Friday June 14, 2024

June 4, 2024

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Trump visits Capitol Hill, unites Republicans behind him . . . Former President Donald Trump revved up congressional Republicans and made amends with former opponents in a whirlwind swing through Capitol Hill on Thursday that cemented his position as party leader. Mr. Trump held what lawmakers described as a "pep rally" for House Republicans, followed by a "warm" and "upbeat" meeting with Senate Republicans. Many congressional lawmakers shunned Mr. Trump after his bitter election loss and the Jan. 6 riot, but his overwhelming victories in the Republican presidential primaries and his position atop the polls have garnered near-unanimous loyalty again. By the time he departed Capitol Hill, Republicans had all but banished lingering questions and divisions with the former president. Washington Times

Politics

Trump endorses blue state Republican Senate candidate who hates him . . . Former Gov. Larry Hogan of Maryland, a vocal Republican critic of Donald Trump who's aiming to flip a Democrat-held Senate seat in his blue state, apparently has the support of the former president. "I'd like to see him win. I think he has a good chance to win. I would like to see him win. And we've got to take the majority," Trump said Thursday in an exclusive interview with Fox News as he pointed to the Maryland Senate race. It's one of a handful that may determine if the GOP wins back the Senate chamber. Fox News

This is a sign Trump will do whatever it takes to win the Senate, and therefore a sign Republicans will win the Senate.

Biden judicial nominee said child predator had "a lot of good in him" . . . One of President Joe Biden's judicial nominees suspended a child sex predator's sentence and said the convict had "a lot of good in him" during a court hearing last year. Maine Superior Court judge Julia Lipez, who is up for Senate confirmation after Biden appointed her to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, suspended half of Michael T. Smith's prison sentence in 2023. Smith, 45, was convicted at trial of sexually abusing two girls, aged four and nine. "People are complicated," Lipez said during the hearing. Washington Free Beacon

Gun rights groups call law used to convict Hunter Biden unconstitutional . . . After Hunter Biden was found guilty on all charges in special counsel David Weiss' federal gun case against the first son, Second Amendment groups have called the law used to convict Biden unconstitutional. "Joe Biden has done everything in his power to weaponize his administration against guns, gun owners, and dealers, and it's incredibly ironic to now see his own son caught up in these efforts," said Erich Pratt, senior vice president of Gun Owners of America. Biden was convicted of lying about not being a drug user when he bought a gun. Fox News

GOP Rep. Anna Paulina Luna says lawmakers are hearing Biden won't be the nominee

Biden had front-row seat to dog Commander repeatedly biting Secret Service agents . . . President Biden reportedly witnessed multiple attacks by Commander, his ferocious dog, to U.S. Secret Service (USSS) personnel – with one urging the use of a muzzle, newly released records show. Correspondence, obtained by Judicial Watch, set the scene of life with Commander Biden – which included trips to the ER and the tailor. Multiple USSS personnel shared that the attacks happened as Biden was walking the dog, with the president witnessing the incidents first-hand. Fox News

Imagine what people would say if Trump looked on as the dog used in Nazi death camps attacked his Secret Service protectors.

Republican proposes 'No Juicing Joe Act' . . . The White House would have to notify Congress when the president takes a drug that could alter his alertness, judgment or mood under a bill proposed Thursday by a Tennessee Republican."Frequently slurred speech, abnormally long pauses and the inability to string together five words in a coherent sentence have put Biden's mental and physical decline on full display," Rep. Andy Ogles told Fox News Digital on Thursday. Ogles said his bill — the No Juicing Joe Act — came about because the White House "has refused" to test President Biden's cognitive abilities "because they know he will fail miserably." Fox News

If you watched the State of the Union, you'll understand. Let's see how he appears at the debate this month.

Biden kisses Italian leader Giorgia Meloni's hair in awkward embrace at G7 . . . President Biden traveled to another meeting of world leaders and, once again, weirdness ensued. Mr. Biden, the last of the honchos to arrive at the G7 summit in Italy on Thursday, was greeted by the host country's prime minister, Giorgia Meloni. Upon shuffling onto the stage where Ms. Meloni waited, Mr. Biden kissed her on the head and appeared to sniff her hair. Following a brief exchange, she directed the president toward a frame bearing the G7 logo, which each leader signed with a marker. Before departing the platform, he offered an awkward salute to the prime minister. Washington Times

WATCH: Italian PM forced to corral Biden after he wanders off

Biden says he won't commute Hunter's sentence . . . President Joe Biden said Thursday he won't commute any sentence given to his son Hunter Biden for three federal gun felonies after a White House official did not rule out the possibility of a reprieve the previous day. "No," Biden told reporters when asked at a Group of Seven nations summit in Fasano, Italy, whether he would commute his son's sentence. USA Today

Hmm, would someone who has been in politics for more than 50 years lie to us?

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National Security

Biden protecting more than 860K migrants from deportation via "temporary" amnesty . . . President Joe Biden's administration is now protecting more than 860,000 foreign nationals from deportation from the United States thanks to its expansion of the Temporary Protected Status (TPS) program. Data published by the Congressional Research Service reveals that TPS on Biden's watch is protecting from deportation about 864,000 foreign nationals today who would otherwise be illegal aliens and eligible for deportation. Breitbart

Pentagon wants to feed troops experimental lab-grown meet to reduce CO2 footprint" . . . A Pentagon-funded company is seeking proposals to feed America's soldiers lab-grown meat in a bid to "reduce the CO2 footprint" at Defense Department outposts. BioMADE, a public-private company that has received more than $500 million in funding from the Defense Department, announced earlier this month that it is seeking proposals to develop "innovations in food production that reduce the CO2 footprint of food production at ... DoD operational environments," according to an online announcement. Washington Free Beacon

Wonder if there's a way to make ICBMs and surface-to-air missiles more environmentally friendly too.

Microsoft warns Americans to prepare for joint cyberattacks from China, Russia . . . Microsoft fears that hackers from U.S. adversaries China and Russia will work together on devastating cyberattacks and collaborate with Iran and North Korea when the opportunity arises. The Big Tech company is reeling from a China-linked hack that compromised the emails of its U.S. government clients last year. Microsoft President Brad Smith told lawmakers in a hearing about 47 million "phishing" raids on his company's network and employees in the past year. Washington Times

Back up your stuff.

International

Putin pledges cease-fire if Kyiv withdraws from occupied regions and drops NATO bid . . . Russian President Vladimir Putin promised Friday to "immediately" order a cease-fire in Ukraine and begin negotiations if Kyiv started withdrawing troops from the four regions annexed by Moscow in 2022 and renounced plans to join NATO. Such a deal appears a nonstarter for Kyiv, which wants to join the military alliance and has demanded that Russia withdraw its troops from all of its territory. There was no immediate comment from Ukraine on Putin's proposal. Associated Press

G7 agrees $50B loan for Ukraine from Russian assets

Gaetz says Trump trashed Ukraine aid during House GOP meeting . . . Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) said former President Trump criticized the $61 billion for Ukraine passed under Speaker Mike Johnson's (R-La.) leadership and signaled his disinterest in sending the war-torn country more support during his Thursday meeting with House Republicans. "TRUMP ON UKRAINE: 'They're never going to be there for us,'" Gaetz wrote in a post on the social platform X, sharing comments from Trump at the morning meeting. According to Gaetz, Trump also asserted the U.S. should "pay OUR TROOPS" instead of sending billions of dollars to Ukraine. The Hill

Undercover Israeli spies posed as Palestinians and lived in Gaza to plot daring rescue mission . . . Undercover Israeli spies — including women dressed in black dresses and hijabs — rented a house in the Gaza neighborhood where four hostages were stashed, and lived there for days to gain intelligence ahead of the military's dramatic rescue mission on Saturday, according to a report. In scenes out of a spy movie, the Israelis posed as wealthy Gaza families displaced from Rafah by the war. They infiltrated the Nuseirat refugee camp in hopes of confirming that 26-year-old Noa Argamani and three men were being held in the area. New York Post

Money

Tesla investors back $56B Musk pay deal . . . Tesla shareholders have backed a record-breaking pay package for boss Elon Musk and approved a plan to move the firm's legal headquarters to Texas. The deal was blocked earlier this year by a judge in Delaware over concerns it was unfair to shareholders. The vote is a victory for the multi-billionaire, who had campaigned fiercely for the payout, which is worth up to $56B. The exact amount depends on the Tesla share price. "Hot damn, I love you guys," he told a crowd of enthusiastic shareholders who had gathered in Texas for the firm's annual meeting. BBC

Culture

Red states strike deals with PragerU to show conservative videos in schools . . . A privately funded effort to use disputed videos to teach conservative values in public schools is gaining traction, as Louisiana recently became the sixth state to endorse educational materials produced by Prager University.

PragerU is not a university but a nonprofit that produces short videos that push patriotism and conservative views of history, race, sex and gender, among other topics. Since last year, Florida, New Hampshire, Oklahoma, Montana and Arizona have also announced partnerships with PragerU. Washington Post

Sanctuary City mayor says migrant crisis "unsustainable" . . . Democratic Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson framed the current migrant housing situation as "unsustainable" while defending his office's decision to evict migrants out of taxpayer-funded shelters. Chicago began enforcing a 60-day limit for most adults in March, and approximately 121 people are set to be evicted by June 18, WTTW, a local outlet, reported. The mayor claimed during a Wednesday press conference that Congress needs to help address the issue and pointed the finger at "Trump Republicans" for the city's current migrant crisis. Daily Caller

Trump Republicans? To blame for illegal immigration? Get this man an appointment with the head examiner.

You should also know

Supreme Court dismisses challenge to abortion pill, says pro-life doctors lack standing . . . The Supreme Court on Thursday dismissed an attempt by pro-life doctors to scuttle the abortion pill, saying they lacked standing to challenge the government's approval of the drug. In a unanimous ruling, the justices said the doctors' moral objections to mifepristone may be valid but aren't enough to show legal injury. "For that reason, the federal courts are the wrong forum for addressing the plaintiffs' concerns about FDA's actions," Justice Brett M. Kavanaugh wrote for the court. Washington Times

Secret UFO civilization, aliens could be here on Earth already: Harvard scientists . . . A new study conducted by researchers at Harvard University and Montana Technological University has put forth a controversial hypothesis suggesting the presence of an unidentified, technologically advanced population living covertly among humans on Earth. In their newly published paper, the research team posits that sightings of UFOs, or Unidentified Anomalous Phenomena (UAP), may be indicative of activities by intelligent beings that are either hidden on Earth, possibly underground, or in nearby environments such as the Moon. They also consider the possibility that these beings could be "walking among us," disguised as humans. Washington Times

In fact, as recently as 2020, one of them was elected president and another vice president of the United States.

Guilty Pleasures

'Only elegant women allowed': S Korea gym draws flak for sign . . . A gym in South Korea has banned misbehaving "aunties", reigniting a debate about discrimination against older women in the country. The gym in Incheon city near the capital Seoul put up a sign that read "off limits to ajummas" and "only cultivated and elegant women allowed". Ajumma is a catch-all term for older women - typically late-30s onwards - but is also a pejorative for behavior that is seen as rude or obnoxious. The gym's owner claimed his company had "suffered damages" because of these women and their unruly behavior. BBC

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