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 My son has narrated the last book I wrote. Please consider listening to it and encouraging others to do so too. (Click HERE) World & Nation Capitol Hill revolt threatens Trump’s Venezuela playbook amid Caribbean strike oversight Congress wants to seize the reins and take greater control of US military action in the Caribbean   Congress wants to seize the reins and take greater control of U.S. military action in the Caribbean, as the Trump administration’s strikes in the region’s waters come under intense scrutiny. While some lawmakers have been questioning the legality of strikes that the administration says aim to cut down on the flow of drugs into the U.S., the attacks have attracted heightened scrutiny amid revelations that U.S. forces conducted a second strike killing alleged drug smugglers on Sept. 2 – after a first strike left survivors. Lawmakers have voiced concerns about the legality of that strike. From introducing new legislation restricting funds for the Trump administration’s operations in the region, to urging the White House to release video footage of the second strike, there is mounting interest from Democrats and some Republicans to reassert its power to formally initiate military conflict. Admiral to Lawmakers: No 'Kill All' Order Given in Drug Boat Strike  A Navy admiral told lawmakers Thursday that there was no "kill them all" order from War Secretary Pete Hegseth as Congress scrutinizes an attack that killed two survivors of an initial strike on an alleged drug boat in international waters near Venezuela. Adm. Frank "Mitch" Bradley "was very clear that he was given no such order, to give no quarter or to kill them all. He was given an order that, of course, was written down in great detail," said Sen. Tom Cotton, R-Ark., who heads the Senate Intelligence Committee, as he exited a classified briefing. Cotton, a Republican, defended the attack, but a Democrat who also was briefed said that while there was no "kill them all" order from Hegseth, he was still deeply concerned by video of the second strike. Russia-Ukraine war: Putin says Ukraine leaders ignore nation interests  Russian President Vladimir Putin said finding consensus to make peace with Ukraine is difficult, and that there were proposals in the U.S. plan that Moscow did not agree with, his country’s state media reported, following his meeting at the Kremlin with Trump envoys Steve Witkoff and Jared Kushner. But he also called the meeting “necessary” and “very concrete.” Russian President Vladimir Putin told India Today that Ukraine’s leadership has abandoned promises of peace and now caters to nationalist interests, echoing his long-standing accusations against Kyiv. Asked about Russia’s definition of victory, Putin said the war is not about conquest but about “protecting our interests, our people, and our traditional values.” He claimed the West “egged Ukraine on” and orchestrated a coup, pointing to events in Crimea and Donbas as triggers for the current conflict. Tariffs and the $38 trillion national debt: Kevin Hassett sees 'big reductions' in deficit while Scott Bessent sees a 'shrinking ice cube'  Kevin Hassett, director of the National Economic Council and the current favorite to take over as Federal Reserve chair, argued on Thursday that President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariffs are playing a meaningful role in tackling America’s $38 trillion national debt. In conversation with billionaire David Rubenstein, a cofounder of the Carlyle Group, Hassett said the first step to tackling the debt was to reduce it relative to target: “And we clearly are doing that with the big reductions in the deficit right now.” Hassett added that he’s not only bullish about growth in the economy but “the fact that we have tariff revenue and we’ve got a lot more spending restraint than was here in the past.” He noted tariffs are an important part of Trump’s economic policy and that “a lot of the revenue coming into the Treasury” is from tariffs. Hassett cast tariffs as part of a broader supply-side strategy he said he believes can boost growth, widen the tax base, and, over time, ease the debt burden. Just a day earlier, at the DealBook Summit in New York, Hassett’s fellow cabinet member Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent had described tariff revenues as more like a “shrinking ice cube” than a lasting fiscal fix. This aligned with the recent estimate from the Congressional Budget Office that savings on the national debt had shrunk by $1 trillion between August and November, as trade deals resulted in a lower and lower effective tariff rate. Pantheon Macroeconomics found recently tariffs have brought in $100 billion less than the White House first expected, with a plummet in imports from China the main reason. FBI director suggests 'sheer incompetence' or 'negligence' in Biden admin handling of pipe bomb case FBI Director Kash Patel says prior administration 'sat on' evidence for four years before breakthrough in Capitol case  FBI Director Kash Patel on Thursday blasted the Biden administration for its handling of the investigation into who planted pipe bombs at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 5, 2021. Patel told "Fox News @ Night Now" host Trace Gallagher that the prior administration "sat on" evidence for four years and failed to make a breakthrough in the case, whereas the FBI under his leadership incorporated cell phone geolocation data to hunt for the suspect. "We went back and looked at the cellphone tower data dumps. We went back and looked at the providers and what information they provided pursuant to search warrants at the time and asked questions such as why weren’t all the phone numbers scrubbed, why aren’t they connected and why wasn’t there any geolocational data done?" Patel said. "That is either sheer incompetence or complete intentional negligence — and neither of which is acceptable for this FBI." Kash Patel: FBI Cracked Case With Proof Biden Ignored
US Attorney Jeanine Pirro reveals insight into personal life of suspected DC pipe bomber What we know about Virginia man charged in DC pipe bomb incidents night before Jan 6 Supreme Court Clears Texas '26 Map in Huge Win for GOP  The Supreme Court on Thursday paved the way for Texas to use its redrawn congressional map, a major victory for Republicans who could gain as many as five seats in the 2026 midterm elections. In an unsigned order, the justices granted Texas' emergency request to block a three-judge federal district court ruling that barred the map as an unconstitutional racial gerrymander. "Texas is paving the way as we take our country back, district by district, state by state," Republican Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton said in a statement. "This map reflects the political climate of our state and is a massive win for Texas and every conservative who is tired of watching the left try to upend the political system with bogus lawsuits." The high court said Texas is likely to win when the case comes back on the merits. In the brief order, the justices said the state satisfied the "traditional criteria for interim relief" and faulted the lower court for "at least two serious errors" in striking down the map. Netflix to Buy Warner Bros' Streaming Unit for $72B  Netflix has agreed to buy Warner Bros Discovery's TV and film studios and streaming division for $72 billion, a deal that would hand control of one of Hollywood's most prized and oldest assets to the streaming pioneer that has upended the media industry. The agreement — announced Friday — follows a weeks-long bidding war where Netflix seized the lead with a nearly $28-a-share offer that eclipsed Paramount Skydance's nearly $24 bid for the whole of Warner Bros Discovery, including the cable TV assets slated for a spinoff. Warner Bros Discovery shares closed at $24.5 on Thursday, giving it a market value of $61 billion. Trump Set to Win FIFA Peace Prize at World Cup Draw  The main event at the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C., on Friday will feature the draw for the 2026 World Cup, but the undercard could be the real prize for President Donald Trump. Trump reportedly is expected to receive FIFA's inaugural "Peace Prize — Football Unites the World," which international soccer's governing body said will reward "individuals who have taken exceptional and extraordinary actions for peace and by doing so have united people across the world." Trump missed out on the Nobel Peace Prize this year despite his administration's involvement in several global peace efforts.
Poll: Strong, Bipartisan US Support for Ukraine Over Russia  A widening majority of Americans want Ukraine to defeat Russia and support sending U.S. weapons to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy's country, according to a new survey. The findings from the Reagan National Defense Survey show 62% of Americans back Ukraine over Russia, with majorities of both Republicans and Democrats aligning behind Kyiv. Support for sending U.S. weapons has climbed as well, rising nine percentage points to 64% compared to last year. AG Bondi rips Minnesota for allowing Somali migrant, convicted serial rapist to walk free — before he committed another horrifying rape  US Attorney General Pam Bondi ripped Minnesota for allowing a convicted serial rapist and Somalian immigrant to walk free just months before he committed another horrific kidnapping and rape. Abdimahat Bille Mohamed, who legally entered the US during the Obama administration, is charged with kidnapping and sexually assaulting a woman over several days in a hotel room in September. Mohamed, 28, was only free because of sweet deals he’s received from state courts in two previous rape cases, including one involving a child. Trump Signals Next Phase of Gaza Ceasefire  President Donald Trump plans to announce that the Gaza ceasefire is moving into its second phase in the coming weeks, according to a report by the news outlet Axios on Thursday. The report followed comments Trump made in the Oval Office on Wednesday, saying that Phase 2 is "going to happen pretty soon" and that things were "going along well." While acknowledging the latest clashes between Hamas and the IDF, he added that, "We have peace in the Middle East. People don't realize it." Prince Harry’s 'reckless' Trump swipe exposes ‘terrible judgment’ and widens royal rift: experts Duke of Sussex's late-night TV appearance comes after Trump received unprecedented second UK state visit  Prince Harry’s latest publicity blitz risks shattering any remaining chance of a royal reconciliation with his ailing father. The claim was made by several royal experts who spoke to Fox News Digital after the Duke of Sussex joked that President Donald Trump is America’s "king" during a cameo appearance on "The Late Show with Stephen Colbert." The remarks came nearly three months after Trump visited the U.K. for a state visit where he met with the monarch, who is still undergoing cancer treatment. "Harry’s jab at President Trump on Colbert wasn’t clever – it was reckless," Kinsey Schofield, host of YouTube’s "Kinsey Schofield Unfiltered," told Fox News Digital. "Honestly, how does he think he can hold on to a royal title while taking public swipes at the head of a foreign government?" Pelosi and Greene retirements thrust $38M-a-year pension perk for Congress into spotlight  The vast majority of the record number of congressional lawmakers not seeking re-election next year, including Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-Ga.) and Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), will collect annual pension benefits that cost taxpayers some $38 million per year to payout. The timing of Greene’s abrupt retirement, as well of the six-figure sum Pelosi will receive after serving nearly 40 years in Congress, have brought attention to the little-known perk for ex-pols and renewed calls to end the program. “I can’t read her mind, but it certainly seems as if it was timed to make sure she got vested,” Demian Brady, the vice president of research for the National Taxpayer Union Foundation, said of the Georgia Republican’s last day in the House. Under federal law, members of Congress qualify for annual pension benefits only after completing five full years of service. Europe can’t moan it’s way to Ukraine peace. It must step up itself. There have always been a lot of jokes about the European military. My favorite is the old one about the Italian tank design that has four reverse gears and one forward gear. The forward gear being in case the enemy should surprise them from the rear. But the truth is that European defense is no joke. George Soros wrecked American criminal justice — one leftist DA at a time This week a Washington Post puff piece leaped to the defense of the progressive district attorneys propelled into office by the campaign cash of billionaire George Soros, portraying these prosecutors as well-meaning reformers besieged by racist Republicans. But while Soros’ left-wing fans thrill to the way his funding has fundamentally transformed criminal justice across America, here’s what they won’t acknowledge: The results have been disastrous. Through both direct and indirect donations, Soros has poured money into a staggering number of DA races across the country. By 2023, progressive prosecutors had jurisdiction over at least 20% of the US population, and half of Americans living in its biggest cities, reports Matt Palumbo in his book “The Heir.” |
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