Theater of the Absurd in J6 Courtrooms
Julie Kelly, American Greatness
Welcome to the judicial funhouse formally known as the E. Barrett Prettyman Federal Courthouse. One might be inclined to laugh at the absurdity of it all except, of course, it’s not funny. Lives are being systematically destroyed to the obvious pleasure and gratification of taxpayer-paid lawyers and judges, who are the only ones smiling. Unfortunately for many innocent Americans, this theater of the absurd appears for now to be on an unlimited run.

Race Everywhere
Victor Davis Hanson, PJ Media
Class, not race, remains the best litmus test of being underprivileged in 21st century America. It is no longer synonymous with race. No wonder the identity politics industry now strains to attach prefixes such as “systemic” or “implicit” to “racism,” or “micro” to “aggression,” purportedly to ferret out bias that otherwise is not apparent. Pause to reflect that America is the only successful multiracial constitutional republic in history.

Congress Just Threw Ilhan Omar Off the Foreign Affairs Committee, and the Squad Went Bonkers
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
The GOP is standing its ground on a matter not just of partisanship — if Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene isn’t good enough to sit on any committees, then Swalwell and Adam Schiff certainly don’t belong on Intel and Omar simply cannot be on Foreign Affairs — but of principle and the basic standards we should expect out of Congress. If the voters in some of these districts want to send manifestly unfit people to Congress, then they can pay for it.

Democratic Senators Form ‘Gun Violence Prevention Caucus’ After String of Mass Shootings
Katabella Roberts, The Epoch Times
Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Bob Menendez (D-N.J.), Chris Murphy (D-Conn.), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), and John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.) announced the formation of the caucus while condemning the number of mass shootings across the country. “We wake every day to headlines of another mass shooting in this country,” said Feinstein. “We can’t allow this to continue.”

The I-card: Judiciary hearing turns into a circus with a lesson
Byron York, Washington Examiner
What is the I-card? It is the out-of-the-blue injection of the "insurrection," meaning the Jan. 6 Capitol riot. It was clear from Hank Johnson's speech, plus Cicilline's amendment to the amendment, that Democrats saw the pledge proposal as a way to counter the patriotism charge from Republicans and bring up, entirely outside the context of the business at hand, Jan. 6 against the Republican majority. Does anyone think it will be the last time?

Lawmakers Clash over Definition of ‘Work’ in Pennsylvania
The Center Square (Christen Smith), The Star News Network
Legislators in Pennsylvania traditionally spend off-session weeks in their districts, but this time the “work” of constituent relations itself seems contested in the narrowly divided House. In one corner, Republicans protest loud that House Speaker Mark Rozzi, D-Temple, and the rest of his party won’t show up for work. It was his decision to adjourn session until the last day of February, marking nearly two months without any legislative action.

Exclusive! The Secret Lying Contest Between Joe Biden & George Santos
Daniel J. Flynn, The American Spectator
Cynics remotely diagnose the foes as pathological liars. But maybe they just see politics more clearly, truthfully even, than the rest of us. Biden and Santos regard deceit as the sine non qua of their profession. Politicians lie. That’s what they do. Denying this seems as gullible as ignoring that writers periodically tell tall tales to make a point. In recent weeks, Santos’s whoppers appear designed to make it impossible for Biden to match.

Youngkin is right: Virginians support protections when unborn children can feel pain
Marjorie Dannenfelser, The Washington Times
Polling confirms Virginians strongly favor protections for the unborn at 15 weeks, with exceptions for rape, incest, and life of the mother. That includes 64% of Independents, 55% of rank-and-file Democrats, and 56% of women. Even 60% of likely pro-choice voters agree. This puts our commonwealth in good company with virtually the entire world. 47 out of 50 European nations limit elective abortion at 15 weeks or earlier — most around 12 weeks.

No Apologies Over Paul Pelosi
Kurt Schlichter, Townhall
We're not sorry for not believing them. Not believing them is standard operating procedure. It is the only rational and reasonable response to an elite and its toadies fibbing to us about anything and everything. They want our trust? No. They shattered that with their figurative mallet every time they lied to us for short-term advantage. Remember 50 national security pros insisting that Hunter's laptop is Russian disinformation? Well, we do.

Sen. Ted Cruz: Special Counsel Must Examine ‘Connections Between Joe Biden and Hunter Biden’
Susan Jones, CNS News
Cruz said the evidence indicates that Hunter Biden "made a business out of selling access to daddy," possibly by reading materials assembled for his father when his father was vice president. Cruz said if Robert Hur is willing to examine all the evidence, he will look at the trove of Joe Biden's documents stored at the University of Delaware; and he will search Hunter Biden's home and business addresses for documents he may have taken there.

Watchdog Groups Call for Expanded Search for Biden Classified Documents
M.D. Kittle, The Star News Network
The FBI searched Joe Biden’s Delaware beach home Wednesday amid the 46th president’s ongoing documents scandal. FBI officials said the search uncovered no new classified documents, but government watchdogs are calling on the Justice Department to widen its net amid concerns the Biden administration has been less than forthright about the records quest thus far. Paul Kamenar, counsel for the National Legal and Policy Center, called balderdash.

Trump Vows to Introduce Executive Orders Aimed at Preventing ‘Left-Wing Insanity’ on Gender-Affirming Care
Katabella Roberts, The Epoch Times
Beginning his video, former president Trump said that “the left-wing gender insanity being pushed on our children is an act of child abuse, very simple.” If reelected, Trump said he would “revoke Joe Biden’s cruel policies on so-called gender-affirming care” which he called “ridiculous,” pointing to things such as doctors giving children “puberty blockers, mutating their physical appearance, and ultimately performing surgery on minor children.”

The Joe and Hunter Biden scandal convergence
Byron York, Washington Examiner
We learned that also in the house where the documents were found at times was Hunter Biden, the president's formerly drug-addicted son. And of course we know that Hunter Biden spent years cultivating relationships with shady foreign actors. Plus, he was at times addicted to crack and was, to say the least, unreliable when it came to information security. Some Republicans worry Hunter might have been the recipient of classified information.

Acquitted Pro-Life Activist Describes Raid of Family Home by FBI and State Troopers
Susan Berry, PhD, The Star News Network
Veteran Catholic pro-life activist Mark Houck described to Steve Bannon Tuesday the scene at his family’s home on September 23, 2022, when over 20 FBI agents and Pennsylvania state troopers banged on his door at 6:45 a.m. Houck was found not guilty by a jury in federal court Monday of alleged violations of the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances (FACE) Act after being prosecuted by the Biden Department of Justice (DOJ) for his pro-life work.

Antifa link casts Jane’s Revenge attacks on pro-life centers in radical new light
Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times
Dozens of pro-life pregnancy centers have been terrorized by a radical pro-choice outfit calling itself Jane’s Revenge, but now it looks as if the previously unknown group is entwined with a more significant threat: Antifa. Antifa trackers and conservative media outlets linked two Miami residents charged with conspiracy in attacks on crisis pregnancy centers in FL to the shadowy anarchist movement after the DOJ unsealed the federal indictment.

To the Left: You Suck, and Your Things Do Not Work: Part One
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
Just how terribly much the cultural and political Left sucks can’t be ignored. We can do this while recognizing that the Republican Party has a lot of suck in it as well. So we don’t need the whataboutism here. The kind of suckage at issue isn’t organizational or tactical. When I say the Left sucks, I’m talking about suckage on a deep, basic, lizard-brain root level. I’m talking about the kind of suck that doesn’t even know which way is up.

DHS Will Allow Border Agents to Testify on Border Crisis After Subpoena Threats
Caden Pearson, The Epoch Times
In a letter to Alejandro Mayorkas, Comer highlighted how DHS leadership sought to prevent the chief border agents from testifying at the hearing, but later reversed its stance after Comer threatened to use subpoenas. The House Committee on Oversight and Accountability plans to hold the hearing to gather facts from U.S. Border Patrol witnesses. The hearing is titled “On the Front Lines of the Border Crisis: A Hearing with Chief Patrol Agents.”

Biden: Climate Change Is 'Single Most Existential Threat to Humanity,' Worse Than Nuclear Weapons
Susan Jones, CNS News
At a Democrat fundraiser in New York on Tuesday, President Joe Biden described a threat worse than nuclear war -- and that is climate change. "We’re finding ourselves in a situation where you talk about this party (Republicans) denying the existence of climate change, that (it's) not true." As an example, Biden blames "extreme weather," including seasonal storms, on climate change, as he recently did while touring flood damage in California.

Tyre Nichols Isn’t the Only Victim Entitled to the Truth
Julie Kelly, American Greatness
Quick clips of a handful of officers, including Daniel Hodges, who repeatedly referred to Trump supporters as “terrorists” during his public testimony to the January 6 select committee in 2021, have been used to garner sympathy and stoke outrage. If it’s acceptable to make public small segments of body camera footage from selected officers, then the Department of Justice and Mayor Muriel Bowser should order the release of all footage from J6.

What in the Hell Is the Penn Biden Center?
Paul Kengor, The American Spectator
Chi-comm connections aside, even the very essence of the Penn Biden Center as a think tank is questionable. Other than serving as a dubious tribute entity to Joe Biden, I don’t see this thing as doing much. Of course, in the world of academia, that would be no surprise. But in the world of think tanks, it is a surprise. There doesn’t seem to be much thinking going on at this think tank. Other than perhaps thoughts about the next big check.

Will Jordan’s Subcommittee Be Able to Achieve What the ‘Church Committee’ Couldn’t?
Roger L. Simon, The Epoch Times
Strangely missing is the CIA. “Small fry” may be offered as face-saving sacrifices to the subcommittee, but what’s at play here is the deepest belly of the Deep State. The members should avoid being crushed “six ways from Sunday” at all costs. This may be our last chance for individual freedom against the rapacious advances of the globalists. My suggestion is that they prepare—and then prepare again. And if that isn’t enough, prepare some more.

Hammer time: Speaker McCarthy pounds media bias and double standards
Paul Bedard, Washington Examiner
Since his election, McCarthy has made no secret he believes the Washington press corps is biased. [O]n Face the Nation, he bristled when host Margaret Brennan criticized his appointment of “election deniers” to committee posts. Noting that she didn’t complain when Democratic deniers of former President Donald Trump’s election got good committee seats, he said, “If you want to hold Republicans to that equation, why don’t you also hold Democrats?”

Biden Hails the Good Ole Days, When He Hung Out With Train Engineers, Construction Workers; 'Became My Family'
Susan Jones, CNS News
"Back in Delaware, I’m known for riding Amtrak, for being their senator all those years," Biden said: "And most of you know that a senator — as a senator, I rode the train between Washington and Wilmington, and back and forth, every single day that the Senate was in. And they tell me it was about an average 200- — 117 days a year, about 265 miles a day. I put over a million miles on Amtrak — not a joke — including as Vice — including as [VP]."

Former ASU Student Appeals Trespassing Conviction for Handing Out Copies of US Constitution
Neil Jones, The Star News Network
Former ASU student Tim Tizon filed an appeal after being convicted for trespassing while handing out copies of the Constitution. “[T]he core idea here is pretty straightforward. If the First Amendment’s going to mean anything, it means that at the public spaces of a public university, a student should not be arrested for handing out copies of the constitution,” said Tizon's attorney. “What could be a more basic free speech principle than that?”

Tens of thousands of federal employees bilked government of pandemic cash
Stephen Dinan, The Washington Times
Tens of thousands of federal employees stole files bogus pandemic loan requests. Sen. Joni Ernst wants each of them fired. “I hope this money can be recovered, and, to deter those who might ever think of trying to do this again in the future, those who abused the public trust will have their federal employment terminated,” Ernst said in a letter to Michael E. Horowitz, the inspector general leading the Pandemic Response Accountability Committee.

Anarchy, American-Style
Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness
The current revolution is anarchy, utter confusion, pure chaos. “Don’t take off your mask” at a California McDonald’s means the man who ordered that edict is maskless at the French Laundry. The common denominator to the anarchy? The hardcore Left is your FBI, CIA, and Justice Department all in one. It is Nineteen Eighty-Four. It is our era’s J. P. Morgan. No wonder we are confused by the establishment anarchists and the anarchy they produce.

DEI Has Already Killed Public Education
David Catron, The American Spectator
The good work of governors like Kim Reynolds and Florida’s Ron DeSantis notwithstanding, the educator-transmitted DEI infection has metastasized to every organ in the public-education system. Electing new school boards or enacting school voucher programs amount to little more than palliative care. The patient is a goner. Why? The public-education system is particularly susceptible to the DEI infection because it is a government school system.

George Santos: Legend
Kurt Schlichter, Townhall
New York's George Santos is a potent middle finger in the face of our enemies. We are not going to apply one set of rules to ourselves that helps Democrats while the Democrats apply another set of rules to themselves that helps Democrats. The age of sap Republicans is over. And if you want to go back to the Old Rules, we’ll know it when we see Blumenthal doing the duffle bag drag and Warren walking off into the sunset down the trail of tears.

Ohio Congressman Calls Out FDA for ‘Illegal’ Approval of Mail-Order Abortifacients
Bradley Vasoli, The Star News Network
U.S. Representative Bob Latta (R-OH-5) is leading a charge by conservative federal lawmakers against the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) relaxation of safety requirements for abortion drugs so consumers can access them by mail. The Bowling Green-area lawmaker coauthored a letter with U.S. Senator Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS) and garnered signatures from 75 other members of Congress to insist that the FDA’s recent actions violate federal law.

Djokovic Defeats Pfizer and Moderna in Straight Sets
Roger L. Simon, The Epoch Times
Djokovic, by himself, doesn’t mean the vaccines (or shots) are bad. Yet with all the stories of fit athletes across the world mysteriously dropping dead or passing out, you can’t but wonder. It should now be clear that healthy people under the age of 50, possibly even 60, should never have put these experimental drugs in their bodies. Even though I am older than that, I regret having done so myself very early on. I didn’t touch the boosters.

January 6 Was the Worst Incident of Police Brutality Since Civil Rights Era
Julie Kelly, American Greatness
What made January 6 different than other protests? The answer is obvious. Trump supporters are considered subhuman by the ruling class. They are not entitled to the same protections, either constitutional or personal security, as any other group of Americans. That’s why police unleashed their fury on January 6 with impunity. Not only have they faced no consequences, both departments have received congressional and presidential medals of valor.

Trump says he’s ‘more committed now’ in the first early stops of the 2024 campaign
Seth McLaughlin, The Washington Times
Mr. Trump marked his return to early primary states that played an oversized role in powering his stunning rise in the 2016 race for the White House. “We are starting right here as a candidate for president,” Mr. Trump said in New Hampshire. “To save America we need a leader who is prepared to take on the forces laying waste to our country and we need a president who is ready to hit the ground running on Day One and boy am I hitting the ground."

‘Ground Zero’ Arizona Republicans Sounding Alarm over Fentanyl Flowing from Border
The Center Square (Cameron Arcand) -- The Star News Network
Arizona GOP state legislators doubled down on their call to action on the border crisis, particularly on fentanyl, at a news conference on Thursday. The legislators said that the rise in fentanyl deaths in the state is deeply concerning and called for more resources to support law enforcement and greater education on prevention techniques like the use of naloxone for accidental overdose deaths. "We need to take swift action to deal with it."

America’s Allies Should Consider Going Nuclear
Doug Bandow, The American Spectator
Despite the hopes of abolitionists, nuclear weapons are not going to disappear. Pandora’s box has been opened, and there is no way to press nuclear knowledge, along with the weapons, back into it. The best Washington can do is restrict their use to the defense of America. And step out of the way if friendly democratic powers in Asia or Europe decide to develop their own. Ultimately, the problem is the messy world, not the addled Biden admin.

Pro-Life Activists Face Prison Time as DOJ Increases FACE Act Prosecutions
Beth Brelje, The Epoch Times
Passed in 1994, the FACE Act chilled some pro-life activity at abortion facilities. Starting in the late 1980s, thousands of pro-life activists willing to face low-level trespassing charges used to hold sit-ins, pray, and carry signs at abortion facilities around the country. But after the fatal shootings of two abortionists and three facility workers in the early 1990s, the FACE Act—which calls for federal prison and fines—was implemented.

Biden Judicial Nominee Stumped by Sen. Kennedy’s Questions About Constitution
Craig Bannister, CNS News
Sen. Kennedy’s tweet introduces video clips where he questioned Spokane County Superior Court Judge Charnelle Bjelkengren, Pres. Biden’s nominee to serve as a federal judge in the Eastern District of Washington. When Kennedy asked Bjelkengren to “Tell me what Article V of the Constitution does,” she replied that “Article V is not coming to mind, at the moment.” “How about Article II?” Kennedy asked. “Neither is Article II,” Bjelkengren said.

Re-Electing Ronna McDaniel Is the GOP’s Worst-Case Scenario
Kurt Schlichter, Townhall
Harmeet Dhillon’s the one. She’s got the plan. She’s got the energy. She’s got the new blood. And she’s tough. Electors, take note. How will Ronna motivate the people you ignored if you re-elect her? It’s ironic if Ronna were to win this RNC Chair race, her sole election victory while in that position would be to defeat the very Republican voters who she expects to dial phones, knock on doors, and open their thin wallets for the GOP in 2024.

The Real Differences Between the Biden and Trump Document Troves
Victor Davis Hanson, PJ Media
Did Hunter Biden ever consult or view classified documents while living in a home with them? Will there be fingerprint or DNA tests? Trump possessed contested documents as a private citizen. Biden’s files under contention involve the current behavior of the president of the United States. Biden ran for office, was elected, and serves as president with the full knowledge that during all this time he unlawfully possessed classified documents.

‘CRITICAL’: Sen. Cruz Calls for FBI to ‘Immediately’ Search Hunter Biden’s Home, Offices for Classified Documents
Craig Bannister, CNS News
“I actually want to make clear: I think it’s not just the files at the University of Delaware” the FBI should be searching for classified documents mishandled by Joe Biden, Sen. Ted Cruz said in his podcast. "It’s CRITICAL that the FBI searches Hunter Biden’s home & office locations given the vast evidence of corruption involving Hunter & Joe,” Sen. Cruz tweeted. A judge would have to find probable cause to issue the FBI a search warrant.

Penn Biden Center Hosted ‘Bootcamp’ for Congressional Staffers Promoting Closer China Ties
Bradley Vasoli, The Star News Network
President Joe Biden’s D.C.-based think tank operated by the University of Pennsylvania reportedly held a two-day “bootcamp” last year during which congressional staffers were urged to support greater cooperation between the United States and China. In the three years after the center was founded and Biden became a Penn professor, donations and contract payments from China-based corporations and research institutions totaled over $60 million.

Big Brother Gets a Seat in Your Car
Steven Greenhut, The American Spectator
Instead of allowing the marketplace to develop new technologies, government jumps on the technology-forcing bandwagon — and contorts it toward its own ends. Of course, a new government mandate will direct taxpayer funds to firms that build what our overseers prefer rather than what the market demands. Or we can just let the market work and expect, say, insurance companies to offer discounts for those who voluntarily buy the new technology.

US disarms itself to aid Ukraine
Byron York, Washington Examiner
There is another growing worry about the amount of U.S. military aid to Ukraine. The Biden administration is sending so many weapons to Ukraine that the U.S., already underprepared for a major war, is running low on munitions for its own defense. In effect, the U.S. is disarming itself to aid Ukraine. That would be troubling in any event but is especially so amid growing tensions with China over Taiwan. How deeply to commit to the current war?

Harmeet Dhillon warns of ‘crony capitalism’ at RNC, breaks with Trump on early voting
Seth McLaughlin, The Washington Times
Ms. Dhillon, who hopes to unseat RNC Chair Ronna McDaniel, said she would lead a full audit to find out who was hired and why to prepare for a shake-up after several disappointing election cycles. In an interview with The Washington Times, Ms. Dhillon said the RNC needs to take a more proactive approach to promote early voting and ballot harvesting. Her plan breaks with former President Trump, who said voting before Election Day invites fraud.

Georgia Should Crush Antifa Without Mercy
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
Our experience seems to show that modern ways, humane though they may be, are a bit less effective in proving to the fanatics that their theories don’t work. Governor Kemp might at least send the state troopers or even the Georgia National Guard into the Atlanta Autonomous Zone to inflict a modicum of violence and incarceration among the insurrectionist Antifa mob before this affront to law and order destroys what remains of his capital city.

9 of the 10 Markets with the Highest Gasoline Prices Run by Democrats in 2022
Craig Bannister, CNS News
Except for Alaska, every one of the 10 markets where consumers pay the highest prices for a gallon of gas was run by a Democrat in 2022, analysis of AAA data released Tuesday reveals. At a national average of $3.45, the cost of a gallon of Regular gas on Tuesday was: Up 2 cents from Monday, Up 12 cents from a week earlier, Up 35 cents from a month ago, and Up 12 cents a year ago. Nationally, there are 26 Republicans and 24 Democrat governors.

Looking at the 2024 Presidential Election Way Too Early
Roger L. Simon, The Epoch Times
Ironically, the Democratic side may be easier to call. President Biden (whether he really won in 2020 or not) has huge and growing problems as his family’s foreign business dealings will be the subject of congressional investigations for the better part of this year and much of the next. On the GOP side, Trump would appear to remain supreme, at least if we are to believe the polls and the size of his crowds. But he does have an Achilles’ heel.

Youngkin’s Business, Personal Tax Cuts Pass Out of House
Eric Burk, The Star News Network
The Virginia House of Delegates passed Governor Glenn Youngkin’s bills to cut the business tax rate from six to five percent and the top individual income tax bracket from 5.75 to 5.5 percent. The two bills would also increase individual and business income tax deductions. The bills will need Democrat support to pass out of the Senate; House Democrats argued in favor of an alternate suite of tax relief more targeted at low-and moderate-incomes.

Pat's Pen. It carried more weight than most.
Scott McConnell, American Conservative
Pat Buchanan retiring -- I cannot say enough about what Buchanan managed to do in the ‘90s and after, creating almost single-handedly a counterpoint to an establishment conservatism that was not conserving anything, all the while subject to regular, orchestrated abuse from the most influential media organs in that establishment conservative world. It was abuse that, in my experience of his reaction, seemed to genuinely surprise him. Long may he run.

Police Injured by ‘Friendly Fire’ on January 6
Julie Kelly, American Greatness
Potent gas that caused dozens of officers to struggle to breathe, see, or stand—some reportedly vomited—was used needlessly by law enforcement itself against a crowd obeying police commands and respecting barriers at the time. How many of the 140 or so officers reportedly injured on January 6 were hurt by the actions of their own colleagues? The false narrative about Sicknick’s death will remain intact and leveraged for political purposes.

Ron Klain Is Biden’s Brain (And He’s Leaving)
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
If you want to know why the lies and corruption are so pervasive within government, all you really have to do is look at the backgrounds and connections of the people metastasizing the rot. And Klain, would-be election thief, Supreme Court fixer, Obama hack, and ghost author of a plagiarized book, runs through 30 years of Democrat corruption in Washington. We should be glad — no, ecstatic — that he’s gone. He’s done too much damage already.

Attorney General Merrick Garland Warns States on 'Reproductive Freedoms'
Susan Jones, CNS News
U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland issued a warning: Any attempt by the states to ban or restrict abortion may be met with federal intervention of some kind, including lawsuits. "On the day Roe was overturned, I said the Justice Department would use every tool at its disposal to protect the rights of Americans to their reproductive freedoms. And that is what we have done. That is what we will continue to do," Garland told a news conference.

6 States Ponder New ‘School Choice’ Programs; Florida Eyes ‘Universal’ Expansion
John Haughey, The Epoch Times
Lawmakers in at least six states, including Texas, will ponder 2023 bills proposing to establish new “school choice” programs with Florida legislators looking to expand what is already the nation’s largest use of taxpayer dollars for private school tuitions when they convene in March. For advocates, “school choice” describes programs that give parents state money to send their children to a school of their choice, including private schools.

The Institutional Hostage Crisis
Christopher F. Rufo, City Journal
With his “hostile takeover” of the New College board, Governor DeSantis has initiated the first-ever attempt to recapture a public university from the intersectional bullies and to restore the necessary preconditions for a classical liberal education: respect for the institution, a commitment to civil discourse, and the pursuit of truth, rather than ideology. There is no guarantee that this gambit will work; we must defy the left's intimidation.

The never-ending war on Brett Kavanaugh
Byron York, Washington Examiner
It does not matter that none of it was true, that the accusations fell apart. Now, when the stories should be receding into the past, Hollywood steps in to try to fire them up again. Justice, the new documentary, won't change the facts of the case. It won't make the accusers more credible. But it can keep the protests going, and it can fuel efforts on the Left to delegitimize the Supreme Court. That's the poisonous legacy of the Kavanaugh affair.

Are Americans Still Capable of Self-Government?
David Catron, The American Spectator
The immense power wielded by today’s corporate media is unprecedented. But thankfully, their power isn’t absolute. Donald Trump defeated Hillary Clinton in 2016 partly because he used social media to circumvent the media and communicate directly to the voters. And, in February, the Supreme Court will hear a case that may end up weakening the unholy alliance between Big Tech and the corporate media. Self-government is not a passive undertaking.

Reckless Reparations Reckoning
Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness
If there has been any lesson, it is massive infusions of federal money are more apt to ensure social disruption and dislocation than alleviate them. In sum, it would be hard to imagine a more volatile idea than racial reparations in our current multiracial society. But if the goal of the architects of reparations is to accelerate our rendezvous with the former Yugoslavia or Rwanda, then it certainly may get us there far sooner than we think.

251,487: Record Number of Border Crossers Last Month; Biden Says GOP Using Number to 'Score Political Points'
Susan Jones, CNS News
The 251,487 undocumented migrants encountered at the border in December 2022 is up 7 percent from the 234,896 encountered in November 2022; up 40.29 percent from the 179,253 encountered in December 2021; and up a whopping 239.87 percent from the 73,994 undocumented migrants encountered in December 2020, the final month of Donald Trump's presidency. Republicans in Congress insist that border security comes before any so-called Biden "reforms."

The Case for Another Term for Win-Free Ronna McDaniel
Kurt Schlichter, Townhall
Some real talk. There is no case for Ronna McDaniel getting another term. She did not get it done in her three chances to date, and there is no indication she will start getting it done in the future. Maybe she’s a nice lady. Maybe not. I don’t care. Nor should you. More importantly, the 168 committee members who will cast their secret ballot on 1/27 should not care either. They should elect Harmeet Dhillon. There is no case for Ronna McDaniel.

Like DeSantis, Every Republican Lawmaker Should Block College Board’s Critical Race Theory Class
Joy Pullmann, The Federalist
It’s no coincidence DeSantis presided over a major vote-integrity effort as well as worked hard to defund race Marxists in schools, and was among one of the few Republican bright spots. Republicans who want to energize their voters should just copy everything DeSantis does until they figure it out, starting with his use of his authority to stop wicked idealogues from teaching American children to hate each other based on outward appearances.

‘Friendly Skies’? Interview With an Unvaccinated Pilot Suing United Airlines
Roger L. Simon, The Epoch Times
The government has bought in on United (and other airlines). Floyd pointed out United’s behavior opens the door for the potential of all kinds of dangerous corporate control over its workers, one example being requiring female employees to get abortions or be terminated. He feels he and the others didn’t have a choice but to file their suit against United and its senior management. It was a moral imperative. The NCLU is helping finance their suit.

The Justice Department’s Double Standards on Classified Documents
Kimberley Strassel, Wall Street Journal
There isn't equal treatment. Hillary Clinton and Joe Biden are handled with kid gloves. Carter Page and Donald Trump—not to mention low-profile suspects—face the bluntest federal law-enforcement tools. Despite all these advantages, Mr. Biden nonetheless faces a special counsel investigation. Yet the history here requires that probe receive extra scrutiny. The Justice Department seems unlikely to be done bestowing conveniences on this president.

Biden: 'I Have No Regrets' About 'Handful of Documents...Filed in the Wrong Place'
Susan Jones, CNS News
Biden said last week: "we found a handful of documents that were failed — were filed in the wrong place. We immediately turned them over to the Archives and the Justice Department. We’re fully cooperating and looking forward to getting this resolved quickly. I think you’re going to find there’s nothing there. I have no regrets. I’m following what the lawyers have told me they want me to do. It’s exactly what we’re doing. There is no there there."

DeSantis Admin Requires Universities to Report Transgender Medical Procedures on Students
Dan M. Berger, The Epoch Times
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, in a memo to the chairs of the boards of trustees on Jan. 11, requested data from state universities on the number of transgender treatments performed on students under 18. Chris Spencer, director of the Governor’s Office of Policy and Budget, told the universities in a Jan. 11 memo to “provide all information or data for all individuals, including those who were under 18 at the time of any encounter or treatment.”

How RNC Policy Lost a Winnable House Seat
Matt Braynard, American Greatness
The RNC is responsible for two technology platforms that it makes available to state parties and campaigns: voter data, which is managed by their designated vendor, Data Trust, and online fundraising, which is managed by another designated vendor, WinRed. It became clear to me that the RNC’s primary goal with using those platforms wasn’t to help Republican candidates so much as to enrich RNC-connected consultants. Harmeet Dhillon would fix it.

​

Bye, Jacinda -- She’s one more neocommunist failure who ran her country aground
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
We’ll probably see Jacinda Ardern again. The same global media who inflicted her on us will no doubt find ways of continuing to do so. She’s only 43, and it’s inevitable that they’re going to try to elevate this overemotional, jumped-up leftist mediocrity beyond the touch of the voters. None of which changes the fact she’s one more neocommunist failure who couldn’t respect the rightful limits on government power and ran her country aground.

It’s official: Trump’s tax cuts paid for themselves
Stephen Moore, Washington Examiner
Democrats want to repeal a tax cut that worked. This would be like firing a coach who wins every game. An obvious question is, why are we running a $1.4 trillion deficit if we have an all-time high in tax payments? Because under Biden, spending has exploded to more than $6 trillion. Washington doesn’t have a revenue problem. It has a problem of runaway spending. It’s almost as if Congress is pleading for help: Stop us before we spend again.

Mexico Is Not Really an American Friend
Victor Davis Hanson, PJ Media
Mexico is a left-wing nation. The more it sends its poor to the United States, the more it feels Democratic politicians who grant concessions to Mexico will gain valuable new political constituents – ensuring still further concessions. One sure sign of historic national decline is the collective inability of a government and its people to defend their own borders and national sovereignty. Mexico would happily agree. Biden made it possible.

McCarthy Will Yank Dems From Committees, Give Left Stiff Dose of Its Own Poison
DeRoy Murdock, The American Spectator
Republicans must stop being nice to Democrats. Democrats play scorched-Earth politics. Fine. Republicans should scorch the Earth beneath their feet. If Democrats want to return to the bipartisanship of Republican President Reagan and Democrat Speaker Tip O’Neill — who battled politically until 5 p.m. and then shared drinks and jokes after hours — they can apologize and buy the first round. Until that joyous day, may Democrat toes smolder.

Democrats Once Again Resist A Supreme Court Demand That They Respect Our Civil Rights
Kurt Schlichter, Townhall
You will never use your gun in a crime or use it to rob or rape, to steal property or freedom. But it is your guns they target, and only your guns. Do they enforce these gun laws in the Democrat cities? Nope. Do they enforce them when it is a prominent Democrat’s son? Get real. Will they enforce them on you even on the flimsiest of technicalities? Hell yes. They just tried to make millions of you with pistol braces felons by executive decree.

‘Walt’s Disenchanted Kingdom’: New Film Explores How Disney Abandoned Family-Friendly Entertainment for ESG, LGBTQ Activism
Craig Bannister, CNS News
Subtitled “How Disney is losing its way,” the film explores Disney’s degeneration from an iconic, beloved family entertainment enterprise to an activist political operation opposing parental rights and bent on indoctrinating children into liberal, “woke” gender and sexual ideologies. The film features the insights of renowned conservative leaders, such as MRC’s Bozell, Dr. Ben Carson and Bill Donohue, whose organization produced the film.

Penn Biden Center Appears to Have Published Little to No Original Scholarship
Bradley Vasoli, The Star News Network
The office takes up 13,800 square feet of space on Constitution Avenue, and Biden raked in $900,000 as its figurehead. Penn undergraduates acquired internships at the center but reputedly did not often see the soon-to-be president, who only gave occasional lectures rather than teaching full courses. And neither Biden nor any of his colleagues at the new institution appear to have engaged in much, if any, academic research for the university.

CDC Left Serious Adverse Events Off Post-Vaccination Surveys Despite Knowledge of Possible Link, Documents Show
Zachary Stieber, The Epoch Times
Even before the surveys were rolled out in December 2020 after the first vaccines were authorized, the CDC knew myocarditis—a form of heart inflammation since confirmed as being caused by the Pfizer and Moderna shots—and other serious adverse events were of “special interest” when it came to the vaccines, according to a newly disclosed version of the protocol for the survey system. Updated versions of the protocol list the same 15 adverse events.

The Election of Republican National Committee Chair Is ‘About the Money’
Roger L. Simon, The Epoch Times
Do not make your political donations to amorphous organizations like the RNC. You have no control of where your money will be going or how it will be spent, or even if it is being used to support policies with which you agree. You could be working completely against what you believe. Donate your money to individual candidates whose policies you know you approve. You can follow the person's actions to make sure they fulfill their promises.

Biden’s big government is getting bigger and reaching further into Americans’ lives
Haris Alic, The Washington Times
Mr. Biden entered office with more than 11 million people employed by the federal government in some capacity, according to the Brookings Institution. That number is expected to grow since Mr. Biden and Congress approved big spending programs. The president’s $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan, $1.2 trillion infrastructure package and $740 billion Inflation Reduction Act each included significant money for new government contracts and grants.

A Parliament of Whores in Davos
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
WEF Davos is now a giant bitch session about ordinary people and all the ways we’re making the lives of our betters more difficult. They hate us. Though they would surely like to do figuratively to us what they’re literally doing in those hotels with the escort-service pros. Except the prostitutes will make out considerably better than we will if Schwab’s Great Reset is ever put in place. It’s gobbledygook, but it isn’t that hard to parse.

Biden's ESG Investment Rules Threaten Your Retirement Savings
Stephen Moore, CNS News
What is insidious about the new Biden administration ESG rules is they permit and even tacitly encourage portfolio managers at firms such as BlackRock to violate their fiduciary duty to clients by allowing ESG factors to trump sound investment decisions. Federal regulators are supposed to be ensuring the soundness of retirement funds, not shrinking them. ESG companies were often worse when it came to labor and environmental law compliance.

Biden and the sanctuaries' dilemma: 'We're trying to make it easier for people to get here'
Byron York, Washington Examiner
President Joe Biden spoke after a sanitized four-hour visit to El Paso. "We're trying to make it easier for people to get here." Could the president have made his position any clearer? Indeed, Biden's appointees at the Department of Homeland Security have created a new way, an app called "CBP One," in which would-be illegal crossers can make an appointment to cross into the United States and have U.S. officials waiting to wave them through.

Ohio School Administrators Admit to Sneaking Critical Race Theory into Schools
Hannah Poling, The Star News Network
Mere days after GOP State Senator Sandra O’Brien (R-Ashtabula) re-introduced the Parental Education Freedom Act, an undercover investigation has revealed that school administrators in Columbus, Ohio, are sneaking Critical Race Theory (CRT) into the classroom. As part of Accuracy in Media‘s investigation, numerous school administrators admitted teachers are sneakily and covertly introducing CRT to their students unbeknownst to their parents.

New Body Worn Camera Footage from J6 Supports Calls for Release of All Video
Julie Kelly, American Greatness
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy and Representative Matt Gaetz are on record supporting the release of 14,000 hours of surveillance video from January 6. That demand has been met with some resistance from law enforcement; Capitol police officer Harry Dunn, who claimed protesters called him a racial slur with no evidence to prove his claim more than two years later, mocked the idea the tapes should be made public. We want the unvarnished truth.

Don’t Forget: The Bidens Are Trash
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
Biden Filegate looks less and less like a Nixonian Modified Limited Hangout and more like somebody has decided to unload Dirty Joe before he tries to cement himself as the Democrats’ nominee for president in 2024. In other words, we all know he’s trash. He’s been trash for a very undistinguished and sordid 50 years in public life. But it might well be that his party has decided to bring him to the city dump. The Bidens did it to themselves.

Comer: Hunter Biden Lived At and 'Paid for a Lot of Living Expenses at Joe Biden's House'
Susan Jones, CNS News
Comer on Monday called Hunter Biden "a national security risk." "We know that Hunter Biden had business associates that worked for the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]; we know that he had a business associate that was considered the head spymaster for the CCP; we know that, as Ratcliffe said, he was involved with some less than stellar people from Ukraine, from Russia, and, you know, we believe that Hunter Biden is a national security risk."

Unlike Trump’s, Biden’s Classified Document Scandal Is Real
John Nolte, Breitbart
Biden’s documents were scattered. Biden was surprised to learn of these discoveries, which means he had no idea what he had. So you can bet the National Archives had no idea what he had. Looks like wherever Joe goes, he leaves behind America’s secrets. You get the sense Biden was throwing classified documents around like confetti. The people in charge of ferreting Biden’s classified docs are his own people. Are we not being told the half of it?

Kentucky Parents Fear for Children’s Safety After Student Who Wrote ‘Kill List’ Is Allowed to Return to School: Reports
Katabella Roberts, The Epoch Times
The student at Conner High School in Hebron, KY, who has not been identified, allegedly threatened several eighth-grade students in 2021 and suggested he would carry out a mass shooting. Some of the students named on his alleged “kill list” include the school principal’s son, according to local reports. The student was reportedly welcomed back to the school this month, a year after being expelled, prompting outrage and concern among parents.

Report: Children Under 14 Dying from Fentanyl Poisoning at Faster Rate than Any Other Age Group
The Center Square (Bethany Blankley), The Star News Network
Children under age 14 are dying from fentanyl poisoning at a faster rate than any other age group, according to a new analysis from Families Against Fentanyl. In the past two years, synthetic opioid (fentanyl) deaths among children surged. Fentanyl-related deaths among infants (children under age one) quadrupled from 2019 to 2021; more than tripled among children between the ages of 1 and 4 and nearly quadrupled among children between the ages of 5 and 14.

The Manic Methods of Mad Democrats
Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness
or all Joe Biden’s talk about “semi-fascist” and “un-American,” “ultra-MAGA” Republicans, it is the Democratic Party that has far more radically changed. It is descended into a woke, neo-socialist, radically green party. And it is committed, as Barack Obama once promised, to fundamentally transforming America. How it proceeds with that agenda is now as entirely predictable as it is creepy. We are faced with a no-nonsense revolutionary party.

Was the Mar-a-Lago Raid a Biden Insurance Policy?
David Catron, The American Spectator
It’s probable that the Mar-a-Lago raid was just a preemptive exercise in damage control designed to make “Car-a-Lago” appear more innocuous than it really is. Its purpose was to indemnify Biden against serious consequences from his own misuse of classified material. This suggestion will be easy to write off by the usual suspects as a conspiracy theory, but Biden and the Democrats have been caught concocting more than one genuine conspiracy.

Rep. Jim Jordan: Why Do Democrats' Lawyers Get to Find and Hand Over Documents?
Susan Jones, CNS News
Why, Jordan asked on Sunday, are Biden's personal attorneys -- who do not have active security clearance -- allowed to do the searching? There's the obvious thing that so many people have talked about. It's this -- it's this double standard. It's -- Clinton mishandles classified information, they get certain -- Biden mishandled classified information, they get treated a certain way. And then, of course, President Trump gets his home raided..."

Senator Wants ‘Full Accounting’ of ‘Highly Concerning’ Capitol Police Failures, Delayed Jan. 6 Evacuations
Joseph M. Hanneman, The Epoch Times
Congress owes the people “a full accounting” of the critical delay in evacuating lawmakers at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson said. “I’ve sent numerous oversight letters to Capitol Police regarding the security failures on January 6th,” Johnson told The Epoch Times. “While I have received some information in response to my inquiries, many people responsible for security on that day have repeatedly failed to cooperate.”

Republican Faction Works with Democrats to Move the Party Left, Push Open Primaries, Ranked Choice Voting
Rachel Alexander, The Star News Network
As Democrats take over Arizona, progressives on both sides of the aisle move to codify policy prescriptions. Once group, Save Democracy Arizona (SDA), is looking into getting an initiative on the ballot in 2024 that would open up primary elections to everyone and possibly implement ranked choice voting. The new group is composed of Democrats and also moderate Republicans who seek to stop conservative Republicans from getting elected to office.

Mitch Daniels for Senate in 2004!
Kurt Schlichter, Townhall
Mitch Daniles is weak and defers to the establishment and institutions that hate us. We need GOP senators who recognize that this is not the turn of the century, that what our enemies falsely call “principles” and “norms” represent the weaponization of our good nature and moral grounding in order to disenfranchise and silence us. Mitch Daniels would rather throw down his guns and throw up his hands when faced with icky and uncomfortable fights.

What the January 6 Videos Will Show
Julie Kelly, American Greatness
Kevin McCarthy endorsed Gaetz’s calls to release the footage. “I think the American public should actually see all what happened. Yes, I’m engaged to do that.” If McCarthy follows through on his promise, the world will see the biggest inside job—an actual coup—in U.S. history unfold before their eyes. Not only is it necessary to expose the truth of January 6 but to exonerate innocent Americans whose lives have been destroyed in the aftermath.

Drip … Drip … Drip
Daniel J. Flynn, The American Spectator
Whatever the seriousness of the underlying alleged crime, the handling of it seems unpardonable. The White House knew of this story on November 2. For obvious reasons, the administration kept this a secret until after the election. Did they hide this matter for another two months hubristically believing the story might magically evaporate because of a press and a DOJ that went from #Resistance to triple-heart emojis upon Biden’s inauguration?

Trump sees opportunity in Biden’s classified document turmoil
Joseph Clark, The Washington Times
Donald Trump wants to cash in on Joe Biden’s classified documents scandal. In a fundraising email, Mr. Trump called on his supporters to “step up and FIGHT BACK” against a “clear DOUBLE STANDARD” after the White House disclosed that Mr. Biden’s aides had discovered five additional pages of classified documents at his Delaware home. “5 MORE CLASSIFIED DOCUMENTS found in Biden’s home! WHERE’S THE RAID?,” the email from Mr. Trump’s campaign reads.

Oversight Chairman Comer: 'The Democrats' Chickens Are Coming Home to Roost'
Susan Jones, CNS News
Comer: "I would say the Democrats' chickens are coming home to roost. So they had to respond in kind. But let me be clear. This special counsel better be just focused on Biden's classification, his handling of classified documents, not on our investigation. We're investigating the Biden family influence peddling. I think you see, with what we have learned about the Biden Center for Diplomacy, their major donor were anonymous donors from China."

Congress Must Ban Chinese Money to Our Universities and Professors
Roger L. Simon, The Epoch Times
Florida Gov. Ron De Santis is eying banning “China-based entities” from purchasing property in his state because of the economic and security risks. Between those Chinese entities and Bill Gates, a fair percentage of U.S. arable land is already out of the hands of our citizens. Congress should take its cue from Governor Ron DeSantis and ban those same China-based entities from investing in or donating to any part of our educational system.

Florida Cracks Down on Companies That Hire Illegal Foreign Nationals, Won’t Comply with E-Verify Laws
The Center Square (Bethany Blankley), The Star News Network
The state of Florida is cracking down on companies that aren’t complying with E-verify laws in an attempt to ensure they aren’t hiring people who are in the country illegally, including the American National Red Cross. The state Department of Economic Opportunity sent letters to six companies putting them on notice that if they don’t reply by January 16, their business licenses will be suspended and they won’t be able to operate in Florida.

What Caused the Political Hysteria?
Victor Davis Hanson, American Greatness
Anti-Trump zealots, when out of power, insist such extraordinary measures should not be emulated and institutionalized by their opponents, much less ever boomeranged back upon their creators. Should the Republican House majority reply in kind? Somehow supposedly worldly and sophisticated partisans in their self-righteousness ignored ancient laws of what goes around comes around, of Karma, of Nemesis, of payback’s a bit—h, and all that stuff.

Yes, Biden’s Filegate Is Impeachable
Scott McKay, The American Spectator
It doesn’t matter that Senate Dems won’t take up the impeachments. The House impeachment trials are just the right kinds of ordeals that can shake loose chaos in the administration to match what it’s done to the American people. Remember Trump’s first impeachment and what a distraction and a mess that was? Why wouldn’t we want to gum up Biden’s team in a similar way? Create discomfort for Biden and his cabal. And see what it shakes loose.

Gingrich on Biden/Documents Case: 'This Is Not Going to Go Away. It's Going to Get Bigger'
Susan Jones, CNS News
Republicans are redoubling their pressure on AG Merrick Garland to appoint a special prosecutor. "If the FBI were serious, they would be looking at all of Biden's multiple homes; they'd be looking at all of Biden's offices for last ten years, just to figure out what else is there out there that we haven't seen yet?" Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich told Fox News on Wednesday night. "This is not going to go away. It's going to get bigger."

DeSantis Eyes Ban on China-Based Entities From Purchasing Florida Property
Andrew Thornebrooke, The Epoch Times
“If you look at the Chinese Communist Party, they’ve been very active throughout the Western Hemisphere in gobbling up land and investing in different things,” Gov. DeSantis said on Jan. 10. “And, you know, when they have interests that are opposed to ours, and you’ve seen how they’ve wielded their authority… it is not in the best interests of Florida to have the Chinese Communist Party owning farmland, owning land close to military bases.”

The Conservatives’ Game of Chicken Pays Off, We Hope
Kurt Schlichter, Townhall
This whole “THE GOP CANNOT EVEN ELECT A SPEAKER” thing will fade, to be followed by “THE GOP IS UNABLE TO GOVERN” thing that will follow when conservatives flex their new-found muscles. There are going to be more fights, and while we should not engage in dumb ones, some fights are necessary. Was this one? Yes, maybe not exactly as it went down, but in the end, we got the right Speaker and the right rules. So, it’s a good beginning. I hope.

Trump eyes S.C. event in late January to jump-start campaign in early primary state
Tom Howell, Jr., The Washington Times
Former President Donald Trump is planning to accelerate his 2024 campaign for the White House with an event this month in South Carolina. The late January event in Columbia will not be a rally but an “intimate” function to debut his leadership operation, Politico reports. Mr. Trump announced his bid in November, an unusually early launch as he contends with a series of criminal and civil probes. But the campaign had been relatively quiet.

McCarthy Is Our First Ceremonial House Speaker
David Catron, The American Spectator
For now, these people have what they wanted. The speakership has been reduced to a ceremonial position, and they wield far more power on House committees than their numbers justify. Now they must prove that they can govern with the narrow majority they were so anxious to control. Then they will know if “the juice was worth the squeeze.” If not, they won’t get much sympathy, and they certainly won’t be able to blame Speaker Kevin McCarthy.