday that Durham setting his focus on British ex-spy Christopher Steele's now-discredited anti-Trump dossier will serve as a turning point after critics piled on when the Sussmann trial ended in an acquittal. "I'm optimistic that not only will [Durham] be successful in some of the ongoing prosecutions, but can expand the indictments that he wants to bring given the involvement of certain FBI officials in spreading a false narrative to the American people," Ratcliffe contended. June 5: The Epoch Times: Census Bureau sued over intrusive annual survey questions Two U.S. citizens have filed a class-action lawsuit against the Census Bureau, claiming the long, detailed American Community Survey the agency requires millions to complete each year is illegal. The lawsuit comes as the U.S. Census Bureau comes under fire for significant miscounts in the 2020 census, with population numbers in six states being undercounted, while eight states saw an overcount. Republicans say the botched census count unfairly prevented Florida and Texas from each gaining a seat in the U.S. House of Representatives. President Trump tried to prevent the counting of illegal aliens so they wouldn't have an effect on the apportionment of political power among the states. The Supreme Court agreed with him on Dec. 28, 2020, allowing his administration to carry out his policy. But as the deadline approached Joe Biden, on inauguration day signed an executive order which reversed the Trump policy. The complaint was filed in Tacoma, Washington and assigned to U.S. District Judge David G. Estudillo, who was appointed in September of last year by Biden. The plaintiffs reside in Gig Harbor, Washington and Susanville, California. June 5: The Epoch Times: Is the FBI treating Republicans differently than Democrats? Questions raised as Navarro placed in leg irons by the FBI when arrested for a contempt of Congress charge Former White House aide Peter Navarro said FBI agents "put me in leg irons" after he was charged with contempt of Congress for refusing to comply with a House panel investigating the Jan. 6 Capitol breach. Speaking outside a federal courthouse in Washington on Friday, Navarro asked: "Who are these people? This is not America … I was a distinguished public servant for four years." He told reporters he wasn't informed that he needed to turn himself in, and was instead arrested while trying to get on a flight in Nashville. "They put me in leg irons, they stuck me in a cell" formerly occupied by John Hinckley, Navarro said. "What they did to me today violated the Constitution." Meanwhile, News Max reports the Navarro indictment shows a two tiered system that raises major constitutional issues. Legal experts say the indictment filed on Friday against former Trump White House official Peter Navarro is nothing more than a political witch hunt. Navarro was indicted on contempt charges after defying a subpoena from the Democrat-dominated House panel investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, breach of the U.S. Capitol. Under the subpoena, which was issued in February, Navarro was instructed to provide a deposition and documents to the committee. Because he refused, Navarro faces two counts. Each of the charges carries potential penalties of between 30 days and a year in jail and a fine of up to $100,000, according to the Department of Justice. June 4: Fox News: Delaware GOP sees opening to make gains in 2022 Republicans in Joe Biden's home state of Delaware held their convention on Saturday, sensing a renewed opportunity for electoral success in November as Democrats face trouble across the country and Biden's approval ratings sag. The convention was being held in the Rehoboth Convention Center, where Biden himself had spoken a day earlier to address May's jobs report. He was still at his residence in the city when the convention was taking place, and Republican delegates and candidates took the opportunity to march by the convention center, and later toward the beach itself, chanting an anti-Biden slogan and waving flags and banners. Some beach goers chanted along or beeped their car horns in support, while others expressed their disapproval at the display. June 4: The Jerusalem Post: France humiliates itself, Baltic and Eastern European nations convened Macron's stance has been repeatedly criticized by some eastern and Baltic partners in Europe, as they see it as undermining efforts to push Putin to the negotiating table. Ukraine rebuked French President Emmanuel Macron on Saturday for saying it was important not to "humiliate" Russia, a position Ukrainian foreign minister Dmitro Kuleba said "can only humiliate France." June 4: News Max: Report; Ukraine takes back some lost territory on its eastern front Ukrainian forces have recaptured around 20% of the territory they lost in the city of Sievierodonetsk during fighting with Russia, the head of the eastern region of Luhansk said on Friday. "Whereas before the situation was difficult, the percentage (held by Russia) was somewhere around 70%, now we have already pushed them back by approximately 20%," Serhiy Gaidai told national television. Russia has poured forces into the battle for the city which Moscow must capture to achieve its stated aim of holding all of Luhansk province. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Thursday said his country's forces had had some recent success there. Gaidai said the Russians were shelling Ukrainian positions for hours and then advancing, only to be driven back by defenders who had not been hurt, before repeating the pattern. "This is how they are moving forward, step-by-step, because with artillery, aircraft, mortars, they are simply destroying everything," he said. "But as soon as we have enough Western long-range weapons, we will push their artillery away from our positions." June 3: The Daily Caller: Wizard of Oz: Wins by razors edge; McCormick concedes Former hedge fund CEO Dave McCormick conceded to celebrity heart surgeon Dr. Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania's Republican primary Friday after a statewide recount. According to the Associated Press, before the recount, Oz led the race by 972 votes out of the 1.34 million counted in the May 17 primary. McCormick called Oz to concede after he realized he did not have the votes and vowed to back his candidacy. "It's now clear to me with the recount now largely complete that we have the nominee," McCormick said at a campaign party inside a hotel in Pittsburgh. "And today I called Mehmet Oz to congratulate him on his victory. June 3: The Washington Times: NY Republican decides against running again after he supports assault weapons ban Rep. Chris Jacobs (R-NY) is dropping his reelection bid after coming under fire from fellow Republicans for backing a ban on assault weapons. The New York Republican said his newfound views on gun control would make a re-election bid difficult and divisive. "The last thing we need is an incredibly negative, half-truth-filled media attack, funded by millions of dollars in special interest money coming into our community around this issue of guns and gun violence and gun control," he said in announcing his withdrawal from the race. June 3: The Washington Times: FBI's workspace at Dem-aligned law firm raises conflich-of-interest concerns The Times has learned the FBI has a personal workstation in the Washington office of Perkins Coie, a law firm with deep ties to the Democrat Party and a string of Democratic presidential campaigns. The relationship between the bureau and the Democratic-allied legal powerhouse adds to the fears of a politicized FBI that grew since its Crossfire Hurricane operation launched in 2016 to pursue conspiracy theories about Trump-Russia collusion. The workstation at Perkins Coie is one of several secure sites the FBI has scattered throughout Washington at private law firms, cyber security businesses, and third-party vendors. The stations, known as Sensitive Compartmented Information Facilities, or SCIFs, are designed for FBI officials and third parties to discuss and view sensitive materials without fear of spying or surveillance. June 3: The Washington Examiner: Putin fires five generals in purge of top commanders According to reports, Russian President Putin fired several generals and a top law enforcement official earlier this week. Since Russia's costly Feb. 24 invasion of Ukraine, Putin has purged numerous high-ranking military officials. Some have vanished from public view for weeks at a time, and others have reportedly been imprisoned for failures in Ukraine. Most recently, Gen. Aleksandr Dvornikov, the so-called Butcher of Syria, has not been seen in two weeks after being selected by Putin in April to oversee the war in Ukraine. His disappearance has led to speculation that he is no longer in command of the campaign. The United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense said earlier this month that Russia has fired or suspended some senior commanders for poor performance in Ukraine, including the commander of Russia's Black Sea Fleet after the sinking of the flagship Moskva and the general in charge of the failed takeover of Kharkiv. June 2: The Washington Examiner: Big win for DeSantis in FL Supreme Court Florida's Supreme Court declined to nix a lower court ruling leaving a GOP-friendly map touted by Gov. Ron DeSantis in place. Legal jousting over the congressional lines in Florida rendered the Sunshine State's apportionment one of the last outstanding questions in the decennial line-drawing process nationally, but the high court's decision Thursday to stay out of the fray for now seemingly ensures the DeSantis-backed map will remain intact for the 2022 midterm election cycle. Advocacy groups such as Black Voters Matter, Equal Ground Education Fund, and others petitioned the high court to stay, or temporarily suspend, a recent decision by the 1st District Court of Appeal last month that effectively reinstated the map. The appeals court decision stayed a prior circuit court order requiring a modified version of the map to be enacted that retained the current layout for the state's 5th Congressional District ahead of the midterm elections, a key pressure point during redistricting negotiations. June 2: Fox News: Biden Administration experienced a week from hell with three damming reports from the media on disharmony in the White House Joe Biden was hit with not one, not two, but three damning reports that shed light on turmoil erupting in the executive mansion, all having a common theme that the mounting issues plaguing his tenure were not self-inflicted by his administration. NBC News kicked this off with a report headlined, "Inside a Biden White House adrift," telling readers, "Amid a rolling series of calamities and sinking approval ratings, the president's feeling lately is that he just can't catch a break — and that angst is rippling through his party." NBC News began its report. "Biden is rattled by his sinking approval ratings and is looking to regain voters' confidence that he can provide the sure-handed leadership he promised during the campaign, people close to the president say." On Tuesday evening, the Washington Post dropped its report titled, "White House scrambles on inflation after Biden complains to aides," claiming the president "fumes privately that administration isn't doing enough to show concern on high prices." Then on Thursday, CNN followed suit with its headline, "Beneath Biden's struggle to break through is a deeper dysfunction among White House aides." The report began noting how White House staff monitor which media outlets cover the president, particularly which TV networks carry his speeches live, "realizing a number of times that the answer was none." One anonymous aide told CNN, "You are thinking… why are we doing this?" June 1: The Washington Times: A "distressingly" high level of young Democrats say they support the assignation of politicians More than half of Republicans believe the U.S. is drifting toward another civil war, according to a new poll released Wednesday by the Southern Poverty Law Center, which said it detected evidence of radicalization among both Democrats and the GOP. The survey, taken in late April and covering 1,500 adults, also found a distressingly high level of support for assassinating politicians whom the respondents believed were "harming the country or our democracy." Young Democratic men were the most agreeable to the idea, with 44% saying they could countenance such an assassination. Younger Republican women ranked second, with 40% approving of the idea. Older folks — defined as those 50 and older — were not fans of assassination, no matter their party or gender. June 1: One America News Network: Biden apparently not happy we staff's response to inflation Joe Biden is reportedly upset with his administration's handling of the highest inflation in decades. According to the Washington Post over the past several months Biden has privately sounded off about how White House aides are not sufficiently addressing inflation. He apparently told aides they are not doing enough to explain what is causing inflation how to reduce it. His reported frustration comes as recent polls indicate most Americans don't approve of his handling of inflation or the economy as a whole. Despite this, Biden administration economists have said the looming economic recession is nothing to worry about, and appear to be keeping their heads in the sand as the US economy is on its way to catastrophe. Several of Joe Biden's economic advisors tried to downplay the severity of rampant inflation and the choked supply chain. Brian Deese, Director of the National Economic Council, echoed the long defunct talking point that the economy is in a "transitory period." Federal Reserve chairman, Jerome Powell blasted officials for using that term last year. At that time, he said it was too late in the game to call the crisis transitory. That didn't stop Deese from downplaying the economic woes experienced at the hands of the Biden administration while also claiming the US economy is in a good place. ![]() show up to support raid San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin seized control of a burglary ring investigation developed by San Francisco police, but his efforts embarrassingly backfired when no one agreed to transport a suspect and evidence after the raid. The move backfired on Boudin when media reports surfaced that he resorted to renting a U-Haul to seize 130 banker's boxes of electronics, the San Francisco Police Officers Association (SFPOA) said. "Boudin is creating his own facts to save his political career," SFPOA President Tracy McCray said. "SFPD officers developed this case from the beginning. While we cannot reveal details of the investigation, the DA was insistent on marching ahead on his own timeline, on his own, even though that jeopardized aspects of the investigation." The far-left Boudin faces a recall election on June 7 over what is called a "criminals first" mandate that mirrors the approach of Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascon. The pair have adopted a policy of not pursuing aggressive prosecution for many crimes and refuse to contest parole. June 1: Fox News: Buying the youth vote? Biden cancels school loans for over 555,000 students and former students to the turn of $5.8 billion The Biden administration says it will cancel federal student loans for some 560,000 borrowers who attended the for-profit Corinthian College chain institutions. Under the new action, hundreds of thousands of students who attended the now-defunct chain will receive $5.8 billion in full loan discharges – the largest of its kind in the Department of Education's history. May 31: News Max: War Crimes talks over Russian invasion of Ukraine commence at the Hague Representatives of a group of nations working together to investigate war crimes in Russia's invasion of Ukraine are meeting in The Hague amid ongoing calls for those responsible for atrocities to be brought to justice. Tuesday's coordination meeting comes as Russian forces continue to pound Ukrainian towns. Moscow's invasion of Ukraine has been widely condemned as an illegal act of aggression. Russian forces have been accused of killing civilians in the Kyiv suburb of Bucha and of repeated attacks on civilian infrastructure including hospitals and a theater in the besieged city of Mariupol that was being used as a shelter by hundreds of civilians. An investigation by The Associated Press found evidence that the March 16 bombing killed close to 600 people inside and outside the building. May 31: The Daily Caller: Dems vote in Georgia GOP primary in order to block Trump-supported candidate Democratic voters from 2020 took part in the 2022 Republican primaries in Georgia to block a candidate endorsed by former President Donald Trump from winning, the left-leaning Associated Press reported Tuesday. AP reported Democrats in Georgia took advantage of a state election law allowing voters to vote in any primary of their choice regardless of their previous party affiliation in order to prevent Trump-endorsed candidates from making it on the general election ballot. Republican Georgia Rep. Jody Hice announced he would not seek reelection in the House of Representatives, but would instead run for Georgia Secretary of State. Trump endorsed him in the Republican primary against incumbent Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Reportedly over 37,000 Georgia voters who voted in the Democratic primary in 2020 chose to vote in the May 24 Republican primary. ![]() election officials from counting undated ballots by mail Supreme Court Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. temporarily blocked officials from counting undated mail-in ballots after a Republican candidate for a county judgeship took his election fight to the high court. David Ritter, who leads Democrat Zachary Cohen by 71 votes in their race for Lehigh County Court of Common Pleas, asked the high court in a filing to halt a lower court's decision that let officials count undated mail-in ballots, requesting the justices decide whether state election law runs afoul of federal law. The 3rd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had set aside Pennsylvania's law requiring mail-in ballots to be dated and signed, allowing potentially 257 undated ballots to be counted in the race between Mr. Ritter and Mr. Cohen. At issue in the legal fight has been the date — not the signature — with undated ballots that arrived on time having been counted during the 2020 election due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The state's highest court had permitted the undated ballots to be counted in 2020 when mail-in balloting surged due to the pandemic. But the justices signaled the court would not allow the change in future elections. The high court's move could potentially affect the tightly watched GOP primary senate race between celebrity doctor Mehmet Oz and businessman David McCormick. May 31: Fox Business: Yellen admits she was wrong about inflation, it's not temporary Secretary of the Treasury Janet Yellen admitted on Tuesday that she was wrong about the path inflation would take following months of public statements over its perceived threat. "I think I was wrong then about the path that inflation would take," she said in an interview. "As I mentioned, there have been unanticipated and large shocks to the economy that have boosted energy and food prices and supply bottlenecks that have affected our economy badly that I didn't at the time fully understand." She blamed COVID and the Russian invasion of the Ukraine for the miscalculation but choosing not to mention the impact Biden's actions – especially in the energy sector – have had on stoking the inflation firestorm people are experiencing. In March, Yellen appeared to contradict the White House when she said she was expecting another year of "uncomfortably high" inflation. May 30: News Max: NATO summit in Spain may be historic in strengthen the alliance NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Monday that next month's summit in Madrid will be a "historic" opportunity to strengthen the alliance in the face of Russian aggression against Ukraine on its eastern edge. Speaking at a gala in Madrid to mark Spain's 40th year as a NATO member, Stoltenberg said he looked forward to welcoming Sweden and Finland at the summit hosted by Spain's capital on June 29-30. "At the Madrid summit we will chart the way ahead for the next decade," Stoltenberg said. "We will also be joined by Finland and Sweden, who have just made historic applications to join our alliance. The Madrid summit is an important opportunity to reaffirm our NATO values." May 30: The Washington Times: Barr: Durham has uncovered "Seditious" Activity Former Attorney General Bill Barr said he believes special counsel John Durham is uncovering "seditious" activity. Even though the trial of Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann ended in an acquittal, it has shown how Hillary Clinton's 2016 presidential campaign and its allies spread theories attempting to tie rival Donald Trump to Russia in the final months of the election, providing false evidence for those who have long argued there was a so-called "Russiagate" plot to undermine Trump's candidacy and later his presidency. "I think whatever you think of Trump, the fact is that the whole "Russiagate" thing was a grave injustice. It appears to be a dirty political trick that was used first to hobble him and then potentially to drive him from office," Barr contended. ![]() built a new oil refinery in the past fifty years U.S. petroleum refining capacity has declined and few plants have been built thanks to the projected decline in fuel demand and increased burdensome regulations. Meanwhile prices at the pump have increased astronomically with less supply being available. "There was already some contraction happening in the industry as a result of projected declines in U.S. gasoline demand into the future and companies just deciding that the assets were better used as other projects or shut down completely," said Geoff Moody, the vice president of government relations at the American Fuel & Petrochemical Manufacturers. "They just throw lots of red tape at these folks," Dan Kish, a senior fellow at the Institute for Energy Research, said. Meanwhile the Daily Caller notes Biden is draining the strategic petroleum reserve and every day he does so gasoline prices increase. Oil and gasoline prices increased after each of Joe Biden's three Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) releases which were designed to curb consumer costs. Biden ordered a 50-million-barrel SPR release in November, a 30-million-barrel release on March 1 and a 180-million-barrel release on March 31, saying the "historic" actions would ease pressure felt by Americans at the pump. But marketplace and government data analyzed paint a very different picture. At the same time the SPR, which is supposed to be used for national emergencies (i.e., to fuel military ships and aircraft) keeps being drawn down and not replenished by the Administration. May 30: The Epoch Times: The US replaces China as India's top trading partner The United States has become India's top trading partner, ousting China from the spot and further cementing U.S. business ties with the South Asian superpower. According to the Indian commerce ministry, bilateral trade between Washington and New Delhi rose from $80.5 billion to $119.4 billion in the last year. That's an increase of more than 48 percent. India's trade with China also rose but remained lower than its commerce with the United States. China has been India's top trading partner for many years. According to experts, bilateral trade between the United States and India is poised to increase further as the nations seek to strengthen ties. Since India is home to 1.4 billion people with the fastest growing economy and the third-largest consumer market in the world, it offers tremendous business opportunities for U.S. and Indian firms. May 30: Fox News: Biden says no to longer range missile systems to Ukraine Joe Biden on Monday said the United States will not send rocket systems to Ukraine that could potentially reach into Russia, after reports that the administration was preparing to send long-range systems to the besieged European ally. Multiple outlets had reported that the administration was leaning toward sending Ukraine advanced long-range rocket systems which is currently fending off an invasion from Moscow and to which the U.S. is providing significant economic and military support. The Washington Post reported that the administration was mulling providing the Multiple Launch Rocket System (MLRS), which would allow Ukrainians to fire rockets much further than they are currently able. MLRS had reportedly been a top request from Ukrainian officials, who say they need it to stop the advance of Russian forces in the east, which has taken control of the key city of Lyman last week. May 30: News Max: Families of reluctant Russian soldiers reportedly being held as hostages Families of Russian troops refusing to carry out combat missions in Ukraine are reportedly being held hostage by the Russian military, Ukrainian Intelligence said. "If the occupiers refuse to perform combat missions, their wives and children are threatened with relocation to the depressed regions of the Far East," the Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense said. The report comes two days after more than 100 members of Russia's National Guard, Rosgvardia, were fired for "refusing" their assignments in Ukraine. The dismissal of 115 guardsmen surfaced last week after a Russian military court rejected their lawsuit to challenge the termination. The Guardian reports, the judge ruled that the soldiers were "refusing to perform an official assignment" and had returned to a duty station instead of carrying out their orders in Ukraine. Other Rosgvardia members were fired in March for the same reason, Reuters reports. Ukraine and Western officials have said that Russia's forces are suffering from severely low morale in what Moscow calls its special operation to disarm and "denazify" its neighbor. The West has cast it as a poorly executed, imperial-style land grab. May 30: The Epoch Times: Pelosi's Archbishop may have been passed over for a promotion after refusing the Speaker communion The archbishop who recently made waves by announcing that he was barring House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) from Communion due to her outspoken support of abortion may have been passed over in Pope Francis's latest cardinal assignments. The pope chose as a cardinal Bishop Robert McElroy of San Diego, who has previously said that bishops shouldn't forbid politicians who support abortion from taking Communion despite Catholic teachings being clear that abortion is a moral evil. McElroy was one of 21 cardinals named, but the only one from the United States. He received the promotion despite Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone—who denied Pelosi Communion—being of higher rank. McElroy said in a statement that he was "stunned and deeply surprised" by the appointment. May 29: The American Briefing: Judge allows Ohio to revert to the old Congressional maps After a bipartisan commission was unable to effectively enforce new redistricting rules, federal judges agreed to allow an old map that was previously declared unconstitutional. "Between the standoff among state officials and the delay in getting the case, our options were limited. So, we chose the best of our bad options," the federal court wrote in an order that moved the legislative primary to Aug. 2. It was initially scheduled for May 3. The map that's slated to be used this year gives Republicans at least a 54 percent share of seats in the state Legislature. It was declared invalid twice by the state Supreme Court. While this year's GOP-friendly map will be redrawn before the 2024 election, the short-term win for Republicans nonetheless exposed the flaws in a bipartisan redistricting process that advocates fought for years to reform. May 29: United Press International (UPI): Eroding professionalism in Russian officer corps could assist Ukrainian forces "Evidence of eroding military professionalism in the Russian officer corps is mounting," the Institute for the Study of War, a think tank based in Washington, D.C., said in an analysis late Saturday. "Waning professionalism among Russia's officers could present Ukrainian forces with opportunities. Russian morale, already low, may drop further if such behavior is widespread and continues." The analysis came as the Ukrainian Defense Ministry said in an operational update that its forces had repelled seven Russian attacks in the Donbas region in the past 24 hours. May 29: The Jerusalem Post: Iran showing off drone base Iranian media claimed over the weekend to show off a "secret" Iranian drone base. What is being kept secret is its location. Apparently, a kind of "drone city," this complex, houses numerous drones that are part of Iran's emerging drone program and the drones now have more advanced weapons. The reports of the drone base focus mostly on video and photos of the base that Iran has showcased. Supposedly located in the mountains, the facility includes an underground bunker that is large enough to drive through, which is organized so that drones can be moved into and out of it. May 29: The Daily Caller: Speaker Pelosi's husband allegedly arrested for DWI Paul Pelosi, the husband of Democrat Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, was reportedly arrested Saturday night in Napa County, California. Pelosi, 82, was allegedly taken into custody for one count of driving under the influence and one count of driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or higher, which are both misdemeanors in the state, The name and information on the arrest record align with the physical description of Pelosi, as well as his date of birth which is April 15, 1940. Pelosi was held on $5,000 bail, and it is unclear whether that has been paid at this time. May 28: Fox News: Armed West Virginia woman opens fire at gunman saving lives, police say A woman in West Virginia fatally shot a man Wednesday night who had begun firing a rifle into a crowd of dozens of people. Those present were attending a birthday and graduation party outside a Renaissance Circle apartment complex. According to authorities, Dennis Butler (the perp) had been at the apartment complex earlier in the evening in a vehicle and was warned to slow down because children were playing in the area. He left, but later returned and parked in front of the complex before the shooting. The woman was attending the West Virginia party. She drew a pistol and fired on Butler. No one attending the party was injured. The woman then waited for the police to arrive. "Instead of running from the threat, she engaged with the threat and saved several lives last night," Chief of Detectives Tony Hazelett told news outlets. Hazelett said no charges would be filed against the woman. May 28: The Daily Caller: Florida Sheriff; if you try to attack our school children my deputies will shoot you graveyard dead Polk County (FL) Sheriff Grady Judd made it crystal clear death awaits school shooters in his jurisdiction. After the horrific school shooting in Uvalde, Texas and the abysmal performance by police on the scene, there has been a lot of debate about what we can do to better protect kids. Well, the sheriff down in Florida made it very clear that the only thing waiting for school shooters is a bullet to the head. We're going to shoot you graveyard dead if you come onto a campus with a gun threatening our children or shooting at us," the Sheriff said. May 27: The Washington Examiner: Border Patrol agents take matters into their own hands to stop school shooter Federal agents ignored orders from local police and went after the shooter who killed19 children and two teachers at an elementary school in Uvalde, Texas, on Tuesday. Border Patrol agents took matters into their own hands after waiting roughly 30 minutes to lead a "stack" formation of officers inside Robb Elementary School, federal law enforcement officials told NBC News. A member of BORTAC, or the Border Patrol Tactical Unit, was credited with fatally shooting the gunman, identified as 18-year-old Salvador Ramos, who had barricaded himself in a classroom. An off-duty BORTAC agent was the first to arrive. More BORTAC agents arrived around 15 minutes later, and within minutes of getting a key to unlock the door, a variety of law enforcement officers followed a leading BORTAC agent holding a ballistic shield provided by a U.S. marshal. May 27: The Daily Caller: Biden Admin's favorite gas price talking point is false, economist say The Biden administration has insisted that record-breaking gasoline prices are solely caused by Russia's war in Ukraine. Economists are saying the claim is false and "laughable," The White House often describes higher prices at the pump as "Putin's price hike," but prices were going up steadily after Biden took office. According to Forbes, the price already increased by 55%, rising from a U.S. average of $2.11 when Biden took office to $3.51 the day before Russian President Vladimir Putin decided to invade Ukraine. "The 'Putin's price hike' is laughable – and you can tell because no matter how hard they try to advance this particular little bit of propaganda absolutely nobody but White House spokespeople use the word," John Cochrane, a Hoover Institution senior fellow said. "The administration wants to blame anybody but itself for the challenges of the American economy. ['Putin's price hike' is] a good talking point because there's a sliver of truth in it," President of the American Institute for Economic Research, William ![]() May 27: The Washington Times: Democrats caught in a quagmire as gas prices skyrocket and the midterm elections approach Democrats are facing a paradox on prices at the pump heading into an election where pocketbook issues are top of mind for Americans facing 40-year high inflation. The party must show voters it's sympathetic to the economic pains from sky-high gas prices and that blunting energy costs is a top priority. But in the process, Democrats are inadvertently drawing increased attention to the record increases on Biden's watch, illustrating the quagmire that the party faces as dismal polls show the party and the administration are underwater with voters on handling inflation. "'Prices are this high,' — that's a much easier message to put out than: 'We did this, this and this. Oil and gas go up when you come out of a recession, this is nothing unusual, it's just what it is,'" Sen. John Hickenlooper, Colorado Democrat, said in a recent interview. "That's not a campaign message that is going to be successful." May 27: Breitbart News: Trump; if we can send $40 billion to Ukraine, we should be able to protect our children in schools Former President Trump called for more security at local schools during a speech to the NRA convention in Houston. "If the United States has $40 billion to send to Ukraine, we should be able to do whatever it takes to keep our children safe at home," Trump said, offering several security proposals for making schools safer, including armed police or security officers. Trump began his speech by holding a moment of silence for the shooting victims, reading their names as a bell tolled in the conference room. "The monster who committed this crime is pure evil, pure cruelty, pure hatred, absolute pure hatred, and while those he slaughtered are now with God in heaven, he [the perp] will be eternally damned to burn in the fires of hell," he said. The former president condemned Democrats for immediately demanding more gun control after the shooting. May 27: One American News Network: Senate unable to debate a Democrat domestic terrorism bill Senate Republicans blocked a domestic terrorism bill asserting it would dangerously expand the government's surveillance powers. On Thursday, the measure failed along party lines. At least 10 Republican votes were needed to advance the measure. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) introduced the bill in response to a mass shooting at a supermarket in Buffalo. It would have created new federal offices to increase focus on domestic terrorism threats in coordination with Homeland Security, the DOJ and the FBI. Republicans have been skeptical of the legislation – especially after the establishment of a board on misinformation was created in DHS -- believing it could lead to the policing of political speech and claimed it's an updated version of the Patriot Act that allowed the surveillance of Americans. Democrats have tried to tie the issue to firearms and are pushing for gun control, while echoing calls for the measure's approval following the massacre in Uvalde, Texas. ![]() As Texans prepare for the summer heat, the North American Electric Reliability Corporation—a not-for-profit regulatory authority that studies grid reliability and security—warns that Texas is at "elevated risk" for energy shortfalls. But despite the threat, some lawmakers continue to advocate for taxpayer subsidies for unreliable energy sources. The NERC released its Summer Reliability Assessment last week, with bleak predictions for energy levels throughout the U.S. "This is probably one of the grimmest pictures we've painted in a while," NERC Director of Reliability Assessment and Performance Analysis John Moura said. Texas in particular is expected to face "wide-area heat events coupled with drought [that] can lead to higher-than-expected peak electricity demand and tighter reserve conditions." Additionally, NOAA has forecast higher than average temperatures and lower than average rain in Texas. This is a recipe for wildfires, which parts of Texas have already experienced this year, and the smoky clouds can further inhibit solar power. Drought creates its own issues, as power plants—even coal and gas—rely on water to cool the generators. Some positive steps people can take to prepare for power outages include: - Freeze large containers (water bottles, Tupperware, etc.) of water to keep food cool in a cooler. A typical freezer/refrigerator will keep food cool for about 48 hours. - Fully charge your medical device(s) and consider securing backup power if you rely on power for your device(s). - Keep extra water on hand during the summer months to stay hydrated. Without air conditioning, temperatures can soar quickly. - Have some cash on hand and make sure to keep fuel in your vehicle. And - Make sure flashlights have batteries. May 26: Fox News: Former Intel chair says Sussmann lied On Thursday Former House Intel committee chair, Devin Nunes said, reflecting on this week's developments in the Michael Sussman trial said the defendant had lied. Nunes told Fox News several new items of note included a text message from Sussmann to the FBI's general counsel at the time claiming he was offering information to the bureau on behalf of himself and not a client. "[He] said he's essentially come in as a Good Samaritan," Nunes contended. "Secondly, you have the information of [James] Baker himself, who not only [said] he's 100% sure that's what Sussmann told him…Plus, you had some other notes added to that..." and "you have the testimony that he gave to our committee… back when we were conducting this investigation, where he said that he went on behalf of a client…So, Nunes contended, "either he was lying to Congress or he was lying to the FBI." However, Nunes noted that there is some concern over the jury pool based upon allegations that some of the jurors personally know members of Sussmann's family while others are politically inclined toward Hillary Clinton May 26: The Washington Examiner: Five GOP candidates for governor in Michigan booted from the ballot Five Republican contenders in the Michigan gubernatorial race were blocked Thursday from the primary ballot following a deadlock on the state's Board of State Canvassers. Signatures that were retroactively deemed invalid for their nominating petitions resulted in the five coming up short of the threshold to secure a place on the ballot, and due to the board's deadlock over how to address the situation, the candidates will have to file a lawsuit if they want to get on the ballot. According to NBC News, Michigan's director of Elections, Jonathan Brater, said "The circulators here committed fraud. This was not a mistake. These circulators knew they were doing this, they did this deliberately, and staff is confident in saying these signatures should not be counted." May 26: The Epoch Times: WI cities sued for using illegal unmanned drop boxes; cities received private funding for elections Voters in Wisconsin's five largest cities are suing over the use of illegal unmanned absentee ballot drop boxes in elections. Attorneys from the Thomas More Society, a nationwide public interest law firm, filed the legal complaints on May 25 on behalf of voters in Green Bay, Kenosha, Madison, Milwaukee, and Racine. Although Wisconsin election law forbids the use of unmanned absentee ballot drop boxes for voting, those cities used them, Thomas More Society special counsel Erick Kaardal said in a statement. "In 2020, the cities of Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha, and Green Bay made an agreement with the nonprofit Center for Tech and Civic Life (CT&L) to use the drop boxes to get these cities' residents to vote," Kaardal said. "This so-called 'Wisconsin Safe Voting Plan,' involved $8.8 million of private grants to these five cities, to target specific populations to vote. It had little, if anything at all, to do with keeping voters safe from Covid-19, as it purported to do." Facebook's Mark Zuckerberg made $350 million in donations to more than 2,500 election offices throughout the country. The legal complaint filed against Green Bay in Brown County Circuit Court argues the case is urgent because the city used the unauthorized drop boxes in the November 2020 elections and may use them in the future. The complaint alleges the City of Green Bay purchased absentee drop boxes, subsidized by CT&L and placed them in certain city neighborhoods," the complaint continues. The document also states that the Wisconsin Elections Commission hasn't adopted any rule restricting the use of the boxes. The lawsuits follow the Wisconsin Elections Commission's refusal last month to investigate the cities' use of unmanned drop boxes and after the Waukesha County Circuit Court found in January that the drop boxes were contrary to state law. May 25: Fox News: O'Rouke's outburst planned ahead of time and staged, reporter says CBS News suggested Robert Francis (Beto) O'Rourke likely staged his surprise appearance at Gov. Greg Abbott's press conference on the deadly Texas school shooting Wednesday. Although the public was largely surprised by the Texas gubernatorial candidate interrupting Abbott while he provided updates on the mass shooting at Robb Elementary school, CBS ![]() Meanwhile, Fox News reports Congressman Gonzales (R-TX), who represents Uvalde said O'Rouke's outburst was "spewing rhetoric and hate" when the community needs unity and healing. "It's sad to see politicians try to capitalize politically off of the death of innocent children," Gonzales told Fox News. "Not today. Not today," he continued. "This is about healing." After Governor Abbott spoke for about ten minutes former Congressman O'Rourke approached the stage and interrupted. He accused Abbott of "doing nothing" to curb gun access and called the governor's response "totally predictable." After the tirade, O'Rourke was escorted out by security. May 24: The Epoch Times: McConnell (R-KY) US should send a message to China by selling more weapons to Taiwan Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on May 24 that the United States should send a message to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) by selling more weapons to Taiwan and helping the Ukrainians win their war with Russia. By helping the Ukrainians defeat Russia, he said, the United States could demonstrate to CCP leader Xi Jinping that asymmetrical warfare was possible, and that a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would end in grave harm to the Chinese people. Likewise, he said, by selling more and better weapons to Taiwan, the United States could better ensure that it could defend itself from CCP aggression. "Number one, send a message to Xi by beating Putin in Ukraine," McConnell said. "Number two, by selling to the Taiwanese the weapons they need to defend themselves if in fact they're attacked." The CCP claims that Taiwan is a breakaway province that must be united with the mainland, although Taiwan has been self-governed since 1949 (73 years) and has never been under Chinese communist control. The island maintains its own democratic government and its continued de facto independence is possibly the most contentious issue in Sino-American relations. The United States does not recognize Taiwan as a country, but maintains robust relations with Taipei under the Taiwan Relations Act. The legislation requires Washington to supply the island with the military capabilities required to provide for its own self-defense. May 24: Fox News: High ranking Russian general's plane shot down by Ukrainians A retired Russian Air Force major general was reportedly shot down over Ukraine on Sunday. Kanamat Botashev, 63, is a top Russian military commander and former major general. According to reports coming out of Russia, Botashev was killed over the weekend after his SU-25 attack plane was shot down in Ukrainian airspace. Multiple subordinates confirmed Botashev's death to the BBC. If the reports of his death are true, Botashev would be the highest-ranking pilot to be killed during the Russian invasion of Ukraine. May 23: The Washington Times: Biden says high gas prices are part of an "incredible transition" Joe Biden said record-high gas prices are part of an "incredible transition" that will make America and the world better off. During a visit to Japan on Monday, Mr. Biden "celebrated" an average national gasoline price of $4.59 as growing pains that Americans must go through to wean the economy off its dependence on fossil fuels. "[When] it comes to the gas prices, we're going through an incredible transition that is taking place that, God willing, when it's over, we'll be stronger and the world will be stronger and less reliant on fossil fuels when this is over," he said at a press conference after his meeting with Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida. May 23: The Washington Examiner: McCormick sues over ballot by mail procedures amid close GOP Senate fight with Oz U.S. Senate candidate David McCormick has filed a lawsuit in a Pennsylvania court to compel the counting of Republican mail-in ballots submitted without a handwritten date on the outside envelope in a bid to close the gap with primary opponent Dr. Mehmet Oz. The lawsuit asks the state to force all 67 counties' boards of elections to count Republican mail-in ballots received on time but without a handwritten date on the outside envelope, as mandated by the statute. Basing their case on a fresh decision by a federal appellate court that ruled such ballots should be counted in a dispute over a Pennsylvania election in 2021. "Both the Pennsylvania Supreme Court and the United States Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit have held that mail-in ballots should not be disqualified simply because the voters failed to hand write a date on the exterior mailing envelope of their ballots," McCormick campaign chief legal counsel Chuck Cooper said. "Because all ballots are time-stamped by the County Boards of Elections on receipt, a voter's handwritten date is meaningless," he added. "All timely ballots of qualified Republican voters should be counted." May 23: Fox News: Russian Journalist: Putin's inner circle looking its power "They've lost their mojo," one Russian journalist said of Russian President Putin's inner circle. Despite the conventional wisdom, this journalist believes the regime's days are numbered, that it is too out of touch and has nothing to offer. Another journalist, Roman Anin, has offered a more complete picture of who is calling the shots, feeding the Kremlin intelligence, and why their "mojo" may be spent in a recent article. Anin claims that some of Yanukovitch's elites fled to Russia from Ukraine in the early days and unwittingly shared false information with Moscow. In doing so, they hampered the Russian invasion. May 22: Fox News: Washington Post columnist warns Biden is about to make a big blunder with China The Washington Post published an op-ed on Thursday warning that Joe Biden's consideration of removing President Trump's China tariffs would be a significant error. The article, titled "Biden might be on the verge of making a blunder with China," warned that it would be "irresponsible" and a "huge political loser" for the Biden administration to abandon Trump's China tariffs. "The goal of [Joe] Biden's five-day trip to South Korea and Japan is to show that the United States is committed to the region and to standing up to China," columnist Josh Rogin wrote. "But some U.S. officials and business interests are calling on Biden to give Beijing a huge, unearned economic concession, claiming it will help the U.S. economy. Such a step would be a mistake politically, economically and for U.S.-China relations," Rogin continued. "Given the dire effects of price increases on Biden's poll numbers at home, it's little wonder [Biden] is looking for ways to address the inflation crisis." "The internal administration battle has now spilled out into public view, with the Treasury Department in favor of removing some tariffs, and parts of the National Security Council and the Office of the U.S. Trade Representative opposed. Biden is expected to decide soon." May 22: The Washington Times: 42 vulnerable Dems relieved over judges decision about Title 42 border shutdown The Homeland Security Department (DHS) said it is complying with a judge's ruling halting the Biden Administration from putting the kibosh on the Title 42 pandemic border shutdown, delivering a win to Republicans and a reprieve to many Democrats who feared political fallout should Biden have fully opened the border. Judge Robert Summerhays said in his Friday ruling that the Administration ran afoul of the Administrative Procedure Act by cutting too many corners in its attempt to lift Title 42, a section of public health law that let the U.S. keep out most illegal border crossers because of the threat they pose of COVID-19 spread. He sided with Republican-led states that said they would bear the brunt of a wave of migrants expected to flood the border once Title 42 ended and should have been able to weigh in before it announced last month that it was terminating the border shutdown. May 22: The Washington Examiner: Russian appointed mayor of Ukrainian town injured by an explosion A Russian-appointed leader of an occupied town in Ukraine is in the hospital following an explosion outside of his home. Andrei Shevchik, whom the Kremlin named the mayor of Enerhodar after Russian forces captured the city in early March, is reportedly in intensive care after an explosion injured him and his bodyguards. It's unclear what caused the explosion. May 22: The Daily Caller: One devastating paragraph sums up Durham's Clinton/Russia revelation The Wall Street Journal editorial board perfectly summed up the Durham-Clinton investigation Friday in one devastatingly accurate paragraph. In a piece entitled "Hillary Clinton Did It," the editorial board lambasted the Russia-Trump collusion claim as a "dirty trick for the ages" after Clinton's former campaign manager, Robby Mook, testified that Clinton herself gave the green light for the campaign to disseminate material linking former President Donald Trump to Russia despite shaky evidence. Mook testified in special counsel John Durham's case against former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann that the campaign was unsure of how reliable information was that the Trump organization had a secret connection with Alfa Bank. The campaign, including Clinton herself, discussed whether to spread the faulty information to journalists, with Mook alleging Clinton "agreed" to have the information spread to the media despite the hesitance of other campaign staffers. May 21: The Epoch Times: GOP ranking member demanding Capitol Police to release January security tapes Rep. Rodney Davis (R-IL), the ranking GOP member of the House Administration Committee, is demanding that U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) release security footage tapes from Jan. 5, 2021, after the Jan. 6 panel made "demonstrably false" allegations against another House Republican. Davis cited "recent press reports, [that] the partisan January 6th Select Committee has falsely accused Rep. Barry Loudermilk (R-GA) … of leading so-called reconnaissance tours of the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021." This charge, Davis said, "is demonstrably false. As you are aware, [Administration] Committee Minority staff have reviewed all footage in question and have confirmed no 'reconnaissance tours' occurred." Davis also foresaw and rejected claims that the tapes he requested would pose a security risk if released to the public, noting that the same tapes have already been made public in some capacity. "Any argument that this footage represents sensitive 'security information' was destroyed once the Board provided copies to Democrat impeachment managers for public dissemination or it otherwise became available to the public," Davis wrote. Concluding, Davis wrote: "If the Board has any hope of preserving a reputation as an unbiased security agency and re-establishing itself as a non-partisan entity, there is no alternative but to release the tapes. If the Board does not release the relevant footage in a timely manner, I will have no choice but to exercise my authority under 2 U.S.C. $ 1979 to release the footage myself." May 21: The Washington Examiner: NY Supreme Court dashes Democrat hopes for gerrymandering GOP shut out in Congressional races New York's Supreme Court finalized a Congressional map that obliterates Democrat gains in the state and positions several incumbents on a collision course with each other. The new map largely hewed to special master Jonathan Cervas's draft, creates 15 save Democrat seats and three Republican with eight seats being a tossup, as opposed to the 22 to 4 in the legislature's proposal. Earlier the Democrats took over the redistricting process from the state's Independent Redistricting Commission (ICR) after a deadlock and enacted one of the most ambitious maps in the country, which was expected to give Democrats a whopping edge. It was the crown jewel of their redistricting effort, accounting for some of the party's biggest gains in the country. But their advantage unraveled after the state Supreme Court ruled the Democrat-led state legislature flouted the state Constitution by bypassing the IRC. Now Democrats could actually lose ground in the state as a result of the redistricting process, which could be deterministic of the balance of power in a narrowly divided Congress. The new map pits some current members of Congress into the same district, setting the stage for awkward showdowns between Reps. Jerry Nadler and Carolyn Maloney in the 12th District, as well as Reps. Sean Patrick Maloney and Mondaire Jones in the 17th District. ![]() Early voting in Georgia broke records this week despite last year's adoption of election integrity measures that critics derided as "voter suppression" and Joe Biden called a "blatant attack" on the Constitution and compared to a Jim Crow-era relic. According to the Georgia Secretary of State, more than 710,000 people had voted early in Georgia's primary election as of May 19, which is 149 percent higher than at the same point in 2020, when elections officials encouraged vote-by-mail and early voting to reduce crowding at polling stations amid the COVID-19 pandemic. The Georgia Election Integrity Act of 2021 ushered in reforms such as requiring photo or state-approved identification to vote absentee by mail. It also mandated that secure drop boxes be placed inside early voting locations, with constant surveillance, while expanding early voting across the state. May 21: Fox News: Senator Marco Rubio in "Google purgatory?" Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) is accusing Google of censoring his campaign emails, stating that his campaign is in "Google purgatory." Rubio tweeted on Saturday morning that 66% of his campaign emails to "registered supporters" with a Gmail address have been sent to a spam inbox since a "Pelosi Puppet" announced she is running against him. Rubio claimed that "…during the final weeks of finance quarters it (emails going to spam folders) climbs to over 90%." Rubio and Val Demmings (D-FL) are running for the U.S. Senate in the Sunshine State. May 20: Fox News: Pelosi bared from holy communion over her support for abortion San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone announced Friday that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi is barred from receiving Holy Communion due to her pro-abortion stance -- marking an escalation in a decades-long tension between the Roman Catholic Church and liberal Democratic politicians on abortion. Cordileone wrote the California Democrat, informing her that she should not present herself for Holy Communion at Mass, and that priests will not distribute communion to her if she does present herself. "A Catholic legislator who supports procured abortion, after knowing the teaching of the Church, commits a manifestly grave sin which is a cause of most serious scandal to others. Therefore, universal Church law provides that such persons 'are not to be admitted to Holy Communion,'" he says in the letter. The Catechism of the Catholic Church is unambiguous on the question of abortion, both in procuring one and assisting in the practice: "Since the first century the Church has affirmed the moral evil of every procured abortion," the catechism says. "This teaching has not changed and remains unchangeable." However, this applies only in the Speaker's home church and not necessarily in Washington DC which is under the jurisdiction of another Archbishop. May 20: Fox News: DOJ to appeal federal judge decision blocking the ending of Title 42 The Department of Justice announced on Friday evening that it will appeal a decision handed down by a federal judge which blocked the Biden administration from ending Title 42. Western District of Louisiana Judge Robert Summerhays granted a preliminary injunction on Friday which blocks the Administration from following through on its plan to end the pandemic immigration order on May 23. "The CDC invoked its authority under Title due to the unprecedented public-health dangers caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. CDC has now determined, in its expert opinion, that continued reliance on this authority is no longer warranted in light of the current public-health circumstances. That decision was a lawful exercise of CDC's authority," a spokesperson for the DOJ said. May 20: Fox News: Oklahoma legislature passes bill banning abortions with carve out for rape, incest, and the life of the mother The White House condemned a new abortion bill that passed Oklahoma's Legislature Thursday, calling the bill "extreme," "absurd" and "ultra MAGA." The bill, would ban all abortions after the moment of conception except in cases of rape, incest, or to save the mother's life. It bans any procedures that "cause the death of an unborn child," which it defines as a "human fetus or embryo in any stage of gestation from fertilization until birth." Governor Kevin Stitt (R-OK) has indicated that he will sign the bill, which will go into effect immediately. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre condemned the bill in a statement Thursday night. "The President believes that women have the fundamental right to make their own reproductive health choices," Jean-Pierre noted, adding that the Supreme Court decision Roe v. Wade "has been the law of the land for almost 50 years, and basic fairness and the stability of our law demand that it not be overturned." May 19: The Epoch Times: NJ Secretary of State sued for concealing voting records An election integrity group is suing the New Jersey Secretary of State (Tahesha Way) for allegedly violating the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) by refusing to disclose documentation explaining how election officials resolve duplicate voter registrations. The Indianapolis-based Public Interest Legal Foundation (PILF) says it needs to view the documents because recent studies show thousands of New Jersey residents possess duplicate, triplicate, or quadruplicate voter registrations. "Americans have a fundamental right under federal law to see precisely how their voter rolls are maintained," stated PILF President J. Christian Adams, a former civil rights attorney with the U.S. Department of Justice. "We can't let New Jersey set a trend for concealing standard operating procedures for data entry and hygiene as if they were state secrets—especially when we are seeing persons registered three, four, five, and even six times." The group contends it has brought lawsuits and won victories in Texas, Mississippi, North Carolina, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, and Michigan. PILF isn't the first to complain to Way about the state's lack of transparency on voter registrations. May 19: The Daily Caller: Secretary of Energy attempts to blame Putin for rising gas prices, that argument isn't selling with at least one Senator Sen. Josh Hawley (R-MO) grilled Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm during a Thursday hearing for attempting to blame Russian President Vladimir Putin for rising gas prices. Hawley pointed to AAA's prediction that the national average gas price will potentially cost $6 per gallon, as the average prices of regular and diesel gasoline currently stand at $4.58 and $5.57 per gallon. "Is this acceptable to you?" Hawley asked. "No, it is not and you can thank the activity of Vladimir Putin for invading Ukraine and those barrels—" "Oh nonsense," Hawley interjected. "All due respect, Madame Secretary, that is utter nonsense. In January 2021, the average gas price of my state was $2.07, eight months later, long before Vladimir Putin had invaded Ukraine, that price was up over 30% and has been going up consistently ever since. What are you doing to reverse this administration's policies that are drawing down our own supply of energy in this country, that are throttling oil and gas production in the United States of America? What are you doing about it?" May 19: Fox News: Pelosi to slow walk bipartisan Senate bill to provide protection to SCOTUS justices and their families As the Biden administration warns of a potential surge in violence following a possible ruling from the SCOTUS on abortion, top Democrats in the House appear to remain at odds with their party in the Senate on whether Congress should take action to ramp up security for the court's justices, or leave it to law enforcement. House Speaker Pelosi (D-CA) seemingly is expressing opposition to providing protection for justices and their families, insisting that law enforcement officials. "I think that any need for protection should relate to whatever threat that is there," Pelosi said. "And that's a judgment that is made by our law enforcement." Asked about a bipartisan measure that successfully passed the Senate in a unanimous vote and whether she would bring that bill forward for a vote in the House, Pelosi reiterated that she believes additional protection "depends on the threat and that's up to the law enforcement," meaning she is not inclined to do so. The Senate measure was sponsored by John Cornyn (R-TX) and Chris Coons (D-DE) amid protests following a leaked proposed draft opinion from the Supreme Court which signaled federal protections for abortion granted under Roe v. Wade could soon be overturned. Meanwhile some House Democrats claim the Senate bill doesn't go far enough in offering protections and have called for additional protections for law clerks and other staff members at the Supreme Court. May 19: The Epoch Times: PA has voting result issues, again Literally and figuratively, every vote counts in the Pennsylvania Republican U.S. Senate race between Dr. Mehmet Oz and former hedge fund CEO David McCormick, which remains too close to call two days after the May 17 primary. As of 3 p.m. local time on May 19, Oz, the heart surgeon-turned-TV celebrity who was endorsed by former President Trump leads with 31.16% of the voted compared to 31.07% for McCormick, a margin of 1,279 votes. Both are competing to be the party's nominee in the race to succeed retiring GOP Sen. Pat Toomey. In the 24 hours between the mornings of May 17 and May 18, more than 20,000 votes were added to the totals. Propelled by mail-in ballots, McCormick gained about 1,500 votes. It's unclear how many ballots remain to be counted. Late on May 18, the McCormick campaign estimated that around 20,000 ballots were outstanding; other projections say it could be as few as 12,000, according to PennLive.com. Election officials are continuing to count ballots in parts of Allegheny County (Pittsburgh) and Philadelphia and Delaware counties. In Allegheny County, 30 precincts didn't return memory sticks from the voting machines. According to county officials, the 30 precincts unintentionally locked both memory sticks in the scanners, which prevented them from uploading results on Election Day night. Allegheny County officials said that election results won't change until May 20. It's unlikely that all in-person votes will be counted that day, Allegheny County spokeswoman Amie Downs said. ![]() There is a lot we can learn from history; some things that worked, and others that didn't. Just a few days after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor, volunteer American pilots engaged Japanese bombers in the skies over China. These American airmen -- the "Flying Tigers" -- served under the leadership of Chinese nationalist Chiang Kai-Shek and his American advisor Claire Chennault. In approximately six months these pilots destroyed 296 Japanese aircraft. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, and Ukraine's plea for air support, perhaps it is time to consider resurrecting the "Tigers." However, if we do this, the role of the "Tigers" should be to defend Ukrainian territory and to expel Russian forces. It should NOT be used to attack the Russian territory, which could lead to a wider conflict. May 18: The Washington Examiner: US Marshals providing security for Supreme Court Justices at their homes 24/7 The U.S. Marshals Service is providing "around-the-clock security" at the homes of all nine Supreme Court justices, according to the Justice Department. Attorney General Garland called on the USMS to guard and protect the homes of high court justices in the wake of recent protests after the leak of a draft opinion signaling the reversal of Roe v. Wade, which would allow individual states to determine laws regarding fetal viability. May 18: Fox News: Talk about stupid… Men can get pregnant and have abortions? A Democrat witness testifying before the House Judiciary Committee on abortion rights Thursday declared that men can get pregnant and have abortions. Aimee Arrambide, the executive director of the abortion rights nonprofit Avow Texas, was asked by Rep. Dan Bishop (R-NC) to define what "a woman is," to which she responded, "I believe that everyone can identify for themselves." "Do you believe that men can become pregnant and have abortions?" Bishop asked. "Yes," she replied! May 18: The Epoch Times: Georgia State Election Board hasn't debunked "2000 Mules" documentary assertions about the state's 2020 election Though dozens of media outlets claimed otherwise this week, the Georgia State Elections Board hasn't debunked any assertions made in the recently released "2000 Mules" documentary. Elections board members seemed to suggest during a May 17 meeting that they disproved allegations widespread voter fraud in the 2020 election, of which the documentary showed video proof. The Board has yet to review claims made by True the Vote made in the documentary. As described in the video Houston-based True the Vote spent a year and a half analyzing cell phone data and drop box surveillance videos to show patterns of what they call illegal ballot trafficking during the 2020 elections. The nonprofit focused its work in five jurisdictions in five swing states —Georgia, Arizona, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. None of the complaints of voter fraud associated with the documentary were taken up at Tuesday's meeting. However, throughout the meeting, three elections board members repeatedly referenced the documentary before hearing evidence from a state investigator, and while discussing three complaints alleging election misconduct. Two board members repeatedly cautioned against bringing false allegations, with one warning that it could bring penalties. May 18: The Epoch Times: Stock Market tumbles amid looming inflation and recession fears The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 1,164 points as of midday Wednesday amid fears of inflation and a looming recession. The drop potentially will impact both large and small (ma and pa) investors. Target's shares dropped after it revealed that inflation-caused higher costs will hurt the retailer's profitability for the rest of the year. A day before that, Walmart issued a similar profit report that it also blamed on inflation. Retailers on Wednesday saw some of the most significant losses: Target dropped more than 27 percent, Walmart 7%, Dollar Tree 16%, Dollar General more than 11%, Amazon dropped nearly seven points, Best Buy nearly 12 points, while Home Depot and Kroger fell 6% percent. Lowe's dropped about 6 points as well. Tech companies dropped between 3 percent and 6 percent after they led a rebound in the previous trading session. Rising inflation, the conflict in Ukraine, prolonged supply chain snarls, pandemic-related lockdowns carried out by the Chinese Communist Party due to the pursuit of its "zero COVID" policy, and prospects of aggressive policy tightening by central banks have weighed on the markets recently, stoking concerns about a global economic slowdown. May 17: The Epoch Times: Several Russian Generals have reportedly been killed in the Melitopol region of Ukraine Ukrainian guerrilla fighters reportedly have killed several high-ranking Russian officers in the southern city of Melitopol, the regional administration said on Telegram. Russian forces have occupied the city since early in the war. According to the regional administration, the occupiers are trying to conceal the situation but Russian troops were more actively checking private cars in the city Tuesday, most likely looking for the guerrillas. No details of the killings were given and the report could not immediately be confirmed. Throughout the war, the Ukrainians have claimed to have killed many Russian generals and other officers. Several of the deaths have been confirmed by the Russians. May 17: Fox News: SCOTUS upholds appellate decision to deport illegal who has been in the US since the 1990s The SCOTUS voted 5-4 Monday to uphold a federal appellate court ruling against a man who sought to prevent his deportation after being in the United States illegally since the 1990s. Pankajkumar Patel, who entered the U.S. illegally from India with his wife Jyotsnaben three decades ago, according to court documents, applied for discretionary adjustment of status with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) agency in 2007. The adjustment, which would have given Patel and his wife green cards, was denied by the agency after it found he previously intentionally misrepresented his citizenship on a Georgia driver's license application. Years later DHS endeavored to deport Patel and his wife, prompting him to apply for an adjustment again. He argued before a federal immigration judge that he mistakenly ticked "citizen" off on the Georgia driver's license application, but the judge ordered him removed anyway. May 17: Daily Caller: Mom reads aloud purported assignment given to her daughter, the School Board cuts off mic because it's too obscene A Nevada school board temporarily cut off a mother from speaking as she read an assignment reportedly given to her 15-year-old daughter. Another mother alleged that a teacher at Clark /county School District — the nation's fifth-largest public school district — forced her 15-year-old daughter to memorize and recite "pornographic material." When the mother began reading the alleged assignment, the school board temporarily cut the mother's microphone over obscene language. "This will be horrifying for me to read to you, but that will give you perspective on how she must have felt when her teacher required her to memorize this and to act it out in front of her entire class," the mother said. May 17: The Washington Examiner: 2020 election skeptic Mastriano wins Pennsylvania GOP gubernatorial nod State Sen. Doug Mastriano won Pennsylvania's Republican gubernatorial nomination on Tuesday despite a last-ditch effort by some state Republicans to coalesce the field around a different candidate they felt would fare better against state Attorney General Josh Shapiro the presumptive Democratic nominee, in November. Mastriano, a staunch supporter of former President Donald Trump, backed his claims that the 2020 election was stolen. Mastriano frequently barred media from his campaign events in the final days of the race. Pennsylvania is a key battleground state, and some Republicans expressed concern about Mastriano's electability in a general election race . May 16: The Washington Times: Sweden follows Finland's lead, asks to join NATO; meanwhile Russia facing more losses in Ukraine Russian forces faced fresh battlefield losses in eastern Ukraine on Monday as Sweden formally announced that it will follow its Nordic neighbor Finland's lead and seek NATO membership, reversing more than two centuries of military nonalignment amid soaring security concerns that Russia's invasion of Ukraine have sparked across greater Europe. Sweden made the announcement a day after Finnish leaders formally declared their intentions. At a moment of mounting unease in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin sought Monday to downplay the developments. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces, using weapons supplied by the United States and several other NATO nations, continued to hold off Russian military offensives in Ukraine's east and even started reclaiming some lost territory. Howitzers from the U.S. and other countries have helped Kyiv hold off or gain ground against Russia, a senior U.S. defense official said. The official said Ukraine has pushed Russian forces to within a half-mile to 2.5 miles of the border but could not confirm whether it was all the way back into Russia. May 16: Fox News: Jurors seated and trial begins: Durham case against Sussmann, Clinton's former attorney A jury was seated Monday in the trial of former Clinton attorney Michael Sussmann — the first trial stemming from Special Counsel John Durham's years-long investigation into the origins of the Trump-Russia probe — and opening arguments are expected to be presented by both the government and the defense Tuesday morning, as well as testimony from Democratic lawyer Marc Elias. U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper on Monday presided over the first day of the Sussmann trial, which consisted of nearly eight hours of jury selection. Special Counsel John Durham was in the courtroom for the entirety of jury selection, but was not seated with the prosecution team. Instead, Durham sat in the first row of the courtroom, behind the government's table. May 16: The Washington Examiner: Reports; Russians are killing their own wounded troops instead of treating them Rather than treating wounded troops, Russian commanders are reportedly shooting their own soldiers on the battlefield. As Russian troops scramble to keep fighting a stiff Ukrainian resistance, leaders are not only leaving their wounded for dead but are contributing to the killing, according to a report. A video of captured Russian intelligence troops, made by a Ukrainian journalist shows the captured troops explaining how commanders "finished off their wounded." "It was a young man. He was wounded," one of the captured soldiers says. "He was on the ground. He was asked if he could walk, so he was shot dead with a gun." Another soldier in the video reportedly says the instance wasn't the first time a commander had shot one of his wounded men. The lieutenant colonel was walking around and "shot four or five like this," according to a third soldier. Last week, Ukrainian soldiers said Russia was leaving troops' bodies behind rather than gathering their dead. May 15: Fox News: Previously neutral Finland officially announces it wants to join NATO Top leadership in Finland announced the previously neutral Nordic country wants to join NATO as Russia's invasion of Ukraine continues. "This is a historic day. A new era begins," Finnish President Sauli Niinisto said Sunday. Niinisto made the announcement at a joint news conference at the Presidential Palace in Helsinki with Prime Minister Sanna Marin. May 15: News Max: Britain: Russia has lost about a third of its forces in Ukraine Russia has probably lost around a third of the ground forces it deployed to Ukraine and its offensive in the Donbas region "has lost momentum and fallen significantly behind schedule," British military intelligence said on Sunday. "Despite small-scale initial advances, Russia has failed to achieve substantial territorial gains over the past month whilst sustaining consistently high levels of attrition," the British defense ministry said on Twitter. "Russia has now likely suffered losses of one third of the ground combat force it committed in February." It said Russia was unlikely to dramatically accelerate its rate of advance over the next 30 days. A Ukrainian counteroffensive has been under way near the Russian-held town of Izium, though Ukraine's military reported on Sunday that Russian forces were advancing elsewhere in the Donbas region. The front lines in Ukraine had shifted on Sunday as Russia made advances in the fiercely contested eastern Donbas region and Ukraine's military waged a counteroffensive near the strategic Russian-held city of Izium. It is likely that Russia is moving forces to consolidate its positions in the region. May 15: The Daily Caller: It took about 180 minutes after the shooting in Buffalo, NY for Democrats to call for gun control About three hours after police were alerted to a mass shooting in Buffalo, New York, on Saturday, Democratic politicians took to Twitter to call for stiffer gun control legislation. "Two mass shootings in 24 hours, in Milwaukee and Buffalo — the latter killing ten people. I'm heartbroken. And I'm angry. Angry that the GOP continues to block even the most basic gun safety measures. We can stop this. We can save lives. Republicans just refuse to. Cowards." said liberal Congressman Adam Schiff (D-CA). The alleged shooter, later identified in court as 18-year-old Payton S. Gendron, reportedly traveled several hours from Conklin, NY to Buffalo where authorities said the gunman exited his vehicle with a firearm and shot four people in the parking lot, wounding three fatally. A retired Buffalo police officer who was working as a security guard returned fire and was fatally shot by Gendron who reportedly was wearing body armor and who continued firing upon customers and employees inside the store. ![]() When a Border Patrol agent nabbed Sebastian Gamino-Solis with five illegal immigrants in his BMW earlier this month, he said he'd been trolling through Facebook and responded to an ad seeking drivers. He'd needed to find some work, and he exchanged information. Then the call came in — he was to go to Wueste Park in Chula Vista, California, and collect the people. He'd get $2,300 per person. He was stopped before he could complete the delivery. Social media is playing an increasing role in the chaos at the border, with smuggling cartels using the platforms not only to urge would-be migrants to make the trip, but also to line up the guides and drivers who shepherd the people across the boundary, keep them in stash houses and drive them deeper into the U.S. Gov. Doug Ducey (R-AZ) has called on major social media platforms to shut it down, saying the government is doing what it can, "but we need your help." people to proactively identify it, and remove it from our platform whenever we find it," the company said in a statement. Border law enforcement officials say smuggling cartels are particularly interested in recruiting juveniles to drive, figuring — usually with good reason — those federal authorities won't go as hard on kids caught smuggling. May 14: News Max: Justice Thomas says Roe v Wade leak has changed the court Justice Clarence Thomas says the Supreme Court has been changed by the shocking leak of a draft opinion earlier this month. The opinion suggests the court is poised to overturn the right to an abortion recognized nearly 50 years ago in Roe v. Wade. The conservative Thomas, who joined the court in 1991 and has long called for Roe v. Wade to be overturned, described the leak as an unthinkable breach of trust. "When you lose that trust, especially in the institution that I'm in, it changes the institution fundamentally. You begin to look over your shoulder. It's like kind of an infidelity that you can explain it, but you can't undo it," he said while speaking at a conference Friday evening in Dallas. Thomas said that previously, "if someone said that one line of one opinion" would be leaked, the response would have been: "Oh, that's impossible. No one would ever do that." "Now that trust or that belief is gone forever," Thomas said. May 14: The American Briefing: Trump makes a last-minute endorsement in the PA gubernatorial race The former president chose his gubernatorial candidate just days before the election. Former President Donald Trump endorsed state Senator Doug Mastriano, who currently leads the polls in a crowded field of candidates. "There is no one in Pennsylvania who has done more, or fought harder, for Election Integrity than State Senator Doug Mastriano," Trump said. "He will also Fight Violent Crime, strengthen our Borders, Protect Life, Defend our under-siege Second Amendment, and Help our Military and our Vets. He is a fighter like few others," Trump added. Mastriano was subpoenaed by the highly partisan January 6th panel over a tweet he sent speculating the Pennsylvania 2020 election had been compromised by fraudulent election practices. The primary will take place in three days on May 17th. May 14: News Max: Senate Minority Leader makes surprise visit to Ukraine Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) made a surprise visit to Ukraine on Saturday with a GOP delegation to meet President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv. Video released showed McConnell with a delegation meeting Zelenskyy and shaking hands outdoors in front of a building. Zelenskyy praised the "strong signal of bipartisan support for Ukraine from the United States Congress and the American people." Also in the delegation were Senators Susan Collins (R-ME), John Cornyn (R-TX) and John Barrasso (R-WY). "Thank you for your leadership in helping us in our struggle not only for our country, but also for democratic values and freedoms," Zelenskyy said. "We really appreciate it." The Senate GOP delegation was in Kyiv just days after the Senate had a $40 billion aid package, which reportedly also contains funding for non-defense items, blocked from quick passage by Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY). The deal remains on the Senate docket for next week. Newsmax correspondent Sarah Williamson reported Saturday morning the delegation is still in Kyiv as of Saturday afternoon local time. May 13: The Daily Caller: White House spokesperson attempts to spin baby formula shortage CNN host Kate Bolduan pushed back against White House communications director Kate Bedingfield on Friday over her refusal to call the baby formula shortage a crisis. 40% of the top baby formula products were out of stock as of April 24. The White House said it is a priority to supply a substantial number of baby formula to families relying on the product. "At this point, do you, does the White House consider this a crisis?" Bolduan asked. "I don't think it's about a label, I think it's about addressing directly the need that families all across the country have," Bedingfield said. "I'm a mom, I have two young kids. I'm not terrible far removed from the days of feeding my kids with formula. I know, and we know, [Joe Biden] knows how stressful this is for families across the country." Retailers, including CVS and Walgreens, have begun rationing the amount of formula that a customer can purchase as the average price of baby formula has increased 12% in the last year. Meanwhile, there are reports that the Biden Administration is providing baby formula to illegal immigrants crossing the southern U.S. border. May 13: The Washington Examiner: PA GOP may end up with an election skeptic as its gubernatorial nominee A last-ditch effort by some Pennsylvania Republicans to consolidate a crowded Republican gubernatorial field around an alternative to an election skeptic may be too little, too late, according to recent polls. State Sen. Doug Mastriano is the front-runner in the field just days before Tuesday's primary, but some in the state worry that he could win the Republican primary by a plurality but go on to lose the general election in the fall. Mastriano is running as a hard-right candidate, and he recently said he would make Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis look like an "amateur." Pennsylvania is a key battleground state, and some Republicans worry about his electability in a statewide race. Mastriano is a staunch Trump supporter and backed his claims that the 2020 election was stolen. He also faces questions about his attendance at the January 6th rally in Washington, DC where protestors entered the Capitol building. As the race draws to a close, Mastriano leads the crowded field. A poll by the Trafalgar Group found him leading the field with 27.6%, followed by former Rep. Lou Barletta at 17.6%. May 13: Townhall.com: Netflix responds to decreasing membership; woke employees told stop pushing agendas or seek employment elsewhere For the first time in years, streaming giant Netflix has updated its corporate culture memo to include some new guidelines surrounding artistic expression that are sure to anger leftists within the company who think their fragile sensibilities ought to determine what the rest of the world is allowed to consume. Specifically, the policy memo explains that because Netflix serves a diverse subscriber base, those who work on projects are not allowed to let their own ideology deprive others of the opportunity to enjoy it. "We offer a wide variety of TV shows and movies, some of which can be provocative," the policy reads. "To help members make informed choices about what to watch, we offer ratings, content warnings, and easy to use parental controls." "We program for a diversity of audiences and tastes; and we let viewers decide what's appropriate for them, verses having Netflix censor specific artists or voices." The updated guidance reads that if employees find it hard to embrace diversity in the offerings, "Netflix may not be the bast place for you." As written in the memo — and it remains to be seen if they stick to what's stated in the update — Netflix looks to be more of a platform for people to find content through than an editorial force. And that's a good thing. Amid a shrinking subscriber base, the memo is also an admission that free market principles supersede the ever-changing woke standards for what ought to be censored when it comes to making money. They're apparently not pandering to the woke to try and boost subscriber numbers, they're making their offerings appealing to as many customers as possible. They know the small but loud minority of woke Americans aren't worth pandering to. ![]() The Biden administration has claimed to fight misinformation at all costs, even establishing a "Disinformation Governance Board," and Big Tech outfits like Twitter have flagged posts they claim contain misinformation on important issues like coronavirus vaccines. Yet while the White House shared bogus info itself on Thursday about vaccines, Twitter has yet to note the inaccurate message to many users. "When [Joe] Biden took office, millions were unemployed and there was no vaccine available. In the last 15 months, the economy has created 8.3M jobs and the unemployment rate stands at 3.6% — the fastest decline in unemployment to start a President's term ever recorded," the White House's verified Twitter account wrote. However, observers point out the COVID-19 vaccine was, in fact, available when Biden took office on Jan. 20, 2021. The same Twitter account even shared a video of then-president-elect Biden getting his second dose a week before Inauguration Day. Biden received his first vaccine dose on December 21, 2020, a month prior to be inaugurated. May 12: Fox News: Finland defends joining NATO Finland's ambassador to the U.S. defended the move to join the NATO alliance Thursday and argued it's "not a threat" towards Russia for its war on Ukraine. "Finland joining NATO doesn't pose a threat to anybody, let alone to Russia," Finland Ambassador to the United States Mikko Hautala said. "We have said really clearly that our joining the alliance is a defensive move. We are doing it for the sake of defense of Finland." His comments come on the heels of the Kremlin calling Finland's push to join NATO a direct threat to Russia. The Kremlin threatened to deploy nuclear warheads on Finland's 800-mile-long border with Russia. However, Finland's president argued it was Russia that pushed his country to this point. Meanwhile, neighboring Sweden is also expected to make a decision on joining NATO within the next few days. Hautala said that the move to join NATO is a significant "step" and that Finland communicated to Russia that this may someday happen. He noted that "the day has come." May 12: The Washington Examiner: Whistleblower claims show how Biden Admin. tried to silence parents expressing concerns over what is being done in public school An education activists ripped the Biden Administration over reports that the FBI had opened multiple investigations into parents protesting at their local school boards, saying the administration was attempting to silence parents. The criticisms came after Republicans on the House Judiciary Committee disclosed, in a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland, that, based on whistleblower reports, the FBI and the Department of Justice had been actively opening investigations into parents for merely expressing disdain at school district policies. Parent activists denounced the news saying "Attorney General Merrick Garland authorized the FBI to investigate parents that exercised their First Amendment rights at school board meetings; and the FBI did exactly that, all based on tips from vindictive leftists who believe that 'speech is violence,'" Ian Prior, the executive director of Fight for Schools and a senior adviser at America First Legal, said. "It is clear that the Biden administration is a catspaw of the radical Left and is sending this country down a …path where government schools can encourage boys to be girls, girls to be boys, and parents need to sit down and shut up about it or face a federal investigation," he said. May 12: Fox News: Russia withdrawing troops after heavy losses Russia's withdrawal of troops from a region of Ukraine that they encircled at the beginning of the war is proving their "inability to capture key Ukrainian cities," the United Kingdom's Ministry of Defense said Thursday. In an intelligence update, the Ministry said "Ukrainian forces are continuing to counterattack to the north of Kharkiv [Ukraine's second largest city located close to the Russian border], recapturing several towns and villages towards the Russian border." "Despite Russia's success in encircling Kharkiv in the initial stages of the conflict, it has reportedly withdrawn units from the region to reorganize and replenish its forces following heavy losses," the Ministry continued. "The withdrawal of Russian forces from the Kharkiv Oblast is a tacit recognition of Russia's inability to capture key Ukrainian cities where they expected May 12: The Daily Caller: Reporter copied on internal White House email; shows disagreement and miscommunication over Biden's supposed energy policies Top White House climate adviser Gina McCarthy copied a CBS News reporter on an email chain Wednesday announcing the administration would cancel a series of oil and gas lease sales. Immediately following, another Administration official responded to the email saying the Department of the Interior had not yet made that decision, raising the question of what was the Administration's policy. The email thread appears to show disagreement and miscommunication over the Administration's energy policies as gas prices continue to hit all-time highs. Eventually the Administration confirmed it would be canceling offshore oil and gas leases in Alaska and the Gulf of Mexico, even as the U.S. distances itself from the energy independence policies of the Trump Administration. "I can't imagine a more tone-deaf, short-sighted decision that jeopardizes our economic and energy security without doing a single thing to help the environment or the American people," said House Natural Resources Committee Ranking Member Bruce Westerman (R-AR). "President Biden should call off his domestic energy attack dogs, put an actual commonsense plan in place, and for once try to make the situation better rather than Bidenizing it." May 11: The Epoch Times: Ukrainian pipeline operator turning off Russian natural gas flow Ukraine's natural gas pipeline operator said it would stop Russian shipments through its Novopskov hub in a part of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. It said the hub handles about a third of the Russian gas passing through the country to Western Europe, although Russia's state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom put the figure at about a quarter. The operator, which also complained about interference along the route last month, said it will stop the flow starting Wednesday because of interference from "occupying forces," including the apparent siphoning of gas. It said Russia could reroute affected shipments through Ukraine's other main hub, Sudzha, in a northern part of the country controlled by Ukraine. Russia's government-controlled Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said Ukraine's rerouting request would be "technologically impossible" and that the company sees no grounds for Ukraine's decision. IMAGE: Ukrainian Gains in the East. May 11: News Max: Ukraine reportedly pushes back Russian forces Ukrainian forces reported battlefield gains Wednesday in a counterattack that could signal a shift in the momentum of the war, while Kyiv shut gas flows on a route through Russian-held territory, raising the specter of an energy crisis in Europe. Following days of advances north and east of the second largest city Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces were within just several kilometers of the Russian border on Wednesday morning, one Ukrainian military source said. Before the advance, Russian forces had been on the outskirts of Kharkiv, a city 40 km (25 miles) from the frontier. The advance appears to be the fastest that Ukraine has mounted since it drove Russian troops away from Kyiv and out of the country's north at the beginning of April. If sustained, it could let Ukrainian forces threaten supply lines for Russia's main attack force, and even put rear logistics targets within Russia itself within striking range of Ukrainian artillery. May 11: The Epoch Times: DOJ notes reveal panic at the FBI after Trump tweet that he knew he was being spied on Newly released notes taken by high-level Department of Justice (DOJ) officials during a March 6, 2017, meeting with FBI leadership expose some of the lengths the FBI went to, to cover up its spying on the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump. The notes were released by lawyers representing former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann as part of an effort to clear him on charges of having lied to the FBI. The notes, in reality, appear to do little to exonerate Sussmann but do provide quite a bit of information on the FBI. The notes taken at a meeting two days after Trump accused Barack Obama's Administration on Twitter of wiretapping the Trump Tower. That tweet panicked FBI leadership, who were unsure exactly how much Trump knew about their efforts to tie him up with Russia collusion allegations. What the notes reveal is that in response to the tweet, they tried to cover their tracks. By March 2017, FBI leadership already knew with near-certainty that the Trump–Russia collusion claims were a hoax. They knew that Clinton's campaign had a plan to vilify Trump by portraying him as a puppet of Putin. The FBI also knew that not a single claim in the so-called Steele dossier—which was the primary source of allegations of Trump–Russia collusion—had checked out. May 11: Fox News: Senator Scott (R-SC) slams Yellen for comments about black women Conservatives are praising Sen. Tim Scott, and skewering United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen over an exchange they had in a Tuesday hearing during which Yellen justified abortion for "low income" Black women and Scott disagreed. Yellen discussed the possible end of Roe v Wade before Senate Banking would have a damaging effect on the economy. In an exchange, the pro-life Scott pushed back against Yellen's comments that low income, African American mothers' benefit from abortion. In a Tweet following the hearing Scott said of Yellen's testimony, "[she's] Nothing better than a multi-millionaire old white woman lecturing a black man about how his mother was a loser because she let him be born" Scott, like some other black leaders like Clarence Thomas, was born into poverty but rose from that environment to serve in prominent positions. May 10: Townhall.com: Biden Administration encourages illegal attempts to intimidate Supreme Court Justices at their homes White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked again on Tuesday about protests targeting the homes of Supreme Court Justices, and she again doubled down on supporting the attempted intimidation of Justices saying that it's Biden's position to "certainly continue to encourage" the protests "outside of judges' homes" that "have been peaceful to date." The statement contradicts her earlier statement last week that Biden didn't have a "particular view" on the protests targeting Justices with the intention of swaying their decision on an unreleased opinion. Psaki first wrote off protests as the result of "passionate" Americans, then — after a pro-life organization in Wisconsin was firebombed — she tweeted to clarify that "peaceful" protests were okay. But, as many court watchers and online observers have pointed out, there's a federal law 18 U.S.C. § 1507 that seems to apply to the unhinged, profane, and bizarre protests that have been taking place outside the homes of Justices Alito, Kavanaugh, and other originalists. In other words, is it okay to break the law as long as it's now a law they care about? May 10: Washington Free Beacon: High profile Dem. lawyer's case thrown out of court – Judge says it's a "hail Mary pass" intended to undermine free and fair elections It's not every day that a federal judge calls a lawsuit from one of the country's top lawyers a nasty and partisan "Hail Mary pass" intended to undermine free and fair elections. But that's what happened on Wednesday when U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, a Clinton appointee, tossed out a lawsuit brought by Democratic super lawyer Marc Elias. "In the 102 years since my father, then a Ukrainian refugee, came into this country, if there were two things that he drilled into my head, they were … free, open, rational elections [and] respect for the courts. The relief that I'm being asked to give today impinges, to some degree, on the public perception of both," Kaplan said of the lawsuit, which sought to preserve redistricting lines in New York state that a court had already ruled unconstitutional. "And I'm not going to do that." Elias is the man Special Counsel John Durham accused last week of lying about his relationship with the opposition research firm he retained to assist that campaign; and the man who in every election cycle counts virtually every powerful Democrat as a client. May 10: Breitbart News: Law and Order: Convicted transgender child molester who was given a light sentence with help from a Soros-backed DA, booked for Murder in California Convicted transgender child molester James Tubbs, who was given a light juvenile sentence with the help of the George Soros-backed Los Angeles District Attorney has been booked for murder in Kern County to the north of LA. Tubbs pleaded guilty to choking and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in a bathroom stall in 2014, a crime that shocked Los Angeles at the time. LA DA Gascón declined to prosecute Tubbs as an adult because the crime took place just before Tubbs's 18th birthday. The juvenile sentence meant Tubbs would not have to register as a sex offender. One of Gascón's criminal justice "reforms" was to stop prosecuting juvenile offenders as adults — a policy he revised somewhat after the Tubbs case. Subsequently, Tubbs was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Kern County, California, in connection with a 2019 robbery. He is being held on a $1 million bond and is due to be arraigned this week. ![]() May 11: The Epoch Times: Ukrainian pipeline operator turning off Russian natural gas flow Ukraine's natural gas pipeline operator said it would stop Russian shipments through its Novopskov hub in a part of eastern Ukraine controlled by Moscow-backed separatists. It said the hub handles about a third of the Russian gas passing through the country to Western Europe, although Russia's state-owned natural gas giant Gazprom put the figure at about a quarter. The operator, which also complained about interference along the route last month, said it will stop the flow starting Wednesday because of interference from "occupying forces," including the apparent siphoning of gas. It said Russia could reroute affected shipments through Ukraine's other main hub, Sudzha, in a northern part of the country controlled by Ukraine. Russia's government-controlled Gazprom spokesman Sergei Kupriyanov said Ukraine's rerouting request would be "technologically impossible" and that the company sees no grounds for Ukraine's decision. ![]() Ukrainian forces reported battlefield gains Wednesday in a counterattack that could signal a shift in the momentum of the war, while Kyiv shut gas flows on a route through Russian-held territory, raising the specter of an energy crisis in Europe. Following days of advances north and east of the second largest city Kharkiv, Ukrainian forces were within just several kilometers of the Russian border on Wednesday morning, one Ukrainian military source said. Before the advance, Russian forces had been on the outskirts of Kharkiv, a city 40 km (25 miles) from the frontier. The advance appears to be the fastest that Ukraine has mounted since it drove Russian troops away from Kyiv and out of the country's north at the beginning of April. If sustained, it could let Ukrainian forces threaten supply lines for Russia's main attack force, and even put rear logistics targets within Russia itself within striking range of Ukrainian artillery. May 11: The Epoch Times DOJ notes reveal panic at the FBI after Trump tweet that he knew he was being spied on Newly released notes taken by high-level Department of Justice (DOJ) officials during a March 6, 2017, meeting with FBI leadership expose some of the lengths the FBI went to, to cover up its spying on the 2016 campaign of President Donald Trump. The notes were released by lawyers representing former Hillary Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann as part of an effort to clear him on charges of having lied to the FBI. The notes, in reality, appear to do little to exonerate Sussmann but do provide quite a bit of information on the FBI. The notes taken at a meeting two days after Trump accused Barack Obama's Administration on Twitter of wiretapping the Trump Tower. That tweet panicked FBI leadership, who were unsure exactly how much Trump knew about their efforts to tie him up with Russia collusion allegations. What the notes reveal is that in response to the tweet, they tried to cover their tracks. By March 2017, FBI leadership already knew with near-certainty that the Trump–Russia collusion claims were a hoax. They knew that Clinton's campaign had a plan to vilify Trump by portraying him as a puppet of Putin. The FBI also knew that not a single claim in the so-called Steele dossier—which was the primary source of allegations of Trump–Russia collusion—had checked out. May 11: Fox News: Senator Scott (R-SC) slams Yellen saying she's "Nothing better than a multi-millionaire old white woman lecturing a black man about how his mother was a loser because she let him be born" Conservatives are praising Sen. Tim Scott, and skewering United States Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen over an exchange they had in a Tuesday hearing during which Yellen justified abortion for "low income" Black women and Scott disagreed. Yellen discussed the possible end of Roe v Wade before Senate Banking would have a damaging effect on the economy. In an exchange, the pro-life Scott pushed back against Yellen's comments that low income, African American mothers' benefit from abortion. In a Tweet following the hearing Scott said of Yellen's testimony, "[she's] Nothing better than a multi-millionaire old white woman lecturing a black man about how his mother was a loser because she let him be born" Scott, like some other black leaders like Clarence Thomas, was born into poverty but rose from that environment to serve in prominent positions. May 10: Townhall.com: Biden Administration encourages illegal attempts to intimidate Supreme Court Justices at their homes White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki was asked again on Tuesday about protests targeting the homes of Supreme Court Justices, and she again doubled down on supporting the attempted intimidation of Justices saying that it's Biden's position to "certainly continue to encourage" the protests "outside of judges' homes" that "have been peaceful to date." The statement contradicts her earlier statement last week that Biden didn't have a "particular view" on the protests targeting Justices with the intention of swaying their decision on an unreleased opinion. Psaki first wrote off protests as the result of "passionate" Americans, then — after a pro-life organization in Wisconsin was firebombed — she tweeted to clarify that "peaceful" protests were okay. But, as many court watchers and online observers have pointed out, there's a federal law 18 U.S.C. § 1507 that seems to apply to the unhinged, profane, and bizarre protests that have been taking place outside the homes of Justices Alito, Kavanaugh, and other originalists. In other words, is it okay to break the law as long as it's now a law they care about? May 10: The Washington Free Beacon: High profile Democrat lawyer's case thrown out of court – a "hail Mary pass" intended to undermine free and fair elections – New York redistricting suit It's not every day that a federal judge calls a lawsuit from one of the country's top lawyers a nasty and partisan "Hail Mary pass" intended to undermine free and fair elections. But that's what happened on Wednesday when U.S. District Judge Lewis Kaplan, a Clinton appointee, tossed out a lawsuit brought by Democratic super lawyer Marc Elias. "In the 102 years since my father, then a Ukrainian refugee, came into this country, if there were two things that he drilled into my head, they were … free, open, rational elections [and] respect for the courts. The relief that I'm being asked to give today impinges, to some degree, on the public perception of both," Kaplan said of the lawsuit, which sought to preserve redistricting lines in New York state that a court had already ruled unconstitutional. "And I'm not going to do that." Elias is the man Special Counsel John Durham accused last week of lying about his relationship with the opposition research firm he retained to assist that campaign; and the man who in every election cycle counts virtually every powerful Democrat as a client. May 10: Breitbart News: Law and Order: Convicted transgender child molester who was given a light sentence with help from a Soros-backed DA, booked for Murder in California Convicted transgender child molester James Tubbs, who was given a light juvenile sentence with the help of the George Soros-backed Los Angeles District Attorney has been booked for murder in Kern County to the north of LA. Tubbs pleaded guilty to choking and sexually assaulting a 10-year-old girl in a bathroom stall in 2014, a crime that shocked Los Angeles at the time. LA DA Gascón declined to prosecute Tubbs as an adult because the crime took place just before Tubbs's 18th birthday. The juvenile sentence meant Tubbs would not have to register as a sex offender. One of Gascón's criminal justice "reforms" was to stop prosecuting juvenile offenders as adults — a policy he revised somewhat after the Tubbs case. Subsequently, Tubbs was arrested and charged with first-degree murder in Kern County, California, in connection with a 2019 robbery. He is being held on a $1 million bond and is due to be arraigned this week. May 9: The Washington Examiner: Biden signs executive order telling all federal agencies to create plans to register and mobilize voters Last year, President Joe Biden issued Executive Order 14019, "Promoting Access to Voting." This directed every federal agency, agencies that are staffed through partisan appointments, to create a plan to register and mobilize voters. It also orders these agencies to work with organizations such as activist groups to register and mobilize voters in whatever manner they see fit. In doing so, the Biden administration has politicized election processes that were uniquely guarded as a nonpartisan since the ratification of the Constitution in 1788. Nine months later, the Biden administration has failed to provide information on how the executive order is being implemented, and failing to respond to Freedom of Information Act requests. The Biden's silence should concern all citizens. Silence, a lack of transparency, and an unwillingness to answer reasonable questions foster doubt in our election processes and election results at every level of government. May 9: The Washington Times: Several high-profile Democrat operatives are on the witnesses list as Durham probe heads into the trial phase Several high-profile Democratic political operatives and officials are set to take the witness stand next week in the trial of former Clinton campaign attorney Michael Sussmann, attorneys for both sides revealed in court Monday. Robby Mook, who managed Hillary Clinton's 2016 campaign, Clinton campaign attorney Marc Elias and FBI counterintelligence leader Bill Priestap and former top FBI lawyer James Baker are among those called as government witnesses, said prosecutor Andrew DeFilipiis. The prosecution spearheaded by special counsel John Durham's probe of the FBI's Trump-Russia collusion investigation also will put on the stand: Laura Seago, a top tech official at research firm Fusion GPS; Deborah Fine, a Clinton campaign lawyer; and a CIA official identified only as "Kevin B." ![]() A video has emerged purportedly showing retired Russian Col. Mikhail Khodaryonok admitting on state television that his country needs to "replenish the losses in terms of personnel, weapons and equipment" that it has suffered in the war in Ukraine. Khodaryonok purportedly made the comments Friday while also questioning whether mobilizing more troops would help Russia in the war effort which has now stretched on for 75 days. In the clip Khodaryonok asks "How soon under this mobilization will we get the first fighter aviation regiment? We would get it by New Year's," he said. "If tonight we order new ships to be built, how soon will we get the first one? In two years," he continued. "That's the deal with mobilization," Khodaryonok argued. "If we set a goal of forming a new tank division, when would it be ready? I would say in at least 90 days." (As reported on April 16th the building of Russian tanks may be on hold due to financial problems, crippling sanctions, and supply chain difficulties.) "And [our military] wouldn't be equipped with modern weaponry because we don't have modern weapons and equipment in our reserves," he added. ![]() Report: Some Russian military members refusing to obey orders of their superiors in the invasion of Ukraine The new details emanating from the Pentagon on Monday come as Russia continues its unsuccessful attempts to capture the Donbas region in eastern Ukraine, where Russian separatists and Ukrainian nationalists have fought for eight years. The Pentagon has seen "anecdotal reports" that "mid-grade officers at various levels, even up to the battalion level," have "either refused to obey orders or are not obeying them with the same measure of alacrity that you would expect an officer to obey," the official said. The official has described multiple times that the Russians have suffered from morale issues within their ranks. "I would not characterize it as successful, not at all," the official said when asked to characterize the Russian military's status in the Donbas. "They really haven't achieved any significant progress on the lines of axes that they had anticipated achieving in the northern Donbas. They are being resisted very effectively by the Ukrainians. So, again, I go back to the word I used last week — incremental and somewhat anemic." May 8: The Epoch Times: New G-7 sanctions on Moscow ahead of Russia victory day The United States, the European Union, and Group of Seven (G-7) allies on May 8 agreed to impose fresh sanctions against Russia, including penalizing state-controlled media, barring Western management consulting services in Russia, and tightening export controls. The sanctions came a day before Russia's Victory Day, which celebrates the defeat of Nazi Germany during World War II. Biden participated in the virtual conference with G-7 leaders and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy; Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the UK, and the United States make up the G-7. Among the new sanctions are efforts to cut off U.S. media advertisers from Russia's state-controlled television channels – about $300 million annually. While most companies have cut their business activities in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, a White House official noted, the U.S. government wants to ensure that U.S. media advertisers don't fund Russian propaganda. The United States and its G-7 allies will also impose export controls on a wide range of products "including wood products, industrial engines, boilers, motors, fans, and ventilation equipment, bulldozers, and many other items with industrial and commercial applications." These sanctions are expected to limit Russia's access to products and revenue that bolster its military capabilities, according to the White House. May 8: The Washington Times: Russian's destroy school in eastern Ukraine, 60 dead as world condemns such attacks Russian forces stepped up their assault on eastern Ukraine on Sunday and drew global condemnation after an airstrike reportedly killed 60 people sheltering inside a school, the latest example of what U.S. officials say is a clear pattern of war crimes committed by Russian President Vladimir Putin's army. The Russian bombing of Bilohorivka, a village in the disputed Donbas region, also killed two boys, just hours before first lady Jill Biden and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau made surprise visits to western Ukraine and expressed solidarity with Ukrainian troops, and shortly before the White House announced another round of economic sanctions on Moscow. The offensive in eastern Ukraine has taken on renewed urgency ahead of Russia's "Victory Day" celebration, which commemorates the defeat of Nazi Germany in World War II. May 8: Fox News: "The Edge" performs in Kyiv metro station The Edge performed a surprise 40-minute acoustic set in a metro station in Ukraine's capital Sunday as a show of support for the troops in their fight against Russia's military aggression. "The people in Ukraine are not just fighting for your own freedom, you are fighting for all of us who love freedom," Bono told the crowd of about 100 at the Khreshchatyk metro station converted into a bomb shelter. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy had invited them to perform in Kyiv "as a show of solidarity with the Ukrainian people." Bono told the crowd "They can take your lives, but they can never take your pride." At one point, Bono invited a Ukrainian soldier to join them sing the Ben E. King standard "Stand by Me," with the "Me" changed to "Ukraine." May 7: The Washington Examiner: May 9th; Victory or Vanquished day in Russia? As Russia's May 9 World War II Victory Day approaches, the country's military is looking more vanquished than victorious in Ukraine. In the third month of war, Moscow has made minimal territorial gains and continues to face stubborn Ukrainian resistance. To appear triumphant, President Vladimir Putin will need to escalate by declaring an outright war against Ukraine, rather than a "special military operation," while claiming that he will defeat NATO's alleged attempts to destroy Russia. Victory Day is an annual display of Russia's military prowess that glorifies the Soviet defeat of its former collaborator, Nazi Germany. Putin will manipulate the symbolism and emotion of the event to portray Ukraine and the West as the new Nazi threat to Russia. He is likely to announce a general mobilization to allow for the recruitment of hundreds of thousands of reservists and place the economy on a war footing. With casualties estimated at over 20,000 dead Russian soldiers and the destruction of thousands of pieces of military hardware, mobilization is necessary to maintain a high-intensity invasion. But such a move in a rapidly contracting economy is unlikely to bring any immediate results. Russia's reservists are poorly trained and not motivated to fight in a hostile state, while increasing news of military losses in Ukraine could convince many to attempt to avoid military service. May 7: Fox News: Heritage Foundation President rips Biden's failure to condemn violence against Supreme Court justices Kevin Roberts, the president of the Heritage Foundation said, "It's unconscionable that [Joe] Biden did not condemn the proposed violence at the homes of the Supreme Court justices… That shouldn't happen to any member of the court, even if they disagree with us on pro-life issues. But to your question, I think the electoral impact of this ultimately is going to be a little more helpful to the Right than to the Left. I know that our radical leftist friends believe that this is going to drive turnout. But what we're seeing qualitatively and quantitatively at Heritage, that is looking at two or three polls this week, is that Americans realize the agenda on the Left regarding abortion isn't merely protecting Roe vs. Wade — it's actually allowing partial-birth abortions. [A partial birth abortion is a procedure where the doctor delivers part of the child and then crushes its head and removes its brains by suction.] ![]() Days after a Supreme Court opinion leaked and signaled the possible overturning of a precedent for women's abortion access, Justice Clarence Thomas declared that the high court cannot be "bullied." Thomas, the longest-serving justice on the Supreme Court now and an appointee of former President George H.W. Bush, briefly referenced the past week of protests in Washington and across the nation over the leaked draft majority opinion during the 11th Circuit Judicial Conference on Friday. "We can't be an institution that can be bullied into giving you just the outcomes you want. The events from earlier this week are a symptom of that," Thomas said amid public protests, including some outside the Supreme Court, by abortion activists concerned over the upheaval of Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey. The draft opinion would not prohibit abortions in the U.S. but only return jurisdiction to the states, allowing each to determine what is appropriate within its borders. May 6: The Epoch Times: The left and Soros goes off the rails because of Musk's takeover of Twitter Elon Musk, the world's wealthiest man, has become the target of left-wing organizations following his announcement of plans to buy out Twitter in order to foster free speech on the platform. Tesla CEO on May 3 called for an investigation into the groups that have urged businesses in a letter to boycott Twitter if Musk reverses the social media company's content moderation practices, a week after he reached a deal to acquire the platform. "Who funds these organizations that want to control your access to information? Let's investigate …" Musk wrote. "Sunlight is the best disinfectant." Musk's response came after CNN reported in a letter signed by more than two dozen left-wing organizations. A Daily Mail article shared by Musk revealed that "George Soros, Clinton and Obama staffers and European governments are behind the anti-Musk campaign" that urged big corporations to boycott Twitter after Musk's acquisition. The organizations sent the letter to big brands including Coca-Cola, Apple, Kraft, and Disney, asking them to pull their advertising spending from Twitter if Musk fails to continue to maintain a ban on public figures and politicians have been removed from the platform (i.e., Trump). According to the Daily Mail article, the group is backed by several labor unions, including AFL-CIO and the American Federation of Teachers, as well as, numerous family foundations, such as the NoVo Foundation established by billionaire investor Warren Buffett's son. Critics are concerned that Musk would allow speech they disagree with to flourish on the social media platform. May 6: News Max: Report: Chinese high-tech exports to Russia down drastically Chinese tech firms are quietly leaving Russia in the wake of major sanctions putting a financial strain on the Soviet nation, according to The Wall Street Journal. Citing the report, a number of major companies have begun curtailing shipments to Russia, where Chinese tech firms typically dominate the market for various products. SZ DJI, a consumer drone giant has suspended operations with Russia and Ukraine. Citing recent Chinese government trade data, the Journal reports China's exports of tech products to Russia fell sharply in March, with shipments of laptops declining more than 40%, smartphone shipments dropping more than 60%, and exports of telecom base stations falling by a staggering 98%. The breadth of sanctions and export controls imposed by the United States and its allies are apparently taking a substantive toll. All told, China's overall exports to Russia have tumbled 27% from February to March. Additionally, U.S. chip companies that supply Chinese firms are reportedly "pressing" customers to comply with the post-sanction rules, thus ensuring the semiconductors don't end up as third-party goods shipped to Russia. According to the Journal, Western sanctions also include prohibitive controls that block exports to Russia's defense sector and the export of products "made using U.S. equipment, software or blueprints." In April, U.S. Commerce Secretary said Russia's U.S.-controlled exports had been cut by nearly half, leaving the Kremlin in a semiconductor shortage during its war with Ukraine. Additionally, Chinese companies the fail to comply with U.S. export controls can also be sanctioned by the U.S. Department of Commerce. May 6: News Max: Justice Roberts; Leak is "absolutely appalling" Chief Justice John Roberts on Thursday called the leak of a Supreme Court draft opinion that would overturn Roe v. Wade "absolutely appalling." The chief justice on Tuesday had said the leaked opinion did "not represent a decision by the Court or the final position of any member on the issues in the case." Sources say that Roberts did not want to completely overturn Roe v. Wade. The chief justice said if "the person" or "people" behind the leak think it will affect the work of the high court, they are "foolish." The Supreme Court is scheduled to hold a closed-door conference in Washington, D.C., on May 12. May 6: The Epoch Times: Warner (D-VA) breaks with colleagues; calls for prosecution of SCOTUS leaker The person responsible for sharing a Supreme Court draft ruling with a news outlet should be prosecuted, Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said. "I completely condemn the leak and whoever leaked it should be prosecuted." The White House, left-wing activists, and many Democrats in Congress have said the focus should be on the ruling itself, not the leak. Some 63 people, including the nine justices on the court, are believed to be suspects. There's also a possibility the ruling was obtained through a hack. Chief Justice John Roberts has ordered the court's marshal to investigate the leak, which he referred to as a "betrayal of the confidences of the court." ![]() Boeing heading for Younkin's Virginia Boeing's office in Arlington, Virginia, will become its new global headquarters instead of its office in Chicago. The move, which the company announced on Thursday, is partly due to the work of Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) and Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA), the company said. Youngkin, who was sworn in as governor earlier this year, has a personal relationship with Boeing CEO and President David Calhoun. "We are excited to build on our foundation here in Northern Virginia. The region makes strategic sense for our global headquarters given its proximity to our customers and stakeholders, and its access to world-class engineering and technical talent," Calhoun said. Details on the transition have not been released, including any incentives presented to the company. However, the state has not offered any "significant" incentives to the company, sources contended. May 5: The Washington Examiner: Law Enforcement raids MI township amid reports of unauthorized access to voting equipment in 2020 State police raided a western Michigan township as part of an investigation into reports of unauthorized access to voting machines after the 2020 election. One tabulator was seized in Irving Township on Friday. Michigan State Police told WOOD-TV the alleged breach had no effect on the 2020 election results. Matthew DePerno, a 2022 Republican candidate in the race for Michigan attorney general, alleged the county voting machines were hacked, changing the votes, spurred on by the results initially showing Joe Biden winning the race. But tabulation errors were quickly discovered, and once rectified, Trump was shown to be the victor. State and county officials have blamed human error, a failure to update software properly across the county, for the mishap. The case was dismissed last year by 13th Circuit Judge Kevin Elsenheimer after the plaintiffs were allowed to proceed with a "forensic audit" of the Dominion Voting Systems machines in the county on Dec. 6, 2020. May 5: Fox News: Sweden: US has given security assurances if it joins NATO Sweden's foreign minister says her country has received security assurances from the U.S. if it decides to forge ahead with the process of joining NATO – a move that has been met with nuclear threats from Russia. According to Reuters, Ann Linde made the announcement after meeting U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, D.C., on Wednesday. Linde, speaking to Swedish media, said the assurances "would mean that Russia can be clear that if they direct any kind of negative activities against Sweden, which they have threatened, it would not be something that the U.S. would just allow to happen... without a response." "Naturally, I'm not going to go into any details, but I feel very sure that now we have an American assurance," she reportedly added. "However, not concrete security guarantees, those you can only get if you are a full member of NATO." Sweden and its neighbor Finland have been looking to join NATO following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. "It's their decision," NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said last week. "But if they decide to apply, Finland and Sweden will be warmly welcomed, and I expect that process to go quickly." However, Russia warned in mid-April that it will bolster its defenses in the Baltic Sea -- including a potential nuclear escalation -- if Sweden and Finland join NATO. "There can be no more talk of any nuclear-free status for the Baltic - the balance must be restored," Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of Russia's security council and former president of Russia, had said at the time. May 5: The Epoch Times: Dozens of documents Clinton campaign seeks to keep from Durham could help prove the case against attorney Some three dozen documents that the Hillary Clinton campaign and others are seeking to keep from special counsel John Durham's team would help prove the case against an ex-Clinton campaign lawyer, Durham's team said in court on May 4. The documents fit into two categories. Thirty are emails sent to or from Fusion GPS operatives. Eight were exchanged between Rodney Joffe, a technology executive represented by the lawyer, and Fusion tech expert Laura Seago. The emails and their attachments would provide "important context," the prosecution said. Sussman is set to go on trial on May 16 for allegedly lying to the FBI when he said he was not bringing the information on behalf of a client. The emails would also shed light on Fusion's role in promoting the sketchy allegations to the media, which recently released documents show was a major portion of their work. Durham's team was pushing for U.S. District Judge Christopher Cooper, the Obama appointee overseeing the case, to compel the parties to produce the 38 documents in unredacted form for the judge to review behind closed doors. Cooper could then determine whether the privilege claims asserted by the campaign, the committee, Perkins, and Fusion were appropriate or unfounded. If the former, they would not be allowed to be used during the trial, at least in unredacted form; if the latter, they could be utilized by Durham's team. Durham's team won the motion to compel. Cooper now has to decide whether he gets none, some, or all of the documents. Granting the motion to review the documents in private is not "a significant intrusion," Cooper said. "Whether review of the documents will reveal whether Fusion was creating work product that is covered or not covered remains to be seen. I don't know. So we'll have to see what the emails actually say," he added. May 5: The Washington Times: Cruz: some little woke left-wing twit leaked the draft SCOTUS opinion Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) on Wednesday blamed the explosive Supreme Court leak on "one little woke left-wing twit," arguing that the perpetrator should be disbarred or possibly jailed. Cruz said he believed the person responsible for the first-ever leak of a draft majority opinion is a clerk working for one of the court's three liberal justices, adding that it was "difficult to overstate how destructive this is to the Supreme Court." "In over 200 years of our nation's history, that has never happened. And there was one woke little left-wing twit who decided, to hell with his or her obligations to the justice they work for, to hell with their obligations to the court, to hell with their obligations to the rule of law, that they would instead try to sneak it out in order to put political pressure on the justices and intimidate them into changing their votes," Cruz contended. Cruz said he believed the leak came from a clerk, not a justice. Each justice has four clerks. May 4: The Washington Examiner: Hunter Biden's laptop repairman sues CNN and Adam Schiff for defamation of character Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and several news outlets are being sued by the Delaware computer repairman who tipped off authorities about Hunter Biden's laptop. Computer repair business owner, John Paul Mac Isaac, filed suit against Schiff, CNN, the Daily Beast, and Politico, claiming he suffered financial and reputational damage after they falsely accused him of peddling Russian disinformation. "After fighting to reveal the truth, all I want now is for the rest of the country to know that there was a collective and orchestrated effort by social and mainstream media to block a real story with real consequences for the nation," Mac Isaac said. He is seeking "at least $1 million in compensatory damages [and] punitive damages, which will be the much bigger number and will be determined at trial," his lawyer told the New York Post. The lawsuit accuses Schiff of defaming Isaac during a CNN interview with Wolf Blitzer in which Schiff allegedly called concerns over the laptop a smear on then-Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden. May 4: The Daily Caller: Did China let slip that it may be preparing for war China is exploring how to avoid economic sanctions in preparation for war, experts have said. The Financial Times reported, Monday, that China convened an emergency internal conference on April 22 seeking to determine how the nation might avoid future sanctions similar to those levied against Russia for its invasion of Ukraine. The meeting likely betrays China's intention to launch a military offensive in the foreseeable future, experts said. Former ambassador John Bolton said he believes the meeting signals China's militaristic ambitions. "I'm surprised that it took them so long to figure out they needed to develop anti-sanction strategies," Bolton said. "I'm surprised they haven't prepared defenses more adequately before, but that certainly seems to be what they're trying to do here." "It's not just my assessment, it's China's assessment: they believe Biden is weak," Bolton said, noting how former President Bill Clinton dispatched two aircraft carriers to the Taiwan Strait during the Third Taiwan Straight Crisis in 1996 as a show of force. "I don't think anybody believes Joe Biden would do that today." May 4: Fox News: "Devout Catholic" Biden slammed for claiming abortion is okay because he is a child of God Conservatives on Twitter were appalled Wednesday after President Joe Biden defended abortion by appealing to his natural rights as a "child of God." "Devout Catholic" Biden's latest rhetorical blunder happened while talking to the press when he elaborated more on his stance on the leaked SCOTUS opinion draft that seems poised to overturn Roe v. Wade. "This reminds me of the debate I had with Robert Bork," he said, claiming incorrectly, "Bork believed the only reason you had any inherent rights is because the government gave them to you." Conservatives on Twitter slammed Biden for daring to say he believes in rights given to him "as a child of God" to justify his defense of abortion. May 3: The Daily Caller: DHS Disinformation panel is half-baked and has yet to hold a meeting According to two congressional staffers familiar with the discussion, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told congressional staffer Friday that its Disinformation Governance Board had yet to hold its first meeting. One staffer said the board appeared "half-baked" and said DHS seemed to have gotten "ahead of themselves when they mentioned it in the secretary's testimony." DHS also admitted the board lacks a charter during Friday's call, the two staffers said. ![]() invokes Churchill saying "This is Ukraine's finest hour" British Prime Minister Boris Johnson channeled one of his famous predecessors, Winston Churchill, in a speech about Ukraine's defense against Russian invaders. He invoked one of Churchill's most well-known addresses during World War II while speaking to Ukraine's parliament Tuesday, serving up a display of defiance against the war brought by Russian President Vladimir Putin. "You have exploded the myth of Putin's invincibility, and you have written one of the most glorious chapters in military history and in the life of your country," Johnson said in a video streamed to the legislature "The so-called irresistible force of Putin's war machine has broken on the immovable object of Ukrainian patriotism and love of country. This is Ukraine's finest hour, that will be remembered and recounted for generations to come." May 3: The Washington Times:Former AG Bill Barr says the leak of SCOTUS draft decision may be an obstruction of justice Former Attorney General William Barr said the leaker who gave the media a copy of the high court's draft opinion gutting the landmark Roe v. Wade decision could have committed obstruction of justice. Barr said he was "flabbergasted" by the leak and that Chief Justice Roberts could appoint a counsel and utilize the FBI to get to the bottom of who released the court's documents. "It could be obstructing the administration of justice, the due process of justice," he said. "Obstruction means you're attempting to influence, you know, through some type of wrongdoing. And I don't think it's a stretch." Meanwhile, Democrats are queuing up to use this as a way of energizing their base in the midterm elections. Legal experts are saying is it highly unlikely any criminal act was committed; however, they say if the person is discovered, his or her legal career will be forever gone. May 2: News Max: SCOTUS draft suggests Roe v. Wade may be struck down The Supreme Court may well be poised to strike down the landmark Roe v. Wade decision legalizing abortion, according to an initial draft majority opinion written by Justice Samuel Alito and circulated inside the court and leaked to the press. The draft opinion is described as an "unflinching repudiation" of the 1973 decision which guaranteed protections for abortion rights in America. "Roe was egregiously wrong from the start," Alito wrote. "We hold that Roe and Casey must be overruled," he writes "It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people's elected representatives [in the state legislatures]." Deliberations on controversial cases have in the past been subject to change as drafts make the rounds. There could be further drafts and deals brokered among the justices. It was not known if there are already subsequent drafts. The final decision shall not be made until later this year. To date, there has never been a leak such as this, raising the question whether some rouge clerk shared it in order to energize the pro-abortion forces on the left. At least one lawmaker, Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) urged an investigation into the extraordinary leak. adding that "if this was an attempt to intimidate the justices" over their opinions, "the individual responsible must be punished." If the ruling, as drafted, takes effect, the authority to allow, or prohibit, abortions would return to the state legislatures which would decide what happens within the their state borders. May 2: The Washington Times: SCOTUS says a Christian flag can fly on City of Boston property A unanimous Supreme Court delivered a win Monday for a Christian group wanting to fly its flag outside Boston 's City Hall, ruling that the city's policy unfairly discriminated against religious groups' First Amendment rights. The justices said Boston had denied the group its chance to fly a flag because the city feared it would violate the Constitution's Establishment Clause, which bars the state from endorsing or instituting a religion. But the city bungled its interpretation of the constitutional prohibition and ended up treating the religious group worse than anyone else — an impermissible violation of the group's free speech rights, the court ruled. "Under the Constitution, a government may not treat religious persons, religious organizations, or religious speech as second-class," Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh said in his concurring opinion. Boston had argued the flagpole — one of three outside City Hall — was effectively a part of the city's messaging, and so it should be able to control what flags flew there. May 2: The Dailer Caller: Biden ditched Trumps Energy Dominance Policy and now it's coming back to haunt him Joe Biden's decision to reverse a series of Trump administration energy policies have harmed American consumers, former Interior Secretary David Bernhardt said. Bernhardt, who led the Department of Interior (DOI) between 2019-2021, said Biden's energy policies reflect activism rather than a coherent strategy to ensure low prices and sufficient supply for Americans. Fossil fuel industry groups and GOP lawmakers have repeatedly blamed the Biden administration for rising energy prices slamming consumers in recent weeks. The average price of gasoline continued to rise remaining near its all-time high according to Energy Information Administration data. "As a candidate… Biden was very, very clear that he had a different energy vision than the vision of energy independence — even the energy dominance — that Trump had," Bernhardt said. "Biden campaigned with a very different vision," he continued. "His vision, I think to say fairly, would be a vision of climate activism over energy independence or energy dominance." Bernhardt added that the Department of the Interior has been filled with "some of the most activist folks that could have possibly been chosen." Shortly after taking office in January 2021, Biden issued a series of climate-related executive orders, canceling the Keystone XL pipeline permit and issuing a moratorium on new federal oil and gas leasing in an attempt to "get rid of fossil fuels." May 1: News Max: McCaul warns this next week will be pivotable in the Ukrainian defense against Russian aggression Rep. Michael McCaul (R-TX) on Sunday asserted the next few weeks will be "pivotal" in Russia's war in Ukraine. McCaul said Ukraine can win the war — and the United States must help with a proposed $33 billion package. "The next two to three weeks are going to be very pivotal and very decisive in this war," he said. "And I don't think we have a lot of time to waste in Congress. I wish we had this a little bit sooner, but we have it now." He said if he were the Speaker, he'd call Congress back into session and get working on it. "Every day we don't send them more weapons is a day where more people will be killed and a day where they could lose this war," he said. "I think they can win it. But we have to give them the tools to do it," he asserted. ![]() JRR Tolkien and military manuals to Ukraine's readers It says something about modern Ukraine's place in the world that an academic who takes "special pride" in publishing a Ukrainian translation of the complete works of J.R.R. Tolkien was determined also to print a series of manuals on military tactics and civilian survival in a war zone. "This is a bestseller," Astrolabe Publishing founder Oleh Feschowetz said. 100,000 copes have been sold so far. He wasn't referring to The Hobbit, but to Swiss army Maj. Hans von Dach's mid-century guerrilla war "It was the first military book in the beginning of the war, [in] 2014." "Because Russia always interpret[s] the culture just like a weapon," he said in another conversation. "We must do the same. Culture is a weapon." Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Georgia in 2008 struck Feschowetz and his colleagues as an ominous portent for Ukraine, so they began in 2009 to furnish Ukrainian readers (including territorial defense forces, the kind that played a vital role in the recent defense of Kyiv) with tactical manuals. "In my business, there [are] two main fundaments — Tolkien fantasy and military literature," Feschowetz said. May 1: Fox News: Dem suggests Obama is behind Biden's "Ministry of truth" Former Rep. Tulsi Gabbard (D-HI) suggested that former President Barack Obama is behind the effort to establish a Disinformation Governance Board, which she likened to George Orwell's famed "Ministry of Truth." "Biden is just a front man," Gabbard said. "Obama, April 21: social media censors 'don't go far enough,' so the government needs to step in to do the job. Six days later, Homeland Security rolls out the 'Ministry of Truth' (aka Disinformation Governance Board)." Gabbard, a Democrat, was referencing Obama's speech at Stanford University last week, where he argued tech companies have a hard time moderating content on their own and called for more oversight. Obama said he believes employees at the companies "are sincere" in trying to moderate violent content and hate speech, but argued more needs to be done to help the companies limit such posts. "While content moderation can limit the distribution of clearly dangerous content, it doesn't go far enough," Obama said. Obama's comments come after the Biden administration created a Disinformation Governance Board to be run by DHS with the goal of combating online disinformation. May 1: The Washington Examiner: Gingrich suggests a possible 70 seat pick up for GOP in House seats Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich is forecasting what could be a historic "red wave" this November. He predicts Republicans could pick up as many as 70 seats in the House in the midterm elections, as well as four in the Senate, returning control of both chambers of Congress to the GOP. "I think we'll pick up between 25 and 70 seats in the House. We'll probably pick up about four seats in the Senate," he said. In the House, that would top the 63-seat gain by Republicans in 2010, the height of the Tea Party movement and the highest gain for both parties since 1948. Democrats currently have only a dozen more seats than Republicans in the House and in the Senate it is an even tie when the two "independents" vote with the Democrat left. Former NFL player Herschel Walker, who is running for Senate in Georgia, where Gingrich used to be a congressman, was one GOP candidate he highlighted. April 30: The Epoch Times: January 6th Defendant files Habeas Corpus Petition A Jan. 6 defendant has filed a habeas corpus petition, alleging his constitutional rights have been repeatedly violated while being held pending trial. He's the first person charged in the 2021 breach of the U.S. Capitol to file such a petition. Christopher Quaglin, 36, has been denied necessities such as medicine, forced to live in substandard conditions, and prevented from reviewing materials regarding the charges against him, according to a 61-page petition that was filed in federal court in Washington last week. Quaglin, a married father of a 1-year-old, has celiac disease, which means he needs gluten-free food. As he's been shifted to different jails, and according to the petition has regularly been denied adequate sustenance. He's gone days without food on multiple occasions. To prevent starvation, has spent some $7,500 at commissaries; he has reported losing about 68 pounds. The petition says he has been placed in solitary confinement, kept indoors for months, and housed in cells with black mold, rats, and rusted metal. He has been punished for speaking to the press and members of Congress, and has seen his right to meet with his counsel violated, including having video calls with his lawyer, Joseph McBride cut off, and been prevented from reviewing the discovery in his case. Representatives Louie Gohmert (R-TX) and Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) visited the jail and found it to be violating the rights of prisoners. The U.S. Marshals Service also said that a surprise inspection, while Quaglin was still there, and uncovered deficiencies. "You have five distinct claims. Each one of these claims are grounds for him to be released in and of themselves, but the five of them in the aggregate provide overwhelming justification for his release," McBride said. The petition asks the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to order Quaglin released on the basis that his constitutional rights have been violated. It also asks for orders banning the use of solitary confinement against pretrial detainees and to appoint an expert to conduct visits to two jails where the alleged mistreatment happened, the D.C. Jail and the Northern Neck Regional Jail, the Virginia facility where Quaglin has been housed since Dec. 20, 2021. Federal law gives judges and justices the ability to grant habeas corpus if they determine a prisoner is in custody in violation of the U.S. Constitution. April 30: The Washington Times: Kansas bill to keep males from competing against female athletes fails to override Democrat governor's veto For the second year in a row, Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly vetoed a Fairness in Women's Sports bill, and once again, Republican legislators were unable to muster the votes to override her veto. House Republicans came up short Thursday on a 81-41 vote, just three shy of the two-thirds majority needed to overturn the Democratic governor's April 15 veto of the bill. Three Republicans broke with the party to support the veto. Two days earlier, the Senate successfully overrode the veto on a 28-10 vote. Both chambers must register two-thirds majorities to upend gubernatorial vetoes. The bill, which applied to both K-12 and collegiate sports, would have barred "students of the male sex" from participating on female athletic teams, as defined by "biological sex." The House also fell short in its effort to override the governor's veto of a parental bill of rights measure giving parents greater access to school curriculum and materials. The vote was 72-50, well below the 84 votes needed to overturn the veto. April 29: The Washington Times: Indiana AG sues BLM over transparency issues and the possible misuse of donated funds Indiana Attorney General Todd Rokita has sued the Black Lives Matter Global Network Foundation as part of his investigation into whether donations from state residents were used for legitimate purposes and not the group leadership's "personal benefit." The lawsuit filed Tuesday seeks a court order requiring the group to respond to a civil investigative demand issued in February, the same month that the Republican attorney general opened the probe. "Protecting Indiana consumers from this house of cards is critical," said Rokita. "There are concerning patterns of behavior from this organization, and we will do what it takes—including this lawsuit—to get to the bottom of it." The nonprofit foundation has drawn criticism over a lack of transparency surrounding its massive fundraising, as well as reports of pricey real-estate purchases by its leaders, including former executive director Patrisse Cullors, a self-described "trained Marxist." Earlier this month, New York Magazine revealed that BLM leaders bought a $6 million mansion in Los Angeles in October 2020, which the organization described as a "campus." Cullors has reportedly purchased four properties in the last few years totaling $3.2 million. ![]() The Ukrainian fighter jet pilot known around the globe as the Ghost of Kyiv has reportedly been killed fighting the Russians. The legend of the Ghost of Kyiv went mega-viral following Russia's invasion of Ukraine after an unnamed pilot reportedly shot down multiple Russian aircraft. According to the London Times the pilot has been identified by local reports as Major Stepan Tarabalka and was killed when his MiG-29 was shot down during combat on March 13. The Times also reported Tarabalka allegedly is credited with 40 kills in the air. It's worth noting that information that comes out of war zones is notoriously difficult to confirm at times, but as of right now, this is the reported identity of the Ukrainian pilot responsible for taking down so many Russian aircraft. April 29: News Max: Putin is likely to formally declare war on Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin will likely use the May 9 Victory Day celebrations, which mark the surrender of Nazi Germany in 1945, to inform the Russian people that he is waging a war in Ukraine, not running a special military operation, the U.K.'s defense minister said. As the Kremlin's assault on Ukraine moved into its 10th week on Thursday, Putin has not yet labeled it a war, but has instead maintained that it is a "special military operation," the goal of which is the "denazification" of the former Soviet Union country. British Defense Secretary Ben Wallace said the Russian head of state will have to tell the Russian people about the reality of the conflict if he needs more conscripts to be compelled to join the ranks under a formal declaration of hostilities. April 29: Fox Business: Crumbling Disney Kingdom sees departure of high-level staff person Walt Disney CEO Bob Chapek told company executives that Morrell is "leaving the company to pursue other opportunities." Morrell told his staff in an email that it has become "clear" that he's not the right fit in the position. "After three months in this new role, it has become clear to me that for a number of reasons it is not the right fit," Morrell wrote. "After talking this over with Bob, I have decided to leave the company to pursue other opportunities." April 28: The Washington Times: Biden/DHS create a "Disinformation Governance Board" to combat misinformation. Some call it an effort to circumvent freedom of speech The Department of Homeland Security has created a "disinformation" board led by a woman who has criticized First Amendment rights and dismissed troubling reports of Hunter Biden's laptop as a "Trump campaign" ploy. Nina Jankowicz has been on the job for a couple of months, but Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas only revealed the disinformation board's existence this week in testimony to Congress, when prodded about what his department is doing to help minority communities combat election disinformation. "The goal is to bring the resources of the department together to address this threat," Mr. Mayorkas told lawmakers. The question remains what is "disinformation" and who decides what is, and what isn't? Many are seeing this as an attack on the First Amendment free speech rights. April 28: The Daily Caller: House and Senate approve reinstating WWII lend-lease program in order to help Ukraine The House of Representatives overwhelmingly voted Thursday to reinstate a World War II weapons sharing program to support Ukraine against the continuing Russian invasion. Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) introduced the Ukrainian Democracy Defense Lend Lease Act in February. It is modeled after the Lend Lease Program, which was first created by Congress in 1941 to arm Great Britain. It passed the House 417-10, with 221 Democrats and 196 Republicans voting in favor. A companion bill unanimously passed the Senate on April 6th by voice vote. Joe Biden is expected to sign the legislation. "It's absolutely the amazing, the unintended consequences of Vladimir Putin, that he's brought Democrats and Republicans together," Wilson said on the House floor. "He has united the people of the U.S., and with the leadership of [House Foreign Affairs Committee] chairman Greg Meeks and the ranking member Mike McCaul, Americans are united in their support of the people of Ukraine. For 63 days, the courageous people of Ukraine have resisted full-scale invasion by war criminal Putin with his murderous occupying forces, in large part due to the courageous leadership of President Volodymyr Zelenskyy." April 27: American Briefing: Democrats lose appeal on NY redistricting maps In a 4-3 decision New York Democrats who hoped to gain three additional Congressional seat were stopped. The Court of Appeals heard arguments on Tuesday, where Republican voters claimed Democrats violated the state's Constitutionally-mandated process for redistricting in order to gerrymander the maps to their benefit. In a majority opinion signed by the Chief Judge of the Court of Appeals, the court wrote that Democrats had done "exactly what they would have done had the 2014 constitutional reforms never been passed." In 2014, New York voters adopted anti-gerrymandering reforms into the state's constitution. The court's ruling means an outside expert known as a "special master" will be hired to redraw the maps. Its final form will likely help Republicans take a small lead in national redistricting. ![]() San Francisco's population plummeted by more than 100,000 residents from 2020 to 2021, but despite spiraling drug and crime crises, one Bay Area resident says he will stay and fight to save his city. "I've been here 20 something years … I would not leave. We are fighting for this city," said Richie Greenberg, a former candidate for San Francisco mayor. "We're not going to move, we're fighting." According to Greenberg, when there is a special event near City Hall, a few blocks from the Tenderloin, there is always a push to clean up. "They don't want the embarrassment," said Greenberg, who is also a spokesman for the Recall Chesa Boudin Committee. Boudin faces a recall vote on June 7. "A lot of the support that we are getting are from those who are victims. The most common is either - their home has been broken into, or their car has been broken into," said Greenberg. People for and against embattled District Attorney, Chesa Boudin, who took office in January 2020, point to crime statistics to state their case. April 27: Fox News: EU moving away from Russian fuels; accuse Russia of blackmail Head of the European Union accused Russia of "blackmail" Wednesday after it cut gas access to Poland and Bulgaria. Russian-owned gas giant, Gazprom, said it had shut off gas to the two EU nations in retaliation for unpaid energy bills for the month of April when they refused to pay in the Russian currency which Russian President Putin announced as an attempt to bolster his flagging economy amid stiff international sanctions. The unilateral cut off "…of gas to customers in Europe is yet another attempt by Russia to use gas as an instrument of blackmail," EU President Ursula von der Leyen said. "This is unjustified and unacceptable. And it shows once again the unreliability of Russia as a gas supplier." She said EU nations were "prepared for this scenario" and remained in close contact to identify other means of supplying Poland and Bulgaria with their energy needs. Poland's Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said he believed that the cut off was in retaliation for sanctions Warsaw implemented on 50 Russian oligarchs and businesses, including Gazprom. Poland received 45 percent of its gas needs from Russia, but the Polish prime minister said his nation would be fine given previous gas arrangements made with other countries. Warsaw already had plan in the works to end its reliance on Russian energy by the end of 2022. April 27: The Washington Times: Putin threatens to go nuclear as his invasion of Ukraine bogs down Russian President Vladimir Putin not only cut off natural gas supplies to two key NATO nations, Poland and Bulgaria, but also threatened a "lightning-fast" military response against anyone who interferes with Russia's assault on Ukraine. The dual moves by the Kremlin come as the Russian military's offensive in Ukraine's eastern Donbas region remains largely bogged down amid continued logistical struggles and higher-than-expected casualties. The blundering campaign has exposed underlying weaknesses inside Russia's supposedly cutting-edge war machine, damaging Moscow's military credibility around the world and fueling hope in the West that Putin's Ukraine gambit will fail spectacularly. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin said that hope over the weekend, telling reporters in Poland that the West wants "to see Russia weakened to the degree" that it would be unable to mount another Ukraine-like invasion in the foreseeable future. Clearly angered, Putin appears determined to escalate the crisis beyond Ukraine. His decision to cut off gas supplies confirms Western fears that the Kremlin is willing to use energy as a wartime weapon. April 27: The Epoch Times: DeSantis signs bill creating the nation's first office of Election Crimes and Security Gov. Ron DeSantis(R-FL) signed SB 524 into law, strengthening voting rules in the state and establishing the nation's first Office of Election Crimes and Security at the Department of State, specifically formed to investigate and prosecute voter fraud. While most legacy media news reports insist claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election are "unsubstantiated," "false," "baseless," or "unfounded," other reports are surfacing with clear evidence of widespread fraud through ballot harvesting, the process of third-party volunteers collecting ballots and delivering them to local election offices or ballot drop boxes. A former member of the Federal Election Commission, said much of the ballot harvesting operation in the 2020 election was funded by Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's "carefully orchestrated" $400 million-plus campaign to "convert official government election offices into get-out-the-vote operations for one political party and to insert political operatives into election offices in order to influence and manipulate the outcome of the election." A new documentary "2000 Mules" by Dinesh D'Souza presents video evidence of a coordinated effort to harvest ballots and manipulate election results in key swing states during the 2020 election. April 26: Alliance for Life: 5th Circuit kills lawsuit trying to overturn the Texas Heartbeat law (Source: Texas Alliance for Life press release) Today the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a lower court to "dismiss all challenges to the private endorsement provision of the Texas Heartbeat Act." Texas Alliance for Life's executive director Dr. Joe Pojman said in a statement: The Texas Heartbeat Act remains in effect after the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals sent the Whole Woman's Health v. Jackson lawsuit back to the district court with instructions to dismiss all challenges to the private enforcement provisions of the law. This represents a substantial pro-life victory for Texas in federal courts led by Attorney General Ken Paxton. The Heartbeat Act has resulted in a 50% drop in reported abortions. Nevertheless, the abortion industry still thrives in Texas, with all 23 abortion facilities remaining in operation and abortions performed at the rate of 27,000 per year. We look forward to a ruling by the Supreme Court in June that could potentially overturn Roe v. Wade. If that happens, another law, the Human Life Protection Act, will go into effect, completely protecting unborn babies from abortion beginning at conception. ![]() Storage tanks at a major oil depot in the Russian city of Bryansk exploded early on Monday. Was Ukraine responsible? Before you answer, consider first that this is only the latest disaster to afflict Russian critical infrastructure near the Ukrainian border. Another oil depot in Belgorod was targeted by a Ukrainian helicopter strike in early April. Prior to that, Russian railway lines near the border were sabotaged. A Russian missile research center and a chemical plant also recently suffered explosions. These incidents all appear to fit well with Ukraine's military strategy. Bryansk is 62 miles from the Ukrainian border, is beyond the range of most drone systems in Ukraine's possession. Ukrainian missiles could have been used in this attack. With Russia forced to scale back its goals in the conflict, Ukraine has escalated its offensive operations in what's known as the "deep battlespace." This involves the targeting of Russian logistics and command and control units deeper behind the front lines. Employing Western-provided drones and highly mobile small units, Ukraine is degrading and demoralizing Russia's war machine. It's not a wild leap to expect that Ukraine is now applying these same tactics over the border inside Russia. This is likely a result of the British training the Ukrainian military. In North Africa in WWII, the British Special Forces proved that small units behind enemy lines can create havoc. It seems clear that incidents behind Russian lines do involve Ukrainian ground forces. Havoc is certainly what we're seeing in Russian border areas right now. Ukraine seems to be trying to cut off Russian forces from their logistics trains, while also bringing the war home for Russians who might otherwise be fooled by the fiction of Putin's so-called "special operation." April 26: The Washington Examiner: Ukraine shoots down Russian transport with troops on board that were to attempt to take control of the Kyiv airport Intelligence from the United States helped Ukraine thwart a key Russian aerial operation, according to a new report. U.S. intelligence sharing with the Ukrainian military has proven to be a tremendous factor, as it has helped them both prevent and launch their own attacks. Near the beginning of Russia's invasion into Ukraine, which commenced Feb. 24, U.S. intel provided to the Ukrainians helped defeat a Russian operation that was meant to wrest control of Hostomel Airport near Kyiv by shooting down a Russian transport plane carrying hundreds of troops. Had Russia been able to maintain control of the airport — its forces captured it for a short time — Moscow could have used it to solve many of its supplies and logistical problems. April 26: The Daily Caller: Kennedy takes on DOJ, says its losing the fight on crime Sen. John Kennedy (R-LA) pressed Attorney General Merrick Garland on the Department of Justice's (DOJ) support for local law enforcement in fighting back against skyrocketing crime. "I think the Justice Department is losing. I think you're losing on crime," Kennedy said during a Tuesday Senate Appropriations Committee. The DOJ is requesting $37.65 billion in federal funding for Fiscal Year 2023, a $2.63 billion increase over current levels. Kennedy questioned how the DOJ would support law enforcement officials in cities like Chicago, which has already seen 169 murders in 2022. Nearly 800 people were killed in the city of Chicago in 2021, the highest number since 1996. The Chicago Police Department (CPD) arrested only 201 people for homicide in 2021, although it claimed a case closure rate of 50%, according to the Chicago Sun-Times. CPD rules allow officers to claim a case "closed" if they believe a suspect is dead, prosecutors decline to charge or police decline to arrest a chief suspect. Garland should encourage CPD to reinstate stop-and-frisk policies to curb homicides, Kennedy said. April 26: The Washington Times: SCOTUS justices challenge the Biden Administration over catch and release actions The Supreme Court signaled trouble for the administration's catch-and-release border policies on Tuesday, with justices questioning the legal basis Homeland Security is using to parole thousands of illegal immigrants into the U.S. each day. The justices repeatedly clashed with President Biden's lawyer over the massive number of releases happening right now and the administration's failure to take concrete action to deter or detain more of the new arrivals. "You're sort of making it even harder to do anything other than release people encountered at the border into the United States," Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. told Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar. She was in court to defend the administration's attempt to shut down the Trump administration's "Remain in Mexico" policy that sent illegal immigrants at the southern border back into Mexico to wait for the outcome of their immigration proceedings. Texas sued, arguing that the unilateral cancelation of the policy, formally known as Migrant Protection Protocols or MPP, violated administrative law. Lower courts agreed with Texas and ordered Homeland Security to restart the program. April 25: The Washington Times: Federal Court halts Biden's plans to end Title 42, which is used to deport illegal aliens A federal judge on Monday issued a ruling halting Joe Biden's attempt to cancel the Title 42 pandemic shutdown of the southern border, dealing a blow to the administration's moves to welcome hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants. Judge Robert R. Summerhays in Louisiana said details of the temporary restraining order are still to be worked out, and he sent both sides back to try to work out an agreement. Biden had sought to end Title 42 on May 23, and it's not clear what immediate effect the ruling will have at the border. April 25: The Washington Examiner: Wuhan lab had agreement with UTMB Galveston to cooperate on scientific research with a provision to "destroy" any "secret files" The Wuhan Institute of Virology had an agreement with the University of Texas Medical Branch's Galveston National Laboratory to collaborate on scientific research, with the Chinese lab entitled to ask the Texas lab to "destroy" any "secret files." The revelation provides further details about how the Chinese government lab, which at least one U.S. intelligence agency regards as the most likely origin of the coronavirus pandemic, maintained relationships with U.S. government-funded institutions as it conducted its coronavirus research. A copy of the MOU was obtained and published by U.S. Right to Know. "All cooperation and exchanges documents, data, details, and materials shall be treated as confidential information by the parties," the agreement said. "The confidentiality obligation shall be applicable throughout the duration of this MoU and after it has been terminated. The party is entitled to ask the other to destroy and/or return the secret files, materials, and equipment without any backups." April 25: The Epoch Times: Fire Erupts at Russian Oil Depot Near Border With Ukraine A fire has erupted at a Russian oil depot near the border with Ukraine. The Tass news agency reported the fire early Monday in Bryansk. The Russian report said oil storage tanks at the facility caught fire around 2 a.m. local time. NASA satellites that track fires show a burning fire at coordinates that correspond to a Rosneft facility some 70 miles north of the Ukrainian border. Anton Gerashchenko, adviser to the head of Ukraine's Ministry of Internal Affairs, was cited by the Ukrainian news agency Unian as saying that people who live near the burning oil depot were being evacuated. Moscow has blamed Ukraine for the attacks, something the Ukrainian officials had denied. April 24: Fox News: Liberal Fort Bend County Judge invites Disney to leave Florida and relocate in his "diverse" county A liberal Texas County Judge invited Disney to move from Florida to Fort Bend county Texas. In a letter addressed to Walt Disney Company CEO Bob Chapek, County Judge KP George invited the company to move to "a welcoming and diverse place to do business." George described Fort Bend County, which borders Houston's Harris County, as a "unique place" whose residents and families "compose the most diverse county in the United States, deliver extremely high graduation rates and are one of the top capita purchasers in Texas." April 24: The Washington Examiner: Former intelligence chief claims classified documents will blow the Durham investigation wide open A great deal more Russiagate intelligence remains shrouded from public view and will stun the nation, according to former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe. The Trump-era spy chief expounded upon his expectation that there will be many more indictments in special counsel John Durham's criminal inquiry into the origins and conduct of the Russia investigation. Ratcliffe previously oversaw the nation's 17 intelligence agencies in the latter part of the Trump administration, and had handed over nearly 1,000 pages of materials to the Justice Department to assist Durham, who is revealing more secrets as he takes people to court. Durham has two active prosecutions, including a case against the main source for British ex-spy Christopher Steele's anti-Trump dossier and a case against former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann, whose trial is scheduled to begin next month. Durham has already obtained one guilty plea from lawyer Kevin Clinesmith for altering an email about a Trump campaign aide under government surveillance. Ratcliffe has said he believes the Clinton campaign, the Democratic national party, elected officials, media officials may have been involved. "I'm not saying that every single one of those folks have criminal liability or exposure," he said. "I'm just saying this was a very coordinated effort and the more and more the public finds out… they'll be more and more appalled." April 24: The Washington Times: Biden officials make "stealth" visit to Ukraine Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a stealth visit to Kyiv on Sunday night, meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy as Russia's messy invasion rumbled into its third month, ignoring calls for a cease-fire in observance of Orthodox Easter. Their arrival marked the highest-level trip to the Ukrainian capital by a U.S. delegation since the Russian invasion began. The Biden administration refused to comment on the visit. The U.S. officials visited at the end of a weekend in which Zilenskyy and other Ukrainians accused Russian forces of continued targeting of civilians. Zelenskyy said he intended to press Blinken and Austin for more powerful weapons — even after Joe Biden announced $800 million more in aid in the form of U.S. military equipment. "You can't come to us empty-handed today," he said. "We are expecting specific things and specific weapons," Zelenskyy said in reference to Kyiv's repeated requests since the invasion began for heavy weapons such as long-range air defense systems April 23: Fox News: Florida sheriff encourages homeowners to shoot intruders after taking gun safety course A sheriff in Florida is encouraging residents to take gun safety courses after a homeowner fired multiple shots at an intruder on Wednesday, stopping the individual who allegedly broke into several homes. Police arrested Brandon J. Harris, 32, who was arrested after allegedly breaking into several homes in Pace, Florida. Harris is being charged with attempted burglary with assault, resisting arrest, criminal mischief, attempted larceny, and several other charges. Johnson encouraged other residents to follow in the homeowner's footsteps and take gun safety classes, adding that they are "more than welcome" to shoot anyone who is breaking in to their house. "I guess they think they [homeowners] did something wrong, which they did not. If someone's breaking into your house, you're more than welcome to shoot them in Santa Rosa County. We prefer that you do, actually. So, whoever that was, you're not in trouble, come see us. We have a gun safety class we put on every other Saturday," Johnson said. April 23: NewsMax: Leading Russian TV anchor: Russia will be at war with NATO soon A Russia television host is talking about "starting to wage war" with NATO countries for the supplying of lethal aid to Ukraine, a message that Vladimir Putin had threatened at the start of the "special military operation." "Ukrainians alone are no longer enough," Vladimir Solovyov said on his self-titled show on Russia-1. "Now they're talking about NATO countries supplying de facto their own weapons. We'll see not only NATO weapons being drawn into this, but also their operators. De facto, we're starting to wage war against NATO countries." Of course he didn'tmention that it was Russia that started all of this! The Russia TV host even talked about the targeting of civilians of NATO countries, saying "And there will be no mercy." April 22: The Free Beacon: Dem voted for cutting law enforcement funds now running to represent the Texas border As local officials warned of "spillover" cartel violence from Mexico, a Texas Democrat cut law enforcement positions in the same border county he is now running to represent in Congress. As a Cameron County commissioner in 2011, Dan Sanchez (D) voted to remove two constable positions from his local community. Constables are licensed law enforcement officers who have "authority to use all lawful means" to "preserve the peace" within their county. In some rural areas, such as those in Sanchez's county, constables are the primary source of law enforcement services. Sanchez's move sparked intense backlash that accused him of "taking away community policing" amid increasing concerns of cartel violence. The Democrat's campaign comes as illegal immigration skyrockets under Joe Biden. Senior Department of Homeland Security officials expect migrant apprehensions to surpass 2.3 million this year, a substantial increase over the 1.6 million seen in 2021, which was a record. April 22: IHeart Media/KTRH News: Russian commander may have accidentally revealed Putin's plans to invade yet another country A Russian official appears to have accidentally revealed plans to invade another country amid the already ongoing invasion of Ukraine. Russian military commander Rustam Minnekaev met with the Union of Defense Industries on Friday and said the country was now in the second phase of President Putin's "special operation," with the intention to "establish full control over the Donbras and southern Ukraine." "This will provide a land corridor to the Crimea, as well as influence the vital objects of the Ukrainian economy," Minnekaev said. "Control over the south of Ukraine is another way out to Transnistria, where there are also facts of oppression of the Russian-speaking population." Transnistria is a separatist region of Moldova and hasn't officially gotten involved in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, despite having hosted a Russian military base since the 1990s. Minnekaev's comment also suggests that Moldova's border would be prone to a similar threat as Russian expansion continues, having already struck down hundreds in neighboring Ukraine. ![]() Ukraine next week Britain plans to reopen its embassy in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv next week, Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Friday during a two-day visit to India. The British government said in February, days before Russia invaded Ukraine, that its embassy office in Kyiv was relocating temporarily and staff were operating from an embassy office in the city of Lviv. April 22: Fox News: Biden: The US is spending billions to make military vehicles "climate friendly" Biden on Friday said his administration is working to make "every vehicle" in the United States military "climate-friendly." In delivering his Earth Day remarks from Seward Park in Seattle, Washington, Biden discussed his administration's efforts to address climate change, and called on Congress to take action. "One of the things I found out … I get to spend a lot of that money," Biden said. "We're going to start the process where every vehicle in the United States military, every vehicle, is going to be climate-friendly — every vehicle — I mean it." April 20: Fox News: Florida Senate passes measure striping Disney of self-governing authority The Florida Senate approved a bill Wednesday that dissolves special self-governing status given to Disney over 50 years ago after the company publicly chose to oppose the enactment of a parental rights bill. The bill passed by a vote of 23-16 and will dissolve special status granted to the company that essentially allows Disney to self-govern on its large property near Orlando. Last month DeSantis said, "What I would say as a matter of first principle is I don't support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they've been able to wield a lot of power." April 20: The Washington Examiner: CDC presses DOJ to appeal the court decision invalidating mask mandates The Biden Administration is appealing a federal judge's ruling on vacating the federal mask mandate for public transportation. The Department of Justice announced that a notice of appeal had been filed Wednesday shortly after the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said that it was requesting the challenge — a condition the DOJ cited one day prior. The CDC and the Biden Administration continue to push to control how people live their lives even with the number of people with COVID illnesses being at its lowest levels in months and while they continue to consider allowing the health restrictions on illegal immigrants crossing the southern border to lapse next month. April 20: The Washington Times: Twenty Six GOP governors create a border security strike force More than two dozen GOP governors have signed up to push back against the Biden administration's border chaos, forming the American Governors Border Strike Force to share intelligence on threats to their communities that come across the U.S.-Mexico border. The Republican governors pledged to track and share analysis of state-level crimes connected to border security, and to try to target the financing and mobility of cartels that smuggle people and drugs across the border and deep into America's heartland. Led by Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, the two Republicans with pieces of the U.S.-Mexico boundary, the strike force includes governors of 24 other states. They said they were forced to step in to plug holes in border security created by Joe Biden's policies, which have erased most of former President Trump's get-tough measures. April 20: The Daily Caller: Asian-Americans bolting from Dems to Republicans and not looking back Asian-Americans are switching to the Republican party as the 2022 midterms loom, "waking up" to the Democratic Party promoting discrimination in school acceptance policies, among a slew of other factors. "Asian American families want the same things as any other family in this country – the opportunity to work hard, live in a safe community, a provide the best life for their children," Nikki Haley, ambassador to the U.N. and former governor of South Carolina said. "The Asian alone population grew by 35.5% between 2010 and 2020," according to the 2020 U.S. Census, accounting for the fastest growing non-white population. Only 55% of Asian-Americans approved of Joe Biden in a January poll released by the Pew Research Center. A majority of polls do not include Asian-Americans as a separate demographic due to their relatively small population size compared to Hispanic, black and white voters. Asian-Americans are also diverse, and many are immigrants who are not fluent in English, making it difficult to conduct accurate surveys, Pew said. However, Republican Asian-Americans have seen a shift towards the right in their communities. April 19: NewsMax: Poll: Majority of likely voters believe Biden is compromised because of his family's dealings with China According to a new Trafalgar poll, 64% of likely American voters believe that Joe Biden is compromised or conflicted in decisions involving China due to his family's business dealings with Chinese companies. Among those surveyed, 52.3% said it is very likely that Biden is compromised, while 36.4% said it is unlikely. More than one-third of Democrats polled believe the president is compromised, as well as 85.8% of Republicans and 72% of independents. April 19: The Hill: Biden tells Obama he will seek another term; we'll see if he is successful Joe Biden has told former President Obama he is planning to run for reelection in 2024, two sources have said. "[Biden] wants to run and he's clearly letting everyone know," said one of the two sources familiar with the conversations between Obama and Biden. The source also said that Biden, despite his faltering approval ratings, remains the most likely Democratic candidate to defeat Trump. This was a key part of Biden's salesmanship to voters as he sought support for his 2020 bid — and a big reason primary voters rallied to him in South Carolina and Super Tuesday states where he sealed his status as the Democratic front-runner. "He's the only one who can beat Trump. I don't think he thinks there's anyone in the Democratic party who can beat Trump and that's the biggest factor," the source said. Biden and Obama had lunch together earlier this month, but it is unclear exactly when the two discussed 2024. April 19: Townhall.com: DOJ to appeal ruling striking down mask mandate even as Admin plans to throw out COVID reasons for refusing immigrants The Department of Justice announced Tuesday evening the Biden administration will appeal Monday's ruling by a federal judge in Florida that struck down mask mandates for air and Amtrak travel. The Department continues to believe that the order requiring masking in the transportation corridor is a valid exercise of the authority Congress has given CDC to protect the public health. That is an important authority the Department will continue to work to preserve," DOJ released in a statement. Previously the CDC explained that the order would remain in effect while it assessed current public health conditions, and that the Transportation Security Administration would extend its directive implementing the order until May 3 to facilitate CDC's assessment." April 19: Fox News: DeSantis calls on legislature to deal will Disney special privileges during a called legislative session Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R) announced on Tuesday that he is calling the state legislature into special session to dismantle special protections for Disney operating in Florida following the company's opposition to a parental rights bill. "…They will be considering the congressional map but they also will be considering termination of all special districts that were enacted in Florida prior to 1968 and that includes the Reedy Creek Improvement District," he said "What I would say as a matter of first principle is I don't support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they've been able to wield a lot of power," DeSantis said last month. "I think what has happened is there's a lot of these special privileges that are not justifiable, but because Disney had held so much sway, they were able to sustain a lot of special treatment over the years," he added. April 19: The Free Beacon: Putting political office above service leads to bribery and ethics inquiries Congresswoman Marie Newman (D-IL) paid another $24,500 in donor funds to a political rival she bribed to keep out of her primary race. Newman's latest financial disclosure shows disbursements to Palestinian activist and terrorist sympathizer Lymen Chehade came over a three-month period, from January to March 2022. She has apparently paid Chehade nearly $80,000 since the pair settled a breach of contract lawsuit in late June, which stemmed from an employment agreement Newman signed promising Chehade a six-figure job in her office in exchange for his commitment not to run against her. But the ongoing scandal does more than jeopardize Newman's political standing in the race. Federal law prohibits a candidate from promising employment "for the purpose of procuring political support," and the House Office of Congressional Ethics says it has "substantial reason to believe" Newman did just that. April 18: NewsMax: Ukraine intelligence chief believes Russia is prepping for the use of nuclear weapons in Crimea Gen. Vadym Skibitskiy, head of Ukraine's Military Intelligence Directorate, in an exclusive interview said Monday that while there is no evidence Russia's use of a nuclear device was imminent, the threat remains real. In what is believed to be his first interview with a Western outlet, Skibitskiy pointed out that before the war broke out between Russia and Ukraine, the Russian military had been seen conducting military exercises to practice the movement and delivery of nuclear warheads. The general said Ukraine had intelligence such practices took place in the Crimean Peninsula with Russian long-range bombers or ships like the recently sunken ship Moskva, the Russian flagship in the Black Sea. "Let's keep in mind that the Russian Navy has up to 10 different types of missile carriers in the Black Sea, capable of launching hypersonic and nuclear missiles and other forms of weaponry," he said. "They are able to launch up to 40 missiles and have the use of all of the waters of the Black Sea to do so," the general added. April 18: The Epoch Times: Russians fight in the streets of one town which they have leveled A Ukrainian military official said street battles have begun and evacuation is impossible in the town of Kreminna. That's one of only two spots where the Ukrainians said the Russians managed to break through on Monday along a front stretching for hundreds of miles. Luhansk regional military administrator Serhiy Haidai said the town came under heavy artillery overnight, setting seven residential buildings on fire, and that the Olympus sports complex where the nation's Olympic team trains was targeted. Haidai later said on Ukrainian TV that Russians took control of the city after "leveling everything to the ground," so his men retreated to regroup and keep on fighting. "It simply makes no sense to stand in one place, to die for everyone, without causing significant damage to the enemy," he said. April 18: Fox News: Federal Judge blocks mask mandates on airplanes and public transportation A federal judge on Monday voided the Biden administration's mask mandate for travelers using public transportation such as trains and airplanes. The mandate from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention applies to people as young as 2 years old, and had been set to expire a number of times but was recently extended to May 3 before Monday's ruling by U.S. District Court Judge Kathryn Kimball Mizelle. Judge Mizelle determined that the mandate violated the Administrative Procedure Act by being outside the scope of the CDC's authority April 17: NewsMax: Russian Black Sea Admiral arrested One of Russia's Black Sea Fleet naval officers has been arrested after the sinking of the Moskva guided-missile cruiser this week. Adm. Igor Osipov was reportedly arrested by people in civilian clothes and taken into custody, eyewitnesses claim, according to Ukrainian political scientist Taras Berezovets on Telegram Osipov reportedly was on record for having been the official that last checked the Moskva's readiness for potential missile strikes as recently as February 2022. The United States believes the Moskva, the flagship of Russia's Black Sea fleet, was hit by two Ukrainian Neptune antiship missiles, a senior U.S. official said Friday. April 17: The Epoch Times: Left wing may not be able to win in PA so they are trying to disqualify GOP candidate A left-wing group is trying to disqualify outspoken Trump supporter Pennsylvania state Senator Doug Mastriano from the state governor's race because he allegedly participated in the supposed "insurrection" against the U.S. government by supporting the former president's reelection bid. Recent polling shows Mastriano has the lead—garnering 19 percent support—in the field of 9 candidates seeking the Republican nomination for governor of the Keystone State. The primary election is May 17. The current governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, is term-limited. Attorney General Josh Shapiro is running unopposed in the Democratic Party's gubernatorial primary. Those trying to kick Mastriano off the ballot say his actions triggered the rarely invoked Disqualification Clause in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, which was enacted in the wake of the Civil War to keep former Confederates out of Congress and state governments. A nonprofit called Free Speech For People is urging Acting Secretary of the Commonwealth Leigh Chapman, a Democrat, to bar Mastriano "from appearing on the ballot for election to any state office in Pennsylvania." April 17: The Epoch Times: FLA school chief rejects math textbooks Florida's Department of Education has rejected dozens of K–12 mathematics textbooks after officials said they include "indoctrinating concepts," such as critical race theory (CRT). According to Florida Education Commissioner Richard Corcoran, his department reviewed 132 submitted textbooks and found that 54 of them, or 41 percent, didn't meet Florida's K–12 curriculum standards or contained prohibited topics. "Reasons for rejecting textbooks included references to Critical Race Theory (CRT), inclusions of Common Core, and the unsolicited addition of Social Emotional Learning (SEL) in mathematics," the department said in an April 15 statement. "The highest number of books rejected were for grade levels K–5, where an alarming 71 percent were not appropriately aligned with Florida standards or included prohibited topics and unsolicited strategies." Specifically, 28 rejected textbooks "incorporate prohibited topics or unsolicited strategies" including CRT, 12 don't properly align with Florida standards, and 14 were rejected for both reasons. ![]() have stopped building tanks Ukrainian intelligence is picking up reports that Russia is stopping the production of new tanks due to financial problems, crippling sanctions, and supply chain difficulties. The Main Directorate of Intelligence of the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine (GUR) issued the intelligence Friday as the United States continues to increase its supply of lethal aid to Ukraine and Russia is issuing warnings to the U.S. to stop the supply, warning of "unpredictable consequences." "At the Russian Uralvagonzavod [a Russian manufacturer of armored vehicles, primarily the Russian main tank T-72], they are trying to overcome the crisis that arose as a result of the imposed sanctions," the report said. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, the company has faced numerous financial problems. "An increase in interest rates on loans, a lack of funds to service foreign currency loans, an increase in prices and materials and components (in particular, armored steel) – these and other problems have significantly complicated the production of most types of military equipment." April 16: Fox News: Durham: CIA data alleging Trump-Russia connection not "technically plausible" Special Counsel John Durham asserted in a court filing Friday that the CIA concluded data from Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann alleging coordination between Donald Trump and Russia was "not technically plausible" and was "user created." In the filing, Durham responded to objections from Sussmann's defense regarding what evidence could be admissible at Sussmann's trial, which is scheduled to begin next month. Sussmann is accused of lying to the FBI by saying he was not attending a meeting on behalf of a particular client when he was actually presenting the information on behalf of the HIllary Clinton campaign and a technology executive with whom he worked. Durham's original indictment alleges Sussmann told then-FBI General Counsel James Baker in September 2016 he was not doing work "for any client" when he requested and held a meeting where he presented "purported data and 'white papers' that allegedly demonstrated a covert communications channel" between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, which has ties to the Kremlin. The indictment alleges that Sussmann lied in the meeting, "falsely stating to the general counsel that he was not providing the allegations to the FBI on behalf of any client." April 15: The Epoch Times: True The vote used cell phone "ping" data and video to discover ballot harvesting and the miss use of ballot drop boxes in the 2020 election This is a video interview on ballot harvesting in six states and the misuse of drop boxes in the 2020 election. April 15: The Daily Caller: Biden quietly opens up drilling leases, but there's a catch The Biden administration announced Friday that it has reformed the federal oil and gas leasing program, significantly reducing the amount of land available for drillers. The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) will proceed with conducting oil and gas drilling lease sales on about 144,000 acres of federal lands, a whopping 80% reduction from the amount previously nominated, the Department of Interior (DOI) announced on Friday. The administration has already delayed the program on numerous occasions and hasn't held a single onshore lease sale since taking power in January 2021. April 15: Fox News: Ukraine missiles sink Russian flag ship 60 miles off shore in the Black Sea A U.S. official told Fox News on Friday that the latest assessment by the U.S. is that Russia's Moskva guided missile cruiser was struck by two Ukrainian Neptune missiles before it sank. The U.S. believes the flagship of Russia's Black Sea navy was roughly 60 nautical miles south of Odessa at the time of the explosion. The Ukrainian weapons caused a fire to breakout on the ship which sunk while the Russians attempted to tow the vessel to port. U.S. officials also said Friday it is unclear how many Russian sailors may have been killed in the attack due to lack of satellite imagery.
Meanwhile The Epoch Times reported April 14 that the ship was Russia's lead warship (flag ship). Russia said earlier that over 500 crew aboard the Soviet-era missile cruiser were evacuated after ammunition on board exploded. Ukraine said it hit the warship with a Ukrainian-made Neptune anti-ship missile. The incident came as Russia's navy continues its bombardment of Ukrainian cities on the Black Sea nearly 50 days after it launched the invasion. Residents of Odesa and Mariupol, on the adjacent Azov Sea, have been bracing for new Russian attacks. April 15: Fox News: Russia uses long range bombers for first time in Ukraine invasion Ukraine's Defense Ministry revealed Friday that, for the first time, Russia has started to use long-range bombers in its invasion of Ukraine. Their spokesman said they were used to attack Mariupol. The situation in Mariupol is difficult and hard. Fighting is happening right now. Reportedly the Russian army is constantly calling on additional units to storm the city but so far have been unable to completely capture it. April 15: The Jerusalem Post: Ukraine says fighting rages around Mariupol steel plant and the port Five people were killed by shelling in the Ukrainian city of Mykolaiv on Friday and cluster munitions were used, Vitaliy Kim, the governor of Mykolaiv region, said in Telegram on Friday. Mariupol, on the Sea of Azov, has seen the worst fighting of the war. Home to 400,000 people before Russia's invasion, the city has been reduced to rubble in seven weeks of siege and bombardment. Thousands of civilians have died and tens of thousands are still trapped in the city. Ukraine said on Friday it was trying to break Russian forces' siege of Mariupol, with fighting raging around the city's Illich steelworks and port. But so far, the Russians haven't managed to completely capture it. ![]() The Pennsylvania Senate this week approved legislation preventing the future use of unsecured ballot drop-boxes. The vote was 29-20, along party lines, with the Republicans in the majority. The measure comes after evidence of fraudulent voting methods used in Pennsylvania's October 2021 general election, documented to Senate members in videos and in a letter written by Lehigh County, District Attorney James B. Martin. Martin's investigation found hundreds of people put multiple ballots into unmanned drop-boxes. Videos show individuals in Lehigh and Lackawanna counties putting as many as five ballots in drop-boxes. Pennsylvania law requires a voter to send an absentee ballot by mail or deliver it personally. Even the Governor's wife (D) broke the law by putting both her and her husband's ballot in a drop box. Having someone else deliver the ballot is considered election fraud, punishable by a $1,000 fine and a year in prison. The exception is voters with a disability, who may have someone else deliver their ballot if they get prior approval. Detectives counted 2,756 people dropping ballots at one of the drop boxes and were able to confirm 186 instances where more than one ballot was dropped by an individual, Martin said. Although 2,756 persons were counted at the drop box, 3,695 ballots were dropped off, a difference of 939 more ballots than voters. The legislation, like how we do it in Texas, requires voters dropping off mail in ballots to do so in person at the County elections office. The Senate also voted to ban private money funding election operations. The bill bans any state employee or county from accepting money from outside groups to pay for the administration of Pennsylvania elections. The bill was approved with bipartisan support. April 14: NewsMax: Russia threatens to deploy nuclear weapons if Finland and Sweden join NATO Russia is warning that Finland and Sweden joining NATO would mean new deployments of nuclear weapons to the Baltic Sea region. The warning came in a Thursday posting on Telegram from Dmitry Medvedev, the deputy chairman of the Kremlin's Security Council, who is also the former president of Russia. "If Sweden and Finland join NATO, the length of the land borders of the alliance with the Russian Federation will more than double," Medvedev said. "Naturally, these boundaries will have to be strengthened. Seriously strengthen the grouping of ground forces and air defense, deploy significant naval forces in the waters of the Gulf of Finland. But given the performance of Russia's military in its invasion of Ukraine might raise questions about the effectiveness of forces and their bluster and threats. April 14: The Washington Times: Abbott cuts border security deal with two Mexican states Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) announced border security deals Thursday with two Mexican states who have promised to deploy their own police to patrol the southern side of the U.S.-Mexico boundary, in exchange for Texas ending its crippling safety checks on commercial cross-border traffic. The deals with the governors of Chihuahua and Coahuila mirror a similar agreement Abbott signed earlier this week with the governor of Nuevo Leon. The governor said the agreements are the sort of thing the Biden administration should be doing, but he's had to step in instead to "fill in the gaps." April 14: The Washington Times: DC says they are happy to take Abbott's migrants A second busload of illegal immigrants from Texas who volunteered to go, arrived in Washington on Thursday morning. Political leaders of neighboring counties who said they will be more than happy to have those surging the border right now settle in the D.C. area. The first group of migrants were dropped off at Union Station near the US Capitol. The Second near the White House. The Republican governor is shipping the people north to try to share some of the pain Texas says it's feeling from the chaotic U.S.-Mexico border under President Biden. April 14: KTRH Radio News: Amazon to add fuel surcharge to purchases Amazon announced Wednesday that it will be adding a 5% fuel and inflation surcharge for sellers. The e-commerce company said the additional fee will begin April 28th and that the move is a first in its history. In a statement the company said that the charge is a result of worsening inflation that has only increased in recent months. "In 2022, we expected a return to normalcy as Covid-19 restrictions around the world eased, but fuel and inflation have presented further challenges," the company wrote in a statement. "It is unclear if these inflationary costs will go up or down, or for how long they will persist." The 5% fee will impact sellers who use Amazon to store, pack, and ship items through the company, a spokesperson said. April 14: The Washington Examiner: Poison Pill being considered to kill the Musk takeover of Twitter Twitter is reportedly considering using a "poison pill" protocol to kill a bid by Elon Musk to take over the social media platform. The strategy would see Twitter activating its shareholders rights plan, which is in place to make a hostile takeover an expensive and complex process. If the plan is activated, shareholders other than Musk, would be granted the ability to purchase additional shares at a discount, according to the report. This would, in effect, dilute Musk's ownership interest. Twitter's board met Thursday to discuss Musk's offer to purchase the platform at $54.20 a share. In total, the deal is valued at around $41.4 billion. Musk, widely recognized as the world's wealthiest man, said he wants to "unlock" Twitter's "extraordinary potential" and make it a free speech platform. April 14: NewsMax: Accused New York City Subway shooter held without bond A U.S. federal judge on Thursday entered a permanent order of detention for the man suspected of setting off smoke bombs and spraying gunfire inside a New York City subway car this week, after prosecutors said he presented a flight risk and a danger to the community. The man, Frank James, suspected of injuring 23 people in the attack, made an initial court appearance on Thursday to face a federal charge of violently attacking a mass transit system. James, 62, was arrested on Wednesday in lower Manhattan, capping a 30-hour manhunt for the lone suspect wanted in an assault that unnerved riders of the largest and busiest U.S. metropolitan rapid rail network and renewed calls for greater subway security. April 14: The Free Beacon: Biden Admin facing a lawsuit to shutdown new Iran deal A conservative legal group is threatening to smack the Biden administration with a lawsuit intended to thwart the implementation of a new Iran nuclear deal. The America First Legal Foundation, a group of conservative lawyers and activists, notified the Biden administration that it "intends to take legal action to block any Biden-Iran deal that is not submitted to Congress" for approval, according to a litigation notice letter sent to the White House on Thursday. The letter also requests that the administration preserve all internal documents and communications related to the deal so that they can be used as part of a future court case. The legal group is engaging Republican lawmakers on the effort amid growing concerns that the Biden administration will circumvent Congress to ink a new deal, which would violate a 2015 law mandating that any new agreement with Iran be brought before the legislative branch for approval. April 13: The Galveston Daily News: IRS imposes double taxation on multinational companies without Congressional authority The double taxation comes when companies pay foreign government taxes without credits being applied to their U.S. tax liability. The IRS rewrote the tax code to do this; doing so without Congressional authority. A solution: Never allow an executive branch agency to rewrite the tax code out of whole cloth. Require that they work within the authority granted by Congress. April 13: The Washington Examiner: Biden to send helicopters to Ukraine Joe Biden announced Wednesday that the United States will send Ukraine another tranche of military aid worth $800 million that includes helicopters, artillery systems and rounds, and armored personnel carriers. The president spoke with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky for nearly one hour Wednesday afternoon, just one day after telling reporters in Iowa that he had seen sufficient "evidence" to declare Russian action in Ukraine a "genocide." "As Russia prepares to intensify its attack in the Donbas region, the United States will continue to provide Ukraine with the capabilities to defend itself," Biden said in a statement. "This new package of assistance will contain many of the highly effective weapons systems we have already provided and new capabilities tailored to the wider assault we expect Russia to launch in eastern Ukraine." Zelensky had consistently petitioned Biden and other Western leaders to supply Ukraine with more weaponry to fight off the Russian invasion. April 13: Fox News: NYC subway shooting suspect arrested Brooklyn subway shooting suspect Frank James is in custody after NYC police officers apprehended him following a Crime Stoppers tip on Wednesday afternoon. Frank R. James, 62, was arrested just before 1:45 p.m. local time. He was later escorted out of the NYPD's 9th Precinct station house and taken into federal custody around 4:25 p.m. "My fellow New Yorkers, we got him," Mayor Eric Adams told reporters during a Wednesday press conference. James, who has been linked to New York, New Jersey, Wisconsin, Pennsylvania and Ohio, will be charged federally, officials confirmed. U.S. Attorney Breon Peace, of the Eastern District of New York in Brooklyn, said James was being charged with one count of committing a terrorist or other violent attack against a mass transportation system. April 13: NewsMax: Kentucky legislature overrides Governor's veto of prolife abortion bill New abortion restrictions passed by Republican lawmakers over the Democratic governor's veto will force the only two abortion clinics in Kentucky to stop providing the procedures for women, at least temporarily, while the new law is challenged in court, abortion-rights activists said Wednesday. The law will draw immediate federal lawsuits, and attorneys for the clinics will seek a ruling to block the measure to allow the clinics to resume abortions while the case is litigated, the activists said. The two abortion clinics in Kentucky are in Louisville, the state's largest city. Immediately after the GOP-led legislature finished overriding Gov. Andy Beshear's vetoes, the activists said the clinics will be unable to comply with the new restrictions because the state hasn't set up a now-mandated regulatory process. The measure takes effect immediately. April 11: Newsmax: Zelensky; Ukraine is paying too high a price, needs help now Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy told CBS' "60 Minutes" Sunday that he no longer seeks diplomacy because that approach has resulted in his country paying "too high a price" since Russia began its unprovoked invasion. When asked about his previous critical comments about NATO and the UN he said, ""When you are [working] at diplomacy, there are no results. All this is very bureaucratic. That's why the way I'm talking to them is absolutely justifiable. I don't have any more lives [to give]. i'm no longer interested in their diplomacy that leads to the destruction of my country. A lot of countries have changed their mind about Ukraine and about our people. But I think we've paid too high a price for that." "This is not a movie. This is real life," Zelenskyy said. "Stop fearing the Russian Federation. We've shown we are not afraid." Zelenskyy compared Putin to Adolf Hitler, and warned of consequences for countries that do not help Ukraine, asking if the nations of the world who don't step up and help stop the genocide are responsible for allowing it? "Yes, Yes [they are]" he contended. April 10: Newsmax.com: Pompeo: Kremlin seeks to cut off Ukraine's access to the Black Sea Vladimir Putin might not have been able to take Ukraine, but he is not going to stop in at least cutting off Ukraine from the Black Sea by focusing on taking the south, according to former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo. "I don't think any of us should believe for a second that Vladimir Putin's changed," Pompeo said. "He has been the same tyrant for 20 years. He took a fifth of Ukraine, the part called Crimea, during the Obama administration. He's now conducting this land war, this invasion… He won't change his ways. His objectives aren't going to change. He wants to rebuild greater Russia. It looks like he's going to move to the south and southeast and begin to try to cut Ukraine off from the Black Sea. That looks like his military next set of moves." Putin not only saw weakness after the deadly withdrawal from Afghanistan that handed the country back to the Taliban, but also the unwillingness by the Biden administration to keep Putin in check. "It wasn't just Afghanistan," Pompeo said. "Remember, the president said a minor incursion is OK? When the Russians shut down the Colonial Pipeline for several days. The president said, 'Don't do that again.' Unwinding America's energy independence was the nexus for Putin moving forward with the invasion under Biden, Pompeo said. "American energy is at the very center of this," he said. "Gas prices at home through the roof. Food prices are going to follow. It's going to get really expensive here for ordinary families. April 10: The Washington Times: The goals don't match up; negotiated settlement or a clear win for the Ukrainians Deep differences over the endgame in Ukraine came into sharp focus Sunday morning, with Biden officials saying that Washington wants to improve Kyiv's position at the negotiating table while top congressional Republicans argued that the U.S. can help ensure an unmitigated defeat for Moscow. The dual approaches to the next phase of the Russia-Ukraine conflict come as Moscow reassesses its battle plan after aborting its disastrous campaign to capture Kyiv. Russian forces now are preparing for a major assault on eastern part of the country including the remaining port facilities. With Russian troops on their heels and with casualties mounting, key Republicans say the U.S. and its NATO allies should dramatically ramp up shipments of offensive weapons to Ukraine, such as tanks and fighter jets. The goal, they say, isn't a negotiated settlement but rather a clear defeat for Russian President Vladimir Putin and his forces. "We want the Ukrainians to win, to win, to defeat the Russians, for the Russians to withdraw from the country. And that ought to be our goal," Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said. April 10: The Washington Examiner: "Shake them up baby now, twist and shout;" Musk asks whether Twitter should turn its SF headquarters into a homeless shelter Should Twitter's headquarters in San Francisco be turned into a homeless shelter? Telsa CEO Elon Musk, who recently joined the social media platform's board of directors after acquiring a 9.2% stake in the company, asked the question to his 81.2 million followers late Saturday with a nod to how Twitter is still allowing employees to work remotely. "Convert Twitter SF HQ to homeless shelter since no one shows up anyway," he tweeted along with a poll prompting people to click "Y" for yes or "N" for no. Nearly 12 hours after the 24-hour poll was posted, more than 1.1 million votes had been cast. More than 91% of respondents voted in favor of the shelter. Twitter began to reopen its offices around the world on March 15 after two years of being closed due to the coronavirus pandemic, but an email from CEO Parag Agrawal to Twitter staffers said they still have the option to work remotely. According to the San Jose Mercury News, 30,000 people are homeless in the five-county Bay Area, and there is a lack of room in affordable housing developments. April 10: The Epoch Times: Experts say the US needs to decouple from the Chinese economy According to one expert, U.S. political leadership must work with the private sector to decouple critical technology development from China. "One of the key vulnerabilities that we're becoming more and more aware of is the degree to which Wall Street firms and American banks and investment companies continue to see China as this great market or this great investment opportunity," Arthur Herman, a senior fellow at the Hudson's Institute said. "Decoupling from China is the future and we need to establish timelines by which that is possible. We need to explain that both to private companies like Apple, for example, but also to Wall Street." Hawkish lawmakers and strategists have increasingly called for a decoupling from communist China, wherein American economic and research interests would be severed entirely from the nation. Such action, they say, is necessary to prevent the use of American research and finances from fueling the continued exportation of the Chinese Communist Party's authoritarianism. Doing this would require an untangling America's supply lines and would require political leadership working with the private sector to make it happen. ![]() Putin taps the "Butcher of Syria" to head up the invasion of Ukraine Russian President Putin is reportedly tapping the so-called "Butcher of Syria" to rejuvenate the Kremlin's offensive amid a string of military setbacks in Ukraine. Gen. Alexander Dvornikov, who was given command of Russia's southern military district after achieving infamy for his brutal campaigns in Syria, has now been tasked with conquering Ukraine's eastern Donbas region as Putin desperately tries to eke out some kind of victory, the BBC reported. His opening act in his new role is believed to have been the strike on Kramatorsk railway station that killed over 52 civilians and wounded over 300, the Daily Mail reported. Moscow denied that it purposely targeted civilians. Prior to the appointment of Dvornikov, 60, Russia relied on separate command structures to guide its invasion, the official said. There was no single commander overseeing the entire invasion, with most of the big decisions reportedly coming straight from the Kremlin itself. Russian airstrikes in Syria had killed roughly 5,703 civilians by 2017, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights. Other Russian commanders were involved in the vicious intervention in Syria that turned the war around in favor of Syrian President Bashar Assad. Some of them served longer than Dvornikov, but his appointment likely foretells a significant escalation and heightened "terror campaign" in Ukraine, experts caution. April 9: The Epoch Times: Inflation in Russia goes through the roof as that Communist/socialist nation takes draconian measures to try dealing with it Inflation in Russia has surged to its highest level in 23 years, with a particularly sharp rise in food prices, a dynamic that – just like inflation in the U.S. -- hits lower-income people the hardest. Consumer prices in Russia rose 7.61 percent in March, the biggest monthly jump since 1999, according to Rosstat, the official state statistics agency. In over-the-year terms, inflation rose 16.7 percent, its highest level in around seven years. While the number is largely in line with economists' expectations, it's around four times higher than the Russian central bank's target of four percent. The data comes as Russia's central bank dropped its key interest rate by 3 percent to a still-high 17 percent. Crippling Western sanctions imposed in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in late February sent the ruble plunging to a record low against the dollar. The Russian currency has since mounted a comeback, however, basically recovering all lost ground as foreigners continued to buy Russian energy and Moscow rolled out a series of emergency measures to stem the sanctions-driven economic bleeding. That said, Western sanctions against Russia are expected to drive its economy into the sharpest recession in decades, according to British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss as the UK announced a fresh round of sanctions. April 9: The Washington Times: Ukrainian mayor says 31,000 civilians forced into Russian prison camps The mayor of Mariupol said Russian troops have taken 31,000 residents "at gunpoint" to "filtration camps" elsewhere in occupied Eastern Ukraine. Mayor Vadym Boichenko said on Telegram on Friday that he had verified that Ukrainians from Mariupol were being taken to a camp 35 miles away in Novoazovsk near the Russian border. "People have been waiting there for weeks," he said as first reported by Ukrinform. "Filtration is very strict - fingerprints are taken, as well as biometrics. They force people to sign various documents." Russia has been accused of using mass internment camps during the first and second Chechen wars in the mid-1990s and early 2000s. In a February 2020 report, Human Rights Watch accused Russian guards of torturing, beating and raping civilians at camps during the second Chechen war after receiving testimony from former detainees. ![]() British Prime Minister Boris Johnson made an apparently unannounced trek into war-torn Ukraine for an in-person meeting with President Zelensky on Saturday. An image shared on Twitter by the Embassy of Ukraine to the United Kingdom confirmed the visit and showed the two engaging in talks, though the details of the conversation are not clear. Johnson has been positioning himself as one of Ukraine's staunchest allies against Russia. On Friday, Johnson met with German Chancellor Scholz at Downing Street and announced a roughly $130 million new aid package that includes anti-aircraft missiles, anti-tank missiles, and other military equipment to bolster Ukraine's defense against invading Russian forces. "Britain and Germany are horrified by Putin's invasion and have agreed that our two countries must go further to help Ukraine. The UK will send more defensive weapons to Ukraine and will work with G7 partners to target every pillar of the Russian economy to ensure Putin fails," he tweeted following the meeting with Scholz. April 9: The Epoch Times: Navy beaches destroyer because its CO won't take COVID vaccination ![]() April 8: The Epoch Times: Prosecution of alleged kidnapers of MI Governor falls apart Two men accused of plotting to kidnap Michigan's governor were acquitted on April 8, and a mistrial was declared for two others after a jury failed to reach a decision. Daniel Harris and Brandon Caserta were found not guilty of conspiring to kidnap Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer in 2020. Additionally, Harris was acquitted of charges related to explosives and a gun. The jury could not reach verdicts for Adam Fox and Barry Croft Jr., which means the government can put them on trial again. Fox's attorney said the acquittals of Harris and Caserta demonstrate the weakness of the government's case. The collapse of government's federal case against the four Wolverine Watchmen followed a nearly month-long trial and five days of jury deliberations. With at least 12 undercover FBI informants or agents involved in the group, the defendants argued they were entrapped by federal law enforcement. ![]() Putin puts intelligence chief in prison A senior Russian foreign intelligence official was sent to prison, a respected Russian expert said, after President Vladimir Putin launched a purge of officials blamed for failings in the faltering invasion of Ukraine. Andrei Soldatov, an leading expert on Russia's security services, tweeted Friday that Sergei Beseda, head of the Fifth Service of the FSB intelligence agency, had been taken to Lefortovo prison. Lefortovo is a notorious FSB jail on the outskirts of Moscow. Beseda along with his deputy had been placed under house arrest in March, Soldatov had previously said, as officials from investigated whether moles had buried into Russia's spy agencies and leaked intelligence on Russia's invasion and the planning behind it. April 8: Fox News: Buses dispatched to Texas towns asking for help dealing with migrants Feds stop dropping off migrants as buses sent Texas has dispatched buses to the southern border to retrieve illegal immigrants after Governor Abbott (R) announced a plan to send those released in his state to the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Within the last 24 hours, the Texas Division of Emergency Management (TDEM) dispatched an unspecified number of buses to small Texas communities that are said by officials to be overwhelmed by an influx of migrants placed there by the federal government. "In the last 24 hours, TDEM has dispatched buses … and has the capability to send as many as is necessary to fulfill the requests from mayors and county judges," Seth Christensen, chief of media and communications for TDEM said. Christensen said each bus "has the capacity and supplies necessary to carry up to 40 migrants." He also said the majority of areas in the state that expressed concern over the large numbers of illegal immigrants being placed in their communities now say the federal government has "stopped dropping migrants in their towns" since Abbott's announcement. ![]() Republican lawmakers might try to use an expiring copyright on Mickey Mouse to punish Disney for its vocal opposition to Florida education legislation. The copyright on Disney's well-known Steamboat Willie Mickey Mouse, the first iteration of the company's signature character, is set to expire on Jan. 1, 2024, and Rep. Jim Banks(R-IN) has written a letter to Disney CEO Bob Chapek that says he and other lawmakers oppose "further extensions applicable" to the company's copyrights, which he said should become public domain. "It's unfortunate that Disney, once an American success story, has allied with a hostile foreign regime and domestic ideologues who seek to tear our country apart," wrote Banks. Disney has publicly lobbied against Florida's Parental Rights in Education legislation which bans classroom instruction of sexual orientation and gender identity up through the third grade; apparently supporting the teaching of such subject matter to minors. April 7: The Washington Times: UN boots Russia from the human rights committee over actions it took in Ukraine The U.N. General Assembly on Thursday booted Russia from the world body's lead human rights agency to protest Moscow's invasion of neighboring Ukrailne and the brutal tactics reportedly used against Ukrainian civilians caught up in the fighting. But there were a significant number of abstentions for the vote on the proposal. In the end, Russia was suspended from the U.N. Human Rights Council by a vote of 93-24 on Thursday afternoon, with 58 nations abstaining. Russia was in the second year of a three-year term on the 47-member panel. ![]() April 7: The Jerusalem Post: Israel prepared to ship energy to Europe this summer Israel is preparing to step into the gap in Europe's energy market left by sanctions on Russian natural gas as soon as this summer, Energy Minister Karin Elharrar said on Thursday. "The European energy market is facing a substantial shortage following the Russia crisis," Elharrar said. "Israel sees an opportunity, and will take full advantage of it." Russia provides Europe with about 40% of its natural gas consumption per year, more than 150 billion cubic meters (BCM). Israel cannot totally take Russia's place, but eastern Mediterranean states can provide about 20 BCM annually, most of which would come from Israel. The US promised Europe 15-20 BCM of liquefied natural gas (LNG) following the Russia sanctions, and Qatar is expected to export 20-30 BCM to Europe. April 7: The Daily Caller: Green agenda in jeopardy as electricity cost and bills skyrocket California electricity bills are among the highest in the nation and are set to continue skyrocketing, putting state and national green ambitions in the spotlight. The state's largest energy providers reported average monthly bills dwarfing those of other states in 2021. If prices keep rising, as current projections say they will, electric vehicles will continue to be more expensive than traditional gas-powered cars. The surging prices could act as an impediment for the electric vehicle industry in the state. Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order in 2021 banning new traditional gas vehicles by 2035 while Joe Biden outlined a nationwide goal of having electric vehicles account for half of total car sales by 2030. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg has reportedly said Americans should buy electric vehicles to avoid the fluctuating costs of gasoline. The California Public Utilities Commission noted in a May 2021 industry report that it is "cheaper to fuel a conventional internal combustion engine vehicle than it is to charge an EV." ![]() April 7: The New York Post: The time to rearm Ukraine is right now; a critical window for Kyiv and the world General Wesley Clark says: Ukraine needs heavy weapons and air support, now. Tanks, multiple-launch rockets, self-propelled artillery, air support — MiGs and Sukhoi aircraft — and mobile air defense. They need hundreds of thousands of 152mm artillery rounds. The US-supplied Javelins and Stingers are necessary but no longer sufficient. The window of opportunity is a week, maybe two, in which Ukraine can counterattack in the north, south and east to expel Russian forces. This will require mobile armored forces and air power. And if this window is lost, the future is darker and more uncertain. If Ukraine can prevail, it will secure its borders, expel Russia from all of Donbas and open the way for a negotiated end to the conflict. Presumably, this would also thwart Russian President Putin's plans for the Baltic states, Moldova and Georgia. It would also undermine China's growing belief that it might itself rearrange international boundaries through the use of force. April 7: Fox News: Obama blasted on social media for self-serving revisionist comments on his dealing with Russia Former President Obama was called out on Twitter Thursday for presenting what some called a "revisionist history" about his record with Russia. Obama, participating in the "Disinformation and the Erosion of Democracy" conference at the University of Chicago, said, "…as someone who grappled with the incursion into Crimea and the eastern portions of Ukraine, I have been encouraged by the European reaction. Because, in 2014, I often had to drag them kicking and screaming to respond in ways that we would've wanted to see, from those of us who describe ourselves as Western democracies." Terrorism expert and international security professor at Northeastern University Max Abrahms blasted Obama's answer as "self-serving revisionist history." Mark Hemingway, senior writer at Real Clear Investigations, mocked Obama, tweeting, "'grappled' = did nothing after spending years mocking anyone that thought Russia was threatening and still refused to arm Ukraine." April 6: Fox News: Abbott directs the use of buses to take migrants to Washington DC Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) said Wednesday that undocumented migrants released into his state will be shipped to the steps of the U.S. Capitol in Washington D.C., as border checkpoints struggle to manage the flow of people attempting to enter the United States and the Biden administration's move to eliminate the Title 42 expulsion provision. The state will provide charter buses to drop off migrants – many released into small Texas communities that officials say are overwhelmed – in Washington, the governor said in a news conference. "We are sending them to the United States Capitol where the Biden administration will be able to more immediately address the needs of the people that they are allowing to come across our border," Abbott said. Up to 90, 40 passenger buses, may be used to transport the migrants. ![]() It is no surprise that California has the highest gasoline prices in the nation given that it has the highest gas taxes, but even natives of The Golden State are being blown away by the eye-popping sticker prices they are finding at the pump. Matt Shupe of Walnut Creek, CA, was on a road trip through the state this week when he stumbled across gas prices that made his jaw drop. During a stop at a remote station in Big Sur on Sunday, Shupe decided to glance at the pump before going inside to buy snacks and was relieved that he didn't need a fill-up. The price for premium gas, which his car requires, was $9.799. He said he would search for COSTCO gas stations along his route "because the gas prices have been so insane," he said. He said braving the lines at Costco has saved him $10 or $20 a tank. The average price of gas in California is currently $6.17 per gallon for premium and $5.82 for regular, according to AAA. The national average for regular is $4.16. April 6: The Epoch Times: Appeals court revives lawsuit on "Zuckerberg Bucks The Louisiana Court of Appeal has reinstated the state's lawsuit against a Mark Zuckerberg-funded nonprofit that flooded Democrat-controlled jurisdictions with election administration grants and, in the process, may have skewed election results. Louisiana Attorney General Jeff Landry (R) said the ruling was a major victory for election integrity. "Our law is clear: No individual, including Mark Zuckerberg, should supersede the people's elected representatives," Landry said.. "Our elections should never be for sale; private money should not fund our elections." The thinking behind the lawsuit is that the millions of dollars doled out by the left-leaning Chicago-based Center for Technology and Civic Life (CTCL) unfairly boosted turnout in Democrat-heavy parts of the state, functioning as a kind of subsidy to get Democrats, not Republicans, to the polls. Earlier Governor John Bel Edwards (LA-D) vetoed the legislature's bill that would have banned the private financing of elections. The ruling came weeks after the Public Interest Legal Foundation filed suit against Louisiana in federal court for refusing to allow inspection of voter list maintenance records, including information the state receives from the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC), a controversial data-matching service associated with Democrats that has been criticized as being inaccurate. Meanwhile the Louisiana Secretary of State announced he was putting a hold on the use of ERIC while he investigates allegations made about the organization. April 6: The Epoch Times: Mariupol Ukraine dead put at 5,000 as they brace for more in the Eastern part of the country The mayor of the besieged Ukrainian city of Mariupol says more than 5,000 civilians have been killed during the monthlong Russian blockade, among them 210 children. Vadym Boichenko said Wednesday that Russian forces have among other targets bombed hospitals, including one where 50 people burned to death. He said more than 90% of the city's infrastructure has been destroyed by Russian shelling. The Russian military is besieging the strategic Sea of Azov port, and has cut food, water, and energy supplies and pummeled it with artillery and air raids. Capturing the city would allow Russia to secure a land corridor to the Crimean Peninsula that Russia forcefully annexed from Ukraine in 2014. April 5: Fox News: Durham releases potentially damaging texts messages from former Clinton attorney Special Counsel John Durham, in a filing late Monday, released what may prove to be a crucial piece of evidence in the case against former Clinton lawyer Michael Sussmann—a text message he sent to the former FBI general counsel the eve of their September 2016 meeting stating "the same lie in writing" that the information he would share would be "not on behalf of a client or company." The indictment alleges that Sussmann lied in a meeting with then-FBI General Counsel James Baker "falsely stating to the General Counsel that he was not providing the allegations to the FBI on behalf of any client," doing so two months prior to the 2016 election. At that meeting, which Sussmann requested, he presented "purported data and 'white papers' that allegedly demonstrated a covert communications channel" between the Trump Organization and Alfa Bank, which has ties to the Kremlin. Durham contends that Sussmann was, in fact, working on behalf of at least two clients including Tech Executive-1, who has been identified as Rodney Joffe, and the Clinton campaign. ![]() ![]() The Pentagon is seriously considering eliminating the sole nuclear gravity bomb in the U.S. strategic weapons arsenal capable of blasting deeply buried underground structures as part of Biden's strategic weapons policy review. The retirement of the B83 bomb, a megaton-class weapon delivered by B-2 stealth bombers, is part of the Administration's major reassessment of strategic forces and their employment. Apparently, the bomb is "costly to maintain and of increasingly limited value," a senior defense official said. However, supporters of the B83 say it is still needed for deterring Communist China, which has built a vast network of underground tunnels estimated to be 3,000 miles snaking throughout the country. The tunnel system, dubbed the "Underground Great Wall," is used for producing and storing China's growing nuclear arsenal. April 5: Fox News: Former Bush official: Not much the UN can do against Russia given the make up of the Security Council In a speech to the UN Security Council, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy pleaded for action against Russia, citing grave "war crimes". Afterward, former Bush speechwriter Marc Thiessen told Fox News there isn't much the UN is able to do because nearly half of its security council's permanent membership – the states with veto power -- are complicit in "crimes against humanity." Fox's Martha MacCallum referenced the Biden administration's careful language on war crimes after National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan declined to label Kremlin assaults on civilians "genocide." "We have seen atrocities, we have seen war crimes, we have not yet seen a level of systematic deprivation of life of the Ukrainian people to rise to the level of genocide," Sullivan, a former Hillary Clinton adviser, had said. Thiessen said, "[G]enocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, whatever you want to call it, these are atrocities, and they're prosecutable," he said. April 4: The Daily Caller: Biden's oil agenda took only four days to blow up on him Oil prices shot up Monday despite Joe Biden's plan to curb gasoline prices by releasing a million barrels of emergency oil reserves daily. The Brent crude index surged more than 3.1% overnight while the U.S. West Texas Intermediate index skyrocketed more than 3.4% Monday. "Will the release of barrels from strategic reserves fill a shortfall caused by sanctions and buyer aversion to Russian oil? In a word, no," Stephen Brennock, an analyst at PVM Oil Associates, told Reuters. Biden had announced he was ordering the Department of Energy to release a million barrels of oil stored in the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR) for national emergencies, doing so every day for six months – and incidentally leading up to the November midterm elections. Some are saying the current energy situation is a personal Biden emergency, caused by bad judgment and energy policy decisions, and not a national emergency situation for which the use of the SPR was intended. April 4: Fox News: Gabbard (D-HI) comes to support of Florida law banning schools from indoctrinating student K-3 on gender issues Former Hawaii Democratic Congresswoman Tulsi Gabbard is going against her party's talking points by defending Florida's new Parental Rights in Education law which prohibits schools from discussing sexual orientation or gender identity with students from kindergarten through third grade. Gabbard tweeted and shared a video message about the bill, which has been attacked by others in her party. "Parents should raise their kids, not the government," Gabbard said. Many Democrats and left-wing media outlets have accused the bill of being anti-gay. Republicans insist that the bill's purpose is to give parents control over when their children learn about certain subjects. Gabbard asserted that what the bill really does is prevent schools from promoting ideologies or agendas on children who would be forced to listen. April 4: The Washington Times: Biden calls for war crimes trial of Putin after mass graves found Joe Biden Monday called for a war crimes trial against Russian President Putin following reports of the mass killing of Ukraine civilians by Russian troops in a suburb of Kyiv. "He's a war criminal," Biden said of Putin when asked about the reports of Ukrainian civilians being slaughtered by Russian troops in Bucha, which sits northwest of the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv. "This guy is brutal and what's happening in Bucha is outrageous and everyone's seen it," Biden told reporters after video surfaced showing Bucha 's streets littered with dead bodies. April 4: The Washington Examiner: Examiner's EIC says Hunter Biden indictment is a real possibility The Washington Examiner's Editor-in-Chief (EIC) Hugo Gurdon said the indictment of Hunter Biden is a "real possibility" in response to a question by Shannon Bream of Fox News. He further questioned how Joe Biden could express confidence in his son's innocence given the "very dissolute life" he leads, calling it "amusing and ironic." ![]() Russian forces have carried out a "genocide" in Ukraine that has included the torture and murder of children, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday, as new images of dead civilians and a mass grave in a town near Kyiv spread through the global media space. "When we find people with hands tied behind their back and decapitated, such things I don't understand. I don't. comprehend the kids who are killed and tortured," Zelenskyy said. "It's important for the free people of the United States to have a look at it and understand, and see for themselves. This is genocide." The comments came after Ukrainian troops reported finding brutalized bodies with bound hands, gunshot wounds to the head and signs of torture after Russian soldiers in the town of Bucha, after Russian troops had withdrawn from the town on the outskirts of Kyiv. AP journalists in Bucha saw the bodies of at least nine people in civilian clothes who appeared to have been killed at close range. At least two had their hands tied behind their backs. Others were wrapped in plastic, bound with tape and thrown into a ditch. April 3: Fox News: Secretary of State says we should not be numb to Putin's war crimes; need to hold him accountable, but will we? Sec. State Antony Blinken said the U.S. cannot become "numb" to images of death and destruction in Ukraine, vowing "accountability" for war crimes. "You can't help but see these images as a punch to the gut," Blinken said. He was reacting to photos out of Bucha, Ukreine, near Kyiv, showing photos of civilian men who were reportedly executed and left on the streets, according to the city's mayor. Blinken said the U.S. is documenting any potential war crimes and vowed "accountability." "We've said before Russia's aggression that we thought it was likely that they would commit atrocities. Since the aggression, we've come out and said that we believe that Russian forces have committed war crimes. And we've been working to document that to provide the information that we have to the relevant institutions and organizations that will put all this together and there needs to be accountability for it." April 3: Breitbart News: Surprise! The New York governor's race is close with Democrat just barley leading Democrat New York Gov. Kathy Hochul will not coast to reelection, with the latest poll putting her just four points ahead of her Republican challenger, Rep. Lee Zeldin. Surveying 830 likely voters between March 28-31 with a 3.4 percentage point margin of error, the poll from Republican consulting firm Big Dog Strategies showed that Hochul holds a slim four-point lead over the congressman – 35 percent support versus Zeldin's 31 percent. The poll also showed that Zeldin leads disgraced Gov. Andrew Cuomo by six points in a hypothetical matchup. According to the New York Post, Hochul will face a fierce battle for reelection, with the same poll showing that 41 percent of voters view her unfavorably versus 31 percent favorably, "with more than a quarter undecided." "Hochul only led Zeldin, a Long Island congressman, in the downstate New York City and suburban market, 35 percent to 30 percent," the Post noted. "Zeldin led Hochul by more than 35 points in the Syracuse region and was slightly ahead in other parts of upstate," it added. April 3: The Epoch Times: TN legislature passes bill to withhold funds from school districts allowing transgender athletes to compete Tennessee legislation that would withhold funding from school districts allowing transgender students to participate in sports, has advanced toward Gov. Bill Lee's desk for signature after passing in the Senate Education Committee on March 29. If signed, Senate Bill 1861 would require the commissioner of education to withhold a portion of state education funding if the school refuses to determine the gender of a student participating in sports. "We passed a bill last year that required boys to play boys and girls to play girls in K–12, and this bill is putting teeth into it," Rep. John Ragan (R) said on the House floor when speaking about the companion House Bill 1895. The bill assigns unspecified financial penalties to the Tennessee law passed in 2021 that prohibited males from playing in female sports. ![]() Beijing's growing aggressiveness and military buildup in the South China Sea pose risks to the commercial interests and the security of many nations, and especially powers on friendly terms with the USA such as Japan, South Korea, and Australia. This warning was made by security analyst Grant Newsham, who also said the moment was ripe for the United States to leverage its amicable relationship with Japan in order to deter Chinese Communist Party (CCP) aggression and uphold stability in the region. Newsham described the islands as full-blown military outposts, one of them roughly equal to Washington D.C. in size, and another as big as the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor in Hawaii. The outposts have 10,000-foot runways for military planes, anti-ship missiles, anti-aircraft systems, and maintenance facilities, he said. While the rapid buildup of these outposts may have caught some observers off guard, Newsham said that the construction and militarization of the islands have been underway since 2014 and that it has been "completely obvious" what Beijing hoped to achieve here. April 2: The Epoch Times: NIH suppressed data on Wuhan lab A National Institutes for Health (NIH) spokesman is disputing a non-profit watchdog group's claim that the agency "deleted" genetic sequencing data on the CCP virus from a Chinese lab, but the same official acknowledged the data was "suppressed." "The headline says the sequences were deleted which is inaccurate. They were not deleted. This is a really important point, and I've highlighted what did happen from what we provided to you earlier this week," NIH Media Branch Chief Amanda Fine said in an email. April 2: Fox News: Ukrainian President warns Russians are leaving landmines before departing Ukrainian President Zelenskyy warned Saturday that Russian troops are creating a "catastrophic" situation for civilians by leaving mines around homes, abandoned equipment and the bodies of those killed. "It's still not possible to return to normal life, as it used to be, even at the territories that we are taking back after the fighting," the president told his nation in a nightly video message. "We need to wait until our land is demined, wait till we are able to assure you that there won't be new shelling," he said. Ukraine and Western allies have reported mounting evidence of Russia withdrawing its forces from around Kyiv and sending troops to eastern Ukraine. Officials said Ukraine's fighters had reclaimed several areas near its capital city, including the city of Brovary. However, the shift does not mean the country faces a reprieve from the war. April 2: The Washington Examiner: Biden's wish for Trump prosecution leaked as Dems mount pressure campaign on DOJ A new report claims Joe Biden has told people he wants former President Donald Trump to be prosecuted. The leak was published by the NY Times on Saturday as Democrats mount increasing pressure on the Justice Department to take action against Trump and people within his orbit in relation to the Capitol Hill protest At focus are Attorney General Merrick Garland and his "deliberative approach," as the report put it, which is causing frustration. "As recently as late last year, Biden confided to his inner circle that he believed former President Donald J. Trump was a threat to democracy and should be prosecuted, according to two people familiar with his comments," the report read. "And while the president has never communicated his frustrations directly to Mr. Garland, he has said privately that he wanted Mr. Garland to act less like a ponderous judge and more like a prosecutor who is willing to take decisive action over the events of Jan. 6." April 2: The Epoch Times: Russia threatens to cut off gas to Britian over sanctions The Kremlin has said that London's sanctions of Moscow's Gazprombank, through which payments are to be made under Russian President Vladimir Putin's rubles-for-gas scheme, mean that Great Britain won't be able to buy Russian gas. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told Russian state-backed news agency Tass on Saturday that British sanctions against Gazprombank mean that the UK faces the prospect of being cut off from Russian gas supplies. "London wants to be the leader of everything anti-Russian. It even wants to be ahead of Washington! That's the cost!" Peskov said. Under a decree signed by Putin on Thursday, European buyers of Russian gas must open an account at Gazprombank and make payments in euros or dollars, which the bank will then convert into rubles and settle the transactions in line with Putin's order. Putin stipulated an April 1 deadline for the start of the rubles-for-gas arrangement, though Peskov said on Friday that payment for deliveries of gas wouldn't be due until mid-April or early May. April 1: Fox News: Disney employee issues dire warning of economic consequences over company's lurch left Jose Castillo, a current employee of the Walt Disney Company who is also a Congressional candidate (R-FL) said that Disney's new political activism may come back to bite the company… in its pocketbook. Florida legislators have floated the idea of repealing the 1967 Reedy Creek Improvement Act, which gives Disney the autonomy to effectively run its own government in the area around Disney World. In response to the company's recent advocacy against what it called the "Don't Say Gay" law but which simply establishes parental rights, legislators are considering returning to making Disney subject to the government of Orange County. Castillo warned that, if Disney's advocacy against the law spurs this repeal, it will hurt the company's bottom-line, especially if the company continues its left-wing advocacy. Castillo said, "If Disney falls under Orange County regulations and taxes, I suspect they'll think twice before pushing for more of them (left wing positions)." If true, it would prove once again the statement "follow the money!" April 1: The Washington Examiner: Russians pull out or air base near Kyiv and Chernobyl, but Zelensky urges caution Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky urged caution Friday amid hopeful signs that his military had regained ground in some areas from Russian soldiers. "We know what they are planning and what they are doing," he said of Russian President Putin's forces. "We know that they are moving away from the areas where we are beating them to focus on others that are very important." Russian forces appeared to leave the village of Hostomel, Chernobyl, and an air base on the outskirts of Kyiv. The air base has been at the center of some of the fiercest fighting since the invasion began six weeks ago, and it is a key strategic spot for Russia's military to launch an assault on the capital city. The area has changed hands multiple times since the start of the occupation on Feb. 24. Meanwhile, two Ukrainian low-flying attack helicopters crossed into Russian territory early Friday and fired on an oil depot in the border city of Belgorod, marking the first time Moscow has reported a Ukrainian airstrike on its territory since the war broke out. The strike appeared to be an embarrassment to Russia, which boasted last week about wiping out Ukraine's air force. Belgorod, which is about 20 miles from the Ukrainian border, has a population of about 400,000. Video footage posted to VKontakte and analyzed by U.S. media outlets confirmed that the airstrike caused a fire at the site. April 1: The Washington Times: U.S. intelligence gets it wrong, again Apparently U.S. intelligence agencies misjudged Russia 's military capabilities in the weeks leading up to the invasion of Ukraine, and also believed Ukraine 's military was ill-prepared to resist and would be quickly defeated, according to military and intelligence officials. Both those intelligence judgments were wrong, officials have disclosed recently to Congress, and now the scramble is on to determine why. Bad intelligence on Ukraine — and the failure of intelligence regarding the resilience of the U.S.-backed government in Afghanistan last year — are in part to blame for what some critics in Congress say is the Biden administration's missteps so far reacting to the fighting in Ukraine and other global crises. Correct intelligence on Russian and Ukrainian militaries, the critics say, could have resulted in a more rapid and effective arming of Kyiv's forces prior to the Feb. 24 invasion and more effective support as the five-week war grinds on. April 1: Townhall.com: White House press secretary allegedly moving to third rated MSNBC Biden's White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki will reportedly leave the administration later this spring to join MSNBC, according to an Axios scoop published Friday morning. Sources told Axios Psaki is "in exclusive talks with MSNBC" that are "nearly final" to jump to the network that trails Fox News and CNN in ratings after she leaves the Biden administration ahead of the midterms. Axios' source reported that Psaki already "told some senior officials at the White House about her departure and her plans to join MSNBC" but, somewhat awkwardly, she had "not yet formally told the White House press team about her departure." Well, they know now! Psaki, who some say has developed the ability to pivot and to avoid telling the truth, should fit in well with her new home. ![]() A never-Trump Republican in New York can be seen allegedly illegally forging petition signatures in a parking lot in his effort to challenge New York Republican Rep. Elise Stefanik, a video shows. Lonny Koons, who is trying to primary Stefanik in NY21, can be seen in his car in videos that were taken at the Ticonderoga Walmart Parking lot on March 24. The day the two videos were filmed he said on social media he was in Ticonderoga and "obtained a healthy number of petition signatures." However, the signatures appeared to have been faked and signed by Koons himself. In the videos, posted on YouTube by an anonymous account called "North Country Watch," Koons can be seen signing a number of signatures and names on a document in the parking lot, on the same day he said he was collecting signatures in Ticonderoga. The petition filing period starts April 4. Republicans need a minimum of 1,250 signatures to appear on the ballot. March 31: Fox News: DeSantis open to revoking Disney's self-governing status ["special privileges" ] Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) addressed on Thursday the suggestion of repealing a 55-year-old state law that allows Disney to effectively govern itself on the grounds of Walt Disney World, following the company's public opposition to a parental rights law in Florida. "What I would say as a matter of first principle is I don't support special privileges in law just because a company is powerful and they've been able to wield a lot of power," DeSantis said. Disney has been engaged in a war of words leading up to Monday's signing of a bill, which prohibits classroom instruction on "sexual orientation" and "gender identity" with children in third grade or younger "or in a manner that is not age-appropriate or developmentally appropriate for students in accordance with state standards." DeSantis referenced a bill reining in big tech that Republicans were working through the legislature last year when Disney added a "carve out" at the "11th hour" for theme parks. "I'm thinking to myself, 'This is ridiculous,'" He said. honestly, it was embarrassing. I think what has happened is there's a lot of these special privileges that are not justifiable, but because Disney had held so much sway, they were able to sustain a lot of special treatment over the years." March 31: Breitbart News: Swing state Dems calling upon Biden to keep Trump-era immigration rules This week, Biden officials said the administration has plans to end the Center for Disease Control and Prevention's (CDC) Title 42 order that gives federal immigration agents broad authority to quickly return border crossers and illegal aliens to their native countries. As a result, Biden officials are readily admitting about half a million border crossers and illegal aliens are expected to show up at the United States-Mexico border every month. This is the equivalent of a population the size of Atlanta, Georgia, arriving at the border over the course of just 28 to 30 days. Now, a growing number of swing-state Democrats are asking Biden not to end Title 42. Joe Manchin (D-WVA), facing re-election in 2024, wrote in a letter to Biden asking the administration to preserve Title 42 to stave off a massive influx of illegal immigration. Likewise, Maggie Hassan (D-NH) wrote in a statement that she is "concerned" that the Biden administration does not have "a sufficient plan in place to address the steep increase in border crossings that could result from" ending Title 42. "This preemptive repeal [Title 42] threatens border security at a time when the administration should be focused on strengthening it," Senator Hassan said. March 31: The Washington Examiner: White House stands by Biden statements that his son didn't profit from China The White House is standing by then-candidate Joe Biden's October 2020 assertion that his son had not made money in China despite clear evidence that his son had received millions from Chinese businessmen. When Kristen Welker of NBC News, who moderated the presidential debate in which Biden made the claim, asked the White House whether they stood by Biden's debate comments that there was nothing unethical about Hunter Biden's business dealings and that his son had not made any money in China, they confirmed the White House would "stand by" the statement. March 31: The Washington Times: Biden attacks what he terms "hateful" red-state transgender bills The White House pulled out the stops for the International Transgender Day of Visibility, announcing administrative changes and firing a warning shot at GOP-led states fighting the gender-identity agenda on health care, education and women's sports. Biden celebrated with a video message telling transgender people that "we have your back" and slamming what he called the "hateful bills" moving through red-state legislatures. Despite his opposition, such bills enjoyed a banner week. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis kicked it off Monday by signing the Parental Rights in Education bill, which prohibits schools from teaching about gender identity and sexual orientation in grades K-3. Meanwhile talk radio discussed the issue asking why schools cannot administer aspirin to children without a parent's permission so why should they be able to administer gender changing drugs? ![]() The Washington Post published two articles Wednesday in which it claimed to have authenticated thousands of emails found on Hunter Biden's laptop, roughly 17 months after a key email was verified by the Daily Caller. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton conjectured that the timing might have something to do with anticipated grand jury indictments and that initially the Post didn't want to bolster the possibility that Hunter Biden were involved with influence peddling during a presidential election. The Post published the story Wednesday detailing Hunter Biden's financial ties to the Chinese energy company CEFC China Energy, and used the emails found in Biden's laptop as one of its sources for the investigation. The publication also ran an additional story explaining how it managed to authenticate 22,000 emails found in the laptop's hard drive, something the Daily Caller had done previously. March 30: The Washington Times: Russia continues to shell Ukrainian cities despite words to the opposite Russian forces resumed their bombardment near Kyiv and other Ukrainian cities Wednesday despite pledges just a day earlier to scale back violent military operations in what world leaders hoped was a sign of a possible breakthrough in talks aimed at persuading the Kremlin to call off its 5-week-old invasion. With such hope diminishing by the hour, Joe Biden announced his administration would provide an additional $500 million in aid to Ukraine to boost the war-ravaged country's struggling economy. That brings the total announced U.S. funding for aid and military assistance to more than $2 billion for Ukraine since the start of Russia's invasion. The U.S. has delivered thousands of anti-tank and anti-armor weapons to Ukrainian forces in recent weeks. Other NATO members are providing drones, mortar rounds and other equipment. The aid flows continue despite warnings from Russian President Putin that such support could spark a wider war in Eastern Europe. Meanwhile, Russia accelerated its own efforts to secure economic and military support from China to bolster its forces, which have become bogged down in the face of robust resistance from Ukrainians. March 30: Fox News: General admits that Biden's strategy to avert Russia's invasion of Ukraine failed. Well Duh! U.S. Gen. Tod Wolters admitted that Joe Biden's strategy to deter Russia from invading Ukraine failed during testimony before the House Armed Services Committee on Wednesday. Wolters made the admission in response to questions from Republican Wisconsin Rep. Mike Gallagher. While Gallagher did not reference Biden by name, he questioned Wolters about the effectiveness of the U.S. effort to deter Russia's invasion by non-military means in the months leading up to the invasion. The exchange comes as the Biden administration continued to insist its threats of sanctions against Russia were never meant to deter an invasion. "Let's get something straight," Biden told a reporter who pressed him on the issue Thursday. "You remember if you covered me from the very beginning, I did not say that, in fact, the sanctions would deter him. Sanctions never deter. You keep talking about that. Sanctions never deter." March 30: Breitbart News: Judge Jackson's record: Sentencing of those in possession of child pornography, 60% less time than the national average With Judge Jackson's appointment to the SCOTUS virtually assured by Senator Collins' (R-ME) support, opponents are noting her record of sentencing child pornography defendants to 60% less time than the vast majority of her colleagues nationwide. Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson sentenced those in possession of child pornography to nearly 60 percent less time than the national average, according to documents from Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX). Furthermore, cases of child porn distribution in which Jackson was the presiding judge were sentenced 47 percent less than the national average. Jackson also sentenced the production of child porn 35 percent less than the national average. ![]() Crude oil prices are skyrocketing, while the White House is desperately seeking to control the massive political damage. A mid-February poll found two-thirds of Americans blame the Administration for high fuel prices. The shutdown of the economy in 2020 over Covid-19, with the associated reduction of demand, impacted the petroleum industry with many plants drastically reducing production levels or shutting down entirely. It takes time to gear up production to meet increased demand, but that's a short-term challenge and only part of the story. With the energy inflation being the primarily cause for inflation, Americans needlessly suffer. We deserve better than being treated with deception and inept polices and politicians. March 29: The Washington Examiner: Congressman Gaetz enters contents of Hunter Biden's laptop into the Record Congressman Matt Gaetz (R-FL) filed the contents from the laptop believed to belong to Hunter Biden into the congressional record during a House Judiciary Committee hearing Tuesday. The move followed a heated exchange between Gaetz and Bryan Vorndran, assistant director of the FBI's Cyber Division, who informed the congressman that he had no information about the status of the copy of the laptop hard drive the FBI has had in its possession since 2019 as the president's son faces a federal investigation into his financial and foreign business affairs. "That is astonishing to me. Has the FBI [Cyber Division] assessed whether Hunter Biden's laptop could be a point of vulnerability, allowing America's enemies to hurt our country?" Gaetz asked Vorndran. The congressman attempted to enter a copy of the laptop hard drive into the congressional record. House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler initially rebuffed Gaetz's request but ultimately capitulated after the Florida congressman pressed further and claimed he had a "consultation with majority staff." March 29: The Washington Times: Manchin uncomfortable with Biden's "Minimum Tax" proposal Sen. Joe Manchin III (D-WVA) expressed skepticism on Tuesday about Joe Biden's plan for a 20% minimum tax on households worth more than $100 million. Manchin said it was a "tough one" to support, and it would prove difficult to implement. You can't be taxed "on things you don't have," he said. "You might have it on paper. There are other ways for people to pay their fair share, and I think everyone should pay." Biden wants wealthy individuals to pay taxes on assets, including stocks and real estate. It would be a significant reorienting of the tax code. Currently, individuals only pay a tax, known as capital gains, when they sell an asset. March 29: Fox News: Ukrainians begin to fire on Russian held territory The Ukrainian military has begun to take the fight to Russian held territory, a new development in what has been a primarily defensive war for the country. Russian authorities were forced to place two villages under emergency orders and evacuate some citizens due to Ukrainian shelling in the area, according to reports from multiple Russian media outlets. RIA Novosti, a Russian government-controlled publication, reported Tuesday that an explosion near the village of Zhuravlyovka injured four people. The outlet reported that the source of the explosion was an attack that originated from within Ukraine. Interfax, another Kremlin-friendly publication, reported that Zhuravlyovka and the nearby town of Niekhoteyevka were placed under emergency orders, and roughly 180 people were evacuated to the city of Belgorod as the result of an explosion at an ammunition depot. March 29: The Epoch Times: Ukraine demands security guaranties similar to NATO's Article 5 as a price for peace Ukrainian negotiators on Tuesday proposed a mechanism similar to Article 5 of the 1949 North Atlantic Treaty, the founding document of NATO, to guarantee the security of Ukraine. The proposal would require the guarantors to hold consultations within three days of the start of any war, aggression, military operation, and any disguised, hybrid war against Ukraine. "After which [the guarantors] are legally obliged to provide military assistance to our country, in particular in the form of armaments and the closure of the skies," the Ukrainian government said. The suggested guarantors include the permanent members of the United Nations Security Council: the United States, Great Britain, France, China, and the Russian Federation and also Turkey, Germany, Canada, Italy, Poland, and Israel. The territories of Donetsk and Luhansk would not be included under the security guarantee. In return Ukraine would commit to a non-aligned and non-nuclear state of permanent neutrality. It would also agree to not deploy foreign military bases, host foreign military contingents in its territory, join military-political alliances, or participate military exercises on the territory of Ukraine. No agreement was reached on the proposal. Separate arrangements were proposed for Crimea, Sevastopol, Donetsk, and Luhansk, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said. March 28: The Washington Times: Biden got 255,000 excess fraudulent-tainted votes in key swing states Joe Biden received hundreds of thousands of "excess" votes in Democratic-controlled areas in the 2020 election, according to an academic study on voter fraud that suggests the push to relax voting standards created new opportunities for electoral mischief. John R. Lott, Jr., the man behind the research, teased out those numbers by comparing Democratic-dominant areas to Republican-dominant places over the past two presidential elections, particularly in places where claims of election fraud were reported in 2020. Looking at six swing states, the data he crunched found that voter turnout in Republican areas increased from 2016 to 2020 while voter turnout among Democrats dropped — except in places where voter fraud was claimed. That accounted for 255,000 "excess" votes for Biden above what would be expected, Lott said. His paper has been accepted for publication in Public Choice, a peer-reviewed journal specializing in the intersection of economics and political science. "More heavily Democratic counties actually had a slightly lower turnout in 2020, except for counties where vote fraud was alleged. In those counties, you had a huge increase in turnout," Lott told The Washington Times in an interview explaining his findings. March 28: The Washington Examiner: China may think twice after Ukrainian citizens take up arms to protect their country Congressman Michael McCaul (R-TX), the top Republican on the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, said he believes that the Russian military's underperformance in the war in Ukraine may help deter China from taking action against Taiwan in the immediate future. His comments come shortly after the one-month mark of Russia's invasion of Ukraine, with Russian forces repeatedly fumbling as Ukraine has exceeded expectations in its ability to defend itself. The initial aggression sparked concerns among lawmakers that China would attempt to launch a similar assault on Taiwan, but McCaul said seeing Russia struggle and the economic backlash the country has faced may help dissuade a Chinese invasion. "It's like [former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice] said: It's like a bad dating partner all of the sudden. I mean, do they want to be that tied to Putin right now when the sanctions are destroying him, his military has proved to be not as superior as we thought, and the Ukrainian resistance — they're starting to win. So I think that's changing Xi's calculus," he told the Washington Examiner in an interview at the House GOP retreat in Florida, referring to Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese General Secretary Xi Jinping. McCaul said that while China is closely watching how the war in Ukraine plays out, the potential of a Taiwan invasion presents a different series of different challenges for the West, asserting that the United States and its allies need to send a strong message that they will not tolerate an unprovoked attack. March 28: The Daily Caller: Fox News reporter confronts Joe Biden about statements and walking them back Fox News' Peter Doocy confronted Joe Biden at a press conference Monday, asking the Biden if he believed other world leaders would accept that "America is back" if what Biden says on the "world stage keeps getting walked back." When Biden asked Doocy what was getting walked back, the reporter mentioned the remarks on U.S. troops going to Ukraine, the possibility of the U.S. using a chemical weapon, and that it "sounded like" Biden was calling for a "regime change in Russia." "None of the three occurred," Biden responded. "You interpret the language that way. I was talking to the troops. We were talking about helping train the troops, the Ukrainian troops, that are in Poland." "I was referring to, with, being with and talking with the Ukrainian troops that are in Poland," Biden said. "And when you said chemical weapon use by Russia would trigger a response in kind," Doocy said. "It will trigger a significant response," Biden answered. March 27: The Washington Times: Senator Barrasso calls for banning of uranium purchases from Russia and increasing U.S. production Senator John Barrasso (R-WY) called Sunday for shutting down imports of Russian uranium and increasing U.S. production, arguing that the sales are propping up Russian President Vladimir Putin's attack on Ukraine. Joe Biden announced March 8 that he would bar U.S. imports of Russian "oil and gas and energy," but Barrasson said the U.S. continues to buy uranium from Moscow, which fuels U.S. nuclear power plants. "We in the United States are still buying uranium from Russia. I have a bill to stop that," he said. "We need to stop the whole thing. The sanctions so far have hurt Russia, but they have not been crippling. We need to go further. There are ways to do it. And you have to shut down Russia 's sale of energy to places around the world." March 27: The Washington Examiner: Biden's poll numbers continue to plumet You would think that, at some point, Joe Biden's poll numbers couldn't get any worse. So far, you would be wrong. An NBC News poll found that Biden is now at 40% approval, the lowest level of his first term, with 55% of people disapproving of his job performance. His support from women has dropped from 51% to 44%, and his support among Latinos dropped from 48% to 39%. On the issues, Biden is 30 points underwater on his handling of the economy, the most important issue according to poll respondents. Biden also gets the most blame for inflation. Biden, who ran as a competent statesman with decades of foreign policy experience, had just 42% approval on foreign policy, with 51% disapproving. With Biden stumbling his way through speech after speech about Ukraine and Russia, 71% of people have "very little" or "just some" confidence in his response to the war, including 43% of Democrats. March 27: Fox News: U.S. special forces veterans training Ukraine military and civilians on combat care A group of American Special Operations veterans and medical professionals are on the ground in Ukraine, training Ukrainian forces, doctors and civilians in how to address a range of medicine and surgery issues, from treating front-line combat injuries to advanced trauma surgery interventions. The Global Surgical and Medical Support Group (GSMSG) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization made up of more than 1,500 volunteers who are mostly U.S. Special Ops veterans, doctors and nurses. "Our overriding goal is to train host nation populations and medical personnel in conflict zones and austere environments," said Dr. Aaron Epstein the organizations' founder. In Ukraine, Epstein said the team has been focused on "training the population broadly to be able to handle combat injuries." "Our teams of Special Operations veterans have continuously run combat casualty care courses and have been training at the rate of 100/day," Epstein said. "We have also run a Train-the-trainer course so that Ukrainians can go on to teach other Ukrainians how to handle battle injuries." March 26: Breitbart News: Biden calls for removal of Putin from office Joe Biden demanded that Russian President Vladimir Putin be removed from power in a dramatic speech in Warsaw, Poland, on Saturday. "For God's sake, this man cannot remain in power," Biden cried out at the conclusion of his speech. "God bless you all and may God defend our freedom." It is unclear whether Biden's comment was part of his prepared remarks. Biden repeatedly called out Putin directly saying "Notwithstanding the brutality of Vladimir Putin, let there be no doubt that this war has already been a strategic failure for Russia." He signaled solidarity with the Ukrainian people, praising them for proving Putin wrong. "Putin thought Ukrainians would roll over and not fight. Not much of a student of history," he said. "Instead, Russian forces have met their match with brave and stiff Ukrainian resistance." But Biden warned Europe they would need to stay united to defeat Putin. "This battle will not be won in days, or months either. We need to steel ourselves for a long fight ahead," he said. He also called out Putin for lying about Ukraine and his decision to invade. "Putin has the gall to say he's denazifying Ukraine," he said. "It's a lie. It's just cynical. He knows that. And it's also obscene." He also condemned Putin for his "war of choice" against Ukraine, accusing him of "using brute force and disinformation to satisfy [his] craving for power and control." "Putin has the audacity, like all our autocrats before him, to believe that might will make right," he continued. March 26: Fox News: Three times the White House has had to "walk-back" Biden's remarks in Europe The White House has been forced to walk back or clarify multiple remarks made by Joe Biden during his trip to Europe -- including having to clarify on Saturday that Biden was not calling for regime change in Moscow. Regime change: On Saturday, Biden appeared to call for regime change in Russia, declaring that Russian President Vladimir Putin "cannot remain in power." Shortly after Biden's address however, the White House denied that Biden was calling for regime change. Joe Biden's "point was that Putin cannot be allowed to exercise power over his neighbors or the region. He was not discussing Putin's power in Russia, or regime change," a White House official told Fox News Digital shortly after the speech concluded. Troops to Ukraine: On Friday, Biden was speaking to U.S. troops in Poland, and he said that Ukrainian people "have a lot of backbone" before appearing to suggest that the troops would soon be in Ukraine itself saying "And you're going to see when you're there," he told the 82nd Airborne Division. A White House spokesperson later clarified that remark: Joe Biden "has been clear we are not sending U.S. troops to Ukraine and there is no change in that position." Response to chemical weapon use: On Thursday, Biden was asked if the U.S. would respond if Russia were to use chemical weapons as part of its invasion of Ukraine. Biden said that such a move by the Russians would "trigger a response in kind." After that remark, it was up to National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan to clarify. Sullivan was asked what Biden meant by "in kind." Sullivan said that meant "we'll respond accordingly" and that Russia would pay a "severe price." March 26: The Washington Examiner: Pride goes before the fall; Russian general who claimed they would take Ukraine in a matter of hours is killed A lieutenant general in Russia's military was killed in a strike near the city of Kherson on Friday, the highest-ranked officer to be killed in the war so far. Lt. Gen. Yakov Rezantsev is reportedly the seventh Russian general to die amid the country's invasion of Ukraine and the second of his rank to be killed. Morale is believed to be low among Russian soldiers, with some troops fatally turning on their own commanders in recent days. As many as 40,000 Russian troops have been killed, wounded, taken prisoner, or are missing, with estimates Russia has already lost one-fifth of its combat forces during the first month of its invasion, a senior NATO military official told the Wall Street Journal earlier this week. Ukrainian forces have exemplified stronger-than-expected defense of their major cities. Russian forces have experienced setbacks this week, with the Pentagon reporting on Friday that Russia had lost full control of the port city of Kherson, the first major Ukrainian city its troops captured at the beginning of its invasion of its smaller neighbor. March 26: The Daily Caller: Wisconsin legislature passes "Parents Bill of Rights" The Wisconsin House and Senate have passed a "parent bill of rights" that would allow parents to sue schools that fail to inform them about their child's gender or social transition, according to the bill. According to The Federalist the measure is sitting on Governor Tony Evers' (D-WI) desk. It mirrors bills advanced or alluded to in other states including Indiana, Texas, Kansas, Florida, Virginia, Missouri, and Georgia. The bill mandates that parents have "the right to review all medical records related to the child, unless specified otherwise in law or court order," "the right to determine the names and pronouns used for the child while at school," and "the right to review instructional materials and outlines used by the child's school." According to the bill text, parents are allowed to sue governmental bodies or school officials if they violate the rights of parents or usurp "the fundamental right of a parent or guardian to direct the upbringing, education, health care, and mental health of a child." The law was drafted after a Wisconsin school district was sued for allegedly concealing information on a child's gender transition from the child's parents. March 25: The Washington Times: Bruised and battered, Russia may be shifting its goals in Ukraine After a month of fierce yet inconclusive fighting since Russia's invasion of Ukraine, events on the battlefield suggest Moscow may be narrowing its focus to the disputed Donbas region in the east rather than trying to overthrow the government in Kyiv and rule the entire country. Russia's drive toward the Ukrainian capital has ground to a halt, with units no closer than they have been in weeks. Sergei Rudskoi, head of the Russian General Staff's Main Operational Directorate, said in a Friday speech that the fighting so far "makes it possible to focus our core efforts on achieving the main goal, the liberation of Donbas." The Donbas is in an area of southeastern Ukraine where parts are controlled by pro-Russian separatists who formed two governments from the region: the Donetsk People's Republic and the Luhansk People's Republic. The U.S. and most other countries have not recognized either breakaway state, but Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would. It may be a face-saving shift by the Kremlin, but U.S. officials say they see a reflection of Mr. Rudskoi's words on the ground inside Ukraine. Russian forces "are digging in [and] establishing defensive positions. They don't show any signs of being willing to move on Kyiv from the ground," a senior Defense Department official said in a Friday background briefing. March 25: KTRH News: Russian troops reportedly run over their commanding officer with a tank A group of disgruntled Russian soldiers reportedly killed their commanding officer in Ukraine. A western official claimed that Colonel Yuri Medvedev who was the commander of 37 Motor Rifle Brigade, was intentionally run down in a tank by his own troops as Russian casualties continue to mount in Ukraine. An official said he believed the incident was a consequence of the scale of losses the brigade had sustained. "That just gives an insight into perhaps some of the morale challenges that Russian forces are having," he said. The commanding officer lost both of his legs as a result of the incident. It is unclear whether he succumbed to his injuries. Half of the battalion's 1,500 soldiers had been either killed or injured, reports say. March 24: The Washington Times: Biden flip flops effectiveness of sanctions: Sanctions don't deter Joe Biden on Thursday contradicted one of his own administration's talking points during the run-up to Russia's attack on Ukraine, admitting that sanctions "never deter" military aggression. Biden's comments came just hours after the U.S. imposed a fresh round of sanctions on Russia, slapping penalties against 300 lawmakers — including most members of the Russian parliament — and more than 40 defense companies. A White House fact sheet hailed the move as a way to stop Russian efforts to fund its attacks on Ukraine. But speaking to reporters after the NATO summit in Belgium, Biden acknowledged they don't really work. "Sanctions never deter," he said. "The maintenance of sanctions, the increasing the pain and the demonstration of why I asked for this NATO meeting is to be sure that after a month, we will sustain what we're doing, not just next month, the following month, but for the remainder of the entire year. That's what will stop him." ![]() Ukraine said it struck the Russian-occupied port in the Azov Sea city of Berdyansk on Thursday, igniting a large fire and hitting a Russian warship at the site, which has become a major logistics hub for Moscow's invasion forces. Footage from the area showed smoke billowing from a ship (believed to be a landing ship) and secondary explosions from detonating ammunition. Footage also showed two smaller Russian ships fleeing the port after the explosions with one of the ships on fire. March 24: Fox News: Lt. Gen. Kellogg; Ukrainian situation may be a once-in-a-lifetime chance to reset the world stage Lt. Gen. Keith Kellogg said on Thursday that the U.S. aiding Ukraine in defeating Russian aggression would be a "once-in-a-lifetime" chance to reset the world stage. He argued that the Russians 'are on their heels' and a move by the U.S. to help Ukraine to victory is something China 'will pay attention to.' He claimed that Russian President Vladimir Putin is frustrated his invasion of Ukraine is not going as planned. This should not be about NATO unity," he said, "this is all about Ukraine and Ukraine is winning the fight today. The Russians are stalemated, clearly, they are digging in. They haven't made advances at all. Let's figure out a way to let this new Sparta, Ukraine, win the fight. And they can. We just have to give them the support they need." He continued, saying… "We've got an incredible covert team with the C.I.A. We can bring forces to bear, so can the allies. Let's give Ukraine a chance to win this. Why? Because that will reset the entire world, not just Europe. The Chinese will pay attention to this. The North Koreans will pay attention to this. Iranians will pay attention to this. I believe you have a chance, once in a lifetime, to reset the stage because I think the Russians are on their heels. And they are on their heels because nobody thought Ukraine could do what they are doing." [Some believe the credit for what is happening in Ukraine is by divine intervention similar to what happened in 2Kings6:8-17.] March 24: The Washington Examiner: Josh Hawley (R-MO) both hailed and attacked for his attempts to uncover SCOTUS nominee's beliefs Sen. Josh Hawley is earning high praise from the Right, and headshaking scorn from the Left, after playing a key role in Republican efforts to block the confirmation of Supreme Court nominee Ketanji Brown Jackson. Hawley used confirmation of hearings for Joe Biden's high court pick to raise questions about her fitness — by delving into sentences she handed down in child pornography convictions as a U.S. district judge. Not mentioning how they treated Judge Kavanaugh, Democrats accused Hawley of character assassination, arguing he essentially accused Jackson of coddling pedophiles in an overtly political attempt to block the confirmation of a Supreme Court nominee. Republicans familiar with Hawley, his tough questions for Jackson were framed by his constitutional philosophy and belief that lifetime appointees to the nation's most powerful court should not be approved absent intense scrutiny. As with all Supreme Court nominations, Hawley spent weeks leading up to Jackson's hearing voraciously reading everything he could get his hands on regarding her judicial record, working with his staff to mine her background for all relevant information. "He often finds details not found by others in the vetting of judicial nominees," a Republican operative said. "It's why he has been so effective in impacting nomination fights." Judge Jackson, when asked by Senator Blackburn (R-TN) to define what a woman is she said she was unable to do so, saying, "I'm not a biologist." When pressed on the matter as to whether there are physical differences between men and women, she refused to answer, to which Blackburn replied, "The meaning of the word woman is so unclear [to you] and controversial that you can't give me a definition?" March 24: NewsMax: Trump sues Clinton over contrived 2016 Russian collusion allegations Donald Trump on Thursday sued his rival in the 2016 U.S. presidential election, Hillary Clinton, and several other Democrats, alleging that they tried to rig that election by tying his campaign to Russia. The lawsuit covers a long list of grievances Trump alleged during his four years in the White House after defeating Clinton. "Acting in concert, the Defendants maliciously conspired to weave a false narrative that their Republican opponent, Donald J. Trump, was colluding with a hostile foreign sovereignty," the former president alleged in a 108-page lawsuit filed in a federal court in Florida. The suit alleges "racketeering" and a "conspiracy to commit injurious falsehood," among other claims. The suit seeks compensatory and punitive damages because he was "forced to incur expenses in an amount to be determined at trial, but known to be in excess of twenty-four million dollars ($24,000,000) and continuing to accrue, in the form of defense costs, legal fees, and related expenses." The defendants in the case include Christopher Steele, a former British intelligence officer. March 23: Fox News: Only China votes with Russia on the humanitarian resolution on Ukraine China was the only country to join Russia in the UN Security Council, voting for a Russian draft resolution declaring a humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. Russia and China were the only two countries to vote in favor of the Russian-led effort, with the 13 other countries abstaining from the vote. The draft resolution faced criticism because it did not mention Russia's involvement in the humanitarian situation in Ukraine. March 23: The Epoch Times: China increases purchases on Russian LNG while claiming neutrality China doubled its import of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from Russia in February from a year earlier, undermining China's proclaimed "neutral" stance in the ongoing Ukraine war. Bloomberg reports Beijing bought nearly 401,000 tons of Russian LNG last month. That volume made up 8 percent of China's total LNG imports in February. Overall, China reportedly imported 12 percent less liquid natural gas last month compared to February 2021. Meanwhile, China imported a total of 12.67 million tons of crude oil from Russia in the first two months of this year, according to China's customs data. China's continued energy purchases from Russia are providing important revenue for Moscow, as its energy sector has become increasingly isolated after being hit with sanctions and other retaliatory moves over its aggression in Ukraine. China, however, has criticized sanctions imposed by Western countries. One of China's foreign ministry spokespersons has said Beijing and Moscow "will continue to conduct normal trade cooperation." Some U.S. lawmakers are calling for secondary sanctions against Russia, including Sen. Pat Toomey (R-PA), ranking member of the Senate Banking Committee. "To cut off Mr. Putin's oil and gas sales globally, the administration and Congress should impose secondary sanctions on the entirety of Russia's financial sector," Toomey wrote. "These penalties would effectively prohibit foreign banks anywhere in the world, under the threat of U.S. sanctions, from making payments to Russian banks, including for oil and gas." Beijing's effort to cast itself as a neutral party has drawn criticism. On March 15, NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg called upon Beijing to condemn Moscow's "brutal invasion" of Ukraine. March 23: The Washington Times: Judiciary Committee Chair refuses to release SCOTUS nominee's pre-sentencing reports Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) on Wednesday declined to release pre-sentencing reports from several child pornography cases overseen by Judge Jackson, Joe Biden's nominee to the Supreme Court. Information on Jackson's record has become a subject of controversy during the hearings this week, as Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) alleged fellow GOP members on the committee received some sentencing information from the White House after some Democrats. Booker (D-NJ) said he was upset by the charge and agreed with Cruz because his own office did not receive the information until much later in the day. On Wednesday, 10 Republicans on the committee signed a letter to Durbin requesting pre-sentencing reports from all of the child pornography cases Jackson oversaw. Cruz tried attempted to put the letter into the record but was shot down by the Chair. The letter was later submitted by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA). Durbin said the reports contained sensitive information and were unnecessary at this point. Republicans have alleged Jackson's sentences in the cases were too lenient. March 23: Fox News: public opinion in Finland now has grown where they might consider joining NATO Support in Finland to join NATO has doubled in just one year with a majority now voicing support for the first time since polling began in 1984. Finnish Business and Policy Forum EVA has collected data twice each year for almost 40 years to track attitudes and values, which includes politics, economics, foreign relations, the environment and well-being. Chief among those interests remains whether Finland should join. Results from Autumn 2021 found only 26% of the population supported joining NATO, but following Russia's invasion of Ukraine that number has leapt to 60% in support for NATO membership. The same percentage of Finns support making a decision this year on the matter. "The change is beyond comparison, both in terms of size and speed," EVA noted. The survey sampled over 2,000 responses from across a range of ages 18 to 79. The study said that Russia has shown it "does not respect its neighbor's sovereignty" and made real the "terrible nature of a defensive war fought on a country's own territory." Finland and Russia share a particularly hostile history, most notably culminating in the Winter War of 1939 during which the Soviet Union attempted to invade Finland at the start of World War II. The Soviet Union suffered devastating losses estimated between 126,000 and 168,000 troops dead or missing. Finland lost just shy of 26,000 troops. As in Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula, the Soviet Union cited security concerns and demanded borderland territory from Finland, even establishing a puppet Finnish Communist government known as the Finnish Democratic Republic, which the Soviets used as justification to invade Finland. Only the Soviets recognized the Finnish Democratic Republic, as is the case with the Donetsk People's Republic and Luhansk People's Republic. March 22: NewsMax: Ukraine takes back suburb of Kyiv from the Russian invaders Ukraine said it retook a strategically important suburb of Kyiv early Tuesday, as Russian forces squeezed other areas near the capital and their attack on the embattled southern port of Mariupol raged unabated. Explosions and bursts of gunfire shook Kyiv, and black smoke rose from a spot in the north. Russian forces also pressed their siege of Mariupol after the southern port city's defenders refused demands to surrender, with fleeing civilians describing relentless bombardments and corpses lying in the streets. But the Kremlin's ground offensive in other parts of the country advanced slowly or not at all, knocked back by lethal hit-and-run attacks by the Ukrainians. Early Tuesday, Ukrainian troops forced Russian forces out of the Kyiv suburb of Makariv after a fierce battle, Ukraine's Defense Ministry said. The regained territory allowed Ukrainian forces to retake control of a key highway and block Russian troops from surrounding Kyiv from the northwest. Russian President Vladimir Putin's forces are increasingly concentrating their air power and artillery on Ukraine's cities and the civilians living there. A senior U.S. defense official, speaking on condition of anonymity to discuss the military's assessment, said Russia had increased air sorties over the past two days, carrying out as many as 300 over a 24-hour period, and has fired more than 1,100 missiles into Ukraine since the invasion began. March 20: NewsMax: Justice Clarence Thomas recuperating at local Washington hospital U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was admitted to a hospital in Washington on Friday after experiencing flu-like symptoms and was diagnosed with an infection, the top court said on Sunday. Thomas, 73, was being treated with intravenous antibiotics, his symptoms were abating, and he expected to be released from the Sibley Memorial Hospital in a day or two, the court said in a statement. The Supreme Court, which is set to be in session on Monday, said that Thomas will participate in the consideration and discussion of cases through briefs, transcripts, and audio of the oral arguments. A court spokeswoman said Thomas does not have COVID. A conservative and one of two Black men to have served on the Supreme Court, Thomas is the longest-serving of the current justices. ![]() Georgia and Wisconsin are advancing probes into accusations of widespread illegal ballot harvesting in the 2020 presidential election, digging deeper into voter fraud claims more than a year after Joe Biden took office. The investigations are examining reports of payments to people who collected ballots, "mules" dropping multiple ballots at different drop boxes, coercion of voters at nursing homes to hand over ballots and bribery of local election officials to boost Democratic turnout. Georgia election officials ramped up an investigation of ballot harvesting — when a third party collects and submits a voter's ballot — by authorizing subpoenas to carry out their probe. March 22: The Washington Times: Supply problems continue to hamper Russia's invasion Russian warships in the Sea of Azov are now shelling the crucial port city of Mariupol, which has become the country's most urgent humanitarian emergency since the invasion of Ukraine began almost a month ago. On Tuesday, a senior Defense Department official said Moscow has about seven ships taking part in the bombardment of Mariupol, a city of about 400,000 before the siege began. The Kremlin dispatched more than 20 naval vessels to waters around Ukraine to take part in Russia's invasion of its smaller neighbor. The list includes an estimated 12 surface combatant ships, such as destroyers and frigates, and nine amphibious landing ships. The Russian warships are operating in the Black Sea as well as the Sea of Azov. "There's no indication of an imminent amphibious invasion in the Odessa area," the senior Defense official said. "But, we're still seeing that naval activity in the northern Black Sea." In addition to their inability to dominate the battlefield after almost a month's worth of fighting, the Russian troops operating in Ukraine have been plagued with logistics problems. U.S. officials say the Russians are having problems acquiring fuel for their combat vehicles and even feeding their troops. March 21: The Washington Examiner: Ukrainians claim they killed another high level Russian officer -- Black Sea Deputy Commander -- that would make five in less than an month Another Russian commander was killed over the weekend. The Kremlin-installed governor of Sevastopol said Post-Captain Andrei Paliy died while fighting near Mariupol. Ukrainians claim to have killed five Russian generals since war broke out roughly one month ago. Paliy had served in the Russia's Northern Fleet and fought with Russian troops against Georgia in 2008 and commanded Russian troops in Syria. March 21: The Hill: Top EU diplomate accuses Russia of "massive war crimes" in Mariupol assault The European Union's top diplomat is accusing Russia of "a massive war crime" in Moscow's assault against the Ukrainian city of Mariupol. "This is a war crime, a massive war crime, what's happening in Mariupol," Josep Borrell, the EU's foreign policy chief, told reporters on Monday. "The city will be completely destroyed, and people will be — are dying." Mariupol has come under attack by Russian forces throughout Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, which began late last month. On Monday, the Mariupol City Council claimed that Russia bombed an art school in the city where hundreds of refugees were sheltering. March 21: The UK Daily Mail: Putin accused of deporting Ukrainians to camps in Siberia Russian President Vladimir Putin has been accused of deporting Ukrainians to 'filtration' centers before forcibly taking them to remote Siberian towns after confiscating their phones and documents. 'Several thousand' people have so-far been taken, Mariupol city council claimed, before being processed through 'filtration camps' and sent to 'remote cities' in Russia where they will be obliged to stay for years and work for free. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said before he chaired a meeting of the bloc's foreign ministers in Brussels that 'what's happening in Mariupol is a massive war crime. Destroying everything, bombarding and killing everybody in an indiscriminate manner. This is something awful'. Mariupol mayor Vadym Boichenko likened the alleged forced deportations to transportation of prisoners by the Nazi regime during World War II. Boichenko said: 'What the occupiers are doing today is familiar to the older generation, who saw the horrific events of World War II, when the Nazis forcibly captured people. It is hard to imagine that in the 21st century people can be forcibly taken to another country.' Mariupol is in the throes of a humanitarian emergency after being encircled by Russian troops, cut off from energy, food and water supplies and facing a relentless bombardment. March 20: Washington Times: Ukraine's military is winning with agile defenses, measured weapons use and fierce will Outgunned Ukrainian forces are winning the war so far against the invading Russians with unique tactics, effective use of weapons and fighters who have exhibited a fierce commitment to defending their nation, military analysts say. In particular, the anti-tank missiles supplied to Ukraine in advance of the month-old war played a major role in thwarting the advances of Russian tanks and armored vehicles, and the anti-aircraft systems denied Moscow control of the skies. Ukrainian military forces moved most of their air defense missiles shortly before the start of hostilities last month, blunting the impact of the first wave of Russian missile strikes. The action caused the Russian the invasion force to waste bombs on empty spaces where Moscow's intelligence mistakenly believed air defense batteries were located. "The Ukrainians are doing a really nice job of staying mobile and agile," said a senior military officer familiar with Ukrainian tactics, with surviving mobile air defense missiles inflicting heavy losses on Russian jets and helicopters. The Ukrainian military also has leveraged its familiarity with home territory to stymie the invaders. Bridges were destroyed making it more difficult for tanks and artillery to reach firing areas and the first and last tanks in columns were taken out, making it harder for others in their columns to advance. "It was like [Russian tanks] were driving into a pencil sharpener," the military officer said. "It was a total miscalculation on their ability to maneuver on the battlefield." March 20: Fox News: Ukraine Deputy Prime Minister won't consider talk of surrender Ukrainian Deputy Prime Minister won't entertain talk of surrender. Iryna Vereshchuk dismissed calls by Russia for Ukraine to surrender Mariupol to the Russians, according to Pravda Ukraine. "There can be no talk of any surrenders, laying down of arms," Vereshchuk said, adding that they will "just open a corridor" for people to leave the city. The comments come after Russia called on Ukraine to surrender the city by 5 am on March 21 as the two sides negotiated a humanitarian corridor that would allow civilians to depart the city if they choose, according to reporting from RIA Novosti. Ukrainian authorities have continuously asked for such a corridor in the past, a request Russia has said they would grant but has yet to follow through on. Russian forces, who have the city surrounded, say those who stay will be "with the bandits." ![]() Canada's oil producers have been struggling to grow for years. Lack of export routes outside the United States and pressure from the government and regulators have combined to stifle any serious growth ambitions in the oil sands. All this changed earlier this month as oil prices soared to over $100 and the U.S. ban on Russian oil imports automatically triggered a surge in demand for heavy Canadian crude. Bloomberg reported this week that demand for drilling rigs in Canada has jumped to the highest in years. Before the pandemic, Canadian drillers were moving south of the border because that's where the demand for their services was growing. Now, one industry insider expects the drilling season to start earlier this summer. Two oil producers in Canada that have plans to boost production, noting that both are relatively small players in conventional oil and gas rather than the oil sands. Yet, these plans are a clear sign of a change in Canadian oil. And that's despite continuing challenges. The notorious shortage of pipelines, like the XL pipeline, to transport Canadian crude is still very much present, which means a boost in exports to the United States would come in the form of more oil trains moving south. Canada also plans to increase oil exports to Europe as the latter seeks to diversify its supplier mix in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. March 19: The Epoch Times: Russia uses hypersonic ballistic missiles against Ukrainian forces while bombing indiscriminately Russia said on Saturday that it has used hypersonic missiles to destroy Ukrainian military assets in what marks the first time Moscow has acknowledged using this type of weapon in combat. The Russian defense ministry said in an operational update that it destroyed a large underground storage facility for missiles and aviation ammunition in Ukraine's Ivano-Frankovsk region, using missiles that can travel at over five times the speed of sound. Igor Konashenkov, the ministry spokesperson, said the Kinzhal aviation missile system with hypersonic ballistic missiles was used in the strike. March 18: Fox News: Putin praises Russian military which independent accounts reports say is stalled in its invasion efforts Vladimir Putin is adjusting his rhetoric following his stalled invasion of Ukraine, touching on Stalinist nostalgia and patriotic themes to boost public support for the war, which he calls a "special military operation" and claims was launched as a defensive measure. In a speech Thursday, he peppered his remarks with "Stalin-esque" dog whistling and warnings of a "fifth column" of Russian "scum and traitors" working to undermine his ambitions from within, according to a translation of his remarks. "The West, collectively, is trying to fracture our society…to provoke a civil conflict in Russia, by means of the fifth column," he said. "The goal is Russia's collapse." March 18: NewsMax: Saudis invite Chinese for a visit while snubbing Biden call Saudi Arabia has invited China's President Xi Jinping to visit Riyadh even as a top leader of the kingdom declined a call from President Joe Biden. The Wall Street Journal reported Xi's trip would likely come after Islam's holy month of Ramadan, which begins in early April. The newspaper said the Saudi officials are hoping to replicate the reception given to then-President Donald Trump when he visited the kingdom in 2017. "The crown prince and Xi are close friends and both understand that there is huge potential for stronger ties," said a Saudi official. "It is not just 'They buy oil from us, and we buy weapons from them.' " The WSJ had reported [March 8th] that the White House was not successful in arranging calls between Biden and leaders of Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. The Biden call was declined. March 18: Fox News: Russian invasion "largely stalled" Russian forces remain "largely stalled" across Ukraine after more than three weeks of fighting, a senior U.S. defense official said Friday. They have launched more than 1,080 missiles at Ukrainian targets since the start of the invasion, many of them against civilian targets. Despite weeks of continued attempts to encircle the capital city of Kyiv from three different directions, Russian troops still have "not made significant advances" from the north or northwest, the official said. "And to the east of Kyiv, we have observed no movement of Russian forces. They remain approximately 30 kilometers [18+ miles] to the east," the official said, noting the Ukrainians continue to put up a passionate resistance. Cities that border Belarus and Russia, like Chernihiv and Kharkiv, have continued to fend off Russian forces on the ground from overtaking them. Mariupol, located in the south of the country in the Donetsk region, has been hit hard by Russian shelling, but Ukrainians are continuing to defend the city. "We assess the airspace over Ukraine remains contested. The Ukrainian Air Force is continuing to fly aircraft and employ air and missile defense," the senior dense official said. March 18: The Epoch Times: Voter ID measures facing pressing deadlines In late February, Arizona's House passed a resolution placing a proposed statute expanding voter ID requirements on the November ballot, becoming the first state to put such a measure to a public referendum. Similar grass roots organizations in Michigan, Missouri, Nebraska, and Nevada are collecting signatures to place similar measure on the November ballot; but they face deadlines, counter measures by leftwing progressive groups and legal challenges. A similar measure in California has delayed its effort until the 2024 election cycle. According to Ballotpedia, voters in at least 19 states will see 43 measures [most not all voter ID-related] on their 2022 ballots, with as many as 250 more across 30 states vying to qualify. Currently 36 states have laws requesting or requiring voters to show some form of identification at the polls. North Carolina's law has been blocked by an injunction since Dec. 31. Nationwide, more than 80% of Americans support requiring a government-issued photo ID. Opponents argue there is little fraud in the current system, raising the question "How much fraud is acceptable?" Opponents claim proposed ID measures and election integrity efforts in general, burden voters, unduly restrict the right to vote, and impose unnecessary costs and burdens on state and local elections officials. * Arizona's proposal: Would require ID requirements for both in person and absentee voting, in addition to the existing signature verification requirements for voting by mail. * Michigan: There are four election integrity measures seeking to get on the ballot, including two that would expand voting rights. One would require voters present IDs to vote in person and to request absentee ballots while removing an exemption that allows those without an ID to sign an affidavit. The ballot measures are essentially a package of 2021 election integrity bills adopted by Michigan's legislature and vetoed by Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer. Unique-to-Michigan state law, if a petition to change or create a state statute secures 340,047 signatures, the legislature can adopt the proposals in chamber votes, sidestepping the governor. * Missouri: Has a measure that would require a government-issued photo ID, prohibit use of machines to tabulate votes, require hand-counts of votes, permit 14 days of early voting, allow poll observers, allow the state legislature to adjust or void vote totals, and makes voter fraud "a crime of treason." 107,246 signatures are needed by May 8 to get the imitative on November's ballot. * Nebraska: A measure that would amend the Nebraska Constitution to require a valid photographic identification in order to vote. Voters do not need to present identification now to vote in Nebraska. 122,274 signatures are required by July 7 to get the measure on the ballot. * Nevada: There are two measures, one would amend the Nevada constitution to require a photo ID when voting in person and voter verification for absentee voting, using a driver's license number of the last four of a Social Security number. The other would, among other things, ban sending mail-in ballots to all voters. 140,779 signatures are required by June 29th and the survival against lawsuits in order to be on the November ballot. ![]() The Defense Ministry published photos that depicted a vessel identified as one typically used to land expeditionary forces for amphibious assaults. One vessel appeared to have military trucks loaded onto its deck. Japanese Defense Ministry spokesman said "it is possible" the four ships could be headed for Ukraine. The vessels passed from the Pacific Ocean to the Sea of Japan through the Tsuruga Strait. The spokesman added that it is unusual for Russian ships to pass through the strait so close to Japanese territory. Japan has supported and enact strong sanctions against Russia in reaction to the invasion of Ukraine, most notably by joining the U.S. and European allies to remove Russian banks from the international SWIFT financial system in late February. Japan also froze assets belonging to President Vladimir Putin and other top Russian officials while sending $100 million in emergency humanitarian aid to Ukraine. March 17: The Washington Times: Russian invasion of Ukraine stuck in neutral as it meets heavy resistance and starts its fourth week The Russian invasion of Ukraine showed fresh signs of stalling amid fierce counter-offensives by Ukrainian forces Thursday, as Joe Biden prepared to hold a high-stakes telephone summit with China's leader in a bid to dissuade Beijing from providing weaponry and other assistance to Russia's increasingly bogged-down military. Biden will warn Chinese President Xi Jinping during the summit Friday that the U.S. "will not hesitate to impose costs" on Beijing if it militarily backs the Russians, Secretary of State Blinken said Thursday. "China will bear responsibility for any actions it takes to support Russia's aggression," he said. Meanwhile China has said U.S. claims that it was considering military support to Russia are groundless. Unable to make major progress against Kyiv and other main targets, Russian forces have increasingly fired on civilians from the outskirts of major Ukrainian cities. U.S. and British military officials monitoring the conflict say the invasion has largely stalled on the ground, with Russian units making minimal progress and suffering heavy losses from well-coordinated Ukrainian resistance forces. ![]() Russian President Vladimir Putin has committed "around 75%" of his military forces to the unprovoked attack on Ukraine, a senior U.S. defense official said Wednesday. The official said that the 75% figure mostly referred to "battalion tactical groups [BTG], which is the units that he has primarily relied upon." Each Russian BTG includes a self-contained combined arms force with tanks, infantry, artillery, and air defense. It also has its own logistics, maintenance, and support facilities. Former U.S. Army Europe commander Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges wrote that "at the height of our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, we were about 29% committed. And it was difficult to sustain that." While most of their military offensives in Ukraine continue to be stalled amid fierce resistance, Russian forces continues to fire dozens of missiles and rockets at Ukrainian civilian and military targets daily. The Russians have been discussing the resupplying their troops, including replacing troops already in the field. But the Pentagon says it hasn't seen any indications of anything moving outside of what they have already committed inside Ukraine. "But we know," Pentagon sources say, "they are suffering losses everyday: losses of people, losses of equipment, losses of aircraft…. so, it certainly stands to reason that they would want to be exploring options to replenish those losses." March 17: The Epoch Times: If you can't beat them, sue them! Dems sue to keep three WI Republicans off the ballot Democratic Party activists in Wisconsin have filed a suit in federal court arguing a pro-Trump senator and two pro-Trump congressmen should be barred from office for speaking out on 2020 election irregularities and allegedly attempting to manipulate the congressional certification of the presidential election results. The lawmakers are Senator Ron Johnson, and Congressmen Tom Tiffany and Scott Fitzgerald, all of who are seeking reelection. The suit claims the lawmakers cannot serve in Congress because the disqualification clause in Section 3 of the 14th Amendment forbids it. That rarely invoked constitutional provision was enacted in the wake of the Civil War to keep former Confederates out of Congress. The lawsuit is "total nonsense," Johnson says. "Democrats have ignored the Summer 2020 riots and relentlessly used January 6th [2021] as a political cudgel. Now, they've used January 6th to file a frivolous lawsuit against me, similar to the one dismissed by a court last week." The legal action claims the lawmakers illegally pressured Pence, in his role as presiding officer at the joint session of Congress certifying the 2020 electoral votes on Jan. 6, 2021, to "unilaterally reject the legitimate electoral votes of Wisconsin and six other states for the Biden–Harris ticket." Democrats have already attempted to use the disqualification clause to take two other sitting federal lawmakers off the 2022 ballot for their pro-Trump activities. Challenges to Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) and Rep. Madison Cawthorn (R-NC) have both failed, a ruling in the Cawthorn case is still under appeal. March 16: NewsMax: Under new law Texas may boycott companies over fossil fuel disinvestment NPR reports that financial groups divesting from fossil fuels may face a boycott in Texas due to a law passed last year that says if financial organizations divest from fossil fuels then they can't conduct business with the state. The Texas Public Policy Foundation wrote a model bill and shared it with the Texas legislature, which enacted it. Under this new law the Texas comptroller's office is reportedly working on a list of companies that the state may boycott due to its provisions. Supporters of the new law say if you're going to be anti-Texas, then you're not going to get to do business with Texas. March 15: The Washington Times: Sarah Bloom Raskin withdraws her nomination to the Federal Reserve Board Sarah Bloom Raskin, Biden's pick for the Federal Reserve Board, withdrew her candidacy on Tuesday, the White House announced after opposition from Republicans and one Democrat over positions on energy and climate change. The move comes one day after Sen. Joe Manchin III, (D-WVA), said he would not support her nomination. Manchin's defection would have made confirmation impossible in the evenly split Senate, without any GOP support. The Senator said, "Her previous public statements have failed to satisfactorily address my concerns about the critical importance of financing an all-of-the-above energy policy to meet our nation's critical energy needs. I have come to the conclusion that I am unable to support her nomination to serve as a member of the Federal Reserve Board." Raskin is an advocate for making financing difficult for fossil fuel development and production, including coal which is a major commodity in West Virginia. March 15: The Washington Free Beacon: Fake News? Media mislead readers about Gov. Youngkin (R-VA) Journalists and activists love to complain about "fake news" and "propaganda." Nevertheless, they are among the most enthusiastic disseminators of egregious falsehoods about their political enemies. Ergo; a story published last week in the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Reporter Mel Leonor wrote that Virginia Governor Youngkin had been criticized in "a blunt letter representing the views of all 133 state superintendents" and chided the governor's education department. Sounds bad? But the truth is – as reported by the local ABC affiliate 7News -- that the letter was written and approved by the 12-person board of the Virginia Association of School Superintendents, and no one else. The state's 133 school superintendents "were not advised of the letter before it was sent" to the Governor's office. The Dispatch's story was happy to imply a broader support for the letter, which was untrue. In this case, no one other than 7News bothered to do any fact-checking. The false claim about the letter was repeated by numerous local outlets and national publications. The letter from the twelve member board urged Youngkin to abandon his education reforms. March 15: The Epoch Times: Gov DeWine's 2nd Amendment record criticized as primary looms When Gov. Mike DeWine (R-OH) signed a bill on March 14 that makes concealed carry permits optional in the state, it continued an inconsistent track record with firearms legislation that has been on display since he took office in 2019. Before signing the Constitutional Carry measure (SB 215)), in January 2021nDeWine had signed a "Stand Your Ground" law. This eliminated the requirement for a person to retreat before he or she can shoot someone in self-defense. The longtime politician also announced multiple gun reform proposals after a 2019 mass shooting in Dayton, Ohio, but those recommendations have not been embraced by the Republican-controlled Ohio Legislature. Ohio voters are scheduled to head to the polls on May 3 for the primary, and DeWine faces three challengers. All three of his opponents are vocal about preserving the Second Amendment. Meanwhile the NRA has saddled DeWine with an "F" rating. A Pew Research Center survey shows that Republican voters are more likely to own guns and less likely to support gun restrictions than their Democratic peers. The same poll also indicated that DeWine has more support from Democrats (47%) than Republicans (46%). March 14: Fox News: Russians may be ten day from running out of resources for the Ukrainian invasion As Russian President Vladimir Putin unleashes terror across Ukraine, Lt. Gen. Ben Hodges said he believes Russian forces about "ten days away" from running out of resources. "The Russians went after his [Fmr. Amb. to NATO Kurt Volker's] training center in Yavoriv, outside the city of Lviv, partly to demonstrate that they could reach the lines of communication that bring supplies and support from Poland into Ukraine. But also, I think to maybe go after the logistics buildup that's happening there. I don't think we should overreact to this. The Russians, I think, are about ten days away from what is called the culminating point, when they just no longer have the ammunition nor the manpower to keep up their assault. I think we keep pouring it on, and the Russians culminate. March 14: The Washington Times: Ukrainian military repels Russian attempts to take control of port of Mariupol The Ukrainian military says it has repelled a Russian attempt to take control of the strategic port of Mariupol. The Ukrainian military's General Staff said in a statement that Russian forces retreated after suffering losses. The Russian military has besieged the Azov Sea port city of 430,000 for a week and a half, leaving its residents desperate for power, water and food. More than 2,500 residents have been killed by Russian shelling. Ukrine's Deputy Prime Minister Iryna Vereshchuk said in televised remarks that Russian shelling on Monday thwarted another attempt to deliver food and medicines to the city. A humanitarian convoy of 160 civilian cars left Mariupol after repeated failures to evacuate civilians because of Russian shelling. March 14: Fox News: Putin signs law to allow seizure of foreign aircraft as sanctions impact Russian aviation Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a law Monday that would give Russian airlines the ability to seize foreign-owned airplanes so they can be re-deployed for domestic flights amid crippling sanctions that have negatively impacted its aviation industry. The law would allow the airlines to take and operate planes leased by foreign companies that have stopped businesses operations in the country over its invasion of Ukraine, the state-owned TASS news agency reported. The planes will be certified by certification centers and test laboratories, the news outlet reported. The move is an attempt to circumvent Western sanctions that have resulted in multiple countries, including the United States, closing their airspace to Russian airliners. March 14: The Daily Caller: Top Putin Ally says Ukrainian invasion is not going according to plan One of Russian President Vladimir Putin’s top allies acknowledged over the weekend that the invasion of Ukraine is not going according to plan. According to Reuters, Viktor Zolotov, chief of Russia's national guard and a member of Putin's security council, said, “Not everything is going as fast as we would like,” on Sunday at a church service led by Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.. He also accused Ukrainians of using civilians as human shields, though there has been no reporting to confirm such claims. The Pentagon has repeatedly said Russian forces have largely been stopped from conquering territory, though that hasn't stopped them from launching more than 900 missiles with a disregard for civilian life. "Almost all of Russia's advances remain stalled," a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Monday. The official has previously said Russian forces have struggled to topple Kyiv due to a stronger-than-expected Ukrainian resistance and problems with fuel and food sustainment. March 14: Fox News: Former federal reserve president slams Biden energy agenda as attempt is made to beg others to reduce oil for the US Richard Fisher, the former president of the Dallas Federal Reserve, criticized Biden's energy agenda, which he described as an attempt to "beg others" to produce more oil rather than produce it in the U.S. "I'm a Texan. I don't understand why we wouldn't incentivize our own output sector here rather than just go and beg others to produce more," Fisher said. Inflation hit another 40-year high in February as it rose to 7.9 percent with gas prices rising 6.6 percent. The price of gas accounted for nearly a third of the overall price hikes. March 14: Fox News: Anti-war protests planned across Europe and in Russia Tens of thousands of people are expected to gather Sunday in cities across Europe to protest against the ongoing war in Ukraine, with small rallies taking place in Russia as well despite a crackdown by authorities against such demonstrations. In Russia, where protests against the war in Ukraine have typically met with a heavy police response, rights group OVD-Info said more than 200 people had been detained in 23 cities as of early afternoon Moscow time. Meanwhile, Ukrainian nationals in Taiwan and supporters staged a march Sunday in Taipei to protest the Russian invasion. security council, said, "Not everything is going as fast as we would like," on Sunday at a church service led by Orthodox Patriarch Kirill.. He also accused Ukrainians of using civilians as human shields, though there has been no reporting to confirm such claims. The Pentagon has repeatedly said Russian forces have largely been stopped from conquering territory, though that hasn't stopped them from launching more than 900 missiles with a disregard for civilian life. "Almost all of Russia's advances remain stalled," a senior U.S. defense official told reporters on Monday. The official has previously said Russian forces have struggled to topple Kyiv due to a stronger-than-expected Ukrainian resistance and problems with fuel and food sustainment. March 13: Fox News: Americans favor prohibition on Russian oil but blame Biden for inflated gas prices at the pump A former Democrat senator downplayed record high gas prices under the Biden Administration and dismissed the majority of the public blaming the president. "This Week's" guest host Jonathan Karl started off sharing the results of the network's new poll, which found an "overwhelming" majority of Americans support banning Russian oil after they invaded Ukraine, but also blamed Joe Biden for the skyrocketing gas prices. "Our new poll, had some interesting numbers, first of all, it showed an overwhelming support for the ban on Russian oil, 77% support it, even if it means, the poll question, even if it means higher gas prices here at home. But take a look at this other question we asked, which is, 'Biden's handling of gas prices, do you approve?' Seventy percent disapprove so, in other words, ban Russian oil even if it means higher gas prices, but we're going to blame Biden," Karl said. March 13: The Epoch Times: Tennessee Bill would restrict children's access to gender modification procedures A Tennessee bill proposes to restrict children's access to hormone therapy, puberty blockers, and other medical procedures that would allow for an alteration to their gender. The Youth Protection Act, would specifically prohibit a child that has not reached puberty from getting hormone therapy or other gender alterations, such as surgeries, even if parents approve. If they have reached puberty but are still a minor, they must get parental consent. State John Ragan said, "Scientifically, at a cellular level, one is either male or female. There's no denying that, aside from some genetic malfunctions. But what some have decided is that what's between their ears should conquer reality. The reality is that's not true. One can identify as a bird, but when they step off the top floor of a building, they aren't going to fly. The laws of physics will operate on them regardless of what they think." Once someone is above 18 years of age, that person can choose whether to accept reality or not, but while a child is growing and exploring different ways of existing in the world, committing to making a permanent medical alteration "is not the smartest thing to do," Ragan said. March 13: The Washington Times: Biden budget funnels millions in pork to vulnerable Democrats Joe Biden's $1.5 trillion government funding bill funnels millions of dollars in pork to vulnerable Democrats in November's midterm elections while benefiting Republicans who helped secure its passage. Biden's 2,741-page budget bill, which passed with bipartisan support last week, was the first in more than a decade to include earmarks. The discretionary spending measures were long banned under Republican control of Congress but returned last year under Democrats' unified control of the House and the Senate. Although Republicans also benefit from the budget's allotments, some of the biggest winners from the inclusion of $8 billion in earmarks are Democrats facing tough reelection challenges. Sen. Raphael G. Warnock (D-GA) gets roughly $95 million to fund pet projects in his home state. Political strategists say the return of earmarks presents a boon for vulnerable Democrats, who can now tout their ability to bring money home for constituents. The political value of earmarks is considered especially significant for lawmakers without seniority or leadership positions. Nearly all Democrats seeking reelection this year secured earmarks for their districts. March 12: Breitbart News: Zelensky: They will need to kill us all in order to take Kyiv Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky says he's open for talks with Russia's President Vladimir Putin in Israel, but only if there is a cease-fire in place. Zelensky said Saturday he told Israel's Prime Minister Naftali Bennett that he would be ready to meet Putin in Jerusalem. Bennett visited Moscow for a meeting with Putin and spoke repeatedly with Zelensky and the leaders of France and Germany as he sought to help mediate an end to the war. Zelensky said Bennett informed him about his talks with Putin, adding that he can't share details. Speaking at a news conference, Zelensky said the Russians could take the Ukrainian capital "only if they kill us all." "If that is their goal, let them come," he said. "If they carry out carpet bombings and wipe off the historic memory of the entire region, the history of Kyivan Rus, the history of Europe, they could enter Kyiv, but they will have to live on that land alone, certainly without us. "Even if they bring a million Russians here, they can't occupy Ukraine," he added. March 12: The Washington Times: Dems hammered for bill to raise taxes on major oil companies Congressional Democrats want to bring down sky-high gas prices by raising taxes on major oil-and-gas companies, a proposal that dumbfounded critics said would trigger even higher prices at the pump. The Big Oil Windfall Profits Act introduced Friday by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-CA) would place a tax on each barrel of oil equal to 50% of the difference between current prices and the pre-pandemic 2015-19 average. Among those blasting the proposal was Brian Brenberg, associate professor of business and economics at The King's College in New York City, who called the proposal "absolutely foolish." "We've heard a lot of bad ideas in recent years. This might be the worst," Brenberg said. "We've got an oil and gas crisis, and these guys want to put basically a price control in, okay? This tax, it's a price control. Where have you seen stuff like that? It's called Venezuela." ![]() Since the start of Putin's invasion of Ukraine, Ukrainian freedom fighters have extensively utilized the American-made weapon system to rain destruction down upon the Russian military's armored vehicles. Ukraine's Defense Ministry estimates 102 tanks and 536 armored vehicles had been destroyed as of February 26th. The Javelin fire-and-forget missile likely factored heavily into that rousing combat success. The javelin allows a single soldier to target and destroy even the most heavily armored main battle tank with an almost guaranteed kill rate, at great range and with minimal risk. A soldier using this weapon looks through an infrared sight to locate a target up to 2.5 miles away. Once fired the onboard guidance computer takes over allowing the person firing the weapon to relocate, reload, and fire at another target. The Javelin strikes from above rising up to 490 feet and then descends on the target from a steep angle, striking the top of an armored vehicle or tank, where the armor is typically weakest. It also has tandem warheads, one to deal with a target's reactive armor plate and a second to impact the target's main armor. Ukraine had been shipped roughly 77 launchers and 740 missiles before Putin invaded. Many, many more of each are now on the way courtesy of the U.S. and European allies. March 11: The Washington Examiner: Liberal Texas judge issues stay on child abuse investigations into parents sex changes for minor children A Texas judge issued a temporary freeze Friday of Governor Abbot's order for state officials to conduct child abuse investigations into parents who have provided their transgender child or children with gender-affirming care. Travis County District Judge Amy Clark Meachum, who ordered the injunction after spending the day listening to oral arguments, called Abbott's directive "unconstitutional" and an overreach of his power as governor. The injunction is part of a legal fight against the Feb. 22 order. Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said he will appeal the court's decision. March 11: Fox News: Biden ducks for cover behind mainstream media to deflect criticism over his energy policies Joe Biden turned to both the New York Times and the Washington Post for defense of his energy policy as Republicans have been taking aim at his administration for the spike in gas prices. During his remarks at the House Democratic Caucus Issues Conference, Biden argued that a "big reason" for the record-high inflation was Russian President Putin and pinned the soaring gas prices on his geopolitical rival despite being dogged by the two issues long before Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Biden said he loves it when Republicans claim rising gas prices are tied to his cancellation of the XL Keystone Pipeline, stating, the Keystone Pipeline was two years away. It had been 2% finished. Biden then pulled out sheets of paper, reading a headline from the Times fact-checker that declared, "Republicans wrongly blame Biden for rising gas prices." He also cited a Post op-ed from columnist Dana Milbank who wrote, "Biden heeded Republicans' pleas to ban Russian oil. Then they pounced." [See Related Story {to be added once published}] ![]() A third Russian general has reportedly died on the front lines of the war in Ukraine as Moscow's invasion continues to take a heavy toll up and down the ranks. The death of Maj. Gen. Andrei Kolesnikov of the 29th Combined Arms Army was reported by the Ukrainian military's Twitter account, then later confirmed to several media outlets by unnamed Western officials. It comes after the deaths of two other Russian generals who were reportedly picked off by a Ukrainian sniper. March 11: The Epoch Times: Texas Supreme Court rules against abortion providers The Texas Supreme Court ruled on March 11 that state officials do not have the authority to enforce the state's six-week abortion ban, which effectively ends the abortion clinics' federal legal challenge to the law. The so called "Texas Heartbeat Law' doesn't authorize enforcement by state agencies but authorizes private individuals and groups to sue individuals and clinics that provide abortion services in violation of the law. Abortion providers lost their effort to find the law unconstitutional. The "Texas Heartbeat Act" bans abortions after a heartbeat is detected—usually around six weeks after conception—unless a medical emergency exists. It has no exception for pregnancies due to incest or rape. Texas's Supreme court's nine justices ruled on March 11 that state medical licensing officials have no authority to enforce the law. The ruling means the abortion providers cannot sue the state officials to challenge Texas's abortion ban, effectively ending the legal challenge. The Court's ruling is a matter of judicial procedure and did not focus on whether the abortion ban is constitutional. When the abortion ban went into effect on Sept. 1, 2021, the U.S. Supreme Court denied an effort to block the measure in a 5–4 ruling on the same day, sending it back to the 5th Circuit Court which, I turn, asked the Texas Supreme Court to determine whether state officials are appropriate defendants under state law. Texas' highest court said no, because state officials are prohibited from enforcing the "Heartbeat Act." March 11: Fox Business: Manchin to energy regulators: Do your damm job! Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WVA) lit into the Biden appointee overseeing the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) over stalled pipeline permits Friday, demanding that he do his "damn job." Manchin, who chairs the Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee, is critical of FERC's handling of natural gas pipelines under Joe Biden, particularly as energy prices soar. Last week, the senator called the full FERC commission before his committee to question them over their policy decisions while pressing them to allow certain stalled projects to move forward. The CERA Chairman defended his agency's decision to withhold permits. He said some of the pipeline delays Manchin lamented during the hearing were due to FERC's efforts to ensure projects were done "right the first time." March. 11: The Epoch Times: Florida Gov. Slams proposed oil buys from Venezuelan dictator Gov. Ron Desantis blasted the Biden administration for apparent plans to buy crude oil from "murderous tyrant" Nicolas Maduro, president of Venezuela, and for "knee-capping the American energy industry." Biden banned U.S. imports of Russian oil on March 8 in retaliation for the invasion of Ukraine. Since then, U.S. diplomats have scrambled to find other energy supplies. On March 11, the national average for a gallon of gas was $4.33, according to AAA. U.S. officials met with Maduro in Venezuela on March 5th for the first bilateral talks in years. Venezuela has been under Washington oil sanctions since 2019. "The answer is American energy independence," DeSantis said. [See Related Story {to be added once published}] March 10: The Daily Caller: Is Russia actually considering going nuclear over Ukraine? Russia has repeatedly pointed to its nuclear arsenal while waging war on Ukraine, seemingly alluding that nukes could be on the table to counter what it perceives as "Western aggression." Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered Russia's nuclear forces to be placed on a "special regime of combat duty" while speaking with top military officials Feb. 27, in response to Western economic sanctions and "aggressive statements" from NATO countries. A few days prior, Putin said that the West would face consequences "such as you have never seen in your entire history" if it intervened in Ukraine. Belarus, Russia's neighbor that has served as a launchpad for Russian soldiers, voted to abandon its non-nuclear status Feb. 28. Despite Russia's rhetoric, Joe Biden said the U.S. should not worry about nuclear war. Launching nuclear weapons would be a "red line" and the U.S. and NATO would likely respond militarily, Columbia University Professor and Russia expert Elise Giuliano said. March 10: The Washington Examiner: Clinton campaign lawyer's bid to strike Durham findings denied by judge A federal judge presiding over the case against Democratic cybersecurity lawyer Michael Sussmann denied the defendant's efforts to strike information revealed last month by special counsel John Durham regarding a debunked narrative of a secret link between former President Donald Trump and Russia. Still, Christopher Cooper, a judge for the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, who heard arguments in the high-profile case Thursday, also criticized the prosecutor running the politically charged inquiry into the origins and conduct of the Russia investigation for his team's filing that led to a new round of spying accusations by Trump and his allies. March 10: The Washington Examiner: Biden tells Dems they can win midterms Joe Biden took a victory lap in a speech to the winter meeting of the Democratic National Committee in Washington on Thursday night, hailing his record on COVID-19 and the economy as his party braces for losses in November. Biden vowed that Democrats could defy history if they replicate their 2020 enthusiasm. "If we do that, we're going to keep the House and keep the Senate — and add seats," he said. DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison noted in his introduction of Joe Biden that it was their first in-person meeting in two years, with over 400 committee members present, giving Biden the credit. ![]() The United Kingdom is planning to supply Ukraine with anti-aircraft [SAM] missiles to help it defend its skies from Russian invasion, Defense Minister Ben Wallace said, stressing that the technology fell within the definition of defensive weapons. "It is vital... that Ukraine maintains its ability to fly and suppress Russian air attack," Wallace told lawmakers. They will be sending STARStreak high-velocity man-portable anti-air missiles to allow the Ukrainian force to better defend their skies. If this happens it would mark a significant step in the U.K.'s support for Ukraine. So far, Ukraine has praised the U.K.'s contribution of thousands of anti-tank missiles which have helped slow the Russian advance on Kyiv. "Everything we do is bound by the decision to supply defensive systems, and are calibrated not to escalate to a strategic level," Wallace said. Meanwhile proposed plan to allow Poland to donate fighter jets for use in Ukraine was rejected by the United States on Tuesday. Poland now says any supply of fighter jets to Ukraine must be done jointly by NATO countries. March 9: The Washington Times: The Russian invasion of Ukraine raises dangers of possible Chinese attacks on Taiwan The danger of Communist China conducting a major military attack on Taiwan has increased in the wake of the Russian invasion of Ukraine, senior military and defense officials told Congress on Wednesday. The danger, based on China's growing military power, is greater than at any time in recent years, Elyt Ratner, assistant defense secretary for Indo-Pacific security affairs, told the House Armed Services Committee. "I think there is a mounting threat of aggression from the PRC," he said. U.S. officials assess Chinese President Xi Jinping is conducting a major buildup of military forces to prepare for an attack on Taiwan, which he has vowed to reclaim for the mainland. Given its record in Afghanistan and Ukraine, there are serious questions about how the Biden Administration would react to such an act of aggression, especially with the reported Biden family financial ties with the Chinese mainland. Should Taiwan fall to the Chinese it would be a major blow to the U.S. economy, given that Taiwan is America's primary source for computer chips. March 9: Fox News: White House: All options are on the table to deal with gas prices; all but one The White House on Wednesday said it has "no plans" to restart construction of the Keystone XL pipeline, despite saying that all options were on the table in addressing the record-high gas prices. Administration officials are blaming the inflationary price increases on the Russian invasion of Ukraine while failing to admit the Biden decision to halt the Trump-era energy policies have also had a major impact on what consumers are seeing at the gas pump. Americans are experiencing the highest gas prices since the 2008 financial crisis, with the national gas price average reaching more than $4 per gallon – the highest average to date, according to AAA. Biden on Tuesday announced a ban on all imports of Russian oil, gas and energy to the United States, targeting the "main artery" of Russia's economy amid Putin's war on Ukraine, but not mentioning that the U.S. will now be importing oil from Iran and Venezuela, neither of which is friendly to the U.S.A. CHURCHILL MONTAGUE IMAGE ![]() Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a speech to the United Kingdom Parliament Tuesday, said "we will not give up and we will not lose. We will fight till the end, at sea, in the air. We will continue fighting for our land, whatever the cost. We will fight in the forests, in the fields, on the shores, in the streets." Does that sound like Winston Churchill? And to an audience in the UK? "I would like to add that we will fight on the banks of different rivers... we are looking for your help, for the help of the civilized countries," Zelenskyy said and called upon the UK to recognized Russia as a "terrorist state." The speech was met with a standing ovation from U.K. lawmakers. March 8: Fox 26 Houston: Change in election leadership expected soon – Harris County EA resigns Harris County Judge Lina Hidalgo says she has spoken with Elections Administrator Isabel Longoria and expressed her desire for a change in leadership. Shortly thereafter Longoria announced her plans to step down this Summer. Longoria has come under fire for the handling of the Primary Election on March 1. Harris County was the only jurisdiction in Texas to miss the mandatory 24-hour state deadline to have all ballots counted. Then this weekend, election officials announced that about 10,000 mail-in ballots from 6,000 Democratic voters and 4,000 Republican voters were discovered to be not added into the original Election Night count Wednesday evening. ![]() A second Russian general was killed in the fighting around Kharkiv, Ukraine's second-largest city, which Russian forces have been trying to seize since the invasion began, the Ukrainian military intelligence agency has said. It identified him as Maj. Gen. Vitaly Gerasimov, 45, and said he had fought with Russian forces in Syria and Chechnya and had taken part in the seizure of Crimea in 2014. It was not possible to confirm the death independently and Russia has not commented. Another Russian general was killed earlier in the fighting. Russian officials have confirmed the death in Ukraine of Maj. Gen. Andrei Sukhovetsky, the commanding general of the Russian 7th Airborne Division. March 7: Fox News: Russian journalist who quit, condemns Ukraine invasion, fears for her life A prominent Russian journalist quit her state-TV job after condemning Russian President Putin's invasion of Ukraine, raising questions about whether she could be targeted by the Kremlin over the decision. The Russian version of Russia Today, a state-run media operation lost its editor-in-chief on Tuesday when Maria Baronova resigned after publicly condemning Russia's invasion of Ukraine, according to Znak.com. Intelligence expert and national security commentator Rebekah Koffler told Fox News Digital she doesn't believe the Russian president will target Baronova personally because she's a relatively "small fish" compared to someone like opposition leader Alexei Navalny. "Putin actually dispatched assassins to target Navalny and to eliminate him," Koffler said, adding that pro-Russian groups that are loyal to Putin could attack his enemies without an official order from the Kremlin. It's called silencing the opposition, similar to what we see in the U.S.A. but character assassination, not murder. March 7: The Daily Caller: Florida Dems in panic mode over shift of Hispanics to the GOP Some Democrats in Florida are sounding the alarm over a new conservative network targeting Hispanics, NBC News reported Monday. On Tuesday the Miami-based Americano Media will launch Hispanic voters show signs that they are shifting toward the Republican Party. Some Florida Democrats claim the network will spread misinformation geared toward a Spanish-speaking audience, something which the party claims have been problematic throughout the pandemic and during the 2020 presidential election. Founder and CEO Ivan Garcia-Hidalgo rebuked the allegations from Democrats, telling NBC in an interview, "They're scared. And they should be." The CEO accused Democrats of attempting to discredit political speech that doesn't tow the Democratic Party line. "Democrats took Hispanics for granted for too long, and no one thought to create a home for us in conservative media. There is an appetite for this. You see it on social media. You see it in elections," Garcia-Hildago said. March 7: The New York Post: Ukrainian leader reveals his location saying I'm not afraid; staying in capital city Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky defiantly revealed his location during a video posted to social media Monday and vowed, "I'm staying in Kyiv." "On Bankova Street [where the presidential offices are located]," he said. "Not hiding, and I'm not afraid of anyone." The brazen declaration comes after the Ukrainian leader is reported to have dodged three attempts on his life by Kremlin assassins since the Russian invasion began. The video begins selfie-style and tracks Zelensky as he walks through wood-paneled hallways. It then cuts to a higher-resolution video camera showing the president sitting at a desk, putting away his cell phone. Now that's hutzpah! ![]() The national average of a gallon of gas in the United States hit a record high on March 7 as prices soar amid the Russia–Ukraine war and the Biden Administration's war on fossil fuels. The average price nationwide hit $4.104 on Monday, according to GasBuddy breaking the record of $4.103 set in 2008. "Americans have never seen gasoline prices this high, nor have we seen the pace of increases so fast and furious," Patrick De Haan, head of petroleum analysis at GasBuddy, said in a statement. "It's a dire situation and won't improve any time soon. The high prices are likely to stick around for not days or weeks, like they did in 2008, but months." Some experts point to the Russian invasion of Ukraine as the cause, but others point to the Biden Administration's abandonment of Trump-era policies which made the U.S. energy independent and a net exporter of petroleum products. Meanwhile, the U.S. is purchasing petroleum products from Russia, the proceeds which are being used to fuel the Putin invasion of Ukraine. March 6: Fox News: Over 13,000 Russians could face eight years in prison for anti-war protest Russia's "hooliganism" law could put the more than 13,000 anti-war protesters arrested throughout the country into jail for up to eight years. The Criminal Code of the Russian Federation's section on "hooliganism" states that it is a grave "violation of public order, which expresses open disrespect to society." Rebekah Koffler, a former Defense Intelligence Agency officer and author of "Putin's Playbook: Russia's Secret Plan to Defeat America," said that protesters would be charged with "hooliganism," and said that they could face up to five to eight years in jail. As of Sunday, Russian authorities have arrested over 13,000 people at various anti-war protests throughout the country. The arrests come after Russia has increased its efforts at stifling any opposition to the government's invasion of Ukraine, which included blocking several social media outlets within the country, such as Facebook and Twitter. ![]() U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken confirmed on Sunday that Washington is discussing with Warsaw a proposal that would allow Ukraine to obtain warplanes from Poland to defend its skies from Russian assault. Under the proposed three-way deal, Poland would provide Ukraine with its aging MiG-29 fighter jets and in return, have its hangars refilled by the United States with American-made F-16s. The Polish Air Force, which has been retiring MiG-29s and purchasing F-16s since early 2000s in an effort to modernize its arsenal and reduce its reliance on Russian equipment, currently operates both types of aircraft. Blinken said Washington has provided over a billion dollars in security assistance to Kyiv over the past year, and is working with Ukrainian officials to "get an up-to-the-minute assessment of their needs." March 6: The Epoch Times: SCOTUS overturns two 9th Circuit cases The Supreme Court sided with the Biden administration last week, upholding the longstanding state-secrets evidentiary privilege that prevents the disclosure of information deemed injurious to national security. In both cases, the high court reversed decisions of the often-overturned U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit. Specifically, the Supreme Court blocked testimony by U.S. government contractors about the alleged torture overseas of a suspected Muslim terrorist, and ordered lower courts to reconsider a case in which Muslims claimed the FBI unfairly targeted them in a counterterrorism investigation. In one case an accused terrorist's lawyer asked the Supreme Court to allow his client to depose two former Central Intelligence Agency contractors about waterboarding at CIA black sites. In a 7–2 opinion written by Justice Stephen Breyer; the Supreme Court acknowledged that the 9th Circuit mostly accepted the government's claim of privilege but concluded the privilege didn't encompass information about the location of the detention site at which torture allegedly took place. Justice Neil Gorsuch filed a dissenting opinion, which Justice Sonia Sotomayor joined. March 5: Fox News: Visa and Master Card suspend all operations in Russia Financial services companies Visa and Mastercard announced Saturday they are suspending all business in Russia in response to the country's invasion of neighboring Ukraine. Visa said it would work with its clients/partners in Russia to cease all transactions. "Once complete, all transactions initiated with Visa cards issued in Russia will no longer work outside the country and any Visa cards issued by financial institutions outside Russia will no longer work within the Russian Federation." Visa said they were "compelled to act" following Russia's "unprovoked invasion of Ukraine" and the "unacceptable events that we have witnessed." Mastercard said in a statement Saturday that it also made the decision to suspend services in Russia due to the "unprecedented nature of the current conflict." March 5: The Washington Times: Eclectic car baron Musk calls for increased oil and gas production to combat Russian invasion of Ukraine Tesla may be the world's leading seller of plug-in electric vehicles, but its CEO Elon Musk wants the U.S. oil-and-gas industry to ramp up production. "Hate to say it, but we need to increase oil & gas output immediately," he said. "Obviously, this would negatively affect Tesla, but sustainable energy solutions simply cannot react instantaneously to make up for Russian oil & gas exports." He joined rising calls to stop buying Russian fossil-fuel products and unleash domestic producers in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. Russia brings in an estimated $500 million per day from its exports of crude oil, natural gas and petroleum products, representing about half of the country's revenue. Of that amount the U.S. accounts for approximately 700,000 barrels per day which has prompted a bipartisan ground swell to enact a ban on fossil-fuel products from Russia. March 5: The Washington Times: Putin warns NATO about no-fly zone over Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin issued a stark warning against a NATO "no-fly zone" over Ukrainian skies as Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy was about to hold a virtual meeting of U.S. lawmakers Saturday, pleading for a more aggressive Western response to Russia 's 10-day-old invasion of his country. The session with a group of U.S. senators will be the first time the former comic-actor-turned-president has addressed an American audience since Putin's forces invaded on February 24th. A tentative cease-fire to allow trapped civilians to leave besieged cities in eastern Ukraine appeared to be breaking down amid reports of continued Russian shelling around the strategic port city of Mariupol, Ukrainian officials said. Zelenskyy has earned widespread praise for his courage in the face of the Russian invasion and his deft touch on social media in highlighting Ukraine's dogged resistance to the fighting and false information efforts from Russia. But he has also expressed mounting frustration with NATO and the West, particularly over the refusal to authorize the "no-fly zone" over his country to blunt Russian air superiority in the fighting. March 4: News Max: Russian officials surprised by the pushback and sanctions over the invasion of Ukraine Kremlin officials were supposedly surprised by the pushback of the Putin-ordered invasion of Ukraine. They were expecting milder sanctions for their decision to recognize the Luhansk and Donetsk regions of its neighbor as independent states, the independent Russian news organization Agency reported Friday. Reportedly Russian officials did not know the military would unleash the measure of force it did and they were shocked when news broke of the invasion. The claim comes despite more than a month of reporting in the West that Russian military forces were growing to more than 100,000 along the country's border with Ukraine as well as in neighboring Belarus. Putin's Cabinet, according to an unidentified source said they were only was making preparations for sanctions by NATO and like-minded governments in reaction to recognizing Luhansk and Donetsk as sovereign nations on Feb. 21. The sanctions that have caused the most concern to Russia are the exclusion from the Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication (or SWIFT) system for some banks, the freezing of Russia's foreign assets and the withdrawal by major international companies from the country. Despite their supposed shock, Russian government officials feel compelled to continue to support Putin's decisions or be seen as a traitor. March 4: The Washington Times: Judge rules Biden overstepped his authority in exempting kids from border pandemic policies A federal judge on Friday slammed Joe Biden's decision to grant an exemption to illegal immigrant children at the border by allowing them to enter while other migrants are turned back amid the pandemic. Judge Mark T. Pittman said the exemption makes no sense since children can spread COVID-19, too He ordered the government to undo the exemption and treat so-called Unaccompanied Alien Children, or UACs, the same as other illegal immigrants. The decision is the latest scorching judicial rebuke to Biden's immigration policies, with courts finding the Biden's moves filled with contradictions. Pittman said, "Instead of trying to prevent UAC from spreading the viruses they are potentially carrying to the interior of the United States, the Government chose to send UAC away from the facilities where the Government could monitor them and their health." The result of the government's carve-out was a record-shattering surge of children rushing to the border, overwhelming the government's ability to handle them. March 4: The Epoch Times: Special Counsel in Wisconsin alleges massive misconduct in 2020 election Special Counsel Michael Gableman says in a 136-page interim report that he has uncovered numerous instances of alleged lawbreaking in Wisconsin in the 2020 election. The former justice of the Wisconsin Supreme Court was hired last summer by the Speaker of the State Assembly, Robin Vos, to investigate suspected election fraud during the 2020 presidential election. In the report released March 1, Gableman wrote that his investigation uncovered instances of numerous mentally incompetent nursing home residents, non-citizens, and ineligible felons casting votes. He cited the use by municipal and county clerks of unstaffed absentee ballot drop-boxes, in violation of state law. Laws may also have been violated when the Wisconsin Elections Commission (WEC) allegedly exceeded its authority by ordering local election officials to disregard state statutes that regulate absentee voting. Gableman offered a list of suggested reforms to restore public confidence in Wisconsin elections including abolishing the WEC, prohibiting outside money, decertifying the state's 10 electors who voted for Joe Biden. Biden was declared the winner of Wisconsin's popular vote by six-tenths of one percent, or 20,000 votes. March 4: Fox News: Updates on Ukraine: Russian TV station staffers walk off the set Staff of a Russian independent television station, TV Rain, ended their final broadcast by walking off the set on Thursday, According to the BBC, the news outlet has stopped broadcasting indefinitely. The Russian government's telecommunications regulator has accused the station of "inciting extremism, abusing Russian citizens, causing mass disruption of public calm and safety, and encouraging protests," according to the report. March 4: The Washington Examiner: People's Convoy approaching Washington DC The People's Convoy, inspired by the Freedom Convoy in Canada, may try to send trucks to the vicinity of the White House. Hundreds of cars and several trucks, comprised of people protesting pandemic restrictions and other rules they feel restrict their freedoms, have joined the venture, and the plan is to fan out Saturday, though the specifics remain unclear. Some have called for blocking the 64-mile Capital Beltway. that surrounds Washington, D.C., others may attempt to circle the White House. Some of the convoy was spotted traveling through Hagerstown, Maryland, on Friday, with flags adorning cars and trucks as they drove by supporters. March 4: The Washington Times: CA gunman who shot 3 daughters in church is an illegal alien - Sheriff's office didn't share info with ICE The gunman who killed his three daughters and a chaperone who was supervising his visit with the children in a Northern California church this week was in the United States illegally. David Mora overstayed his visa after entering California from his native Mexico on Dec. 17, 2018, on a non-immigrant visitor visa. The Merced County Sheriff's Office told the AP that under California's so-called sanctuary state law, it does not notify immigration officials about in-custody people who are being released, and ICE was never notified. The 2017 state law restricts local law enforcement's cooperation with federal officials except when immigrants are accused of very serious crimes. Meanwhile the Biden Administration is suing Missouri allegedly for failing to assist federal agencies from assisting in efforts to violate the 2nd Amendment. (See the Story) March 2: News Max: Twenty European nations send weapons to Ukraine, risking possible war The armaments are coming from all over, as nations opt to help Ukraine in its efforts to slow and ultimately fend off Moscow's invasion. Reportedly the Dutch are sending rocket launchers for air defense; the Estonians, Javelin antitank missiles; and the Poles and Latvians, Stinger surface-to-air missiles (as is Germany). Meanwhile, the Czechs are providing machine guns, sniper rifles, pistols and plenty of ammo for them. Even formerly neutral countries like Sweden and Finland are sending weapons. That means with the invasion ongoing and NATO walking a fine line between a tough defensive and supportive posture and its direct involvement in the Ukraine conflict, some 20 nations are backing Kyiv with arms. Most are members of NATO and the European Union. Meanwhile the US and NATO nations including have been positioning equipment as well as thousands of troops within members states that share borders with Russia and its invasion ally Belarus. But this effort to help Ukraine and firm up its identity as an important voice in this conflict comes with risks, i.e. the risk of encouraging a wider war and retribution strikes by Putin and his forces against European and American targets. For the moment, though, the fight remains within Ukraine and other nations are showing restraint in not putting actual "boots on the ground." March 2: The Washington Times: Dems split on prohibiting Russian oil imports amid the invasion of Ukraine A schism emerged among Democrats on Capitol Hill over whether the U.S. should move to ban Russian oil imports, underscoring the quagmire Joe Biden finds himself in when it comes to inflated gasoline prices. A bipartisan movement to punish the world's third-largest oil producer (Russia), for invading Ukraine by forcing the U.S. off Russian energy consumption has grown among lawmakers. Senators from both parties have filed similar legislation to halt Russian oil imports. "The last thing I want to be doing is spending $1 on gas and oil for Russia," Rep. Madeline Dean, (D-PA) said. But amid rising prices at the pump and the likelihood that cutting off imports from Russia would mean further inflation for Americans, some Democrats are highly skeptical of the proposal. The U.S. received about 8% of its oil imports from Russia. March 2: The Wall Street Journal: The State of the Union: Biden missed an opportunity New Chancellor Olaf Scholz of Germany upended decades of center-left defense and energy policy this week after Vladimir Putin invaded Ukraine, and Biden had a similar opportunity in his State of the Union address Tuesday. He missed the moment. Biden remained on the same policy course of his first year. More defense spending to meet the threats from autocrats? No. A new appreciation for the contribution of fossil fuels to American and European security? Not a word. A note that government spending contributed to the highest inflation in 40 years? Not a chance. A word of praise for the private Pharma innovation that developed Covid therapies and vaccines? He proposed government price controls instead. Regarding the Ukraine, Putin invaded because he thought the West would do little. And Mr. Putin finds himself in a struggle now because of the bravery of 41 million Ukrainians, not the strength of Europe or the United States. What we also didn't hear was a vow that Russia will not be allowed to conquer and hold Ukraine. There was no warning to Putin not to launch missiles into residential neighborhoods or surround and starve cities into submission like a medieval siege. This was not Harry Truman at the dawn of the Cold War calling the world to meet a new danger. March 2: Fox News: The Ukrainians don't need to defeat the Russians, they just need not to lose! The Ukrainians are willing to pay the ultimate price, the Russian troops apparently are not Ukrainians fending off Russian attacks will be at an advantage if, and when, enemy forces arrive in Kyiv, in what could be a bloody battle for the capital, according to an urban warfare expert. In addition to the army, Ukrainian civilians have taken up arms in the midst of Russian military aggression that has so far proved difficult for Moscow to confront while still struggling to achieve air dominance. The Ukrainians don't need to win the battles as much as they need to defend themselves, said John Spencer, a retired Army major who saw close combat in Iraq and serves as a colonel with the California National Guard and the director of Urban Warfare Training for the 40th Infantry Division. "It doesn't have to defeat Russia to win. It just has to not lose. The goal here is just to hold on to what you've got," he told Fox News. "You know Ukrainians are willing to pay the ultimate price. They've already shown that. Russia's not willing to pay the ultimate price to take Ukraine." March 2: The Washington Examiner: Assessment of the invasion of Ukraine The good news for the defenders of Ukraine is that at today's one week mark, Russia's invasion plan has turned out to be a hot mess, and its 40-mile-long assault force of tanks, armored vehicles, and artillery is advancing at a snail's pace. "Our assessment is that it is not exactly moving with great speed, that they continue to be bogged down coming down from the north to get to Kyiv," a senior defense official told reporters yesterday. "They face greater resistance than they thought (and) that they have experienced fuel and logistics challenges." "In many cases, what we're seeing are columns that are literally out of gas, and now they're starting to run out of food for their troops," the official said. "I think the Russians have been surprised by the resistance." The bad news for Ukraine is that with its ground game temporality stalled, Russia is amping up its air and missile strikes, which have not only targeted military objectives, such as Kyiv's main television tower, but have also hit residential areas. The Pentagon estimates that 80% of Russia's "pre-staged combat power" has now moved across the border into Ukraine. "They will continue to adjust and adapt and try to overcome these challenges that they have been facing. And they have a lot of power available to them still." March 2: The Epoch Times: Belarus President may have shared a map of Russia's invasion plans Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko appeared to stand in front of a map that shows plans to invade the breakaway region of Transnistria in Moldova while he was holding a meeting with officials that was broadcast via state-run media. "At today's security council meeting, Lukashenko showed what looks like an actual invasion map," Belarussian journalist Tadeusz Giczan wrote on Tuesday. "It shows Ukraine military facilities destroyed by missiles from Belarus, attacks directions … Also, Ukraine is divided into 4 sectors." The map appeared to show troop movements, including an apparent attack or occupation of what appears to be Transnistria from Odessa, a city located in southwestern Ukraine. The Russian military reportedly has troops stationed in the area. March 1: The Washington Free Beacon: Biden Admin's own report undermines its own energy policy The Biden administration's push to transition to green energy sources is highly dependent on supply chains from China, according to a new Department of Energy report that comes as the White House has promoted renewables as a way to decrease reliance on Russian oil. China controls "97% of the world's production of silicon wafers" used in solar panels, "roughly 80% of rare earths production and refining" used in wind turbines, and 61% of global lithium refining key for battery storage and electric vehicles," according to the DOE report, which studied the supply chains for major alternative energy sources to determines how the administration can promote more domestic production. The report comes as Joe Biden is preparing to "call on Congress to deliver on a legislative agenda for clean energy and climate action" during his State of the Union address. Republicans have urged the Administration to ramp up domestic oil production and restart the Keystone pipeline in order to reduce U.S. dependence on foreign energy, including Russian oil. March 1: News Max: Wisconsin legislature may decertify Joe Biden's 2020 electoral victory The Wisconsin Legislature could decertify Joe Biden's electoral victory in the state and choose to change the results of the questionable popular vote, according to a special investigator's report. Michael Gableman, a former state Supreme Court justice who oversaw the review, said, "The Legislature should take a very hard look at the option of decertification of the 2020 Wisconsin presidential election." However, Gableman told a committee gathering that decertifying the election results would not change who is currently the president of the United States. Joe Biden won Wisconsin by some 21,000 votes. According to Politico, the report harshly criticizes the state's election administrators and argues for dismantling Wisconsin's bipartisan election board and limiting mail voting. He slammed the state board for how it sent absentee ballots to nursing homes and handled their return during the pandemic. Gableman also suggested that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg's Center for Tech and Civic Life's $8.8 million grant to Milwaukee, Madison, Racine, Kenosha and Green Bay constituted election bribery. February 28: The Washington Times: Putin's war tests China's nuclear pact with Ukraine Russian President Vladimir Putin's order raising the alert status of Russia's massive nuclear forces this week in the midst of an invasion of neighboring Ukraine is presenting a test of a 2012 agreement that calls on China to provide a nuclear deterrent umbrella for Kyiv. Chinese President Xi Jinping and then-Ukrainian President Viktor Yanukovych signed the agreement on Dec. 5, 2012, promising that China's nuclear forces would protect Ukraine from nuclear threats. The bilateral treaty described the two states as "strategic partners." "China pledges unconditionally not to use or threaten to use nuclear weapons against the nuclear-free Ukraine and China further pledges to provide Ukraine nuclear security guarantee when Ukraine encounters an invasion involving nuclear weapons or Ukraine is under threat of a nuclear invasion," a joint statement on the pact said. February 28: The Daily Caller: Democrats fail to pass abortion bill that would have gone farther than Roe Nearly every Senate Democrat voted in favor of legislation Monday which would have radically expanded abortion rights beyond even the Supreme Court's ruling in Roe v. Wade. The Women's Health Protection Act [WHPA] would have forced every state to allow abortions for any reason until at least the point of viability, generally defined at around six months into a pregnancy, and banned most restrictions on abortion up to the point of birth. Every Republican voted against the bill, and every Democrat except Sen. Joe Manchin voted in favor. The WHPA would have invalidated all state and local laws restricting what types of abortion procedures are permissible while banning requirements that doctors give women medical tests such as ultrasounds before administering abortions, unless such requirements also applied to "medically comparable procedures." The bill proposed various deregulatory measures that would have loosened safety requirements nationwide for abortion providers, such as ending restrictions on doctors prescribing pills via "telemedicine" for do-it-yourself chemical abortions at home. February 28: Fox Business: Another oil company pulls out of Russia Shell is calling it quits in Russia and has announced plans to exit its relationship with Gazprom and related entities. On Monday, in a statement, CEO Ben van Beurden detailed the emotional decision. "Our decision to exit is one we take with conviction," he said. "We cannot – and we will not – stand by. Our immediate focus is the safety of our people in Ukraine and supporting our people in Russia. In discussion with governments around the world, we will also work through the detailed business implications, including the importance of secure energy supplies to Europe and other markets, in compliance with relevant sanctions." The unwinding of the joint venture includes a "27.5% stake in the Sakhalin-II liquefied natural gas facility, its 50% stake in the Salym Petroleum Development and the Gydan energy venture." February 28: The Washington Examiner: Russia suspected of using cluster bombs against Ukraine Russia appears to have brought two types of controversial weapons capable of creating mass casualties to the battlefield as its forces wage war in Ukraine. Cluster bombs were used Friday in an attack that destroyed a preschool as reported by Amnesty International, and thermobaric rockets were used Monday, the Ukrainian ambassador to the United States, Oksana Markarova, said Monday. The thermobaric weapons suck oxygen from the surrounding environment to create a fiery explosion and a large pressure wave. People who are hit by the blast, but far enough away to survive, are left with internal injuries such as ruptured eardrums, severe concussions, internal bleeding, and ruptured organs, according to a CIA report. The rockets were used by the U.S. in Vietnam to clear out parts of the Vietnamese jungle. It was also allegedly used by Russia in the war against Syria and against Chechnya, though Russia has denied both allegations. Prior to their alleged use Monday, the only evidence of thermobaric rockets in the conflict was the appearance of a truck carrying a thermobaric rocket launcher, a TOS-1 heavy flamethrower, on the Ukraine-Russia border. February 27: The Washington Times: Ukraine and Russia to hold talks as Russian aggression is not going as planned Delegations from Ukraine and Russia will meet for possible peace talks on the Belarus border as the Kremlin's military campaign against its neighbor has failed to produce the lightning victory President Vladimir Putin had been hoping for. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy said Sunday that talks would be held near the former Chernobyl nuclear site. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Greenfield-Thomas said Ukraine's agreement to talk is yet another attempt to repel Putin through diplomacy, but it is impossible to know if it is a good-faith effort by Moscow. She said all future consequences for Putin remain on the table as Zelenskyy accuses Putin of war crimes that will come before the international court at The Hague. But for now, she said the West is focused on the fighting at hand and calling for an emergency session before the U.N. General Assembly. The said the decision to impose sanctions on the Russian central bank is an attempt to prevent Moscow from lifting up the ruble as its values plunges. She also said the U.S. and allies are looking at "new and even harsher measures against the Russians" that include a tougher approach to energy, which could boomerang on Americans and Europeans through tighter supply and higher prices unless, of course, the Administration reverses its climate change initiatives and allows US producers to restart and the US again becomes an oil exporter. Sen. Amy Klobuchar (D-MN) said the walls will close in on Putin from within as Russians feel the sting of sanctions and take to the streets despite the threat of arrest. "You are going to start seeing the effects on people economically," she said, and Russians, more and more, will have "further reason to take to the streets." February 27: The Daily Caller: Putin puts Russia's nuclear arsenal on high alert Russian President Vladimir Putin announced Sunday that Russian nuclear forces would be placed on high alert in response to Western economic sanctions, marking an escalation of tensions between Russia and the West over Russia's invasion of Ukraine. Speaking with top military officials Sunday, Putin ordered Russia's nuclear forces to be placed on a "special regime of combat duty," according to the Associated Press. While it's unclear exactly what this will entail, the move will increase Russia's readiness to deploy nuclear weapons. Putin said the move comes in response to economic sanctions against Russia's central bank and financial sector levied by the United States and European Union member states. NATO allies agreed Saturday to remove Russia from SWIFT, a global financial partnership and messaging system. "Western countries aren't only taking unfriendly actions against our country in the economic sphere, but top officials from leading NATO members made aggressive statements regarding our country," Putin said. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield condemned Putin's actions as an escalation of tensions jeopardizing already-fraught relations between Russia and the West. "President Putin is continuing to escalate this war in a manner that is totally unacceptable," she said. "And we have to continue to condemn his actions in the strongest possible way." February 27: Fox Business: BP exits partnership with Russian energy company Oil giant BP announced Sunday it will drop its stake in Russian energy company Rosneft – the latest private severance of relations with Russia as the global superpower invades neighboring Ukraine. BP, which has held a 19.75% stake in Rosneft since 2013, also said its chief executive, Bernard Looney, will resign from the Russian firm's board, effective immediately. Bob Dudley, a former BP executive, will also resign from Rosneft's board. "I am convinced that the decisions we have taken as a board are not only the right thing to do, but are also in the long-term interests of bp," Looney said in a statement. "Our immediate priority is caring for our great people in the region and we will do our utmost to support them." The company explicitly cited the ongoing Russian attack on Ukraine as the reason for the severance. February 26: Fox News: US and Canadian stores pulling Russian Vodka off the shelves; every little bit counts Liquor stores across the U.S. and Canada have started throwing out their stocks of Russian vodka in protest of Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine. In Ontario, Canada, Finance Minister Peter Bethlenfalvy directed the provincial Liquor Control Board to have stores remove Russian vodka and other alcoholic products, according to the Canadian Press. In the U.S., the Jacob Liquor Exchange in Wichita, Kansas, decided to remove its more than 100 bottles of Russian vodka from the shelves and poured some of it on the ground. "I think the whole world knows by now that Russia's at war with Ukraine for no apparent reason," Jamie Stratton, wine director and partner of the store said in Wichita. "I guess this is our sanction … and this may be small, but every small thing makes a difference." In Oregon, the owner of a bar in Bend filmed himself pouring out all of his Russian vodka. "Russia is acting as though it's 1939 and going into Europe with a full force that they have in the Ukraine," Bill McCormick, owner of Pine Tavern, said. "I am so concerned about it metastasizing into other countries." He said he stood to lose a few hundred dollars over the spilled vodka – but said the protest was worth it to him. The same thing was happening in Grand Rapids, MI as the protest against Russian aggression started to spread across the nation. February 26: The Washington Free Beacon: Biden's Supreme Court nominee faces ethics questions Supreme Court nominee Judge Ketanji Brown Jackson will face ethics questions about her ties to left-wing public relations professionals, and a conflict of interest that could trigger her recusal from a landmark affirmative action case. Jackson, whom Joe Biden nominated Friday, has come under fire following a report that she retained PR gurus with deep ties in Democratic politics to assist with her prospective nomination. And Jackson's service on one of Harvard University's governing boards will prompt questions as to recusing herself from a lawsuit accusing the university of bias against Asians in admissions, which the High Court will hear this fall. Beyond the ethics items, the nationwide spike in violent crime could play a major role in Republican maneuvering around her nomination. Jackson has deep experience in the criminal justice system as a former trial court judge and commissioner on the U.S. Sentencing Commission, a panel that offers guidance on criminal penalties. "It would be unusual, if not unique, for a candidate to enlist political communicators to assume this role," Senator Chuck Grassley (R-IA) noted. ![]() A Ukrainian man had an epic reaction to a Russian tank running out of gas! Caught on video, a man drove past an enemy tank that had run out of gas while invading Ukraine, and he decided to speak to the Russian soldiers for a moment. According to a local news source the man offered to tow them back to Russia and it only got better from there. When asked what people are saying about Russian forces, the man replied, "Everything is going our way. Your side is surrendering well because none of your guys know where they're headed. I asked a whole caravan of guys like you and none of you know where you're headed." What an absolute alpha-move from this man. I can't imagine ever doing something like this. He drove up to troops invading his country and mocked them right to their faces! He didn't seem to be worried about getting shot. In another incident, a Ukrainian man steps into the path of a Russian Tank to stop it. February 26: The Washington Examiner: Russia handing out gas masks to troops ahead of potential gas attack against Ukrainians Russian forces are distributing "gas masks" among their troops in eastern Ukraine, according to a senior Ukrainian official who suggested that Russian forces might orchestrate a chemical attack under false pretenses. Ambassador Oksana Markarova told reporters at the Ukrainian Embassy in Washington that "occupation forces are also handing out, actively, gas masks to local militants and the Russian military in Donetsk Oblast," citing Ukrainian intelligence reports. "So we are making this information public to warn that there might be a possibility of provocation. There are different versions of what would they do, [perhaps] after blowing up some industrial tanks with chemicals," she continued. Ukrainian Foreign Minister has said that "Russian propaganda has gone off the rails and speculates Ukraine might be preparing to drop a 'dirty bomb' on the Russian territory." While Kuleba's statement attempted to dispel that idea, Markarova's claim, which she attributed to Ukrainian security services, raised the specter of a Russian chemical attack in one of the key theaters of the invasion. "Unlike Russian occupiers, Ukraine does not resort to such methods," she said February 26: The Epoch Times: "selected" Russian banks removed from access from SWIFT The United States, European Union, and other Western allies announced Saturday they will cut off certain Russian banks from the SWIFT international payments system, and put restrictions on the Russian Central Bank, in retaliation for Russia's attack on Ukraine. Thousands of banks as well as financial institutions around the world use the SWIFT system to settle cross-border payments. SWIFT, the "Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication," is used by more than 11,000 financial institutions in over 200 countries and is regarded as crucial for financing international trade. In a joint statement, the United States and EU, as well as France, Germany, Italy, the United Kingdom, and Canada, "commit to ensuring that selected Russian banks are removed from the SWIFT messaging system." "This will ensure that these banks are disconnected from the international financial system and harm their ability to operate globally." They also commit "to imposing restrictive measures that will prevent the Russian Central Bank from deploying its international reserves in ways that undermine the impact of our sanctions." The measures will be implemented in the coming days, the nations said in a joint statement, and also vowed further action to come. February 26: The Washington Examiner: Ukrainian fighter pilot shoots down six Russian plans; the first "Ace" of the conflict One Ukrainian fighter pilot dubbed the "Ghost of Kyiv" has emerged as an unconfirmed heroic figure as Ukraine pushes back against invading Russian troops. Unconfirmed reports have gone viral on Twitter, with one video getting five million views for claiming that the fighter pilot has taken out six Russian jets since Vladimir Putin ordered a "special military operation" in the country early Thursday morning local time. Video footage shows what appears to be a Ukrainian MiG-29 flying around several cities in Ukraine. The pilot could earn the title of "fighter ace" for shooting down five or more enemy aircraft if the reports are true. Author Seth Abramson said if the report is true, the pilot is a "stirring symbol of Ukraine's resistance to Putin's war crimes." I'm begging major media to report on whether "The Ghost of Kyiv" really exists—as if it's true that today a heroic Ukrainian fighter pilot single-handedly downed *6* Russian jets, this flying ace immediately becomes a stirring symbol of Ukraine's resistance. February 25: Fox News: Russia's advance in Ukraine slower than anticipated, heavy resistance from locals Russian military forces have not made the kinds of gains they expected in Ukraine and have faced more resistance than anticipated from Ukrainian forces, according to a senior U.S. defense official. After two days of war, Ukrainian command and control is still intact and no population centers have been taken. And Russia has yet to achieve air superiority with Ukraine's air and missile defense capability still working, though degraded, the defense official told reporters Friday. "The Russians have lost a little bit of their momentum." He added "In general we assess the Russian forces are encountering greater resistance than they expected." The official also reacted to a video of a Ukrainian border guard at the ill-fated Zmiinyi Island – also known as Snake Island – who told a Russian navy vessel to "Go f--- yourself." Russian warships subsequently fired and wiped out the 13 soldiers stationed on the Island, but this has the potential to become a "Remember the Alamo" event. February 25: Fox Business: China limits financial support to Russia amidst the invasion of Ukraine Two Chinese state-owned banks will restrict financing for Russian commodity purchases, suggesting there are limits to Beijing's support for Moscow as the Kremlin confronts severe economic sanctions over its attack of Ukraine. Offshore units of Industrial & Commercial Bank of China have stopped issuing U.S. dollar-denominated letters of credit for purchases of physical Russian commodities ready for export, while the Bank of China has also limited funding, according to Bloomberg News. Yuan-denominated letters of credit are still available for some clients, pending approval from senior executives. The move comes after Russia launched a wide-scale invasion into Ukraine, shattering three decades of peace in Europe and eliciting a slew of condemnations and financial penalties from the U.S., European Union and other nations. It was a surprising twist and points to potential cracks showing in the relationship between Moscow and Beijing. The two countries are frequently geopolitical allies who have united in the past against the U.S.; they have formed increasingly close bonds over recent years, with Russia a key supplier of energy to China. At the same time, China's biggest banks hold billions of Russian assets. Beijing has also provided Moscow with tens of billions in funding over the years. But Beijing ultimately has closer economic ties to Western nations, who are much bigger export customers for China, major sources of technology and investment, and also control China's access to the international dollar system. February 25: Fox News: Anti-war protestor in Russia harshly treated by Putin Protests in Russia continued during the second day of Vladimir Putin's war on Ukraine, with prominent Russians joining in major cities across the country. Russian authorities arrested over 1,700 people Thursday as citizens took to the streets of Moscow, St. Petersburg and other major cities to denounce the invasion of Ukraine and demand an end to hostilities. But if Putin's plan was to end the protests and deter further ones from popping up, he has failed miserably: Fresh protests started Friday, with prominent Russians in the entertainment and business sectors joining at great personal and financial risk. A further 150 or so people were arrested Friday as protests erupted around the nation. Meanwhile rapper Oxxxymiron canceled six sold-out Moscow and St. Petersburg shows, saying, "I cannot entertain you when Russian missiles are falling on Ukraine." February 25: The Epoch Times: Putin may push to see if NATO will hang together after invasion of Ukraine The top Republican member of the House Intelligence Committee said that after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, the United States would have to get involved if NATO members were attacked. While the United States should not get involved directly, "we do play a role here that is very important," said Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH). "What we're seeing is that Russia, under [Russian Vladimir] Putin's leadership, has invaded a validly elected democracy, an independent nation, violating international law," Turner said. "It's a threat to Europe and a threat to our NATO allies and therefore to the United States." Putin's attack on Thursday marks the second time Russia has invaded Ukraine in about eight years. Previously, Putin was sanctioned by the Obama administration when he annexed Crimea in 2014. Turner further asserted that Putin has been emboldened over what he said is the Biden administration's "weakness" during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan as well as recent "mixed messages to Ukraine itself." February 24: The Washington Examiner: Ukraine takes credit for shooting down five Russian helicopters Ukraine shot down multiple planes and helicopters and destroyed tanks, causing significant losses to Russia as military forces crossed the border Thursday, a Ukrainian official claimed. The Russians are facing serious damages due to the invasion, including the loss of at least five planes, two helicopters, and five tanks, Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov said while urging Ukrainians to take up arms. "Tens, if not hundreds, of bodies are returning to Russia," Reznikov said in a video message from Ukraine's capital. Ukrainians have been encouraged to take up arms as part of the struggle to defend their land from the Russian invasion, with Ukrainians seen lining up to get guns. The United States and other allies of Ukraine have aided the country by supplying modern weapons in a "lethal aid package" that included an anti-tank missile system and a Stinger missile system, which helps take down helicopters. Ukraine reportedly has 400,000 people with combat experience, and others have been preparing for the Russian invasion by teaching themselves and relatives to fight and shoot. The Ukrainian military has approximately 260,000 soldiers. February 24: Fox News: Ted Cruz: Russia invaded Ukraine because of catastrophic mistakes by Biden Administration Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said Thursday Russia invaded Ukraine because of "catastrophic" mistakes made by the Biden administration. "We need strength and we need resolve. The reason Russia has invaded Ukraine is because of catastrophic mistakes made by Biden and Harris." As Russian forces move into Ukraine, Cruz said there are two reasons the U.S. is in its situation with Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The first, he notes, is the Biden administration's "incompetently executed" and "catastrophic" withdrawal of U.S. troops out of Afghanistan last year. The second mistake made by the Biden administration was waiving sanctions on Russia's Nord Stream 2 pipeline. Not mentioned but true is the fact that by crippling the US energy sector, Biden has severely limited the options for supplying our European allies with much need oil and gas to replace that currently supplied by Russia. February 24: Fox News: Tensions rise between Taiwan and Communist China as Russia invades Ukraine Taiwan scrambled its air force on Thursday as nine Chinese aircraft entered the island nation's air defense zone. A fleet of eight J-16 fighters and a Yun-8 technical reconnaissance aircraft breached the air space. The Taiwanese aircrafts broadcast a warning and monitored the Chinese fleet's activities. "This is not unusual," a U.S. Defense official said. "China has done this in the past. A Defense Department spokesman said that the Pentagon is "aware of the reporting" and that the U.S. remains "concerned" by "provocative military action near Taiwan." The last such incursion occurred on Jan. 23 when 39 Chinese aircraft flew into the defense space, but the new fly-by occurs at a time of heightened tensions. Taiwan increased its alert levels as Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine Thursday local time. China criticized the move by saying Taiwan is "not Ukraine." February 24: The Epoch Times: UK moves swiftly to punish Putin for his invasion of the Ukraine The British government has announced another package of sanctions on Russia in response to the invasion of Ukraine, which Prime Minister Boris Johnson said is the "most severe" Russia has ever seen. Following Russian President Putin's announcement of a "special military operation" in Ukraine in the early hours of Thursday, explosions have been reported across the country, including in the capital Kyiv, as well as in other cities. Addressing the House of Commons on Thursday, Johnson said Putin will "stand condemned in the eyes of the world and of history," and will "never be able to cleanse the blood of Ukraine from his hands." "Now we see him for what he is – a bloodstained aggressor who believes in imperial conquest," he said. "This hideous and barbarous venture of Putin must end in failure," he contended. In response Johnson said the UK is launching "the largest and most severe package of economic sanctions that Russia has ever seen," he concluded. He said the government will sanction "all the major manufacturers that support Putin's war machine," will imminently ban Russia's national airline Aeroflot from touching down planes in the UK, and will freeze the assets of all major Russian banks, including immediately against state-owned VTB, Russia's second-biggest bank. February 23: The Epoch Times: US truck convoy departs for DC while Pelosi orders security fencing for the Capitol Hundreds of truckers and supporters departed a southern California site on Feb. 23 for a trip planned to culminate in the Washington DC area. The so-called People's Convoy, inspired by Canadian truckers who drew international attention, hopes to convince authorities to ease or withdraw COVID-19 vaccine mandates and other restrictions imposed during the pandemic. The convoy has specific demands, including urging Joe Biden to rescind his declaration of a national emergency over COVID-19. Biden on Feb. 20 said the emergency will be extended beyond March 1 because of a "risk to the public health and safety." Other goals include "letting our government know that you work for us," Brian Brase, one of the convoy organizers, told a rally that preceded the departure, drawing cheers. The convoy plans on reaching the nation's capital on the evening of March 5. Meanwhile, as ordinary citizens converge on the nation's Capital, Speaker Pelosi is ordering the erection of fencing to keep peaceful citizen protestors away from their elected representatives. February 23: Fox News: China accidentally posts CCP rules on Ukraine coverage; Could Taiwan be next? Chinese news media posted instructions to social platforms about how to approach coverage on Ukraine, including a note of China's need for Russian "support" with Taiwan. One outlet appeared to accidentally post guidelines on what should and should not be published, while an editor from another outlet weighed in with guidance on language and approaches that he believed necessary in walking a fine line. Ming Jinwei, senior editor at Xinhua News Agency, wrote in his blog about how his outlet needed to walk a tight line on its Ukraine coverage, noting China "has to back Russia up" with emotional and moral support while refraining from treading on the toes of the United States and European Union." China will also need Russia's understanding and support when wrestling with America to solve the Taiwan issue once and for all," his post read. Ming said that it "doesn't hurt" to use moderately pro-Russia language. February 23: The Washington Times: SCOTUS struggles with Biden border policy The Supreme Court cast doubt Wednesday on the way the Biden Administration nixed a Trump-era rule pushing legal immigrants to be self-sufficient, suggesting during oral arguments Wednesday that the government was using subterfuge to try to get its way. "I'm not aware of a precedent where an incoming administration has done anything quite like this," Justice Samuel A. Alito Jr. said. The high court's members also wondered whether the specific case before them, brought by Arizona, was the right way to challenge the administration's sneaky moves. The Trump-era rule punished legal immigrants for signing up for welfare benefits (food stamps, Medicaid). The Biden Administration is trying to get rid of this rule and replacing it with a more permissive one that would permit immigrants to collect welfare without worrying about being punished in future applications. The fight before the justices Wednesday was whether Arizona should be allowed to mount a defense of the 2019 policy, now that the Biden team won't do so. February 22: The Washington Examiner: Biden claims he has talked tough with Russia Joe Biden talked tough in the weeks that Russia built up troops on its border with Ukraine. In a phone call with Vladimir Putin over the weekend, according to the White House, Biden told the Russian leader that the U.S. would "respond decisively and impose swift and severe costs on Russia" if Putin invades Ukraine. Then, when Russia moved into Donbas, the White House began to play word games with words like "invade." When asked by reporters if Russia's actions constituted an invasion, the senior administration official hedged. "I want to remind you ...that the Russian troops moving into Donbas would not itself be a new step," he answered. "Russia has had forces in the Donbas region for the past eight years ... They're apparently now making a decision to do this in a more overt and open way. But this has been the state of affairs in that region and a big part of why it has been so unstable since 2014." The reporters asked if that was a "Yes" or a "No" but failed to get an answer! February 22: The Epoch Times: DOJ sues Missouri for baring state agencies from assisting feds in violating 2nd Amendment while it doesn't sue jurisdictions that refuse to help ICE on immigration cases The Justice Department sued Missouri on Feb. 16 to block state officials from enforcing a law that seeks to make invalid several federal firearms laws. The suit, filed in the US District Court for the Western District of Missouri seeks to block the state from enforcing the law, known as the Second Amendment Preservation Act. The legislation was signed into law by Gov. Mike Parson (R) in June 2021. It allows private citizens to sue agencies for $50,000 if they believe their Second Amendment rights have been violated. U.S. Attorney General Garland said he believes the legislation impedes law operations in Missouri. The governor's office said the measure "prohibits state and local cooperation with federal officials that attempt to enforce any laws, rules, orders, or actions that violate the Second Amendment rights of Missourians." The DOJ's lawsuit alleges that the restrictions imposed by the law have hindered cooperation and other activities that assist federal, state, and local law enforcement efforts. Meanwhile, Garland refuses to sue communities and states that fail to cooperate with ICE requested holds on illegal immigrant criminals who are about to be released from prison. February 22: The Epoch Times: Germany places hold on Russian pipeline over Putin's invasion of Ukraine German Chancellor Olaf Scholz said Tuesday that certification of the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline connecting Germany and Russia has been put on hold, as Western countries roll out punitive measures over the Kremlin's actions in Ukraine. Scholz told reporters in Berlin on Feb. 22 that his government's decision to suspend the pipeline came in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin's recognition of the independence of two breakaway regions in eastern Ukraine, a move feared to be a precursor to a large-scale invasion. "Now it's up to the international community to react to this one-sided, incomprehensible and unjustified action by the Russian president," Scholz said, adding that it was necessary to "send a clear signal to Moscow that such actions won't remain without consequences." February 22: News Max: After AG Paxton issued legal opinion on gender modification being child abuse, Governor Abbott acts Texas Gov. Greg Abbott on Tuesday directed the state's Department of Family and Protective Services to investigate reported occurrences of children in the state ''being subjected to abusive gender-transitioning procedures.' Because the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services is responsible for protecting children from abuse, I hereby direct your agency to conduct a prompt and thorough investigation of any reported instances of these abusive procedures in the State of Texas," the Republican governor's letter to the agency read. "To protect Texas children from abuse, DFPS and all other state agencies must follow the law as explained in OAG Opinion No. KP-0401." The directive follows confirmation by the state attorney general's office that several gender-transitioning procedures are considered child abuse under Texas law. ''It is already against the law to subject Texas children to a wide variety of elective procedures for gender transitioning, including reassignment surgeries that can cause sterilization, mastectomies, removals of otherwise healthy body parts, and administration of puberty-blocking drugs or supraphysiologic doses of testosterone or estrogen,'' Abbott wrote. February 21: The Texas Scorecard: AG Paxton opinion: Gender modification of children is "child abuse" under the Texas Family Code Despite a years-long fight to protect children in Texas, Gov. Greg Abbott and top Republican state lawmakers continue to allow medical practitioners to perform disfiguring gender operations on minors. However, the state's top law enforcer has announced his 13-page legal opinion on the issue. "Attorney General Ken Paxton released a formal attorney general opinion concluding that performing certain 'sex-change' procedures on children, and prescribing puberty-blockers to them, is 'child abuse' under Texas law. The holding comes at a critical time when more and more Texans are seeing the horrors that flow from the merging of medicine and misguided ideology," the AG's office wrote Monday. The issue in Texas drew an international spotlight several years ago with the child abuse case of Dallas-area 9-year-old James Younger, whose mother told him he was a girl and wanted to force him—against his father's wishes—to take sterilizing puberty blocker and cross-sex hormone drugs and eventually be castrated. "There is no evidence that long-term mental health outcomes are improved or that rates of suicide are reduced by hormonal or surgical intervention," Paxton wrote. James' case became a statewide rallying cry on the issue, with the Republican Party of Texas making it a legislative priority and more than 2 million GOP primary voters supporting a ban on the operations. However, at the state Capitol in Austin last year, top Republican lawmakers repeatedly killed the effort, and Abbott repeatedly refused to bring up the issue in the Legislature's three special sessions. February 21: Townhall.com: Russia invades Ukraine The invasion has begun There were videos on social media showing Russian troops and heavy equipment moving into the Donbas region. Russian President Vladimir Putin said Russia would recognize these would-be breakaway republics as independent states. Joe Biden reportedly saw this coming and issued sanctions, which he thought would deter the Russians. Nope, the declaration did nothing. The Russians took another step towards all-out war. They've essentially invaded eastern Ukraine under the pretext of a peacekeeping mission. The other side keeps crossing red lines (Obama's in Syria and Biden's in the Ukraine) and we do nothing. The invasion of Ukraine has begun, and Biden is nowhere to be seen. Where's Blinken? Where's anybody in this administration? February 21: Fox News: Russia experts says "blitzkrieg-type" attack could begin as early as this evening Russia expert Rebekah Irina Koffler said a 'blitzkrieg-type' attack could begin as early as tonight. She goes on to say: 'Having recognized the independence of the Donetsk and Luhansk People's Republics and signed treaties today, Russia will almost certainly deploy armed forces to occupy these breakaway territories. Putin has already authorized the deployment of "peacekeeping" troops into Eastern Ukraine. Russian offensive operation against Ukraine may not be limited to occupying Eastern Ukraine. Moscow is waging a propaganda campaign that lays out the pretext for an incursion into Ukraine proper. Russia may launch a large-scale air and missile bombardment of key military and government command and control facilities in major Ukrainian cities, preceding a ground incursion. I cannot rule out the possibility of Putin's authorizing a "decapitation" strategy, targeting Kyiv, to force Zelensky to flee, so Moscow can install a pro-Russian leader. At minimum, a crippling cyber warfare campaign will target Kiev, including its power grid. Whether Putin decides to target only Eastern Ukraine or Ukraine proper, Moscow will declare victory on February 23, the Soviet Army Day.'" February 21: The Daily Caller: Ottawa mayor will try to sell trucks grabbed away from the protestors at the U.S. border Ottawa's mayor said Saturday that he'd like the city to sell the confiscated trucks seized from protesters to recoup costs incurred by the city in recent weeks. Mayor Jim Watson said that he is directing his city's solicitor and manager to begin the process of selling the confiscated vehicles so they don't end up in the hands of the protestors again. He claims Canada's Emergencies Act gives the city the power to do so. The equipment includes the tow trucks and the campers and the vans and everything else they have confiscated. February 20: The Washington Examiner: Putin gives order to invade Ukraine, US not taking any action to stop their advance Russian commanders have received orders to proceed with an attack on Ukraine, according to reports from U.S. intelligence officials. "Not only are they moving up closer and closer to the border into these attack positions, but the commanders on the ground are making specific plans for how they would maneuver in their sector of the battlefield," CBS correspondent David Martin said. "They are doing everything that American commanders would do once they got the order to proceed." Biden predicted on Friday that Putin had made up his mind to take military action against Ukraine, stating that his administration had "reason to believe the Russian forces are planning to attack Ukraine in the coming week — the coming days." "We believe that they will target Ukraine's capital, Kyiv," said Biden. [See Related Story on what a young Ukrainian military officer said could have been done] February 20: The Epoch Times: Traction in court cases for state legislatures' authority over elections On March 21st the U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the Berger v. North Carolina State Conference of the NAACP case. The GOP-led legislature is challenging the 4th U.S. Circuit's rejection of its petition to intervene, ruling the state's attorney general is adequate representation in defending the state's voter ID law. "An attorney general should not be able to enter into a settlement without the state legislature agreeing," von Spakovsky said. "It's no different than in an auto accident. My lawyer cannot enter into a settlement without me agreeing to it." At the heart of the case is whether state legislatures have the sole authority to determine how elections in their state shall be conducted. The outcome "should conform to the independent state legislature doctrine," Snead said. "We've fought to get it all the way to the Supreme Court." "It comes back to a very basic textural reading of the Constitution that vests the ability to regulate elections to state legislatures," said Jason Snead, executive director of Honest Elections Project (HEP). The doctrine is rooted in parts of two articles of the U.S. Constitution. Article I declare state legislatures have authority to determine "times, places and manners of holding elections for Senators and Representatives." Article II states "each state shall appoint, in such Manner as the Legislature thereof may direct, a Number of Electors" in presidential and vice-presidential elections. February 20: Fox News: European Parliament member compares Trudeau to communist dictator Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau was lambasted this weekend by a member of European Parliament for cracking down on anti-vaccine mandate protesters in the capital of Ottawa. "The prime minister of Canada, the way he's behaving right now – he's exactly like a tyrant, like a dictator. He's like [communist politician and dictator until the late 1980s] Ceau escu in Romania," MEP Cristian Terhe , of Romania, said during a speech to European Parliament in Brussels. "If you raise doubts about the vaccines, you're outcasted. What's the difference between what he does and what happened under The Inquisition?" "On one side they say well we should not believe in God," Terhes continued. "But on the other they say believe in science," he said of modern governments. "We don't have to. Science is not about belief. Science is about measurements, conclusions, hypothesis and arguments." Terhes said he is offering support to truckers peacefully participating in the Freedom Convoy in Canada. February 19: The Epoch Times: The time and location of Pence and Harris may be a key in the January 6th cases Pinpointing the whereabouts of Kamala Harris and former Vice President Mike Pence have become a key part of efforts by multiple Jan. 6 defendants in fighting against prosecution. Harris was the vice president elect and Pence still the vice president when protestors entered the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Many charges say both Harris and Pence were inside the building when a defendant went into the Capitol or were on Capitol grounds. But the government is now admitting Harris left before the clock struck noon, well before the protestors entered the building. Fresh questions are being raised about Pence's whereabouts. Prosecutors have leveled the charge of entering or remaining in a restricted building or grounds against over 200 defendants asserting the charge was warranted because people "did unlawfully and knowingly enter and remain in a restricted building and founds … where the vice president and vice president-elect were temporarily visiting, without lawful authority to do so." It may cause issues for the prosecution if neither Pence nor Harris were in the building. One defendant has asked the Government to make available Secret Service agents with knowledge of Pence's whereabouts on January 6th, contending the defense will require their testimony in order to adequately defend their client. The government would not agree to provide the identification of the USSS agents with the relevant knowledge and would not agree" to confirm Pence wasn't in the Capitol at that time. Joseph McBride, an attorney representing some of the Jan. 6 defendants, told The Epoch Times that the "entering or remaining" charge was already dubious, and would collapse if neither Harris nor Pence were in the Capitol. Another defendant's attorney said, "If it turns out that Pence wasn't even there that day, or was not there at the relevant time, then the whole thing truly falls apart. Pay attention to it, because if it turns out that they lied about that, then it could be in fact the case that we have a whole bunch of people languishing in prison for over a year that should not have been there to begin with." February 19: The Epoch Times; UAL “coerced” employees to violate religious onvictions, appeals court rules According to a federal appeals court, United Airlines’ COVID-19 vaccine ![]() February 19: The Washington Examiner: Biden to give financial aid to farmers/ranchers in Texas impacted by the border crisis without dealing with root cause of the problem The Biden administration has agreed to reimburse farmers and ranchers across 33 Texas counties for damages sustained in the surge of illegal immigration and drug smuggling at the U.S.-Mexico border. In an unprecedented move, the Department of Agriculture announced an initiative this week that would provide financial assistance to landowners “currently impacted by damage to fields and farming infrastructure,” though the announcement skirted mentioning what had caused the widespread damages in the first place. Every county along the 1,250 miles that Texas spans the international border, as well as those as far as 100 miles away from the border, will be eligible to have 26 types of damages covered. The reimbursements were requested by state and national organizations starting last spring as illegal immigration soared through 2021 to the highest level ever seen. ![]() Four Democratic senators all up for re-election in 2022 — Kelly (AZ), Hassan (NH), Masto (NV), and Warnock (GA) — are now in favor of suspending the federal gasoline tax, which currently adds 18.4 cents a gallon. Politico added slyly, “It’s no coincidence that the Democrats most involved in the new push hail from the toughest battlegrounds.” With failure of items such as Build Back Better, Democrats are “racing to cobble together an agenda that convinces voters the party is responding to their biggest concern: rising costs.” Inflation is an Achilles hear for Democrats because of the party’s basic bent toward high spending that has the predictable effect of overheating the economy and thus driving up prices. The Democrats shouldn’t be surprised that inflation is raging -- notably, national gasoline prices have surged by 40% in the last year. An 18-cent cut the gas tax might help consumer pocketbooks in the short term, but in the long run, prices will continue to rise as long as the Democrat spending spree continues. Senator Manchin (D-WVA) noted a cut in the gas tax would drain money from the Highway Trust Fund and added, “People want their bridges and their roads,” saying of the new tax-cut plan,” “it just doesn’t make sense.” Meanwhile, Republicans are calling the gas tax cutting measure as being very politically motivated.” February 18: The Washington Times: FBI nuclear sting may have links to China The FBI sting operation that ensnared an Annapolis U.S. Navy engineer and his wife in a conspiracy to sell nuclear submarine secrets involved an unidentified foreign nation that could be China. Jonathan Toebbe and his wife Diana were narrested Oct. 9 on charges of conspiracy to sell restricted nuclear data to a foreign nation whose identity was kept secret throughout the prosecution although the details of the case and court records suggest the foreign nation could be China. If China was the country that the Toebbes reached out to regarding U.S. nuclear submarine secrets. it would be among the hundreds of FBI investigations involving Chinese spying and technology theft. Toebbe, a civilian nuclear engineer assigned to the Naval Nuclear Propulsion Program, known as Naval Reactors, pleaded guilty on Monday. On Friday, his wife Diana, a schoolteacher, pleaded guilty to conspiracy charges as well. ![]() In Kentucky, a Black Lives Matter bail fund has paid to release violent rapists, murderers, and even a would-be political assassin. Now, Republicans in the state are moving to rein in the practice. The Republicans are pushing two bills that would forbid bail funds from paying to release certain arrestees and allow judges to deny bail for particularly heinous criminals. The move comes just days after a Louisville bail fund paid $100,000 to free Quintez Brown, a prominent liberal activist who is charged with attempting to murder Jewish Democratic mayoral hopeful Craig Greenberg in his campaign office. Under Kentucky law, judges are barred from denying bail in all cases other than capital murder. As a result, even heinous repeat offenders who pose a significant risk to their communities can secure their release from prison if they procure enough cash. The recent explosion of groups such as the Louisville Community Bail Fund has turned the state's bail process on its head making massive amounts of cash available to bail out repeat offenders. The Louisville Community Bail Fund — which is tied to the city's Black Lives Matter chapter — has raised millions of dollars to secure the release of local arrestees. The fund has bailed out dozens of repeat criminals accused of reprehensible crimes. Republicans control more than 75 % of Kentucky's legislature, a veto-proof supermajority that means they do not need support from their Democratic colleagues nor the Democratic governor. February 18: The Washington Free Beacon: Defense Department stonewalls investigation into vaccine mandates of service members The Pentagon has repeatedly stonewalled a congressional investigation into the Biden administration’s coronavirus vaccine mandate for military members and is withholding information about the number of active-duty service members who could be expelled from the military for refusing the vaccine. For four months, Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), ranking member of the Senate’s Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, has been pressing DoD to turn over information related to the military’s coronavirus vaccine mandate. The Pentagon has broken its promise to provide this information on two separate occasions. The administration’s refusal to be transparent with Congress about the military vaccine mandate is reaching a critical juncture as many active-duty military members face expulsion for refusing the shot. Around 40,000 active service members face expulsion for challenging the vaccine mandate, according to unofficial estimates by congressional investigators. Johnson and Republican colleagues in both the House and Senate are warning that the vaccine requirement could cripple the military's readiness as conflicts brew in Eastern Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. As the Pentagon stonewalls congressional probes into the matter, whistleblowers have stepped forward with internal Pentagon documents about the vaccine mandate. They appear to confirm that around 8% of active-duty military members are still unvaccinated and stand to be booted for their refusal. February 19: The Washington Examiner: Afghan refugees leave military base for resettlement The last of the Afghan refugees living on a U.S. military base have left, the DHS announced Saturday. While Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in New Jersey has been cleared a few days after the Tuesday target date, the base will remain open for other refugees filtering in. "To date, approximately 84,600 Afghan nationals, American citizens, and Lawful Permanent Residents have arrived in the U.S. as part of Operation Allies Welcome (OAW), including more than 76,000 Afghan nationals who have now joined communities across the country," the DHS said. Saturday also marked the first day that Loudoun County in Virginia began receiving its promised 2,000 refugees per month. DHS told county officials at the time they could expect that many every month until September. Sheriff Michael Chapman openly shared his safety concerns about receiving such a large population at the National Conference Center. “As I have a responsibility for the safety and security of Loudoun’s citizens, I want to ensure that our community is aware of the concerns we have raised and the expectations we have from our partners with the federal government. Currently, those expectations have not been met,” Chapman said. Over 350 resettlement agencies have combined to transfer refugees out of military bases. The New Jersey-based refugees will be settled in the nearby Washington area, Northern California, and Texas. February 18: The Daily Caller: If Biden really wants to keep Russia from invading Ukraine he would leave US troops in country instead of withdrawing them The youngest member of the Ukrainian Parliament spoke out about Joe Biden’s response to recent Russian threats, criticizing him for withdrawing troops from western Ukraine “right away,” instead of standing firm against Russia. Ukraine is “grateful” for the weapons, support and finances America provides, but if Biden wanted to stop Russia from invading, U.S. troops would not have left western Ukraine, 26-year-old Sviatoslav Yurash, a member of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s Servant of the People Party said. It would be a “game changer if the American division came here from Germany and had a nice holiday in some of these lovely hotels in Kyiv… It’s very clear that what happens in this regard is the opposite: America is withdrawing,” Yurash said. “In the deep west of Ukraine, there is an area where the training sessions between Ukraine’s army and the instructors from Canada and the [United] States happen. And the fact that America has withdrawn its instructors from these bases is very odd as West Ukraine is not considered even in the wildest of estimations as the territory which will be involved in the fighting,” he continued. “We appreciate, of course, all the deep concerns, all the worries and all the support by other means, but still, the game changer is available and can be done very easily, but, unfortunately, it has been pushed off the table right away.” February 18: The Daily Caller: Arizona withdraws from national school board group after it called parents “domestic terrorists Arizona announced Friday it has withdrawn from the National School Boards Association (NSBA), citing members’ concerns over a letter written by the state organization. The Arizona State Boards Association (ASBA) said its members called on the state organization to end its affiliation with the NSBA after the national organization sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) categorizing parents as domestic terrorists. Biden’s DOJ was criticized for targeting concerned parents with FBI investigations by the House GOP, who alleged Biden uses the DOJ to punish parents for opposing his “agenda.” “Biden is now weaponizing the Department of Justice (DOJ) to go after parents that oppose the Far-Left Socialist agenda he is attempting to impose on America’s children,” the GOP said. “Make no mistake about it, this is unconstitutional and an assault on Americans’ First Amendment right to assemble.” “…it has become clear that ASBA’s continued membership in NSBA has become a hindrance to the work we are undertaking here in Arizona on behalf of Arizona’s public school students,” Arizona’s ASBA executive director Harrison-Williams said. February 18: The Washington Times: Indiana election board unanimously shoots down Democrat attempt to boot GOP candidate off the ballot over January 6th On Friday Rep. Jim Banks (R-IN) survived an attempt by a Democratic candidate to disqualify him from the ballot over the events of Jan. 6. The Indiana Election Commission, which is evenly divided between Democrats and Republicans, voted unanimously to dismiss the challenge against Mr. Banks’s ballot eligibility by Aaron “A.J.” Calkins, a candidate for the Democratic nomination to take on Mr. Banks in the state’s 3rd Congressional District, which includes Fort Wayne. Mr. Calkins filed the challenge against Mr. Banks claiming the lawmaker, who chairs the Republican Study Committee, supported a “violent insurrection” and engaged in an attempted “coup” that should disqualify the incumbent’s re-election bid. “Congressional Democrats know that they are toast after November. Instead of fighting fair, or implementing policies to help Americans and their electoral chances, they’re trying to rig the game,” Mr. Banks said in a statement following the election board’s decision. Banks was among several House and Senate Republicans who opposed certifying the election for President Biden in certain states on Jan. 6, 2021 February 17: The Epoch Times: US “People’s Convoy” to head to DC from California as resistance to vaccine mandates grow A trucker-led convoy will kick off on Feb. 23 from the Barstow area in California, and head eastbound toward Washington D.C. to peacefully protest to end the federal government’s emergency powers declared since March 2020 in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and restore freedoms protected by the Constitution. Barstow is a city about 100 miles east of Los Angeles where truckers often converge since it’s a major crossroads. The large convoy goes by the name “The People’s Convoy” and will be non-partisan and cross-cultural in nature. At the start of the convoy, an estimated 500 to 1,000 trucks will gather and depart eastward for Kingman, Arizona. The next morning, they will depart from that location and head east on Interstate 40 toward Lupton, Arizona, eventually crossing the Texas panhandle on its way to the nation’s capital.
February 17: KTRH News: San Francisco recalls three left wing school board members
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