Monday, November 18, 2024

November 18, 2024

Good morning,

Welcome to the news for independent thinkers

Leading the News . . .

Biden authorizes Ukraine to use US-supplied longer range missiles for deeper strikes inside Russia . . . President Joe Biden has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles to strike deeper inside Russia, easing limitations on the longer range weapons as Russia deploys thousands of North Korean troops to reinforce its war, according to a U.S. official and three other people familiar with the matter. The decision allowing Kyiv to use the Army Tactical Missile System, or ATACMs, for attacks farther inside Russia comes as President Vladimir Putin positions North Korean troops along Ukraine's northern border to try to reclaim hundreds of miles of territory seized by Ukrainian forces. Associated Press

Fury in Russia at 'serious escalation' . . . "Departing US president Joe Biden… has taken one of the most provocative, uncalculated decisions of his administration, which risks catastrophic consequences," declared the website of the Russian government newspaper Rossiyskaya Gazeta on Monday morning. Russian MP Leonid Slutsky, head of the pro-Kremlin Liberal-Democratic Party, predicted that the decision would "inevitably lead to a serious escalation, threatening serious consequences". Russian senator Vladimir Dzhabarov called it "an unprecedented step towards World War Three". BBC

Donald Trump Jr accuses Biden of trying to start WWIII

Politics

Trump's immigration crackdown is expected to start on Day 1 . . . In his first 100 days, President-elect Donald Trump plans to begin the process of deporting hundreds of thousands of people. He is expected to end parole for people from Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela. And he is likely to undo a policy that significantly constrained deportations for people who weren't deemed threats to public safety or national security. Trump's team is already thinking about how to craft executive actions aimed to withstand the legal challenges from immigrants' rights groups. Politico

Republicans hit brakes on Trump demand for speedy recess appointments . . . Confirming Matt Gaetz to run the Justice Department and Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to head the Department of Health and Human Services through recess appointments would be a quick and easy way to fill President-elect Donald Trump's Cabinet in the face of Democratic stonewalling. The idea fell flat on Capitol Hill, even among Republican lawmakers eager to help Mr. Trump fill positions and jump-start his agenda. Washington Times

MAGA world outraged over Mitch McConnell's secret plot to derail Trump's agenda in the Senate . . . Donald Trump's MAGA faithful were outraged after it was leaked that Mitch McConnell hatched a plot to stall his Cabinet nominations in the Senate. The backlash began after a now-deleted tweet from New Yorker staff writer Jane Mayer claimed McConnell told colleagues 'there will be no recess appointments' for the president-elect's cabinet members. Daily Mail

McConnell has stepped down as leader but remains in the Senate for two more years, at least.

Ramaswamy: Some Government Agencies Will Be 'Deleted Outright' . . . Vivek Ramaswamy said on this week's broadcast of FNC's "Sunday Morning Futures" that the soon-to-be-formed Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) will "delete" some government agencies. Ramaswamy said, "Over the last 40 years, even conservatives, we've talked a big game for 40 years about cutting the federal government, about reducing the scope of the federal government. Politicians haven't been able to do it. Breitbart

How has education been doing since we created a Department of Education?

All eyes on House Ethics Committee amid controversy over Gaetz report . . . All eyes will be locked on the House Ethics Committee this week as it weighs whether to release its report into former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) following his nomination by President-elect Trump to serve as attorney general. The question of publishing the report has emerged as a heated debate on Capitol Hill, with some lawmakers in both parties pushing for its release as Gaetz looks to serve as the next chief law enforcement officer, and others — mainly Republicans — arguing that it is moot since he is no longer in Congress. The Hill

Hegseth paid woman after sex assault allegation but denies wrongdoing . . . Pete Hegseth, President-elect Donald Trump's pick for defense secretary, paid a woman who accused him of sexual assault to head off the threat of a baseless lawsuit, according to Hegseth's lawyer. Hegseth was accused of sexual assault in 2017 after a speaking appearance at a Republican women's event in Monterey, California. No charges were filed. His lawyer, Timothy Parlatore, said that the sexual encounter was consensual and that the woman who made the accusation to police several days later was the "aggressor." Associated Press

He says he paid her because he thought the publicity around the lawsuit would damage him professionally amid the Me Too movement. If there's nothing more, this is very unlikely to derail his nomination.

Trump vows investigation into pollster Ann Selzer who predicted he would lose Iowa . . . Hours after top pollster Ann Selzer announced she was retiring from election polling following her shocking miscalculation that Donald Trump would lose Iowa to Vice President Kamala Harris earlier this month, the president-elect vowed that an investigation is "fully called for," accusing Selzer of "election fraud." "A totally Fake poll that caused great distrust and uncertainty at a very critical time. She knew exactly what she was doing. Washington Examiner

Her polls said he was losing by three points, but he won the state by 13.

Culture

Jewish lesbian who supported Trump says she's being pushed out by her friends . . . Tanya Tsikanovsky says she's an "out and proud" lesbian. After voting for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020, she said she has been pushed out of the community after she told friends she was voting for Donald Trump "I definitely feel like I'm on an island alone," said Tanya Tsikanovsky. "The queer people have turned their backs on me, and I'm queer, so it's very painful." Fox 11 LA

Gov. JB Pritzker Vows to Boost Sex Changes to Thwart Trump Agenda . . . Gov. JB Pritzker (D-IL) pledged to launch a campaign to boost radical sex change procedures in his state in response to Donald Trump's landslide election. Pritzker used Transgender Awareness Week — November 12 to 19 — as a platform to showboat over the issue, Fox News reported. "This Transgender Awareness Week, I want you to know that I see you and have your back as governor," Pritzker wrote on X. Breitbart

National Security

Whistleblower warns FBI can't be trusted with background checks for Trump's nominees . . . The allegations of political bias at the FBI's security division, or SecD, were revealed in a protected whistleblower disclosure sent to the House Judiciary Committee, which The Washington Times reviewed. The official said the security clearance process has been "contaminated by the political agendas of [security division] officials and other executives in the FBI." Washington Times

Money

Trump Rethinks Candidates for Treasury Secretary . . . President-elect Donald J. Trump is eyeing a new candidate for Treasury Secretary amid internal debate over who should have the role: the former Federal Reserve governor Kevin Warsh. Mr. Trump is also considering the Wall Street billionaire Marc Rowan. Mr. Trump had been expected to pick either Howard Lutnick, the chief executive of the Wall Street firm Cantor Fitzgerald, or Scott Bessent, the founder of the investment firm Key Square Capital Management and a former money manager for George Soros. New York Times

The posturing by Lutnick and Bessent as they compete for the job has annoyed Trump and his advisors.

Trump Names Oil And Gas CEO Chris Wright To Head Department Of Energy . . . Wright has been a strong champion of oil and gas development, including fracking, a major part of Trump's mission of making the U.S. "energy dominant." The president-elect noted that Wright has a wealth of experience in the energy industry, having worked in nuclear, solar, geothermal, and oil and gas. Daily Caller

Over 800 IRS employees owe millions in back taxes

Spirit Airlines files for bankruptcy as financial losses pile up and debt payments loom . . . Spirit Airlines said Monday that it has filed for bankruptcy protection and will attempt to reboot as it struggles to recover from the pandemic-caused swoon in travel and a failed attempt to sell the airline to JetBlue. Spirit, the biggest U.S. budget airline, has lost more than $2.5 billion since the start of 2020 and faces looming debt payments totaling more than $1 billion over the next year. Spirit said it expects to operate as normal as it works its way through a prearranged Chapter 11 bankruptcy process. Associated Press

You should also know

NYC Bakery Sells Out After Being Slammed by Whoopi Goldberg . . . Business is booming at a historic New York City bakery after Whoopi Goldberg claimed it refused to fill her order due to her political views, which the owner has vehemently denied. On ABC's the View last week, Goldberg accused an unnamed bakery of declining to deliver an order of "Charlotte Russe" desserts for her birthday, but received them anyway after sending someone else to pick them up. Breitbart

Raiders' Brock Bowers and other NFL players celebrate TDs with Trump-inspired dance moves . . . The Trump dance is becoming a trend around the NFL. Raiders tight end Brock Bowers, Titans wide receiver Calvin Ridley and Lions defensive end Za'Darius Smith followed Nick Bosa's lead and celebrated big plays on Sunday with dance moves inspired by President-elect Donald Trump. Bowers had 13 catches for 126 yards and a touchdown for Las Vegas in a 34-19 loss at Miami. The rookie shook his arms and swayed his hips like Trump after a 23-yard catch-and-run TD. Associated Press

Jon 'Bones' Jones performs Donald Trump's famous dance during UFV event after TKO victory

Guilty Pleasures

Watch: Kamala's greatest hits . . . Since seizing the nomination from the ailing Joe Biden in July, our historic vice president reached out to "tha brothas" and "the Daddy Gang" for support. She sat down with Oprah and fantasized about shooting a burglar. She pretended to drink beer with Stephen Colbert. She told us "never again," which accurately describes the number of times she will be asked to run for political office in the future.