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Tuesday, February 13, 2024

IDF Rescues Two Hostages Deep Within Gaza in Daring Operation

Guy Benson: The Israeli government announced the successful execution of a dramatic and daring rescue operation in which two hostages being held by terrorists in a Rafah apartment were freed. They were returned home. Alive. The details of how this was achieved read like something out of a thriller novel, or perhaps more aptly, an episode of the show Fauda (as was this amazing surgical raid against senior Hamas operatives late last month). Additional details are emerging, including footage of the rescue helicopter touching back down on Israel soil. Imagine the relief and joy of those tormented families. According to the government, “many terrorists were eliminated tonight in this action,” which is an added bonus from this mission (Townhall). Ed Morrissey: This week, Biden all but demanded a halt in the IDF’s march on Hamas’ last significant Gaza stronghold (HotAir). Ben Shapiro: Biden warns Israel not to go into Rafah. The IDF promptly goes into Rafah and saves two hostages. The problem isn’t just that Biden is senile. It’s that he’s always been a fool (X). Maria Medvin: Israel performed a complex battle and rescue operation (X).

Chinese Nationals Among Largest Demographic of Illegal Immigrants

CBS: Last year, U.S. Customs and Border Protection recorded two-and-a-half million instances of detaining or turning away people attempting to cross into the United States from Mexico. So what’s the fastest growing group among them? Chinese migrants (CBS). New York Post: As an influx of immigration from around the world continues to surge, many are now crossing into the country through gaps in the border wall – and TikTok is reportedly helping them do it. “TikTok, TikTok,” a translator speaking for a 37-year-old female Chinese migrant relayed to “60 Minutes” after being asked about how they learned about the southern border gaps near California. Migrants have purportedly been using videos on the China-owned social media platform that provide ‘step-by-step instructions’ for how to find gaps in the border wall and hire smugglers (New York Post). Citizen Free Press: Chinese are using Tiktok to cross the U.S. Border. Step-by-step instructions for hiring smugglers and detailed directions to that hole we visited (X).

Karine Jean Pierre Does Not Make White House Physician Available To Answer Questions of Biden’s Mental Health

Katie Pavlich: Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday afternoon, Press Secretary Karine Jean Pierre would not commit to releasing the transcript of the interview President Joe Biden did with Special Counsel Robert Hur in October. Further, Jean Pierre would not commit to Biden taking a cognitive test as part of his annual physical. She also refused to make the White House physician available for questioning (Townhall). RNC Research: Karine Jean-Pierre won’t say if they will release the transcript of Biden’s interview with the special counsel: “I’m gonna refer you to the White House counsel” (X). Townhall: REPORTER: “When can we talk to the president’s doctor and how come he hasn’t been asked to come out here and talk to us given the Hur report?” KJP: “Special Counsel Hur is, as far as I remember, a Republican, a prosecutor. He’s not a medical doctor.” REPORTER: “Can we talk to his doctor then” (X)?

Number of LGBTQ-Identifying Students Triple in Four Years in California’s UC System

Fox News: The University of California system is seeing a staggering increase in the number of students who identify as either transgender or non-binary. The number of undergraduate students identifying as non-binary across UC system campuses rose by over 2,000 from 2019 to 2023. The San Francisco Chronicle noted that last year, the UC changed its data collection processes and consolidated the terms “non-binary,” “genderqueer” and “gender non-conforming” into a singular “non-binary category.” The percentage of students identifying as gender non-conforming, non-binary or transgender has also tripled over the last four years (.06% in 2019 to 1.9% in 2023). Most of the students fell under the non-binary category, while transgender men and women were identified as the smallest demographic in 2023, at .2% and .1%, respectively (Fox News). Townhall: Last month, a new poll from the Public Religion Research Institute found that a staggering amount of young people identify as LGBTQ+, compared to previous generations. On LGBTQ+ issues, 28 percent of Gen Z adults said they identify as LGBTQ+. This compares to 16 percent of millennials, 7 percent of Generation X, 4 percent of baby boomers and 4 percent of the Silent Generation (Townhall).

National Security Spokesman John Kirby To Expand Role Within White House

Reuters: John Kirby, President Joe Biden’s top national security spokesperson, is getting a promotion and an expanded role at the White House. Kirby, who in past years has served as the top spokesperson at both the Pentagon and the State Department, will have a new title – White House national security communications adviser – and will be elevated to an assistant to the president from deputy assistant. He will be in charge of communications coordination for national security across a variety of agencies, the official said. Kirby will preside over a separate team from the National Security Council’s press office. Kirby has been one of the most visible faces of the Biden White House, frequently joining the podium for briefings alongside press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre to brief on national security issues (Reuters). Akbar Shahid Ahmed: John Kirby is getting a promotion, “will run a separate team from the WH national security press team that will coordinate info across agencies.” The chatter in DC is he loves his expanded influence despite the significant public criticism he’s received (X).

VP Kamala Harris Says She Is Ready To Lead Country Amid Questions of President Biden’s Age

Hill: Vice President Harris said she’s ready for the presidency in an interview last week, amid concerns about President Biden’s age. “I am ready to serve. There’s no question about that,” Harris told the Wall Street Journal when asked about the challenge of convincing voters she’s up for the job. Those who see her work are “fully aware” of her “capacity to lead,” Harris said in the interview, just days before a special counsel report stoked renewed questions about Biden’s age and mental aptitude. Special counsel Robert Hur decided against bringing charges against the president over his mishandling of classified documents, but his report on the probe called Biden an “elderly man with a poor memory” (Hill). Wall Street Journal: In recent months, Harris has taken on greater and more public responsibilities. She has become the administration’s lead messenger on abortion rights, was put in charge of the White House’s new Office of Gun Violence Prevention and is playing a higher-profile role in the administration’s handling of the war in Gaza. Harris, who has joined Biden on calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and gave a forceful speech in Dubai on the conflict, has pushed the administration to articulate more empathy for Palestinians and to focus on a postconflict Gaza plan (Wall Street Journal).

Georgia Judge to Hold Hearing Into DA Fani Willis Regarding Her Misconduct

Fox News: A Georgia state judge on Monday confirmed that he will hold an evidentiary hearing on Thursday over allegations that embattled District Attorney Fani Willis engaged in an “improper” affair. Willis was accused of having an “improper” affair with special prosecutor Nathan Wade, whom she hired to help prosecute former President Donald Trump in a sweeping racketeering case related to the 2020 election. Those allegations were first made by Trump co-defendant Michael Roman, who is arguing that Willis’ alleged conduct should disqualify her and her team from the case. Willis, who admitted to a personal relationship with Wade but denied any conflict of interest, asked the court to cancel the evidentiary hearing slated for later this week (Fox News). ABC: Willis has argued there is “no factual basis” that “could reasonably justify requiring” her and a number of her employees to become witnesses in the case, and accused Roman of “an attempt to conduct discovery in a (rather belated) effort to support reckless accusations.” Trump has joined in on the effort to disqualify Willis and dismiss his charges, accusing the DA of violating her office’s ethics obligations with statements she made at a church in the wake of the allegations (ABC).

Biden Releases Video Complaining About Shrinkflation

Fox News: President Biden celebrated Super Bowl Sunday in what many saw as a bizarre and ironic video attacking snack companies for inflation. Though the president skipped out on the traditional pre-game interview, the White House’s X account posted a pre-recorded video of Biden talking about “Shrinkflation” (Fox News). President Biden: While you were Super Bowl shopping, did you notice smaller-than-usual products where the price stays the same? Folks are calling it Shrinkflation and it means companies are giving you less for every dollar you spend. I’m calling on the big consumer brands to put a stop to it (X). Larry O’Connor: More jump cuts than a 17-year-old YouTuber on eight cans of Celsius (X).

Polling Says Americans Say Biden Is Too Old To Serve Another Term in Office

Daily Caller: An overwhelming majority of Americans believe President Joe Biden is “too old” to serve another term following the release of a special counsel report that described him as a “well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory,” a Sunday poll found. Special counsel Robert Hur’s report declined to pursue criminal charges against Biden in the classified documents investigation, but detailed how interviewers questioned the president’s mental capacity. An ABC News/Ipsos survey found that 85% of Americans believe Biden is “too old” ahead of the 2024 election, compared to 62% who said the same of former President Donald Trump. Biden is already the oldest president in U.S. history, and would be 86-years-old by the end of a potential second term. While the former president is currently 77, only 3% of Americans viewed “only Trump” as “too old” for another term compared to 27% who said the same of Biden, according to the poll (Daily Caller). More people trust Trump over Biden to handle many other issues such as the economy, immigration and crime (Ipsos).

10.

President Biden’s Campaign Joins TikTok After Saying He Would Not

National Review: President Biden’s 2024 campaign joined TikTok last night, dropping its first video there, about the Super Bowl, during the game. TikTok is banned from U.S. federal government devices. FBI director Chris Wray has testified that it’s a Chinese government-controlled tool that “screams out with national security concerns.” Last March, Paul Nakasone told Congress that it’s a “loaded gun.” He was even more explicit during a subsequent conversation with Dartmouth College students last November: “TikTok is a loaded gun at our nation’s head,” he said, commenting on the high number of Americans who get their news from the app. Despite this, the president’s campaign just endorsed TikTok as one of the primary avenues through which it will get its political messaging through to Americans (National Review). NBC: Last year, sources told NBC News that the president’s 2024 campaign wouldn’t join TikTok after the Biden administration called it a national security threat. They said that they would instead rely on influencers and surrogates to maintain a presence promoting Biden on the platform (NBC). Reporter John Hasson: One year ago, Biden threatened to ban TikTok. But tonight, he created a TikTok account. Another victory for the CCP (X).