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Friday, September 15, 2023

Hunter Biden Indicted on Gun Charges

Leaving many asking: Why didn’t David Weiss bring these charges five years ago? NBC: Federal prosecutors have indicted Hunter Biden, son of President Joe Biden, on gun charges, court documents show. Biden was indicted Thursday in Delaware federal court on three counts tied to the possession of a gun while using narcotics. Two counts are tied to Biden allegedly completing a form indicating he was not using illegal drugs when he purchased a Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges that he possessed a firearm while using a narcotic. The indictment says Biden certified on a federally mandated form “that he was not an unlawful user of, and addicted to, any stimulant, narcotic drug, and any other controlled substance, when in fact, as he knew, that statement was false and fictitious.” Two of the counts carry a maximum prison sentence of 10 years, while the third has a maximum of five years (NBC). Associated Press: Congressional Republicans have continued their own investigations into the Justice Department’s handling of the case as well as nearly every aspect of Hunter Biden’s business dealings, seeking to connect his financial affairs directly to his father. Republicans have obtained testimony about how Hunter Biden used the “Biden brand” to drum up work overseas, but they have not produced hard evidence of wrongdoing by the president (Associated Press). Rep. James Comer said the charges fell short, “This is the one crime he committed that you can’t tie Joe Biden into” (X).

Nancy Pelosi Claims it is Wrong to Open Impeachment Inquiry Without House Vote Despite Doing it to Trump

Julio Rosas: Former Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) insisted it is wrong for current Speaker of the House Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) to point to her actions when she announced an impeachment inquiry before taking a full because, when she did it, it was different. In his announcement for an impeachment inquiry into President Joe Bide, McCarthy said evidence uncovered so far was overwhelming to suggest Biden used his political stature to secure foreign business deals through his son, Hunter, in places where the U.S. government had ongoing interests at the time (Townhall). RNC Research: Nancy Pelosi says it’s “hogwash” and “ridiculous” to say she opened an impeachment inquiry into President Trump without a House vote: “I don’t know why the press keeps repeating it.” That’s exactly what happened (X).

United States to Sanction 150 Companies, Individuals Aidign Russia’s War Effort

Wall Street Journal: The U.S. on Thursday will sanction around 150 foreign companies and individuals, including for allegedly shipping American or other Western technology to Russia, according to people familiar with the matter, marking an expanding Western effort to cut off the flow of goods Moscow needs to prosecute its war against Ukraine. The U.S. and its allies over the last year have largely focused their finance-and-trade war against Russian firms. But as the Kremlin and its agents seek to sidestep Western sanctions and export controls by channeling the flow of prohibited goods through intermediary nations, officials say they are ramping up a campaign to target companies and individuals in countries acting as transit hubs for Russia (Wall Street Journal). ABC: The Treasury Department said the sanctions are designed to further limit Russia’s ability to carry out the war. Imposing sanctions on individuals and businesses makes the process of traveling outside of Russia more difficult, and if any of the individuals have possessions in the United States, they become property of the U.S. government (ABC).

European Central Bank Raises Interest Rates to Record Level at Four Percent

Wall Street Journal: The European Central Bank raised interest rates by a quarter percentage point to a record high but signaled that eurozone borrowing costs may have peaked, sending the euro tumbling. In a split decision, ECB officials raised the bank’s deposit rate to 4%, the 10th increase in a row and a vertiginous rise from below zero last year. At a news conference, ECB President Christine Lagarde signaled that Thursday’s rate increase might be the last, although she didn’t rule out further hikes if economic data disappoint (Wall Street Journal). Financial Times: Economists think major central banks are nearing the end of their rate rises since inflation is falling and growth is slowing under pressure from higher borrowing costs. The US Federal Reserve and Bank of England both meet next week. Analysts think the Fed is likely to keep rates on hold even though US inflation accelerated more than expected in August, while the BoE is seen as more likely to raise rates with UK inflation still far above its target (Financial Times).

Democrat Mayor of Portland Announces He Will Not Campaign for Reelection

Just the News: Portland’s Democratic Mayor Ted Wheeler says he is not planning to run for a third term in office in 2024, as crime has skyrocketed and the population has shrunk under his tenure. Wheeler said Wednesday that his administration led “innovative efforts” throughout Portland, and rather than campaigning for mayor, he is going to focus his efforts on addressing the “city’s critical challenges while, at the same time, fundamentally re-shaping city government.” Since Wheeler was elected mayor in 2016, the city has faced numerous challenges (Just the News). Daily Caller: Portland shed 3% of its residents between 2020 and 2022, partially due to an increase in crime and homelessness. The city was previously one of the safest cities in the U.S. and averaged nearly 21 homicides a year from 2000 to 2019, but Portland suffered 92 homicides in 2021 and 101 in 2022 after defunding its police force (Daily Caller).

Race Activist Ibram X. Kendi’s Antiracism Center to Undergo Layoffs

Daily Caller: A source familiar with the matter claims upwards of 15 to 20 staffers will lose their job at the Center for Antiracism Research at Boston University, according to a Semafor report published Thursday. The center is led by activist and scholar Ibram X. Kendi, who founded the center less than three years ago at the height of widespread protests led by those predominantly associated with the Black Lives Matter movement. The source told Semafor the money saved by laying off staffers will be redirected to funding visiting scholars who already have a form of employment. The layoffs are reportedly due to start later in 2023, and it’s unclear which staffers will be losing their positions. The center’s website previously listed 45 employees, but that data has since been wiped from the site (Daily Caller).

Randi Weingarten Equates Parental Rights Advocates to Segregationists

Washington Examiner: Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC) slammed American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten on Wednesday for her comparison of parental rights advocates to Jim Crow-era segregationists, claiming white liberals will cry racism to win a fight. Scott said Weingarten has possibly done the most damage to students in poor communities recently, after she claimed school choice and parental rights advocates were similar to segregationists who opposed the historic Supreme Court ruling on Brown v. Board of Education, which ended racial segregation in public schools (Washington Examiner). Nicki Neily: Randi Weingarten likened parental rights and school choice advocates to segregationists: She says the words “choice” and “parental rights” are the same kind of words that were used in reaction to school desegregation by opponents of the Brown v. Board of Education decision (X).

Cleveland Mayor Criticizes New LGBTQ Guidance the Catholic Diocese Implemented

Good on the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland. Hill: Cleveland Mayor Justin Bibb (D) denounced new LGBTQ guidance that was implemented by the Catholic Diocese of Cleveland for its schools. The diocese put out new policies for its 84 private religious schools that ban LGBTQ expression, restrict certain clothing and ban the use of pronouns or bathrooms that don’t match a student’s sex on official paperwork (Hill). Daily Wire: The policy requires parental notification in the case of minors experiencing gender dysphoria or confusion; declares that parental rejection of a child’s preferred pronouns don’t constitute grounds for nondisclosure; bans use of preferred pronouns; restricts bathroom and facility usage to biological sex; prohibits admission of students to institutions, programs, and activities like sports designated for the opposite sex; bans same-sex dates to school dances and mixers; requires students to comply with dress codes aligning with their biological sex; bans any celebration or advocacy of LGBTQ+ ideologies or behaviors, such as Pride flags; and bans gender transitions of any degree, whether social or medical. The policy acknowledged the existence of gender dysphoria, but rejected the modern belief that feelings determine truth (Daily Wire).

Biden Administration, Once Again, Holding Influx of Migrants in Cages

Townhall: The Tucson Sector along the U.S.-Mexico border continues to be slammed with illegal immigrants, straining resources in a part of the country that typically sees more gotaways than people claiming asylum. As a result, almost no Border Patrol agents are actively patrolling the southern border because they are having to quickly process and release the thousands of illegal immigrants to get out of their facilities. Pictures and videos have emerged once again of illegal immigrants being held behind crowded fencing outdoors, which previously caused outrage from Democrats and their allies in the mainstream media (Townhall). Board Member National Immigration Center for Enforcement John Fabbricatore: Right now in Ajo AZ Sector for the Border Patrol. Hundreds in custody on top of what was caught last night. Already getting reports of large numbers crossing and Border Patrol trying to respond. They are overwhelmed and this administration is letting this happen with no support (X). Post Millennial: Border Patrol, which is currently overwhelmed, warns that its station cannot provide accommodations due to the “historic trend” they are seeing in illegal crossings in Ajo. The agency says that the remote location just two hours from Tuscon is “the hottest, most isolated, and dangerous area of the southwest border” (Post Millennial).

10.

Governor DeSantis Posts Billboards in Chicago Incentivizing Police Officers to Come to Florida

Fox News: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ office is launching billboards in Illinois to encourage law enforcement officers in the state to “make the smart move” to Florida after Illinois approved allowing noncitizens to become officers and is eliminating cash bail. The billboards tout a $5,000 signing bonus for out-of-state police officers who relocate to the Sunshine State as part of its law enforcement recruitment bonus payment program signed into law by the Republican governor in 2022 (Fox News). Bloomberg: Pritzker, meanwhile, is struggling to tackle violent crime in Chicago, after a surge during the pandemic. Billionaire Ken Griffin has cited violence as one of the reasons for moving his company, Citadel, to Miami, and has supported DeSantis’s tough-on-crime policies. Other business leaders, including the bosses of McDonald’s Corp. and exchange operator CME Group Inc., have also highlighted crime as a concern (Bloomberg).