Your First Look at Today's Top Stories

Having trouble viewing this email? View the web version.

Sponsored By

DaybreakInsider.com

Thursday, February 1, 2024

Articles of Impeachment Against Alejandro Mayorkas Head to Full House for Vote

National Review: House Republicans have taken another step towards impeaching Homeland Security secretary Alejandro Mayorkas for presiding over the nation’s ongoing immigration crisis. In the early hours of Wednesday morning, the House Homeland Security Committee voted 18-15 along party lines to send two articles of impeachment against Mayorkas to the House for a vote. The full House vote could take place as soon as next week. If the House approves the impeachment resolution, the charges would ultimately go to the Senate for a trial (National Review). CBS: House Democrats characterized the impeachment effort as a “sham” and said the articles lack evidence of high crimes or misdemeanors — the constitutional basis for impeachment. The first impeachment article accuses Mayorkas of repeatedly violating the law by allowing the release of migrants who are awaiting court proceedings. The second article alleges Mayorkas lied to lawmakers about whether the southern border was secure and obstructed congressional oversight of the department (CBS).

Big Tech Platforms Garner Bipartisan Anger During Senate Judiciary Committee Testimony

Wall Street Journal: Meta Platforms’ Mark Zuckerberg, TikTok’s Shou Zi Chew and other tech CEOs faced withering bipartisan criticism on Wednesday from senators who said social-media platforms must bear more legal liability when children are harmed online. Senate Judiciary Chairman Dick Durbin (D., Ill.) blasted the executives for a “crisis” in child sexual exploitation online (Wall Street Journal). Collin Rugg: Josh Hawley goes off on Mark Zuckerberg and forces him to stand up, turn around and apologize to families who were impacted by child exploitation on META platforms. “You didn’t take any action. You didn’t fire anybody” (X). CSPAN: Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC): “Mr. Zuckerberg, you and the companies before us, I know you don’t mean it to be so, but you have blood on your hands. You have a product that’s killing people” (X). Townhall: Mark Zuckerberg: There’s no link between young people using social media and negative mental health problems (X).

DA Fani Willis Fired Employee Who Questioned Use of Federal Grant Money

Washington Examiner: Fani Willis, the Fulton County District Attorney prosecuting former President Donald Trump in the 2020 election subversion case, fired an employee who warned her about misusing federal funds, according to a new leaked audio tape. Willis is facing fresh allegations of abdicating her responsibilities after a newly surfaced audio recording revealed a whistleblower privately warned in November 2021 that her top campaign aide was attempting to misuse federal funds. During the conversation, then-employee Amanda Timpson told Willis that campaign aide Michael Cuffee intended to use part of a $488,000 federal grant, which was intended to counter local gang activity, to pay for unrelated matters such as computers and travel expenses. Willis later apologized to Timpson during their discussion, admitting that Cuffee “failed” her administration. But just 56 days later, the district attorney fired Timpson and had her escorted out of her office by seven armed investigators, Timpson said (Washington Examiner). Andrew Kerr: Free Beacon has obtained audio of a whistleblower privately warning Fani Willis in 2021 that her top aide was trying to misuse federal funds. Willis did not dispute the allegations (X).

Trans Collegiate Track and Field Athlete Breaks Female Records

Townhall: A male sprinter who thinks he’s “transgender” set two women’s collegiate records at a recent event, according to multiple reports. The athlete, Camden Schreiner, who now goes by “Sadie,” competed for the Rochester Institute of Technology in New York on Friday. Schreiner set the 200-meter record and qualified for the Atlantic Region Championship with a time of 25.27 seconds and also broke the 300-meter record with a 40.78-second finish. The previous year, Schreiner competed in the same event against men, where he placed 19th (Townhall). Riley Gaines: Women’s records mean nothing if they’re set by men (X). Taylor Silverman: What a joke (X).

ATF Faces Scrutiny for Siphoning Millions of Dollars from Taxpayers

Katie Pavlich: The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives is under fire after reportedly breaking the law to inflate status and salaries of administrative staffers. According to Republican Senators Chuck Grassley and Joni Ernst, ATF improperly and deliberately misclassified thousands of administrative positions as “law enforcement” for decades, costing taxpayers millions of dollars. The misclassification was brought to the attention of ATF leadership by whistleblowers and was ignored (Townhall). Joni Ernst: This maladministration resulted in up to $20 million in overpayments to at least 91 employees who erroneously received enhanced law enforcement salaries and benefits while performing human resources, administrative, and other non-law enforcement duties (Joni Ernst).

New Poll Data Discovers Majority of Americans Live Paycheck to Paycheck

Washington Examiner: “Bidenomics” isn’t working well, and now there’s proof. Despite records being broken on Wall Street, those on Main Street are living and working for their next paycheck and have little saved for an emergency. In the latest Issues and Insights/TIPP poll, released early Wednesday, 64% said they are “living ‘paycheck to paycheck’ these days.” Even those with good incomes are struggling, the poll analysis said. “More than half of those in the wealthiest income bracket — those earning $75,000 or more a year (53%) — and those who are investors (51%), another relatively wealthy group, each said they’re also having trouble making ends meet on a monthly basis,” the analysis said. People also don’t have much put away for emergencies, the survey said. Some 24% reported $0 saved, and another 20% said they had just $1,000 set aside (Washington Examiner). Insights Poll: The idea that the U.S. economy is doing fine is simply not the case. While overall growth has rebounded after the economy crashed 7.5% in 2022’s second quarter, a post World War II record, Americans are still feeling inflation’s pinch (Insights Poll).

Harvard Megadonor Pulls Funding Calling Students “whiny snowflakes”

Hill: Billionaire Harvard University donor Ken Griffin said Tuesday he has stopped financially supporting the university, accusing elite institutions of creating “whiny snowflakes” instead of focusing on education. Griffin, the founder of Citadel and worth more than $30 billion, has contributed some $500 million to Harvard in his lifetime (Hill). CBS: Griffin, who graduated from Harvard in 1989 with a degree in economics, said Tuesday he would like to restart his donations to his alma mater, but noted that it depends on whether the university returns to what he sees as its basic mission. In October, billionaire hedge fund investor CEO Bill Ackman called on the school to disclose the names of students who belong to organizations that signed a statement blaming Israel for the October 7 Hamas attack on Israeli citizens. Ackman said that he wants to make sure never to “inadvertently hire any of their members” (CBS).

President Biden Finally Makes Plans to Visit East Palestine, Ohio for Train Derailment Anniversary

Fox News: President Biden will travel to East Palestine, Ohio in February to mark the one-year anniversary of the disastrous train derailment in the town, a White House official confirmed. Biden was heavily criticized at the time of the incident for never visiting the community in the weeks and months that followed. The official says Biden will discuss his administration’s “comprehensive, whole-of-government response” to ensure railroad safety (Fox News). RNC Research: Karine Jean-Pierre struggles to explain why Joe Biden has taken so long to visit East Palestine, Ohio. Biden has spent almost 130 days on vacation since the derailment (X).

Biden’s DOJ Successfully Prosecutes Six Peaceful Pro-Life Advocates

Daily Wire: Anger erupted online on Tuesday following the Biden Department of Justice’s successful prosecution of another six pro-life protesters, who now face more than a decade behind bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines. Following a protest back in 2021, the activists, who were not accused of any violence, were found guilty in a Tennessee courtroom of conspiracy against rights secured by the FACE Act and committing FACE Act violations. The FACE Act is a Clinton-era law that criminalizes the use of force, or threats of force that prevent someone from accessing an abortion clinic (Daily Wire). Greg Price: A grand total of zero people have ever been arrested for protesting outside the houses of Supreme Court justices after Roe was overturned, which is a federal crime. But peaceful pro-lifers now face 11 years in jail for praying outside an abortion clinic (X). Matt Walsh: The US attorney prosecuting the pro life activists who were just convicted and face 11 years in prison for peacefully protesting outside of a clinic actually argued in court that there is no such thing as a non-violent crime. Meanwhile the Biden Administration is currently in the process of releasing hundreds of criminals from prison on the basis that their crimes were non-violent. They are making legal arguments totally arbitrarily depending on the politics of the situation. Full on Soviet style corruption and persecution (X).

10.

National Gathering for Prayer and Repentance Event Features Speaker Johnson, Pastor Jack Hibbs

ngpr: Our Founding Fathers understood that our strength and unity were found in our commitment to Him and to His righteousness. We think America is strong, yet a long train of events reveals weakness on every front and historic level of division. We assume America will always be. It will not. ‘Under God’ must become more than a part of our Pledge of Allegiance. ‘In God we trust’ must be more than our national motto on our currency. America needs God (ngpr). Family Research Council: “In this time of great crisis and in this moment of cultural upheaval, in an era of completely divided government; it is incumbent upon us to daily seek God’s wisdom in our affairs” House Speaker Johnson (X). CBN: Dr. Jim Garlow and Tony Perkins are the co-founders of the prayer event. Garlow explained that the event is not about man’s performance, but glorifying God. “The prayers are about repentance. For personal sins. For sin in the church. For America’s sins. We focus on the vertical, that is, God. We don’t applaud for people. We only applaud for God…at the end. We don’t have speeches or sermons, except designated persons to call us to serious repentance. We don’t even introduce people,” he said (CBN). Family Research Council: “We pray God. There is only one hope for this nation. It is not in the White House, it’s not in the state house, but it’s in your House. If we choose…” Pastor Jack Hibbs (X).