Your First Look at Today's Top Stories

Having trouble viewing this email? View the web version.

Sponsored By

DaybreakInsider.com

Wednesday, February 7, 2024

Vote to Impeach Homeland Security Secretary Mayorkas Fails in House

The vote was 216-214. Fox News: The Republican-led House of Representatives on Tuesday failed to impeach Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas over his handling of the crisis at the southern border – marking a major blow for House Republicans who have pushed for Mayorkas’ removal. The House voted mostly along party lines, but Republicans suffered a number of defections which torpedoed the vote. Four Republicans ultimately voted no: Rep. Tom Clintock, R-Calif., Ken Buck, R-Colo., Mike Gallagher, R-Wis., and Blake Moore, R-Utah, who switched his vote at the last minute in a procedural move to be able to bring the resolution back to the floor (Fox News). CNN: After facing a stunning defeat on the House floor, GOP leadership is signaling they will try again to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas once they have the votes secured (CNN).

Former President Trump Denied Immunity By Federal Appeals Court

Financial Times: In a unanimous decision handed down on Tuesday, the three-judge panel for the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit said he was not entitled to immunity because he was no longer president. “For the purpose of this criminal case, former President Trump has become citizen Trump, with all of the defences of any other criminal defendant,” the judges wrote in their order (Financial Times). PJ Media: Trump’s legal team asserted that a criminal indictment against him would have a “chilling effect” on future presidents because it would open them up to being indicted for “official acts” after leaving office. The judges were not convinced by this argument… Trump is expected to appeal to the Supreme Court (PJ Media). This ruling comes just two days before the Supreme Court is expected to hear oral arguments in a case that will determine President Trump’s ballot access in Colorado.

President Biden Upset With Trump for Helping Sink Border Bill

Bloomberg: President Joe Biden blamed Donald Trump for sinking a bipartisan immigration and Ukraine aid bill, saying the Republican frontrunner pressured members of his party to reject it in order to gain an advantage in the November election. Biden acknowledged the Senate package was all but dead — a move that could jeopardize the US effort to provide more weapons and support to Ukraine in its war to repel Russia’s invasion. Biden sought to cast responsibility for the failure to secure an agreement on the border on congressional Republicans and Trump. He warned that if Republicans do not approve the package he would use it to hammer Trump on the campaign trail (Bloomberg). Townhall: PETER DOOCY: “You guys talk a lot about how the border wouldn’t be such a big deal if Congress would’ve just passed your immigration bill on Day 1. Who was in charge of Congress on Day 1?” KJP: “Republicans have gotten in the way. They just have, Peter.” PETER DOOCY: “So the Democrats who were charge the first two years, no responsibility” (X)?

Illegal Immigrants Who Beat NYPD Officers Arrested by ICE in Arizona

Good. Now, send them packing. Fox News: Several of the illegal immigrants suspected of beating New York City police officers were arrested in Phoenix, Arizona, Fox News confirmed Monday night. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, said at a news conference Friday that she wanted to speak with Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg about why most of the suspects were released without bail. She said prosecutors should have sought to keep them behind bars (Fox News). BizPac Review: Despite the attack on the NYPD officers being captured on video, Bragg claimed there was insufficient evidence to hold the illegal immigrants (BizPac Review).

New York City Housing Authority Members Arrested in 10-Year Public Corruption Scheme

Daily Mail: About 70 New York City Housing Authority current and former employees were arrested in a federal raid after they received over $2 million in bribes in what officials called a ‘classic pay-to-play’ scheme. They are accused of using the housing system meant for the city’s poor to enrich themselves. The workers are charged in connection with a variety of alleged corruption and kickback schemes, according to the Department of Justice, which has called the case the largest public corruption roundup in its history. The accused employees are charged with bribery and extortion after ‘accepting cash payments from contractors in exchange for awarding NYCHA contracts,’ the DoJ said in a statement. The charges amount to a single-day record for bribery charges for the Department of Justice (Daily Mail). New York Post: The defendants, all of whom were working for NYCHA at the time, sought between 10% and 20% of the contracts’ values — or kickbacks of between $500 and $2,000 — though some asked for higher amounts, authorities said. In total, the dozens of rogue workers received more than $2 million in bribes involving $13 million in contracts between 2013 and 2023, officials said (New York Post).

DOJ Reportedly Advised D.C. Medical Examiner to Discard Bodies of Aborted Babies

The Biden Administration continues to use the DOJ as a weapon to fight against the lives of the unborn. Daily Signal: The Department of Justice reportedly advised the Washington, D.C. Medical Examiner to discard the remains of aborted preemie-sized babies, according to an attorney with the Thomas More Society. Those baby remains are from an abortion clinic in Foggy Bottom, a neighborhood of D.C. Pro-life activists believe the baby bodies are evidence that a D.C. abortionist was performing illegal abortions, but for two years now, D.C. authorities have stonewalled any questions about the babies’ deaths (Daily Signal). Mary Margaret Olohan: DOJ reportedly advised DC Medical Examiner to discard the remains of 5 preemie sized aborted babies, attorney with the @ThomasMoreSoc tells me. Pro-life activists believe those babies were illegally aborted + their bodies are evidence (X).

Argentinian President Javier Milei Visits Israel, Promises to Move Embassy to Jerusalem

Daily Wire: Staunch Israel supporter and politically conservative Argentinian President Javier Milei landed in Israel and promptly pronounced that he would indeed move the Argentinian Embassy to Jerusalem. Argentina has the largest Jewish population in South America, roughly 220,000 people (Daily Wire). Aviva Klompas: Argentina’s Javier Milei arrived in Israel today and before even leaving the tarmac vowed to move his embassy to Jerusalem (X).

Credit Card Debt Reaches Record of $17.5 Trillion in Q4 of 2023

Daily Mail: America’s combined household debt shot up by $212 billion to a record $17.5 trillion in the final three months of 2023, new figures showed today. Amid the rise in debt, the rate of Americans falling into delinquencies was also up between October and December, according to data released by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York (Daily Mail). Axios: The upswing in delinquency rates for credit cards and car loans is perplexing against a backdrop that would appear to allow for a healthy consumer — including a strong labor market and wages that are finally rising in real terms. The rising share of late payments is a reversal from the height of the pandemic when student loan and mortgage forbearance, as well as stimulus payments, pushed delinquency rates to historic lows (Axios).

Our Immigration Mess: Ruling Elite is “hell-bent on the West’s self-annihilation”

Wall Street Journal: It is tempting to look at these recent events across two continents and conclude that we in the West aren’t a serious civilization anymore, that our commitment to liberal principles, openness and tolerance have inured us to our peril; that our values are no longer fit for purpose in an open world of existential threats. The deeper reality is that it isn’t our values that have failed. We are witnessing instead the most powerful indictment of a political and cultural elite whose hegemony is long overdue to meet its nemesis. The demographic reality of an overpopulated and still immiserated global south that is disgorging hundreds of millions of people to the wealthy north is making chaos of the attitudes and decisions of a ruling elite that—by design or accident—seems hell-bent on the West’s self-annihilation. But it seems now, in the post-Christian west, much more of an ideological postnationalism. You don’t have to believe in theories about a “great replacement” to see that the policies in the U.S. and Europe that have unleashed mass immigration in the past few years aren’t born of neglect or incompetence but are a deliberate choice to open their nations to all comers (Wall Street Journal).

10.

Country Music Community Mourns the Passing of Toby Keith

USA Today: The country music community woke up to the news Tuesday that Toby Keith had died after a battle with stomach cancer. He was 62 (USA Today). Jason Aldean: Just waking up to the news of Toby Keith’s passing. Today is a sad day for Country music and its fans. Toby was a huge presence in our business and someone we all looked up to and respected. You and your music will be forever remembered big man (X). Brantley Gilbert: Woke up to news that Toby Keith had passed…. He was a class act, a friend and one of the most talented guys you’ll ever meet… We’ll miss you down here man… Rest in peace (X). Lee Greenwood: Toby Keith did things his way – amazing artist, songwriter, patriot and man of faith. I admired him and how he rolled. He and I shared a deep love for our military and I’m proud that he took his music to dangerous places in order to give American spirit to those protecting freedom. I was pleased that he called me the OG and was honored to work with him a few times through the years. Please join our family in praying for the Covel family. I am confident that Toby was met at the pearly gates by patriots who have gone before and is resting in the arms of Jesus (X).