This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
After a surprising insurgent offensive by rebels last week, Syria's northern city of Aleppo was captured. The offensive marked the first attack on the city by opposition forces since 2016.
Having overtaken the central city of Hama Dec. 5, rebel forces are approximately 115 miles from Damascus, which is a serious concern to President Bashar al-Assad. Reversing an earlier claim denying that rebels had entered the city, the Syrian army says it is redeploying its forces "to preserve civilian lives and prevent urban combat." Assad may soon be forced to confront a serious threat to Syria's capitol of Damascus.
WorldNetDaily spoke to Ryan Mauro, a national security analyst at the Capital Research Center who has focused on Syria and the Middle East for over 20 years. Describing the Middle Eastern country as "a mosh pit of jihadi groups," he says distinguishing between the ruling regime and the rebels is a near-impossibility.
"There are so many different factions on each side that are fighting an external enemy, while at the same time, they are fighting with each other," he explained.
For this reason, Mauro considers it hard to speak in generalizations, but does say flatly that "the rebels that are taking territory in Syria are jihadists." At the same time, he pointed out that the Assad regime is essentially part of an Islamist Iranian regime. Considering this, he said, "you're basically trading one jihadi for the next."
From the perspective of the West and Israel, Mauro questions whether it is better to have "a stable and arguably less fanatical enemy" to the north – that is, if Assad were to prevail and reclaim land – or rebels and other terrorist organizations who will be consumed with fighting each other.
"There are pluses and minuses to each scenario," he concedes.
"If Assad wins, it would be like having Iran on your border. But if the rebels win, it would be like having Somalia on your border," he offered. With that in mind, Mauro speculates that it may actually be better for Assad to fall.
Interestingly, he speculated as to how the powers-that-be in the region could have prepared.
For stability in the region, Mauro said, "What should have been happening for a very, very long time is [their] backing the Kurdish elements to the hilt, while also backing the more secular oriented Syrian rebel elements that have been somewhat allied with the Kurds," he said. Most importantly, the process would have involved working with as many secular, democratic political forces as possible, avoiding those that are theocratic or genocidal.
The battle for control of Syria is a situation the United States has largely avoided, Mauro pointed out. "At critical junctures, the U.S. has chosen [to support] Turkey at the expense of the Syrian Democratic Forces – the Kurds, Arabs and Christian coalition – that has been our most important partner on the ground and is the only non-Islamist option in Syria right now."
Prince Harry set the record straight after he and Meghan Markle have stepped out separately to several events, the New York Post reported. He chalked it up to rumors while the pair practiced a "twin-track approach" to overhaul their tarnished image.
There have been several rumors about a split between Harry and the Duchess of Sussex as they appear alone on separate coasts. On Wednesday, Markle stepped onto the red carpet at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel in Beverly Hills for this year's Paley Honors Fall Gala.
The 43-year-old was decked out in a designer gown but did not have her prince on her arm. Instead, Markle was at the event as the guest of Tyler Perry, a longtime friend and godfather of her daughter Princess Lilibet.
Meanwhile, Harry was on the other side of the country in New York City to attend the New York Times’ DealBook conference. The couple insists they are not headed for divorce despite the thousands of miles between them.
Royal experts see the physical separation as a sign of a marriage in shambles. Harry attempted to dispel those rumors with his own take when asked about the chatter about his marriage.
"Apparently we’ve bought or moved house 10, 12 times. We’ve apparently divorced maybe 10, 12 times as well," Harry clumsily said of the rumors surrounding the couple.
"So it’s just like, 'what?'" he added. "It’s hard to keep up with, but that’s why you just sort of ignore it," Harry went on.
"The people I feel most sorry about are the trolls. Their hopes are just built and built, and it’s like, ‘Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes,’ and then it doesn’t happen," Harry said.
"So I feel sorry for them. Genuinely, I do," he added.
Despite the couple's insistence that all is well for the ex-royals, who relinquished their royal duties and moved to California in 2020, there seem to be plenty of signs of trouble. As Fox News reported, watchers of the royal family note that the pair have increasingly seemed at odds.
Harry has all but severed ties with most of his family, thanks in no small part to his wife's accounts of how she was mistreated. The move to California was supposed to be a fresh start, but their attempts at increasing their fame and popularity have fallen short.
Kinsey Schofield, who hosts the "To Di For Daily" podcast about the royal family, believes this has caused a rift in the marriage. "Last summer, Rolling Stone ran the story, ‘Meghan Markle and Prince Harry Are in Their Flop Era.' The Sussexes have accomplished nothing significant since. Are they still technically in their flop era?" Schofield questioned.
"I am not going to applaud Prince Harry for successfully networking… I have higher expectations than that. But if we continue to see Prince Harry work away from Meghan after the new year, I think it’s fair to debate what a professional divorce means for the couple personally," the podcaster added.
It's unclear whether these signs point to a divorce or if they're strategizing to recapture some of the fame that now eludes them since moving to the U.S. However, it's undeniable that the relationship seemed doomed as soon as Harry gave up his family and identity because of Markle.
It has been decades since six-year-old JonBenet Ramsey was murdered, but her father, John Ramsey, believes the case can be solved.
JonBenet's now 80-year-old father told NewsNation that the killing has a "good chance" of being solved with the latest DNA technology.
“We want them (police) to do more,” Ramsey said during an appearance on NewsNation's Elizabeth Vargas Reports.
John and his late wife Patsey Ramsey became the prime suspects in the eyes of police and the media after the killing of JonBenet, which became an international story.
A new Netflix series has reignited interest in the 1996 murder and the theory that an intruder was responsible.
John Ramsey believes that new methods of DNA analysis, like genetic genealogy, can help lead the police to the killer.
“If they use the latest DNA technology, collaborate with labs, and use familial genealogy research, which successfully finds solutions to old cold cases. If they do that, there’s a good chance we can solve it," he said.
John Ramsey discovered the dead body of his six-year-old in the basement of his Boulder, Colorado home, hours after her parents found a strange ransom note and reported the girl missing.
John said he and Patsey understood the initial suspicion of him and his wife, but the cops pinned them as the killers early on and never considered other possibilities.
“We were in the home. We think it’s horrible, but we accept that,” Ramsey said. “But don’t stop there. That was their conclusion.”
Some have speculated that an intruder killed JonBenet, possibly a pedophile who developed an interest in the child beauty queen.
John Ramsey has been making the rounds of the media to build pressure to solve the killing, as a new Netflix series, Cold Case: Who Killed JonBenet Ramsey sparks fresh interest in the tragedy.
The series looks at alternative suspects, including John Mark Karr, a teacher who was arrested in Thailand after confessing to killing JonBenet in 2006. But his DNA did not match the crime scene, and he was ruled out.
In 2008, the Ramseys were ruled out by a former prosecutor after DNA pointed to an unidentified third party.
Responding to the renewed public interest in the case, Boulder Police have denied claims that they are withholding evidence.
“The assertion that there is viable evidence and leads we are not pursuing — to include DNA testing — is completely false,” Boulder Police said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President-elect Donald Trump is reportedly considering Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis for the nation's new defense secretary, following a concerted Democrat and media narrative that has claimed Trump's first pick, Pete Hegseth, may have a drinking problem.
It was NBC News that claimed "two sources" identified DeSantis as a possible nominee, following a report on the issue by the Wall Street Journal.
The network said, "Other possible contenders for the Pentagon top job include Sens. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, and Bill Hagerty, R-Tenn., according to two sources familiar with the decision-making. Rep. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., whom Trump had chosen for White House national security adviser, is also a possible pick for leading the Pentagon, two other sources said."
The narrative that was unleashed following Trump's pick of Hegseth has included various stories about his drinking and a "sexual assault" in 2017 for which he was not charged.
Hegseth has denied he mistreated women and explained the incident involving the woman who accused him was a consensual event.
Hegseth, on social media, has cited the "smear" campaign based on "fake" and "anonymous" sources.
"Our warriors will never back down, & neither will I," he said.
He repeated his assertion Wednesday morning:
It was Twitchy that called out Democrats and the media for their leftist attacks.
"Hegseth has been in the crosshairs of the left since President-Elect Trump nominated him to lead the Department of Defense. First, they said he was unqualified, completely ignoring his Ivy League education and decorated military service. Then they tried to 'Kavanaugh' him with a 2017 accusation of sexual assault, which was investigated by police at the time. No charges were filed. They accused him of being a white supremacist because he had tattoos or something. Most recently, The New Yorker ran a hit piece claiming Hegseth was commonly intoxicated on the job while he worked for Concerned Vets for America. Senator Dick Blumenthal was quick to pounce on the story."
Now, the report said, "NBC has doubled down on The New Yorker article with claims from Fox News employees."
There were those who apparently were being swayed by the claims.
There were defenders, too.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
A liberal media pundit, called an "extremist" in some reports this week, was responding to comments, some critical and some sarcastic, about Joe Biden's flip-flop regarding son Hunter, and his announcement of a presidential pardon for the tax- and gun-charge convicted Hunter.
Many Republicans and even some Democrats directed a harsh word or two at Joe Biden for promising many times he wouldn't pardon Hunter, and then turning around and doing exactly that.
It was Charles P. Pierce, in Esquire, who wrote, "Anybody Remember Neil Bush? Nobody defines Poppy Bush's presidency by his son's struggles or the pardons he issued on his way out of the White House. The moral: Shut the f— up about Hunter Biden, please. … [The] lucky American businessman['s]… father exercised his unlimited constitutional power of clemency to pardon the Lucky American Businessman for all that S&L business way back when. The president's name was George H.W. Bush. The Lucky American Businessman was his son, Neil."
Only, a report in RedState pointed out that, "Evidently, there were no editors around to check his claim because he doubled down."
The problem was that Neil Bush never was given a pardon by his president father, George H.W. Bush.
Constitutional expert Jonathan Turley joined the conversation:
RedState pointed out, "It's hard not to laugh when one of these extremist liberal outlets faceplants."
The publication tried to fix the story, then deleted it.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Not just in America, but in many nations around the world, business operators can choose the products they wish to offer consumers. If they assess the market correctly, they'll succeed. If not, they close down.
But California.
That's not what is happening in California, where authorities now are demanding consumers file reports on retailers if they don't have an adequate "gender-neutral" selection of children's toys.
A report in PJMedia accused the state of going "full Stasi," a reference to the East German ministry for state security during the decades after World War II.
The report explains, in a section dripping with sarcasm, "There's a great feeling you get when reporting on your fellow citizens to the state. It's a warm, fuzzy feeling knowing you've done the state a valuable service. There's a rush of pride when you realize that it was your action that resulted in a citizen or business being punished for a transgression."
The report explains, "Why does California Attorney General Rob Bonta want citizens to report on retail stores that aren't carrying 'enough' toys and clothes that are 'gender neutral'? A law passed in California in 2022 requires stores to carry a 'reasonable' number of gender-neutral toys and children's products in their aisles. The editorial board of the Los Angeles Times said the legislation 'represents nannyish overreach' at the time. Bonta disagrees."
Bonta's officer recently explained, "Does your department store have a gender-neutral children section? As of January 1, 2024, large retail department stores that sell childcare items or toys must maintain a gender-neutral section for these items."
The law actually states, "Retail department stores that have physical locations in California and 500 or more employees across all California locations must maintain a gender-neutral section, where a reasonable selection of the childcare items and toys for children that they sell must be displayed, regardless of whether these products are traditionally marketed for boys or girls."
Then Bonta provides "painfully explicit instructions" to snitchers.
"If you do not see an adequate gender-neutral product section in a large retail department store in California that you believe is covered by this law, you may take pictures, document, and file a complaint with our office."
A link is provided to report offenders.
The fine for a first-time violation is $250, which goes to $500 for a second offense.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Peter Navarro, who advised President Donald Trump during his first term in the White House on trade deals and negotiations, is returning to that institution as the new senior counselor for trade and manufacturing, the president-elect has announced.
"I am pleased to announce that Peter Navarros, a man who was treated horribly by the Deep State, or whatever else you would like to call it, will serve as my Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing," Trump said in a social media statement.
"During my First Term, few were more effective or tenacious than Peter in enforcing my two sacred rules, Buy American, Hire America."
Trump noted that Navarro's work then included helping with renegotiations of NAFTA and more.
By being "treated horribly," Trump likely was referring to a prison term for contempt of Congress imposed by Democrats as part of their lawfare campaign against Trump himself.
It was when ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi set up a partisan committee to "investigate" the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the Capitol. That body now is known to have concealed evidence that benefited Trump, such as that he proposed authorizing National Guard troops to prevent violence that day, and was refused.
The committee released a report that essentially claimed Trump wanted an "insurrection" that day, even though the evidence shows it was a protest that turned violent when a few hundred people rioted.
The committee then, according to reports, destroyed the evidence it used for its report.
Navarro was caught up in that agenda against Trump.
The committee demanded he testify about Trump and events that day, and he refused, citing executive privilege. Members of Congress disputed that, had him charged and convicted, and sent to the Federal Bureau of Prisons for four months.
He was released just in time to be a speaker at last summer's Republican National Convention, at which Trump was formally nominated to his second term in the White House, which he won by a landslide in November.
Navarro was the first former White House official to go to prison following a contempt of Congress conviction. However, months later, Steve Bannon, a Trump ally who served as White House chief strategist, became the second.
His offense essentially was the same as Navarro's: refusing, based on executive privilege, to tell the Democrat-run Pelosi committee the details it demanded to use against Trump.
At the convention, Navarro warned, "I got a very simple message for you. If they can come for me, if they can come for Donald Trump. Be careful. They will come for you."
In Navarro's trial, a judge ordered that he could not use executive privilege as a defense.
Ten members of South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol's administration have offered their resignations following Tuesday's call for martial law, ABC News reported. Among those to leave is Yoon's Presidential Chief of Staff Jeong Jin-seok.
During a late-night speech Tuesday, Yoon announced that circumstances in the country warranted a military crackdown on the people. He claimed that the nation's Democratic Party, which opposes Yoon, posed a threat to the nation.
Yoon claimed that the party was aligned with North Korea, unduly exerting control over parliament and stymied the business of government. This move sparked immediate outrage that turned into protests at the National Assembly.
The order was lifted hours later when all 190 members of the governing body showed up and unanimously voted to cancel the decree. Since then, there have been calls for Yoon to step down as well.
The fallout continues as the secretaries and advisers left Yoon in the wake of the debacle. Now, the South Korean Democratic Party is calling to impeach Yoon if he doesn't tender his resignation, Fox News reported.
"President Yoon Suk Yeol’s martial law declaration was a clear violation of the constitution. It didn’t abide by any requirements to declare it," the party's statement said.
"His martial law declaration was originally invalid and a grave violation of the constitution. It was a grave act of rebellion and provides perfect grounds for his impeachment," the statement added.
Democratic Party leader Lee Jae-myung admonished Yoon's declaration as "unconstitutional" and a move that "goes against the people" with its military. "President Yoon declared emergency martial law for no reason," he said.
Some are also calling for Yoon's entire cabinet to resign in teh wake of this serious miscalculation. This was the first time the nation called in its military against its own people since it became a democracy in 1987.
A White House National Security Council spokesperson weighed in with a statement after the matter was resolved. "We are relieved President Yoon has reversed course on his concerning declaration of martial law and respected the ROK National Assembly's vote to end it," the statement said.
"Democracy is at the foundation of the U.S.-ROK alliance, and we will continue to monitor the situation," the spokesperson added. The New York Times suggested this may have happened because President Joe Biden will be handing power over to President-elect Donald Trump next month.
Of course, it also blamed Trump for this and likened Yoon's move to the Jan. 6, 2021, riot at the U.S. Capitol. However, Biden has had the most influence after meddling in the region to get Japan and South Korea to improve relations.
The president declared a win in March 2023 over a "groundbreaking new chapter of cooperation and partnership" agreement between Japan and South Korea forged to de-escalate tensions, the Washington Examiner reported. Now, that legacy may be in jeopardy with Yoon's move toward martial law because of perceived political threat.
The situation in South Korea seems to have resolved for the most part. However, this will likely be another mess Biden made, and Trump will spend the next four years cleaning it up.
As the migrant issue continues to strain finances, Chicago residents criticized progressive Mayor Brandon Johnson for proposing a property tax increase during a city council meeting.
P-Rae Easley, host of the "Black Excellence Hour" podcast, has gone viral for her angry comments, Breitbart News reported.
"Typically, I'm here, and I'm fussing. I want to say thank you to the city council. Our mayor is embarrassing us around the world, and you all took the power back from him to say the city of Chicago is out of the business of funding illegals," she said, donning a red MAGA hat.
Easley said later in an interview that the main issue for Chicago residents is their "bottom line," indicating concern about household budgets.
New data shows the Windy City has spent $574.5 million on migrants, joining New York City, Boston, and Denver.
"We're not going to work to pay for illegals. They chose to come here illegally, and we don't allow people to feast off of their criminality," Easley said during the interview, pushing forward the "America first" agenda.
Johnson stated last month that "Black families" are also included in President-elect Trump's mass deportation threats, alongside "new arrivals and undocumented families."
The statements infuriated Easley, who referred to them as "very disrespectful." He criticized them for their negative impact.
"Our people are not immigrants. We are migrants, of course, in the very literal sense because our grandparents came here during the Great Migration," she said.
"This is why we're really pushing for an end to race. Because when you say Black, that can mean anybody…. There are Black people who will be deported, but that has nothing to do with the American people. Our goal is to get this border closed and to get every unnecessary expense off of the budget lines in the city of Chicago. We can't afford it anymore."
There is a $1 billion budget gap that Johnson is attempting to close before the year ends.
At the city council meeting that took place on Monday, other attendees did not hold back when they addressed the mayor: "I got a great way what we can do with this budget. First, let's start with cutting off illegals getting free everything, free housing, free schooling, free food. Yeah, let's start with that. That'll save us a lot of money," said a woman wearing a "Chicago Flips Red" shirt
"Let's start there. Then, let's start with you. Your salary. You are going down in history as the worst mayor in America. Let's start with cutting yours. You're making too much money," she continued.
Another resident, an immigrant who entered the U.S. legally, said she feels "very, very embarrassed for what my other fellow Latin American citizens are doing in this city on behalf of the people that work, on behalf of the people that pay taxes, on behalf of the people that contribute to the city."
She continued, "I like to make clear that not everyone is the same. These people came with a wide door open, and they feel entitled to many things that nobody has. There are U.S. citizens suffering from poverty," she said. "There are U.S. citizens on public aid, and these people are here just enjoying the benefits, becoming delinquents, and they have no consequences."
President-elect Donald Trump has pledged to block the pending sale of iconic American manufacturer U.S. Steel to Japanese company Nippon Steel.
Blindsiding Biden officials who have failed to stop the sale, Trump said he would use tax and tariff incentives to rescue U.S. Steel and keep it in American hands.
"I am totally against the once great and powerful U.S. Steel being bought by a foreign company, in this case Nippon Steel of Japan," Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
"Through a series of Tax Incentives and Tariffs, we will make U.S. Steel Strong and Great Again, and it will happen FAST! As President, I will block this deal from happening," he continued. "Buyer Beware!!!"
The $14.9 billion acquisition is under scrutiny by the Committee on Foreign Investments in the United States (CFUIS) which determines whether foreign investments pose a risk to national security. Biden referred the deal to the panel.
The agreement is supported by Nippon Steel, Japan's largest steelmaker, and shareholders of U.S. Steel.
The deal would have Japan's largest steelmaker agree to keep U.S. Steel's headquarters in Pittsburgh and preserve collective bargaining agreements.
Despite these commitments, the agreement has faced opposition from President Biden and the United Steelworkers. The union praised Trump for promising to stop the acquisition.
“It’s clear that President Trump understands the vital role a strong domestic steel industry plays in our national security, as well as the importance of the jobs and communities the industry supports,” the union said.
With his vow to keep U.S. Steel under American ownership, Trump is doubling down on his protectionist agenda of keeping American manufacturing jobs and supply chains in America.
The president-elect has threatened to enact sweeping tariffs on imports to protect American workers and pressure America's neighbors to cooperate on border security.
While President Biden came out against Nippon Steel's $14.9 billion acquisition, the company has ignored Biden's wishes. Nippon Steel is reportedly eager to finish the dela before Trump is sworn in on January 20.
In response to Trump, Nippon Steel said it is "determined to protect and grow US Steel in a manner that reinforces American industry, domestic supply chain resiliency and US national security."
"We will invest no less than $2.7 billion into its unionized facilities, introduce our world-class technological innovation and secure union jobs so that American steelworkers at U.S. Steel can manufacture the most advanced steel products for American customers," the Japanese firm said in a statement.