Alejandro Mayorkas, Christopher Wray Refuse to Testify Before Senate Committee on Terrorism Threats to U.S.

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Director Christopher Wray refused to testify before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on terrorism threats facing the United States.

Just hours before they were set to testify before the Senate on Thursday, a DHS spokesperson said Mayorkas and Wray would not be attending the hearing which was focused on terrorism threats facing the U.S. — including those arriving at the southern border.

“DHS and the FBI have offered to the Committee a classified briefing to discuss the threats to the Homeland,” the spokesperson said in part.

In response, Ranking Member Rand Paul (R-KY) said Mayorkas and Wray’s refusal to testify is “unacceptable”

“The American people deserve to hold these officials accountable for their actions under the Biden Administration,” Paul said in a statement. (Read more from “Alejandro Mayorkas, Christopher Wray Refuse to Testify Before Senate Committee on Terrorism Threats to U.S.” HERE)

Governor Gets Sued for Demanding Christians Pay for Others’ Abortions

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Gov. J.B. Pritzker, the far-left billionaire governor of Illinois, is being taken to court over his schemes that force state residents to make the choice 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-to-no 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 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.” (Read more from “Governor Gets Sued for Demanding Christians Pay for Others’ Abortions” HERE)

Mysterious Babbitt Shooting Witnesses Incited Rioters, Met Secretly With Capitol Police on January 6

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Two unidentified men who incited rioters on January 6, captured video throughout the U.S. Capitol for hours, and stood feet from Air Force veteran Ashli Babbitt when she was shot are drawing new attention as the fourth anniversary of the tragic day looms.

A Blaze News video investigation found that the duo assisted and shadowed a large group of protesters from the Capitol’s West Plaza to the House Speaker’s Lobby before Babbitt was fatally shot.

The pair later met secretly with U.S. Capitol Police at the edge of Capitol grounds and shared at least one video clip as evidence before the Babbitt shooting investigation was even officially under way. Capitol Police did not make a video or audio recording of their talks with the men. One of the men sat in an unmarked squad car and showed USCP special agents at least some of his video, security footage reviewed by Blaze News showed.

The men have been the subject of intense social media speculation for some time. They warranted just a few paragraphs in the now-closed Babbitt shooting investigation conducted by the District of Columbia’s Metropolitan Police Department.

Nicknamed “Frick and Frack” by a YouTube satirist, the men have long been considered important material witnesses in the killing of Babbitt, 35, of San Diego. They have not been publicly identified, arrested by the FBI, or charged by federal prosecutors. (Read more from “Mysterious Babbitt Shooting Witnesses Incited Rioters, Met Secretly With Capitol Police on January 6” HERE)

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Is There Trouble Ahead for Pete Hegseth?

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President-elect Donald J. Trump nominated Pete Hegseth, a decorated war veteran, to helm the Defense Department. Hegseth, now a Fox News host, tapped to be our next secretary of defense triggered all the right people. Trump, with no election hanging over his head, is going balls to the wall regarding his picks, selecting people who will take baseball bats to these institutions to uproot the bad apples that are aiming to hamstring the incoming Trump presidency. They’re also terrible, borderline treasonous bureaucrats who need to be put out to pasture.

Yet, there’s the confirmation process. Mr. Hegseth, former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), was nominated as attorney general, and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., was selected as health and human services secretary. There will be tough battles on the Hill. We’re at a stage where it’s too early to call, of course, but voters have approved of the Trump transition. Moreover, with all the baggage, it’s not wild to say that most, if not all, of Trump’s picks will be confirmed at this point. We might have some woman trouble ahead for Mr. Hegseth, however. They’re allegations that are well-known in this town. While these developments are not good, the one thing glossed over is that he was already investigated and cleared. Mr. Hegseth was involved in a sexual assault incident in California back in 2017 (via Newsweek):

Pete Hegseth entered into a settlement with the woman who accused him of sexual assault because he knew the allegation could get him fired from Fox News, his attorney has said.

It came out last week that Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump’s pick to lead the Department of Defense, was investigated for sexual assault in California seven years ago. No charges were filed and Hegseth has “vigorously denied any and all accusations,” Trump spokesman Steven Cheung told Vanity Fair.

(Read more from “Is There Trouble Ahead for Pete Hegseth?” HERE)

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Danish Navy Reportedly Boards Chinese Ship Suspected in European Undersea Cable Sabotage — Sweden’s Defense Ministry Put Freighter at the Time and Place of the Disruption

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The Danish Navy has boarded and detained the Chinese Bulk Carrier Yi Peng 3 in the Danish Straits, near the exit of the Great Belt, according to reports in Eurasia Daily and Defence24. The detention reportedly took place on the evening of November 18. Officials have not verified those reports, however. According to Financial Times sources, Swedish authorities are “carefully studying the Chinese vessel.”

Denmark has sent two ships, the HDMS Hvidbjoernen, an ocean patrol frigate, and the DNK Navy Patrol P525, a smaller patrol craft, to shadow the Chinese Bulk Carrier Yi Peng 3. Authorities suspect the Chinese vessel is connected with the cutting of two undersea internet cables that connect Finland and Sweden to Central Europe, reports MSN.

The undersea cable connecting Sweden to Lithuania was the first to be hit, sustaining damage around Sunday, Nov. 17; the Finland-Germany undersea cable was cut the following day. On Tuesday, the Sweden Ministry of Civil Defense announced that it had recorded the Yi Peng 3’s movements and placed it within the vicinity of possible sabotage events.

According to public records, the bulk carrier left Ust-Luga Anchorage, some 50 miles east of St. Petersburg in Russia, on Nov. 15, and its next destination was Port Said in Egypt. We don’t have any information on her crew or what type of cargo she’s carrying, though.

At the time of writing, Marinetraffic.com puts the Chinese ship in the middle of the Kattegatt, the sea bound by Denmark on the west and Sweden in the east. The smaller Danish patrol ship is immediately beside it, while the Hvidbjoernen is located some 15 to 20 miles southwest of the two vessels (although the website says that this position was last updated more than seven hours ago). (Read more from “Danish Navy Reportedly Boards Chinese Ship Suspected in European Undersea Cable Sabotage — Sweden’s Defense Ministry Put Freighter at the Time and Place of the Disruption” HERE)

Cop Who Fatally Shot J6 Protestor Has Lengthy Disciplinary Record That Includes Gun Incidents

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The Capitol Police officer who fatally shot Ashli Babbitt during the Jan. 6 riots and then was promoted has a lengthy internal affairs and disciplinary record that includes firearm-related incidents, a sweeping congressional investigation has found.

The issues in Captain Michael Byrd’s background included a failed shotgun qualification test, a failed FBI background check for a weapon’s purchase, a 33-day suspension for a lost weapon and referral to Maryland state prosecutors for firing his gun at a stolen car fleeing his neighborhood, according to congressional and police documents obtained by Just the News.

Byrd’s record was uncovered during a larger House Administration Oversight Subcommittee investigation into the Capitol Police disciplinary process and was chronicled in a letter Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., the panel’s chairman, sent Wednesday to the department’s chief, Thomas Manger, in which the lawmaker expressed concerns about the officer’s promotion to captain.

“This Subcommittee is dedicated to ensuring USCP has autonomy from political pressures so it can make operational and personnel decisions,” Loudermilk wrote in the letter. “However, based on the information obtained by the Subcommittee regarding USCP’s handling of Captain Byrd following January 6, 2021, and his significant disciplinary history, I have concerns about USCP’s decision to promote him to the rank of Captain.”

You can read the letter below: List of incidents:

File
11.20.2024 Letter From Rep. Barry Loudermilk to USCP Chief of Police Manger.pdf

(Read more from “Cop Who Fatally Shot J6 Protestor Has Lengthy Disciplinary Record That Includes Gun Incidents” HERE)

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It’s Joe Biden’s Birthday. Here Are The Worst Moments Of His One-Term Presidency.

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President Joe Biden turns 82 today, and to celebrate, we’re looking back at some of the worst moments of his presidency.

This administration has racked up a buffet of scandals ranging from massive failures like the Afghanistan withdrawal to a shocking, politicized hurricane response this fall. . .

With Biden’s one and only term winding down, here are five of his presidency’s worst moments.

The Biden administration completed its disastrous withdrawal of U.S. troops from Afghanistan in August, 2021, six months after Biden took office.

The botched operation resulted in the deaths of 13 U.S. service members due to a suicide bombing at the Kabul airport, which descended into chaos as terrified civilians tried to escape before the Taliban took over the country. Dozens of American citizens were left stranded in the country, and harrowing video of Afghan civilians clinging to a U.S. Air Force plane taking off went viral on social media. (Read more from “It’s Joe Biden’s Birthday. Here Are The Worst Moments Of His One-Term Presidency.” HERE)

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Rumored Trump FBI Candidate Mike Rogers Has History Of Feeding Into Russiagate, FISA Spying

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Former Congressman Mike Rogers, who is reportedly in the running to be Donald Trump’s FBI Director pick if Chris Wray is fired, has a history of propagating Russiagate and supporting FISA surveillance.

Rogers, the former chair of the House Intelligence Committee, is reportedly a leading contender to replace Wray as head of the FBI. He served as a Republican representative from Michigan until January 2015, when he transitioned to media work and hosted a CNN program called “Declassified,” which focused on American intelligence issues. Since leaving Congress, he’s worked with various groups friendly with the intelligence community and which perpetuated the Russiagate scandal against Trump.

Rogers ran for Senate in 2024 and narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. While he attended President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rallies and even received the former president’s endorsement, Rogers was not always a stalwart supporter. He was even an advisor to a group that promoted the Russian election interference narrative.

Rogers ran for Senate in 2024 and narrowly lost to Democrat Elissa Slotkin. While he attended President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign rallies and even received the former president’s endorsement, Rogers was not always a stalwart supporter. He was even an advisor to a group that promoted the Russian election interference narrative. (Read more from “Rumored Trump FBI Candidate Mike Rogers Has History Of Feeding Into Russiagate, FISA Spying” HERE)

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Georgia Governor Reacts To Court Claim That NYC Flew Laken Riley Killer To Georgia

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Republican Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp’s office blasted apparent revelations that Laken Riley’s killer was flown into the state before her murder, and confirmed they are working to get more answers.

The roommate of Jose Ibarra testified in court that she and Ibarra arrived in Georgia by way of a humanitarian flight from New York City in 2023. Ibarra on Wednesday was ultimately found guilty of murdering Riley, a Georgia nursing student at the time, and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole.

The fact that an illegal migrant and killer was likely flown into the community via a taxpayer-funded flight is not sitting well with Georgia officials.

“The recent revelation of how Laken Riley’s alleged killer made it to Georgia is outrageous,” Kemp spokesperson Garrison Douglas stated to the Daily Caller News Foundation.

“While the Biden Administration continues to ignore our request for accurate and detailed information on illegal border crossings and relocations efforts, Governor Kemp has positioned Georgia to do what it can to address the crisis at the border by taking decisive action like deploying our National Guardsmen to the U.S. southern border and signing legislation that strengthened Georgia’s reporting requirements for illegal immigrants arrested for crimes and ban on sanctuary cities,” Douglas continued. (Read more from “Georgia Governor Reacts To Court Claim That NYC Flew Laken Riley Killer To Georgia” HERE)

Ellen DeGeneres Leaves United States, Flees to England over Trump Election

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Comedienne and former talk show powerhouse Ellen DeGeneres has fled the United States for the England in response to President-elect Donald Trump’s victory over Kamala Harris.

A source close to DeGeneres and her partner Portia de Rossi told TheWrap that the celebrity couple have placed their Montecito home on the market and moved to Cotswolds – a rural part of England. Trump’s election was allegedly the couple’s primary motivation. Per TheWrap:

Ellen DeGeneres and wife Portia de Rossi have moved to rural England, put their Montecito estate on the market and plan to never return to the United States, telling friends the election of Donald Trump was their primary motivation, a person close to the former TV host told TheWrap.

Though the incoming Republican administration was the cited catalyst, a fresh start couldn’t hurt: DeGeneres has been open about being “kicked out of show business” after reports of toxic workplace behavior at the syndicated “Ellen” show in 2022.

DeGeneres has already moved to the Cotswolds, a rural area in south-central England, the person said, adding that her Montecito mansion, roughly 90 minutes north of Los Angeles, has been pocket-listed or will be listed soon. A representative for Riskin Partners, the prestigious real estate company she retains, did not immediately respond to a request for comment Wednesday.

(Read more from “Ellen DeGeneres Leaves United States, Flees to England over Trump Election” HERE)

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