Hamas’ Devastating Weapon of War: Western Media

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Legacy media outlets have been doing Hamas’s filthy work for it. An industry of lies.

Melanie Phillips breaks it down.

The devastating Hamas weapon of war

The BBC and other western media outlets are far more than mere useful idiots

By: Melanie Phillips, December 1, 2023:

Hamas, the genocidal jihadi force responsible for the barbaric October 7 pogrom in Israel, has a devastating weapon of war. That weapon is the western media.

With some honourable exceptions, these media outlets have been doing Hamas’s filthy work for it. Despite the terror group’s record of lying through its teeth, the media accepts what it says at face value while casting doubt on everything said by the habitually truthful Israelis.

On November 8, Christiane Amanpour said on CNN that “over 4,300 children have been killed” during Israel’s military operations in Gaza. She admitted that this figure was “according to the Palestinian Ministry of Health in Ramallah”. But the numbers were, in fact, issued by the ministry’s Gaza branch, which is run by Hamas. Like countless other journalists, Amanpour failed to note that Hamas never acknowledged a single terrorist among these fatalities, and that the designation “children” includes its many teenage terrorists.

These media outlets never give up on their determination to paint Israel falsely as a mendacious and bloodthirsty aggressor.

Journalists sneered at Israel’s repeated claims of Hamas command tunnels beneath Gaza’s al Shifa hospital. Even as the IDF started to produce videos of these tunnels, showing their arched roofs, toilets and rooms using electricity sourced from the hospital, The New York Times continued falsely to assert that the Israelis “have not shown conclusive evidence of a vast network of tunnels”.

These outlets haven’t just been shilling for Hamas but for other Palestinians represented as struggling against “iron-fisted” Israeli oppression.

The media ignored or waved away the fact that many of the Palestinian prisoners released from Israeli jails in return for the release of Israeli hostages have convictions for terrorist violence.

Worse still, journalists have drawn a depraved moral equivalence between Israeli hostages released by Hamas and the Palestinian terrorist prisoners released by Israel.

The most jaw-dropping example was on Sky News. Interviewer Kay Burley put to an incredulous Israeli spokesman, Eylon Levy, the astounding claim made by a “hostage negotiator” that the ratio of three Palestinian prisoners exchanged for every Israeli hostage meant the Israelis valued Palestinian lives less than Israeli lives.

Burley actually believed that this sick and twisted misrepresentation of Hamas extortion as bigotry on Israel’s part was a serious point that required an answer.

There have been countless examples of western journalists going out of their way to sanitise Hamas and deny the enormity of its crimes.

When the Israeli hostages started to be released, Sky’s international editor, Dominic Waghorn, reported that they had been “held in reasonable condition reportedly, though those held above ground lived with the fear of being killed in Israel’s bombardment”.

Yet we now know that some of the Jewish hostages were beaten with electric cables, the elderly hostages were suffering from malnutrition, and one of them, who hadn’t been given the medication she needed, was airlifted to an Israeli hospital in critical condition.

The child hostages were treated with unspeakable cruelty and sadism from which they have already displayed lasting ill effects. They were instructed to speak in whispers and told they would be shot if they made a noise. One child was beaten, kept in solitary confinement for 16 days and forced to watch videos of the October 7 massacre. When he cried, he was threatened at gunpoint.

Yet Waghorn actually suggested that Israel was to blame for the worst the hostages had suffered through fear of being killed in its air raids.

The most important serial offender is the BBC. This not only dwarfs other outlets in its global reach but, most important of all, it is trusted everywhere as a kite-mark of objectivity. The harm it has done by sanitising Hamas and inciting hatred of Israel as morally beyond the pale is therefore hard to exaggerate.

There have been innumerable examples of the BBC’s selective, distorted reporting, using Hamas propaganda as legitimate talking points and twisting itself into a pretzel to cast Israel in the worst possible light.

On October 17, a few hours after the first reports of an explosion at Gaza’s al Ahli hospital that Hamas blamed on Israel, the BBC’s International Editor Jeremy Bowen reported: “The missile hit the hospital not long after dark. … The explosion destroyed al Ahli hospital. … The building was flattened”.

Yet even after it was established that a Palestinian Islamic Jihad rocket had merely hit the hospital’s car park and killed a far smaller number of people than Hamas had claimed, Bowen airily dismissed his falsehoods, saying, “I don’t regret one thing in my reporting because I think I was measured throughout. I didn’t race to judgment.”

The only thing more astounding than such arrogance, in the face of what was at best inexcusable sloppiness and at worst malign bias, is that the BBC continues to use Bowen as an authoritative commentator on the war in Gaza.

Not only have BBC journalists displayed gross moral bankruptcy over the war, but a number of them have openly supported Hamas.

Multiple presenters on the BBC’s Asian Network radio station have accused Israel of committing genocide, shared conspiracy theory videos and encouraged followers to attend pro-Palestinian marches.

The Committee for Accuracy in Middle East Reporting and Analysis (CAMERA) has flagged several posts by BBC journalists rejoicing at the October 7 atrocities, supporting “Palestinian brethren in their war against the occupying entity” a day after Israeli women and children were beheaded, raped and burned alive, and exulting in the “Palestinian resistance taking the initiative and surprises [sic] the Israeli occupier with an operation of quality”.

Yet the BBC has refused to take any disciplinary action against such employees. Instead, Guz Khan, a comedian who has accused Israel of “ethnic cleansing” and “genocide” in Gaza, has been booked to host the popular BBC panel show Have I Got News for You.

Most of the BBC, like the rest of the media, subscribe to progressive nostrums —according to which support for the Palestinians is the cause of causes. With universities and schools having pumped out Palestinian lies for decades, millions in the west have never heard the real facts about the Arab war against Israel. Consequently, they refuse to believe even the evidence of their own eyes when it conflicts with the poisonous anti-Israel consensus.

Hamas understands this dynamic only too well. Western values are based on respect for human life and compassion for suffering. By contrast Hamas, like other Islamists, privileges death over life and is motivated by psychopathic fanaticism.

It understands that people in the west are horrified by the killing of innocent civilians in war, particularly children. It also understands that the west no longer makes a distinction between civilians who are deliberately slaughtered and civilians who are unintentionally but unavoidably killed in the course of a war to prevent further slaughter.

Western populations thus put pressure on their governments to force Israel to stop defending itself against Hamas, giving Hamas the ability to continue slaughtering Israelis.

So Hamas ensures that as many Gazan civilians as possible are killed under Israeli bombardment by forcing them at gunpoint to become human shields and cannon fodder. It distributes the resulting images to western news desks ravenous for copy, and that depend upon journalists and photographers who either support Hamas or understand that if they don’t do what Hamas wants they will be killed.

The BBC and other western media outlets have thus become more than useful idiots. In behaving exactly as Hamas wants in recruiting the western public to service its war aims, the media have become a critical weapon deployed by those waging war against both Israel and civilisation.

As a result, it’s as if both Stalin and Hitler have been afforded a posthumous victory.

AUTHOR

Pamela Geller

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EDITORS NOTE: This Geller Report is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Hamas Atrocities in Israel Surface, Including Rape of ‘Beautiful Woman with Face of Angel’ Who Screamed To Be Killed

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What’s worse? These unimaginable horrors or the world braying for Jewish rape and blood?
Mass psychopathy: cheering these monstrous crimes while hand wringing and caterwauling about Gaza civilians when the large majority of Gazans support Hamas, support these atrocities. I have no sympathy for Gaza.
 
The world can no longer speak of human rights, the humane, or humanity. Their humanity is non-existent. They are the scum of the earth. It’s hard to know which is greater, their hatred of the Jews or their fear and admiration of Muslim supremacism.

Horrific new stories of Hamas attacks in Israel surface, including rape of ‘beautiful woman with face of angel’ who screamed to be killed

By: Ronny Reyes, NY Post, Published Dec. 3, 2023:

A “beautiful woman with the face of an angel’’ was raped by eight to 10 Hamas terrorists in Israel on Oct. 7, while another tragic victim was beheaded with a shovel trying to defend herself, a stricken survivor says.

Yoni Saadon, a 39-year-old father of four, told the UK’s Sunday Times that he is still haunted by the horrific scenes he witnessed at the Nova Music festival, when the Palestinian fiends slaughtered at least 364 festival-goers, including the gang-raped woman, who begged to be killed.

“I saw this beautiful woman with the face of an angel and eight or 10 of the fighters beating and raping her,” recalled Saadon, a foundry shift manager. “She was screaming, ‘Stop it already! I’m going to die anyway from what you are doing, just kill me!’

“When they finished, they were laughing, and the last one shot her in the head,” he said.

Saadon said he witnessed the gruesome act after pulling over him the body of a slain woman who had also been shot in the head — and smearing her blood on himself so it looked like he, too, was dead.

“I will never forget her face,” he said. “Every night I wake to it and apologise to her, saying. ‘I’m sorry.’ “

Saadon said he eventually joined others who had fled the site and hid in trees and bushes.

That’s when he witnessed two more Hamas gunmen attack another young woman who was fighting back from being stripped, he said.

“They threw her to the ground, and one of the terrorists took a shovel and beheaded her,” Saadon told the UK outlet. “And her head rolled along the ground. I see that head, too.”

Keep reading.

AUTHOR

Pamela Geller

RELATED ARTICLES:

NEW PALESTINIAN POLL: 75% Support OCT 7 Massacre, 76% Have a Positive View of Hamas, 80% Support Annihilation of Israel Over “Two States,” 98.2% Have Negative View of America

NEW NATIONAL POLL: Close to 60% of American Muslims Support Hamas Atrocities Against the Jews

Most Recent Palestinian Poll: Over Half Would Vote For HAMAS

Gaza’s ‘Innocent Civilians’ Recaptured Israeli Hostage Who Escaped From Terrorist Captivity and Returned Him To Hamas

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EDITORS NOTE: This Geller Report is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

REPORT: U.S. Warship, Multiple Commercial Ships Under Attack In Red Sea

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An American warship and several commercial ships came under attack Sunday in the Red Sea, the Associated Press (AP) reported.

“We’re aware of reports regarding attacks on the USS Carney and commercial vessels in the Red Sea and will provide information as it becomes available,” the Pentagon said, without identifying the source of the attack, per the AP news report.

The attack began at about 10 a.m. in Sanaa, Yemen, and had lasted as long as five hours, with the Carney intercepting at least one drone during the attack, some unnamed U.S. officials reportedly told the AP.

Brig. Gen. Yahya Saree, a military spokesperson for the Iran-linked, Yemen-based Houthi rebels said the Houthis took responsibility for attacking two Israeli ships in the Bab el-Mandeb Strait that links the Red Sea to the Gulf of Aden with a drone and a missile, The Times of Israel reported. The Houthis reportedly did not mention the attack on the Carney but reportedly added that the attacks would continue for as long as the Israel-Hamas war lasts.

The British military simply said there were drone attacks and explosions in the Red Sea, per the AP.

A rocket hit a Bahamian-flagged British vessel sailing off Yemen’s western coast, per the Times of Israel.

Before the reported attack on the Carney, there reportedly were at least 38 similar attacks on U.S. troops in the Middle East since Hamas’ Oct. 7 terror attacks on Israel.

The reported attack occurred a day after the U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin rallied Saturday for American leadership on the world stage in his keynote address at the Reagan National Defense Forum in Simi Valley, California.

“The world built by American leadership can only be maintained by American leadership,” Austin said. “From Russia to China, from Hamas to Iran, our rivals and foes want to divide and weaken the United States — and to split us off from our allies and partners. So at this hinge in history, America must not waver. … [T]he cost of abdication has always far outweighed the cost of leadership.”

AUTHOR

JOHN OYEWALE

Contributor.

RELATED ARTICLES:

U.S. Warship Shoots Down Iranian-Made Drone Launched From Yemen

Ships face Houthi-claimed attack in Red Sea as officials say a US warship also fires in self-defense

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

Zelensky’s ‘Living the Good Life’ on American Taxpayer’s Money

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“Anyone who votes to fund Ukraine is funding the most corrupt money scheme of any foreign war in our country’s history. And forcing the American people to pay for it.” — Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene, Georgia’s 14th Congressional District. 

Over $100 billion of U.S. taxpayer money and/or Fed’s printing of money has already been sent to Ukraine WITH NO ACCOUNTABILITY and the OBAMA 3/Beijing Biden regime wants to send another $100 billion.

This should not stand.

This foreign policy is adding to our inflation with no assurances that ANY OF THIS MONEY is being spent for humanitarian purposes or effective warfighting and not by corrupt Ukrainian Oligarchs like Ukrainian President Zelensky (see below article) or portions laundered back to corrupt Democrats or even establishment, neocon, warmongering, globalist Republicans.

This needs to STOP NOW!

Same goes for billions of latest U.S. warfighting equipment and munitions depleting the US military supplies and wars stocks and reducing our own national security.

LUXE LIFE: Zelensky Just Made A $75 Million Purchase!

By Vince Quill | Nov 28, 2023

Before we begin, let me warn you that this story is based entirely on foreign and Russian sources. That being said, does anyone doubt that corrupt Zelensky stole the foreign aid money and siphoned it off to buy luxury goods?

It’s no secret that Ukraine is one of the most corrupt countries on the planet. Before the U.S. government backed Ukraine in a proxy war against Russia, high-level officials in Ukraine were under investigation for widespread corruption.

Now, we are seeing online sleuths and investigative journalists allege that Zelensky owns several luxury yachts valued at $75 million through surrogates—meaning he owns the yachts via proxy buyers beholden to him.

One individual explained:

“Zelensky bought two luxury yachts for $75 million through surrogates. 

From published memoranda of the Mediterranean Yacht Brokers Association (MYBA), it became known about the acquisition of two superyachts – the 46-meter “Lucky Me” and the 57-meter “My Legacy” by the Shefir brothers, who are close to Zelensky

The first yacht was purchased for $25 million on October 18, the second – for almost $50 million on October 25, Russian Telegram channels wrote, citing articles in foreign publications as evidence.

Boris and Sergey Shefir, on whose behalf the purchases were made, are close friends and confidants of the President of Ukraine

Together with them, Zelensky founded the Kvartal-95 studio in 2003 and appointed the younger of the brothers, Sergey Shefir, as the first assistant to the President of Ukraine shortly after he won the elections and became the President on May 20, 2019.

There is every reason to believe that and the two purchases were made in the name of Sergey and Boris Shefir in order to hide the real owner of the yachts – Vladimir Zelensky

They have used similar schemes before. Back in 2021, the International Center for the Study of Corruption and Organized Crime reported in its investigation that Sergey Shefir was involved in Zelensky’s so-called offshore network in the British Virgin Islands, Cyprus and Belize

This became known thanks to the disclosure by the international media of the so-called “Pandora File”. A month before he won the election, Zelensky transferred his offshore assets to the name of Sergey Shefir.

It appears that a similar impersonation scheme was used in the purchase of yachts.

Despite the attempts of Western countries to bring financial aid to Ukraine under control, this has not yet happened, as evidenced by the constant corruption scandals in the highest echelons of power in Ukraine.”

Read the full article.

©2023. Royal A. Brown III. All rights reserved.

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‘It’s Not Right’: Blue City Struggles To Keep Up With Homeless, Migrant Crises

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  • The city of Portland, Maine, is scrambling to keep up with a homeless crisis, along with arrivals of migrants in need of city services.
  • The city continues to open up new shelter space and move migrants out to other areas, as well.
  • “The influx of asylum seekers has grown every year since Portland became a sanctuary city and currently the homeless shelter is full of asylum seekers,” Carol Waig, who runs nonprofit My Fathers Hands, which helps the homeless population in Portland, told the DCNF.

PORTLAND, Maine — What’s happening at the border isn’t staying at the border. Thousands of miles north, Maine’s largest city faces a two-pronged crisis as a crush of illegal immigrants has overcrowded homeless shelters and created sprawling tent cities where crime and open drug use run rampant.

The city received more than 1,000 migrants between January and April, according to the city, many of which receive housing and public resources. There are currently around 225 tents making up Portland’s homeless encampments, and individuals inside the encampments, as well as an advocate for the homeless, told the DCNF that there aren’t enough resources to address both problems.

“The influx of asylum seekers has grown every year since Portland became a sanctuary city and currently the homeless shelter is full of asylum seekers,” Carol Waig, who runs nonprofit My Fathers Hands, which helps the homeless population in Portland, told the DCNF.

There were roughly 4,400 homeless individuals in the state of Maine as of January 2022, compared to roughly 2,000 in 2021, according to the Maine State Housing Authority, which says the sharp increase is “likely reflective of a surge in asylum seeking immigrants.”

The city recently created a new emergency shelter to free up 100 to 125 beds, according to its website. It also began busing migrants out of Portland in August, sending them from a temporary emergency shelter in a basketball arena to motels in other areas of the state, Lewiston and Freeport, according to the Associated Press.

“Our staff have been completely at capacity in terms of who they’re able to shelter and assist,” Jessica Grondin, city spokesperson, told the AP at the time.

“People from other countries come here, automatically get housing, get free care, free everything, it’s not right,” Bryce, who said he is homeless in Portland and that he came to the U.S. legally and went through a 10-year citizenship process, told the DCNF of the influx of migrants.

One large homeless encampment in Portland is filled with needles, naloxone used to reverse overdoses and needle disposal containers, the DCNF observed. Drug use is rampant among the camp, one of its residents, who went by Harold, told the DCNF.

“We’re human beings, we don’t want to be here, we really don’t want to be here, we don’t want to live outside, we don’t want to freeze the fuck out every night. Winter time on the Atlantic Ocean in Maine, do you think that’s comfortable when it’s below zero?” Harold said.

Some of Portland’s homeless have been offered shelter and haven’t taken the offers, Grondin told the DCNF.

“Through our [Encampment Crisis Response Team] process we have offered more than 150 shelter beds to people who are in encampments, but have not had overwhelming success in getting people into the shelter,” she said.

“We have expanded our outreach by using our own shelter staff and hiring outreach workers in order to get people into shelter as our focus is on getting people inside,” she continued. “It is our hope that our outreach efforts are successful so we can get people into shelter beds and other resources given that cold weather is now here.”

The migrant arrivals are also expected to continue given Democratic Maine Gov. Janet Mills’ August order to create an “Office of New Americans” and bring in 75,000 new workers by 2029.

The city continues offering assistance to both migrants and the homeless, Grondin said in a statement to the DCNF. Both migrants and homeless qualify for the state’s General Assistance program that provides help paying for housing, fuel, utilities, medical care and burial costs.

City shelters housed an average of 1,200 individuals every night as of June, according to the city website. Some families are also being housed in a contracted hotel.

The city also opened a shelter, the Homeless Service Center (HSC), in March for 208 single individuals, in addition to the city’s family shelter, according to Grondin, who added that the city council in Portland recently “approved expanding capacity at the HSC by 50 beds.”

It is working to provide 120 beds at the HSC that the homeless in Portland’s encampments will have priority to take, Grondin said.

“Our goal is to connect those in encampments with those beds,” she said.

A spokesperson for Mills didn’t respond to the DCNF’s requests for comment.

AUTHOR

JENNIE TAER

Investigative reporter.

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RELATED ARTICLE: Illegal Chinese Marijuana Grow Operations Are Taking Over Blue State, Leaked Memo Says

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

U.S. To Hand Billions To United Nations’ ‘Green Climate Fund’ For Poor Countries

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President Joe Biden’s administration is committing an additional $3 billion to help developing countries fight climate change, the White House announced Saturday.

The allotment will go toward the United Nations’ Green Climate Fund and will be pledged by Vice President Kamala Harris at the COP28 summit in Dubai, according to the White House. The U.S.’ pledge will bring the fund to its largest level so far, as other countries like France, the United Kingdom, Germany and Japan have already made similar commitments that totaled $9.3 billion, according to Bloomberg, who first reported the funding.

“Since day one, President Biden, Vice President Harris, and the entire Biden-Harris Administration have treated climate change as the existential threat of our time,” the White House’s announcement reads. “After spearheading the most significant climate action in history at home and leading efforts to tackle the climate crisis abroad, the United States heads into the 28th U.N. Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai, United Arab Emirates (UAE) with unprecedented momentum.”

The U.S. reached $5.8 million in international funding geared toward curbing climate change in 2022, compared to $1.5 billion allotted during 2021, according to the State Department. The Biden administration will exceed $9.5 billion this year, and the president is already planning on topping $11 million in 2024.

Wealthy countries are supposed to commit $100 billion per year to help developing countries fight climate change, a pledge that began in 2020, according to Bloomberg.

The Biden administration’s commitment follows a trend of funding green energy initiatives the president has focused on during his tenure, including his signature climate law, the Inflation Reduction Act (IRA). The IRA approved $750 billion in new spending, $370 billion of which went toward Biden’s green energy initiatives aimed at curbing climate change.

The U.S. pledged over $17 million toward an international “climate reparations” fund at the summit on Thursday. The fund is also geared toward helping developing countries fight against the impacts of climate change.

AUTHOR

MARY LOU MASTERS

Contributor.

RELATED ARTICLE: Biden Admin Pledges Millions To International ‘Climate Reparations’ Fund

EDITORS NOTE: This Daily Caller column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

All content created by the Daily Caller News Foundation, an independent and nonpartisan newswire service, is available without charge to any legitimate news publisher that can provide a large audience. All republished articles must include our logo, our reporter’s byline and their DCNF affiliation. For any questions about our guidelines or partnering with us, please contact licensing@dailycallernewsfoundation.org.

Every U.S. Senator Must Oppose Cultural Marxism in the Military

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Please take this one-click action to send no charge emails to your Senators and Senate Leaders and if you do Twitter/X to send this message as well. Can also phone if want to.

TAKE ACTION – EMAIL YOUR SENATORS

We must stop the promotion of these woke, Obama 3/Beijing Joe Biden recommended General Offices.

Thanks to Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville they must be approved individually rather than in a large group.

The U.S. Senate has been given an opportunity to scrutinize carefully – and weed out – military officers President Biden proposes to promote, evidently because of their commitment to his cultural Marxist transformation of the armed forces rather than their records as warriors.

The man responsible for preventing the Senate from simply rubber-stamping such officers’ promotions is Alabama Senator Tommy Tuberville. He was initially moved to place “holds” on the approval of flag and general officer promotions out of concern over illegal Defense Department policies on federal funding of abortion-related expenses. But, it turns out that many of those whose nominations have been delayed as a result of the Senator’s holds have problematic records with respect to cultural Marxist policies calculated to divide-and-conquer the U.S. military like: critical race theory indoctrination; diversity, equity and inclusion quotas, instead of merit-based promotions; the LGBTQ+ agenda; transgender accommodations; abortion accommodations; and “climate change” as the greatest threat we face.

Over three dozen respected national security and other thought leaders have written Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell and his Republican colleagues urging them to deny promotions to specifically six officers who are among the worst of those President Biden wants to have lead our military. We call them “the Dirty Half-Dozen.” (See brief descriptions of their enthusiasm for the Marxist make-over of our armed forces here.)

Some Republican Senators are not only determined to avoid the sort of careful scrutiny – and the ability to single out and vote down these and similarly problematic officers – Sen. Tuberville has made possible. They are prepared to vote for a change in the Senate’s rules that would break “Coach” Tuberville’s hold, but in the process create a precedent that would diminish the minority’s rights to deliberate on bundled military promotions and, for that matter, groups of executive branch appointees, judges and even legislation.

Take two minutes to urge your Senators to stand with Senator Tuberville in opposing the promotion of officers who support cultural Marxist policies, and thus send a signal that you want a restoration of the U.S. military’s traditions and values, not its fundamental transformation and inevitable destruction. And tell them you believe they should preserve the right and ability to do their job in “the world’s greatest deliberative body,” not agree to changes to the rules that will imperil them.

TAKE ACTION – EMAIL YOUR SENATORS

RESOURCES:

Letter Sent by SAM to Leader Mitch McConnell

https://saveamericasmilitary.org/Letter_Opposing_Unacceptable_FGOs.pdf

The Dirty-Half-Dozen PPTX Download

https://saveamericasmilitary.org/Unpromotable_FGOs_n2923.pptx

More SAM Resources on Substack

https://saveamericasmilitary.substack.com/p/stop-bidens-marxist-make-over-of

©2023. Royal A. Brown III. All rights reserved.

Murder Most Foul: The Bibas Family

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On October 7, after their orgy of rape, torture, murder, and mutilation, Hamas operatives kidnapped 240 Israelis and took them back to Gaza. Among them was the Bibas family — father Yarden, mother Shiri, four-year-old Ariel, and 10-month-year-old Kfir. The 10-month-old was the youngest of the 240 hostages, and his baby face became the poster child, in every sense, for all of them.

Now Hamas has announced that the mother, her four-year-old son, and her 10-ten-month old baby were no longer alive; they had been killed in an “Israeli bombardment.”

More on this grim story can be found here: “IDF investigating ‘cruel’ Hamas claim that Bibas children, mother killed in Gaza,” Times of Israel, November 29, 2023:

Fears were raised Wednesday [Nov. 29] for the youngest hostage held in the Gaza Strip after Hamas claimed that 10-month-old Kfir Bibas had been killed alongside his brother and mother.

Israel’s military said it was assessing the claim, while relatives said they were “waiting for the news to be confirmed or hopefully refuted soon” about the family members, who have become leading faces of the hostage crisis.

During the Hamas massacre of October 7, the Bibas family, including 10-month-old Kfir Bibas, his 4-year-old brother Ariel Bibas, and their mother Shiri Bibas — were kidnapped alive into Gaza,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

“The barbarism and cruelty of Hamas is on full display to the world. IDF representatives spoke with the Bibas family following the recent reports and are with them at this difficult time. The IDF is assessing the accuracy of the information,” it added.

It follows a claim by the military wing of Hamas, which said earlier in the day that the three hostages had been killed in Gaza as the result of Israeli bombing.

NBC News could not verify the claim. Israel has accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields.

“Our family is updated on the latest Hamas publication. We are waiting for the news to be confirmed or hopefully refuted soon by military officials,” said the Bibas family in a statement released by the Hostages and Missing Families Forum.

It added: “We thank the people of Israel for the warm embrace but ask to maintain our privacy at this complex time.” Footage of kibbutz Nir Oz near the Gaza border as she clutched her two young children has become one of the lasting images of the terror attack, and the subsequent plight of the hostages inside Gaza.

At 10-months old, Kfir is believed to be the youngest captive.

Shiri Bibas’ husband, Yarden, was kidnapped alongside her and their children, but there was no information immediately available about his well-being….

Why was the father separated from his wife and children? Was he killed earlier than they, or is he possibly still alive? Why won’t Hamas say?

Do you believe that the Bibas family died in an Israeli bombardment? Had that happened, wouldn’t Hamas have made that news public at once, in order to persuade the Israeli public to pressure their own government to call a halt to that bombardment? And since Hamas claimed that it had long before handed off the family to another terrorist group that it did not name — most likely Palestinian Islamic Jihad — wouldn’t Hamas have been told by that group that the Bibas family had been killed by an Israeli airstrike? Wouldn’t it have made sense for Hamas to declare that news, so demoralizing in its effect on Israelis, right away?

But that bombardment story by Hamas is almost certainly false. It’s to cover up the cold-blooded murder of the Bibas family, either by operatives of Hamas or of another group. Why would they kill them? Because they could. They’d just murdered 1,200 Israelis. Why would killing a few more trouble them? Perhaps some of the family’s captors were sick and tired of the baby’s constant crying, killed him, and the ensuing uncontrollable weeping from his mother and his brother so infuriated them that in order to shut them up, too, they decided to kill those other family members as well. Why wouldn’t they? What’s a few more murdered Israelis to Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad?

I suspect that Hamas and PIJ have probably killed many more of the hostages than the Bibas family and the three hostages whose bodies the IDF has so far discovered on the grounds of the Shifa Hospital. Their deaths will soon become apparent as the hostage-prisoner exchange continues, and several dozen hostages who were known to have been taken alive will turn out to have been killed, so Hamas will claim, “in Israeli bombardments.” Murder, however, will out. And this news about the Bibas family has so enraged the Israelis that nothing will now stop them — not the UN, not the Bidenites, not the OIC, and certainly not the army of “two-state-solution” boys — from resuming their attacks with even greater ferocity than before the hostage-prisoner exchange started, in order to wipe out Hamas once and for all.

AUTHOR

HUGH FITZGERALD

POST ON X:

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EDITORS NOTE: This Jihad Watch column is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

MORE HARM: Biden Regime Commits to Shutting Down ALL U.S. Coal Plants To Tackle ‘Climate’ Hoax

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Not for nothing but coal fuels EV.s Where do they think electricity comes from? These people are nuts.

They just don’t stop. It’s a frenzied war against this great country and they won’t stop until we’re finished. Kaput.

We see how these policies destroyed Europe.

You won’t like what comes after America.

US commits to shutting down its coal plants during COP28

Kerry said the action forms part of America’s plan to limit global warming to 1.5 Celsius.

By Michael Dorgan Fox News, December 2, 2023 12:52pm EST

Biden admin shelling out millions for green energy projects in coal mining towns

The Biden Administration is forging ahead with its green agenda by committing the United States to not building any new coal plants and phasing out existing plants.

U.S. Special Envoy for Climate John Kerry announced at the annual United Nations climate change summit, known as COP28 and which is being held in Dubai, although no date was given for when the existing plants would have to go.

“We will be working to accelerate unabated coal phase-out across the world, building stronger economies and more resilient communities,” Kerry said in a statement.

“The first step is to stop making the problem worse: stop building new unabated coal power plants.”

Kerry said America was joining the Powering Past Coal Alliance, a pact of nearly 60 countries that have promised to accelerate the phasing out of coal-fired power stations, except the very few that have carbon capture and storage.

Keep reading.

AUTHOR

Pamela Geller

RELATED ARTICLES:

The ‘Climate Emergency’ Is a Hoax

TERROR IN PARIS: Muslim Shouting ‘Allahu Akbar!’ Goes on Stabbing Spree By Eiffel Tower, One DEAD, Two Injured

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“Known to police.’ Not that that ever matters.

When Trump was President, the global jihad did not mess with the “strong horse.”

But now the West is weak so expect more of this bloodshed.

And over in Germany, police foil Islamic terror plot to attack synagogue and Christmas market.

Brace yourself for “islamophobia” accusations and “fear of reprisals” which never materialize.

One killed in Paris stabbing attack

By: Times of Israel, December 2, 2023:

An assailant stabbed one person to death and injured another in Paris while reportedly yelling “Allahu Akbar,” Arabic for “God is greatest.”

One person was arrested following the attack on passersby in Paris’s 15th arrondissement, French interior minister Gerald Darmanin says on X.

Read more.

 

AUTHOR

Pamela Geller

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Two More Hostages Confirmed Murdered By Hamas

Liberated Hamas Hostage Details Horrific Treatment

Woke Millennial Leftist Feminist Justifies Qur’an’s Call to Beat Disobedient Women

Pro-Hamas NBC ‘Journalist’ Arrested By Israeli Government

POSTS ON X:

EDITORS NOTE: This Geller Report is republished with permission. ©All rights reserved.

The Video that Could Unravel the January 6 Committee’s Conclusions

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I just happened to stumble upon this video on Twitter, and it’s not your typical cat meme.

The video captures the unsettling scene of police hurling not one, not two, but three concussion grenades into an apparently peaceful crowd at the Capitol on January 6.

In this eye-opening footage, the peaceful atmosphere is shattered by the deafening blasts of concussion grenades.

It made me wonder, “Why hasn’t this been shown?”

It’s the kind of reality check that sends shivers down your spine. But here’s the kicker: the January 6 Committee, the supposed guardians of truth in the aftermath of the Capitol insurrection, has kept this video, and probably, many others, under wraps.

The Jan. 6, 2021, narrative was that the Capitol had seemingly turned into a battlefield, and the January 6 Committee was assigned to untangle the mess left after the insurrection.

How are we to make any sense of it all, with this video, a piece of the puzzle, showing police tossing concussion grenades into what looks like a peaceful crowd? But why did the January 6 Committee keep this nugget from us?

Lack of evidence – is that we are to understand? Because that’s the committee’s first line of defense. They’re on a mission to decipher what happened that fateful day, not a sideshow of unrelated incidents.

Fair enough, but how about this video and probably several others we haven’t seen to provide a sneak peek into the broader story? Did they leave stones unturned?

We can understand if the committee has to walk a tightrope, juggling legal standards and ethical norms. But this isn’t just any video – it clearly shows the police force, and this video, by itself, is the smoking gun, showing a pattern of aggressive tactics that fueled the chaos. Shouldn’t ethical concerns push them to expose potential misconduct?

Or maybe the committee wants the cold, hard facts. That is understandable, considering the gravity of the situation. But what if this video is a fact, a stark reality of how force was used that day? Does it not deserve a seat at the truth-telling table?

The committee might argue about the availability of other evidence or maybe just that other videos are more relevant and reliable. But what if this one is unique, capturing a moment of truth that others missed? Shouldn’t they explore every avenue to present a complete picture?

The January 6 Committee delved deep into emails, text messages, internal communications, depositions, and what-not. They claim they turned over every stone in their quest for truth.

But what about the video that could speak volumes without a single word?

As we navigate this maze of investigations, it’s not just about the committee. It’s about those who swore an oath to protect and serve, resorting to force against peaceful crowds. What consequences should they face?

If the use of force was unreasonable, criminal charges are on the table. But what if these charges are the exception, not the rule? Do we need a systemic shift in how we evaluate the use of force?

Officers can be held accountable for damages by way of civil lawsuits. But accountability isn’t just about compensating victims – it’s about redefining the relationship between the police and the people they serve.

Citing internal investigations, departments can have their internal checks. But these investigations might resemble something of a fox guarding the henhouse. Should external scrutiny be the norm?

True, videos can shape public perception. And we can’t just brush them aside, saying that such snippets lack context. And it is prerogative that we look to the complaints from other officers – fellow officers, as the whistle-blowers, overcoming the code of silence that might prevail. Shouldn’t we foster an environment where speaking up is the rule, not the exception?

We should – with “professional consequences,” which are violators losing benefits or even getting terminated. But what if the consequences aren’t consistent across the board? Shouldn’t justice be impartial to the badge?

As we grapple with these questions, no doubt, the January 6 Committee stands as a symbol of our collective pursuit of truth. But in their quest, let’s not forget the videos like this that might hold the missing pieces. It’s not just about the events of January 6; it’s about the lessons we learn and the changes we demand. Ultimately, it’s about reclaiming a sense of justice that extends beyond the hallowed halls of the Capitol.

©2023. Amil Imani. All rights reserved.

‘The Dark Clouds of Hamas Are Still Over Us’: Israeli Major

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Since October 7, the war between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas has steadily caused ruin and demise — even beyond the Middle East. In a recent development, Israel and the terror organization agreed to a temporary, four-day ceasefire, an agreement that demanded Israel release three Palestinian prisoners for each hostage released from the hands of Hamas. Major Doron Spielman, the international spokesman for the Israel Defense Forces, explained on “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” that this was not an easy exchange.

“We’re also releasing convicted Palestinian felons, including some who who’ve committed some really despicable crimes,” he said. “But this is part of the price we’re paying in order to get our people home.”

For those who have been released, which now totals 104 individuals, it brings “a great sense of joy” to have them home, the Major emphasized. “This should include children, these innocent little children who had [been] taken hostage and a number of their mothers. So, this really is a ray of light.” But despite the joy of some returning, there are still over 150 hostages trapped in Gaza. As Spielman put it, “[T]he dark clouds of Hamas are still over us.”

Out of those still in the terrorists’ grip, Spielman said they are unsure of who is alive and who isn’t. Even so, rescuing them is a “top priority,” right alongside getting rid of Hamas, which he described as “non-negotiable.” These have been stated as their two primary goals since the start.

Spielman encouraged viewers to imagine if this was happening in their own backyard. In graphic detail, he explained some of the trauma Hamas inflicted upon the Israeli people during the initial attack including the “massacred” neighborhoods, the burning of houses and people, and loved ones ripped away by “a murderous regime.” If this were happening to others, Spielman suggested, “Would they hold off? Would they pull back? What are we supposed to do in Israel? [When we] put our children to sleep at night … what are we supposed to say to them when they ask us, ‘Mommy and Daddy, are those murderers still out there?’” He added, “I can tell you, as an Israeli, that we are not going to stop until Hamas is eliminated, because I want to be able to tell my child they are gone.”

With such a goal, Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council and host of “Washington Watch,” shared his concerns about the potential longevity of this war, stating that Israel is seemingly “always on a time clock.” He continued, “[T]here’s only so much goodwill in the international community for Israel, no matter how great the threat is. And so, I think there’s just concern that the longer this [drags on], that Israel may not be able to finish what they need to accomplish.”

Speilman agreed but said, “Look, at the end of the day, we’re the ones who have to live with Gaza on our borders. No one else in the world.” He explained that they want international support, and further expressed his gratitude for the ally Israel has in the U.S. “I think when history looks back and sees how the United States has stood with Israel, it will go down in history as a great friendship,” he added.

But despite the valid concern Perkins raised, Spielman explained, “Every person, every country, [has] their own concerns, their own objectives. … [W]e have to be able to secure the State of Israel in the south, in the north, and make sure that our people are safe. That is our top priority, and it should be higher than anything else.”

He concluded that “all the thoughts and all the prayers and all the support is not only greatly needed, it’s felt. And that feeling gives us strength both on the battlefield and when we’re home with our families and in everything we’re doing to keep the state of Israel alive and well.”

AUTHOR

Sarah Holliday

Sarah Holliday is a reporter at The Washington Stand.

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2023 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Mohler: Left-Wing Anti-Semitism Motivated by ’Hatred of God‘

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Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) on Wednesday took the rare step of rebuking his own party’s left flank for anti-Semitism, criticizing them for believing that the principle, “Injustice against one oppressed group is injustice against all … does not extend to the Jewish people.” Schumer usually deploys his speeches to benefit Democrats at Republicans’ expense, but an increasing tally of violent anti-Semitic incidents in progressive strongholds has grown too glaring to ignore. In a Thursday conversation on “Washington Watch,” Southern Seminary President Albert Mohler said left-wing attacks on Jews ultimately boiled down to their “hatred of God.”

Left-wing anti-Semitism is ironic because America’s Jewish community has “been clearly situated in the Democratic Party, most importantly since 1948, when Harry Truman, a Democratic president, recognized Israel,” noted Mohler. “You also have a concentration of Jewish population in a lot of the northern urban centers, which are predominantly Democratic,” and “Jewish culture in the United States very much associated with liberal causes.”

But Mohler wasn’t surprised by the display of anti-Semitism, ironic though it is. He described it as “deep-seated anti-Semitism that has just arisen to the surface.” Anti-Semitism is “one of the world’s oldest and certainly its most deadly hatred throughout all of human history,” said Mohler. “There’s something that is unique in terms of the hatred of the Jewish people. And you see this in the Old Testament.”

Mohler identified the root cause of anti-Semitism in the Jews’ special status as God’s chosen, or “elect,” people. “Israel is God’s elect nation. … This was the scandal of the Jewish people,” he said. And because of that, they have “basically had the antipathy of the rest of the world” directed at them since the exodus. “we see that in the anti-Semitism that has so characterized human history, even Western civilization,” Mohler continued.

“This is not, to me, just about anti-Semitism … against Jewish people. This is a spiritual issue,” said Family Research Council Action President Jody Hice, guest host of “Washington Watch.” “It is much deeper than just hatred for Jews. It is a hatred towards God. It is a hatred towards the people of God.” Mohler agreed, “By extension, yes, this is a hatred of God.”

Motivated as it is by a hatred of God, left=wing anti-Semitism would proceed to expressions of hatred toward God’s other chosen people, the Christian church, Hice predicted. “This is not going to end … with anti-Semitic behavior towards the Jews. It is going to go from there to expressions of hostility and hatred to people of faith, period. I mean, we saw this reaction to Mike Johnson as Speaker of the House most recently,” he argued. In another recent incident, “[progressive Senator] Bernie Sanders [I-Vt.] basically told [former Trump administration official Russ Vought] in a hearing, ‘You have no right to be involved in politics because of your Christian faith,’” Hice offered.

Mohler agreed that left-wing anti-Semitism will spill over into anti-Christian bias and offered yet another example to suggest it is already happening. “I saw just this morning, where there are people saying, we’ve got to forbid these Christian parents from influencing their children.” The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recently issued  a proposed rule that would require foster parents to affirm the gender identity of children in their care, which critics say would exclude many Christian families from participating.

Hice noted the inexplicable phenomenon of “Democrats who seem surprised, perhaps even disappointed, by the anti-Semitism in their own party or on the Left, but they never say a word about anti-Christian sentiment.” He wondered how these Democrats could not see the connection.

“The Left consumes itself,” Mohler offered in response. “The most [vulnerable] person in America right now … is yesterday’s liberal because tomorrow’s liberal will chew him up.” His point was that today’s anti-Semitism will turn into tomorrow’s anti-Christian hatred, and the switch will leave many old-school progressives to wonder what happened. “It’s kind of like the nature of sin,” suggested Hice. “It never is content with where it currently exists. It always is going to take a step further.”

One reason why some progressives, like Schumer, don’t see a connection between anti-Semitism and anti-Christianity is because “they define a Jewish identity largely in ethnicity, which is, of course, the one thing Christians can’t do,” said Mohler, as Christianity is “made up of every tongue and tribe and people and nation.” Revelation 7:9 describes “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes.”

“I don’t think that’s legitimate,” Mohler argued. “If [Schumer] had been aware of what was going on the Left — and it’s hard for me to believe he wasn’t — then he would have to know that the cultural Marxism on the Left was turning into deep antipathy to the nation of Israel first of all, deep antipathy to the very existence of Israel … and thus opposition to Judaism.”

But Judaism is not the only religion for which cultural Marxism fosters hostility, Mohler continued. “It’s a deep antipathy towards any form of theism.” To support this contention, he noted the targets of the Left’s cancel culture. “Nobody is trying to cancel New Age prophets. No one is going after the neo-pagans of this age. They’re going after theists,” he declared.

Then, Mohler zoomed in to be even more specific. “The part of Judaism that’s most hated is Torah. It’s the law of God: ‘Thou shalt. Thou shalt not. God created human beings in his image. Male and female created he them.’ A secular progressivist Left just has to hate that,” he argued. “And they hate any form of theism because theism comes with, ‘thou shalt, and thou shalt not.’ And that’s just as true of Christianity as it is of Judaism — a very important worldview issue for us to recognize.”

This hatred does not result in mere disagreement or vigorous political debate, Hice reflected. Rather, the Left wages campaigns of censorship, character assassination, and intimidation against those expressing viewpoints they dislike. “The radical Left actually wants religious freedom for no one. They want to dictate what we believe,” Hice complained.

“I don’t think they would say that,” Mohler responded cautiously, without disagreeing. “I think they’re sly enough to say that they’re for the toleration and liberty of ‘safe’ religions and ‘safe’ religious people. That means [religious beliefs that pose] no threat to the Left, no threat to its agenda.” He added, “when it comes to biblical Christianity … we are the main obstacle to the Left delivering on its goals. And they know that.”

The question is, do Christians know that? “So many churches refuse to get into these issues and equip their church family with a biblical worldview,” lamented Hice. “It is one thing to teach biblical principles from the pulpit. It is a different level to teach a biblical worldview and how to live out those biblical truths.” Paul urged believers in Ephesus to “put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil” (Ephesians 6:11).

“You’re going to be ‘mugged by reality’ if you don’t understand the responsibility,” Mohler agreed, adapting an Irving Kristol quote. “A lot of Christian pastors are going to end up saying, ‘What in the world happened? How did this happen? How is this showing up in my church? How is this going uncontested in my community?’ Well, hey, it’s about time you wake up and see the challenge here and understand your responsibility as a pastor.”

Mohler also pointed to the role Christian families play in raising up their children in a counter-cultural, Christ-honoring manner. “The most important thing that goes on here is what goes on in Christian homes and in Christian churches,” he said. Lest any fall victim to the conceit that this duty is easy, Mohler added, “it’s going to bring opposition. You can count on it.”

“In the United States, we have a tremendous political stewardship,” concluded Mohler. “That doesn’t mean we translate the church’s ministry into politics. It does mean we tell Christ’s people how to be effective in contending for Christian truth out of love of neighbor.”

Mohler urged believers “to be praying that the American nation will continue to stand for righteousness around the world. He also urged prayer “that the American people and the American government will continue to stand with the nation of Israel.”

AUTHOR

Joshua Arnold

Joshua Arnold is a senior writer at The Washington Stand.

RELATED ARTICLE: ‘The Dark Clouds of Hamas Are Still Over Us’: Israeli Major

EDITORS NOTE: This Washington Stand column is republished with permission. All rights reserved. ©2023 Family Research Council.

The Washington Stand is Family Research Council’s outlet for news and commentary from a biblical worldview. The Washington Stand is based in Washington, D.C. and is published by FRC, whose mission is to advance faith, family, and freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview. We invite you to stand with us by partnering with FRC.

Here are the Straightforward Facts on the Biden Crime Family

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Sometimes just one post on Elon Musk’s X says it all.

On April 19, 2023 stated,

Newly accessed financial records show “the Biden family enterprise is centered on Joe Biden’s political career and connections, and it has generated an exorbitant amount of money for the Biden family”. Six more family members named. James Comer says new financial records have revealed six new Biden family members are involved in suspicious foreign transactions believed to be a direct result of influence peddling, bringing the total to nine family members.

A Democrat-led Oversight would have them all in handcuffs by now.

Hallie Biden and James Biden have already been named.

Possible six additional members of Joe Biden’s family:

  1. Sara Biden (James)
  2. Jill Biden
  3. Frank Biden
  4. Valerie Biden Owens
  5. Kathleen Buhle (Biden)
  6. Ashley Biden
  7. Naomi Biden
  8. Finnegan Biden
  9. Maisy Biden
  10. Robert Hunter Biden II

HOUSE REPUBLICANS EXPAND BIDEN FAMILY INVESTIGATION TO ‘SIX ADDITIONAL’ KIN

By: Tristan Justice, The Federalist, April 18, 2023

House Republicans are expanding their investigation of the Biden family to include “six additional members” who “may have benefitted” from potentially criminal business enterprises.

On Monday, House Oversight Chairman James Comer of Kentucky revealed the committee is now probing nine individuals linked to the family’s influence-peddling operations after a review of “thousands” of documents at the Treasury Department.

“Thousands of pages of financial records related to the Biden family, their companies, and associates’ business schemes were made available to members of the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, which confirm the importance of this investigation,” Comer said in a press release. “The Biden family enterprise is centered on Joe Biden’s political career and connections, and it has generated an exorbitant amount of money for the Biden family.”

The House Oversight Committee was granted access to the department’s suspicious activity reports related to the Biden family last month after the administration stonewalled requests for congressional review of the presidential family’s business ventures.

“According to bank documents we’ve already obtained, we know one company owned by a Biden associate received a $3 million dollar wire from a Chinese energy company two months after Joe Biden left the vice presidency,” Comer said in March.

Lawmakers’ review of the records, Comer said, has given committee members new leads to investigate the extent of the family’s undercover business enterprises.

“The Oversight Committee will continue to pursue additional bank records to follow the Bidens’ tangled web of financial transactions to determine if the Biden family has been targeted by foreign actors and if there is a national security threat,” Comer said. “We will soon provide the public with more information about what we’ve uncovered to date.”

The House Oversight chairman did not reveal the names of the six additional individuals now under congressional scrutiny. The House probe has publicly centered on President Joe Biden, his son Hunter, and the president’s brother, James. Lawmakers also requested documents from longtime Biden family business partner Eric Schwerin in February.

Federal investigators at the Department of Justice have been probing Hunter Biden’s tax affairs since 2018. Prosecutors opened the case based on suspicious activity reports the Department of the Treasury flagged regarding the family’s business dealings in “China and other foreign nations.”

Insiders at the DOJ complained to The Federalist that the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office lacks the proper resources to conduct a comprehensive investigation that a special counsel’s office could offer. Senate Republicans demanded in September that the investigation of the Biden family under the Biden administration be moved to a special counsel.

Read more.

We feel an impeachment trail is coming and coming very soon. It’s going to be a wild 2024.

What do you think?

©2023. All rights reserved.

RELATED ARTICLE: Muslim-American voter group vows to ‘Abandon Biden’ over Gaza war

Rethinking Economic Analysis and Strategy

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The latest data on the Consumer Price Index (CPI) reveals contrasting trends, raising questions about the effectiveness of recent Federal Reserve actions and the potential impact on everyday Americans. As of October 2023, the annual CPI rose 3.2%, primarily due to the “fortuitous plunge” in energy prices. However, a deeper dive into the numbers exposes an inflation rate curtailed by falling energy costs. The core CPI, which sidesteps the volatility of food and energy, remained resilient, clocking in at 4.0%.

The divergence between headline and core inflation rates underscores the interplay of economic factors.

The Federal Reserve’s aggressive interest rate hikes were expected to quell inflationary pressures. Yet, the core CPI’s stubborn rise suggests a more tempered impact on the segments excluded from the headline index. Why?

Firstly, the interest rate hikes have inadvertently tilted the playing field against renewable energy technologies. As interest rates climbed, the levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) for renewables soared, jeopardizing their competitiveness vis-à-vis fossil fuels. It is a cautionary tale, reminding us that monetary policy can have unintended consequences on our pursuit of a greener future.

Higher interest rates shouldn’t impede progress toward sustainable energy – yet here we are, grappling with the repercussions on our journey towards a low-carbon economy.

The elevated interest rates provided legacy oil and gas producers a lifeline. Shielded from the onslaught of low-carbon alternatives, these traditional energy giants could maximize revenues from their aging assets. A dichotomy emerges – the Fed’s pursuit of economic stability inadvertently bolsters sectors that contribute to environmental concerns.

Are we inadvertently sacrificing our environmental goals in the pursuit of economic stability?

Moreover, the core inflation rate is not a monolithic entity; it responds to a myriad of influences. Rising shelter prices, a crucial component, witnessed a slowdown in growth due to falling hotel prices, not reductions in rent or homeowners’ equivalent rent.

It’s not just about energy and food but also the intricacies of housing costs that shape the economic narrative.

As we contemplate the repercussions of interest rate hikes, we must recognize the tangible impacts on individuals and businesses. Homeowners with mortgages face increased monthly repayments, potentially inducing financial stress. Simultaneously, enterprises grappling with higher borrowing costs might curtail investments, a potential drag on economic growth.

How are these interest rate hikes affecting you? Is your monthly budget feeling the strain, or is your business reassessing growth plans?

Furthermore, the indirect effects on the economy are equally profound. Higher interest rates could set off a wage-price spiral – a cycle of rising wages leading to higher prices, fueling further wage increases. This self-fulfilling prophecy can spawn an inflationary loop that is challenging to break.

Are we on the brink of a wage-price spiral? The interconnectivity of wages and prices can have cascading effects on our economy.

Beyond these direct and indirect impacts, such hikes can reshape expectations about future inflation and interest rates. If core inflation remains high despite rate hikes, it could dampen investment sentiments, potentially slowing economic growth.

It’s imperative to question the unintended consequences of policy decisions and their ripple effects on our collective pursuit of a prosperous and sustainable future.

The 3.2% annual increase in the US Consumer Price Index (CPI) has profound implications for the economy and individual households. Let’s dissect the potential fallouts of this uptick:

As a measure of the average price change for a basket of goods and services, the CPI signifies an augmented cost of living. This escalation strains household budgets, particularly those reliant on fixed or low incomes. The 3.2% CPI increase amplifies the financial challenges faced by everyday consumers, raising pertinent questions about the adequacy of income levels in the face of rising prices.

How does the increased cost of living impact your household budget? Are you making ends meet with the recent price surge more challenging?

Historically, the Federal Reserve responds to mounting inflation by raising interest rates. While this strategy proves effective, it concurrently amplifies the cost of borrowing, potentially slowing economic growth. The ripple effect extends to the stock market, where higher interest rates render bonds more attractive than stocks, influencing investment decisions and market dynamics.

How are you adjusting your investment strategy in response to potential shifts in interest rates? Are higher borrowing costs affecting your financial decisions?

If wages fail to keep pace with inflation, workers’ real purchasing power diminishes, culminating in a decline in the standard of living. This scenario poses challenges for individual households and introduces the specter of social unrest and heightened pressure on employers to reassess wage structures.

Have you noticed a stagnation or decline in your real purchasing power? Are calls for wage increases becoming more pronounced in your workplace or community?

The interplay between businesses passing on higher costs to consumers and anticipating prolonged high inflation can set the stage for a self-sustaining cycle known as ‘sticky’ inflation. If left unchecked, this phenomenon poses a formidable challenge for central banks as breaking the cycle becomes increasingly complex.

Do you perceive a sustained trend of rising prices, and how does this impact your expectations for future economic conditions?

The upward push of inflation can translate into elevated costs for servicing government debt, particularly if it leads to higher interest rates. This potential uptick in government expenditure on debt servicing could exert budgetary pressures, prompting government service cutbacks or tax increases.

Are you concerned about the potential repercussions of increased government debt servicing costs on public services and taxes?

While a 3.2% increase in the CPI may not be deemed excessively high by historical standards, its repercussions resonate significantly throughout, and the role of interest rates cannot be underestimated. Their direct and indirect impact is felt across various sectors and individual lives, shaping the contours of our economic reality.

How confident are you in the economic outlook? Are you adjusting your investment strategy based on expectations of future inflation?

So, are we treading the right path, or do we need to recalibrate our economic strategies?