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Tuesday, December 12, 2023

Palestinian Protesters Storm, Trash the Hart Atrium of the Senate Building

Spencer Brown: A group of “pro-Palestine” protestors — read: those who are “demanding” a ceasefire that would benefit Hamas and give the Iran-backed terrorists a chance at surviving to launch more October 7-level attacks on innocent Israelis — occupied the atrium of the Hart Senate Office Building just steps from the U.S. Capitol on Monday morning. Their tantrum caused authorities to close the building to the public, allowing only senators and staff to enter the building (Townhall). Reporter James Mathews: Arrests inside the Capitol’s Hart admin building, at a “Ceasefire Now” demonstration (X). Senator Thom Tillis: Anti-Israel protestors making a mess of the Senate. I’m sure they’ll change hearts and minds by making hardworking Senate custodial workers spend their entire day cleaning up the mess they created. Thank you to Capitol Police and the Senate facility staff for upholding professionalism in the midst of such clownery (X). Townhall: “Ceasefire now” protestors in a Senate office building made an absolute mess during their demonstration (X).

Harvard University President Claudine Gay Facing Plagiarism Allegations

Daily Wire: Embattled Harvard University President Claudine Gay is under fire for allegedly plagiarizing portions of her Ph.D. dissertation, which concerns racial themes, for her doctorate in political science from Harvard back in 1997. In one instance, Gay is accused of lifting “nearly verbatim” work from Lawrence Bobo and Franklin Gilliam in their paper called “Race, Sociopolitical Participation, and Black Empowerment.” Gay is further accused of lifting material from legal scholar Carol Swain without giving a citation (Daily Wire). Chris Rufo: EXCLUSIVE: Chris Brunet and I have obtained documentation demonstrating that Harvard President Claudine Gay plagiarized multiple sections of her Ph.D. thesis, violating Harvard’s policies on academic integrity. This is a bombshell (X). Lawyer Gregg Re: So to recap. She got tenure based on four articles with a methodology that was later debunked. She got a PHD by plagiarizing. And we are not supposed to point out that Harvard hired her because of her skin color (which they proudly brag about in admissions). Harvard’s a joke (X).

Top Four Unions in America Have Given Over $700 Million to Democrat Party and Causes

Wall Street Journal: The alliance between Democrats and public unions is a dominant feature of modern politics, and the mutual love is growing. That’s the message of a new report by the Commonwealth Foundation. The four largest government unions are the National Education Association (NEA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), Service Employees International Union (SEIU) and the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (Afscme). In the 2021-2022 election cycle, they spent more than $708 million combined on politics. Since 2012 union spending on federal elections has nearly tripled (Wall Street Journal). Fox News: Overall, over 99% of the federal union PAC money favored Democrats, while 95% of state PAC contributions benefited the party, according to the report. The Commonwealth Foundation wrote that the “extensive spending on federal politics” could explain the “preferential treatment” unions receive from the Biden administration (Fox News).

Palestinian Protestor Desecrates Jewish Menorah During Chanukah Holiday

National Review: A man masking his identity with a keffiyeh climbed a menorah on the New Haven Green on Sunday and placed a Palestinian flag on the structure. In the video, which was shared widely on X over the weekend, a group of people can be heard telling him not to commit the act of desecration. In the immediate aftermath, Yale University, which has buildings across the street from where the menorah was erected, released a statement, saying it “condemns in the strongest possible terms the desecration of a menorah on the New Haven Green during the religious holiday of Chanukah” (National Review). Visegrad24: Anti-Israeli protesters from Yale University attack a Jewish Hanukkah menorah in New Haven, Connecticut (X).

Hunter Biden Files Motion to Dismiss Gun Charges Saying the Plea Deal is Still Alive

Washington Post: Hunter Biden’s legal team on Monday asked a Delaware judge to dismiss the federal gun charges filed against him, arguing that prosecutors violated key promises they made as part of a previous agreement that would have allowed Biden to avoid felony charges. Biden’s team insisted in a filing Monday that the agreement is in effect (Washington Post). Fox News: Special Counsel David Weiss charged Hunter Biden with making a false statement in the purchase of a firearm; making a false statement related to information required to be kept by a federal firearms licensed dealer; and one count of possession of a firearm by a person who is an unlawful user of or addicted to a controlled substance. The president’s son pleaded not guilty to all counts in October. At the time, his attorney Abbe Lowell hinted that the defense planned to file a motion to dismiss due to the diversion agreement on the gun charges, which he said he believed was still in effect. The diversion agreement was included as part of the original plea deal that collapsed in July. Biden was set to plead guilty to two misdemeanor tax counts of willful failure to pay federal income tax, which would allow him to avoid jail time on a felony gun charge (Fox News).

Special Counsel Jack Smith Asks Supreme Court for a Ruling on Trump’s Executive Immunity

Just the News: Special counsel Jack Smith on Monday asked the Supreme Court to rule on whether former President Donald Trump can be prosecuted on charges that he allegedly worked to overturn the 2020 election results. A federal judge said that the case could go forward, but Trump signaled that he would challenge that by asking a federal appeals court to reverse the decision, so Smith is attempting to bypass the appeals court. Trump had already moved to pause proceedings in the case as he appealed U.S. District Court Judge Tanya Chutkan’s ruling that he does not have presidential immunity (Just the News). Julie Kelly: Again citing the “public’s interest” in a fast-track trial of Donald Trump, Jack Smith just filed motions to expedite Trump’s appeal of Judge Chutkan’s ruling related to executive immunity at DC appellate court and SCOTUS. Smell the desperation (X).

Donald Trump Records Highest Level of Support Ahead of Iowa Caucus History

NBC: Former President Donald Trump has expanded his lead over his GOP rivals with five weeks until the first Republican presidential nominating contest, now earning 51% first-choice support from likely Iowa caucusgoers. Trump’s lead — the largest recorded so close to a competitive Republican caucus in this Iowa poll’s history — is fueled by majorities of evangelical and first-time likely caucusgoers, as well as by nearly three-quarters of Republicans who believe Trump can defeat President Joe Biden next year despite the legal challenges the former president faces (NBC). National Review: Trump has risen 8 points since the same poll was conducted in October, while DeSantis has climbed just three points over the same period. DeSantis holds a lead in what could be termed the “caucus for second place,” with 30 percent of respondents saying he is their second choice and 18 percent “actively considering” voting for him on January 15 (National Review).

Biden to Give $3 Billion American Tax Dollars to California for a “train to nowhere”

Townhall: The Biden administration is giving California’s “train to nowhere” more than $3 billion in taxpayer funds, which critics are blasting as a complete waste of money. Funding for the high-speed train through California’s Central Valley was announced Friday by President Biden. The project and another train in California were among 10 major passenger rail projects receiving a collective $8.2 billion. According to the White House, $3.07 billion will go toward work on the line between Bakersfield and Merced as well as building the Fresno station (Townhall). Katy Grimes: What really is the $6 billion to Calif. for High Speed Rail? It’s a gift to labor unions – SEIU. We have no track, no trains, and no “high speed” plan. But billions have already been spent on the train to nowhere (X).

Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) Reintroduce Massive Overhaul to Second Amendment

Washington Examiner: In an alarming move, Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) and Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) have reintroduced a legislative monster, the Gun Violence Prevention and Community Safety Act , under the guise of public safety. This bill is not a mere regulation; it is a sledgehammer to the Second Amendment , threatening to crush the constitutional rights that have been a cornerstone of American liberty. By imposing extensive bans on various firearms and accessories, mandating prolonged waiting periods, and introducing onerous licensing and registration requirements, the bill significantly impedes the fundamental right to bear arms. Provisions such as banning “military-style” firearms and subjective bans on firearm accessories set a dangerous precedent of ambiguity and overreach (Washington Examiner). Hank Johnson’s Website states: Every day — in their homes and on their sidewalks, in their schools and supermarkets, in their places of worship and workplaces — Americans are killed or injured by gun violence. As reported by the Gun Violence Archive, there have been at least 620 mass shootings through December 1 of this year. That’s quickly closing in on the 645 mass shootings in the country last year – the worst year on record since the group began tracking them in 2014 (Hank Johnson).

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Over 17,000 People Attend Pastor Michael Youssef’s Event in Cairo, Egypt Leading to Thousands of Conversions

Christian Post: Despite severe restrictions surrounding Christianity and ongoing unrest in the Middle East, an evangelistic event in Cairo, Egypt, led by Michael Youssef saw an unexpected attendance of over 17,000 people — evidence, he said, that amid the darkness, the Gospel shines brightest. The 75-year-old pastor of the Church of the Apostles in Atlanta, Georgia, revealed that the November event saw an unexpected attendance of 17,715 people, far exceeding the initial expectation of 6,000. Of those, more than 7,850 put their faith in Christ. The event’s scale was unprecedented, considering the legal restrictions on evangelistic outreach in Egypt. “We saw really what God has done,” Youssef, who also serves as executive president of Leading the Way, said (Christian Post). Christian Headlines: He said local churches “doubled” attendance after the event and hopes to continue that trend (Christian Headlines).