Your First Look at Today's Top Stories
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Tuesday, February 18, 2025
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DOGE Reveals Social Security Fraud
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Just the News: Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) chief Elon Musk on Monday posted Social Security data revealing the existence of tens of millions of eligible recipients beyond the total population of the United Sates… The spreadsheet of data showed millions of recipients over the age of 120, including one between the ages of 360 and 369. In total, the data accounting for nearly 395 million people. The population of the U.S. is roughly 335 million people, meaning that about 60 million Social Security numbers were listed as eligible beyond the living population ( Just the News). Elon Musk: According to the Social Security database, these are the numbers of people in each age bucket with the death field set to FALSE ( X)!
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CBS News Host Margaret Brennan Claims Holocaust Was Caused by Free Speech
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Daily Wire: CBS News host Margaret Brennan faced intense backlash on Sunday after she claimed during an interview with Secretary of State Marco Rubio that “free speech was weaponized” to cause the Holocaust. Brennan made the comment during an interview on “Face the Nation” while talking about Vice President JD Vance’s speech to European leaders last week in which he called them out for abandoning values like free speech ( Daily Wire). Reporter Scott Morefield: Secretary of State Marco Rubio defends JD Vance’s “historic” speech last week in Munich, leaves ABC’s Margaret Brennan speechless after she tries to claim that free speech was “weaponized” by the Nazis. Incredible exchange ( X). Will Cain: This is being shared everywhere, and it should be, because it’s historically illiterate, antagonistic to a fundamental value, and done so condescendingly from a highly paid “news” desk. CBS Margaret Brennan blames free speech for the Holocaust ( X).
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German Police Raid, Seize Technology of Citizen Who Posted a Meme Online
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CBS: In the United States, most of what anyone says, sends, or streams online — even if it’s hate-filled or toxic — is protected by the First Amendment as free speech. But Germany is trying to bring some civility to the world wide web by policing it in a way most Americans could never imagine. In an effort, it says, to protect discourse, German authorities have started prosecuting online trolls. And as we saw, it often begins with a pre-dawn wake-up call from the police. It’s 6:01 on a Tuesday morning, and we were with state police as they raided this apartment in northwest Germany. Inside, six armed officers searched a suspect’s home, then seized his laptop and cellphone. Prosecutors say those electronics may have been used to commit a crime. The crime? Posting a racist cartoon online. At the exact same time, across Germany, more than 50 similar raids played out. Part of what prosecutors say is a coordinated effort to curb online hate speech in Germany ( CBS). End Wokeness: CBS just aired this footage they took of German police raiding a home and seizing electronics over a meme ( X).
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German Prosecutors Explain Anti-Free Speech Laws: “… free speech has its limits”
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Times of India: Dr Matthäus Fink, one of the state prosecutors responsible for overseeing Germany’s online hate speech laws, explained the approach taken by authorities. “People are surprised this is illegal,” he said. “They say it’s free speech, but we tell them free speech has its limits.” The laws prohibit not just direct threats but also offensive remarks reposting controversial content, and even liking certain posts ( Times of India). Collin Rugg: NEW: 60 Minutes joins German police as they raid a man’s home for sharing a “racist” cartoon online. JD Vance was 100% right about Germany and the buffoons in the media acted like he was crazy. 60 Minutes: “Is it a crime to insult people online?” German prosectors: “Yes.” 60 Minutes: “Is someone committing a crime if they repost a lie?” German prosecutors: “Yes” ( X). JD Vance: Insulting someone is not a crime, and criminalizing speech is going to put real strain on European-US relationships. This is Orwellian, and everyone in Europe and the US must reject this lunacy ( X).
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Trump Angers China by Supporting An Independent Taiwan
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Fox News: President Donald Trump’s State Department angered Chinese officials last week after deleting a key phrase declaring U.S. opposition to Taiwan’s independence. The State Department’s fact sheet on U.S. relations with Taiwan had previously stated “we do not support Taiwan independence,” but the phrase was removed on Thursday and continues to be absent. Chinese officials called on the U.S. to “immediately correct this mistake,” on Sunday, arguing it “sends a wrong signal to the Taiwan independence forces.” The State Department noted in a statement to NBC News that the U.S. stance on Taiwanese independence has not changed. “The United States is committed to preserving peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait,” a spokesperson told the outlet Sunday ( Fox News). National Review: Taiwan never formally declared independence from China after the two split in 1949 during the civil war between the communists and nationalists. The latter group fled to Taiwan where a democratic government was eventually established. Tensions between China and Taiwan have risen in recent years, demonstrated by an increasing number of Chinese fighter jets and vessels circling the island. In 2022, the Biden-era State Department also removed the phrase signaling U.S. opposition to Taiwan’s independence but restored the language a month later following pushback from China ( National Review).
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ABC Reports Trump’s Favorability Rating Higher Than Any Point During First Term
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Mediaite: ABC’s Jonathan Karl confronted House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries Sunday morning with polling showing a strong majority of Americans agree with President Donald Trump on some key issues. Karl provided numbers showing Trump has more support now than at any point during either of his terms and asked the Democratic leader if there was any issue he agreed with Trump on… Jeffries initially deflected and noted Trump vowed to lower prices for groceries on day one – which has not happened – but eventually told Karl he agreed that the country’s borders needed to be secured ( Mediaite). Libs of TikTok: ABC’s Jon Karl: Trump’s favorability is now HIGHER than it ever was in his first term. 63% want the government to recognize only two sexes. 60% support deporting illegal aliens. 60% favor expanding oil & gas production ( Mediaite).
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DOGE Slashes Over $300 Million From Department of Education
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Fox News: In just 48 hours, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) slashed a whopping $370 million in taxpayer dollars being spent on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) at the Department of Education. DOGE, the newly formed department led by Elon Musk to purge spending by the federal government, revealed in a post on X that they terminated 70 DEI training grants within the department. According to DOGE, the grants totaled $373 million. One grant was reportedly funding training for teachers to “engage in ongoing learning and self-reflection to confront their own biases and racism, and develop asset-based anti-racist mindsets” ( Fox News). Chris Rufo: The Department of Education has canceled $600 million in “teacher training grants,” which do little more than promote left-wing race and gender ideologies. It’s time to shut it all down ( X).
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Delta Airplane Crashes While Landing in Toronto, Canada; Only Eight Injuries
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ABC: A Delta flight crashed while landing at Toronto Pearson International Airport on Monday and the plane was seen upside-down on the snow-covered ground. Eight people are injured, according to Peel Regional Police, whose jurisdiction includes the airport. One person was listed as “critical with non-life-threatening injuries” and seven people suffered moderate to mild injuries, police said ( ABC). DC Draino: Only 8 people reported injured thus far in this Delta plane crash in Canada. We call that a miracle ( X).
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Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK): “Putin knows the one person that can truly change the war is the United States”
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Daily Wire: Sen. Markwayne Mullin (R-OK) said over the weekend that President Donald Trump was ready to start increasing pressure on Russian President Vladimir Putin to force him to end his war in Ukraine. Mullin made the remarks during a Sunday interview with ABC News’ “This Week” with Jonathan Karl when asked about an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal that said Trump was the one who “wants a deal more,” implying that he was not arguing from a position of strength. “Is President Trump poised to actually really turn the screws on Putin?” Karl asked. “Absolutely because Putin knows the one person that can truly change the war is the United States,” Mullin responded ( Daily Wire). This Week: GOP Sen. Markwayne Mullin says Pres. Trump has the capability to apply pressure to Russian Pres. Vladimir Putin to negotiate a deal to end the war in Ukraine. “President Trump wrote ‘The Art of the Deal.’ He knows how to negotiate” ( X).
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MSNBC Guest Suggests Canceling Presidents Day Holiday
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MRCTV: Add President’s Day to the chopping block of holidays to be canceled by the Left. But then again, what’s a holiday without miserable MSNBC types lecturing us that we’re bad for celebrating it? Leave it to Lindsay Chervinsky, the executive director of George Washington Presidential Library, of all places to call the holiday “silly” in an interview with the network. “We’ve had some real duds so I’m not sure we really want to be celebrating ALL presidents,” she reasoned. By that, you can already tell Chervinsky and MSNBC mean President Donald Trump ( MRCTV). Libs of TikTok: Democrats now want to cancel Presidents Day ( X)!
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