Wednesday, May 14, 2025

May 14, 2025

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Democrats Plotted Wheelchair Presidency for Biden's Second Term . . . Joe Biden was in such bad physical shape beginning in 2023 that advisers discussed whether he would need a wheelchair to get around if he won a second term, Jake Tapper and Alex Thompson write in their forthcoming book, Original Sin: President Biden's Decline, Its Cover-Up, and His Disastrous Choice to Run Again. "Biden's physical deterioration—most apparent in his halting walk—had become so severe that there were internal discussions about putting the president in a wheelchair, but they couldn't do so until after the election," the authors write. Washington Free Beacon

Senior Aide Quit in Protest of Biden's Reelection Bid, Citing Alarming Decline 'Beginning in 2023'

Biden Didn't Recognize George Clooney at Infamous Hollywood Fundraiser

Politics

House works into the night as Republicans push ahead on Trump's big bill . . . Tax breaks tallying more than $5 trillion — but also sizable reductions in Medicaid health care, food stamps and green energy strategies to fight climate change — faced sharp debate as House lawmakers slogged through marathon overnight hearings on Republicans' "big, beautiful bill." House Republicans are working to push President Donald Trump's signature legislative package through a gauntlet of committees and mounting opposition from Democrats, advocacy groups and even some wary Republicans themselves. Associated Press

Sen. Ron Johnson is threatening to tank the GOP megabill

Andrew Cuomo maintains commanding lead in New York mayor's race . . . Andrew Cuomo continues to dominate New York City's Democratic mayoral primary with a double-digit lead in a new poll. A Marist College survey, conducted during the first week of May, showed Cuomo defeating second-place opponent Zohran Mamdani by 24 points in the fifth round of ranked-choice voting, when the ex-governor clears the 50 percent threshold to win. Marist released the findings Tuesday, six weeks before voters will select their Democratic nominee. Politico

Marshaling Senate Support for the Justice for Angel Families Act . . . The legislation would extend support to "Angel Families"—immediate relatives of those killed by illegal immigrants or international drug cartel members. By amending the 1984 Victims of Crime Act, the bill opens the Crime Victims Fund to these families, covering medical bills, mental health counseling, lost wages from emotional distress, and funeral expenses. Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., is sponsoring the Justice for Angel Families Act, a bill he's pushing alongside Rep. Troy Nehls, R-Texas. Daily Signal

Supreme Court Chief Justice Roberts says rule of law is 'endangered' . . . Supreme Court Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. suggested Monday the rule of law is "endangered" during remarks in Washington. The Bush appointee, who took to the bench in 2005, warned against "trashing the justices," Politico reported. However, Chief Justice Roberts did not point fingers at anyone in particular. The remarks come as President Trump and his allies have criticized lower court judges who have issued dozens of injunctions halting his policies. Washington Times

Culture

The Left Says Quiet Part Out Loud: Whites Need Not Apply for Asylum . . . It looks like your liberal neighbors will have to take down their "refugees welcome" signs now. A small group of South African refugees arrived in the United States on Monday bearing American flags. One would think the Left would be happy about this. After all, Democrats are allegedly the party of refugees. All are welcome, right? Wrong. Left-wing media commentators and Democrat politicians are apoplectic. According to reports, the administration has brought in 59 people. That's not even enough Afrikaners to fill a trans-Atlantic flight to the U.S. Daily Signal

Trump Administration To Cut Additional $450 Million in Grants to Harvard

National Security

Trump tells Gulf leaders Iran must cease support of proxy groups as part of any nuclear deal . . . President Donald Trump told Gulf leaders on Wednesday he urgently wants "to make a deal" with Iran to wind down its nuclear program but Tehran must end its support of proxy groups throughout the region as part of any potential agreement. Iran "must stop sponsoring terror, halt its bloody proxy wars and permanently and verifiably cease pursuit of nuclear weapons," Trump said in remarks at a meeting of leaders from the Gulf Cooperation Council. "They cannot have a nuclear weapon." Associated Press

You can't make deals with people who don't abide by deals.

Why China's Amphibious 'Invasion Platforms' Are Troubling Sign for Taiwan

Grand Jury Indicts Wisconsin Judge Who Helped Migrant Escape ICE . . . Milwaukee Circuit Judge Hannah Dugan faces several years in jail after being indicted by a grand jury for helping an illegal alien escape from U.S. Customs and Enforcement (ICE) officials. In a two-page indictment, Dugan was accused of "obstructing a U.S. agency and concealing," Eduardo Flores-Ruiz, an illegal migrant, in order to prevent his arrest, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. Breitbart

Federal judge allows Trump admin to deport alleged Tren de Aragua members under Alien Enemies Act

International

Cryptocurrency boss's daughter escapes kidnap gang in Paris . . . A masked gang have tried to abduct the daughter and young grandson of a cryptocurrency chief in Paris, but after a violent struggle they drove off empty-handed. Police sources said the woman was the daughter of a cryptocurrency company boss. She and her husband fought off three attackers until passers-by rushed to their aid and the men fled in a van. BBC

Money

Trump inks $600 billion deal for Saudi Arabia investments in US . . . President Trump secured a $600 billion investment commitment from Saudi Arabia that aims to strengthen the military and economic ties between the two nations. The deals aim at strengthening U.S. energy security, the defense industry and technology leadership and expanding access to global infrastructure and critical minerals, according to the White House.

The agreements include a nearly $142 billion defense sales agreement that will provide Saudi Arabia with warfighting equipment and services from over a dozen U.S. firms. Washington Times

You should also know

Women Are Drinking More—and Doctors Are Worried . . . Women who turned 35 between 2018 and 2019 were nearly 60% more likely to report recent binge-drinking or alcohol use disorder symptoms than women who turned 35 between 1993 and 1997, according to a 2023 report published in the journal Addiction. Doctors are now witnessing more hospitalizations of women for liver disease, and some researchers suspect alcohol consumption is contributing to rising rates of breast cancer. Women are also experiencing increasing alcohol-related deaths at a faster clip than men. Wall Street Journal

Judge reduces Menendez brothers' murder sentences, putting them a step closer to freedom . . . Erik and Lyle Menendez will have a new shot at freedom after 35 years behind bars for murdering their parents, a judge ruled Tuesday. The ruling from Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Michael Jesic reduced the brothers' sentences from life in prison without parole to 50 years to life, making them immediately eligible for parole. The state parole board must decide whether to release them. Associated Press

Thank a Cop This Police Week . . . Last year, 147 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in the United States, an increase of 25% from 2023. Their names will be added this week to the 24,067 names of officers inscribed on the marble walls at the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C. As we pause to celebrate National Police Week, and Peace Officers Memorial Day on May 15, it's worth recalling how this tradition started, and how, sadly, disrespect shown by some so-called progressives toward law enforcement officers. Daily Signal

Hall Of Fame Ahead? MLB Removes Pete Rose, 'Shoeless' Joe Jackson, From Ineligible List . . . Rob Manfred, the commissioner of Major League Baseball, announced on Tuesday that any punishment of people banned from the game ends with their deaths, leaving open the possibility that the legendary slugger "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and the all-time hits leader, Pete Rose, could be elected to the baseball Hall of fame. "Obviously, a person no longer with us cannot represent a threat to the integrity of the game. Moreover, it is hard to conceive of a penalty that has more deterrent effect than one that lasts a lifetime with no reprieve." Daily Wire

Wild chimpanzees filmed using forest 'first aid' . . . Chimpanzees in Uganda have been observed using medicinal plants - in multiple ways - to treat open wounds and other injuries. University of Oxford scientists, working with a local team in the Budongo Forest, filmed and recorded incidents of the animals using plants for first aid, both on themselves and occasionally on each other. Their research builds on the discovery last year that chimps seek out and eat certain plants to self-medicate. BBC

Dr. Curious George, M.D.

Guilty Pleasures

Car Dealership Introduces Humanoid Robot Staff . . . China's Chery Automobile brand recently introduced Mornine, a humanoid robot designed for use in car dealerships, at one of its Malaysian dealerships. Originally designed as a digital character meant to connect with the young generation by leveraging concepts like the metaverse and social media, Mornine evolved into a humanoid robot that can interact with customers in the real world. Mornine uses a multimodal sensing model that allows it to accurately perceive the gestures and commands of humans it interacts with. Oddity Central

Before being taught to sell cars, the robot first had to be programmed to overcharge for stuff.