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    Nikki Haley Officially Launches 2024 Presidential Campaign

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    7
    The White House from Washington, DC, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Former South Carolina governor Nikki Haley officially launched her campaign for President on Tuesday.

    The announcement, which has been expected for months, marks the first Republican candidate to challenge former President Donald Trump’s 2024 campaign openly.

    The former governor and United Nations ambassador announced her bid in a video, calling for new leadership in the GOP.

    “Republicans have lost the popular vote in seven out of the last eight presidential elections. That has to change,” Haley, 51, said. “Joe Biden’s record is abysmal, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. The Washington establishment has failed us over and over and over again. It’s time for a new generation of leadership.”

    Last month, Haley signaled that she was still weighing a White House bid during an interview, saying that the country needed a new generation to step up in 2024 and offering herself as a potential leader. 

    “It’s bigger than one person. And when you’re looking at the future of America, I think it’s time for new generational change. I don’t think you need to be 80 years old to go be a leader in D.C.,” Haley told the network. “I think we need a young generation to come in, step up, and really start fixing things.”

    Her announcement was also expected by Trump, who disclosed in late January that he had spoken to Haley about a White House bid and said he encouraged her to do so. 

    Haley has boasted an impressive political record, the former governor has never lost a race for public office.

    “She’s tough. She won the governor’s race in ‘10 and none of us thought Nikki would have a chance,” said Katon Dawson, a former South Carolina Republican Party chair who’s backing Haley’s presidential bid. “She brings a lot to the Republican Party as far as diversity and common sense. And I think those are the things that will attract people to her candidacy.” 

    This story is breaking and will be updated. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    FBI Searches Mike Pence’s Home Amid Document Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    4
    Federal Bureau of Investigation, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    FBI agents searched former Vice President Mike Pence’s residence Friday as federal authorities continue their classified document investigation, two sources confirmed to Fox News. 

    Local police blocked off the entrance to the Indiana residence before federal investigators arrived in a white vehicle. 

    Sources claim the search was planned for days and noted Pence is not at home Friday.

    Last month, Pence informed Congress that he discovered documents bearing classified markings from his time as vice president on Jan. 16.

    Pence attorney Greg Jacob wrote on Jan. 18 to Acting Director Kate Dillon McClure of the White House Liaison Division National Archives and Records Administration to inform her of the papers “containing classified markings.”

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

    Special Counsel Overseeing Trump Criminal Probe Subpoenas Mike Pence

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Mike Pence via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The special counsel investigating Former President Donald Trump’s efforts to overturn the 2020 presidential election has summoned former Vice President Mike Pence to testify.

    The development follows months of negotiations between Department of Justice prosecutors and Pence’s legal team.

    WATCH:

    Per The Wall Street Journal:

    The move represents an escalation in the Justice Department investigation and sets the stage for a likely court battle over executive privilege, which lawyers for Mr. Trump have raised in recent years to block or slow the testimony of former administration officials in various probes.

    …

    Mr. Pence’s former chief of staff, Marc Short, and his former counsel, Greg Jacob, last year appeared before a federal grand jury as part of the investigation into Mr. Trump’s efforts to discredit the 2020 election results.

    Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed Mr. Smith in November to examine efforts to undo the election results as well as to probe the handling of classified documents found at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida. That investigation has intensified over a year to include an extraordinary warrant-backed search of the property in August.

    Mr. Pence declined to speak to the congressional committee investigating the Jan. 6, 2021, assault on the U.S. Capitol by Mr. Trump’s supporters. But the former vice president has viewed the Justice Department investigation as different from the House inquiry, which he considered partisan, according to people familiar with his thinking.

    According to a person familiar with the matter, Pence’s team is weighing its response.

    Facebook Officially Reinstates Former President Trump’s Account

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Photo via Pixabay images

    Facebook has officially reinstated former President Donald Trump’s account.

    Trump was banned from both social media platforms, along with others such as Twitter, following the January 6, 2021, riots at the U.S. Capitol. Facebook at the time said Trump would be barred from using both Facebook and Instagram for inciting violence, a violation of their terms of service.

    It is unclear whether Trump will use the platform—though the former president was reinstated on Twitter last November, he has still not used his account, opting instead to use his own platform, Truth Social.

    Last month, Facebook CEO Nick Clegg told Axios that Trump’s accounts would be reinstated “in coming weeks,” though he cautioned that future bans are on the table. “We’ve always believed that Americans should be able to hear from the people who want to lead the country,” Clegg told Axios. “We don’t want to stand in the way of that.”

    Trump has yet to post on either his Facebook or Instagram accounts, which together have more than 50 million followers.

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

    Multiple Supreme Court Justices Notably Absent from Biden’s SOTU

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0
    Duncan Lock, Dflock, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    President Biden’s second State of the Union speech included some notable absences.

    Four Supreme Court justices were surprisingly absent from the President’s speech.

    Biden greeted five of the high court’s nine justices — John Roberts, Elena Kagan, Brett Kavanaugh, Amy Coney Barrett, and Ketanji Brown Jackson — shortly before he began his speech, according to video footage of the event.

    The four justices absent were Clarence Thomas, Sam Alito, Sonia Sotomayor, and Neil Gorsuch. It’s unclear why they were not in attendance.

    The president spent a brief moment, in particular, with Jackson, the newest Supreme Court Justice and the first Black woman to hold a seat on the court. Jackson is the only justice Biden selected for the Supreme Court.

    “The story of America is a story of progress and resilience,” Biden began his address. “Of always moving forward. Of never giving up. A story that is unique among all nations. We are the only country that has emerged from every crisis stronger than when we entered it. That is what we are doing again.”

    Joe Manchin Reignites 2024 White House Speculation

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    3
    Joe Manchin via Wikimedia Commons

    A Democrat Senator isn’t ready to give up his presidential aspiration quite yet.

    West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin signaled that his interest in potentially launching his own presidential campaign has not been deterred by President Biden’s reported re-election plans.

    While speaking with Semafor’s Steve Clemmons, Sen. Manchin declined to rule out a bid for higher office. 

    “I don’t know what the next chapter will be, I don’t know [where] the future lies, I really don’t,” Manchin said when asked if he would run for president next year during a question-and-answer session hosted by Clemons.  

    “I can tell you one thing: I feel, like most Americans, we’ve got to come together. Americans want to be united, they want to be together and right now we’re going further apart,” he said.  

    He predicted that voters are going to be looking for “somebody” to bring the country together but didn’t say whether he would be the politician to do that as the next president.  

    “I’m not saying I have any aspirations” to run for the White House, he said, adding a caveat: “I’ve been [in Washington] 12 years. I don’t like what I see; I don’t the direction we’re going and I’m going to work and commit myself to try to get people who want to do the right thing to find the pathway forward, bringing the country back together.” 

    Manchin has recently criticized Democratic leaders for refusing to negotiate with Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) over a package of fiscal reforms to attach to legislation raising the debt limit.

    “It’s unreasonable for any senator, any congressperson representing the United States government to say, ‘I’m not going to negotiate,’” he told reporters on Capitol Hill. “If you can’t communicate and you won’t talk to each other, you got a problem.”   

    Fox News Star Dan Bongino Hospitalized

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    2

    Popular Fox News star Dan Bongino shared an update from his hospital bed, thanking fans for their prayers and well wishes

    Bongino, who has become one of the most popular voices in conservative media, recently had surgery on his elbow.

    In a Facebook post, Bongino seemed in good spirits following the surgery.

    “Doing okay! Out of surgery and the doc did a massive clean up operation on my elbow. Thanks for all of your prayers and messages. I really appreciate it,” the former Secret Service agent and NYPD officer posted on his Facebook.

    In a November Facebook post, the former Secret Service officer said that years of arm bars led to these medical problems. Bongino shared that difficulties with his elbow wrought with bone spurs and arthritis eventually led to the operation.

    In a Saturday post, Bongino shared a medical scan of his surgically repaired elbow.

    “Straighter than it’s been in ten years. Big thanks to Dr. Florez.”

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

    DeSantis Receives Unexpected Rescue After Being Called ‘Racist’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Florida Governor Ron DeSantis received an unexpected rescue after being called a racist.

    Black leaders in Miami apologized to Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis after one of its members called him a racist last week, according to reports from Fox News.

    Pierre Rutledge, chair of the Miami-Dade Black Affairs Advisory Board, issued a statement on behalf of his board that apologized to DeSantis for a comment made at their Wednesday meeting from a member who said, “Our governor is racist.”

    “We take it to heart when someone uses the term racist,” Rutledge said Friday. “Words matter. And so as chair, I must start by saying we want to pull that back. There’s nothing wrong with saying ‘we’re sorry.’ That’s not what we intended to say or be depicted by anyone. And that’s not the feeling of this board.”

    The member labeled DeSantis a racist due to the ongoing controversy of an African-American history Advanced Placement course. Earlier this year, Gov. DeSantis rejected the course because he claimed the content did not focus on Black history, instead, the course contained Black Lives Matter and queer issues. 

    DeSantis has defended the decision from his Department of Education to remove the African-American history course, which he said pushes a political agenda.

    “This course on Black history, what’s one of the lessons about? Queer theory,” DeSantis said. “Now, who would say that an important part of Black history is queer theory? That is somebody pushing an agenda.”

    Black leaders and Democrats in Florida have pledged to defend and keep the course in schools.

    The College Board removed aspects of the course last Wednesday opposed by DeSantis. The course will be reevaluated by the Florida Department of Education to determine if it is appropriate for schools.

    Balloons That Infiltrated Country Under Trump Only Discovered After Biden Took Office

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    President Donald J. Trump is presented with a 10th Combat Aviation Brigade challenge coin following an air assault and gun rain demonstration at Fort Drum, New York, on August 13. The demonstration was part of President Trump's visit to the 10th Mountain Division (LI) to sign the National Defense Authorization Act of 2019, which increases the Army's authorized active-duty end strength by 4,000 enabling us to field critical capabilities in support of the National Defense Strategy. (U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Thomas Scaggs) 180813-A-TZ475-010

    A senior Biden administration official is clearing the air.

    Last week, after President Biden let a Chinese spy balloon glide across the United States, allegations emerged that one or more spy balloons violated U.S. airspace during the Trump administration.

    But the discovery didn’t occur until Biden took office. The explanation follows denials from the former president and his national security team that such events ever happened or that they were briefed.

    On Friday, former Defense Secretary Mark Esper told CNN that he was “surprised” by the claims.

    “I don’t ever recall somebody coming into my office or reading anything that the Chinese had a surveillance balloon above the United States,” he said.

    As Fox News reports:

    But on Sunday, a senior administration official told Fox News Digital that “U.S. intelligence, not the Biden administration” assesses that “PRC (People’s Republic of China) government surveillance balloons transited the continental U.S. briefly at least three times during the prior administration and once that we know of at the beginning of this administration, but never for this duration of time.”

    The official told Fox News that “this information was discovered after the [Trump] administration left.”

    “They went undetected,” the official told Fox News Digital.

    The official explained that Chinese surveillance balloons are “part of a larger pattern.”

    They added that the PRC has a fleet of balloons to conduct surveillance “at the direction of the People’s Liberation Army,” noting that similar balloons have been spotted across five continents in recent years.

    “Two things can be true at once: this happened, and it wasn’t detected,” they concluded.

    According to the report, at least one balloon flew over Texas and Florida during the Trump administration. Another crashed in Hawaii four months ago.

    The official said that the intelligence community is prepared to offer briefings to key Trump administration officials about the Chinese surveillance program, which the Biden administration believes has been deployed in countries across five continents over the last several years.

    A senior admin. official also told CNN that another Chinese spy balloon also transited the continental US briefly at the beginning of the Biden administration.

    Republican Senator Threatens Foreign Leader Over Imprisoned US Soldier

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
    -
    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.

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