Jimmy Carter, Former U.S. President, Dies Aged 100; How Trump Reacted to Carter’s Passing

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By Townhall. Jimmy Carter passed away on Sunday at the age of 100. It was the longest post-presidencies in American history. Carter was also the oldest former president to ever live in American history. A few lived into their 90s; Carter’s predecessor, Gerald R. Ford, died at 93 in 2006. While not a successful presidency, Carter’s philanthropic activities and other forms of civil engagement is his real legacy. He lived a remarkable life (via NYT):

Jimmy Carter, who rose from Georgia farmland to become the 39th president of the United States on a promise of national healing after the wounds of Watergate and Vietnam, then lost the White House in a cauldron of economic turmoil at home and crisis in Iran, died on Sunday at his home in Plains, Ga. He was 100.

The Carter Center in Atlanta announced his death, which came nearly three months after Mr. Carter, already the longest-living president in American history, became the first former commander in chief to reach the century mark. Mr. Carter went into hospice care 22 months ago, but held on longer than even his family expected.

Tributes poured in from presidents, world leaders and many everyday people from around the world who admired not only Mr. Carter’s service during four years in the White House but his four decades of efforts since leaving office to fight disease, broker peace and provide for the poor. President Biden ordered a state funeral to be held and was expected to deliver a eulogy.

“To all of the young people in this nation and for anyone in search of what it means to live a life of purpose and meaning — the good life — study Jimmy Carter, a man of principle, faith and humility,” Mr. Biden, the first Democratic senator to endorse Mr. Carter’s long-shot 1976 bid for the presidency, said in a statement. “He showed that we are great nation because we are a good people.”

(Read more from “How Trump Reacted to Jimmy Carter’s Passing” HERE)

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Jimmy Carter, Former U.S. President, Dies Aged 100

By BBC. Former US President Jimmy Carter has died aged 100, the centre he founded has confirmed.

The former peanut farmer lived longer than any president in history and celebrated his 100th birthday in October.

The Carter Center, which advocates for democracy and human rights around the world, said he died on Sunday afternoon at his home in Plains, Georgia.

The Democrat served as president from 1977 to 1981, a period beset by economic and diplomatic crises. (Read more from “Jimmy Carter, Former U.S. President, Dies Aged 100” HERE)

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Trump Endorses Speaker Johnson Amid Fight for His Gavel; Gaetz Declares ‘Resistance Is Now Futile’ After Trump Endorses Johnson for Speaker — But Massie, Others Remain Unmoved

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By Breitbart. President-elect Donald Trump endorsed Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) Monday morning after leaving Johnson twisting in the wind for 11 days.

Trump posted a 232-word soliloquy on Truth Social touting his electoral romp and attacking Democrats for weaponizing the government against him.

At the very end, he endorsed Johnson for speaker, using his boilerplate endorsement language:

LETS NOT BLOW THIS GREAT OPPORTUNITY WHICH WE HAVE BEEN GIVEN. The American people need IMMEDIATE relief from all of the destructive policies of the last Administration. Speaker Mike Johnson is a good, hard working, religious man. He will do the right thing, and we will continue to WIN. Mike has my Complete & Total Endorsement. MAGA!!!

Trump left Johnson twisting in the wind after December 19, when Johnson failed to deliver on Trump’s desire to lift the debt ceiling as part of a government spending deal. Reports that Trump fumed from Mar-a-Lago, coupled with Trump’s silence as criticism against Johnson rose, cast doubts on Trump’s commitment to Johnson.

(Read more from “Trump Endorses Speaker Johnson Amid Fight for His Gavel” HERE)

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Gaetz Declares ‘Resistance Is Now Futile’ After Donald Trump Endorses Mike Johnson for Speaker — But Massie, Others Remain Unmoved

By New York Post. Former firebrand Rep. Matt Gaetz, who instigated the House GOP toppling of former Speaker Kevin McCarthy last year, declared that resistance to House Speaker Mike Johnson “is now futile” in the wake of President-elect Donald Trump’s endorsement.

But that and Trump’s endorsement did nothing to pacify Johnson’s most outspoken House critic, Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.), who had come out in opposition to his speakership bid.

“I respect and support President Trump, but his endorsement of Mike Johnson is going to work out about as well as his endorsement of Speaker Paul Ryan,” Massie replied on X, posting an image of an article detailing Trump’s past support for former House GOP leader Ryan.

“We’ve seen Johnson partner with the democrats to send money to Ukraine, authorize spying on Americans, and blow the budget.”

Massie, 53, who endorsed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis in the 2024 GOP primary and feuded with Trump in the past, has been peeved at Johnson’s handling of spending fights and last week promised to vote for another speaker. (Read more from “Gaetz Declares ‘Resistance Is Now Futile’ After Donald Trump Endorses Mike Johnson for Speaker — But Massie, Others Remain Unmoved” HERE)

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Biden Confronts Idea He Could Have Won

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President Joe Biden and his close aides are evaluating his legacy in the waning weeks of his administration, including whether the 2024 election will define it.

Biden and several aides have reportedly told people recently that he could have beaten President-elect Donald Trump in spite of his poor presidential debate performance, low approval ratings, and growing concerns about his cognitive functions.

Biden ended his presidential campaign on July 21 following at least a month of mounting pressure from members of the Democratic Party, both publicly and privately. He initially stood strongly against calls that he end his campaign and even said only the “Lord Almighty” could convince him to leave. However, by July 21, Biden announced he would step down, and shortly after, he endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris.

Months later, after the Democrats’ bruising election defeat, Biden is standing by his belief that he could have won reelection, according to aides speaking with the Washington Post. While the president acknowledged that he “screwed up” during his June debate against Trump, he has suggested he still thought his focus on America’s long-term success would carry more weight with voters than fluctuating issues such as inflation.

He also recognized the changing media landscape as a factor in his campaign’s downfall. (Read more from “Biden Confronts Idea He Could Have Won” HERE)

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Federal Prosecutors’ Top Jan. 6 Target Prepares to Turn the Tables on Justice Department

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Oath Keepers leader Stewart Rhodes is spending his time in federal prison planning legal action against the Justice Department.

Rhodes, one of the most prominent Jan. 6 defendants, is serving an 18-year sentence for seditious conspiracy, obstruction of an official proceeding and destruction of evidence.

President-elect Donald Trump, however, has changed the outlook for Rhodes and others in similar circumstances, having promised pardons for Jan. 6 defendants.

Rhodes told The Washington Times he is approaching his legal options “one step at a time.”

“If President Trump pardons me, I would love to sue [the Justice Department] for a 1983 claim. That’s a potential violation of civil rights. That’s a false imprisonment,” said Rhodes, a Yale Law School graduate. “They did the same kind of lawfare against President Trump and at us.” (Read more from “Federal Prosecutors’ Top Jan. 6 Target Prepares to Turn the Tables on Justice Department” HERE)

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Alaska Airlines Crew, Passenger Injured During Severe Turbulence

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An Alaska Airlines flight encountered severe turbulence during a flight into Phoenix during the busy holiday travel week, leaving multiple crew members and a passenger injured, according to an airline spokesperson.

Flight 700 had left Seattle just before noon PT Thursday and was about an hour and 45 minutes into its 2.5-hour flight when the severe turbulence hit. Flight tracking data from FlightAware.com showed the Boeing 737 MAX 9 recorded a drop of just over 200 feet in 30 seconds.

The plane landed safely in Phoenix at 3:10 p.m. MT (2:10 p.m. PT) and “several crew members and one guest received medical attention,” according to the Alaska spokesperson. The airline did not provide any additional information on the injuries, citing patient privacy.

The airline didn’t provide any details about what might have triggered the turbulence. FlightAware.com reports the incident occurred as the plane was at around 33,000 feet just passing near Las Vegas, which was reporting cloud ceilings at 16,000 and 25,000 feet but otherwise calm weather. (Read more from “Alaska Airlines Crew, Passenger Injured During Severe Turbulence” HERE)

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‘Treacherous’: Trump Slams ‘Dumbest’ Political Decision Made in Years

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President-elect Donald Trump is demanding Democrats take a vote on the U.S. debt ceiling immediately, saying the extension of the ceiling is “one of the dumbest political decisions made in years.”

In a statement Sunday evening on Truth Social, Trump indicated:

“The extension of the Debt Ceiling by a previous Speaker of the House, a good man and a friend of mine, from this past September of the Biden Administration, to June of the Trump Administration, will go down as one of the dumbest political decisions made in years.

“There was no reason to do it – NOTHING WAS GAINED, and we got nothing for it – A major reason why that Speakership was lost. (Read more from “‘Treacherous’: Trump Slams ‘Dumbest’ Political Decision Made in Years” HERE)

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Biden Announces Federal Holiday to Honor Late Former President Jimmy Carter

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Following the death of former President Jimmy Carter, President Biden on Monday signed an executive order closing all executive departments and agencies of the federal government on Jan. 9.

The closures, which Biden described as a “mark of respect” for the 39th president, will be in effect on the day of the late former president’s funeral.

Carter will lie in state in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. and his funeral will take place at Washington National Cathedral, according to statements from the White House and Carter Center.

Biden signed a proclamation on Sunday, declaring Jan. 9 as a National Day of Mourning and ordering all American flags to fly at half-staff for the next 30 days.

“I call on the American people to assemble on that day in their respective places of worship, there to pay homage to the memory of President James Earl Carter, Jr.,” Biden wrote in a statement. “I invite the people of the world who share our grief to join us in this solemn observance.” (Read more from “Biden Announces Federal Holiday to Honor Late Former President Jimmy Carter” HERE)

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Disturbing Find Uncovered in Search for Hikers Missing on a Hunt for ‘Bigfoot’

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Two men from Portland died searching for Sasquatch during Christmas week, according to officials.

Around 1 a.m. on Christmas Day, Skamania County Communications Center received a report from a family member of two people who were searching for Sasquatch and were missing after they had planned to return home on Dec. 24, according to the Skamania County Sheriff’s Office (SCSO).

A “flock camera,” also known as a license plate reader, located the men’s car off of Oklahoma Road, near Willard, Washington, SCSO said.

Over three days, search and rescue resources, including more than 60 volunteers, canines, drones and ground search teams and a U.S. Coast Guard air asset searched for the men.

“After a grueling, three-day search over difficult terrain and harsh weather conditions, the 59-year-old male and 37-year-old-male, both from Portland, Oregon, who were reported missing/endangered were located, deceased, in a heavily wooded area of the Gifford Pinchot National Forest,” the sheriff’s office said on Facebook. (Read more from “Disturbing Find Uncovered in Search for Hikers Missing on a Hunt for ‘Bigfoot’” HERE)

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Mosquitoes Inject Human Test Subjects With Parasite in Study at Bill Gates-Linked Centerv

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Researchers at the Bill Gates Foundation-backed Leiden University Medical Center in the Netherlands have joined an international effort to transform mosquitoes into flying syringes. According to a study published late last month in the New England Journal of Medicine, they apparently now have an effective way of using mosquitoes to deliver some protection against malaria in unsuspecting humans — and possibly other payloads in the future as well.

Scientists have long toyed with the idea of transforming mosquitoes into “flying vaccinator[s].”

Shigeto Yoshida, the lead researcher on a 2010 study that modified mosquitoes’ saliva such that they would deliver leishmania vaccines to mice when sucking their blood, noted that vaccination by insect was “just like a conventional vaccination but with no pain and no cost.”

“What’s more, continuous exposure to bites will maintain high levels of protective immunity, through natural boosting, for a lifetime. So the insect shifts from being a pest to being beneficial,” added Yoshida.

Despite the Japanese geneticist’s optimism, his study acknowledged that “medical safety issues and concerns about informed consent mitigate the use of the ‘flying vaccinator’ as a method to deliver vaccines.” (Read more from “Mosquitoes Inject Human Test Subjects With Parasite in Study at Bill Gates-Linked Centerv” HERE)

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U.S. Attorney Behind January 6 Prosecutions Stepping Down Before Trump’s Inauguration

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The U.S. attorney behind prosecutions in cases related to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021, announced on Monday that he will step down before President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House.

Matthew Graves, a longtime federal prosecutor who has held the role of U.S. attorney in the nation’s capital for a little more than three years, said he will resign effective January 16, four days before Inauguration Day. The principal assistant U.S. attorney in D.C., Bridget Fitzpatrick, is slated to become acting U.S. attorney after Graves departs.

“Serving as the U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia has been the honor of a lifetime,” Graves said in a statement. “I am deeply thankful to Congresswoman Holmes Norton for recommending me; to President Biden for nominating me; and to Attorney General Garland for placing his trust in me.”

Graves dealt with all sorts of issues during his stint as a U.S. attorney, ranging from those focused on national security matters to cryptocurrency. However, it was his record with January 6 cases that became a political lightning rod: the Department of Justice says nearly 1,600 defendants have been charged, many of whom pleaded guilty or were found guilty, and several hundred of them were sentenced to prison.

Some have been heavily critical of Graves, including Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ), who responded to the U.S. attorney stepping down by saying “the pawn at the helm of DOJ’s targeting of Joe Biden’s political opponents — just resigned ahead of President Trump’s inauguration,” and noting, “The Swamp knows that justice is coming.” (Read more from “U.S. Attorney Behind January 6 Prosecutions Stepping Down Before Trump’s Inauguration” HERE)

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