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Tuesday, June 13, 2023

Special Counsel Determines Karine Jean-Pierre Violated Hatch Act Before 2022 Midterms

NBC: White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre violated a law intended to prevent federal employees from using their offices to influence elections when she repeatedly referred to “mega MAGA Republicans” in the run-up to the 2022 midterms, a government watchdog agency said. The Office of Special Counsel determined that Jean-Pierre’s choice of words in referring to Republican candidates violated the Hatch Act (NBC). Townhall: The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from using their office to engage in certain forms of political activity, but Jean-Pierre was found to have done just that during a press briefing on November 2, 2022, right before the 2022 midterm elections (Townhall).

Border Sees Dramatic Increase in Immigration from China, Afghanistan

Daily Wire: Border Patrol has experienced an increase of more than 1000% of migrants from some countries far away from America, including China and Afghanistan, from fiscal year 2022 to 2023, Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz recently revealed. Ortiz posted social media data indicating similar migrant increases from Algeria, Egypt, Ethiopia, Vietnam, Paraguay, Mauritania, Djibouti, and the Dominican Republic (Daily Wire). Chief Raul Ortiz: We have seen an increase of over 1000% from some countries. While we work diligently to repatriate migrants from these countries, we still have challenges with countries’ governments to get working programs in place to repatriate all those we apprehend (Twitter).

Actress Calls Ron DeSantis “Grand Wizard” at Tony Awards

Washington Examiner: Broadway star Denee Benton labeled Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) as the “Grand Wizard” of the Ku Klux Klan on Sunday at the Tony Awards. Benton presented the Tony for Excellence in Theatre Education Award from Carnegie Mellon University. The term “Grand Wizard” refers to the title that is given to the leader of the Ku Klux Klan (Washington Examiner). Oli London: Actress Denée Benton compares Floridas Governor to the KKK after the governor’s push to keep indoctrination out of the classroom. In a speech at the Tony Awards she called Gov. DeSantis the “grand wizard” to which the audience erupted in applause (Twitter).

Report Uncovers $420 Billion in Covid Fraud

Washington Examiner: An estimated $420 billion in COVID-19-related spending may have been wasted through fraud and corruption, according to a new report. The Justice Department’s acting director for COVID-19 Fraud Enforcement, Mike Galdo, said that the staggering figures represented “an unprecedented amount of fraud.” Independent analysis conducted by the AP reveals that over $280 billion of COVID-19 relief was stolen through common identity theft scams and fraudulent loan applications, and another $123 billion was wasted through mismanagement and misappropriation (Washington Examiner). Associated Press: Never has so much federal emergency aid been injected into the U.S. economy so quickly. “The largest rescue package in American history,” U.S. Comptroller General Gene Dodaro told Congress. The enormous scale of that package has obscured multibillion-dollar mistakes (Associated Press).

California Senate Approves Legislation Barring Retail Employees from Stopping Shoplifters

Washington Examiner: The California Senate passed Bill 553 , legislation that would discourage retail store employees from confronting shoplifters. The legislation — passed weeks after a Home Depot security guard was shot and killed during a Pleasanton, California, robbery — is designed to protect employees, supporters say, by forbidding employers from instructing employees to confront shoplifters. A law that would prohibit employers from telling their employees that customers are not allowed to take whatever they want without paying would clearly incentivize shoplifting. It would further promote the culture Fuller described, one in which it is viewed as “optional” to pay for things. This is the culture that is driving companies out of California. It’s not just crime or high taxes or pandemic mandates. It’s a culture that shows disdain for property rights, which are the wellspring of all human rights and a pillar of civilization (Washington Examiner).

Biological Man Wins Female Cycling Race by Five Minutes

Townhall: A biological male cyclist who identifies as a “transgender woman” won a women’s race in North Carolina over the weekend, beating the second-place finisher by five minutes. Austin Killips, 27, won $5,000 after coming in first place at the 131-mile Belgian Waffle Ride in Hendersonville on Saturday. Killips reportedly “surged ahead” shortly after the start of the race. After the race, Killips said “I asserted myself and was able to get a gap early” (Townhall). New York Post: The UCI defended Killips but changed its tune the day after Navratilova’s tweet — saying it would review its rules for trans athletes and “analyze the current situation,” with a new decision expected in August (New York Post).

JPMorgan Chase Settles Suit Over Connection to Jeffrey Epstein

Wall Street Journal: JPMorgan Chase agreed to pay $290 million to settle a lawsuit over its ties to Jeffrey Epstein, said lawyers for Epstein accusers, shortly after top executives were questioned about the bank’s years of dealings with the convicted sex offender. The lawsuit on behalf of women who accused Epstein of abuse helped expose details about the bank’s relationship with Epstein for years after his conviction, forced Chief Executive Jamie Dimon to answer questions under oath, and led the bank to turn around and sue a former top leader, Jes Staley (Wall Street Journal).

Daniel Penny Addresses Incident on Train Where He Heroically Saved Train from a Madman

National Review: Daniel Penny, the 24-year-old Marine Corps veteran who put Jordan Neely in a fatal chokehold on the New York City subway last month, said in a video on Sunday that he “just couldn’t sit still” as Neely threatened to kill people on the train and that he restrained Neely to prevent him from “being able to carry out the threats.” Penny said that he was intimidated by Neely, and he wasn’t “trying to choke him to death.” He also dismissed reporting that he held Neely in a chokehold for 15 minutes. Penny has been charged with second-degree manslaughter in connection with the Neely’s death (National Review). Citizen Free Press: New video released by Daniel Penny (Twitter).

Credit Card Balances Remain Astronomically High

Fox News: Although inflation is moderating, rising prices spurred near-record use of credit cards and installment loans in the first quarter of 2023. Credit card balances dipped 1.5% quarter-over-quarter but remained near record highs at $917 billion. That’s an increase of almost 20% over last year. Moreover, the average balance per consumer grew 14.4% year-over-year to $5,733. At the same time, missed monthly payments are also on the rise. Credit card delinquency increased to 2.26% from 1.61% a year ago. For personal loans, the rate rose to 3.91% from 3.25% (Fox News). CNBC: Those between the ages of 40 and 49 hold an average of about $7,600 in credit card debt — the highest of any age bracket (CNBC).

10.

Pat Sajak Retires as Host of “Wheel of Fortune”

NBC: Pat Sajak, who has hosted the syndicated game show “Wheel of Fortune” for more than 40 years, announced in a tweet Monday night that he plans to step down next year. Sajak, 76, took the helm of “Wheel” in 1981 alongside co-host Vanna White. The show is a mainstay of the primetime lineup on local television channels across the country, usually accompanied by the quiz contest “Jeopardy” (NBC)! Pat Sajak: Well, the time has come. I’ve decided that our 41st season, which begins in September, will be my last. It’s been a wonderful ride, and I’ll have more to say in the coming months. Many thanks to you all (Twitter).