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Thursday, January 16, 2025

Israel, Hamas Reach Ceasefire Deal With Major Assist from Trump’s Team

CNBC: Israel and Hamas reached a deal Wednesday for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, a major breakthrough in their 15-month war. Speaking at the White House, President Joe Biden said the deal would be implemented in three phases, starting Sunday, Jan. 19. The first phase will include a full ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the populated areas of Gaza, said Biden. It will also feature the release by Hamas of many of the hostages taken during the Oct. 7 2023 attacks, especially the wounded, the elderly and women. Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners will be released in exchange for the hostages. Also during phase one, Palestinians will be permitted to return to their homes in Gaza. The return of civilians will be accompanied by a surge in humanitarian aid to Gaza. This initial phase is intended to last six weeks, time that negotiators will use to finalize what Biden called “a permanent end of the war.” In the event that negotiations require more than six weeks, however, the president said the temporary ceasefire will remain in place. Any remaining living hostages will be released during this second phase. Likewise, Israeli soldiers will withdraw from the remaining areas of Gaza during that time, and “the ceasefire will become permanent.” The final phase of the deal will involve the return by Hamas of the remains of any hostages who have been killed, as well as the implementation of a Gaza reconstruction plan (CNBC). Scott Jennings: Without Trump winning and being absolutely clear in his “hell to pay” rhetoric, there would be no hostage deal today between Israel & Hamas. Thank God we are getting our people back (X). Rep. Byron Donalds: Americans have been held hostage by Hamas terrorists in Gaza for 467 DAYS. Thank you Donald Trump, Steve Witkoff and the Trump National Security Team for making this deal a reality (X). There are plenty of voices on the right who know the precedent set here continues a pattern from Israel. Seth Leibsohn: these “exchanges” teach one lesson: Kill and take hostages and criminal terrorists will be released, it creates a market for more terrorism (X).

Trump’s AG Pick Pam Bondi Promises a DOJ That Goes “back to basics”

Washington Times: President-elect Donald Trump’s Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi on Wednesday said she wants to get “back to basics” of using the Department of Justice to go after hardened criminals, drug trafficking and terrorists. Ms. Bondi said during her confirmation hearing with the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Justice Department would target gangs and cartels, as well as crimes at the border and those carried out by foreign adversaries. “That is what the American people expect, and that is what they deserve from the Department of Justice,” Ms. Bondi said in her opening statement (Washington Times). Libs of TikTok: “I will do everything in my power, and it will be my great responsibility, to MAKE AMERICA SAFE AGAIN!” – Pam Bondi (X).

Pam Bondi Vows to Eliminate Weaponization of DOJ

Daily Caller: Attorney General nominee Pam Bondi said Wednesday that “partisan weaponization” of the DOJ would end under her leadership (Daily Caller). Benny Johnson: Pam Bondi just declared an IMMEDIATE end to the lawfare: “The partisanship, the weaponization will be gone. America will have one-tier of justice for all” (X). Mike Lee: Pam Bondi will stop the Department of Justice from targeting concerned parents and infiltrating churches (X). Eric Daugherty: Pam Bondi totally flips the script on Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D) who tried to make it seem like she will weaponize the DOJ. WHITEHOUSE: The DOJ cannot just start with a name, and then look for a crime. You must start with a crime and look for a name. PAM BONDI: Yes. That’s exactly what the DOJ did to Donald Trump, starting in 2016. That won’t be the case with me. I will not target people based on political affiliation (X).

Secretary of State Nominee Marco Rubio Reveals Foreign Policy Plan During Committee Hearing

National Review: Donald Trump’s secretary of state pick, senator Marco Rubio (R., Fla.), testified before his colleagues on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Wednesday about his plans to take on American adversaries including Iran, China, and Russia alongside the president-elect’s incoming national security team (National Review). Eric Daugherty: Secretary of State nominee Marco Rubio just issued a grave warning for America. Listen intently. He’s right, and we need to act. “If we stay on the road we are on right now – in less than 10 years, virtually everything that matters to us in life will depend on whether China allows us to have it or not” (X). Vivid: Trump’s Secretary of State Marco Rubio: “If you’re inside the U.S. and you’re a supporter of Hamas, we should remove your visa. You shouldn’t be able to stay if you are a supporter of Hamas” (X).

TikTok Mandates American Executive to Sign Pledge Supporting China’s “Socialist System”

This as we watch the Supreme Court on the TikTok case and Trump’s role in days soon to come. Daily Caller: TikTok required an American executive to sign an oath supporting China’s “socialist system” and “national interests,” according to documents related to an employment discrimination lawsuit obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation. Former TikTok marketing executive Katie Puris alleged she was forced to sign an agreement with the tech giant’s China-based sister company, Douyin, swearing not to divulge “state secrets,” disrupt “national honor” or undermine “ethnic unity,” according to documents obtained by the DCNF. In the spring of 2024, Puris accused her employer of gender and age-based discrimination in a lawsuit that also alleges TikTok’s day-to-day operations are controlled by ByteDance. The Supreme Court may rule this week on a lawsuit brought by TikTok challenging the constitutionality of legislation President Joe Biden signed into law that would force ByteDance to sell TikTok on Jan. 19, 2025 or face an outright ban in the U.S. (Daily Caller). President of Judicial Network Carrie Severino: TikTok’s parent, ByteDance, is headquartered in Beijing, where it is beholden to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). At least 138 of its employees, including the company’s chief editor, are members of a CCP committee embedded into ByteDance. Our Constitution doesn’t require us to allow a foreign adversary to spread propaganda to Americans (X).

Trump Responds to Tentative Hostage Release Deal Between Israel, Hamas

Townhall: Hamas has reportedly agreed to a partial hostage release deal with the Israeli government in exchange for thousands of convicted terrorists currently held in prison. As the deal unfolds, with details still being clarified, President-elect Donald Trump is signaling that while Hamas is getting some of what it wants now, their future isn’t a bright one (Townhall). Donald Trump: With this deal in place, my National Security team, through the efforts of Special Envoy to the Middle East, Steve Witkoff, will continue to work closely with Israel and our Allies to make sure Gaza NEVER again becomes a terrorist safe haven. We will continue promoting PEACE THROUGH STRENGTH throughout the region, as we build upon the momentum of this ceasefire to further expand the Historic Abraham Accords (Truth).

Stacey Abrams Slapped With Largest Fine by Ethics Commission for Campaign Finance Law Violations

Fox News: A pair of voting advocacy groups founded by failed Democrat Georgia gubernatorial candidate Stacey Abrams were hit with a historic fine by the Georgia Ethics Commission for violating campaign finance laws to bolster Abram’s 2018 election… Abrams founded the New Georgia Project in 2013 as part of an effort to register more minority voters and young voters. The organization was founded as a charity that can accept tax-deductible donations, while the New Georgia Project Action Fund worked as the organization’s fundraising arm. The groups admitted to failing to disclose about $4.2 million in contributions and $3.2 million in expenditures that were used during Abram’s election efforts in 2018, according to the commission’s consent order. The groups were hit with a total of 16 violations, including failing to register as a political committee and failure to disclose millions of dollars in political contributions (Fox News). Josh Kraushaar: NYT, breaking: “A nonprofit founded by Stacey Abrams, a Georgia Democrat, admitted on Wednesday that it had violated state law by concealing the fact that it had campaigned for her during her 2018 run for governor. At the time of that campaign, the group was led by Raphael Warnock, who was later elected to the Senate as a Democrat from Georgia” (X).

Heads of Teachers Union in Florida Indicted on Fraud, Conspiracy for Stealing $2 Million from Union Members

Daily Wire: Two teachers union heads in Florida have been indicted on fraud and conspiracy charges, accused of stealing more than $2 million from union members. The indictment against Terrie Brady, who was president of Duval Teachers United, and Ruby George, who was executive vice president, was unsealed on Monday. Brady, 69, and George, 81, could face decades in prison if convicted of the charges, which include conspiracy to commit wire fraud, eight counts of aiding and abetting wire fraud, and three counts of aiding and abetting mail fraud. The indictment accuses the two women of cheating the union out of more than $1.2 million each between 2013 and 2022, in part by claiming much more unused vacation time than they had. According to the indictment, they tag-teamed on signing each other’s union checks for fraudulent vacation time payments and additional bonus payments. Brady was also charged with two counts of money laundering for allegedly using nearly $44,000 of the money to pay personal American Express credit card debt (Daily Wire).

10.

Governor Patrick Morrisey (R-WV) Eliminates DEI Practices in State

Associated Press: Republican Gov. Patrick Morrisey issued a slew of aggressive executive orders on his first full day as West Virginia’s chief executive Tuesday, including one enabling families to receive religious exemptions from required school vaccinations — a massive departure for a state with one of the strictest vaccine policies in the nation. Another order called for the termination of all Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, or DEI, initiatives from state-run institutions, something Morrisey said he believes will protect West Virginians from racial and gender discrimination — especially “inappropriate” preferential treatment for certain groups over others (Associated Press). Washington Examiner: This follows companies the likes of Meta, Walmart, Lowe’s, Toyota, and Ford, among others, that rolled back their DEI practices. These companies will no longer make hiring and firing decisions based on race or any other identity while phasing out the phrase entirely (Washington Examiner).

11.

Senator Joni Ernst Successful in Selling Scarcely Used Government Building in First Victory for DOGE

National Review: Senator Joni Ernst (R., Iowa) quietly scored an early victory for those seeking to make the federal government more efficient under President-elect Donald Trump. Ernst secured a requirement in the Water Resources Development Act of 2024 to have the General Services Administration sell off the Wilbur J. Cohen federal building, a facility with just 2 percent occupancy in downtown Washington, D.C. Selling off hardly-used federal office space is one of Ernst’s main priorities for getting waste out of the federal government alongside President-elect Donald Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency. Billionaire businessmen Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy are leading DOGE and have already begun working with congressional lawmakers on ideas to fulfill its mandate. Ernst is chair of the Senate DOGE caucus and released a report in December detailing how 90 percent of federal employees telework, while only 6 percent work in-person full time. Her investigation found that the government spends $8 billion maintaining and leasing federal buildings, and another $7.7 billion on energy to keep them running (National Review).