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    Republican Senator Threatens Foreign Leader Over Imprisoned US Soldier

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    Republicans aren’t playing nice anymore.

    Thursday morning Utah Republican Senator Mike Lee issued a threat to Japanese prime minister Fumio Kishida if the U.S. ally doesn’t release Navy Lt. Ridge Alkonis, who is currently serving a 3-year prison sentence, by the end of the month.

    Sen. Lee promised to mobilize his colleagues and the American public to reevaluate the United States’ relationship with Japan unless Alkonis is released in a lengthy thread on Twitter.

    “You’ve made your point poorly and counterproductively, but whatever—it’s time to bring your standoff to an end,” continued Lee, before observing that Japan has enjoyed the twin luxuries of a “really good security arrangement” with the U.S. and “not having that arrangement discussed or seriously questioned in Congress for a long time.”

    “That’s about to change,” promised Lee.

    “If you transfer Lt. Alkonis back to the U.S. before midnight on February 28, 2023, we will do our best to forget that this whole thing never happened. It will be hard, but we will try” the Senator continued.

    “If, however, he’s not on U.S. soil by then, many of us will work equally hard to make sure America knows (1) what a good security arrangement you have with the U.S., (2) what you did to one of the best and brightest our military has to offer, and (3) what we should do about it,” Sen. Lee warned.

    The Utah Senator noted, “The fact that you—like Lt. Alkonis—are far away from us doesn’t mean that your actions will go unnoticed here.”

    “The stake that sticks out gets hammered down,” concluded Lee in an ominous conclusion to his thread, typed out in Japanese.

    According to reports from Mediaite, Alkonis was driving with his family down from Mt. Fuji in May 2021 when he collided with another vehicle, killing an elderly woman and her son-in-law. The Navy lieutenant has maintained that the cause of the crash was brought on by a bout of mountain sickness that rendered him unconscious. However, the Japanese court system ruled that he was negligent, falling asleep at the wheel without any accompanying illness.

    The Alkonis family has reportedly offered the victims’ family a restitution payment upwards of $1 million.

    Trump Refuses to Say He will Back the Republican Nominee in 2024

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4

    Donald Trump is not in the business of doubting himself…

    The former president who is currently on his third presidential campaign told Hugh Hewitt that he is not committed to backing the 2024 Republican nominee if it’s not him.

    According to Mediaite, during an interview with Hugh Hewitt, once again, Trump harped about his former U.N. ambassador, Nikki Haley, running for president after pledging she wouldn’t run against Trump. After calling Haley “a very ambitious person,” Trump was asked about how Hewitt spoke to Larry Hogan (R) earlier in the day, who is also openly considering a 2024 run.

    The former Maryland governor said he would support whoever the Republican Party nominates in 2024, even though he refused to back Trump in 2020. Thus, Hewitt asked Trump “if you’re not the nominee, will you support whoever the GOP nominee is?”

    “It would depend,” Trump answered. “I would give you the same answer I gave in 2016 during the debate…It would have to depend on who the nominee was.”

    As Trump said, his answer harkens back to the Fox News debate of 2015 where he refused to pledge his support for whoever won the Republican primary. 

    Hispanic Democrats Introduce Bill to Ban ‘Latinx’ Term

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4

    Hispanic Democrats in Connecticut have introduced a bill to ban the woke term “Latinx” from state documents.

    The bill, written and endorsed by five Democrats of Hispanic descent, comes amid increased scrutiny over the work term and its place in government documents.

    The text of the bill reads:

    [T]he general statutes [shall] be amended to prohibit any state agency, or state employee on behalf of a state agency, from using the term “Latinx” on any official communications or forms of the state agency.

    A search on the state website reveals that at least 920 state documents contain the word “Latinx.”

    It was introduced by five members of the state House: state Reps. Geraldo C. Reyes, Christopher Rosario, Juan R. Candelaria, Robert Sanchez, and Minnie Gonzalez.

    “This has been offensive and derogatory to all Puerto Ricans, and it’s something that hasn’t sat well with a lot of people here for a while.” Reyes added to CT Insider. “When I found out that Arkansas Gov. [Sanders] banned it on her first day in the office, I saw that as an opportunity for me to do the same thing.” Reyes, however, criticized Sanders’ move, saying she had “other motivations” for banning the word in Arkansas government documents.

    According to The Daily Wire, a national poll conducted in October found that only 1% of Hispanics identify as “Latinx,” a gender-neutral term imposed on Hispanics by left-wing culture. WPA Intelligence, a conservative polling firm that collaborated with Visto Media on behalf of the Latino advocacy group Bienvenido, conducted a poll of 1,288 Hispanic registered Democrat, Republican, and Independent voters.

    The poll found that the community prefers to be identified as Hispanic, while others said American or Latino.

    Last month, Arkansas Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders banned the use of “latinx” in state documents as one of her first acts as governor. (RELATED: Arkansas Governor Bans Woke Term During First Day on the Job)

    “ETHNICALLY INSENSITIVE AND PEJORATIVE LANGUAGE HAS NO PLACE IN OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS OR GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEE TITLES,” SANDERS’ EXECUTIVE ORDER STATED. “THE GOVERNMENT HAS A RESPONSIBILITY TO RESPECT ITS CITIZENS AND USE ETHNICALLY APPROPRIATE LANGUAGE, PARTICULARLY WHEN REFERRING TO ETHNIC MINORITIES.”

    Ilhan Omar Removed From Foreign Affairs Committee

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    12
    U.S. Rep Ilhan Omar, Ayanna Pressley, Rashida Tlaib, and Cori Bush speak at the Mississippi River in Minneapolis asking for President Biden to stop Line 3 pipeline construction.

    The U.S. House of Representatives voted to remove Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., from the powerful Foreign Affairs Committee in a Thursday afternoon vote.

    The vote came to the floor after Republican Reps. Ken Buck and Victoria Spartz reversed their decision to oppose the resolution to punish Omar for her history of antisemitic comments.

    The Washington Times has more:

    Ms. Omar, a Minnesota Democrat and member of the far-left “Squad,” was kicked off the committee in a party-line 218-211 vote.

    Ms. Omar, who came to the U.S. as a Somali refugee and was one of the first two Muslim women elected to Congress, said she was being targeted by Republicans because she is an immigrant, a Black woman and a Muslim.

    “This debate today is about who is going to be an American,” Ms. Omar said in a floor speech before the vote. “There is an idea that you are suspect if you are an immigrant.”

    Ms. Omar has been vocal about her opposition to the Israeli government and its supporters, particularly on the issue of Palestinian rights, which led to the allegations of antisemitism.

    Omar’s rhetoric in the past has also offended some Democrats, who have on occasion spoken out against her.

    Every Democrat voted against today’s resolution.

    This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    Ex-ABC News Producer Arrested on Child Porn Charges

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Federal authorities arrested former ABC News investigative journalist James Gordon Meek on criminal charges related to the alleged transportation of images of child sex abuse.

    According to the DOJ, the case against Meek was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative launched in May 2006 by the DOJ to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse.

    According to Fox News, the Justice Department issued a press release Wednesday that finally shed light on the mysterious raid of the journalist’s home last year.

    The 15-page affidavit includes extremely disturbing details, including a video found on Meek’s phone of the alleged rape of an infant.

    The DOJ announced an investigation into Meek initiated from a lead sent by Dropbox, which was eventually received by the FBI Washington Field Office’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. 

    “That lead ultimately led to a court-authorized search of Meek’s residence in April 2022 by members of the task force, where law enforcement seized multiple devices that allegedly contained evidence of the transportation of images of child sexual abuse,” the Justice Department announced. 

    “According to court documents, several of Meek’s devices allegedly contained images depicting children engaged in sexually explicit conduct, and multiple chat conversations with users engaged in sexually explicit conversations where the participants expressed enthusiasm for the sexual abuse of children. In two of those conversations, a username allegedly associated with Meek received and distributed child sexual abuse materials through an internet-based messaging platform,” the DOJ continued. 

    Meek is charged with transportation of child pornography and faces a mandatory minimum of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison if convicted.

    DeSantis Offers Cheeky Response to Trump Attacks

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Ron DeSantis via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Ron DeSantis is cool as a cucumber…

    The Florida governor, who is rumored to be considering a 2024 White House bid, seemed to brush off former President Trump’s latest attacks during a news conference.

    Former President Trump recently raised eyebrows with his criticism of DeSantis’s handling of the Covid-19 pandemic, which has widely been regarded as a major triumph of the DeSantis administration and what propelled him to becoming “America’s governor.”

    However, instead of trading barbs and criticisms with Trump DeSantis opted for the high road, with a reminder that he won reelection last year by the largest margin of any Republican Florida governor in the state’s modern history.

    According to The Hill, DeSantis defeated former Rep. Charlie Crist (D-Fla.) in November by a staggering 19-point margin. It was the largest spread in a Florida gubernatorial race in four decades.

    “When you’re an elected executive, you have to make all kinds of decisions’ you got to steer that ship. And the good thing is, is that the people are able to render a judgment on that – whether they reelect you or not,” DeSantis said. 

    “And I’m happy to say, you know, in my case, not only did we win reelection, we won with the highest percentage of the vote that any Republican governor candidate has in the history of the state of Florida,” he added. “We won by the largest raw vote margin – over 1.5 million votes – than any governor candidate has ever had in Florida history.”

    “I roll out of bed, I have people attacking me from all angles,” he said. “It’s been happening for many, many years.”

    Trump accused DeSantis of “trying to rewrite history” when it came to his early handling of the COVID-19 outbreak, arguing that Florida was “closed for a long period of time” at the outset of the pandemic. 

    In separate remarks to The Associated Press, Trump also took aim at DeSantis’s rumored presidential ambitions, saying that running for the White House would be a “great act of disloyalty.”

    Trump Sues Prominent Journalist Bob Woodward

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    4
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    Former President Donald Trump suing journalist Bob Woodward over interview recordings that Trump alleges he didn’t agree could be included in his audiobook, “the Trump Tapes.”

    The lawsuit, filed in the Pensacola division of the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Florida, names Simon & Schuster Inc. and its parent company Paramount Global as defendants along with Woodward. Trump seeks more than $49 million in damages.

    According to The Hill, Trump noted that he consented to Woodward recording their conversations for the purpose of a book, and gave 19 interviews to the veteran journalist in 2019 and 2020, which Woodward included in his 2020 book “Rage” but did not agree to the interviews’ being published via audiobook.

    “This case centers on Mr. Woodward’s systematic usurpation, manipulation, and exploitation of audio of President Trump gathered in connection with a series of interviews conducted by Mr. Woodward,” Trump’s team argues in the filing.

    “The Defendants’ ongoing concerted efforts to profit off the protected audio recordings and the works they have distributed derived from the protected audio recordings have caused President Trump to sustain substantial damage,” the suit continues.

    The former president’s team is pursuing a number of counts against the defendants, including unjust enrichment, violation of Florida trade law and breach of contract. At one point, the filing also alleges that the audiobook misrepresented one of the pair’s interviews through editing. 

    Woodward, 79, is one of the two Post journalists that famously broke the Watergate scandal

    Paul Pelosi Hammer Attack Footage Released

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    1
    Image via Pixabay images

    Police have released the footage of a hammer-wielding intruder attacking former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s husband in their San Fransisco home.

    The footage disclosure follows San Francisco Superior Court Judge Stephen M. Murphy’s ruling yesterday over prosecutors’ objections.

    Beware the video shows graphic and violent content.

    According to a sworn affidavit, David DePape broke into the Pelosis’ San Francisco estate shouting, “Where is Nancy?” DePape said he intended to break Pelosi’s kneecaps if she didn’t comply with his instructions.

    However, the House speaker had flown to Washington.

    Instead, DePape encountered her husband, Paul Pelosi, 82.

    This story is developing. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    Former Top FBI Official Charged with Violating Russia Sanctions

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    2
    Arrest image via Pixabay

    A former top FBI official involved in the investigation of alleged ties between Russia and Donald Trump has been charged with violating U.S. sanctions against Russia.

    Charles McGonigal, who previously worked as the counterintelligence director in the FBI’s New York field office, was arrested for violating U.S. sanctions against Russia over his work with Oleg Deripaska, a sanctioned Russian oligarch.

    McGonigal was charged along with a court interpreter, Sergey Shestakov, who also had ties to Deripaska according to The Hill.

    According to the FBI, McGonigal took money from Deripaska in exchange for investigating a rival Russian oligarch. The indictment also alleges also claims that the duo was actively trying to conceal the identity of Deripaska when negotiating the deal.

    “They both previously worked with Deripaska to attempt to have his sanctions removed, and, as public servants, they should have known better,” U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York Damian Williams said in a statement. “This Office will continue to prosecute those who violate U.S. sanctions enacted in response to Russian belligerence in Ukraine in order to line their own pockets”

    The FBI alleges that the two attempted to conceal Deripaska’s involvement by “not directly naming Deripaska in electronic communications, using shell companies as counterparties in the contract that outlined the services to be performed, using a forged signature on that contract, and using the same shell companies to send and receive payments from Deripaska.”

    The two were charged with one count of conspiring to violate and evade U.S. sanctions, in violation of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA), one count of violating the IEEPA, one count of conspiring to commit money laundering, and one count of money laundering, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. Shestakov is also charged with one count of making false statements, which carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison. 

    After leaving the FBI, McGonigal worked for Deripaska directly, making $42,000 a month.

    Georgia DA Teases ‘Imminent’ Charging Decisions in Trump Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    3
    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The Georgia prosecutor in charge of the investigation into former President Donald Trump‘s alleged interference in the 2020 election is seeking to keep the special grand jury’s finding a secret for now.

    On Tuesday, Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued that the panel’s report which may include recommendations for indictments as well as other information from the special grand jury’s investigative work be kept from the public.

    “We want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and we think for future defendants to be treated fairly, it is not appropriate at this time to have this report released,” Willis said. She also told the judge, “decisions are imminent.”

    Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney was hearing arguments on whether the report is a presentment and is therefore required to be released under Georgia law because the grand jurors recommended their findings be publicized. In addition to the timing, the judge is expected to consider whether the report should be disclosed publicly in full or with redactions.

    A group of media organizations filed a brief supporting the release of the report. They called it a “matter of profound public interest that goes to the heart of the nation’s democratic forms of government,” according to The Washington Post. An attorney for the media intervenors, Tom Clyde, made arguments in favor of immediate disclosure during the hearing on Tuesday.

    Judge Willis concluded the day’s proceedings and promised to “circle back” on a decision, promising there would be advance notice if he decided in favor of disclosure.

    Trump’s attorneys said in a statement they were not attending the hearing Tuesday, saying Trump was not informed or asked to attend.

    The attorneys, Georgia-based Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, added, “We can assume that the grand jury did their job and looked at the facts and the law, as we have, and concluded there were no violations of the law by President Trump.”

    The ongoing investigation in the Peach State after a phone call recording surfaced in which Trump pressed Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger to “find” votes, enough to flip the state’s results from Joe Biden.

    Trump has defended the call and has broadly rejected any claims of wrongdoing. 

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