02 U.S. Politics

“Have you absolutely nothing to say?”: Mayor Karen Bass goes silent when grilled over her policies causing LA to burn down– www.louderwithcrowder.com
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When Karen Bass was elected Mayor of Los Angeles in 2022, voter turnout was around 46%. As a side note, here is her opponent, Rick Caruso, in 2022. Caruso was a former Republican who switched parties because, well… it’s Los Angeles.

Instead, Los Angelinos (or a majority of 46% of them) voted for Karen Bass, a Democrat Congresswoman who was on Joe Biden’s shortlist for vice president. Bass rushed home from a trip to Ghana (which she took knowing LA was experiencing record-breaking winds) to deal with the wildfire crisis. Here, she is addressing reporters.

Whoops, wrong tweet. That’s Bass blasting Ted Cruz, who is not a state official, “abandoning folks” when it snowed in Texas that one time.

BREAKING: NEW fire breaks out near Hollywood sign, mandatory evacuations ordered | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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The new brush fire sparked near 2350 North Solar Drive, between Nichols and Runyon Canyon.

As if the fires burning in and around Los Angeles, California weren’t enough, a new fire has broken out in the Hollywood Hills near the iconic Hollywood sign. Over 10,000 acres have aleady been burned and five lives have been lost. The fire is moving toward West Hollywood. Tens of thousands have been evacuated, thousands of homes have burned to the ground.

The new brush fire sparked near 2350 North Solar Drive, between Nichols and Runyon Canyon. The fire is being fueled by the brush and dry ground in the area. The Los Angeles Fire Department is working to get near the fire to attempt to put it out. Severe winds are keeping those fires active and moving. The fire is “very dangerous and explosive,” said Margaret Stewart with the LAFD. Speaking to KCAL, she urged residents to heed the evacuation orders. These orders are for “immediate evacation” as the winds are over 20 mph.

Karen Bass’ Old Post About Ted Cruz Cooks Her, As Democrats Desperately Reach for a Deflection – RedState– redstate.com
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Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass finally returned from her taxpayer-funded escapade to Africa on Wednesday, and she’s been feeling the heat ever since. She left for the inexplicable photo-op even as fires were already kicking up near her city, leaving a void of leadership during a crucial time.

Since touching down back in America, Bass has faced numerous questions about why she was even in Ghana in the first place. Remember, this was an “official” trip paid for by taxpayers. Why does the mayor of California’s largest city need to be part of a delegation to a third-world African nation? Are we supposed to believe there’s some great economic interest at play? And if it was just a photo-op, which is almost assuredly the real reason, doesn’t that make it even worse?

While pondering those questions, I came across an old social media post from Bass, first reported by RedState in the wee hours of Thursday morning.

“This is the Kind of Thing They Have Tribunals For” — Actor James Woods Blasts Political Leaders After His City is Destroyed by Fire and Reckless Democrats (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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Actor James Woods joined Laura Ingraham to talk about the devastating fire near his home that is pictured to the right.

Actor James Woods joined Laura Ingraham after the heartbreaking 24 hours he lived through last night as fires swept through his neighborhood in Pacific Palisades and firemen ran out of water in the hydrants.

The incompetence of the lunatic left was on display again this week in California. If only they had real, fair elections, then some of these wackos might be removed from office.

Woods, a rare vocal Republican Hollywood actor, is not yet certain if his home was lost in the fires. He praised his neighbors and community for coming together during the catastrophe.

Palisades Fire Incinerates Future Career of Mayor Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Aspirations– legalinsurrection.com
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I have been following the progress of the Palisades fire and several others in the Los Angeles area since my initial post last night.

According to Watch Duty, the blaze charring Pacific Palisades now covers over 15,000 acres and is ZERO percent contained…just as the Santa Ana winds are about to begin peaking.

However, other significant wildfires are burning through the region as well. The Eaton Fire in the Altadena/Pasadena area has already destroyed 10,000 acres and claimed five lives. The Hurst Fire around Sylmar has already hit 700 acres. There is also ZERO percent containment for both of these blazes.

Of course, it is hard for understaffed firefighters to suppress wildfires when there is no water to quench them.

NEW CALIFORNIA FIRE ERUPTS! Studio City Now on Fire, Several Structures Engulfed (VIDEO) | The Gateway Pundit– www.thegatewaypundit.com
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Structure fire in Studio City

Eco-terrorism?

A new fire in Los Angeles erupted late Wednesday night shortly after a fire exploded in the Hollywood Hills.

Several structures are on fire in Studio City.

A spox for the LAFD told KTLA the Hollywood Hills fire and Studio City fire are not connected.

KTLA reported:

A four-story structure fire in Studio City erupted and quickly spread to nearby hillside homes on Wednesday night.

The Los Angeles Fire Department reported the fire on the 3000 block of North Sunswept Drive at 8:52 p.m., saying the residence was “well involved in fire with exposures and vegetation.”

The four-story home collapsed from the flames and the wind picked up the embers to nearby brush, according to officials.

“We did just have the winds pick up again so we are seeing some ember casting from that four-story structure,” Adam Vangerpen, a spokesperson with LAFD, told KTLA around 9:30 p.m. “Our hope is to hit it hard, and we’re trying to keep it out of the brush right now.”

Vangerpen said this fire was not connected to the Sunset Fire currently burning in the Hollywood Hills.

BREAKING: President Trump calls on Gavin Newsom to resign as governor of California | The Post Millennial– thepostmillennial.com
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“One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”

On Wednesday night, President-elect Donald Trump called on California’s Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom to resign following the failed response to the deadly Los Angeles wildfires.

Trump posted on Truth Social, “One of the best and most beautiful parts of the United States of America is burning down to the ground. It’s ashes and Gavin Newscum should resign. This is all his fault!!!”

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President Donald Trump saw his 2024 election victory certified by the U.S. Senate, with Vice President Kamala Harris having to preside over the whole affair. She said of the process that “It’s a peaceful transition of power. It’s a good day.” The President won the election 312 electoral votes to 226, 77 million votes to 75 million votes.

Harris calls it a ‘good day’ for democracy as she oversees peaceful certification of Trump’s victory – wnyt.com
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After less than a half hour, she formally announced that Trump had won the election. She smiled tightly as Republicans applauded.

“The chair declares this joint session dissolved,” Harris said. “Thank you.”

The process was vastly different than four years ago, when Trump’s supporters rioted at the U.S. Capitol as lawmakers were certifying his defeat to Joe Biden. This time, everyone honored the results of the election.

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Efforts by the Trump legal team to stop the pending sentencing of his felony conviction in the kangaroo court trial run by DNC activist Judge Juan Merchan were halted by the New York Court of Appeals’ Judge Ellen Gesmer, who dismissed the emergency motion. The full panel is likely to be next in line to review the emergency appeal.

US appeals court rejects Trump’s request to delay hush money sentencing – RBC-Ukraine
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The New York Court of Appeals has rejected a request to reschedule the sentencing of US President-elect Donald Trump. This concerns the case involving the alleged hush money paid to adult film star Stormy Daniels, reports The Hill.

Judge Ellen Gesmer of the Court of Appeals dismissed Trump’s emergency motion to immediately halt the proceedings, which would solidify his status as a criminal before returning to the White House.

According to The Hill, Trump will most likely appeal to a panel of judges at the appellate court to stop the sentencing. At the same time, he will challenge two rulings by Judge Juan Merchan, which allow his conviction on 34 counts of falsifying business records to conceal payments to the adult film star to stand.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his intention to resign as Canada’s Prime Minister as well as leader of the Liberal Party. He intends on serving until the party selects a new leader to replace him. The Liberal Party is facing an uphill challenge holding on to power in the upcoming election, which happens “on or before October 20, 2025.”

The Prime Minister claimed, “If I have one regret, particularly as we approach this election — well, probably many regrets that I will think of. But I do wish we’d been able to change the way we elect our governments in this country so that people could simply choose a second choice, or a third choice on the same ballot.”

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has announced his resignation. What happens now? – CNN
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Prime Minister Justin Trudeau announced his resignation on Monday, saying he intends to step down from the top job and as the leader of Canada’s ruling Liberal Party once a new party leader is chosen.

“I intend to resign as party leader, as prime minister, after the party selects its new leader,” the 53-year-old leader told reporters at a news conference in Ottawa on Monday.

Canada’s parliament will be suspended until March 24 while a new Liberal Party leader is chosen, he also said.

The dust has not settled in the recent events in South Korea that has seen one President under siege, refusing to submit to being arrested after being impeached, and another one also getting impeached, though no arrest warrant was issued for him, so far. Meanwhile, citizens are marching in protest of the current government, alleging the China-friendly leftist government “won” the election by cheating.

South Korea’s Political Crisis Deepens Amid Chinese Influence and U.S. Military Concerns– warroom.org
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There is a rapidly escalating situation, South Korea is witnessing a political crisis that could have far-reaching implications for the region, as protests and political unrest intensify.

In a Saturday WarRoom conversation between Steve Bannon and retired Colonel John Mills, the two highlighted the dangerous convergence of internal political turmoil and external Chinese interference that threatens the stability of one of the U.S.’s most trusted allies in East Asia.

President Yoon Suk-yeol is facing a political and social storm as thousands take to the streets in opposition to his government. Demonstrators have called for an end to martial law, but a significant portion of the protesters, according to Bannon and Mills, are reportedly Chinese nationals who have been flown in to incite further unrest. “One-third to two-thirds of these protests are Chinese,” Mills claimed, raising alarms about China’s growing influence in South Korea’s internal affairs.

The political landscape in South Korea has become increasingly divided. The left-wing Democratic Party, led by Lee Jae-myung, has mounted a significant challenge to President Yoon’s leadership, accusing him of authoritarianism. Lee, who was recently convicted of malfeasance, has been a vocal critic of U.S. military presence in South Korea, calling American forces an “occupation force” and pushing for the removal of THAAD missile systems. His anti-U.S. stance aligns with China’s broader geopolitical goals, as Beijing seeks to expand its regional influence.

In response to mounting political pressure, President Yoon declared martial law on December 3rd, 2023, a highly controversial move. However, as Bannon and Mills pointed out, Yoon’s decision was strategic. The martial law declaration allowed him to launch a raid on the National Election Commission, which, according to Yoon’s government, was necessary to investigate suspected Chinese interference in South Korea’s elections. While legally justified, this move has sparked widespread outrage and fear of authoritarianism, fueling the protests.

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In keeping with the traditions of men in current year, Pope Francis, the head of the Catholic Church, has signaled a greater nudge towards open tolerance of sinfulness, of acting on homosexual temptations, by appointing an openly gay-affirming Cardinal to a U.S. Diocese.

Cardinal Robert McElroy was given the diocese of Washington D.C. having already been given a diocese in San Diego, which he will now have to surrender. The appointment is seen by some as an effort by Francis to put an anti-Trump bulldog in the heart of D.C. McElroy is accused of protecting the pedophilic rapist ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

BREAKING: Pope Francis names pro-LGBT Cardinal McElroy to Washington Archdiocese– www.lifesitenews.com
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Pope Francis has appointed San Diego’s pro-LGBT Cardinal Robert McElroy to lead the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., as Cardinal Wilton Gregory enters retirement.

In a January 6 announcement, the Holy See Press Office confirmed that Pope Francis had accepted Gregory’s resignation from the D.C. metropolitan archdiocese and nominated McElroy to take his place, transferring from his current position presiding over the Diocese of San Diego in California.

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The Mass Mailer President Joe Biden Committee has ordered all American offshore drilling banned to help “ensure our oceans and coasts are resilient to the threats of climate change and nature loss.”  The administration believes somehow the Trump administration cannot undo this order with his own order, though legal skeptics abound.

The White House claimed, “Drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks. As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.”

Biden bans most offshore drilling in one of his final acts of ‘political revenge on the American people’– www.theblaze.com
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President Joe Biden evidenced his desire Monday to continue burning bridges and salting the earth on his way out of office, this time announcing a ban on all new offshore oil and gas drilling along the entire U.S. Atlantic coast and eastern Gulf of Mexico, as well as in Pacific waters off the coasts of California, Oregon, and Washington and in the Northern Bering Sea bordering Alaska.

While Biden has approved numerous offshore wind projects that not only can have a devastating impact on wildlife and the environment but generate a tremendous amount of pollution, the White House framed his decision to ban offshore drilling as a way to help “ensure our oceans and coasts are resilient to the threats of climate change and nature loss.”

Biden’s ban, executed under the 1953 Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act, applies to roughly 334 million acres of the Atlantic Outer Continental Shelf running down America’s eastern flank from Canada to the southern tip of Florida; to 250 million acres of federal waters off the West Coast; and to 44 million acres of the Northern Bering Sea.

The White House suggested that Biden’s unilateral decision to prevent Americans from taking advantage of the rich and internationally coveted resources under 625 million acres of U.S. ocean would not adversely impact the nation’s energy needs.

“Drilling off these coasts could cause irreversible damage to places we hold dear and is unnecessary to meet our nation’s energy needs. It is not worth the risks,” Biden said in a statement. “As the climate crisis continues to threaten communities across the country and we are transitioning to a clean energy economy, now is the time to protect these coasts for our children and grandchildren.”

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Federal Court Blocks Biden Administration’s ‘Net Neutrality’ Rules – The Daily Wire
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A federal appeals court on Thursday struck down the Biden administration-backed “net neutrality” regulations implemented last year by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled 3-0 against the FCC’s recent order that said Broadband Internet Service Providers must follow net neutrality rules because they are a “telecommunications service.” Net neutrality rules block broadband providers from varying speeds or blocking connections to third-party websites

In a 26-page decision, Judge Richard Griffin wrote that the FCC “lacks the statutory authority to impose its desired net-neutrality policies” because broadband providers offer an “information service” and are not a telecommunications service under federal law.

Griffin said that because broadband providers are an information service they are not “not subject to common-carrier regulations.”

Biden blocks U.S. Steel takeover by Japan’s Nippon Steel, citing national security– www.cnbc.com
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President Joe Biden on Friday officially blocked the takeover of U.S. Steel by Japan’s Nippon Steel, making good on his promise to keep an industrial name that is more than a century old under domestic ownership.

Biden said the proposed $14.9 billion acquisition by Nippon would place one of the largest steel producers in the U.S. under foreign control, creating a risk for the nation’s critical supply chains.

“Today’s action reflects my unflinching commitment to utilize all authorities available to me as President to defend U.S. national security, including by ensuring that American companies continue to play a central role in sectors that are critical for our national security,” Biden said in a statement.

U.S. Steel’s stock dropped by nearly 8% in premarket trading Friday following the president’s announcement.

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Democrats slammed after 159 vote against Republican bill allowing ICE to deport illegal migrants who steal – Daily Mail
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House Democrats are getting skewered after 159 voted against the Laken Riley Act, a bill that would more easily allow illegal migrant criminals to be deported.

The legislation, which passed with bipartisan support 264 – 159, was named to honor the late Laken Riley, 22, a college student who was murdered by repeat criminal Jose Ibarra.

Ibarra, a Venezuelan national, had entered the U.S. illegally and committed numerous crimes before eventually murdering the nursing student in February 2024.

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Biden FDA Handing Cartels, Smugglers Huge New Year’s Gift by Banning Cigarettes – RedState– redstate.com
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Like a lot of people, I was a smoker back in the day. Smokes weren’t taxed then as horrendously as they are now; I remember paying under a buck a pack for unfiltered Camels. I haven’t touched a cigarette in decades, but I still enjoy a good cigar now and then, and yes, you pay handsomely for them as well.

There are always ways around those onerous taxes, of course. Ask any smuggler. This is, however, something the outgoing Biden administration, in particular the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), doesn’t seem to understand. On Tuesday, we learned that the FDA is moving ahead with a rule that will effectively ban every cigarette now on the market in the United States. Yes, really.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is moving forward with a regulatory rule in the final days of the Biden administration that would effectively ban cigarettes currently on the market in favor of products with lower nicotine levels, which could end up boosting business for cartels operating on the black market, an expert tells Fox News Digital.

“Biden’s ban is a gift with a bow and balloons to organized crime cartels with it, whether it’s cartels, Chinese organized crime, or Russian mafia. It’s going to keep America smoking, and it’s going to make the streets more violent,” Rich Marianos, former assistant director of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the current chair of the Tobacco Law Enforcement Network, told Fox News Digital of the proposal.

As Trump eyes Greenland, Danish king makes it bigger on his coat of arms – The Washington Post
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Denmark’s king has unveiled a new royal coat of arms that more prominently features Greenland, as President-elect Donald Trump again floats the idea of the United States buying the Danish territory, a proposal that disrupted relations with Copenhagen during his first term in office.

King Frederik X issued a declaration in December to change the royal coat of arms for the first time in over 50 years, the Danish royal household said in a statement on Jan. 1. The new design, which replaces the one Frederik’s mother, Queen Margrethe II, established in June 1972, “strengthens the prominence of the Commonwealth in the royal coat of arms,” it said.

The bottom-left quadrant of the shield at the center of the coat of arms previously featured three crowns representing the union of Sweden, Norway and Denmark, as well as symbols of the two parts of the Danish Commonwealth: a polar bear for Greenland and a ram for the Faroe Islands. In the new coat of arms, the crowns have been removed, an

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Biden Beefing up U.S. Military Presence in Kurdish Syria– www.breitbart.com
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Multiple reports from northern Syria on Thursday indicated the U.S. military is reinforcing its presence in Syrian Kurdistan, or Rojava, potentially building a new base in the city of Kobani.

The regional outlet Kurdistan 24 reported on Thursday that “a convoy of 50 trucks carrying Bremer walls entered Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF)-controlled areas in northeastern Syria (Rojava) on Thursday.” Citing the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights (SOHR), a non-governmental organization (NGO), Kurdistan 24 reported that the convoy was headed to the Kurdish city of Kobani, on the Turkish border.

“Sources from the observatory indicated that the delivery is part of ongoing efforts by US forces to reinforce existing bases and establish a new military facility in Kobani,” Kurdistan 24 reported. “Reliable SOHR sources have confirmed that excavation and construction work is expected to begin on Friday, with additional reinforcements anticipated.”

The independent news outlet Iran International separately reported on Thursday, citing news sources tied to the SDF, that the U.S. “coalition” against the Islamic State was “constructing a military base in Kobani.” The SDF-linked news outlets also confirmed sightings of the construction materials convoy heading to the city.

Another Middle East news outlet, Shafaq, also reported on Thursday that the convoy was carrying reinforcements to SDF-controlled areas, describing it as a convoy associated with “US forces.”

“The reinforcements reportedly included 14 cargo planes carrying military equipment and soldiers, along with 233 military vehicles comprising trucks, armored vehicles, and troop carriers,” Shafaq reported.

The U.S. military maintains operations in Syria intended to contain the resurgence of the Islamic State terrorist organization, which once boasted a “caliphate” headquartered in northern Raqqa. The “caliphate” was destroyed largely by the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF), a coalition of militias led by the Kurdish People’s Protection Units (YPG/YPJ). The U.S. government collaborates closely with the SDF to contain ISIS activity and helps it maintain prisons in which thousands of suspected Islamic State jihadis and their families remain, often rejected for repatriation by their home countries.

The situation in Syria remains chaotic following the collapse of the over 50-year-old Assad family regime in December. The al-Qaeda offshoot militia Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) conquered Damascus on December 7, prompting Iran-friendly dictator Bashar Assad to flee to Russia. HTS currently controls the Islamist “interim” government of Syria and has begun negotiations with the Kurdish north to address the existence of an essentially autonomous Kurdish zone in the country. While the SDF did not maintain especially friendly relations with Assad, many members of the YPG and all-female YPJ are fighting to establish a sovereign Kurdistan carved partially out of Syria, placing them at odds with HTS. At press time, HTS leaders have insisted that they will give Kurds some power in their government as an indigenous Syrian group.

While the civil war that began in 2011 to overthrow Assad has concluded, the SDF remains embroiled in a conflict with another militia, the Turkish-backed Syrian National Army (SNA). Following the surprise attack on Aleppo by HTS in late November, which resulted in the rapid collapse of Assad’s military presence there, the SNA announced a campaign called “Operation Dawn of Freedom” to destroy the SDF. The Turkish government considers the SDF a terrorist organization indistinguishable from the U.S.-designated terror group the Kurdistan Workers’ Party (PKK). Turkey’s years-long onslaught against the U.S.-allied SDF has caused longstanding tensions between the two NATO allies.

HTS taking over Syria has not stopped “Operation Dawn of Freedom,” nor has the SDF announcing it seeks to work with HTS to establish peace in the country. HTS is not directly associated with the SNA but maintains friendly ties with Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who for years called for the overthrow of Assad and openly cheered for his demise in December.

As a result of “Operation Dawn of Freedom,” the SDF has said it has almost completely stopped all anti-ISIS operations. The commander of the SDF, Gen. Mazloum Abdi, told the British Sky News agency days after Assad fled the country that anti-ISIS activities had “halted” – not because he had chosen to stop them, but because the onslaught by Turkish-backed forces made them impossible.

“ISIS is now stronger in the Syrian desert,” Abdi said. “Previously, they were in remote areas and hiding, but now they have greater freedom of movement since they face no issues with other groups and are not engaged in conflict with them.”

“In the areas under our control, their activities have also increased. Just a few days ago, three members of the Internal Security Forces were killed near al Hassakah in an ISIS operation,” he observed.

Abdi warned that SDF-run prisons containing Islamic State terrorists were in significant jeopardy as a result of the Turkish attack.

The SDF prisons are believed to house around 10,000 Islamic State terrorists. Another 40,000 people, families of the terrorists, remain in camps in Syrian Kurdistan. Efforts to repatriate them have had minimal success.

The Turkish government urged the world on Thursday to take control of the prisons away from the SDF.

“The Syrian government should urgently take over the security of the camps and prisons, and if this is not possible, Turkey is ready to provide any support it can on this matter,” Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan asserted. Like the Islamic State, the current Syrian government is a U.S.-designated terrorist organization.

Fidan demanded the prisoners return home.

“These detainees in camps and prisons must be repatriated by their respective countries,” the foreign minister said. “Keeping them here indefinitely without subjecting them to any judicial process and without any plan or agenda for their future has turned into a significant crisis in the region.”

Follow Frances Martel on Facebook and Twitter.

Trump Takes Aim at Kamala’s ‘Illegal’ Pre-Interview Campaign Payments to Sharpton, Potentially Spelling Trouble for Comcast’s Bid To Spin Off MSNBC– freebeacon.com
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President-elect Donald Trump accused MSNBC host Al Sharpton of taking illegal donations from the Kamala Harris campaign ahead of softball interviews with the Democrat last year, potentially spelling trouble for MSNBC and its parent company Comcast ahead of a planned corporate spinoff.

In a series of posts on Truth Social, Trump accused the Harris campaign of seeking to “illegally buy endorsements” from Sharpton and celebrities like Beyoncé Knowles and Oprah Winfrey prior to the election.

Trump’s remarks were based on a Washington Free Beacon report that the Harris campaign donated $500,000 to Sharpton’s nonprofit, the National Action Network, weeks before the activist interviewed Harris on his MSNBC show, PoliticsNation.

“Totally against the law,” Trump asserted.

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Biden to award Presidential Citizens Medal to Jan. 6 committee heads– www.washingtonexaminer.com
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President Joe Biden is awarding the Presidential Citizens Medal to the heads of the Jan. 6 committee.

On Thursday, Biden announced a slew of awardees, including We Were Soldiers Once … and Young author Joseph Galloway, attorney Mary Bonauto of Obergefell v. Hodges fame, and former Connecticut Sen. Chris Dodd. The two sure to turn the most heads, however, are Rep. Bennie Thompson (D-MS) and former Wyoming Rep. Liz Cheney, who served as the heads of the Jan. 6 committee.

“Throughout two decades in public service, including as a Congresswoman for Wyoming and Vice Chair of the Committee on the January 6 attack, Liz Cheney has raised her voice — and reached across the aisle — to defend our Nation and the ideals we stand for: Freedom. Dignity. And decency. Her integrity and intrepidness remind us all what is possible if we work together,” Cheney’s nomination read.

“Born and raised in a segregated Mississippi, as a college student inspired by the Civil Rights movement, Bennie Thompson volunteered on campaigns and registered southern Black voters. That call to serve eventually led him to Congress, where he chaired the House January 6th Committee — at the forefront of defending the rule of law with unwavering integrity and a steadfast commitment to truth,” Thompson’s nomination read.

Biden’s move serves as a final salvo against President-elect Donald Trump. Cheney, in particular, has made a career after her landslide primary loss as a Republican opponent of Trump, even campaigning alongside outgoing Vice President Kamala Harris to prevent him from retaking the presidency.

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U.S. Capitol building encircled by security fencing in Washington, D.C. – People’s Daily
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This photo taken on Jan. 5, 2025 shows the U.S. Capitol building encircled by security fencing in Washington, D.C., the United States. After the 2020 U.S. presidential election, then-President Donald Trump, a Republican, refused to concede to his Democratic opponent Joe Biden and repeatedly claimed that there was widespread election fraud. On Jan. 6, 2021, thousands of Trump supporters violently broke into the Capitol building, and interrupted the certifying process of the 2020 presidential election, prompting hundreds of lawmakers to evacuate in panic

Federal Judge Temporarily Blocks Jack Smith’s Last-Ditch Attempt to Damage Trump– www.westernjournal.com
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Federal District Court Judge Aileen Cannon on Tuesday temporarily blocked special counsel Jack Smith from releasing his final report regarding his criminal investigations into President-elect Donald Trump.

“Trump co-defendants Waltine Nauta and Carlos De Oliveira filed an emergency motion to block the reported imminent release of Smith’s final report,” Fox News reported.

The report is expected to cover Smith’s prosecutions of Trump concerning his alleged mishandling of classified documents, which the special counsel’s office brought in Florida, and Trump’s alleged interference in the 2020 election, which Smith filed in Washington, D.C.

Cannon — who dismissed the classified documents case in July — said in her Tuesday order she was blocking the report from being released “to prevent irreparable harm arising from the circumstances as described in the current record in this emergency posture, and to permit an orderly and deliberative sequence of events.”

Trump Promises ‘Major Pardons’ When Reporter Asks About Jan. 6 Prisoners– www.westernjournal.com
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President-elect Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he will be “making major pardons” on behalf of the individuals who entered the United States Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.

The incoming commander-in-chief revealed during a news conference at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida that his administration will examine the incident and pardon many who were convicted.

“You said on your first day of office, you’re going to pardon Jan. 6 defendants. Are you planning to pardon those who were charged with violent offences,” a reported asked.

“We’re looking at it, and we have other people in there,” Trump began.

Bird Flu Could Be ‘More Catastrophic Than COVID’– www.dailysignal.com
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Health officials in Louisiana announced Monday the first bird flu death in the United States. The elderly individual, who had underlying medical conditions, was exposed to the virus from a backyard flock and wild birds.

There have been 66 reported cases of bird flu in the United States, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. While the risk remains law, the CDC’s former director has urged Americans to take the virus seriously.

Robert Redfield, who led the CDC during the first Trump administration, spoke with The Daily Signal last year about bird flu. He predicted bird flu, also known as H5N1, would be “much more catastrophic than the COVID pandemic.”

Redfield served on a nonpartisan commission on China and COVID-19, which last year released a report, “Holding China Accountable for Its Role in the Most Catastrophic Pandemic of Our Time: COVID-19.” He spoke to The Daily Signal about its recommendations in July.