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Thursday, February 6, 2025

Trump Protects Integrity of Women’s Sports

Townhall: This afternoon, Trump signed an executive order prohibiting male athletes from competing in women’s sports. This includes prohibiting men who think they’re women from using women’s locker rooms and other facilities. The order, titled “No Men in Women’s Sports,” mandates that Title IX be interpreted as prohibiting the participation of transgender girls and women in female sports. This is a far cry from the Biden administration’s approach to Title IX (Townhall). End Wokeness: Before you ask, yes. This is exactly what we voted for. No more men in women’s sports (X).

This is What USAID Spent U.S. Taxpayer Money to Fund

Townhall: USAID, the country’s chief international aid agency, enjoys an annual budget of over $40 billion in appropriations—much of it splurged on a host of far-left foreign causes that run counter to Trump’s America First agenda. “They’re not a global charity,” Rubio said of USAID’s spending spree. “These are taxpayer dollars. People are asking simple questions. What are they doing with the money?” Here are some of the most horrific projects, outrageous initiatives, and biggest boondoggles USAID has financed. Until Trump’s funding freeze, USAID was actively paying for “sex-change” procedures in Guatemala. USAID poured $2 million into Asociación Lambda, a Guatemalan LGBTQ+ activist organization, to “strengthen trans-led” activism and provide “gender-affirming health care,” grant records show. Launched in April 2024, the five-year program was slated to span through the spring of 2027…According to federal funding records, almost $45 million in USAID funds were slated to provide emergency food assistance and economic support for Venezuelan migrants in Colombia through the United Nations World Food Program… In March 2023, USAID set aside up to $1 million to help disabled people in Tajikistan become “climate leaders…” In fiscal year 2023, using U.S. “family planning funds,” USAID spent massive sums of money on contraception and condoms abroad, shipping about $60.8 million worth across the globe, mainly to Africa (89 percent)… Courtesy of USAID, 38,000 meals went to al Qaeda-affiliated fighters in Syria. Mahmoud Al Hafyan, who ran an NGO regional office in Syria, skimmed as much as $10 million worth of meals, which we were supposed to go to Syrian civil war refugees, the USAID’s inspector general’s office charged…USAID has sent more than $2.1 billion in “humanitarian assistance” to Gaza since October 7, 2023 (Townhall).

White House Addresses List of Bizarre Government Priorities

Daily Wire: In the midst of swirling controversy over a potential U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) shutdown, White House spokesperson Karoline Leavitt exposed some of the agency’s “insane priorities,” ranging from $1.5 million to advance DEI in Serbia, $70,000 for a DEI musical in Ireland, $47,000 for a “transgender opera” in Colombia, and $32,000 for a “transgender comic book” in Peru. It’s clearly time for a reckoning. Putting an end to this kind of egregious waste of American taxpayer funds would not only benefit America, it also would be a tremendous boon for the recipient countries that have long suffered ideological coercion under the guise of U.S. foreign assistance (Daily Wire). Charlie Kirk: Karoline Leavitt just wrapped up her White House press conference with another shocking list of absurdities USAID has been funding: $2 million for sex changes in Guatemala, $6 million to fund tourism in Egypt, $20 million on a new Sesame Street show in Iraq, $4.5 million to combat disinformation in Kazakhstan (X). Townhall: Karoline Leavitt closes out Wednesday’s White House press briefing with a MIC DROP: “Democrats are outraged that the American people want their taxpayer dollars going to good uses, not stuff like this, but then they’re very quiet about the fact that there are still North Carolinians and people in California who have lost everything and in the last four years the federal government did nothing to help them” (X). This does not even cover everything.

Biden Administration Funded Politico to Run Anti-Trump

Bill Ackman: It is shocking but perhaps not surprising that the Biden/Harris administration used USAID, the agency whose purpose is to administer the funding of international aid, to fund a left wing media organization that attacked the administration’s opponents. If this is not prima facie corruption, what is it (X)? Liz Wheeler: The Politico scandal is worse than you think. It’s not $8M that Politico received from USAID. It’s $34.3M that Politico has received from various swampy federal govt agencies. Politico is, without a doubt, a totally corrupt propaganda arm of the swamp (X). Jack Posobiec: Remember when Politico leaked the Dobbs decision and conservative Supreme Court justices were almost assassinated? Turns out that was govt-funded (X). Benny Johson: This is the biggest scandal in news media history: No employee at Politico got paid yesterday. First time ever the company missed a pay period. This is a crisis. Now we learn Politico — a “news company” — which spent the last 10 years trying to destroy the MAGA Movement was being massively funded by USAID (X). Kyle Becker: It’s not just Politico. The Associated Press has been raking in millions of dollars in government money for years. The AP’s bias also makes perfect sense (X).

White House to Cut Taxpayer Funding of Politico

Daily Wire: As The Trump administration continues cutting waste from the federal government, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced that the left-wing media outlet Politico will no longer receive millions of dollars from the federal government that she said was “essentially subsidizing subscriptions” (Daily Wire). Commentator Liz Churchill: Press Secretary Leavitt calls out Politico to their face. “I was made aware of funding from USAID to Media Outlets…including Politico…who I know has a seat in this room. The $8M you receive ends today. The DOGE Team is cancelling those payments now” (X). Hugh Hewitt: I don’t know how to even begin to express my shock at the exposure of the amount of government money that went to POLITICO. Many alums of the left-wing bulletin of talking points from the DNC who have defended it all these years may want to put out a statement as to why it was acceptable for the website to accept the money and an explanation on how that could possibly not have impacted coverage… Politico was hooked on the federal money. Between $5 and $30 million to a Beltway newsletter is a scandal (X).

Pam Bondi Halts Funding to Sanctuary Cities

Independent: Hours after she was sworn in, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the Justice Department to pause all federal funding for sanctuary cities. Among several directives issued Wednesday, Bondi charged the DOJ with identifying and evaluating funding agreements with nongovernmental organizations that provide support to undocumented immigrants. She also tasked the department with investigating instances of sanctuary jurisdictions obstructing law enforcement and “directing they be prosecuted, when necessary.” Several offices within the Justice Department provided $1.56 billion in grants to sanctuary cities in 2023 (Independent). New York Post: The memo orders an immediate 60-day pause on distribution of funds — with a report on further steps due to Bondi’s desk within 45 days. Bondi’s order also says the DOJ “shall not enter into any new contract, grant, or other agreement to provide Federal funding to non-governmental organizations that support or provide services, either directly or indirectly (e.g., through sub-contracting or other arrangements), to removable or illegal aliens” (New York Post).

ICE Arrests Over 100 Violent Venezuelan Gang Members in Aurora, Colorado

ABC: U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement targeted for arrest more than 100 alleged members of the Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua during an early morning raid at an apartment complex in Aurora, Colorado, on Wednesday. Dozens of federal agents were seen going door to door and speaking to residents in their apartments. ICE was supported by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Customs and Border Protection and the FBI, the agency said (ABC). ICE: 100 members of the violent Venezuelan gang Tren de Aragua were targeted for arrest and detention in Aurora, Colo., today by ICE and its partners FBI, DEA, CBP, ATF, & US Marshals in an ongoing investigation (X).

Donald Trump Offers Buyout to Entire Workforce of CIA

Wall Street Journal: The Central Intelligence Agency offered buyouts to its entire workforce Tuesday, in what officials said is a bid to bring the agency in line with President Trump’s priorities, including targeting drug cartels. The CIA appeared to be the first intelligence agency to tell its employees that they can quit their jobs and receive about eight months of pay and benefits as part of Trump’s push to downsize the federal government. The offer last month made to most civilian federal agencies exempted some categories of federal workers, including those with national security roles. The agency is also freezing the hiring of job seekers already given a conditional offer (Wall Street Journal). Fox News: The Office of Personnel Management, which operates as the federal government’s human resources department, notified roughly 2 million federal employees on Jan. 28 that they would be required to work out of their respective offices five days a week, or they could leave their roles through the equivalent of a buyout offer. The deadline to accept the offer is Feb. 6 (Fox News).

CBS Releases Full, Unedited 60 Minutes Interview with Kamala Harris

Washington Post: CBS on Wednesday took the unusual step of releasing internal video footage and transcripts of a “60 Minutes” interview conducted with then-Vice President Kamala Harris in October. The behind-the-scenes materials are of interest in a Federal Communications Commission review of a complaint filed in the fall by the Center for American Rights, a conservative legal organization, which had accused the network of news distortion by airing two different portions of a response Harris gave to a question about U.S. policy toward Israel. The segment is also at the center of a lawsuit filed against CBS by President Donald Trump (Washington Post). Maga Voice: FCC just released the unedited 60 Minutes Election interview with Kamala Harris. This comes after President Trump sued CBS for “deceptively doctoring” it to help Harris win (X). New York Post: Trump-appointed FCC chair Brendan Carr got the full the transcript and video on Monday after a tug-of-war with the Tiffany Network, which has defended the editing as a standard practice for “time, space or clarity.” But a CBS source told The Post on Wednesday that the “60 Minutes” edit did Harris “a lot of favors and makes her seem more succinct” (New York Post).

10.

AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act Advances to Full Senate

Inside Radio: Just days after the reintroduction of a bill that would require carmakers to include AM radio in passenger vehicles, the bill cleared its first hurdle in Congress on Wednesday. The Senate Commerce Committee advanced the proposed AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act to the full Senate for passage. That mirrors the bill’s progress during the previous session of Congress… The Senate version has been co-sponsored by 29 Republicans, 14 Democrats, and two independents. Committee Chair Ted Cruz (R-TX) is among them, and he told his fellow lawmakers that the proposal would benefit Americans who depend on AM radio and public airwaves for access to news, music, talk, and emergency alerts… Similar to the previous bill, the latest proposal (S. 315) requires the Secretary of Transportation to issue a rule requiring access to AM broadcast stations in motor vehicles. If they don’t, carmakers could be fined. Before the effective date of the rule, manufacturers who do not include AM would be required to put a warning label on vehicles. And carmakers would be prohibited from charging extra for AM (Inside Radio). FCC: Chairman Carr applauds Senate Commerce passage of AM Radio for Every Vehicle Act – legislation ensures that consumers can maintain access to AM radio in new vehicles sold in the U.S. (X).

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