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Friday, December 15, 2023

Congress Passes Defense Bill Worth $886 Billion

Reuters: More than two-thirds of the U.S. House of Representatives voted in favor of a defense policy bill on Thursday that includes a record $886 billion in annual military spending and authorizes policies such as aid for Ukraine and push back against China in the Indo-Pacific. The House backed the National Defense Authorization Act, or NDAA, by 310 to 118, with strong support from Republicans and Democrats. It was more than the two-thirds majority required to pass the measure and send it to the White House for President Joe Biden to sign into law. Separate from the appropriations bills that set government spending levels, the NDAA authorizes everything from pay raises for troops – this year’s will be 5.2% – to purchases of ships, ammunition and aircraft (Reuters).

Oklahoma Eliminates DEI Practices in State

Townhall: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt (R) has taken aim at Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion spending in higher education and state agencies, signing an executive order Wednesday that protects taxpayers from funding such programs. State agencies and higher education institutions must review all DEI posts, activities, and programs to eliminate, and dismiss nonessential personnel. Specifically, state funds cannot be used for programs or positions that “grant preferential treatment based on one person’s particular race, color, sex, ethnicity, or national origin over another’s.” No one can be compelled to participate in any programs that do so, nor can they be required to sign or agree to any discriminatory “loyalty oath.” Individuals also cannot be forced to state their pronouns (Townhall). Christpoher Rufo: Oklahoma Gov. Stitt has signed an executive order abolishing the DEI bureaucracy in all public universities. That makes Florida, Texas, Iowa, and Oklahoma. And we are just getting started (X).

Virginia’s Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Teacher Suing School for Firing Him for Not Using Student’s Chosen Pronouns

Reuters: Virginia’s highest court on Thursday revived a lawsuit by a high school French teacher who was fired for refusing on religious grounds to use a transgender student’s preferred pronouns. The Virginia Supreme Court in a unanimous ruling said Peter Vlaming can pursue claims that the school board in the Richmond suburb of West Point violated his rights under the state Constitution to free exercise of religion. The court split 4-3 in also reviving his free speech and due process claims. Vlaming says that his religious and philosophical beliefs prevented him from using male pronouns to refer to a transgender male student. Instead, Vlaming says he called the student by his preferred name and avoided using pronouns. Vlaming was fired in 2018 after he referred to the student as “her” during a class exercise (Reuters). ADF: ADF Senior Counsel Tyson Langhofer, director of the ADF Center for Academic Freedom explained, “This was never about anything Peter said or did; only about what the school was demanding he say. Nobody should be forced to contradict his core beliefs just to keep a job.” Vlaming is suing the school board for breach of contract and for violating his rights under the Virginia Constitution and commonwealth law (ADF).

Massachusetts Teachers Association Issues Statement Stating the U.S. is Complicit with Israel in Genocide

NBC Boston: A statement approved by the Massachusetts Teachers Association’s executive board on the Israel-Hamas War has prompted swift backlash for the leadership of the teachers union. The board voted to urge the National Educators Association to put pressure on President Joe Biden to stop funding Israel, which the board characterized as a “genocidal war on the Palestinian people in Gaza.” The director of the Anti-Defamation League New England, Rabbi Jonah Steinberg, said the organization has heard from members of the Massachusetts Teachers Association who were “frankly embarrassed at the statement that ostensibly represents them.” He called it one-sided and biased, and said it ignores the entirety of the complex situation in Israel and Gaza (NBC Boston). Daily Wire: A smaller teachers union in the state, the Newton Teachers Association (NTA), distanced itself Tuesday from the actions taken by the Massachusetts Teachers Association (MTA), which represents more than 100,000 educators in the state. It said the motion passed by the MTA’s board of directors was an example of “antisemitic dog-whistling” and said that it could lead to more Jew-hatred (Daily Wire).

Harvard Rabbi Shares Story of How He Must Hide Menorah Each Night to Avoid Vandalism

This is the same Harvard University that refused to fire their President for her antisemitic testimony. National Review: A rabbi at Harvard University was told by administrators to hide the campus menorah each night of Hanukkah for fear of vandalization or other criminal activity, the rabbi said in a video posted to social media. “We in the Jewish community are longing for a day … that Harvard not only has our back, and not only allows us to finally put up a menorah, but doesn’t force us to hide it at night,” said Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi, founder and president of Harvard Chabad, while celebrating Hanukkah on Wednesday evening. The Jewish holiday concludes on Friday (National Review). ICC: Before lighting candles for the 7th night of Hanukkah, Rabbi Hirschy Zarchi of Harvard Chabad shared a story about how he has to hide the menorah on campus each night out of fear from the university of criminal activity (X).

President Biden’s Approval Rating Reaches Low

Spencer Brown: Just how low can President Joe Biden’s job approval rating go? According to Pew Research’s tracking of Americans’ approval of the president, the floor has yet to be found as the latest survey pins approval at just 33 percent, a five-point slide from the beginning of 2023 and 21 points lower than when he first took office. That leaves nearly two-thirds of Americans — 64 percent — disapproving of Biden’s performance as POTUS (Townhall). Pew: Biden’s job approval among Democrats has declined 12 percentage points since October 2022 (from 73% to 61%) (Pew).

Vladimir Putin States He Would Like to “find a solution” Send Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan Back Home

CBS: Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow was in talks with the United States over detained Americans Evan Gershkovich and Paul Whelan. In his end-of-year news conference on Thursday, Putin said he hoped to “find a solution” even though “it’s not easy.” His comments come after the U.S. State Department said last week that Russia had recently rejected a “new and significant” proposal for the release of the two Americans. On Thursday, State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters that Washington has “put multiple offers on the table.” Putin’s event Thursday was his first year-end news conference since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The country’s longtime leader recently announced he would be running for another six-year term as president in Russia’s upcoming March election (CBS). Wall Street Journal: U.S. officials continued to say Thursday that until now, they don’t think Russian negotiators have been putting in a good-faith effort. Russia’s Federal Security Service, or FSB, detained Gershkovich, who was accredited to work as a journalist by Russia’s Foreign Ministry, on March 29 while he was on a reporting assignment in the Russian city of Yekaterinburg. The 32-year-old reporter has been held in Moscow’s Lefortovo Prison ever since. Whelan, an American citizen, is serving a 16-year sentence on an espionage conviction that he, his family and the U.S. say is bogus. A Russian court upheld Gershkovich’s detention on Thursday, a ruling that means he will remain in custody through January (Wall Street Journal).

Prosecutor Who Interfered in Hunter Biden Investigation Resigns from DOJ

New York Post: A federal prosecutor who allegedly interfered in the criminal investigation of Hunter Biden to protect both President Biden and his son recently left the Justice Department, The Post has learned. Former Delaware assistant US attorney Lesley Wolf’s quiet departure emerged as she appeared for a deposition with the House Judiciary Committee on Thursday morning — following the Wednesday night House vote to formally authorize the impeachment inquiry into Joe Biden over his role in his son and brother’s foreign business dealings. Wolf’s starring role in the alleged coverup in the criminal tax fraud and foreign lobbying investigation is a significant part of the impeachment inquiry — with whistleblowers saying that she discouraged asking witnesses questions about “the big guy” or “dad,” referring to Joe Biden, claiming there was “no specific criminality to that line of questioning” (New York Post). Daily Mail: Shapley said Wolf sought to limit questions that could connect the probe to the now-president, including in 2020 in preparations for an interview with Hunter business associate Robert Walker (Daily Mail).

White House Posts Creepy, Cringe Christmas Video

Townhall: First lady Jill Biden unveiled her White House Christmas decorations Wednesday night in a video of tap dancers performing what she called a “playful interpretation of The Nutcracker Suite.” Highlighting this year’s theme of “Magic, Wonder and Joy,” Biden told viewers to “enjoy” the performance by the “talented tappers of Dorrance Dance.” While there were some positive reactions, praising the first lady for her “playful creative side” and for the “incredible” performance, the comments were overwhelmingly negative (Townhall). Libs of TikTok: This should’ve come with a sensitivity label. This is horrendous (X). User Annette Jals: Sometimes it’s hard to define creepy and weird, but I know creepy and weird when I see it (X). Matt Walsh: Thanks it’s the worst thing I’ve ever seen (X).

10.

MLB’s San Francisco Giants Fail to Land Free Agents Due to Deterioration of City

Daily Wire: San Francisco’s struggles with rising crime, rampant drug use, and sprawling homeless camps have kept tourists away and led to businesses and residents fleeing the city. Now, the downtown disorder is being blamed for deterring a big name from relocating to the Golden Gate City: Major League Baseball superstar Shohei Ohtani. One-time Giants All-Star catcher Buster Posey, who is now a member of the team’s executive board, suggested that San Francisco’s struggles with downtown degradation and lawlessness have played a role in preventing star players, including Ohtani, from signing with the team. While Ohtani never personally expressed concerns about the state of the city, there were some reservations in his camp. The Giants have missed out on several top free agents in recent years, including Aaron Judge and Bryce Harper. They haven’t signed an impact free-agent position player since Barry Bonds in 1993, the East Bay Times reported. Posey said the team was “in a bit of a free-agent slump.” This isn’t the first time Giants officials have expressed concerns about the city’s reputation affecting their ability to sign top players. Last year, Farhan Zaidi, president of Giants baseball operations, said that San Francisco had become a “polarizing place” for some players (Daily Wire).