Listen: Cops Scramble to Secure Hospital for Biden Health Scare

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Officers from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department rushed to clear roads and secure the perimeter of a hospital that had been placed on standby to treat President Joe Biden for a medical issue last month, according to radio transmission recordings obtained by the Daily Beast.

It remains unclear what exactly the undisclosed medical issue was, though the White House announced later that day he had been diagnosed with COVID-19.

“Meet at the Valley Hospital ER parking lot. We’re going to meet behind the ER entrances, where the ambulances go,” an officer says in one of the transmissions, which were sent to the Daily Beast in response to a public records request to the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department.

The radio transmissions were broadcast on July 17, after the president abruptly canceled a speaking engagement on a campaign trip in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he was set to address Hispanic voters at the UnidosUS event.

(Read more from “Listen: Cops Scramble to Secure Hospital for Biden Health Scare” HERE)

Photo credit: Flickr

Executives of Voting Machine Firm Suing to Silence Election Reporting Indicted for Bribery

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Afederal grand jury indicted executives of the voting machine company Smartmatic, along with the Philippines’ former top elections official, Thursday for participating in an “alleged bribery and money laundering scheme.” Smartmatic is currently suing conservative media outlets over their 2020 election reporting.

Roger Piñate and Jorge Vasquez are accused of taking part in a scheme that involved laundering money and paying $1 million in bribes to Juan Andres Bautista, former chair of the Philippines Commission on Elections, from 2015 to 2018, according to a Department of Justice press release.

The “co-conspirators” allegedly bribed Bautista to “obtain and retain business related to providing voting machines and election services for the 2016 Philippine elections and to secure payments on the contracts,” according to the release. They allegedly “laundered funds” through banks on three continents, including in the Southern District of Florida, where Piñate and Vasquez reside.

The release did not mention Smartmatic by name, but said the indictment targeted “three executives” of an “election voting machine” company. Piñate is president and co-founder of Smartmatic and Vásquez worked as an executive. Elie Moreno, who was Smartmatic’s Philippines general manager, is also charged in the indictment.

All four individuals are charged with “one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering and three counts of international laundering of monetary instruments,” the release said. If convicted, they could each face a maximum sentence of 20 years for each charge. (Read more from “Executives of Voting Machine Firm Suing to Silence Election Reporting Indicted for Bribery” HERE)

Report: Trump Plans to Sue DOJ for $100m

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Former President Donald Trump (R) is reportedly taking legal action against President Joe Biden’s (D) Justice Department regarding the unprecedented August 8, 2022, raid on his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach, Florida.

The former president is planning to sue the department for $100 million in damages. Fox News reported Monday that his memo claims “tortious conduct by the United States against President Trump.”

The raid occurred during a federal investigation after Trump was accused of improperly keeping classified records.

“After the raid, Special Counsel Jack Smith was appointed to investigate. Smith ultimately brought 37 felony counts against Trump, including willful retention of national defense information, conspiracy to obstruct justice, and false statements. Trump pleaded not guilty to all counts,” the Fox report said.

In July, U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon dismissed the case against Trump. Citing the Constitution’s Appointment Clause, the judge ruled Smith was unlawfully appointed and funded. (Read more from “Report: Trump Plans to Sue DOJ for $100m” HERE)

Trump Campaign Says Iranian Group Hacked Internal Communications

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Former President Donald Trump’s campaign confirmed Saturday that an Iranian group hacked its internal communications in June, Politico reported.

Politico and the Washington Post stated that they received emails in July from an anonymous account that shared a campaign research paper on Trump’s running mate, vice presidential nominee, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio). The 271-page document listed publicly available information about Vance, including his previous criticisms of Trump, which it labeled as “potential vulnerabilities.” Additionally, the sender provided the news outlets with part of a research document on Florida Sen. Marco Rubio (R), who was one of Trump’s top contenders for running mate.

The hack coincides with a Microsoft report released Friday that claimed an “Iranian group, this one connected with the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, sent a spear phishing email in June to a high-ranking official on a presidential campaign.” . . .

Politico asked the anonymous sender how it obtained the documents, to which the individual responded, “I suggest you don’t be curious about where I got them from. Any answer to this question, will compromise me and also legally restricts you from publishing them.”

Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung told Politico, “These documents were obtained illegally from foreign sources hostile to the United States, intended to interfere with the 2024 election and sow chaos throughout our Democratic process.” (Read more from “Trump Campaign Says Iranian Group Hacked Internal Communications” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Former Leader of Tim Walz’s Unit Joins Stolen Valor Attacks: ‘Affront’ to Claim Rank ‘He Did Not Earn’

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A former battalion commander of Tim Walz’s National Guard unit is the latest to attack the vice presidential nominee for stolen valor, saying it’s an “affront” for him to claim a title he did not earn — and accusing him of running when service got too tough.

John Kolb, who became lieutenant colonel of the Minnesota unit a few months after Walz quit to run for Congress, joined the attacks soon after Vice President Kamala Harris admitted her running mate “misspoke” about retiring as a command sergeant major.

In a widely shared Facebook post, Kolb said Walz not only “retired early” and “broke his enlistment contract,” the Democrat also failed to “complete the Sergeants Major Academy” and “did not successfully complete any assignment as a Sergeant Major.” . . .

Photo credit: Facebook / John Kolb

Kolb shared his views in a post with Thomas Behrends, the Guardsman who replaced Walz when he suddenly quit and has since called him a “coward” and a “traitor.”

He drew a clear contrast between Walz and the man who replaced him, saying Behrends “sacrificed to answer the call” and “earned the privilege of being called Command Sergeant Major.” (Read more from “Former Leader of Tim Walz’s Unit Joins Stolen Valor Attacks: ‘Affront’ to Claim Rank ‘He Did Not Earn’” HERE)

Report: ‘Friction,’ ‘Bad-Mouthing,’ ‘Anxiety’ Infest Dysfunctional Harris Campaign

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The Harris campaign spiraled into a power struggle in recent weeks with factions competing for influence and control, six people, including aides familiar with the dynamics, told Politico’s Christopher Cadelago on Monday.

The report described the campaign as rife with “friction,” “internal tensions,” “anxiety,” “raw emotions,” “bad-mouthing,” and “grumbling” that mirror the dysfunction that plagued Harris’s Senate and vice presidential offices.

The competing factions reportedly consist of former Biden staffers and new Harris aides, who do not agree on how to overhaul the campaign’s power structure to prevent former President Donald Trump from completing the greatest political comeback in American political history.

In recent weeks, the campaign hired several former Obama staffers to help run it. But those staffers — including David Plouffe, Obama’s former campaign manager — are not jibing with Jen O’Malley Dillon, the former Biden White House official and Harris campaign chair, Politico reported.

“There is no doubt when you have 2,000 people and you are changing who is at the top of the ticket that it’s going to take a minute to make sure that everyone is seated well, and we still have some work to do on that,” O’Malley Dillon admitted to Cadelago. (Read more from “Report: ‘Friction,’ ‘Bad-Mouthing,’ ‘Anxiety’ Infest Dysfunctional Harris Campaign” HERE)

Migrants — Including Illegal Alien Convicted of Sex Assault — Raped Woman at Knifepoint in Front of Boyfriend: Police Sources

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Two migrants were arrested for a knifepoint rape in Coney Island – including one who illegally crossed into the US at the southern border in 2022 and was then busted four months later on rape charges in Brooklyn, law-enforcement sources said Monday.

David Davon-Bonilla, 24, a Nicaraguan migrant, allegedly grabbed the 46-year-old woman and threw her to the ground before raping her while holding a knife to her throat at Surf Avenue and 16th Street around 9 p.m. Sunday, cops and the sources said.

His alleged accomplice, identified as Mexican migrant Leovando Moreno, 37, is accused of striking the woman’s 34-year-old boyfriend with a pipe when he tried to stop the vicious assault, the sources said.

The horrific attack took place outside a hotel housing asylum seekers.

Davon-Bonilla, who previously lived at a La Quinta Hotel on Third Avenue converted into a migrant shelter, was charged with first-degree rape, second-degree assault, first-degree sexual abuse, menacing and criminal possession of a weapon, the sources said. (Read more from “Migrants — Including Illegal Alien Convicted of Sex Assault — Raped Woman at Knifepoint in Front of Boyfriend: Police Sources” HERE)

Stolen Valor Scandal Deepens: Brazen Tim Walz Sparks Vets’ Fury After Wearing Hat Bearing US Army Special Forces Crest — a Unit He Never Served In

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Minnesota Governor Tim Walz was criticized for wearing a hat bearing the U.S. Army Special Forces crest – a unit he never served with. . .

During the show, a picture of the Minnesota governor wearing a camo hat featuring the Special Forces crest was shared.

Some view wearing a hat in support of a military organization as a kind gesture, but it is heavily criticized within military veteran circles. It is frowned upon because it is viewed as misleading people into thinking an individual served with a specific unit.

A U.S. Army Green Beret wrote on X: “Hey Tim Walz, this you? Do you often wear our crest even though you were only National Guard with zero deployments, never went through SFAS or the Q course, and by all accounts never even worked with Special Forces?”

Another X user commented: “As a 20+ year veteran, Tim Walz knows how offensive it is for someone to wear the insignia of a unit they weren’t a part of – especially the 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne). Time for an apology and promise never to do it again. Shame on you Walz.” (Read more from “Stolen Valor Scandal Deepens: Brazen Tim Walz Sparks Vets’ Fury After Wearing Hat Bearing US Army Special Forces Crest — a Unit He Never Served In” HERE)

UN Issues Horror Nuclear Warning as Russia Evacuates Thousands and WW3 Fears Mount

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The head of the nuclear safety watchdog has called for “maximum restraint” amid ongoing hostilities in Russia’s Kursk region.

The call comes amidst reports showcasing towering infernos in Kursk as Ukraine intensifies its unexpected offensive into Russian territory, now in its sixth day.

As Ukraine’s bold strike against Russia continues an effort to push back against the invasion started in 2022 alarm bells are ringing over possible escalation, especially after Ukraine allegedly sent drones flying into Belarus airspace last Friday, shot down in what was described by the Putin-endorsed regime as ‘provocation’.

In reaction to these Ukrainian movements, Moscow has broadcasted its intention to carry out a “counter-terrorism operation” across Kursk and the neighbouring districts of Bryansk and Belgorod, with Saturday witnessing supposed clips of Ukrainian soldiers marking their presence in one village.

The alarm is also being raised about the Kursk Nuclear Power Plant given the fierce combat in that sector, which has seen Russian military forces activate both airstrikes and a thermobaric weapon, an explosive device known for its blast wave and subsequent vacuum effect causing asphyxiation. This isn’t the first instance where the extended conflict has ignited concerns about nuclear facilities; the Zaporizhzhya plant located near Ukraine, now under Russian control, has indeed been a previous point of contention. (Read more from “UN Issues Horror Nuclear Warning as Russia Evacuates Thousands and WW3 Fears Mount” HERE)

Pelosi Questions Whether Biden Wrote Letter Saying He’d Stay in 2024 Race: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe’

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Ex-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has openly doubted whether President Biden wrote the letter he sent to Democrats last month insisting he was “firmly committed” to staying in the race.

Biden, 81, sent the missive to congressional Dems to try to put to rest any notion that he’d exit the race over widespread concerns about his mental acuity after his June 27 debate performance against GOP foe Donald Trump. Two weeks later, Biden dropped out.

“I didn’t accept the letter as anything but a letter,” Pelosi told New York Times‘ columnist Ezra Klein in an interview last week. “I mean, there are some people who are unhappy with the letter.

“Let me say it differently. Some said that some people were unhappy with the letter. I’ll put it in somebody else’s mouth. It didn’t sound like Joe Biden to me. It really didn’t,” she said.

Two days after Biden sent the letter, Pelosi (D-Calif.), 84, turned heads with an appearance on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe,” rumored to be one of the president’s favorite political programs. (Read more from “Pelosi Questions Whether Biden Wrote Letter Saying He’d Stay in 2024 Race: ‘It Didn’t Sound Like Joe’” HERE)