News and Headlines: In The News, Politics, World News, Commentary/Opinion.
In The News:
American Airlines not denying possible UFO spotting, says: ‘Talk to the FBI’
“Do you have any targets up here? We just had something go right over the top of us,” the pilot said in the radio transmission.
“I hate to say this but it looked like a long cylindrical object that almost looked like a cruise missile type of thing moving really fast. It went right over the top of us.”
American Airlines confirmed that the radio transmission is authentic, but did not give any further comment on the possible alien encounter. “Following a debrief with our Flight Crew and additional information received, we can confirm this radio transmission was from American Airlines Flight 2292 on Feb. 21,” an American Airlines spokesperson told Fox News in a statement. “For any additional questions on this, we encourage you to reach out to the FBI.”
Turley: New ‘Red Scare’ Shutting Down Conservative Voices in Media
George Washington University law professor Jonathan Turley said the left’s appetite for censoring conservative voices and curtailing their reach is growing in his testimony Wednesday at a House subcommittee hearing, claiming “we are living through a period reminiscent of the Red Scare.”
The professor called attention to a recent letter signed by Reps. Anna Eshoo, D-Calif., and Jerry McNerney, D-Calif., targeting conservative-leaning outlets like Fox News and Newsmax in a formal statement to the House Subcommittee on Communications and Technology of the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
The letter demanded answers from cable television providers on their role in the “spread of dangerous misinformation.”
“From the perspectives of free speech and the free press, the letter is not just chilling; it is positively glacial.
The letter does not address the long-standing objections to networks like CNN, MSNBC, and others for pronounced bias and refuted stories,” Turley said.
Former Marine from NC accused of killing wife is shot while beating trans woman, PA cops say
The woman, who officials identified as 24-year-old Chynaa Cardena of Springdale, Arkansas, was rushed to a hospital and later died.
“Investigators have determined that Cardena and Hernandez knew each other, and it does not appear that her killing was motivated by hate or bias,” officials said Tuesday in a news release.
The case is a homicide and remained under investigation as of Tuesday morning, according to Pennsylvania State Police. The name of the officer accused of shooting Hernandez wasn’t listed in the news release.
The incident happened almost a decade after North Carolina police said Hernandez killed his wife Kandace, WCTI reported. She was shot to death in Onslow County, in the southeastern part of the state and home to the Camp Lejeune military base, officials said.“
At the time of the shooting in Richlands, (Juan Hernandez) was wanted on a federal warrant for desertion from the United States Marine Corps,” The Daily News reported.
DHS says military needed on southern border 3-5 more years, ‘possibly more’
A new report released Tuesday from the United States Government Accountability Office (GAO) explained that troops and equipment from the U.S. military are tasked with removing vegetation in which migrants hide, maintaining the Border Patrol’s vehicles and providing detection, monitoring and surveillance support.
“DHS officials plan to request assistance from DOD for at least the next 3-5 years, according to DHS officials that served on the Interagency Planning Team,” the auditors said.
According to the GAO, the department was prepared to provide support at the southern border for several more years under former-President Donald Trump, but President Joe Biden’s administration could impact the department’s stance on the situation.
The Department of Defense is obligated to remain at the southern border through September when the 2021 fiscal year ends.
Biden adviser called coronavirus pandemic ‘best thing that ever happened’ to the president, new book reveals
Biden adviser Anita Dunn made the revealing remark in a conversation with “an associate” during the campaign, veteran journalists Jonathan Allen and Amie Parnes revealed in their book.
Dunn’s comment was something “campaign officials believed but would never say in public,” the authors wrote in “Lucky: How Joe Biden Barely Won the Presidency,” which is scheduled for release next week.
Dunn, a veteran Democratic operative, joined the White House on a temporary basis as a senior adviser after playing a similar role on the campaign.
She previously was an adviser to former President Barack Obama and served as communications director in his White House.
Viral Video Shows Man with ‘Trump 2024’ Flag Tackled, Removed From New York City Ice Rink
A supporter of former President Donald Trump claimed he was attacked at a rink in Central Park in New York City for carrying a “Trump 2024” flag.
Security guards tackled Dion Cini to the ground and removed him from the ground, according to a video he shared on Twitter.
The incident happened at the Wollman Rink — operated by the Trump Organization — on Sunday, which was supposed to be the rink’s last day after Mayor Bill de Blasio decided to sever the city’s business ties with Trump.
Cini carried the large flag in a packed rink. Some people booed him as he skated with the flag.
However, moments later, Cini was followed by security guards who caught him and tackled him on the ground. Other skaters cheered as the Trump supporter was taken down by the guards.
According to Cini, he carried the flag to the Wollman Rink as a tribute to Trump on what was supposed to the rink’s last operational day.
Leaked Insider Tape Reveals Salesforce’s Plan to Deplatform ‘Broader Range’ of Customers
“We’ve engaged with the RNC to communicate that no messages on behalf of President Trump and no messages questioning the validity or integrity of the election are allowed on our platform under the guidelines that they may incite violence given the escalated conditions in the United States right now,” he said.
In the same internal meeting, Salesforce’s Executive Vice President of Government Affairs, Eric Loeb, said the platform would specifically target politicians that objected to Biden’s certification.
“We are pausing all PAC contributions…the pause or suspension certainly includes the suspension of any contributions to members of Congress that voted to object to the [presidential election] certification,” Loeb said.
Tucker: Left’s ‘disinformation’ campaign is destroying America
Commentary/Opinion:
Tucker Carlson examines why the mainstream media is threatened by free speech.
Politics:
States pass their own virus aid, not waiting on Washington
Maryland and California recently moved forward with help for the poor, the jobless, small businesses and those needing child care. New Mexico and Pennsylvania are funneling grants directly to cash-starved businesses.
North Carolina’s governor wants additional state aid for such things as bonus pay for teachers and boosting rural internet speeds.
The spending also provides fuel for critics who say states don’t need another massive infusion of cash from Congress. The Biden administration’s $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief plan calls for sending $350 billion to state and local governments. Directing federal money to state governments has been so contentious that the idea was stripped from the previous congressional aid package passed in December.
Republican Sen. Rick Scott of Florida has frequently criticized proposals to send more money to state governments, calling it a bailout for Democratic-run states he accuses of overspending.
14 House Republicans Want Briefing From FBI on Swalwell Ties to Alleged Chinese Spy
“As our nation faces a growing security threat from the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) attempts to infiltrate and undermine the United States Government, we write to request a full briefing regarding counterintelligence threats to Members of Congress, including information related to Rep. Eric Swalwell’s ties to a suspected Chinese intelligence operative,” wrote the 14 GOP members of the House, which include Rep. Dan Bishop, R-N.C. and Homeland Security Committee Ranking Member John Katko, R-N.Y.
They note that Swalwell sits on the House Homeland Security Committee and receives classified information, including Top Secret information, “which by its very nature ‘could reasonably be expected to cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security’ if subject to unauthorized disclosure.”
The group also point out that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., both received a classified briefing in December that raises questions “including how Rep. Swalwell could be re-appointed to the Committee on Homeland Security one month after this briefing.”
Trump-appointed federal judge indefinitely blocks the Biden administration’s 100-day deportation freeze
A federal judge in Texas indefinitely blocked President Joe Biden’s administration from enforcing a 100-day deportation freeze, according to the Associated Press.
US District Judge Drew Tipton granted a preliminary injunction on Tuesday, halting the moratorium that the Biden administration announced last month.
The ruling serves as a win for Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, a Republican, who filed a lawsuit against the government over the moratorium.
Tipton also ruled last month that the moratorium ran afoul of federal law on administrative procedure and that the administration didn’t sufficiently justify the pause.
Tuesday’s injunction will extend the temporary restraining order. However, this ruling does not mandate that deportations have to go back to to their previous rate.
Even in the absence of a moratorium, federal immigration agencies will have wide leeway in enforcing deportations and processing cases.
Xavier Becerra, Biden’s pick for head of HHS, is in trouble for good reason
Commentary/Opinion:
The former California attorney general has been rebuked by the Supreme Court and he’s simply unqualified to run healthcare in a pandemic.
Xavier Becerra is under fire as President Joe Biden’s first choice to head the Department of Health and Human Services for many reasons, from his litigious opposition to former President Trump’s administration in filing more than 100 lawsuits, to his advocacy for “Medicare for All,” to his championing a convicted drug dealer for a pardon.
But on the issue of abortion, Becerra has a decades’ old track record of siding with the abortion lobby whenever possible and using the power of his office to try and force others to share his enthusiastic support of abortion up until the moment of birth.
This explains why many are joining together to say that the nation’s leading healthcare agency should not be placed into the hands of a “famously partisan” lawyer who has distinguished himself by taking people who don’t agree with him to court.
Former Cuomo Aide Details Alleged Abuse, Sexual Harassment by N.Y. Gov
A former aide to New York governor Andrew Cuomo accused the Democrat of abuse and sexual harassment in a Wednesday essay.
Lindsey Boylan, who worked in the Cuomo administration for nearly four years, most recently as a special adviser to the governor, said Cuomo fostered a workplace culture “where sexual harassment and bullying is so pervasive that it is not only condoned but expected.” She detailed one incident in which the Democrat asked her to “play strip poker” and accused Cuomo of kissing her on the lips following a one-on-one briefing in the governor’s office.
“After that, my fears worsened. I came to work nauseous every day,” Boylan wrote. ( My story of working with Governor Cuomo ) “My relationship with his senior team — mostly women — grew hostile after I started speaking up for myself.
Dozens of House Democrats want Biden to give up sole authority to launch nuclear weapons
“Vesting one person with this authority entails real risks,” the letter from Rep. Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., and obtained by Politico reads. “Past presidents have threatened to attack other countries with nuclear weapons or exhibited behavior that caused other officials to express concern about the president’s judgment.”
Panetta’s office did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News. The congressman said in a Monday tweet that he is “calling on” Biden “to install checks [and] balances in our nuclear command-and-control structure.”
The letter continues: “While any president would presumably consult with advisors before ordering a nuclear attack, there is no requirement to do so. The military is obligated to carry out the order if they assess it is legal under the laws of war. Under the current posture of U.S. nuclear forces, that attack would happen in minutes.”
House Freedom Caucus opposes earmarks, setting up internal GOP debate
Republicans — who first banned earmarks when they took over the House majority following the 2010 Tea Party wave — have been divided over the issue, with some warming to the idea in recent years.
The conservative House Freedom Caucus has taken a formal position against congressional earmarks, drawing an early intraparty battle line as Republicans wrestle with whether to take advantage of the soon-to-be-revived spending practice.
With Democrats planning to reinstate lawmaker-requested earmarks on Capitol Hill this year, members of the hard-line Freedom Caucus huddled Tuesday evening and voted to oppose any form of congressionally directed spending, “whether in the 117th Congress or any future Congress.”
Caucus members argued that the practice is ripe for abuse and would only lead to “pork-barrel” spending.
“They’re a bad idea. I’m opposed to them,” said Rep. Warren Davidson (R-Ohio), a member of the Freedom Caucus. “They’ve been described as a gateway drug toward corruption.”
The Glaring Problem With the Left’s “Insurrection” Story
Commentary/Opinion:
With the collapse of the Left’s January 6 narrative, the Democrats needed to cook up a new story at their recent hearing on the fabled “insurrection.”
Ingraham: Left targets civil liberties of conservatives
Commentary/Opinion:
Laura Ingraham examines the left’s attempt to silence all Trump supporters.
The Truth About Biden’s Amnesty Agenda.
Commentary/Opinion:
What is the driving factor behind Joe Biden and the Democrats Amnesty agenda?
Here’s the Simple Truth.
World News:
Germany: Covid-19 Triggers New Wave of Anti-Semitism
The number of anti-Semitic hate crimes in Germany surged to a two-decade high in 2020, according to new statistics released by the German government.
Anti-Semitism in Germany has been steadily growing in recent years, fueled in part by far-left anti-Israel activists and by mass migration from the Muslim world.
The problem is now being exacerbated by the Coronavirus pandemic, which far-right conspiracy theorists are blaming on both Jews and Israel.
German police reported a total of 2,275 anti-Semitic hate crimes — an average of six per day — in 2020, according to preliminary data provided by the federal government.
The tally represents a more than 10% increase over the number of anti-Semitic crimes reported in 2019, itself a record-breaking year for such offenses. The official numbers represent only the crimes reported to the police; the actual number of incidents is presumably much bigger.
Iran Hangs Dead Woman: Victim Dies of Heart Attack While Waiting in Line for Execution
Iran carried out the execution of a woman who died of heart attack moments before her hanging, reports said on Tuesday, shining the torch yet again on the country’s dismal record of capital punishments.
The lawyer for the executed woman said the execution was carried out in order to please the alleged victim’s family. The woman who died before her actual hanging was identified as Zahra Ismaili. She had been convicted of murdering her husband Alireza Zamani. However, according to the woman’s lawyer, the death happened accidentally while she was trying to defend herself against a violent attack from the man.
According to the lawyer, Omid Moradi, the dead man was an official in Iran’s Intelligence Ministry. The inhuman act was perpetrated in the Iranian jail during a mass execution, report say.
Germany urges Iran to accept diplomacy in nuclear dispute
Heiko Maas accused Tehran of further undermining the transparency it is required to show under the 2015 Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action, or JCPOA, after Iran began restricting international inspections of its nuclear facilities Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency reported that Iran had added 17.6 kilograms (38.8 pounds) of uranium enriched up to 20% to its stockpile as of Feb. 16 — far past the 3.67% purity allowed under the JCPOA.
“In the end, Iran needs to understand that what’s important is to de-escalate and accept the offer of diplomacy that’s on the table, including from the United States,” Maas said.
IAEA reports secret nuclear activity in Iran; China aims to bolster Egypt ties TV7 Israel News 24.02
1) The International Atomic Energy Agency voices its ‘deep concerned’ after it ‘definitively concluded’ that “traces of radioactive material” were stored in an undeclared warehouse in Tehran.
2) Regardless of any nuclear deal – Israel vows to thwart Iran’s path to a nuclear bomb.
3) While the United States raises concerns over the issue of human rights in Egypt; Beijing highlights its support for Cairo in pursuing a path that suits their national conditions.
Commentary/Opinion:
OUTLOUD with Gianno Caldwell – Episode 24: Exposing Biden’s COVID ‘Experts’
For the past year of COVID, pundits and politicians have told us to follow the science, to obey the so-called experts.
But what if the elites are more concerned with politics than science, let alone COVID?
On this episode, Gianno, exposes the hollowness of the “experts,” cutting through the BS of COVID politics and separating fact from fiction.
Gianno’s guest is Phil Kerpen, a syndicated columnist and policy analyst who has been deeply entrenched in the data of COVID. Together, Phil and Gianno expose the phonies being propped up as experts, tell the truth about lockdowns, and discuss the devastating effects of schools remaining closed.
The trouble with America’s class system
Tucker Carlson explains how the ruling class needs to change to benefit the rest of the United States.
Yes, Big Tech is Censoring Speech: Now What?
Big technology companies like Google, Twitter, and Facebook have come under scrutiny for the ways they are—and are not—controlling speech on their platforms.
In today’s show, we talk with two IJ senior attorneys about some of the most common concerns people have about these companies, from free speech considerations to the ways they supposedly act as monopolies.
We consider where the law is now on these issues, weigh some of the options that have been proposed to address them, and discuss ways to look at these questions as they evolve in the coming months and beyond.
How Facebook Changes Rules & Destroys Businesses (Pt. 2) | Steven Crowder | COMEDY | Rubin Report
Dave Rubin of The Rubin Report talks to Steven Crowder (Host, Louder with Crowder) and Bill Richmond about their Facebook lawsuit, the ongoing conservative censorship by Big Tech, and why cancel culture has created so many secret celebrity Republicans.
In this clip Steven discusses the difficulty of having a conservative news Facebook business. Facebook is constantly changing it’s rules or simply not telling anyone what the rules are.
Conservative media is in such demand that even big tech conservative censorship has not been able to prevent the successes like “Louder With Crowder” or “The Ben Shapiro Show”.
Steven gives a warning to people putting their business on Facebook especially if you are a part of conservative social media.