This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
President-elect Donald Trump's lawyers have told New York judge Juan Merchan, who supervised Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's lawfare case against Trump, that it will be dismissed.
After all, the voters' selection of Trump as the 47th president trumps Bragg's "political motivations," they said.
The case was brought by Bragg as part of the Democrats' extended, multiple-case, lawfare against Trump between his terms in the White House.
Bragg took business reporting situations, which could have been misdemeanors had they been filed in a timely fashion, and claimed they were felonies because they were in pursuit of some other unidentified crime.
It all revolved around so-called "hush money" payments Trump's ex-lawyer made to a porn star for her silence about an alleged affair, which both of them have denied happened.
Fox News reports Trump's lawyers want an "immediate" dismissal of the case, which right now is awaiting sentencing after a leftist jury found Trump guilty on 34 counts – after the judge, whose daughter was raising money for Democrats on the rulings against Trump her father was making in court – inexplicably told jurors their verdict didn't have to be unanimous.
The lawyers told Merchan that the case needed to be dismissed because the voters' choice of Trump supersedes Bragg's "political motivations."
Trump defense attorney Todd Blanche said "Continuing with this case would be 'uniquely destabilizing' and threatens to 'hamstring the operation of the whole governmental apparatus, both in foreign and domestic affairs.'"
Bragg has insisted that the case be suspended for now – and that he be allowed to reopen it years from now when Trump has completed his second term as president.
Blanche said, "The court must address these new issues and dismiss the case, prior to issuing a decision on the previously filed Presidential immunity motion. Any other action would violate the presidential immunity doctrine and the Supremacy Clause."
Bragg's strategy would deprive Trump of the right to appeal, which would leave the dispute unresolved throughout his presidency.
Blanche noted, "Even if the Court were to wrongly deny the new interests-of-justice motion, which it should not do, the appropriate forum for any additional proceedings must first be resolved in President Trump's removal appeal."
Courthouse News, which lobbied for Kamala Harris to be elected, explained the Trump team's letter to the court noted that setting the verdict aside is "mandated by the law and will happen as justice takes its course."
The letter to Merchan explained, "As DA Bragg engages in his election campaign, DANY appears to not yet be ready to dismiss this politically motivated and fatally flawed case."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson has moved quickly to resolve a fast-developing war in Congress over one of the key agenda points of the outgoing Joe Biden-Kamala Harris regime: Transgenderism.
It seems Delaware voters elected Tim McBride, who now styles himself as a woman and calls himself Sarah.
He will join Congress in a few weeks, prompting women in the House already to announce they would not tolerate a male using the restroom, locker room and other sex-specific facilities alongside them.
That prompted a death threat against at least one member of Congress. But Johnson moved quickly.
On Wednesday, he issued a statement, "All single-sex facilities in the Capitol and House Office Buildings – such as restrooms, changing rooms, and locker rooms – are reserved for individuals of that biological sex.
"It is important to note that each Member office has its own private restroom, and unisex restrooms are available throughout the Capitol. Women deserve women's only spaces."
It was U.S. Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., who led the campaign against men in women's restrooms, introducing a resolution that would bar males from those locations.
Leftists promptly turned berserker, and they responded with a specific threat: "Congresswoman Nancy Mace, I hope that one day I do find you in that women's bathroom and I grab your ratty looking f***ing hair and drag your face down to the floor while I repeatedly bash and until the blood's everywhere and you're dead."
A report in the Hill noted the speaker has "general control" of facilities in the house, and that gives him authority to issue such guidance.
The Gateway Pundit said, "The woke left has lost this round, and McBride will no longer be able to invade the ladies' restroom as he has on various other occasions."
Mace's response appeared on social media:
Mace explained her reasons: "I'm a victim of abuse myself. I'm a rape survivor. I have PTSD from the abuse I've suffered at the hands of a man, and I know how vulnerable women and girls are in private spaces."
She also warned her agenda to protect women will not stop inside the Capitol walls.
Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, a Democrat, insisted on calling McBride, a him, "her," and complained that the GOP majority in the House was opening its work by "bullying" a member.
WND had reported when the issue developed that Mace said McBride is "a biological man trying to force himself into women's spaces, and I'm not going to tolerate."
Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., said, "There's a man pretending to be a woman coming to Congress in January who expects to use the same restrooms as little girls visiting the Capitol. I consider it assault for a man to charge into places that are designated specifically for women. Restrooms are a place where women are vulnerable. It's mentally ill for a man to think he should be allowed there."
Transgenderism repeatedly has taken the headlines since the Joe Biden-Kamala Harris administration made it one of the top priorities for American government, which now has imposed even on the world stage its ideological campaign.
The Washington Examiner reported at least one Democrat lawmaker turned vulgar over the problem.
"I just don't understand why bathrooms are top of mind for [Mace]," Rep. Maxwell Frost, D-Fla., said. "But she wants to think about where a future member is gonna p— and s—* like I don't — I don't understand."
The social behavior campaign by the Democrats was front and center during the 2024 election, a landslide won by President-elect Donald Trump and Republican majorities in the U.S. Senate and House.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
The U.S. temporarily shutters Kyiv embassy over airstrike fears, which turned out to be a Russian psyop
The U.S. embassy in Kyiv has received information of a potential significant air attack on Wednesday and will be closed, the U.S. Department of State Consular Affairs said in a statement.
"Out of an abundance of caution, the embassy will be closed, and embassy employees are being instructed to shelter in place," the department said in a statement published on the website of the US embassy in Kyiv.
Iran has further increased its stockpile of uranium enriched to near weapons-grade levels in defiance of international demands, according to a confidential report by the United Nations' nuclear watchdog, the International Atomic Energy Agency, or IAEA.
Sgt. First Class (res.) Roi Sasson, 21, from Mevaseret Zion, a soldier in the Nachshon Battalion of the Kfir Brigade fell Tuesday in an encounter with terrorists in Jabaliya, the IDF announced on Wednesday morning. Since the outbreak of the war, 800 IDF soldiers have died in battles, 28 of them in the current operation in Jabaliya.
Turkish strikes on Syrian Kurds cuts off water supply for 1 million people
According to the BBC investigation, accompanied by a full-length documentary, Turkey has conducted over 100 attacks on Kurdish-controlled northeastern Syria between October 2019 and January 2024. These strikes targeted oil and gas facilities and power stations vital to civilians in the region.
Hezbollah rocket strikes UNIFIL position in southern Lebanon, four Ghanaian peacekeepers wounded
The Israel Defense Forces said that two UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon) posts were hit by Hezbollah attacks, which wounded peacekeepers and did damage to the posts.
The first rocket attack was launched at 9:50 a.m. from Deir Aames, which hit the UNIFIL base near Ramyeh in southern Lebanon. Later, at 1:30 p.m., another barrage of rockets hit and damaged a post in the area of Chamaa, which Hezbollah launched from Maaliyeh in southern Lebanon.
Argentina removes troops from UNIFIL 'peacekeeping' force
Buenos Aires announced it would be pulling its troops out of the 10,000-strong UNIFIL peacekeeping force, which is supposed to enforce U.N. Resolution 1701. The move by Argentina appeared to represent the first sign of cracks in the unity of the mission, which has been caught in the crossfire as Israel battles against the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah.
Iran warns Western states over imposing IAEA sanctions on its nuclear program
Western countries on Wednesday formally submitted a new resolution critical of Iran at the International Atomic Energy Agency ahead of its board meeting, diplomatic sources said, pushing ahead despite Iran's warnings against the move.
Is Israel about to attack Iranian-backed militias in Iraq?
Some two weeks ago, the U.S. warned Iraq that permitting Iranian-backed militias to use its territory to attack Israel, could lead Jerusalem to decide to retaliate militarily. There has been no let up in the interim, and several missiles and drones have been fired from Iraqi territory at the Jewish state, and Israel might be preparing air strikes at various targets.
U.N. Security Council to vote on no-strings Gaza ceasefire
The U.N. Security Council is expected to vote on Wednesday on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza neither tying it to the release of the hostages nor mentioning Hamas as the war's architect, according to Israeli media.
The ceasefire proposal was developed by 10 non-permanent council members, with the U.S. at the center of the decision, and it is uncertain whether it will exercise its veto power. Not doing so would be reminiscent of one of the final acts of the Obama administration, which backed a resolution criticizing Israeli settlements in Judea and Samaria.
Jerusalem court orders P.A. to pay $12 million in damages to second intifada victims
In a precedent-setting decision, the Jerusalem District Court has ordered the Palestinian Authority to pay approximately 46 million shekels ($12.3 million) in compensation to three siblings whose family members were killed in the 2001 Sbarro restaurant bombing in Jerusalem. The ruling marks the first implementation of a new Israeli law mandating punitive damages for terrorism victims.
Former Hamas hostage confronts UCLA protest leader in campus debate
A survivor of Oct. 7, 2023, Hamas attack in Israel delivered powerful testimony about her 54 days in captivity as she faced off with a student protest leader at a campus debate in Southern California.
The confrontation, captured in a video segment released Monday by The Gr8 Debate and filmed by Trusted Confidential Coverage (TCC), brought together former hostage Moran Stella Yanai, UCLA encampment leader Aidan Doyle, and Mosab Hassan Yousef, son of Hamas co-founder Sheikh Hassan Yousef.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Highly popular and highly controversial talk-show host and commentator Alex Jones has turned the tables on the Onion, a satirical website corporation, by filing a lawsuit charging that the bid process for buying his InfoWars empire out of bankruptcy was faulty.
A report at RedState documents how Jones "is striking back at efforts to wrest his company … from his possession."
His empire was moved into bankruptcy proceedings by judicial rulings against him, essentially ordered him to pay more than a billion dollars in damages to families of the victims of the Sandy Hook school shooting based on his commentary about that episode.
The report explained, "During Jones' bankruptcy proceedings, Global Tetrahedron, parent company of satirical news site The Onion, submitted a winning bid to transform InfoWars into a parody site."
That bid process then was halted by a federal judge.
Now, the report said, "Jones has reportedly filed his own lawsuit, calling the bid a 'flagrantly non-compliant Frankenstein bid' and referring to it as 'neither legal, moral nor ethical."
In fact, the bid award was halted by a federal judge who had questions about its legitimacy, and has scheduled a hearing to review the facts.
The report said the rules of the bid were violated when Global Tetrahedron "relied on a hypothetical promise of future payments" from victims' families.
The New York Times documented that the Onion's bid of $1.75 million was increased with contributions from those families, "who donated portions of their court-awarded damages."
At an emergency hearing just days ago, over the dispute, "it emerged that First United had made a cash offer of $3.5 million. That is exactly twice the $1.75 million in cash offered by The Onion, a figure that was secret until the court battle dragged on," the report documented.
But then the Onion "sweetened its bid to $7 million with the backing of families promising part of their potential earnings."
The new lawsuit charges that Global Tetrahedron's bid needs to be disqualified and that First United Companies, the runner-up, should be awarded the bid.
The dispute came about over his claims the shooting was an orchestrated event in which victims were alleged "crisis actors," an opinion from which he later retreated.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the far-left billionaire governor of Illinois, is being taken to court over his schemes that force state residents to choose between paying for abortions or going without health insurance entirely.
The case has been brought by the Thomas More Society on behalf of Students for Life of America, Midwest Bible Church, Pro-Life Action League, Right to Life, Clapham School, DuPage Precision Products, and a list of individuals.
"For Christians and many other pro-life advocates, Illinois' abortion-coverage mandate is fundamentally opposed to their religious beliefs and runs roughshod over their constitutionally protected conscience rights," explained Peter Breen, of the Thomas More Society.
"Gov. J.B. Pritzker and his administration are on an uncompromising campaign to transform the Land of Lincoln into the nation's abortion capital. In doing so, they have shown little regard for the rights of those who believe that all human life is worth protecting. We are proud to represent this coalition of clients in challenging this unconscionable mandate. There's no reason for pro-life individuals and organizations to be denied the option to choose an insurance policy that exempts them from covering others' elective abortions."
The problem facing the governor is that the case alleges he is violating the U.S. Constitution in his abortion promotion.
The filing in U.S. district court in Illinois explains Pritzker's plan "requires health-insurance policies to cover elective abortions on the same terms as they cover pregnancy-related benefits. It also requires health insurance policies to cover abortion-inducing drugs, and it forbids insurers to impose any cost-sharing arrangements such as co-pays or deductibles on this coverage."
"These abortion-inducing drugs must be provided free of charge to any beneficiary who demands them, and they are paid for entirely by premiums charged to other beneficiaries. These compulsory abortion-coverage laws provide no exceptions or accommodations for employers or individuals who object to abortion on religious or moral grounds, not even for churches," the filing states.
"As a result, Illinois residents who oppose abortion have no way of obtaining state-regulated health insurance that excludes abortion coverage, forcing many of them to choose between paying for other people's elective abortions with their premiums or forgoing health insurance entirely."
The Thomas More Society filing states, "Illinois's compulsory abortion-coverage laws abridge the free exercise of religion and other constitutional rights secured by the First and Fourteenth Amendments. They also violate numerous federal statutes…"
In an announcement about the launch of the case, the Thomas More Society explained, "The complaint asks the court to block state officials from enforcing these abortion-coverage mandates, which violate the free exercise and expressive association rights guaranteed by the First Amendment, as well as numerous federal statutes."
Kristan Hawkins, president of Students for Life of America, noted, "If billionaire Gov. J.B. Pritzker wants to pay for abortions in his state out of the generosity of his heart, that can be his choice. Instead, Pritzker and state officials have manipulated and supported a law to force all Illinois residents to cover his choice of abortion for them.
"When spending his money in the election, it was to get more radical abortion policies in place, to demand others to pay for abortion. Students for Life of America's team members and supporters in Illinois should not be forced to violate our consciences just because the abortion lobby and its cheerleaders like the governor have moved from 'choice' to coercion."
The case seeks to have enforcement of the abortion payments through insurance be voided and a declaration that such a scheme violates the U.S. Constitution.
The filing charges, "The defendants' enforcement of Illinois's compulsory abortion-law cover age laws violates each of the plaintiffs' constitutional right to freely exercise their religion."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
On the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Cooperation summit over the weekend, lame duck U.S. President Joe Biden was cautioned by China's President Xi to not cross certain unnegotiable "red lines" that could strain U.S.-China relations if not respected.
Xi said during his meeting with Biden that decoupling from China or disrupting supply chains is not a solution to conflict, and touted "mutual beneficial cooperation" as the only thing that can lead to productivity between the world's two largest economies.
"Small yard, high fence, is not what a major country should pursue. Only openness and sharing can improve the well-being of humanity," Xi said.
According to the Independent, Xi outlined four red lines that the U.S. must not cross – China's political and economic systems, its development interests, its record on human rights and democracy, and Taiwan.
China claims Taiwan as its own territory in its entirety. The democratically run nation was founded by China's Nationalists – officially named the Republic of China – when they fled mainland China to Taiwan after Mao Zedong's Communist army defeated them during China's civil war in 1949. China has repeatedly said it would not rule out the use of force to claim back Taiwan.
"The Taiwan question, democracy and human rights, China's path and system, and China's development right are four red lines for China," Xi reportedly told Biden, "They must not be challenged. These are the most important guardrails and safety nets for China-U.S. relations."
Xi further warned against the U.S. trying to hold back China's ambitions, even over Taiwan.
"A new Cold War should not be fought and cannot be won. Containing China is unwise, unacceptable and bound to fail," Xi said, adding the U.S. should handle the "Taiwan question with extra prudence."
Xi did, however, reach out to the incoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, and said the two nations can expand cooperation and "inject more certainty and positive energy into the turbulent world."
"China is ready to work with a new U.S. administration to maintain communication, expand cooperation, and manage differences, so as to strive for a steady transition of the China-U.S. relationship for the benefit of the two peoples," Xi said.
According to a read out of the meeting published by the White House, Biden reiterated the U.S. position on the One China policy, calling for China to stop destabilizing military actions around Taiwan.
"On Taiwan, President Biden underscored that the United States' one China policy remains unchanged, guided by the Taiwan Relations Act, the three Joint Communiques, and the Six Assurances," the White House statement reads.
"He [Biden] reiterated that the United States opposes any unilateral changes to the status quo from either side, that we expect cross-Strait differences to be resolved by peaceful means, and that the world has an interest in peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait."
American journalist, lawyer, political commentator, and writer Gordan Chang wrote in an op-ed for Newsweek on Monday that South America had "disrespected" the U.S. and Biden at the APEC summit, and was in stark contrast to how Xi was welcomed.
"Peru gave Xi Jinping a warm welcome last week when he arrived for the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in Lima," Chang said, adding, "The Chinese leader was even accorded the honor of a state visit. Joe Biden, in contrast, got a bare-bones greeting as Air Force One landed."
"Peru then proceeded to treat the American president as if he were from a backwater state, even making sure the humiliation was seen in public. For instance, in the group photo of leaders attending the summit, Xi was standing in the place of honor, to the right of Peruvian President Dina Boluarte in the front row. Biden was placed in the back in the corner."
Chang then noted in the midst of the disrespect from South American nations toward the U.S., often seen as America's "backyard," China is trading and investing into nations like Peru to bolster its "dominance of the region."
Chang was also critical of Xi's rhetoric of peace, a move he says began prior to the elections, as an attempt by Xi to paint Trump as a bad guy.
During the summit, Biden further expressed concern over China's support for Russia's war against Ukraine, and reconfirmed the U.S. commitment on "upholding international law and freedom of navigation, overflight, and peace and stability in the South China Sea and East China Sea."
China is currently at odds with several nations within the South China Sea, which China also claims almost in its entirety using its highly contested nine-dash line maps. One of those nations is the Philippines, a U.S. ally.
Recent months have seen clashes between the Philippine Coast Guard and Chinese Coast Guard vessels, with China aggressively ramming Philippine ships and damaging hulls, as well as attacking Filipino Coast Guard officers with spears and axes.
Conflict has been escalating over the ownership of Spratly Islands and its shoals, rich fishing grounds with recently discovered oil and gas reserves situated within the economic exclusion zone of the Philippines.
Despite the repeated attacks against Philippine vessels, China took offense to the Philippines' intention to purchase weapons from the U.S., which would include anti-missile and intermediate-range missile systems.
China's Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Lin Jian said Thursday the move by the Philippines is "provocative" and "dangerous."
"Let me stress again that the Philippines, by bringing in this offensive strategic weapon, is enabling a country outside the region to fuel tensions and antagonism in this region, and incite geopolitical confrontation and arms race," Lin said.
Lin noted this is an "extremely irresponsible choice" by the Philippines and threatens regional security.
"What the region needs is peace and prosperity, not the missile system or confrontation. We once again urge the Philippines to heed the call from regional countries and their peoples, correct its wrongdoings as soon as possible, quickly pull out the Typhon missile system as publicly pledged, and stop going further down the wrong path," Lin said.
On Monday when asked about the Philippine military and U.S. intelligence exchanging information, Lin stated the only way to uphold peace in the region was to maintain "good-neighborliness."
"No military agreement, or defense and security cooperation, in whatever form, should target any third party or harm the interests of any third party. Nor should it undermine regional peace or exacerbate regional tensions. The only right choice for safeguarding national security and regional peace and stability is to uphold good-neighborliness and friendship and maintain strategic independence," Lin said.
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
This is going to be a pretty vital issue for President Trump to deal with, and I wonder whether Putin did this to get some leverage in peace talks on Ukraine'
Russia abruptly has moved to block uranium exports, a move that now poses the threat of creating energy brownouts across America over the coming months, according to a new report.
"[It] puts us in a real bind, because … I just talked to a nuclear expert just before our call to get the specifics on this, and he told me that this decision will lead to brownouts in the summer because there simply won't be enough nuclear fuel for certain states to run their reactors to generate electricity," explained Fred Fleitz, former Trump National Security Council chief of staff.
His comments came during the John Solomon Reports podcast, according to Just the News.
He continued, "So this is going to be a pretty vital issue for President Trump to deal with, and I wonder whether Putin did this to get some leverage in peace talks on Ukraine."
The problem dates back to the schemes of Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Joe Biden, a period when the U.S. agreed to purchase uranium from Russia.
"It was a terrible decision to make us dependent on imports of uranium from Russia," he said.
Just the News explained, "The U.S. nuclear energy sector's dependence on Russian uranium created during a failed Obama-era reset with Moscow is coming back to bite Americans as the Kremlin moves to block future exports of the vital fuel."
Vladimir Putin announced the new limits on uranium exports to the U.S. just last week, just as Russia's war in Ukraine has been escalated by Biden's decision to allow Ukraine to use U.S. missiles to launch into Russia.
The report noted, "It's the latest fallout from a series of foreign policy decisions crafted by Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Hillary Clinton that inexplicably strengthened Putin's ability to wage economic warfare with energy supplies such as natural gas and uranium."
"Everything the Democrats have done has emboldened Russia and their ability to leverage their dirty gas production," Rep. Claudia Tenney, R-N.Y., said during a "Just the News, No Noise" television program.
Nuclear power plants account for about a fifth of America's electricity, and they depend on enriched uranium. They get about one-quarter of the nation's uranium supply from Russia.
The report noted that the book "Fallout: Nuclear Bribes, Russian Spies, and the Washington Lies that Enriched the Clinton and Biden Dynasties" outlines the deals signed by Clinton and Obama that positioned the U.S. to be dependent on Russian uranium.
"[The] United States used to produce its nuclear materials for bombs and then for nuclear energy, and it was the Clinton administration they made this deal with the Russians way back in the 90s to purchase all of this down blended material from, you know, the decommission nuclear warheads from Russia," book co-author Seamus Bruner said.
The result was a dependence on Russian supplies and the loss of a domestic industry.
Bruner said the crisis is because Obama's "Russian Reset" agenda cemented that dependence.
"And so now we're in this tough spot. Now we do have domestic producers, who are, you know, producing uranium for our energy needs, but there is no way, there's no way they're going to catch up," Bruner explained.
The report noted while U.S. Democrats were dealing the nation into a dependence, Putin was moving to take control of the global uranium supply through his company Rosatom.
"The Russian company's efforts to acquire a Canadian company, Uranium One, became a scandal for the Obama administration because it saw the virtual elimination of U.S. domestic production of uranium and raised corruption concerns about some of its chief officials," Just the News confirmed.
Production by Uranium One including that from Wyoming, Utah, and other states accounted for about 20% of U.S. uranium capacity at the time, when then-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton sat on a committee and approved the sale.
"The acquisition became a scandal that plagued her 2016 presidential campaign after investigative author Peter Schweizer and his Government Accountability Institute found nine Uranium One shareholders funneled $145 million into the Clinton Foundation before the deal was set to be considered," the report said.
Further, under Joe Biden, a move to counter the dependency on Russian uranium was adopted but created a wide-ranging "waiver" system for companies to continue their purchases.
"We don't have enough enriched uranium here," Chris Gadomski, an analyst, told Bloomberg News. "They should have been stockpiling enriched uranium in anticipation of this happening."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
Members of Congress are demanding the Department of Justice inspector general review a case in which the U.S. Marshals Service pulled guns on an innocent woman, berated and screamed at her, arrested her, and jailed her overnight.
They had been looking for a different woman, but attacked Penny McCarthy in an incident that is on video reports now:
The letter demanding a review was sent to Inspector General Michael Horowitz by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, the head of the House Judiciary Committee, and Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., of the Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance.
"We are very concerned at both the USMS's carelessness and the excessive force during this encounter. The USMS's lack of regard for Ms. McCarthy's due process rights is very troubling and oversight is necessary to ensure similar abuses do not happen in the future. Part of the stated mission of the Department of Justice (DOJ) OIG is to 'review the programs and personnel' of the USMS," the letter said.
The members of Congress outlined the stunningly troubling facts at hand:
"On March 5, 2024, six United States Marshals Service (USMS) agents pulled into the driveway of 66-year-old Phoenix, Arizona resident Penny McCarthy with their guns drawn demanding that she 'get her hands up.' The USMS agents insisted that McCarthy was a fugitive who had violated probation in 1999 after committing several non-violent crimes. The agents threatened Ms. McCarthy and denied her an opportunity to prove her identity. While the USMS has initiated a review of this apparent misconduct, we write to request that the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) conduct a thorough and independent investigation of this incident," they wrote.
From publicly available information, it appears that the USMS violated Ms. McCarthy's constitutional rights during the arrest. After six agents surprised Ms. McCarthy at her home screaming at her to 'get her hands up,' she understandably asked if they had the right individual. At that point, the USMS agents screamed at her to 'tum around,' threatening her 'you're going to get hit.' Video footage shows that Ms. McCarthy cooperated during the encounter, despite threats of being tased. Ms. McCarthy asked to see proof that the agents were law enforcement but the agents denied her request. The agents insisted Ms. McCarthy was a nonviolent fugitive from Oklahoma named Carole Anne Rozak. Ms. McCarthy offered to provide proof she was not Ms. Rozak, but federal agents refused. The USMS booked Ms. McCarthy in federal prison overnight and she was released the next day. A federal judge subsequently dismissed the case shortly thereafter. The USMS only admitted its misidentification after a local news channel conducted a thorough investigation. The body camera footage was not released until six months after the incident through a Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) request. Although the USMS claims it is conducting a review of the actions taken by their agents, an internal review is not enough.
The members of Congress cited the officers' "carelessness and the excessive force during this encounter."
The letter instructs, "Please confirm that you will examine this encounter as soon as possible but no later than December 2, 2024."
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
One of the big projects President-elect Donald Trump has taken on in his landslide campaign victory to Make America Great Again is the wasteful, even fraudulent, spending that goes on in the government every year.
Estimates are that it costs American taxpayers hundreds of billions of dollars, and Trump already has tasked billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy with the work.
Now Congress is lining up to help.
A report from Fox News explains a Republican lawmaker has launched a new congressional caucus "aimed at working hand-in-hand with President-elect Trump's soon-to-be DOGE – Department of Government Efficiency."
It is U.S. Rep. Aaron Bean, R-Fla., who has confirmed he's written to House colleagues seeking others to join in the work.
"Taking on Crazytown is no easy task," he said.
The report noted already two have already joined, Reps. Jeff Van Drew of New Jersey and Ralph Norman of South Carolina.
Bean explained that Musk and Ramaswamy "will need partners in Congress to accomplish many of the cuts necessary to rein in the unelected bureaucrats who have had unchecked power for far too long."
The letter cited America's $36 trillion debt, including massive amounts acquired during the reign of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. Among the profligate government actions under the Democrats was the trillion-dollar spending package called the Inflation Reduction Act, which actually has been documented to be causing inflation to go up.
"We must take action to avoid diving headfirst off the cliff of fiscal ruin… Our DOGE Caucus will work closely with the Department of Government Efficiency to help rein in reckless spending and stop the abuse of taxpayer dollars," he said.
He noted that the Biden-Harris administration has been borrowing $6 billion a day.
"Republicans must live up to our principle of fiscal responsibility by reining in the spending that is driving both inflation and our unsustainable debt. The DOGE Caucus will bring together members from across our conference who are ready to rein in unelected bureaucrats and end the over-regulation that has crippled American Main Street," he said.
Musk already has started the work:
This story was originally published by the WND News Center.
JERUSALEM – Israel/Middle East Morning Brief
Trump's Defense Secretary pick questions why Muslim leaders deny Judaism's connection to Temple Mount
"Muslim leaders and groups deny the temple of the Bible? Why deny history? Worse, why destroy history (as has been happening on the Temple Mount in recent years)? Because if you deny (and destroy) Jewish claims to the Temple and the old city of Jerusalem, you can justify denying Jews further influence in the city. By denying the Temple, you deny the State of Israel. By denying the Temple, you rally the outside world to see Israel as an 'occupying force.'"
U.S. envoy Hochstein says 'real opportunity' to end conflict between Israel and Hezbollah
U.S. special envoy Amos Hochstein urged Israel, Lebanon, and the Iranian-backed group Hezbollah to seize the present opportunity and agree to a ceasefire that would end the war that has raged since Oct. 8 of last year.
"We have a real opportunity to bring this conflict to an end," Hochsten told reporters in Beirut, adding, "This is a moment of decision-making."
Biden/Blinken threatened Netanyahu with cutting off military aid to prevent Rafah offensive
"The U.S. had reservations and suggested that we not enter Gaza," said Netanyahu in the Knesset plenum on Monday. "It had reservations about entering Gaza City, Khan Younis, and, most critically, strongly opposed entry into Rafah."
Hezbollah rocket strike on central Israel wounds 5, one seriously
Five people were wounded in central Israel on Monday night, one of them seriously, by a rocket launched by Lebanon's Hezbollah terrorist group.
A 54-year-old woman was listed as being in serious condition, while four other people sustained moderate-to-light wounds, according to Israel's Magen David Adom emergency response organization.
IDF 'shocked' at amount of Russian-made weapons amid captured Hezbollah stockpiles
A full 60-70% of weapons found in southern Lebanon at the start of the IDF's ground invasion were Russian-made; experts were unsure whether they were taken from Syria or signaled increased cooperation between Russia and Hezbollah.
E.U., U.K. impose further sanctions on Iran over military supply to Russia; Israel calls them 'necessary steps'
The European Union and the United Kingdom announced on Nov. 18 that new sanctions were being imposed on Iranian entities due to Tehran's transfer of drones and ballistic missiles to Russia for use in its war against Ukraine, as well as to Iranian proxies around the Middle East.
IDF artillery moved to southern Lebanon for the first time since 2000
The IDF has advanced several artillery batteries into southern Lebanon in recent days, the military stated, thus improving its firepower, possibly ahead of a broadening of the IDF's maneuvers in the area.
The IDF stated on Sunday that the 282nd artillery brigade has been fighting on the northern border in recent months, attacking targets to assist the maneuvering forces with artillery fire.