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US News:
Oklahoma teen Madeline Bills’ ex-boyfriend charged with her rape and murder
Video discovered on Cook’s cellphone on the night of the murder appears to show him “having sex with the victim, who appears to be unconscious,” according to a police affidavit obtained by The Oklahoman.
Detectives had also learned that Bills told friends she was afraid of Cook and planned to move inside the main house in case he would try to harm her, the affidavit said.
Cook was extradited from Illinois and is being held without bond at the Cleveland County Jail.
Durham Report: Voters Want FBI Agents JAILED; Agree that it was a Clinton Campaign Operation
A majority of voters want consequences for Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) officials who promoted false accusations of “Russian collusion” against former President Donald Trump.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone and online survey finds that 59% of Likely U.S. voters believe FBI officials involved in promoting the false Russia-Trump claims should be criminally prosecuted. Twenty-three percent (23%) disagree, while 18% are not sure.
The FBI Knows What Car Was Used In J6 DNC Pipe Bomb, But Refuses To Identify Prime Suspect
The FBI is continuing to stonewall congressional oversight of the agency’s investigation into a pair of pipe bombs found at the Democrat National Committee and Republican National Committee headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021.
On Wednesday, House Republicans on the Judiciary Committee re-upped demands for a comprehensive briefing on the two-year-old case over which the FBI has refused transparency.
Kyle Seraphin, a former FBI agent who worked on the case, told the paper that the agency “tied whoever the person was that dropped the bombs with [surveillance] cameras all the way through the train and getting into a car with that license plate.” Seraphin also told the Washington Times that the two bombs were inoperable.
“One former FBI assistant director observed, ‘[i]t just doesn’t add up … there’s just too much to work with to not know who this guy is,’” the Judiciary Republicans wrote.
“As the FBI successfully rounded up hundreds of Capitol trespassers using sophisticated tools such as geofence warrants, the trail of the pipe bomber went cold,” Kelly reported, despite federal law enforcement having posted a $50,000 reward, which they later increased to half a million dollars. “Given what we know about the FBI’s politically motivated malfeasance during the Trump era, the likelihood the pipe bomb story was another FBI hoax instead of a legitimate threat becomes more conceivable each day.”
Texas Children’s Hospital ends gender procedures as CEO vows to refer minors to other states
In an email sent Wednesday, according to local reports, Wallace said in order for the hospital to comply with Senate Bill 14, which “prohibits procedures and prescription treatments for gender transitioning, gender reassignment and gender dysphoria,” the hospital will “modify” its “gender-affirming care to comply with the new law,”
“As the largest pediatric healthcare provider in the nation, being unable to serve and support these children and families the way we have in the past is painful. It is difficult for me, the In-Chiefs & Chairs, executives, faculty, staff and care teams to know that this is where we find ourselves,” he continued.
Asked for comment about the Wallace memo, state Sen. Donna Campbell, on of the authors of the legislation, responded that, “Children need counseling and love, not blades and drugs.”
FBI warns girls of ‘imminent danger’ as suspected sex trafficker added to Most Wanted list
The heinous nature of his alleged crimes and the fact that investigators believe he is still in the U.S. and possibly still operating in the area is why the FBI added him to the Ten Most Wanted fugitive list on Thursday.
“He poses an imminent danger to young girls in that area,” Greenberg said. “He was known to work for a number of cash jobs. He’s been a tree trimmer, he’s worked on cars, he’s worked in resale shops.
“We believe that he is likely insisting on cash jobs, and somebody out there knowingly or unknowingly is funding his run from justice, so we would want to make sure we share all the details about his alleged crimes.”
Gov. Bill Lee To Send Tennessee National Guard Troops To Combat ‘Unprecedented Crisis’ At The Border
Lee joins other Republican governors, like Mississippi Governor Tate Reeves and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, in sending help to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who has called on the Biden administration to take stronger measures to stop the flood of people crossing into the U.S. from Mexico.
According to the governor’s office, the Tennessee troops will help patrol along the border, help with barrier placement, clear roads, and assist with outpost operations as part of Abbott’s “Operation Lone Star.”
This is not the first time that Tennesseans have been sent to the border, as Lee also sent about 50 troops to the border in December 2021.
Lee’s actions follow a joint statement from 24 Republican governors who called out the Biden administration for its policies at the border and in support of Abbott.
Supreme Court reins in Biden admin’s power over U.S. waterways
The Supreme Court rolled back the Environmental Protection Agency’s reach over U.S. waterways, dousing the Biden administration’s regulatory push and handing a victory to an Idaho couple blocked from building a house because the agency deemed their property a wetland.
The high court on Thursday said the federal government may regulate wetlands only that have a “continuous surface connection” to a body of water covered by the Clean Water Act, which protects “streams, oceans, rivers and lakes” and other “navigable waters.”
The court rejected former Justice Anthony Kennedy’s “significant nexus” test, a 17-year-old standard that let the EPA exert regulatory authority over potentially hundreds of millions of acres of land located in the vicinity of bodies of water.
“By the EPA’s own admission, nearly all waters and wetlands are potentially susceptible to regulation under this test, putting a staggering array of landowners at risk of criminal prosecution for such mundane activities as moving dirt,” said Justice Samuel A. Alito in the 82-page opinion for the majority.
Supreme Court rules in favor of 94-year-old woman who got nothing when county took her condo
A unanimous Supreme Court on Thursday gave a 94-year-old Minneapolis woman a new chance to recoup some money after the county kept the entire $40,000 when it sold her condominium over a small unpaid tax bill.
The justices ruled that Hennepin County, Minnesota violated the constitutional rights of the woman, Geraldine Tyler, by taking her property without paying “just compensation.”
“The County had the power to sell Tyler’s home to recover the unpaid property taxes. But it could not use the toehold of the tax debt to confiscate more property than was due,” Chief Justice John Roberts wrote for the court.
Taxpayer money allegedly funding program linking Republicans to Nazis
Media Research Center President and founder Brent Bozell details ‘astonishing’ findings regarding a Biden administration domestic terror initiative.
Oath Keepers founder sentenced to 18 years in Jan. 6 seditious conspiracy case
Rhodes was convicted of seditious conspiracy in November along with Kelly Meggs, a fellow Oath Keepers member who will be sentenced later Thursday afternoon.
When given the chance to speak before sentencing, Rhodes, wearing an orange prison jumpsuit, called himself a “political prisoner” and said he believes the only crime he committed was opposing those who are “destroying our country.”
He added that he hopes former President Donald Trump wins in 2024.
Rhodes and Meggs were put on trial alongside Jessica Watkins, Kenneth Harrelson and Thomas Caldwell, fellow Oath Keepers who were convicted of obstruction of an official proceeding and aiding and abetting, but not seditious conspiracy.
Watkins and Harrelson will be sentenced on Friday.
Migrants Arrested with Drugs, Loaded Pistol, Money at Canadian Border in Montana
Sweetgrass Station Border Patrol agents observed two suspected migrants walking near the border.
The two individuals were quickly approaching what appeared to be an awaiting human smuggler’s vehicle, according to information obtained from Border Patrol officials.
The agents conducted an immigration interview and determined the two pedestrians were migrants without legal authorization to be in the United States.
The agents then interviewed the two occupants of the vehicle and determined they were also migrants who were illegally present in the U.S., officials stated.
Parents infuriated as migrants enroll in Chicago schools without health records after years of COVID rules
The city’s sanctuary policies toward migrants has prompted outrage from residents, which boiled over at a recent meeting about a college being used as temporary housing for migrants.
“You can be compassionate, but you can’t be foolish,” one resident said.
“We are inviting in everyone like a magnet, ‘Everyone come here, collect all your freebies. We are going to give it to you.’ Every sucker in here is going to pay for it,” another resident said.
Although compassionate for these children, Preston said, “I would expect that they would be coming here legally and be bound to the same guidelines and principles and laws that all of our own children as taxpaying citizens are.”
Preston said there is a “major inconsistency” after years of coronavirus restrictions in schools to now allow migrant children in schools without proper documentation.
Foreigners Taking U.S. Jobs Hits Highest Level as Employment of Americans Declines
The number of foreign nationals holding jobs in the United States has hit the highest level since the Labor Department began tracking the data in 1996 as the employment of native-born Americans declines, a trend under President Joe Biden.
In 2022, foreign-born workers saw their share of the labor market hit the highest level in almost 30 years at more than 18 percent, with close to 30 million now holding U.S. jobs, according to data published in the Wall Street Journal.
The number of foreign-born workers holding jobs or looking for work increased by 1.8 million last year — more than the 1.3 million native-born Americans who joined the workforce.
“Any real gains we’re seeing in the labor force are coming from immigrants — they’re a buoy,” an economist told the Journal. said Elizabeth Crofoot, senior economist at Lightcast, a labor-market data firm.
Target triggers boycott with LGBT products, loses $9 billion in value
Social media users and conservative activists began calling for boycotts of Target following the release of their PRIDE line last week.
The company was valued at $160.96 per share on May 17, at a market value of $74.3 billion; as of Thursday morning each share was valued at $139.84, the lowest in over a year, at a market value of $64.54 billion, according to MarketWatch data.
Target removed some PRIDE items from stores following public outcry, claiming the move was in response to “confrontational behavior” from shoppers.
The decision drew a fresh round of blowback, this time from LGBT activists who characterized the move as a failure to stand up for gay and transgender people.
Another Day, Another Retailer Leaves Downtown San Francisco
As Breitbart News reported earlier this week, the Williams-Sonoma kitchen and furnishings store is set to leave Union Square by next year. The San Francisco Chronicle reported Wednesday that Banana Republic is leaving the area as well (original links):
Banana Republic has closed in the Westfield San Francisco Centre, the same mall where Nordstrom is also departing.
The clothing store, which opened in 2009, is one of the numerous locations owned by San Francisco-based parent Gap that have shuttered during the pandemic. Gap is also implementing corporate layoffs affecting around 1,800 workers.
Dozens of retailers have closed or plan to in the Powell Street and Union Square area, including Coco Republic, Saks Off Fifth, Uniqlo, H&M and Anthropologie. They’ve cited falling foot traffic due to remote work and a lack of tourists, online shopping and safety concerns as factors.
This is not what Dr. King would have wanted: Michael Shellenberger
Environmental Progress founder Michael Shellenberger argues that race-based reparations are ‘racist,’ as the city weighs $5 million reparations payments.
WATCH: Massive Fight at Chicago Airport Results in Two Arrests
Video footage of the incident shows multiple people rolling around on the floor during the brawl while others watched in shock.
At one point, a woman wearing a yellow top appears to grab hold of another woman’s hair as the two hit each other.
In the background, two men appear to be fighting with such intensity they end up on the conveyor belt. During the incident, someone behind the camera is heard saying, “Stop! Stop!”
When it seems the fight has ended, a woman with long red hair appears to grab another person by the hair and the two tumble to the floor:
Although the cause of the fight remained unclear, officials arrested 18-year-old Christopher Hampton and 20-year-old Tembra Hicks when it finally ended and they are facing one misdemeanor count of battery.
Alleged Carjacker and K9 Dead After Suburban Chicago Shootout
The Associated Press reported that officers were trying to stop the alleged carjacker “on South Elgin” around 2:00 p.m., who then fled to Batavia, where he allegedly exited the car with a handgun.
Police released a K9 to help apprehend the suspect, but he allegedly shot the K9.
ABC 7 noted that police then opened fire on the suspect, killing him. The K9, Hudson, also succumbed to his wounds.
China likely compromised ‘a very wide swath of critical infrastructure’: Jonathan DT Ward
Atlas Organization founder Jonathan D.T. Ward breaks down the latest political and economic tensions between the U.S. and China.
World News:
Ukraine will not be admitted to NATO during war, says NATO secretary-general
Ukraine’s accession to NATO is not on the agenda as long as the war is ongoing, but the question is what will happen when the fighting is over, said NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg at an event organized by the German Marshall Fund in Brussels on Wednesday.
At the Brussels forum, the secretary-general outlined preparations for the Vilnius summit in July, where the allies will discuss the issue. He acknowledged that members of NATO are divided on the possible admission of Ukraine.
“Views on this issue differ within the alliance,” Stoltenberg said, noting that decision-making in NATO is by consensus. Hungary remains opposed to Ukraine’s NATO membership as long as the discrimination of the ethnic Hungarian minority there persists.
Stoltenberg added that he would hold telephone talks with allies in the coming days on “how to respond to Ukraine’s aspirations for NATO membership.”
Ukraine sent untrained conscripts into Donbass ‘meat grinder’ – WSJ
Kiev used untrained and poorly equipped troops in the lost battle for the strategic Donbass city of Artyomovsk, which the Ukrainians call Bakhmut, in order to save better units for its planned counteroffensive, the Wall Street Journal has reported.
In an article on Thursday, the US outlet told a story of a group of 16 Ukrainian conscripts, who were crushed by the Russian forces during the fighting in Artyomovsk, in Russia’s Donetsk People’s Republic in February.
They had been recruited by the Ukrainian military from villages in the northeastern Kharkov Region, the report said.
Some had completed mandatory military service years or decades ago, but almost none had ever seen actual combat, it added.
According to the WSJ, the men spent only two nights at a base, where they were handed Soviet-era rifles and uniforms. After that, they were told that they were being deployed to Artyomovsk – the scene of a months-long standoff between Russian and Ukrainian forces that has been described as a “meat grinder” and the biggest battle of the 21st century so far.
Polish president to call for 260,000 more troops on NATO’s Eastern flank to counter Russia
Polish President Andrzej Duda said he will recommend that NATO increases its response forces along NATO’s eastern flank from 40,000 to 300,000 to counter Russia. Duda, who made the remarks at the London Defence Conference in London on Wednesday, said he will lobby for the large increase in forces to be made a priority when he attends July’s NATO summit in Vilnius.
In order for the West to resist Russia’s efforts, he said he believes that “the situation in our region means that we need to unite our efforts like never before and strengthen NATO to deter the aggressor effectively.”
Duda said the most important goal for Poland is the strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank with the deployment of greater numbers of troops and an increase in troops ready to respond from 40,000 to 300,000.
Polish general: Poland must be prepared to ‘assist any uprising’ in Belarus against ‘Lukashenko regime’
An uprising may soon break out in Belarus against President Aleksander Lukashenko, and Poland should be ready to support those willing to carry out operations against the Belarusian dictator, said Polish General Waldemar Skrzypczak, wfho serves as a reserve general, has claimed.
“If the Ukrainian counteroffensive is successful, those armed Belarusians who are part of the Ukrainian army’s military potential will not lay down their weapons,” he told the “Gość Wydarzeń” program on Polsat News.
“They will go to Belarus. I hope this will provoke an uprising in Belarus, which Lukashenko fears,” he added.
According to the Polish army’s former chief of staff, Poland must be prepared to assist any uprising against the Lukashenko regime. “We have reasons to help them, just as we help the Ukrainians,” he stated.
The general, who is not active but can be called up to serve due to his reservist status, predicted the Belarusian people will support the uprising and enthusiastically rise up against Lukashenko, as he no longer has the military potential to prevent such an uprising. “Russia will not help him much because it will have its own problems,” he added.
According to the general, if the uprising happens, there will be an exodus of Belarusians towards Poland, and Poland should be prepared for that.
Record migrant figures fuel new Tory row as Rishi Sunak faces anger from the Right
Rishi Sunak faced a growing storm on Thursday after immigration to Britain hit a record of nearly 1.2 million last year, according to official figures.
They showed that 925,000 out of the total of 1,163,000 were non-EU nationals after the UK quit the European Union. Once emigration of 557,000 is taken into account, net migration was also at a record high of 606,000 in 2022.
With tens of thousands of people crossing the Channel in small boats, the promise by Brexiteers that leaving the EU would allow the country to take back control of its borders appeared to be in tatters.
As his Government came under fire from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and some Tory MPs, the Prime Minister told ITV’s This Morning: “Numbers are too high, it’s as simple as that.”
Pressed on whether immigration was out of control, he responded: “No, I think the numbers are just too high.” The figures showed:
NSA warns Israel may act against Iran alone; US reaffirms support for Israel TV7 Israel News 25.05
Israeli National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi asserts that if the world fails to act, Israel will strike at Iran’s nuclear program on its own.
The United States reaffirms its commitment to its Mideastern partners by highlighting that Washington’s National Security Interests are interwoven in the region.
Iran showcases new ballistic missiles it claims can penetrate the air defenses of its enemies.
Another turning point in Ukraine should force us to rethink our own defence
Next month the Government publishes its Defence Command Paper Refresh, the blueprint of what the UK will spend on defence over the next three years, and what the Government expects to do with those defences.
The refresh means it’s an update of the programme published in 2021. But it should not be a mere rehash of that paper because now the UK is deeply involved in supporting Ukraine in the war against Russia.
Admiral Tony Radakin, the defence chief, pledged to the London conference that the UK would more than fulfil its role in the Nato Euro-Atlantic region and for Ukraine especially, as well as to the new partnerships in the Pacific.
Russia resorts to massive Soviet-era bombs as Ukrainian air defenses prove a match for missiles, drones
Ukrainian investigators have increasingly found instances of Russia dropping older bombs, some around 1,100 pounds.
The low-tech explosives easily circumvent modern air defenses like the U.S.-made Patriot missile systems that are designed to counter long-range missiles and drones.
Russia’s bombs, resurrected from Cold War-era ordnance stashes, have two major advantages over missiles in that they have no propulsion system for air defenses to track, and they remain airborne for barely a minute.
Russian forces have even gone so far as to retrofit large bombs with wings and navigation systems to extend both their range and lethality, U.S. officials reportedly told the Times.
One person arrested after car hits Downing Street gates
Officers were pictured searching the vehicle’s boot and removing a large white sheet.
Large sections of Whitehall have been closed to the public and vehicles following the incident.
“Armed officers arrested a man at the scene on suspicion of criminal damage and dangerous driving.
Politics:
132 Dems vote against bill cracking down on fentanyl, cite ‘inequities’ in criminal justice system
The House on Thursday passed legislation that would permanently classify fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I drugs that are subject to the toughest federal prison terms and penalties, over the objection of most Democrats.
Lawmakers approved the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of Fentanyl Act in an 289-133 vote that saw 132 Democrats oppose the bill even though the White House signaled support for it. In the final vote, 74 Democrats supported the bill and only one Republican voted against it.
But during floor debate on the bill, several Democrats argued against the bill by saying the penalties it imposes for producing and selling fentanyl analogues would fall unfairly on minorities. Rep. Sydney Kamlager-Dove, D-Calif., said the bill is a repeat of the “war on drugs” from the 1980s that will result in jail time for “Black and Brown” people.
Newsom Considers Oprah As A Replacement For Dianne Feinstein In Senate
According to a report from the Associated Press, media mogul Oprah Winfrey is being considered as a possible replacement for Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, who is ill and being pressured to step down from her position before the conclusion of her term.
If Feinstein’s seat does in fact become available, Newsom had previously committed to appointing a Black woman for the job, back in 2021.
Winfrey entered politics during the 2022 midterm elections and publicly supported a number of Democrats in high-profile races, including John Fetterman in Pennsylvania, Cheri Beasley in North Carolina, Val Demmings in Florida, Mandela Barnes in Wisconsin, Beto O’Rourke in Texas, Raphael Warnock in Georgia, and Stacey Abrams in Georgia.
Mike Lee threatens to delay debt limit deal in Senate unless spending cuts are ‘substantial’
Sen. Mike Lee pledged on Thursday to delay passage of any debt limit deal struck by House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and President Biden if the spending cuts are not “substantial.”
“I will use every procedural tool at my disposal to impede a debt ceiling deal that doesn’t contain substantial spending and budgetary reforms,” said Mr. Lee, Utah Republican. “I fear things are moving in that direction. If they do, that proposal will not face smooth sailing in the Senate.”
The threat came as negotiators for Mr. McCarthy and the White House appear to be closing in on a deal. While both sides remain far apart over spending cuts, Mr. McCarthy said progress had been made in recent days.
“There are still outstanding issues,” said Mr. McCarthy, California Republican. “I’ve directed our team to work 24/7.”
McCarthy pressed on debt limit: Unsure if we’ll have a deal today
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., joined ‘America’s Newsroom’ to discuss the current state of negotiations on the debt ceiling with President Biden.
Ingraham: There is a lust for battle between these two
Fox News host Laura Ingraham gives her take on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ 2024 presidential announcement and what issues he should prioritize on ‘The Ingraham Angle.’
Trump Is Still the One. The Only One. Now More Than Ever | Opinion
The GOP primary battle has now been joined by Governor Ron DeSantis, who followed Senator Tim Scott, former Governor Nikki Haley, and star investor Vivek Ramaswamy.
All are highly accomplished, talented leaders. But there is a big difference between being a successful governor, legislator, or entrepreneur, and running for President. And it’s something else entirely to run for President against Donald Trump.
In the political ring, he is unlike any other combatant, as the graveyard of his previous GOP opponents attests.
To try to beat him, the current candidates will argue two main points: First, they will argue that unlike Trump, they could win a general election. Second, they will claim that if elected, they could advance his America First policies without being weighed down by his distracting baggage.
He does, after all, have a proven track record. As president, Trump delivered an economic boom through pro-growth policies like tax cuts, regulatory relief, energy independence, and fairer trade deals with China, Japan, Mexico, and South Korea.
The result was robust economic growth, 7 million new jobs, a dramatic increase in middle class family income, a return of 500,000 manufacturing jobs, and unemployment rates at or near-historic lows for every demographic group.
Commentary:
Dumbing down our kids: Our schools are lowering standards & assuming parents aren’t paying attention
From civics to sex-ed. Jill Simonian of PragerU Kids discusses timely headlines happening in our education system. Parents, stay informed and active!
Student Loans 101
How do your kids plan to pay for college?
Taking out student loans may sound like a good idea, but it’s a huge obligation for a young adult to take on.
Before making a decision, learn the basics of student loans, what they are, and how they work with this episode of Cash Course.
Matt Taibbi: This is ‘very concerning’
Investigative journalist Matt Taibbi discusses the timing of the IRS opening a case against him and the lessons he has learned in the aftermath of the Twitter Files.
In The News Feed. 