Your First Look at Today's Top Stories - Daybreak Insider

Having trouble viewing this email? View the web version.

Sponsored By

Thursday, June 30, 2022

Subscribe for free to the Daybreak Insider Podcast, and hear the latest reporting and analysis on these stories and more every weekday morning. Click here to subscribe.

Don't miss The Daybreak Daily — scroll to the bottom of these top news stories

Finland and Sweden Officially Invited to Join NATO, Need Unanimous Vote from Current Members

NBC: NATO has now officially invited Finland and Sweden to join the alliance, a sign of just how dramatically the Kremlin’s war has upended the previous military landscape in Europe. Earlier in the day, at the start of a summit in Madrid, President Joe Biden announced an increased U.S. military presence in Europe headlined by the first permanent American forces on NATO’s eastern flank and more rotating troops in the Baltic states. The Western alliance also called Russia its “most significant and direct threat” in a joint statement, a notable shift from its description of Moscow as a “strategic partner” a decade ago (NBC). Insider: Two countries need the unanimous support of all of NATO’s current members to be able to join the alliance. Sweden and Finland moved away from decades of neutrality to pursue NATO membership after Russia invaded Ukraine. They both first applied to join in May. The possible growth and apparent strengthening of NATO is the opposite of what Putin wanted. He has tried to justify his invasion of Ukraine by arguing that he was reacting to the possibility of NATO expanding eastwards, but instead he has prompted attempts at such an expansion (Insider).

Justice Breyer to Retire Thursday, Will Be Replaced by Ketanji Brown Jackson

ABC: Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, the most senior member of the U.S. Supreme Court’s liberal wing, said he will officially step down from the bench at noon on Thursday, relinquishing his duties as a justice and clearing the way for the swearing-in of the nation’s first Black female justice, Ketanji Brown Jackson. “It has been my great honor to participate as a judge in the effort to maintain our Constitution and the Rule of Law,” Breyer wrote in a letter to President Joe Biden dated Wednesday. Breyer’s retirement fulfills the wish of Democrats who lobbied for his exit to make way for Biden’s first nominee to the court (ABC). Fox News: Breyer joined the Supreme Court after his nomination from President Bill Clinton, making him the second-longest serving active justice prior to his retirement, behind Justice Clarence Thomas, who joined in 1991 (Fox News).

President Biden Sends 20,000 Additional Troops to Europe to Counter Russian Aggression

Hill: President Biden on Wednesday announced plans to bolster U.S. forces in Europe amid a persistent threat from Russia, saying the moves would help NATO fend off threats “from all directions, across every domain.” Specifically, the president announced plans to permanently headquarter U.S. Army V Corps in Poland, add a rotational brigade in Europe stationed in Romania and increase rotational deployments to the Baltic states — moves that will bolster forces on NATO’s eastern flank. Biden also said that the U.S. would send two more F-35 squadrons to the United Kingdom and add air defense and other capabilities in Germany and Italy. The president also highlighted plans to send two additional Navy destroyers to Spain, an announcement he made the day prior (Hill). Daily Wire: The move comes four months after the Russian invasion of Ukraine and occurs despite a 1997 agreement with Russia stating that the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) would avoid the “additional permanent stationing of substantial combat forces” in the “current and foreseeable security environment” (Daily Wire).

President Biden Hits New Low in Approval

Daily Wire: On Wednesday, President Biden plunged to his all-time low in the RealClearPolitics average, sinking below 38% for the first time in his presidency. Biden’s plunge to his lowest point yet came five days after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which Democrats have hoped would catalyze a resurgence of support for Democrats (Daily Wire). Phil Kerpen: Another day, another fresh all-time low for Biden job approval on RCP, under 38 for the first time (Twitter). New York Post: A Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week found Biden with just 36% approval overall, with 34% of people rating the economy as their top concern, followed by 10% saying crime and 6% each citing immigration, the environment and inequality. A Politico/Morning Consult poll also released last week found Biden with a 42% approval rating, but with a lower 32% approval rating for his handling of the economy (New York Post).

California AG Release of Information on Firearm Owners Results in Breach of Private Personal Data

Wall Street Journal: California Attorney General Rob Bonta released a trove of data on firearms in America’s most populous state to the public Monday in what he said was an effort to improve transparency on the fraught topic. The next day, the Democrat’s office took down the online dashboard after discovering it had resulted in a data breach in which the personal information of the state’s concealed-carry weapon permit holders was also shared. Among the information that could be downloaded were the names, ages, and addresses of gun permit holders, the attorney general’s office said in a statement Tuesday. It didn’t disclose how many people may have been affected. Gun rights advocates quickly criticized the breach and said it put legal owners of firearms in danger. “The attorney general has put the lives of judges, prosecutors, domestic violence victims and everyday citizens at risk by releasing this sensitive confidential information that gives criminals a map to their homes,” Chuck Michel, president of the California Rifle & Pistol Association advocacy group, said (Wall Street Journal). Reload: The Reload reviewed a copy of the Los Angeles County database and found 244 judge permits listed in the database. The files included the home addresses, full names, and dates of birth for all of them. The same was true for seven custodial officers, 63 people with a place of employment permit, and 420 reserve officers. 2,891 people in Los Angeles County with standard licenses also had their information compromised by the leak, though the database appears to include some duplicate entries as well (Reload).

85 Percent of Americans Believe Country is Headed in Wrong Way

Washington Post: An overwhelming and growing majority of Americans say the U.S. is heading in the wrong direction, including nearly 8 in 10 Democrats, according to a new poll that finds deep pessimism about the economy plaguing President Joe Biden. Eighty-five percent of U.S. adults say the country is on the wrong track, and 79% describe the economy as poor, according to a new survey from The Associated Press. The findings suggest Biden faces fundamental challenges as he tries to motivate voters to cast ballots for Democrats in November’s midterm elections. Inflation has consistently eclipsed the healthy 3.6% unemployment rate as a focal point for Americans, who are dealing with high gasoline and food prices. Even among Democrats, 67% call economic conditions poor (Washington Post). Associated Press: In an interview this month with the AP, Biden traced the decline in his popularity to increases in gas prices that began a year ago. He said that prices shot up further with Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February. But he rejected claims by Republican lawmakers and some major economists that his $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package from last year contributed to inflation, noting that price increases were a global phenomenon (Associated Press).

Democrats Propose “Transgender Bill of Rights”

Hill: A group of House Democrats on Tuesday announced they would move to codify federal protections for transgender people. The proposal, dubbed the “Transgender Bill of Rights,” would codify the Supreme Court’s 2020 Bostock v. Clayton County decision that protects employees against discrimination for being gay or transgender. The proposal would amend the Civil Rights Act of 1964 to explicitly include protections for gender identity and sex characteristics, expand access to gender-affirming care and ban conversion therapy. It would also require the attorney general to designate a liaison dedicated to overseeing enforcement of civil rights for transgender people and invest in community services to prevent anti-transgender violence (Hill). Daily Wire: The measure comes after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, which Democrats described as a move that stripped “many of their constitutional right to choose,” warning that the “Court seems poised and willing to take on other hard-earned constitutional rights.” At least 18 states have passed legislation that bans biological males from women’s sports. Many other states have passed legislation banning transgender surgeries for minors or biological males from women’s restrooms — in a statement accompanying the “Trans Bill of Rights,” Takano claimed GOP lawmakers introduced over 300 “anti-LGBTQ bills” (Daily Wire).

FCC Commissioner Asks Tech Companies to Remove TikTok From App Stores

CNBC: A leader of the U.S. Federal Communications Commission said he has asked Apple and Google to remove TikTok from their app stores over China-related data security concerns. The wildly popular short video app is owned by Chinese company ByteDance, which faced U.S. scrutiny under President Donald Trump. Brendan Carr, one of the FCC’s commissioners, shared via Twitter a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook and Alphabet CEO Sundar Pichai. The letter pointed to reports and other developments that made TikTok non-compliant with the two companies’ app store policies. “TikTok is not what it appears to be on the surface. It is not just an app for sharing funny videos or meme. That’s the sheep’s clothing,” he said in the letter. “At its core, TikTok functions as a sophisticated surveillance tool that harvests extensive amounts of personal and sensitive data” (CNBC). Brendan Carr: TikTok is not just another video app. That’s the sheep’s clothing. It harvests swaths of sensitive data that new reports show are being accessed in Beijing. I’ve called on @Apple & @Google to remove TikTok from their app stores for its pattern of surreptitious data practices (Twitter). Fox News: Though it’s already well known that TikTok collects vast troves of sensitive data from its U.S. users, Carr pointed to a new report by BuzzFeed News citing leaked recordings that reveal ByteDance officials in Beijing have repeatedly accessed the data collected from Americans who downloaded TikTok from Apple and Google app stores. The revelation contradicts previous claims from TikTok that data collected from Americans through the video app is stored on servers in the United States. “Everything is seen in China,” a TikTok official says in the recording (Fox News).

Poll: Americans Do Not Support Supreme Court Packing

Guy Benson: Democrats are the party of norms and institutions, just ask them. Throughout the Trump era, and post-January 6, the “progressives” have presented themselves as vital guardians of our nation’s very system of government – valiantly beating back myriad predations from unscrupulous, power-hungry right-wingers. The trouble with this story, of course, is that when said system doesn’t work in their favor, resulting in undesirable outcomes for their tribe, leftists shift seamlessly to demanding that these same norms and institutions be burned to the ground. But that’s good institutional arson, you see; for a righteous cause. That’s quite literally the mentality. Whether it’s uprooting the electoral college, blowing up the filibuster (and therefore the Senate), adding states to the union for brazenly political reasons, or packing the Supreme Court, there isn’t an institution in sight that seems to be spared their wrath… Polling has shown that the American people are opposed to packing the Court (Townhall). Polling USA: ‘Do you support or oppose expanding the court?’ Oppose: 54% Support: 34% (Twitter).

10.

Turkish Drone Manufacturer Declines Crowdfunding Effort for Drones to Ukraine, Donates Instead

Insider: The Turkish defense manufacturer Baykar said it turned down $20 million in crowdfunded cash to buy its drones for Ukraine and would donate three military drones to the country instead. Baykar wrote in a Monday statement that it had learned about a campaign to raise funds to buy its Bayraktar TB2 drones, adding, “Baykar will not accept payment for the TB2s, and will send 3 UAVs free of charge to the Ukrainian war front.” “We ask that the funds instead be remitted to the struggling people of Ukraine,” Baykar said (Insider). Baykar: Announcement from Baykar (Baykar)! Nikkei Asia: This is not the first time Baykar has gifted drones in response to crowdfunding. Earlier in June, the company said it would send Lithuania a TB2 free of charge, after learning of a crowdfunding effort there to raise funds to buy a TB2 for Ukraine. Lithuanians had collected almost 6 million euros ($6.3 million) in three days to buy a TB2 for Ukraine. Much to the ire of Russia, the company first sold the TB2 to Ukraine in 2019 and later announced that it would co-produce them in the country, just before the war started. The TB2 has been instrumental in the fight against Russian forces, destroying a wide range of targets, including tanks, missile defense systems and navy vessels (Nikkei Asia).

NEW in your inbox daily — The Daybreak Daily

Featured

Dennis Prager | The Dennis Prager Show

Teens Going Trans: “They are responding to social cues, to social incentives”

Dennis Prager and Manhattan Institute Fellow Leor Sapir discuss the connection between CRT and transgenderism

Dennis Prager: I read a piece in the great, truly great, probably along with the Claremont Review of Books, the most important journal, and there are many wonderful journals. I want to make that clear. But the City Journal is primus inter pares, first among equals, and a man named Leor Sapir, who...

Mike Gallagher | The Mike Gallagher Show

Party Switch: “Over a million American voters have switched their party affiliation to the GOP over the last 12 months”

Mike Gallagher runs down a series of political and judicial victories, from voter registration to free speech

Mike Gallagher: There’s such good news for our side lately. Here’s a story that — amazing — Fox News reporting over a million American voters have switched their party affiliation to the GOP over the last 12 months. As the 2022 midterms approach, and we are months away, in the suburbs in...

Sebastian Gorka | America First

Killing the Unborn: “There are certain acts which are intrinsically evil”

Sebastian Gorka gets to the heart of law and life as he reflects on the overturn of Roe v. Wade

Dr. Sebastian Gorka: Let’s start with the big news of Friday. Thursday, it was the Second Amendment. Friday, it was Roe v. Wade. And today, it was freedom of religion. Yesterday at a friend’s house, we celebrated. It was such a great idea. We were sent an email on Saturday, inviting us down...

Hugh Hewitt | The Hugh Hewitt Show

Col. Kurt Schlichter on Roe Decision: “There’s no constitutional right to abortion”

Col. Kurt Schlichter sits in for Hugh Hewitt and brings his trial-lawyer analysis to the momentous SCOTUS ruling

Col. Kurt Schlichter: This is Kurt Schlichter sitting in for Hugh Hewitt on a pretty significant day. And it’s a little ironic because Hugh Hewitt and a lot of other people have been waiting 50 years for today, 50 years for this show, 50 years for the first show post Roe v. Wade, post Casey. And...

Charlie Kirk | The Charlie Kirk Show

Eugenics: “America did not just dabble in this, we went full-throated into it”

Charlie Kirk exposes the history of Planned Parenthood and the disturbing philosophy of one if its founders, Margaret Sanger

Charlie Kirk: In the West, based on Judeo-Christian values and principles, we believe that the strong must protect the weak. The big must protect the small. We take this for granted. You see, in the 1920s and 1930s, there was a massive eugenics movement in America who was led by people such as...

Eric Metaxas | The Eric Metaxas Show

Roe Overturned: “If you voted for Donald Trump in 2016, you did the right thing”

Eric Metaxas traces the victory for life to the originalist justices appointed by Trump

Eric Metaxas: Ladies and gentlemen, I want to tell you, Roe v. Wade. I want to say this very clearly and strongly. We know that we thank God for everything that’s good. But God also wants to give thanks to people who do the right thing. And if you voted for Donald Trump in 2016, you did the right...

Dinesh D' Souza | The Dinesh D'Souza Podcast

Decision for Life: “Isn’t human life worth protection?”

Dinesh D’Souza analyzes the Supreme Court’s overturn of Roe v. Wade

Dinesh D’Souza: The Supreme Court came out on Friday with the expected, but nevertheless, bombshell decision overturning Roe v. Wade. I mean, that was the real meaning of the decision. The immediate focus was on the Mississippi law, which essentially outlawed abortion after 15 weeks. And there...

Brandon Tatum | The Officer Tatum Show

Roe v. Wade Overturned: “This is a pivotal moment in our society”

Brandon Tatum cheers the historic SCOTUS decision

Officer Tatum: I couldn’t wait. I’ve been waiting all day. You know, everybody else got an earlier show. I’ve been waiting all day to talk about the overturning of Roe v. Wade. I think this is a pivotal moment in our society, in our country, a moral victory, and it is the right thing to do...