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Wednesday, July 26, 2023

Speaker McCarthy Preparing a Possible Impeachment Inquiry Against President Biden

Daily Wire: House Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) said during an interview this week that the Republican-controlled chamber is moving closer toward an impeachment inquiry against President Joe Biden over allegations that he accepted millions of dollars in bribes from foreign countries. McCarthy’s remarks come after Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-IA) released an FBI-generated FD-1023 form last week in which a human confidential source told the FBI that Burisma co-founder and CEO Mykola Zlochevsky claimed that he was “coerced” by the then-Vice President Biden and his son into paying millions of dollars in bribes in exchange for their help in pressuring Ukraine to fire a prosecutor who was investigating Burisma (Daily Wire). NBC: The allegations include that Biden family members received payments from foreign companies and that the Justice Department, according to IRS whistleblowers, has treated the Biden family “differently” in an investigation into Hunter Biden, McCarthy noted in an interview with Fox News host Sean Hannity on Monday night (NBC). Townhall: KEVIN MCCARTHY DOUBLES DOWN ON BIDEN IMPEACHMENT INQUIRY (Townhall)!

Delaware Attorney David Weiss to Testify Before Congress About the Hunter Biden Probe

Daily Mail: Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss – who is the lead criminal investigator into Hunter Biden’s gun and tax crimes – is set to testify before the House of Representatives in September or October. The Department of Justice has accepted an invitation from House Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan for Weiss to testify at a ‘public hearing’ in the coming months. Last week, two IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler testified under oath that Hunter Biden received ‘special’ treatment in the investigation into his financial dealings led by Weiss. They said that Hunter’s tax charges should have been a felony, but that political pressures led to the first son’s ‘sweetheart deal’ instead (Daily Mail).

Close Biden Associate Present in Attorney's Office During Hunter's Probe

Washington Examiner: A close associate of the Biden family appears to have spent years working in the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office, including during the months when whistleblowers said the office took up an investigation of Hunter Biden. Alexander Mackler served as press secretary in Joe Biden’s Senate office and, later, as legal counsel in his vice presidential office. Mackler managed the late Beau Biden’s successful campaign for Delaware attorney general in 2010. And Mackler served on the Biden-Harris transition team in 2020, helping the Biden administration create the blueprint for its Justice Department. Mackler also appeared to have a close personal relationship with Hunter Biden. In emails found on Hunter Biden’s laptop, Mackler corresponded frequently with Hunter Biden and his business associates and even referred to Hunter Biden fondly as a “brother” in October 2018. Mackler was working under U.S. Attorney David Weiss in the office at that time, according to his LinkedIn page, which lists him as having worked in the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office from August 2016 to May 2019 (Washington Examiner). Spencer Brown: To say that Mackler was tight with the Bidens would seem to be a massive understatement (Townhall). Reporter Sarah Bedford: New: A very close personal friend and aide to the Biden family appears to have worked for years in the Delaware U.S. Attorney’s office under Weiss, including when the Hunter Biden probe began (Twitter).

67 Percent of Americans Want President Biden to Step Down After Current Term

Daily Mail: Two thirds of voters say Joe Biden is too old to run for a second term as America’s president, and he should step aside so younger Democrats can duke it out for the party’s nomination, a DailyMail.com/Tipp Poll shows. Fully 67 percent of respondents said the 80-year-old president should not run again in 2024, amid concern over the gaffes, trips and falls linked to his age, such as last month’s tumble at the US Air Force Academy in Colorado (Daily Mail). Daily Wire: A whopping three-quarters of respondents are clamoring to see him in a TV debate with the two Democrats who have already thrown their hats into the ring — Williamson and Kennedy. Additionally, 77% of voters from both sides of the aisle want to witness this epic showdown. Of course, the likelihood of this actually happening is about as slim as Biden pulling off a cartwheel. The Democratic National Committee (DNC) has already made it clear that they have no plans for a primary debate (Daily Wire).

Karine Jean-Pierre Accuses Governor Greg Abbott of “Sowing Chaos” for Securing Rio Grande

HotAir: The Biden administration formally filed a lawsuit in federal court in Texas Monday. DOJ announced a lawsuit was imminent if Governor Abbott didn’t meet a Monday deadline to remove the buoy barrier in the Rio Grande River in the Eagle Pass area. Governor Abbott did not blink. White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre (KJP) was asked about the Biden border crisis. Naturally, she blamed Governor Abbott for the “chaos” (HotAir). RNC Research: Karine Jean-Pierre accuses Texas Gov. Greg Abbott of “sowing chaos” by taking steps to secure the state’s borders absent action by the Biden administration (Twitter).

Russian Jet Damages US Drone Flying Over Syria

Wall Street Journal: A Russian jet fighter damaged a U.S. MQ-9 Reaper drone over Syria by releasing flares close to the American aircraft, the U.S. military said Tuesday. The confrontation took place Sunday morning local time and follows similar episodes that U.S. officials say are part of a Russian campaign to pressure American forces to cut back on their military operations in the region. The U.S. drone managed to limp back to its base in the region but its propeller was damaged. According to a statement issued Tuesday by Lt. Gen. Alexus Grynkewich, the top U.S. Air Force commander in the region, the episode occurred when the Russian plane flew within a few meters of the drone, which was on a mission against Islamic State, and released flares from a position directly overhead (Wall Street Journal). US AFCENT: On July 23 Russian military aircraft deployed flares, damaging a U.S. MQ-9 while conducting a defeat-ISIS mission (Twitter). ABC: The U.S. has around 900 troops in eastern Syria assisting in the fight against IS, while Russia has a military presence in northwestern Syria as part of its mission to support Syrian President Bashar al-Assad (Twitter).

CNN Comes Face-to-Face with Rampant Crime in San Francisco

Townhall: The shoplifting problem has become so bad in San Francisco that while reporting on the issue, CNN witnessed three thefts in the span of 30 minutes. At the start of the segment heavy chains and padlocks are shown locking up the freezer section to prevent theft, just one example of the extreme measures stores are taking to protect their merchandise. Months earlier, CNN reported that the “numbers” don’t support store claims that shoplifting is a national crisis (Townhall). CNN Reporter Kyung Lah: Here’s what Anna-Maja & I saw at San Francisco’s Richmond area Walgreens, the worst spot of all 9000 US Walgreens for theft, per the co. We watched 3– and grabbed video of this shoplifter walk out right in front of us (Twitter).

Americans Must Secure Visas When Traveling to Europe in 2024

New York Post: Long gone are the days of spontaneous holidays overseas. Beginning in 2024, the European Union will require visitors to get pre-approval via the European Travel Information and Authorisation System — and that goes for summer jet-setters from the US. Before securing tickets, lodging, or a reservation at that trendy hotspot, vacationers will need to submit an ETIAS application for approximately $8 (New York Post). ABC: Once you are approved for travel, the authorization entitles visitors to stay in European countries that require ETIAS for up to 90 days within any 180-day period and travelers must be in possession of a valid ETIAS during their entire stay. According to ETIAS, most applications should be processed within minutes, but in case an application takes longer, decisions will be sent within four days or up to 14 days if the applicant is asked to provide additional documentation (ABC).

Americans Shift Priorities Away from Religion to Hobbies, Community Activities

Gallup: More Americans today than two decades ago rate their community activities, hobbies or recreational activities, and money as “extremely” or “very important” to them. The importance of one’s work to employed adults has also increased over this period. At the same time, religion has become less important to people, while there has been no meaningful change in how much they value their family, friends and health (Gallup). Christian Post: While religion fell by 7%, from 65% to 58% over the comparison period. Hobbies or recreational activities increased as a priority by 13% over the period from 48% to 61%; money increased from 67% to 79%; work increased from 74% to 83%; the priority placed on friends increased from 74% to 78%; while the focus on health increased from 90% to 92% (Christian Post).

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LeBron James’ Son, Bronny, in Stable Condition After Suffering Cardiac Arrest During Practice at USC

How is it that some of the healthiest people on the planet are experiencing cardiac arrest? Sports Illustrated: Bronny James, son of Los Angeles Lakers star LeBron James, was hospitalized after suffering a cardiac arrest during a workout on Tuesday. Bronny is now in stable condition and is no longer in ICU. Suffering a health scare like that is a lot to deal with at any age, but especially for a kid who is set to begin his freshman year of college at USC (Sports Illustrated). NBA: “We ask for respect and privacy for the James family and we will update media when there is more information,” the spokesman said. “LeBron and Savannah wish to publicly send their deepest thanks and appreciation to the USC medical and athletic staff for their incredible work and dedication to the safety of their athletes” (NBA). Bills Safety Damar Hamlin: Prayers to Bronny & The James family as well. Here for you guys just like you have been for me my entire process (Twitter).