Daily News Roundup

Estimated Reading Time: 26 minutes

NOTABLE QUOTES

J.B. Shurk contributor to American Thinker: Totalitarianism is the warm bath in which civilization slits its wrists. It envelops the people with petty rules, strange dogmas, immoral duties, and forced sacrifices. It warms its victims with intoxicating promises of the government’s false love. It leaves the citizen naked — stripped first of his free will, then the thoughts in his head, and finally anything he once called his own. It slowly dispossesses each person of his personhood, until the population withers into frail, colorless facsimiles of the bleak, omnipresent State. Without the courage to act, the desire to think, the wisdom to pray, or the conscience to object, human purpose disappears. Society is exsanguinated of its vitality, creativity, spirituality, and mirth — until it slips beneath the water and stops breathing.

Roger Kimball contributor to American greatness: Washington is the headquarters of the enemy camp. It is not simply that it is overwhelmingly Democrat, though it is that. More important is the fact that it is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Party State. What do I mean by the Party State? I mean that hypertrophied faction that has gained control of the government of the country. It has a monopoly on virtually all the levers of power, cultural as well as political. It presides over a two-tier system of injustice in which its opponents are harassed, indicted, prosecuted, bankrupted, and jailed, even as malefactors in the protected party are quietly sent on their way with muted warnings or a gentle slap on the wrist.

Matt Taibbi Substack, The Rocket: For over a year, the Biden administration and its surrogates have dropped hint after hint that the plan for winning in 2024 — against Donald Trump or anyone else — might involve something other than voting. Lawsuits in multiple states have been filed to remove Trump from the ballot; primaries have been canceled or invalidated; an ominous Washington Post editorial by Robert Kagan, husband to senior State official Victoria Nuland, read like an APB to assassins to head off an “inevitable” Trump dictatorship; and on January 11th of this year, leaders of a third party group called “No Labels” sent an amazing letter to the Department of Justice, complaining of a “conspiracy” to stop alternative votes.

John Cass, John Cassnews.com: . . . if she seeks the Democratic nomination, and Barack gives her the green light, no Democrat can stop her. You couldn’t stop a Gorgon with a little hand mirror either. A Michelle candidacy would unleash the flesh eating harpies, also known as the AWFULs (Angry White Female Leftist Suburbanites) and no amount of Holy Water could protect us.

Mark Hemingway is the Book Editor of The Federalist: . . . you know things are bad in America when East Germany seems like a relevant historical analog, but here we are. Perusing the press these days, you’d think Brecht’s satirical joke about the government voting out the people was a real possibility. In fact, I’d dare say attempts to impose our rulers’ wishes on the electorate are now a prominent feature of American discourse.

Eddie Scarry columnist at The Federalist: If McConnell had truly believed it would be a grave mistake for Republicans to walk away from the mysterious legislation he helped craft, he would have released it for the public to see how fabulous it was. He didn’t do that because he knows it would have been unacceptable, not to Trump, but to voters.

Tucker Carlson posted on X: In an interview from India, Gov. Greg Abbott says ten other states have sent national guard to the Texas border, and others will follow. Abbott says he is “prepared” for a conflict with federal authorities.

Jim Hoft co-founder Gateway Pundit: As reported earlier – Here’s what you need to know about E. Jean Carroll. Most of this information was deemed “inadmissible” by the judge per John LeFevre: She couldn’t recall the date, month, season, or year the incident happened. She never told anyone about it, despite being publicly obsessed with her own sexuality. The dress she claims to have been wearing didn’t exist at the time. Her description of the dressing room at Bergdorf Goodman was inaccurate, making her sequence of events impossible. Her lawsuit was bankrolled by Jeffrey Epstein pal and Democrat (and Nikki Haley) mega-donor Reid Hoffman. Democrats created a law (The Adult Survivors Act in 2022) to enable her lawsuit to proceed. Her accusation is the exact plotline of an episode of Law & Order (one of her “favorite shows”). Trump’s Apprentice was also one of her favorite shows. She has a history of falsely accusing men of rape, including Les Moonves. She told Anderson Cooper, “most people think of rape as being sexy. Think of the fantasies.” She made a career promoting promiscuity, even writing glowingly of sexual assault and naming her cat Vagina

BIDEN CRIME FAMILY

Richards: Hunter Biden partner Rob Walker confirms payments to Biden family, China deal began when Joe was VP

In December, Just the News reported that the impeachment inquiry had assembled a growing body of evidence that Hunter’s work with the Chinese energy company started years before its million dollar payments began to flow into the Biden family coffers in 2017, following Joe Biden’s departure from office.

“Today we learned that Joe Biden met with the now-missing Chairman of CEFC, Ye Jianming, as Hunter Biden and his associates received $3 million from a Chinese entity CEFC controlled. Evidence continues to reveal the Bidens sold the ‘Biden Brand’ to enrich the Biden family,” Oversight Chairman James Comer said in a statement released by the Oversight Committee. “Today’s interview confirmed Hunter Biden and his associates’ work with the Chinese government-linked energy company began over a year before Joe Biden left the vice presidency, but the Bidens and their associates held off being paid by the Chinese while Joe Biden was in office,” he continued.

BIDEN’S DEMOCRAT PARTY MARXIST PLAYBOOK: PERSECUTE YOUR OPPOSITION, PRESIDENT DONALD J. TRUMP & HIS FORMER TRUMP EMPLOYEES, SUPPORTERS & WH STAFF

Whedon: Jury awards E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million over Trump’s 2019 statements

The figure included $18.3 million in compensatory damages and $65 million in punitive damages, CNN reported. While Trump was president, Carroll came forward with claims that Trump raped her in a Bergdorf Goodman dressing room in the 1990s, a claim Trump denied at the time and still disputes. She subsequently sued him for defamation, though that suit was long delayed over the question of whether Trump enjoyed presidential immunity due to making the comments while in office. U.S. District Court Judge Lewis Kaplan rejected that argument last year. Earlier this week, Trump reiterated his denials of her story, saying in a Truth Social video that “I don’t even know who this woman is […] This is another scam. It’s a political witch-hunt.”

(H/T DG) VDH: 83 Million?

The baffling case of E. Jean Carroll. Donald Trump in furor stormed out of a New York courtroom for a while, in the defamation suit brought by author and dating/boyfriend/sex-advice columnist E. Jean Carroll. It was just settled against Trump for $83.3 million. The Carroll suit was largely subsidized by Reid Hoffman the billionaire capitalist, and mega-donor to the Democratic Party and leftwing causes. The subtext of Trump’s rage, aside from the outrageous monetary size of the defamation ruling, is that he was facing—and angered—a leftwing claimant, a quite hostile leftwing judge, and a leftwing New York jury. The civil suit serves as a mere preview of four additional leftwing criminal prosecutions, leftwing judges, and leftwing juries to come—all on charges that would never had been filed if Trump either had not run for president or been a liberal progressive.

Yet here we are. The E. Jean Carroll case is the most baffling of all five. She, the alleged victim, did not remember even the year in which the purported sexual assault took place, nearly three decades ago. Observers have pointed out dozens of inconsistencies in her story.

Trump vows to appeal ‘absolutely ridiculous’ E. Jean Carroll decision

Former Donald Trump on Friday fumed over a jury decision to award E. Jean Carroll $83.3 million in damages over Trump’s 2019 statements denying her allegations that he raped her. […] “Absolutely ridiculous! I fully disagree with both verdicts, and will be appealing this whole Biden Directed Witch Hunt focused on me and the Republican Party. Our Legal System is out of control, and being used as a Political Weapon. They have taken away all First Amendment Rights. THIS IS NOT AMERICA!” Trump posted to Truth Social after the verdict was announced.

Citizen Free Press: Why didn’t the judge in the E Jean Carroll trial not want these tweets by Carroll shown in court

Strange sexual Tweets from Trump’s accuser.

Read the Tweets: https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1750919655932453367

WHO WILL DETERMINE 2024 ELECTION WINNERS: VOTERS OR LAWYERS?

Taibbi: Is The Electoral Fix Already In?

The fix is in. To “protect democracy,” democracy is already being canceled. We just haven’t admitted the implications of this to ourselves yet. On Sunday, January 14th, NBC News ran an eye-catching story: “Fears grow that Trump will use the military in ‘dictatorial ways’ if he returns to the White House.” It described “a loose-knit network of public interest groups and lawmakers” that is “quietly” making plans to “foil any efforts to expand presidential power” on the part of Donald Trump. The piece quoted an array of former high-ranking officials, all insisting Trump will misuse the Department of Defense to execute civilian political aims. Since Joe Biden’s team “leaked” a strategy memo in late December listing “Trump is an existential threat to democracy” as Campaign 2024’s central talking point, surrogates have worked overtime to insert existential or democracy in quotes. This was no different: […] The article implied a future Trump presidency will necessitate new forms of external control over the military. It cited Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal’s bill to “clarify” the Insurrection Act, a 1792 law that empowers the president to deploy the military to quell domestic rebellion. Blumenthal’s act would add a requirement that Congress or courts ratify presidential decisions to deploy the military at home, seeking essentially to attach a congressional breathalyzer to the presidential steering whee1’ […] Many who couldn’t stand Trump, would never vote for him, and have been willing consumers of the awesome amount of propaganda published on the Trump subject, now need to face the fact that they’ve been had. Transformed into the avatar of all bad things — a crude domestic combo platter of Saddam, Milosevic, Assad, and Putin — this vision of the über-villain, Trump, has been used to distract mass audiences from the erosion of “norms” at home. “Protecting democracy” in the Trump context will be remembered as having served the same purpose as Saddam’s mythical WMDs, the shots fired in the Gulf of Tonkin, or Gaddafi’s fictional Viagra-enhanced army. Those were carefully crafted political lies, used to rally the public behind illegal campaigns of preemption.

THE CORRUPT & DANGEROUS U.S. INTELLIGENCE AGENCIES & THE ADMINISTRATIVE STATE APPARATUS

Kelly: ‘Disturbing’ Collusion Between Biden White House and Trump Prosecutors

An explosive defense motion filed in the classified documents case detailed extensive collaboration between prosecutors and top Biden officials to get Trump. But what does Jack Smith want to hide? […] as Smith prepares for trial in Washington and southern Florida, defense attorneys have uncovered a stunning trove of evidence that contradict claims that the Biden White House had nothing to do with the unprecedented federal prosecution of a former president and Biden’s GOP rival in the 2024 general election. Emerging evidence also shows collaboration between White House officials and Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis’ office related to her RICO indictment against Trump and several associates.

Hines: Biggs: Racketeering Charges For Fani Willis ‘Possible’

In the second part of an exclusive interview, Representative Andy Biggs talks about the meetings Georgia attorney Nathan Wade had with the January 6th Committee and the White House while working on an indictment of President Trump for Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. One America’s John Hines has more from Washington.

Watch the 4:18 minute interview: https://www.oann.com/video/oan-contribution/biggs-racketeering-charges-for-fani-willis-possible/

Revolver.news: The chilling truth about Big Fani’s boyfriend Nathan Wade is finally out, thanks to a left-wing rag…

The Daily Beast also went after her married lover, Nathan Wade, and revealed some very disturbing details about who he really is. The Beast called into question his so-called “civil rights” work. It turns out that Mr. Wade is not actually a civil rights hero. As a matter of fact, he was brought in to be the coverup architect for horrific Georgia jail deaths which rocked the state.

Judicial Watch Sues Defense Department for Details of Alleged Conversation between CIA Employees Seeking to ‘Get Rid’ of then-President Trump

Judicial Watch announced today that it filed a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Defense for reports submitted by a military officer to his superiors regarding an alleged conversation around January 2017 between CIA analysts Eric Ciaramella and Sean Misko about trying to “get rid” of then-President Trump (Judicial Watch Inc. v. U.S. Department of Defense) (No. 1:24-cv-00068)). Judicial Watch sued after the Defense Department failed to respond to a January 14, 2022, FOIA request for: . . .

Kelly: Kamala Harris’ Still Unexplained Presence at the DNC on January 6

Kamala Harris once again was on the verge of making political history. Already a trailblazer—the first woman of color in California elected both state attorney general and U.S. Senator—Harris’ colleagues on the afternoon of January 6 were poised to begin the process of certifying her election as the first female vice president. Harris, a shameless attention hog, presumably would’ve spent the hours leading up to the historic moment walking the halls of Congress to relish the sucking-up of friends and enemies alike. Reporters presumably would have tracked Harris’ movements to document for the history books a full accounting of how the first incoming “Madame Vice President” prepared for the ceremonial event. Perhaps she would have posed for a few endearing photos with the incoming Second Gentleman. But oddly, that was not the case. Rather than bask in the limelight of her pending coronation, Harris, for reasons still unknown, left the Capitol around 11:25 a.m. on January 6. She had attended a closed door briefing of the Senate Intelligence committee—the only other official business on the Congressional calendar that day—and headed off campus. Her destination? The headquarters of the Democratic National Committee, just a few blocks away.

GLOBALISM (GREAT RESET/NEW WORLD ORDER) & TRANS HUMANISM (AI HUMANS 2.0) ARE INEXTRICABLY LINKED

Shurk: WEF Totalitarians Seek to Euthanize the West

Totalitarianism is the warm bath in which civilization slits its wrists. It envelops the people with petty rules, strange dogmas, immoral duties, and forced sacrifices. It warms its victims with intoxicating promises of the government’s false love. It leaves the citizen naked — stripped first of his free will, then the thoughts in his head, and finally anything he once called his own. It slowly dispossesses each person of his personhood, until the population withers into frail, colorless facsimiles of the bleak, omnipresent State. Without the courage to act, the desire to think, the wisdom to pray, or the conscience to object, human purpose disappears. Society is ex-sanguinated of its vitality, creativity, spirituality, and mirth — until it slips beneath the water and stops breathing. This was the story of Lenin’s Soviet Union and the imprisoned nations trapped behind Stalin’s Iron Curtain. It was the story of Hitler’s Germany, Mussolini’s Italy, Mao’s China, and Pol Pot’s Cambodia. It has been the story of Kim’s North Korea, Castro’s Cuba, Chávez’s Venezuela, and the ayatollahs’ Iran. For over a century. . .

TYRANNY IN THE NAME OF CLIMATE DOOM MYTH: GLOBALIST POLITICIANS & BIG BUSINESS ACCUMULATE MORE POWER & CONTROL

Duffy-Alfonso: Biden’s Natural Gas Shutdown Won’t Help The Environment, But It Will Make You Poor, Cold, And Miserable

The Biden Administration announced Friday that it’s putting a stop to the permitting process for several liquefied natural gas (LNG) export terminal projects in the name of climate change. In a joint statement, “the White House and Department of Energy (DOE) said the pause would occur while federal officials conduct a rigorous environmental review assessing the projects’ carbon emissions, which could take more than a year to complete,” reported Fox News. American Exploration & Production Council CEO Anne Bradbury described the decision as “nonsensical,” pointing out that “It simultaneously harms the U.S. economy, threatens the security of our allies around the world, and stymies global emissions reduction goals.” The move does indeed sound nonsensical if you believe climate fanatics actually care about the environment, which they do not. The climate activists responsible for Friday’s announcement wrap their anti-energy policies in warnings about the destruction of humanity. Ironically, however, it is thanks to fossil fuels that climate-related disaster deaths have been reduced by 99 percent compared to 100 years ago.

Greenfield: Without Subsidies, Solar Demand Falls 80%

The dirty secret of green energy is that it depends on subsidies. Whether it’s the credits extracted from other automakers that really fueled Tesla’s rise or the multiple tiers of subsidies for wind and solar, the only reason any of the green energy grift exists is through money extracted from consumers, taxpayers, and the economy in too many ways to even begin to count. What happens when the subsidies are pulled? Go look at California, the home of solar, and one of the few places in the country where it’s even viable.

REPUBLICAN U.S. SENATE MINORITY

Le Mahieu: Tennessee Senator Introduces Bill To End Counting Of Illegal Immigrants For Electoral College

A group of Republican senators led by Sen. Bill Hagerty (R-TN) introduced a bill on Thursday that would ensure that illegal immigrants are not included in the population count for the Electoral College or congressional districts. The bill, titled the “Equal Representation Act,” would require the Census Bureau to ask a citizenship question so that Electoral College votes would only be apportioned based on U.S. citizens living in the state. Former President Donald Trump attempted to have the question added to the 2020 census but was blocked after he faced a bevy of lawsuits from Left-leaning groups. “It is unconscionable that illegal immigrants and non-citizens are counted toward congressional district apportionment and our electoral map. While people continue to flee Democrat-run cities, desperate Democrats are back-filling the mass exodus with illegal immigrants so that they do not lose their seats in Congress or their electoral votes for the presidency, hence artificially boosting their political power and in turn diluting the power of other Americans’ votes,” Hagerty said.

Hoft: Oklahoma GOP Passes Resolution to Condemn and Censure Sen. James Lankford for Outrageous Border Deal

The resolution, passed with immediate effect, states that the party will withhold all support for Senator Lankford until he ceases his involvement with the proposed legislation. The resolution cites several concerns, notably Senator Lankford’s collaboration with Senator Chuck Schumer on a deal allegedly permitting 5,000 illegal immigrants per day to enter and work in the United States. This figure translates to approximately 155,000 illegal immigrants each month, amounting to an annual total of 1.8 million. […] The OK GOP party emphasizes support for “limited legal immigration” and opposes any ‘path to citizenship’ that would favor illegal aliens over those who have pursued immigration through legal channels. The resolution accuses Senator Lankford of undermining the rule of law and the safety of American citizens by negotiating a deal that could potentially lead to an ‘invasion’ of the borders, referencing Article IV, Section 4 of the U.S. Constitution which tasks the United States with protecting states against invasion. Read the resolution below via Oklahoma State Senator Dusty Deevers: . . .

Sundance: Sunday Talks – Senator Lankford Explains How Current Law Would Stop Border Crisis and New Law Will Stop Border Crisis

In his own words, Senator James Lankford says if President Trump was president today the border crisis would not exist, because the existing law would be enforced. Simultaneous to this, the same Senator Lankford says the new law he proposes will create significant border enforcement.

If the executive branch can ignore the current border enforcement law (they can and do), what makes Lankford believe new legislation will not be ignored by the same executive branch (they will)? This non-pretending reality frames the essential point: the element of “enforcement” is not within the legislative branch, so the entire effort is a moot exercise. Margaret Brennan is especially annoying in this interview.

Sundance: The Details Coming from the “Bipartisan Border Deal” Highlight the Ridiculous Nature of the Senate Bill

Senators Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), James Lankford (R-OK), and Chris Murphy (D-CT) have reportedly put the finishing touches on their “bipartisan border deal” that will be tied together with other Senate priorities to permit billions more in funding for Ukraine. Keep in mind the billions for Ukraine is the goal here; the “border security deal” is the mechanism to deflect attention and give the customary UniParty illusion of justification. There’s no reason to pretend this is anything of substance; even a cursory review of the media narrative shows just how insufferable this nonsense really is.

REPUBLICAN PRESIDENTIAL 2024 PRIMARY

Cantrell: Trump Turns Down RNC Offer to Declare Him the Nominee for the Sake of Party Unity

“While I greatly appreciate the Republican National Committee (RNC) wanting to make me their PRESUMPTIVE NOMINEE, and while they have far more votes than necessary to do it, I feel, for the sake of PARTY UNITY, that they should NOT go forward with this plan, but that I should do it the ‘Old Fashioned’ way, and finish the process off AT THE BALLOT BOX,” he posted on Truth Social. “Thank you to the RNC for the Respect and Devotion you have shown me! TRUMP 2024,” he continued. One thing’s for sure: Trump is the most influential politician in recent history.

REPUBLICAN U.S. HOUSE MAJORITY

Arnold: House Republicans Unveil Articles of Impeachment Against Mayorkas

Introduced by Rep. Mark Green (R-Tenn.), the resolution accuses Mayorkas of “Willfull and systemic refusal to comply with the law” and “breach of public trust.” Republicans included two articles. One states that Mayorkas violated immigration laws, while a second article accuses the secretary of failing to uphold his duties, misleading Congress, and obstructing the GOP’s investigation. He also has been unable to detain a sufficient number of migrants as required in the code More from the resolution as follows: . . .

CHINA: AMERICA’S MORTAL ENEMY

Lenczycki: EXCLUSIVE: Leadership Of Major US Landowner Chock-Full Of Chinese Communist Party Members

Top executives at Hong Kong-based WH Group Limited, the world’s largest pork producer that controls vast swaths of U.S. farmland through its American subsidiary, are Chinese Communist Party (CCP) members, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation review of corporate records and state-run media reports. Records and reports reviewed by the DCNF identify four top executives and the chairman of the pork giant as CCP members with extensive ties to the Chinese government. WH Group controls nearly 150,000 acres of land across 29 U.S. states through its subsidiary Smithfield Foods, a family-run business established in 1936, which it purchased for $7.1 billion in 2013. While a keyword search on Smithfield’s website returned only two articles mentioning the firm’s relationship with WH Group, neither of the two articles mentioned China. An online map of Smithfield’s global business activities does not list any operations in, or connection to, Asia, despite archived reports from their website suggesting otherwise.

Exclusive-China presses Iran to rein in Houthi attacks in Red Sea, sources say: Hafezl & Hayley:

Chinese officials have asked their Iranian counterparts to help rein in attacks on ships in the Red Sea by the Iran-backed Houthis, or risk harming business relations with Beijing, four Iranian sources and a diplomat familiar with the matter said. The discussions about the attacks and trade between China and Iran took place at several recent meetings in Beijing and Tehran, the Iranian sources said, declining to provide details about when they took place or who attended.”Basically, China says: ‘If our interests are harmed in any way, it will impact our business with Tehran. So tell the Houthis to show restraint’,” said one Iranian official briefed on the talks, who spoke to Reuters on condition of anonymity. […] A senior U.S. official said Washington had asked China to use its leverage with Iran to persuade it to restrain the Houthis, including in conversations Secretary of State Antony Blinken and National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan had this month with senior Chinese Communist Party official Liu Jianchao.

Fanell & Thayer: The “Mary McCarthy” Rule for Discussing the PRC’s Economy and Economic Data […] and the WEF

hile there is no shortage of threats to the United States, many of these are transparent for those with the eyes to see, such as the People’s Republic of China‘s (PRC) military threats. Others are far more subtle, such as the World Economic Forum (WEF). Occasionally, events capture the intersection of these threats, like the WEF’s annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland, which was one of those moments where the threat to the U.S. could be seen clearly. WEF Chairman Klaus Schwab, true to form as the Chinese Communist Party’s indefatigable BFF, expressed his confidence in the PRC economy. That was curious, given that the PRC’s economy is tanking. He marveled that the CCP will find new “patterns of economic growth,” apparently without irony. The fact is, the PRC is undergoing a real estate collapse that is far worse than the 2008–2009 crisis in the U.S. According to multiple sources, nearly every public developer in the PRC is bankrupt or going bankrupt, brought about because 70% of Chinese wealth is invested in real estate. In addition, the PRC faces a banking crisis. Xi’s banks are 3.5 times more leveraged than U.S. banks were going into 2008. Additionally, there is a local government debt crisis, which is a $13 trillion USD-equivalent drag on the marketplace where upwards of 80% of debt is in default. In addition, the PRC’s economy is in a major downturn due to anemic economic growth, not only because of these grave problems but also because of profound structural difficulties in the economy, demographic decline, U.S. pressure on its tech sector, investors concerned about Chinese Communist Party influence, and the viability of alternative markets like India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic and the end of its “zero COVID” policy are also having a lingering impact.

BIDEN/HARRIS/OBAMA’S AMERICA LAST REGIME: RADICAL TRANSFORMATION OF FOREIGN POLICY

Pavlich: ‘Hell to Pay’: How Will Biden Respond to Iran’s Latest Attack?

President Joe Biden confirmed Sunday three U.S. service members were killed and 25 others wounded in an Iranian backed drone attack in Jordan Saturday. In his statement, Biden claimed there will be some kind of response. […] 159 attacks on U.S. forces since mid-October. Three American troops killed overnight. Iran-backed proxies are funded and directed by officials in Tehran. There are thousands of U.S. troops across the region. Tense days ahead. […] The lack of a strong response and deterrence isn’t working to deescalate the situation, prompting demands for Biden to forcefully respond to the latest, deadly attacks.

Daily Wire News: U.S. Senators Push For Direct Military Response Against Iran After U.S. Soldiers Killed In Terror Attack

U.S. Central Command said in a statement that “three U.S. service members were killed and 25 injured from a one-way attack [Unmanned Aircraft System] that impacted at a base in northeast Jordan, near the Syria border.” Subsequent reporting said that more than 30 U.S. soldiers were injured in the attack.

President Joe Biden said in a separate statement that the attack was “carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq.” There was a bipartisan show of support among U.S. senators for the Biden administration to hold Iran directly responsible.

Escobedo: Investigative Journalist On Exposing UNRWA Years Before Biden Administration Halts Funding

The U.S. temporarily pauses funding to the U.N. Relief and Works Agency, amid allegations that twelve workers were involved in the October 7^th attacks on Israel. But investigative reporters have been sounding the alarm on UNRWA for years. One America’s Stella Escobedo spoke to journalist Dr. Anthony Harper who raised his concerns to the Trump White House back in 2017.

Watch the 7:08 minute interview: https://www.oann.com/video/oan-contribution/investigative-journalist-on-exposing-unrwa-years-before-biden-administration-halts-funding/

Streiff: Houthis Sink a Tanker in Gulf of Aden and Give the US a Black Eye but Enjoy the Great Plot Twist

A Houthi terrorist-fired anti-ship ballistic missile hit a petroleum tanker in the Gulf of Aden, and the crew was forced to abandon the ship on Friday. The British-owned, Marshall Islands-flagged 110,000-ton tanker M/T Marlin Luanda was carrying a cargo of Russian naphtha from Greece to Singapore. A second ship, the Panama-flagged 109,000-ton tanker M/T Achilles (ownership is unknown), loaded with petroleum products taken on in Prmorsk, Russia, with no revealed destination, was also targeted but completed its transit safely.

BIDEN/HARRIS/OBAMA’S AMERICA LAST REGIME: RADICAL TRANSFORMATION OF THE U.S. MILITARY

(H/T PC) Lawrence & Toropin: Marines Can’t Count on Navy Ships to Carry Them to Global Emergencies, One of the Service’s Top Generals Says

The Navy’s amphibious ships are not ready to deploy Marines around the world on time, a problem that has no short-term fix and degrades America’s ability to deter adversaries and reassure allies at a time when it is needed most, according to one of the Marine Corps’ top generals. “There’s a saying that wars are a come-as-you-are game,” Lt. Gen. Karsten Heckl, the commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command and deputy commandant for combat development and integration — the Marine who heads the service’s modernization efforts, told Military.com on Thursday. “Well, this is where we are. And there is simply no immediate fix.” The readiness issue comes down to several factors, including overuse of amphibious ships during the last 20-plus years of war, according to Heckl, who said that maintenance took a back seat to the intense operational tempo that helped define the Global War on Terror. Now, according to the general, the Navy and its Marine passengers are reaping the consequences of those decisions, just as conflict in the Middle East boils over once again.

BIDEN/HARRIS/OBAMA’S AMERICA LAST REGIME: RADICAL TRANSFORMATION OF AMERICA

Judicial Watch: Shocking 7,300% Spike in Illegal Immigrants from South American Nation with Terrorist Ties

Adding to the countless national security issues generated by the Biden administration’s egregious open border policies is an inconceivable spike in illegal immigrants from a country run by a dictator with close ties to terrorists. A new report published by the Washington D.C. nonprofit Federation for Immigration Reform (FAIR) reveals that under Biden there has been a mind-boggling 7,300% increase in migrants from Venezuela, which is quite disturbing considering the South American nation operates under a Marxist regime that encourages international terrorist groups to run free. […] Now the U.S. has hundreds of thousands of migrants from a nation with documented terrorist ties. Venezuela’s government issues travel documents to individuals linked to terrorism and allows terrorists to operate with relative impunity. The country also has close ties with Iran and other notorious state sponsors of terrorism.

Boose: America’s Immigration System Is Cruel—to Americans

Americans are paying a staggering cost for the federal government’s refusal to control mass immigration. The relentless influx costs billions of dollars in public services. It leaves Americans vulnerable to being needlessly and tragically victimized by unvetted criminals. Most cruel of all, it erases American communities through the silent, steady, and unwanted accumulation of a foreign population. Under the Biden administration, enough migrants have poured into the country to replace the populations of multiple states. In December alone, 300,00 migrants crossed the border—enough people to replace the entire populations of some small American cities. That doesn’t include the unknown number of “gotaways” who bypassed border agents altogether. […] The federal government is in a state of rebellion—against the American people. The costs of this betrayal will keep mounting until something breaks.

Kass: Terrors of the Michelle Obama (Presidential) Prophecy

The world is not just about snuggling with housebroken puppies and rainbows out your window and riding unicorns bareback. The real world can be terrifying. Just ask former First Lady Michelle Obama. She’s trembling with terror like a princess in a fairy tale being chased by Baba Yaga. And this terror of hers has infected the American news media with even more terror. Which brings us to the Michelle Obama Prophecy. First, please understand that Michelle is terribly afraid that former President Donald Trump will recapture the White House. Her husband’s “Big Guy,” also known as China Joe Biden is haplessly watching his job approval ratings plummet especially in the swing states that will take other Democrat politicians down with him. So they’re afraid, the media is afraid, and Michelle is pushing the panic button. […] I’m worried too, and though I am definitely not a Democrat, I do worry, since the Obamas are world-class cynical phonies capable of anything. And now the JoBama administration is going on its third term, the panic at the potential loss of a fourth term may cause them to grab for five terms, completely trashing the Constitution.

Sundance: Arrogant Demands Have Consequences – Mass Exodus as U.S. Trade Staff Hit Dead Ends and Unwilling Cooperation

A story surfacing in Politico about the collapse of the office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) and the inability of the entire trade policy group to find any willing trade partners was entirely predictable. You might remember how the insufferable U.S. business media constantly said the Trump trade team was not going to be successful because the administration was disliked by global trade partners. Every Trump trade approach from tariffs to section 301 compliance, to U.S. demands around foreign policy tied to the economic Trump Doctrine was decried by U.S. multinational corporations as too divisive, too intransigent. However, Donald Trump and his trade wolverines racked up more trade wins and established more trade agreements than any administration in history […] The ideological leftists who came with the Obama/Biden plan forcibly tried to push their Green New Deal policies into every trade agreement. The result and response from all U.S. trade partners has been a massive failure of epic proportions.

Border Patrol Union – NBPC posted on X: Rank-and file BP agents are not going to start arresting TX NG members for following their LAWFUL orders. That’s fake news. TX NG and rank-and-file BP agents work together and respect each other’s jobs. Period. If TX NG members have LAWFUL orders, then they have to carry out those orders. TX NG members realize that rank-and-file BP agents have their orders as well. Lawful orders, no matter how unpopular or distasteful amongst rank-and-file agents, must be followed. Unlawful orders (as determined by competent legal counsel and not what some outhouse lawyer behind a keyboard says) will not be followed.

Hemingway: The Immigration Crisis Shows Just How Much Contempt America’s Establishment Has For Democracy

America’s avoidable immigration crisis is now the No. 1 concern of voters, ahead of inflation and the economy. So why is no one in D.C. interested in holding Biden accountable? […] speaking of contempt for the rule of law, just over a week after the Iowa caucuses, we launched headlong into what could be the biggest legitimacy crisis the federal government has faced since — well, perhaps comparing it to the Civil War overstates things. But to quote Biden, Texas’ standoff with the federal government over illegal immigration is “a big f-cking deal.” There’s a very solid argument that Texas is well within its rights to seize control of its border and enforce the laws Biden won’t, but please tell us more about which candidate is distinguished “primarily by his contempt for the rule of law.” At a minimum, Biden’s complete disregard for border enforcement is . . .

Lyman: Biden Administration Sells Off Crucial US Helium Stockpile

The stockpile, which is located underground in Amarillo, Texas, is comprised of 425 miles of pipeline that travels throughout Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma, according to NBC News. The deal has yet to be finalized but will likely go to the highest bidder, gas company Messer, according to the report. […] Helium is vital to operating MRI machines, setting off concern in the medical world. […] “From a health care perspective, MRI machines are the No. 1 concern.” Saha said the sale of helium reserves could make the current helium supply chain shortage worse.

WAR IN ISRAEL

Exclusive: Subterranean Warfare Expert Warns Terrorists Worldwide Will Replicate Hamas’s ‘Genocidal’ Tactics if Allowed to Survive

If Hamas survives the current war with Israel, then “they’ve won,” according to retired United States Army Major and urban and subterranean warfare expert John Spencer, who slammed the terror group’s use of “human sacrifice” tactics and warned that if Israel did not completely dismantle the organization then “massive genocidal attacks” and the taking of civilian hostages would be replicated by terrorists across the globe. In an exclusive interview with Breitbart News, Spencer, a world-renowned expert on urban combat who serves as chair of urban warfare studies at the Modern War Institute (MWI) at West Point, noted how Israel’s past operations have primarily targeted the extensive tunnel networks of both Hamas and Hezbollah.

Weber: Top UN court allows genocide case against Israel to proceed, demands leaders limit deaths, damage

The decision in the Hague was made by 17 judges of the International Court of Justice.

Hubbard: South Africa’s ties to Hamas, Iran exposed amid financial troubles, genocide case against Israel

High-profile South African activists such as former Institute of Race Relations CEO Frans Cronje and Accountability Now Director Paul Hoffman both said earlier this month that reports are emerging that Iran fixed the ANC’s finance problem. “The South African government is the same thing as Hamas. It’s an Iranian proxy, and its role in the war is to fight the ideological and ideas war to stigmatize Jews around the world,” Cronje during an interview on Chai FM Radio. Former Trump deputy national security adviser Victoria Coates told the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show this week that “one has to at least wonder” whether Iran is funding the ANC. “This sort of unholy alliance is emerging in a deeply, deeply dangerous way.”

OTHER NEWS, COMMENTARY, OPINION

(H/T DM) Taibbi: The Anti-Democratic Movement Targeted Ralph Nader First. We Should Have Paid More Attention

In the summer of 2004 Theresa Amato, campaign manager of presidential candidate Ralph Nader, took out a notebook in preparation for an important phone conference. Her candidate, Nader, had already been subject to an extraordinary — and extraordinarily underreported — campaign of litigious harassment at the hands of the Democratic Party. John Kerry told Nader he had 2,000 lawyers at his disposal and would do “everything within the law” to win. In Arizona, Nader opponents filed a 650-page challenge to his attempt to get on the ballot, forgetting social justice concerns long enough to complain that one of Nader’s petition-circulators was a felon. They demanded ten samples of Nader’s own signature, hired a forensic examiner to call others into question, and challenged residents of a homeless shelter. The Democratic state chairman, Jim Pederson, said outright, “Our first objective is to keep [Nader] off the ballot,” because “we think it distorts the entire election.” […] Looking back, it’s clear Trump’s unsanctioned run and win were the violations of “norms” Washington insiders were most furious about. Now, when politicians talk about protecting “democracy,” what they really mean is restoring those old barriers of entry. The problem is, voters are wise to the game now, forcing insiders to resort to ever-cruder mechanisms of control, like the ten million criminal indictments and the recent ballot disqualification attempts. If those efforts fail, even more extreme action is surely coming, and “protecting democracy” is the pitch they’ll use to sell it.

Escobedo: Biden’s Embattled Former Iran Envoy To Teach At Yale

Biden’s former Special Envoy to Iran, Robert Malley, who was suspended last year and is under federal investigation for allegedly mishandling classified material, will be teaching a course at Yale. One America’s Stella Escobedo spoke with Walid Phares, author and former Donald Trump Advisor, about the issue as well as the Iran lobby in the U.S..

Watch the 7:41 minute report: https://www.oann.com/video/oan-contribution/bidens-embattled-former-iran-envoy-to-teach-at-yale/

Tanner: Utah’s anti-DEI bill passes Senate in last major vote, paving way to overhaul diversity programs in education, government

HB261 will need final approval from the Utah House on amendments before it’s expected to be signed by Utah Gov. Spencer Cox. Just 10 days into the legislative session, Senate Republicans have taken the last major vote to approve dismantling diversity programs across all of public education and government in Utah — one of the most far-reaching measures in the country. The full impact of the measure is still not known. But now public colleges, K-12 schools and offices across the state will have to determine what of their efforts violate the measure and then eliminate those. The Senate voted 23-6, with all Democrats in opposition, on Thursday to pass HB261. It goes back to the House again for final agreement on minor amendments Friday.

Berger: Our First Gun

It’s a .38 Special revolver. Up until one month ago, I had scant idea what such a gun looked like or could do. My husband eventually made the decision to get a gun, which surprised me a little as he is a very peaceable man. Yet, he is a lover of the U.S. Constitution: peaceable, but no fool. This week is our 30^th anniversary. For our anniversary present, we bought the gun together. […] Isn’t it interesting how much firepower the FBI commands, and how they regularly and with impunity break down the doors of the common people now? Isn’t it curious how Joe Biden makes such a big noise about guns, but lives, travels, and sleeps in fortresses of one sort or another — stationary or mobile? Biden is not interested in everyday people who need to buy guns for ‘personal protection’– not because they are terrorists (he is okay with that — look at the border), criminals (ditto), or whacked out on prescribed psychiatric drugs. Rather, we everyday folks are small to Biden, and he just doesn’t give a damn about us.

U.S. DEBT CLOCK:

https://www.usdebtclock.org/

The Prickly Pear’s TAKE ACTION focus this year is to help achieve a winning 2024 national and state November 5th election with the removal of the Biden/Obama leftist executive branch disaster, win one U.S. Senate seat, maintain and win strong majorities in all Arizona state offices on the ballot and to insure that unrestricted abortion is not constitutionally embedded in our laws and culture.

Please click the TAKE ACTION link to learn to do’s and don’ts for voting in 2024. Our state and national elections are at great risk from the very aggressive and radical leftist Democrat operatives with documented rigging, mail-in voter fraud and illegals voting across the country (yes, with illegals voting across the country) in the last several election cycles.

Read Part 1 and Part 2 of The Prickly Pear essays entitled How NOT to Vote in the November 5, 2024 Election in Arizona to be well informed of the above issues and to vote in a way to ensure the most likely chance your vote will be counted and counted as you intend.

Please click the following link to learn more.

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