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Thursday, June 29, 2023

IRS Whistleblower Contradicts AG Garland, Maintains Hunter Biden Received Special Treatment

Fox News: Internal Revenue Service whistleblower Gary Shapley defended his claims that Hunter Biden got special treatment from the Department of Justice in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report.” Shapley, a 14-year veteran of the agency, has come forward with accusations that prosecutors put an investigation into Hunter Biden’s finances “on the back burner” as the 2020 election approached. He further claims that David Weiss, the Trump-appointed U.S. attorney in Delaware, said privately on several occasions that he was not pulling the strings and that he was not in charge of the investigation. Shapley said he was in a meeting last fall when Weiss admitted he was not calling the shots. Shapley’s claims directly contradict what Attorney General Merrick Garland said Friday, when he denied whistleblower allegations that the Justice Department, FBI and IRS interfered with Weiss’ Hunter Biden probe (Fox News). New York Post: The troubled first son pleaded guilty last week to tax misdemeanors, but evaded more serious charges from the financial probe due to the Department of Justice’s “improper” interference, Shapley and another IRS case agent testified to the House Ways and Means Committee (New York Post). Hill: Attorney General Merrick Garland has maintained before lawmakers and under questioning from reporters that Weiss had the authority under both the Trump and Biden administrations to handle the case as he saw fit (Hill).

Hunter Biden Text Demanded $10 Million: “This move to 5M is completely new to me and is not acceptable obviously"

Fox News: Hunter Biden demanded $10 million from a Chinese business associate to “further the interest” of his joint-venture with a Chinese energy, saying that the “Bidens are the best I know at doing exactly” what the chairman of the Chinese Communist Party-linked firm wanted, according to a newly-released WhatsApp message. The House Oversight Committee released the message, dated Aug. 3, 2017. The exchange is between Hunter Biden and CEFC associate Gongwen Dong. “Very simple,” Hunter writes. “10 M per annum budget to use to further the interest of the JV. This move to 5M is completely new to me and is not acceptable obviously.” Hunter breaks down how expenditures and expenses will be determined, in consultation with his firms Owasco and Hudson West (Fox News). Oversight Committee: BIDEN FAMILY COVER-UP: In a WhatsApp exchange dated 8/3/2017, Hunter Biden tells CEFC associate Gongwen Dong, aka Kevin: “The Biden’s are the best I know at doing exactly what the Chairman wants from this (partnership).” CEFC is a CCP-linked Chinese Energy Company (Twitter).

Biden Claims Success in Economy as Only 34 Percent of Americans Approve of His Handling of the Economy

Associated Press: President Joe Biden made his pitch Wednesday to a skeptical public that the U.S. economy is thriving under what he now touts as “Bidenomics” — even as a new poll showed that could be a hard sell as the foundation for his 2024 reelection campaign. In a major economic speech in Chicago, Biden said his administration’s efforts were sparking recovery after Republican policies had crushed America’s middle class. But the poll said only one in three U.S. adults approve of his economic leadership. That 34% figure is even lower than his overall approval rating of 41%, according to the survey from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research (Associated Press). New York Post: Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics indicate that Americans are taking home less money for their work due to inflation, which spiked to an annual rate of 9.1% last June before dipping to a still-elevated 4% in May as the Federal Reserve hiked interest rates in a bid to reduce consumer spending (New York Post). Townhall: BIDEN: “Bidenomics is just another way of saying restore the American dream, because it worked before” (Twitter).

Michigan Moves Forward with Hate Speech Bill Making it a Felony to Make Someone “Feel” Threatened

Daily Caller: A new Michigan bill would make it a hate crime to cause someone to “feel terrorized, frightened, or threatened.” The Michigan Hate Crime Act, designated HB 4474 , passed in the state House on Tuesday and now goes before the Michigan Senate. It will replace the existing Ethnic Intimidation Act and expand the categories of people protected by the law. The new bill would include “sexual orientation” and “gender identity or expression” as classes protected against intimidation (Daily Caller). Daily Wire: Distinguished Professor Emeritus William Wagner, a former federal judge and legal counsel in the U.S. Senate, joined the chorus of politicians and lawyers warning against the bill. Wagner said that under HB 4474, someone could listen to a speaker such as a religious preacher or read a conservative writer and claim they’re being intimidated because their “perceived gender identity” is under attack. Under the legislation, intimidation and harassment could be up to the interpretation of the listener and a local prosecutor, according to Wagner, who added that the bill determines what is criminal “after the action,” the opposite of the due process required by the Constitution (Daily Wire).

Arizona Governor Katie Hobbs Signs Executive Orders to Provide State Officials Opportunities for Gender Reassignment Surgery

National Review: Arizona governor Katie Hobbs issued executive orders on Tuesday to guarantee transgender state employees access to gender-transition surgery and to prohibit the use of state funding to support or promote so-called “conversion therapy.” Hobbs’s order on gender-transition surgery changes existing policy that prohibited the state’s health plan from covering the surgeries. One of Hobbs’s orders also prevents state agencies from cooperating with civil and criminal cases in states where gender-transition treatment is illegal (National Review). AZ Central: The scope of Hobbs’ orders is not entirely clear. While Hobbs’ aides say the orders preempt any such prosecutions or limits on healthcare going forward, Hobbs and her administration were unable to provide an example of state resources or dollars supporting “conversion therapy” (AZ Central).

Daniel Penny Pleads Not Guilty in Subway Chokehold Death of Jordan Neely

National Review: Daniel Penny pleaded not guilty to manslaughter charges on Wednesday in connection with the high-profile chokehold death of Jordan Neely. The 24-year-old former Marine was arraigned on charges of second-degree manslaughter and criminally negligent homicide after he was indicted by a Manhattan grand jury earlier this month. If convicted on both counts, Penny could face a sentence of up to 19 years in prison. At the arraignment, Penny only said the words “not guilty” while a crowd of people watched. Neely’s father, Andre Zachery, attended. Penny is due to return to court on October 25. Neely’s family has demanded Penny’s charges be more severe, arguing that the action he took on the train was unjustified. Neely had a previous criminal record including an arrest in August 2015 for attempted kidnapping “after he was seen dragging a 7-year-old girl down an Inwood street.” He pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child and was sentenced to four months in jail. He was later arrested again in June 2019 for punching a 64-year-old man in the face during a fight in a Greenwich Village subway station (National Review). CBS: “All the evidence is that, we’ve seen, our client acted reasonably under the circumstances and that he was justified in the actions he took,” attorney Steven Raiser said. “On May 1, 2023, Daniel Penny defended his fellow travelers. Now, it’s our turn to defend Danny. “Daniel won’t be the only one on trial. The right and duty to defend one another will be on trial, too. Our legal team is prepared to fight for Danny and for every New Yorker to defend themselves when faced with great harm,” Raiser added (CBS).

Biden Claims to Not Like Abortion Because of His Catholic Faith, But Praises Roe

Hill: President Biden on Tuesday said he is not big on abortion, as a practicing Catholic, but defended the reproductive rights that were previously granted under Roe v. Wade. “I’m a practicing Catholic. I’m not big on abortion, but guess what? Roe vs. Wade got it right,” Biden said at a fundraiser with about 100 donors in Chevy Chase, Md. He also criticized states that have passed laws restricting access to abortion. More than 20 states have passed such laws since the Supreme Court ending the roughly 50-year precedent set by Roe, guaranteeing a right to an abortion (Hill). CBS: Public opinion about when abortion should be allowed largely depends on what stage of pregnancy a woman is in. A poll conducted by Gallup in May found 69% of Americans believe abortion should be legal in the first trimester, 37% say it should be allowed in the second trimester and 22% think it should be legal in the last three months of pregnancy (CBS).

Anheuser-Busch CEO Refuses to Admit Mistakes Made to Cause Brand Name to Deteriorate

Daily Wire: The CEO of Bud Light’s parent company still won’t admit putting transgender social media influencer Dylan Mulvaney’s picture on a can of beer was a mistake, despite an enormous backlash that has cost the brand its perch atop the market. Brendan Whitworth, a Marine Corps veteran and ex-CIA employee, appeared Wednesday on CBS “This Morning,” where he called the backlash “divisive.” Bars, restaurants, and retail stores have reported the thirst for Bud Light bottomed out in April after Mulvaney released a TikTok video showing the custom can while celebrating 365 days of “being a woman.” Although the company later told reeling wholesalers only one such can was printed, the brand’s sales have fallen by as much as 25% with no sign of a recovery brewing (Daily Wire). CBS Morning: In response to recent controversy, Anheuser Busch CEO Brendan Whitworth tells CBS Mornings that his company will continue to support the LGBTQ community. He did not directly answer the questions of whether the promotional campaign with a transgender influencer was a mistake (Twitter).

Trump Turns the Tables and Sues E. Jean Carroll for Defamation

NBC: Former President Donald Trump countersued writer E. Jean Carroll on Tuesday, claiming in a court filing that Carroll defamed him on television. Last month, a New York jury found Trump liable for sexually abusing Carroll in a Manhattan department store in the 1990s, but did not find him liable for her alleged rape. Carroll was awarded $5 million in damages for her battery and defamation claims. The jury also found Trump had defamed Carroll by calling her claims a “hoax” and a “con job” (CBS). HotAir: She is suing him again, you know. Yep. She has a second defamation suit against Trump that will go to trial early next year. E. Jean Carroll seek new damages of at least $10 million, based in part on comments Trump made at a CNN town hall last month (HotAir).

10.

YouTube Pulls Down Interview of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. by NY Post Journalist

Fox News: Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced online that another of his interviews has been removed from social media giant YouTube. Kennedy announced that his interview with former New York Post reporter Al Guart had been taken off the prominent video-sharing platform. The Democrat challenger to President Biden in the 2024 primaries has already seen one of his interviews removed from YouTube due to an apparent violation of the website’s vaccine misinformation policy (Fox News). Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: It’s bad that YouTube is censoring an American presidential candidate. But what if, as seems likely, it is acting at the behest of the Biden censorship industrial complex? There’s a name for a country ruled by a government that censors and suppresses political opponents (Twitter). Robert F. Kennedy Jr.: When industry and government are so closely linked, there is little difference between “private” and “government” censorship. Suppression of free speech is not suddenly OK when it is contracted out to the private corporations that control the public square (Twitter).