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Friday, January 17, 2025

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis Announced AG Ashley Moody to Replace Senator Marco Rubio’s Vacant Seat

Townhall: Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis has announced his pick to replace Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) in the Senate. DeSantis announced on Thursday that he has chosen Florida attorney general Ashley Moody to represent the Sunshine State. When announcing Moody’s selection, Gov. DeSantis said he wanted “somebody that’s going to work with President Trump to deliver on the mandate he earned from the American people,” and will “lean in against the excessive spending and cut spending and stop the inflation” (Townhall). Christina Pushaw: Governor DeSantis just announced that Florida’s next U.S. Senator will be our great Attorney General, fifth-generation Floridian, happy warrior against illegal immigration, drug dealers and trafficking, steadfast supporter of law enforcement… ASHLEY MOODY (X).

Senior Hamas Leader Praises October 7 Massacre Stating it Will “remain a source of pride”

Jewish News Syndicate: Senior Hamas official Khalil al-Hayya repeated the terrorist organization’s commitment to the destruction of Israel in his first public remarks since green-lighting the truce deal with the Jewish state on Wednesday night. According to al-Hayya, the terrorist group during negotiations succeeded in thwarting Israel’s “declared and hidden goals…” Al-Hayya described the Oct. 7, 2023, massacre of 1,200 people in Israel as a “miraculous” achievement, declaring the atrocities would “remain a source of pride” for Palestinians, “passed down through generations.” Hamas terrorists “will expel the occupation from our land and from Al Quds [Jerusalem] at the earliest time possible,” al-Hayya promised, adding: “Our enemy will never see a moment of weakness from us” (Jewish News Syndicate). Daily Wire: Al-Hayya somehow twisted the destruction of Hamas by Israel as a victory, boasting, “Praise be to Allah, who fulfilled His promise, granted victory to His servant, strengthened His forces, and alone defeated the confederates” (Daily Wire).

Nancy Mace’s Bill Passes Allowing Illegal Immigrants to Be Deported for Committing Domestic Violence or Sex Crimes

Hill: Rep. Nancy Mace’s (R-S.C.) bill entitled the “Preventing Violence Against Women by Illegal Aliens Act” passed in a 274 to 145 vote on Thursday with over a quarter of Democrats voting in support. The new legislation seeks to deem illegal immigrants who have committed sex offenses or domestic violence as “inadmissible” and “deportable.” Sixty-one Democrats supported the bill (Hill). Greg Price: The House just passed a bill to declare that illegal aliens who commit sex crimes or domestic violence are inadmissible and deportable. 145 Democrats voted against it (X). Elon Musk: Unconscionable that 145 elected representatives voted AGAINST deporting illegal migrant rapists (X)!

FBI Closed DEI Offices in December to Prepare for Trump’s Second Term

Just the News: The FBI on Thursday confirmed that it had closed down its Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion offices last month, as the bureau prepares for President-elect Donald Trump’s return to the White House… The bureau’s closure of the office comes as conservatives pressure the federal government and businesses to end their DEI practices, in the wake of the Supreme Court’s ruling on affirmative action in colleges (Just the News). Charlie Kirk: President Trump and Kash Patel are already putting up wins before taking power (X).

Biden Exits Office With Lowest Approval Rating

Fox News: President Biden leaves office with negative job and personal ratings, as voters continue to give the economy bad marks — and say the White House failed to make improvements. A new Fox News survey shows almost twice as many think the Biden administration has made the economy worse rather than better, 52% vs. 28%. Plus, nearly all voters, 89%, say they are either extremely or very concerned about inflation — up from 83% early in his term (2021) (Fox News). Paul Szypula: Joe Biden is leaving office with his approval rating his lowest. Barely 1 in 3 Americans think he did a good job. Biden has been the worst US president ever (X).

Sweden Looks to Change Citizenship Laws to Protect Their Homeland

Sounds like a pretty good policy. Townhall: Sweden is preparing to change its constitution to be able to revoke the passports of individuals who obtained citizenship by fraudulent means or are a threat to the state. Currently, Sweden’s constitution does not allow for citizenships to be revoked. People with dual nationality who received Swedish citizenship by providing false information, bribery, or threats could be stripped of their passports. Additionally, people convicted of crimes like espionage or treason would lose their passports, as well…Reportedly, about 20 percent of Sweden’s citizens were born in a different country (Townhall). BBC: Migration Minister Johan Forssell said that last year police reported 600 cases of people applying who were considered a threat to national security. From June 2026, anyone seeking a Swedish passport will generally have to have lived in the country for eight years instead of five at the moment. Tests on Swedish language and society would also be included (BBC).

Congressional Progressive Staff Association Proposes a 32-Hour Workweek

Politico: As the second Donald Trump presidential term dawns, some progressive Capitol Hill staffers are floating a bold new proposal: working less. The Congressional Progressive Staff Association proposed establishing a rotating 32-hour workweek on the Hill in a letter to top House and Senate leaders Thursday, saying reduced hours could “improve worker satisfaction, increase staff retention in Congress, and model a more sustainable approach to work on a national level.” Under the proposal, congressional staffers would still work long hours when their boss is around. But when Congress is in session, district office staffers would be entitled to an abbreviated, 20-percent-lighter schedule, and when it is not, D.C.-based staff would have a lighter week…It’s an idea that’s gained some traction on the left, with Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introducing legislation to implement a 32-hour workweek nationally (Politico). Hill: The association noted that some members may be interested in the shorter workweek but may be hesitant. The letter suggested a 6-month trial, where members could test how well their staff works under the new model (Hill). Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY): Why not be bold and ask for a 0-hour workweek? I wonder how blue-collar Americans would feel about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour workweek (X).

30-Year Mortgage Rates Rise to Seven Percent

ABC: The average rate on a 30-year mortgage in the U.S. ticked up this week to slightly above 7%, the highest level in eight months. The rate rose to 7.04% from 6.93% last week, mortgage buyer Freddie Mac said Thursday. A year ago, it averaged 6.6%. It has risen for five straight weeks. Borrowing costs on 15-year fixed-rate mortgages, popular with homeowners seeking to refinance their home loan to a lower rate, also rose this week. The average rate increased to 6.27% from 6.14% last week. A year ago, it averaged 5.76%, Freddie Mac said. The uptick in the cost of home loans reflects a rise in the bond yields that lenders use as a guide to price mortgages, specifically the yield on the U.S. 10-year Treasury. The yield on the 10-year Treasury has climbed from 3.62% in mid-September to 4.61% as of midday Thursday. The elevated mortgage rates, which can add hundreds of dollars a month in costs for borrowers, have discouraged home shoppers, prolonging a national home sales slump that began in 2022 (ABC). This news does not stop outlets like NPR from trying to spin the story. NPR: And the economy is strong. That means the Fed can afford to wait longer to cut interest rates, especially since a stronger economy can also contribute to higher inflation. It’s also worth remembering that although 7% may feel high given that mortgage rates had dropped to as low as 2.65% in early 2021, they are not high historically speaking (NPR).

Trump’s Treasury Pick Reverses Bernie Sanders’ Oligarchs Question Against Him

Daily Caller: Treasury secretary nominee Scott Bessent turned the tables on independent Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders at his Thursday confirmation hearing by pointing out that President Joe Biden awarded “oligarchs” with the highest honor. Sanders cited President Joe Biden’s statement made in his Wednesday farewell address that “an oligarchy is taking shape in America of extreme wealth, power and influence,” and questioned the nominee on whether he agrees that tech moguls Elon Musk, Mark Zuckerberg and Jeff Bezos have overarching influence on the country. Bessent cited that Biden recently awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Democratic mega donor George Soros and The Carlyle Group co-chairman David Rubenstein, who he referred to as the president’s “oligarchs” (Daily Caller). KanekoatheGreat: BERNIE SANDERS: “Are Elon Musk, Jeff Bezos, and Mark Zuckerberg too wealthy and powerful? Do you agree with President Biden about an oligarchy?”… BESSENT: “Well, I would note that President Biden gave the Presidential Medal of Freedom to two people who I think would qualify for his oligarchs” (X).

10.

Washington Post Attempts to Rebrand After Major Disfunction in Newsroom

Daily Wire: The Washington Post is attempting a rebrand as President-elect Donald Trump prepares to take office again on Monday, as evidenced by the revelation of a new mission statement that was first reported early Thursday morning. The new mission, which comes as the newsroom is still in disarray after the paper’s refusal to endorse a 2024 presidential candidate — or, perhaps more accurately, the paper’s refusal to endorse Vice President Kamala Harris in the 2024 presidential race — prompted a number of high profile exits… The old mission statement — “Democracy dies in darkness” — was adopted as Trump took office the first time, as the Times noted, and was meant to be a reminder of the outlet’s role in holding the government accountable. The new mission statement takes a broader approach — and suggests that the outlet intends to prioritize reaching all Americans: “Riveting Storytelling for All of America” (Daily Wire). Hill: The Post lost more than 200,000 subscribers last fall after Bezos killed a staff editorial endorsing Vice President Harris ahead of the presidential election, sparking accusations of capitulation to Trump. A source familiar with news organization’s subscription rates said the outlet had won back 20 percent of the subscriptions lost post-endorsement (Hill).