Speaker Mike Johnson Claims Classified Briefing Made Him Flip-Flop on Spy Powers Reform (VIDEO)

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Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) on Wednesday explained his apparent flip-flop on a controversial surveillance law, saying that he now favors limited reforms after receiving a classified briefing.

Speaker Johnson was asked by reporters why he changed his opinion on reforming Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a controversial surveillance law that is meant to target foreign adversaries, but often surveils Americans’ communications without a warrant.

Johnson this week came out against a warrant requirement for Section 702 and moved not to allow an amendment that would have barred intelligence and law enforcement agencies from purchasing Americans’ private information through third-party data brokers. This is considered a run around the Fourth Amendment protection against warrantless searches.

This amounts to a dramatic reversal, since Johnson supported legislation to close the data broker loophole in July 2023, and the Louisiana congressman supported the USA RIGHTS act, which FreedomWorks described as one of the “strongest possible reforms” of FISA.

(Read more from “Speaker Mike Johnson Claims Classified Briefing Made Him Flip-Flop on Spy Powers Reform (VIDEO)” HERE)

A Nation Committing Suicide

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Historian Arnold Toynbee observed “an autopsy of history would show that all great nations commit suicide.”

It’s hard not to think about this reading the results of the latest Wall Street Journal-NORC poll, appearing under the headline “America Pulls Back From Values That Once Defined It.”

Only 38% of Americans now say patriotism is “very important,” compared to 70% in 1998. Thirty-nine percent say religion is “very important,” compared to 62% in 1998. And 30% say having children is “very important,” compared to 59% in 1998.

The results that follow from these attitudes are not surprising.

Marriage rates are way down. Birthrates are way down.

In 1990, 67% of American adults between the ages of 25-54 were married. This was down to 51% in 2021.

In 2020, there were 56 births in the U.S. for every 1,000 women ages 15-44. In 1990, there were 70.9.

And, among the births we do have, in 2021, 40% of our babies were born to unmarried mothers. (Read more from “A Nation Committing Suicide” HERE)

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FBI Concerned About Coordinated Terror Attack in U.S. Similar to Moscow Concert Hall Attack

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Federal law enforcement officials are concerned that terrorists could launch a coordinated attack in the U.S. that is similar to the ISIS-K terrorist attack that was carried out in Russia last month.

Reuters reported that FBI Director Christopher Wray was set to relay this warning to the House of Representatives during a hearing on Thursday.

“Looking back over my career in law enforcement, I’d be hard-pressed to think of a time where so many threats to our public safety and national security were so elevated all at once,” Christopher Wray says in prepared remarks. “But that is the case as I sit here today.”

Several ISIS-K terrorists stormed a concert hall in Moscow late last month and opened fire with automatic while simultaneously setting the sold out venue on fire, killing more than 140 people.

Wray will say that an increasing threat in the U.S. “is the potential for a coordinated attack here in the homeland, akin to the ISIS-K attack we saw at the Russia Concert Hall a couple weeks ago.” (Read more from “FBI Concerned About Coordinated Terror Attack in U.S. Similar to Moscow Concert Hall Attack” HERE)

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China Imposes Sanctions on Two Major American Defense Companies over U.S. Arms Sales to Taiwan

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China has announced sanctions against two major American defense companies in response to U.S. arms sales to Taiwan, further escalating tensions between Beijing and Washington.

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that the U.S. arms sales to Taiwan violated agreements between the two countries and interfered with China’s internal affairs. The ministry emphasized that such actions undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, calling the sales a violation of the one-China principle and the provisions of past China-U.S. joint communiqués.

Effective from April 11, 2024, China has imposed sanctions on General Atomics Aeronautical Systems and General Dynamics Land Systems, targeting their senior management and freezing their assets within China. General Dynamics, which operates aviation services in China and manufactures the Abrams tank, faces repercussions for its involvement in the arms sales.

This move by China follows similar sanctions imposed last year on Lockheed Martin Corp. and Raytheon Missiles & Defense after their involvement in shooting down a suspected spy balloon flying over U.S. military installations.

Taiwan remains a contentious issue between the U.S. and China, with the former maintaining unofficial diplomatic ties with the island nation. Despite switching official recognition to Beijing in 1979, the U.S. continues to support Taiwan’s defense against potential Chinese aggression.

In recent years, China has intensified its military activities around Taiwan, heightening tensions in the region. The latest sanctions coincide with a visit by the Japanese prime minister to Washington, during which both the U.S. and Japan reiterated their positions on the Taiwan issue.

Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman Mao Ning reiterated China’s stance on the Taiwan question, emphasizing that it is a domestic affair and urging the U.S. and Japan to refrain from interference. She called for concrete actions from the U.S. to align with President Biden’s commitment not to support “Taiwan independence.”

J.K. Rowling Rips Leftists, Celebrities After Medical Review Rejects Transing Children

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Famed Harry Potter writer J.K. Rowling went on an extended X rant to blast the left for the harm it has done to children after the release of an important medical study in the U.K. that shows that her stance against widespread transgenderism was right all along.

Rowling was responding to the release of a report by Dr Hillary Cass that found that the entire concept underlying child transgender procedures is built on “shaky foundations” with little scientific evidence of their effectiveness. The study outright rejects puberty blockers, and decries how the far-left medical community has bullied those who question transgenderism.

The report into how the tax-funded NHS treats children who believe they are transgender calls for major changes in the way the U.K.’s medical system approaches transgenderism, and suggest major changes. For instance, the report says hormone drugs should no longer be given to anyone under age 18 and that the basis of ‘treatments’ given by the NHS have been based on practices with little “developmental rigor and transparency”.

“When conducting the review, I found that in gender medicine those pillars are built on shaky foundations,” Dr. Cass says in the much-anticipated report.

Rowling was furious, not because the report went against her own viewpoint, but because she has been so thoroughly excoriated by the left despite her being aligned with this report in the first place.

(Read more from “J.K. Rowling Rips Leftists, Celebrities After Medical Review Rejects Transing Children” HERE)

Rand Paul Vows to Investigate Fauci’s ‘Secret Trips’ to CIA, Promises Further Probe into COVID-19 Origins

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Senator Rand Paul, known for his ongoing investigation into the origins of COVID-19, has revealed plans to delve into Dr. Anthony Fauci’s alleged undisclosed visits to the CIA. In an exclusive interview with DailyMail.com, Paul disclosed his intentions to scrutinize Fauci’s connections with the CIA, particularly in light of conflicting narratives surrounding the origins of the pandemic.

According to Paul, the CIA’s official stance attributing COVID-19 to animal origins contrasts sharply with findings from other federal agencies, such as the Department of Energy and FBI, which suggest a potential lab leak from Wuhan, China. Paul highlighted the suspicious reversal of the CIA’s initial assessment, alleging that senior officials overruled their own scientific committee’s conclusion that the virus likely originated from a lab. More from the Daily Mail:

‘The CIA officially still says [COVID-19 is] probably from animals,’ Paul said. ‘We also have stories, rumors and innuendo that Fauci was a frequent visitor off the books to the CIA.’

He pointed to how the CIA disagrees with findings from the Department of Energy and FBI that have said the the pandemic likely originated from a leak at a Wuhan, China, lab.

And that though an initial CIA assessment found the lab leak theory was likely, senior officials in the agency overruled their findings.

‘We have another whistleblower from the CIA that says that the scientific committee that was commissioned to look into the origins of the virus actually voted six to one that it came from the lab and that they were overruled by superiors at the CIA,’ the senator told DailyMail.com.

Furthermore, Paul raised concerns regarding a 2018 proposal from the Wuhan Institute of Virology and EcoHealth Alliance to create a novel coronavirus, which involved collaboration with several U.S. federal agencies, including the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) led by Fauci. Paul underscored Fauci’s potential knowledge of the proposal, given NIAID’s partnership, and questioned the agency’s response to the subsequent COVID-19 outbreak.

Despite the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) attributing the pandemic to animal origins, Paul criticized this explanation as “batty,” citing awareness of the Wuhan lab’s proposal among federal agencies. He also raised suspicions regarding the NIAID budget’s increase for biomedical weapons research under Fauci’s leadership.

Paul expressed frustration with the lack of cooperation from federal agencies under the Biden administration but expressed optimism about the potential for a more favorable administration in the future. Hinting at a Trump presidency, Paul suggested that better access to sealed documents could aid in his investigation.

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

Making History: Joe Slips up in Plea to Voters for Support (VIDEO)

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President Joe Biden slipped up during his joint press conference with the prime minister of Japan, saying he’s “in the 20th century” before quickly correcting himself to say 21st.

Biden was answering a question on the Arizona state supreme court ruling that brought back an 1864 abortion law.

“What do you say to the people of Arizona right now who are witnessing a law go in place that dates back to the Civil War?” a reporter asked.

Biden was ready with an answer, at least a first.

“Elect me,” he said immediately. “I’m in the 20, 20th century — 21st century. Not back then. They [Arizona] weren’t even a state.”

(Read more from “Making History: Joe Slips up in Plea to Voters for Support” HERE)

Kristi Noem Banished From 10% of State She Governs After Latest Expulsion

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Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) has been banned from some 10% of South Dakota, the state she governs.

On Tuesday, the Standing Rock Sioux Tribal Council voted to ban Noem from areas under its control. Combined with bans from the Oglala Sioux Tribe in February and the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe last week, the Republican governor is now banned from about one-tenth of the state, according to the Daily Beast.

The banishment came in response to remarks Noem made about the Native Americans of the state, accusing tribal leaders of not doing enough to expunge the influence of drug cartels.

“Governor Kristi Noem’s wild and irresponsible attempt to connect tribal leaders and parents with Mexican drug cartels is a sad reflection of her fear-based politics that do nothing to bring people together to solve problems,” SRST Chairwoman Janet Alkire said in a press release. “Rather than make uninformed and unsubstantiated claims, Noem should work with tribal leaders to increase funding and resources for tribal law enforcement and education.”

The director of the Lakota People’s Law Project, which says on its website that it “works closely with tribal nations and nonprofit compatriots to amplify Indigenous voices” and “provides on-the-ground support when and where it is needed most,” said Noem is “prohibited from entering sovereign territory of Sioux bands.” (Read more from “Kristi Noem Banished From 10% of State She Governs After Latest Expulsion” HERE)

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TV Outlet Accidentally Airs Man’s Testicles During Solar Eclipse Coverage

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A Mexican news outlet is garnering ridicule online because it accidentally aired a man’s testicles when presenting viewer-submitted footage of Monday’s solar eclipse.

RCG Media’s 24/7 news program was covering the eclipse when its three anchors presented clips submitted by fans experiencing the celestial phenomenon — only to fall prey to a well-known prank in Latin America, the local La Vanguardia newspaper reported.

As the male host was listing the cities from where the eclipse could be enjoyed, the clips being presented on the left side of the screen cut to a man blocking out the sun with his testicles.

One of the two female anchors could be heard gasping in shock while her male colleague carried on, ignoring the obscene image.

The clip was quickly taken off the screen, with the male anchor explaining that the clips were submitted by viewers as he admitted that the fervor to include fans’ experiences can lead to embarrassing situations for broadcasters. (Read more from “TV Outlet Accidentally Airs Man’s Testicles During Solar Eclipse Coverage” HERE)

Biden Hosts Big Tech Moguls, Clintons, de Niro at State Dinner for Japan PM Who Compares Countries’ Relationship to ‘Star Trek’

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President Biden hosted Bill and Hillary Clinton alongside billionaire Big Tech titans Wednesday night at the White House for a state dinner in honor of visiting Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida.

The Clintons and actor Robert De Niro joined the head table in the White House East Room, where more than 200 guests dined on house-cured salmon and dry-aged rib-eye steak.

Billionaire Amazon founder and Washington Post owner Jeff Bezos and Apple CEO Tim Cook sat at tables nearby.

JP Morgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen, who was spotted with wine glass in hand ahead of Biden and Kishida giving introductory toasts, were also toward the center of the room.

“We both remember the choices that were made to forge a friendship,” Biden, 81, said during his toast. “We both remember the hard work, what it has done to find healing.” (Read more from “Biden Hosts Big Tech Moguls, Clintons, de Niro at State Dinner for Japan PM Who Compares Countries’ Relationship to ‘Star Trek’” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr