December 4, 2024
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Welcome to the news for independent thinkers
Leading the News . . .
Trump considers DeSantis for defense secretary as Hegseth appears to falter . . . President-elect Donald Trump is considering nominating Republican presidential rival Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis as defense secretary, according to two people familiar with the situation. DeSantis would replace Pete Hegseth, whose prospects for confirmation appear to be dimming amid allegations of sexual assault and alcohol abuse. A final decision has not been made, according to the two people, who were granted anonymity to discuss internal matters. Politico
Politics
Judge overseeing Hunter Biden tax case blasts President Biden for pardon . . . The federal judge overseeing Hunter Biden's tax case sharply criticized President Biden late Tuesday night for pardoning his son, accusing the president of misrepresenting the facts of the case when he announced the move. In a brief five-page order, U.S. District Judge Mark Scarsi said that "no reasonable person" who looks at the facts of Hunter Biden's tax case would conclude that he was singled out for political reasons. Washington Times
A political vendatta against Biden by his own Justice Department? Can't they think of something better?
Newsom becomes the most prominent Dem to break with Biden over son's pardon . . . California Gov. Gavin Newsom is breaking with Joe Biden over the president's stunning decision to pardon his son Hunter, telling POLITICO on Tuesday that he was disappointed by the action. "With everything the president and his family have been through, I completely understand the instinct to protect Hunter," Newsom said. "But I took the president at his word. So by definition, I'm disappointed and can't support the decision." Politico
DOJ Blows Through Tens Of Millions On Biden Investigations, No One Ends Up In Jail . . . The Biden administration's Department of Justice (DOJ) blew through tens of millions of dollars on investigations that ultimately resulted in no jail time for anyone, according to public spending records. Over the last several years, the DOJ has opened investigations into President-elect Donald Trump, President Joe Biden's handling of classified documents and Hunter Biden's drug use while purchasing a gun. Following Biden's pardon of his son Sunday night, all three cases have now resulted in a wash of charges, costing taxpayers over $55 million, according to financial disclosures from the special counsel's office. Daily Caller
First Democrat joins Congressional DOGE Caucus
Democratic challenger Adam Gray flips California's 13th District in nation's final House race . . . Democrat Adam Gray has won California's 13th Congressional District race by a mere 187 votes, defeating incumbent Republican Rep. John Duarte. California's 13th Congressional District was the last seat to be called, with the district being one of the most competitive races in the Golden State. Republicans maintained the majority with 220 U.S. House seats, and Democrats at 215. Fox News
Florida Sheriff Chad Chronister withdraws as Trump's nominee to lead DEA . . . Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister withdrew his name for consideration as President-elect Trump's nominee to lead the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). "This sheriff ordered the arrest of a pastor for holding services during the COVID panic. He was tapped by Trump to head the DEA. Glad to see him withdraw from consideration. Next time politicians lose their ever-lovin minds, he can redeem himself by following the Constitution," Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., wrote in a post on X after the sheriff's announcement. Fox News
Senate Democrats ponder preemptive pardons for Trump's political foes . . . Senate Democrats are weighing whether President Joe Biden should use his final moments of power to issue preemptive pardons to shield those who could receive political retribution from President-elect Donald Trump. The conversations come against the backdrop of Trump's rhetoric on the campaign trail in which he's threatened to seek revenge on individuals he considers his political foes, referring to them as "enemies from within." Washington Examiner
Trump's pro-union labor secretary pick could be a progressive darling . . . President-elect Donald Trump's labor secretary choice is drawing praise from unexpected places — and criticism from some of the president's allies. Some GOPers, however, think Lori Chavez-DeRemer's (R-OR) unabashedly pro-union stance is a bridge too far. "Chavez-DeRemer's support of Democrats' radical Pro Act makes her unfit to serve as Labor Secretary in the Trump administration," Job Creators Network CEO Alfredo Ortiz said. "This legislation is a Big Labor wish list that tramples over the rights of small businesses and ordinary workers." Washington Examiner
Trump cites Hunter Biden pardon in bid to dismiss NY 'hush money' case . . . Donald Trump's lawyers cited President Biden's pardon of his son Hunter Tuesday in their latest push to throw out Trump's Manhattan "hush money" conviction. The attorneys argued that Biden's claim that the cases against Hunter were "infected" by politics echo the president-elect's argument that the charges of falsifying business records levied against him by the Manhattan District Attorney's Office were politically motivated. New York Post
Culture
Supreme Court to weigh state ban on transgender 'medical treatments' for minors . . . The Supreme Court will hear arguments Wednesday in a high-profile case involving the right of transgender minors to receive gender transition care, such as puberty blockers and hormone therapy, in one of the most closely watched, potentially impactful cases slated to come before the high court this year. The case, United States v. Skrmetti, centers on a Tennessee law that bans gender-transition treatments for adolescents in the state. Fox News
Biological man Defeats Women As 'Model Of The Year' . . . Alex Consani, a biological male, became the first transgender Model of the Year at the 2024 Fashion Awards on Monday. Consani became the latest biological male to steal a woman's spotlight when he appeared on stage at the Royal Albert Hall in London, calling the moment a "big step in the right direction." Consani has spent the bulk of 2024 participating in various runway shows, modeling for brands such as Chanel, Stella McCartney and Victoria's Secret. Daily Caller
National Security
America is defenseless against Russia's new Oreshnik hypersonic missile . . . The Oreshnik is unique. An arms-control treaty-breaking missile system, it is an intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) masquerading as an intermediate-range ballistic missile (IRBM). ICBMs are designed to wage a nuclear war. The Oreshnik's design is based on the RS-26 Rubezh, an ICBM, and its instrumentation are those of the Rubezh. Flying at hypersonic speeds of Mach 11 (eleven times the speed of sound), the missile can carry either a conventional or nuclear payload. It is also a MIRV, or multiple independently targetable reentry vehicle, another signature of an ICBM. The Oreshnik fired at Dnipro carried six such warheads. Rebekah Koffler for the Telegraph
International
A look at Hezbollah's plan to terrorize and invade northern Israel . . . The Iran-backed terrorist movement Hezbollah laid the foundation to launch an Oct. 7-Hamas style invasion into Israel's north, according to shocking new video footage and documents first viewed and obtained by Fox News Digital. "Hezbollah has been planning their own 10/7," an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) intelligence official told Fox News Digital, in a reference to the Hamas massacre of over 1,200 people on Oct. 7, 2023, including more than 40 Americans, in southern Israel. "The plan has been effectively eliminated." Fox News
South Korea's opposition parties submit a motion to impeach President Yoon over sudden martial law . . . South Korea's opposition parties Wednesday submitted a motion to impeach President Yoon Suk Yeol over the shocking and short-lived martial law that drew heavily armed troops to encircle parliament before lawmakers climbed walls to reenter the building and unanimously voted to lift his order. Impeaching Yoon would require the support of two-thirds of parliament, and at least six justices of the nine-member Constitutional Court would have to endorse it to remove him from office. Associated Press
He just radomly decided to impose martial law for his own personal reasons. Gosh, next thing you know, he'll pardon his son for tax and gun crimes.
Fear, fury and triumph: Six hours that shook South Korea
You should also know
Former House Lawyers Agree: Hunter Biden Can't Plead the Fifth After Pardon . . . Hunter Biden will no longer be able to invoke his Fifth Amendment right to silence if he is called to testify before Congress after accepting a presidential pardon from his father, two former House general counsels told the Washington Free Beacon. The legal argument could give Republicans an opening to subpoena Hunter Biden and elicit new information about his family's knowledge or involvement in his lobbying and foreign business ventures. Those ventures often intersected with President Joe Biden's political roles, including in China and Ukraine. Washington Free Beacon
Tucker Carlson returns to Russia for interview with Foreign Minister Lavrov
White House press corps recoils at Trump's threat to shake up briefing room . . . People close to Trump have said in recent days he should dramatically change who gets access to the president, suggesting podcasters, internet personalities and media deemed more friendly to him could replace outlets like the major television networks, The New York Times and The Washington Post in the room's front rows. Reporters covering The White House, in conversations with The Hill this week, described a feeling of annoyance, frustration and dread at such an idea. The Hill
They pretend to be unbiased, so now they will have to pretend to have a good seat in the White House press room too.
The health myth many people — and experts — still believe is true after 60 years . . . A new scientific review finds that just 3,143 steps can protect against premature death, with optimal daily steps falling somewhere between 7,000 and 9,000. "The 10,000 steps/day guideline lacks evidence-based support, posing a challenge for public health research to analyze the dose-response relationship between [physical] activity levels and health outcomes," the research team from Spain wrote in the August issue of Preventive Medicine. New York Post
Couch potatoes finally get some good news.
Guilty Pleasures
Mother sues toy company Mattel over porn website printed on Wicked doll packaging . . . Toy giant Mattel is being sued by a mother who says her daughter accessed a porn website via a link on the packaging for a Wicked doll. The company released dolls of characters played by British actress Cynthia Erivo and US singer Ariana Grande in the film version of the hit musical. But instead of featuring an address to the movie's website, a porn site sharing the name of the movie was mistakenly printed on the packaging. Sky News
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