A freshman House Republican is starting out the new session of Congress with a bang.
Rep. Cory Mills (R-FL) passed out what he says are inert grenades to colleagues, marking his appointment to committees charged with protecting national security.
Daily Mail reporter Morgan Phillips shared a photo Thursday of one of the grenades, which features the image of the elephant symbol of the Republican Party, and an accompanying letter.
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Rep <a href="https://twitter.com/CoryMillsFL?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@CoryMillsFL</a> is passing out grenades to fellow House members <a href="https://t.co/khJmDrYcFH">pic.twitter.com/khJmDrYcFH</a>
&mdash; Morgan Phillips (@_phillipsmorgan) <a href="https://twitter.com/_phillipsmorgan/status/1618648723764170753?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Welcoming you to a mission-oriented 118th Congress. I am eager to get to work for the American people, and I look forward to working with you to deliver on this commitment. I am honored to be a part of the Armed Services and Foreign Affairs Committees,&#8221; Mills wrote in the letter.
&#8220;In that spirit, it is my pleasure to give you a 40 mm grenade, made for a MK19 grenade launcher. These are manufactured in the Sunshine State and first developed in the Vietnam War,&#8221; he added.
Mills also called on his colleagues to &#8220;come together and get to work on behalf of our constituents.&#8221; In addition, the letter contained a note asserting the grenades are inert.
A spokesman for Mills <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/26/cory-mills-grenades-house/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">confirmed to The Washington Post</a> the contents of the photograph are legitimate and stressed, &#8220;the grenades are inert, and were cleared through all security metrics.&#8221;
Mills is a <a href="https://mills.house.gov/about" target="_blank" rel="noopener">decorated U.S. Army combat veteran</a> and businessman who became an appointee of former President Donald Trump to serve on a Pentagon defense advisory board. He ran a successful campaign to represent Florida&#8217;s 7th Congressional District in the 2022 election.
During the campaign, Mills made headlines for an ad mocking the <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7OH3e2hXh0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;liberal media&#8221; for &#8220;crying&#8221;</a> about how his company PACEM Solutions sold riot-control munitions, including tear gas, that law enforcement used against <a href="https://finance.yahoo.com/news/gop-hopeful-sold-tear-gas-192514524.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Lives Matter demonstrators</a> and others.

Cory Mills

House Republican Passes Out Grenades To Colleagues

Congress

Politics

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

One digital media company is generating a great deal of buzz with a plan to feed readers with content created with the help of artificial intelligence.
A memo to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/buzzfeed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">BuzzFeed</a> staff on Thursday revealed the company would soon rely on tools made by OpenAI, the creator of the ChatGPT chatbot that is taking the world by storm across multiple sectors.
BuzzFeed CEO Jonah Peretti said &#8220;AI inspired content&#8221; will make strides toward &#8220;enhancing the quiz experience, informing our brainstorming, and personalizing our content for our audience.&#8221;
Humans will remain a part of the editorial process, Peretti assured his staff, though soon they will be able to wield computer technology to refine their work.
&#8220;Our industry will expand beyond AI-powered curation (feeds), to AI-powered creation (content),&#8221; Peretti wrote. &#8220;AI opens up a new era of creativity, where creative humans like us play a key role providing the ideas, cultural currency, inspired prompts, IP, and formats that come to life using the newest technologies.&#8221;
The Verge obtained the memo and <a href="https://www.theverge.com/2023/1/26/23572834/buzzfeed-using-ai-tools-personalize-generate-content-openai" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published it in full</a>.
News of BuzzFeed&#8217;s new direction appears to have been received well on Wall Street. BuzzFeed Inc. shares jumped by about 150% after The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/buzzfeed-to-use-chatgpt-creator-openai-to-help-create-some-of-its-content-11674752660" target="_blank" rel="noopener">broke the story</a>.
BuzzFeed, founded in 2006, established a space for itself on the internet with news reporting, listicles, and quizzes. But recent years have posed challenges for the company.
It took steps in 2021 to cut back on its news arm as the division was losing about $10 million a year, <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/03/22/buzzfeed-investors-have-pushed-ceo-jonah-peretti-to-shut-down-newsroom.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNBC</a>. After merging with a special purpose acquisition company, Peretti announced in December 2022 that BuzzFeed would <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/12/06/buzzfeed-to-cut-12percent-of-its-workforce.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cut 12% of its workforce</a>, or about 180 staffers, to &#8220;weather an economic downturn.&#8221;
ChatGPT is making all sorts of headlines these days, whether it is <a href="https://www.npr.org/2023/01/26/1151499213/chatgpt-ai-education-cheating-classroom-wharton-school" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stirring fresh concerns about cheating</a> in academic institutions with computer-generated essays or being used to generate a speech read on the House floor <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/national-international/member-of-congress-reads-ai-generated-speech-on-house-floor/3263737/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advocating for a bill</a> to create a United States-Israel artificial intelligence center.
Peretti said the new BuzzFeed content would launch in February, and he would share a preview of the system during a staff meeting on Thursday.
&#8220;In publishing, AI can benefit both content creators and audiences, inspiring new ideas and inviting audience members to co-create personalized content,&#8221; Peretti wrote in a memo. &#8220;When you see this work in action it is pretty amazing.&#8221;
Some journalists shared less-than-enthused reactions to the news, suggesting the turn to artificial intelligence is an omen for the media industry. Samit Sarker, deputy managing editor of Polygon, <a href="https://twitter.com/SamitSarkar/status/1618670266594508800" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted</a>, &#8220;a sentence to put on journalism&#8217;s tombstone if I&#8217;ve ever seen one: &#8216;BuzzFeed remains focused on human-generated journalism in its newsroom, a spokeswoman said Thursday.'&#8221;

BuzzFeed

BuzzFeed Will Use Artificial Intelligence To Generate Content

Artificial Intelligence

Media

Technology

Former Trump administration official <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mike-pompeo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Mike Pompeo</a> accused Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/adam-schiff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Schiff</a> (D-CA) of leaking classified information.
The fresh allegation was made after Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mccarthy-formally-kicks-schiff-and-swalwell-from-house-intel-integrity-matters-more" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blocked Schiff&#8217;s appointment</a> to remain on the House Intelligence Committee, where he served as chairman for the last four years.
&#8220;During my time as CIA director and secretary of state, I know that he leaked classified information that had been provided to him,&#8221; Pompeo said on Fox News on Wednesday.
Pompeo did not offer specifics, but he insisted the problem was bad enough to restrict what he shared with Congress.
Underscoring what a serious charge that is, &#8220;Outnumbered&#8221; co-host Emily Compagno pressed Pompeo on why there hasn&#8217;t been accountability if such leaks would be &#8220;a felony at minimum, up to treason.&#8221;
&#8220;It&#8217;s a complicated process, right? It&#8217;s difficult to pin down precisely what happened,&#8221; Pompeo said. &#8220;But I could tell you that when we provided information to him and to his staff, it ended up in places it shouldn&#8217;t have been with alarming regularity. We could see it. In the end, I decided, I held back information from them as a result.&#8221;
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MIKE POMPEO: &quot;The fact that&#8230;Schiff was the Chairman of the&#8230;Intelligence Committee almost ruined that committee&#8230;Schiff should be nowhere near serving on the Intelligence Committee. I don&#39;t think he should be seeing classified information.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/3A0iwMc3Dq">pic.twitter.com/3A0iwMc3Dq</a>
&mdash; Daily Caller (@DailyCaller) <a href="https://twitter.com/DailyCaller/status/1618335125707829248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire reached out to Schiff&#8217;s office for comment on Pompeo&#8217;s claims. “This is another patently false and defamatory statement from Mike Pompeo. While we understand that Adam Schiff is a favorite target for the failed lackeys of the Trump administration running for president, reputable news outlets shouldn’t repeat these falsehoods,” Schiff spokesperson Lauren French <a href="https://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/3830797-pompeo-accuses-schiff-of-leaking-classified-information/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Hill</a>.
Schiff has <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/adam-schiff-says-he-hasnt-leaked-classified-info-but-cant-speak-for-other-house-intel-democrats" target="_blank" rel="noopener">denied leaking classified information</a> in the past. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t. My staff hasn&#8217;t,” he told CNN in 2020 before offering the caveat: &#8220;I can&#8217;t speak for what all the members of the committee have done or not done, including a lot of the Republican members.&#8221;
Pompeo isn&#8217;t the first intelligence leader in the Trump administration to accuse Schiff of leaking classified information. In January 2021, former acting Director of National Intelligence Richard Grenell claimed Schiff and his team <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/grenell-schiff-classified-information" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;regularly&#8221; leaked</a> classified information.
Sen. Tom Cotton (R-AR) suggested to conservative commentator Lisa Boothe in April 2021 that Schiff <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tom-cotton-adam-schiff-potential-source-russian-bounties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">could be a source for dubious reports</a> on Russia offering bounties to Afghan militants to kill U.S. troops. Schiff spokesman Patrick Boland shot back with a brief response to <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/tom-cotton-adam-schiff-potential-source-russian-bounties" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the Washington Examiner</a> at the time, &#8220;Yet another false and baseless claim by Tom Cotton — you would think he would know better by now.&#8221;
McCarthy kicked Schiff, along with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA), from the House Intelligence Committee on Tuesday. McCarthy had long accused Schiff of being a repeat liar, particularly with investigations related to former President Donald Trump. During his interview with Fox News, Pompeo also called Schiff a liar and praised McCarthy for removing him from the panel.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) nominated Schiff to the committee over the weekend, calling him &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-leader-picks-schiff-and-swalwell-for-intel-panel-in-defiance-of-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">eminently qualified</a>.&#8221; After he was blocked, Schiff responded by claiming McCarthy&#8217;s move was &#8220;petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump.&#8221;
Also on Tuesday, Schiff talked about how he was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schiff-claims-he-never-took-classified-docs-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">too &#8220;paranoid&#8221;</a> to take any classified information to his house while serving on the House Intelligence Committee. &#8220;This is what’s so astounding, I think, for all of us on the Intelligence Committee. I never take classified documents to my house,&#8221; Schiff told MSNBC&#8217;s Andrea Mitchell, who asked if he had taken any records home. &#8220;I don’t know any reason why people would,&#8221; Schiff added.
The conversation happened as it was revealed about a dozen documents marked classified were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-classified-documents-found-at-former-vp-mike-pences-home-in-indiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found at former Vice President Mike Pence’s home</a> in Indiana and turned over to the FBI. The Justice Department already appointed two separate special counsels to investigate former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for their handling of classified materials stored in their residences and offices.

Adam Schiff

Former CIA Director Accuses Schiff Of Leaking Classified Information

Mike Pompeo

A lengthy email found in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a>&#8216;s abandoned laptop is raising questions about whether the first son had improper access to classified information.
The new line of inquiry comes as President Joe Biden faces a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/doj-declined-to-monitor-biden-attorneys-search-for-classified-docs-at-presidents-home-report-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">special counsel investigation</a> into his handling of documents after classified materials were found at a former office of his in Washington, D.C., and his home in Wilmington, Delaware, dating back to his time as a U.S. senator and vice president. And as noted in an analysis <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/justice/sins-of-son-hunter-biden-scandals-impact-joe-biden-classified-docs-saga" target="_blank" rel="noopener">by the Washington Examiner</a>, Hunter Biden likely had access to the garage in which records with classified contents have been discovered.
Stoking concerns about the potential misuse of classified information, the New York Post&#8217;s Miranda Devine <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/22/theres-no-hiding-bidens-fright-over-classified-document-scandal/?utm_campaign=iphone_nyp&amp;utm_source=twitter_app" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote a column</a> this week about an email dated April 12, 2014, sent to Hunter Biden&#8217;s then-business partner with 22 detailed points with <a href="https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2023/01/smoking-gun-20-point-email-classified-information-father-hunter-biden-sent-burisma-board-member-april-2014/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;research&#8221;</a> about the situation in Ukraine. The business partner, Devon Archer, was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hunter-biden-business-associate-devon-archer-sentenced-for-fraud-networks-ignore" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sentenced in 2022</a> to more than a year in prison after being convicted in a fraud scheme in which Hunter Biden was not implicated.
There are a number of reasons why this particular email drew attention. One is how it is written and the attention to detail. The email discusses such matters as Russia&#8217;s &#8220;destabilization campaign,&#8221; United States sanctions, and United Kingdom energy policy. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/classified-documents-found-in-bidens-private-office-contained-top-secret-material-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A source told CNN</a> the classified documents found at Biden’s private academic office, among other unclassified papers, contained U.S. intelligence memos and briefing materials on Iran, Ukraine, and the United Kingdom.
Another factor is the timing. One week after the email was sent, Joe Biden, who was vice president at the time, <a href="https://obamawhitehouse.archives.gov/the-press-office/2014/04/22/remarks-press-vice-president-joe-biden-and-ukrainian-prime-minister-arse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">met with</a> Ukrainian Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk. Also around that time, Hunter Biden and Archer were hired to sit on the board of Ukrainian energy company Burisma Holdings, which is repeatedly named in the email.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/mirandadevine?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@mirandadevine</a> on one of Hunter Biden&#39;s emails:
&quot;It reads like a classified document. There&#39;s information in there that&#39;s not readily available.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/k8kljgZ0em">pic.twitter.com/k8kljgZ0em</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1618068173684711425?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The email &#8220;reads like a classified document,&#8221; Devine <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/hunter-biden-email-reads-classified-doc-should-cross-checked-wilmington-finds-devine" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told Fox News host Tucker Carlson</a> on Tuesday. She noted there is information in it that is not &#8220;readily available.&#8221;
&#8220;You have to remember that this is at a time – a month before he joined the Burisma board. He needed money desperately, to feed his drug habit, and they were going to pay him $83,000 a month to do not very much,&#8221; Devine added. She also said if Hunter Biden had access to classified information, that would drive &#8220;his price even higher.&#8221;
Sen. Ron Johnson (R-WI), a leading congressional investigator into allegations of Biden family corruption, said the email looks like a &#8220;scene-setter&#8221; from the State Department for overseas travel, as it contained &#8220;highly detailed information&#8221; about Ukraine.
&#8220;It&#8217;s obvious that Hunter Biden is selling access to information,&#8221; Johnson <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1618019725237264384" target="_blank" rel="noopener">added in an interview</a> with Fox Business anchor Maria Bartiromo. &#8220;Does that have anything to do with some of the classified documents that Vice President Biden was squirreling away in his residence? I don&#8217;t know. But it looks incredibly suspicious.&#8221;
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Hunter was obviously fed detailed information on Ukraine so he could show Burisma why he was worth millions of dollars. 
Was this classified information? Did Joe Biden know about this? 
Inquiring minds want to know. <a href="https://t.co/zFZkpye5Zh">pic.twitter.com/zFZkpye5Zh</a>
&mdash; Senator Ron Johnson (@SenRonJohnson) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenRonJohnson/status/1618019725237264384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The laptop, allegedly abandoned at a Delaware computer repair shop before the FBI obtained it, contains details about Hunter Biden’s personal life and financial affairs. Biden acknowledged in a <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/hunter-biden-interview-memoir-substance-abuse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2021 CBS News interview</a> the laptop could be his, but he did not confirm it. However, many of the contents have been <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/technology/2022/03/30/hunter-biden-laptop-data-examined/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">analyzed and shown to be authentic</a>.
Hunter Biden revealed in December 2020, weeks after the presidential election, that he was facing a federal investigation into his tax affairs. Several reports over the years indicated that federal prosecutors were looking into other matters, including the first son&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/critical-stage-feds-consider-charging-hunter-biden-with-multiple-crimes-including-gun-charges" target="_blank" rel="noopener">foreign business dealings and potential gun-related crimes</a>. Hunter Biden has said he <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/big-footing-house-investigation-into-hunter-biden-could-hit-firewall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expects to be cleared</a> of wrongdoing.
Former Trump administration official Kash Patel suggested the investigation into Hunter Biden might be related to the new classified materials scandal involving President Joe Biden. In an <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/1617570353445847063" target="_blank" rel="noopener">interview with Trump ally Steve Bannon</a>, Patel cited his experience as a federal prosecutor in theorizing the Biden documents search began with the laptop. &#8220;The federal search warrants should have gone out immediately to every location this laptop and Hunter Biden ever spent four seconds in,&#8221; he said.
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&quot;We are probably talking about thousands of pages of classified and confidential material — which is unlawful to have.&quot; 
Kash Patel joins Steve Bannon to discuss how Hunter Biden&#39;s emails show us the strategic thinking of some aspects of the US Government.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/WarRoom?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#WarRoom</a> <a href="https://t.co/G0wHORAiC9">pic.twitter.com/G0wHORAiC9</a>
&mdash; Real America&#39;s Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) <a href="https://twitter.com/RealAmVoice/status/1617570353445847063?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The Daily Wire sent an email to Abbe Lowell, an attorney<a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/22/hunter-biden-hires-jared-kushner-lawyer-abbe-lowell-republicans-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> retained by Hunter Biden</a> in December, seeking comment on the email and suggestions that it may contain classified information.

Hunter and Joe Biden

‘Incredibly Suspicious’: Detailed Hunter Biden Email Raises Questions Amid Classified Docs Scandal

Detailed Hunter Biden Email Raises Questions Amid Classified Docs Scandal

Hunter Biden

Joe Biden

Ukraine

Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) formally rejected two high-profile Democrats from continuing to serve on the House Intelligence Committee.
McCarthy posted on Tuesday a response letter addressed to Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY), who over the weekend recommended Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) for the panel that has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/schiff-claims-he-never-took-classified-docs-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">access to the nation&#8217;s most sensitive secrets.</a>
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I have rejected the appointments of Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell for the House Intelligence Committee.
I am committed to returning the <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseIntel?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@HouseIntel</a> Committee to one of genuine honesty and credibility that regains the trust of the American people. <a href="https://t.co/ePxlbanxta">pic.twitter.com/ePxlbanxta</a>
&mdash; Kevin McCarthy (@SpeakerMcCarthy) <a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy/status/1618047779422769154?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I cannot put partisan loyalty ahead of national security, and I cannot simply recognize years of service as the sole criteria for membership on this essential committee. Integrity matters more,&#8221; McCarthy said.
&#8220;As such, in order to maintain a standard worthy of this committee&#8217;s responsibilities, I am hereby rejecting the appointments of Representative Adam Schiff and Representative Eric Swalwell to serve on the Intelligence Committee,&#8221; McCarthy added.
The letter was released shortly after McCarthy and Jeffries <a href="https://twitter.com/mkraju/status/1618037085176487937" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly held a meeting</a>. He told reporters Schiff and Swalwell would be able to serve on other committees.
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.<a href="https://twitter.com/SpeakerMcCarthy?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SpeakerMcCarthy</a> to reporter: Let me be very clear &amp; respectful to you. You ask me a question when I answer it it&#39;s the answer to your question. You don&#39;t get to determine whether I answer a question or not, okay? In all respect&#8230;what happens in the Intel Cmte you don&#39;t know. <a href="https://t.co/WD57QB7m1v">pic.twitter.com/WD57QB7m1v</a>
&mdash; CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1618059285094666240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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As speaker, McCarthy has the unilateral authority to block members from the House Intelligence Committee. Even before he took on the role, McCarthy vowed to bump Schiff and Swalwell from the perches they&#8217;ve held for years. McCarthy has also talked about removing Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but that would take a House floor vote to accomplish.
Not everyone in the Republican conference is on board with the push to yank Democrats from their committee assignments. Rep. Victoria Spartz (R-IN), who over the course of 15 ballots for speaker this month voted &#8220;present&#8221; some of the time, released a statement saying she did not support what she <a href="https://spartz.house.gov/media/press-releases/spartz-issues-statement-proposed-committee-removals-mccarthy-needs-stop-bread" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called a &#8220;charade.&#8221;</a>
McCarthy has accused Schiff, who served as chairman of the committee for four years, of being a repeat liar, particularly with investigations related to former President Donald Trump. The speaker has raised national security concerns with Swalwell because of his intimate ties to an alleged Chinese spy years ago.
&#8220;This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump. If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out just how wrong he is. I will always defend our democracy,&#8221; Schiff tweeted Tuesday evening.
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Kevin McCarthy just kicked me and <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepSwalwell</a> off the Intelligence Committee.
This is petty, political payback for investigating Donald Trump.
If he thinks this will stop me, he will soon find out just how wrong he is. 
I will always defend our democracy.
&mdash; Adam Schiff (@RepAdamSchiff) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepAdamSchiff/status/1618048304025341952?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Swalwell has long <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/eric-swalwell-denies-wrongdoing-chinese-spy-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended himself</a> in the Chinese spy scandal by pointing to FBI officials <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/18/eric-swalwell-fbi-christine-fang-477020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling the media</a> he was cooperative with any investigation and not suspected of wrongdoing.
&#8220;This rejection is based on a claim that the Washington Post independent-fact checker gave 4 Pinocchios,&#8221; he tweeted Tuesday. &#8220;Speaker [John] Boehner and [Paul] Ryan, both Gang of 8 members, appointed me to Intel with access to the same facts McCarthy is distorting. He can keep me off Intel, but I’m not going away.&#8221;
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This rejection is based on a claim that the Washington Post independent-fact checker gave 4 Pinocchios. Speaker Boehner and Ryan, both Gang of 8 members, appointed me to Intel with access to the same facts McCarthy is distorting. He can keep me off Intel, but I’m not going away. <a href="https://t.co/YQZOVCSJpO">https://t.co/YQZOVCSJpO</a>
&mdash; Rep. Eric Swalwell (@RepSwalwell) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepSwalwell/status/1618051159075487744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Jeffries, who replaced Rep. Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) as leader of the House Democrats this session of Congress, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-leader-picks-schiff-and-swalwell-for-intel-panel-in-defiance-of-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote to McCarthy</a> over the weekend arguing that both Schiff and Swalwell were &#8220;eminently qualified&#8221; to continue serving on the panel.
He noted how bipartisan votes led to Republican members being booted from their committee assignments in recent years. He also brought up <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/records-contradict-george-santos-claim-his-mother-was-in-world-trade-center-on-9-11-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;serial fraudster&#8221; Rep. George Santos (R-NY)</a> in an attempt to bolster his argument. Republicans opted to give the freshman lawmaker, who has admitted to lying about aspects of his career and personal life, committee assignments despite Santos facing multiple investigations and calls to resign.
&#8220;The apparent double standard risks undermining the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that is so desperately needed in Congress,&#8221; Jeffries said.
The House Intelligence Committee was long regarded to be an apolitical panel up until it became ground zero for partisan sniping during Trump&#8217;s presidency with investigations into the 2016 election, Trump&#8217;s alleged ties to Russia, and Ukraine. McCarthy said he wants to redirect the focus away from politics.
&#8220;It is my assessment that the misuses of this panel during the 116th and 117th Congresses undermined its primary national security and oversight missions — ultimately leaving our nation less safe,&#8221; McCarthy wrote in his letter Tuesday. &#8220;Therefore, as we enter a new Congress, I am committed to returning the Intelligence Committee to one of genuine honesty and credibility that regains the trust of the American people.&#8221;
McCarthy has already announced the GOP members he <a href="https://justthenews.com/government/congress/mccarthy-announces-members-intelligence-and-rules-committees" target="_blank" rel="noopener">picked for the intelligence panel</a> this session of Congress. The chairman will be Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH). It was not immediately clear who among the Democrats would round out committee membership.

Adam Schiff and Eric Swalwell

McCarthy Formally Kicks Schiff And Swalwell From House Intel: ‘Integrity Matters More’

Eric Swalwell

Kevin McCarthy

Rep. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/adam-schiff" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Adam Schiff</a> (D-CA) says he never took classified documents back home amid a growing scandal over the handling of secret material by top government executives.
As chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, Schiff had access to all sorts of classified information, but the congressman asserted Tuesday he was too paranoid to take any of it with him.
&#8220;This is what’s so astounding, I think, for all of us on the Intelligence Committee. I never take classified documents to my house,&#8221; Schiff told MSNBC&#8217;s Andrea Mitchell, who asked if he had taken any records home. &#8220;I don’t know any reason why people would.&#8221;
Schiff referred to a SCIF, which is a secure location where sensitive information can be viewed.
&#8220;I am so paranoid when I go into the SCIF and out of the SCIF to make sure I’ve got no electronics on the way in, that I&#8217;ve got nothing with me on the way out. I am very, very careful about it, and I would assume that everyone else is, but clearly there’s a problem here,&#8221; he said.
<iframe loading="lazy" title="Rep. Adam Schiff: There appears to be a ‘systemic problem’ with handling of classified documents" width="500" height="281" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/pHp2hiL6IzE?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" allowfullscreen></iframe>
The conversation happened as it was revealed about a dozen documents marked classified were <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/report-classified-documents-found-at-former-vp-mike-pences-home-in-indiana" target="_blank" rel="noopener">found at former Vice President Mike Pence&#8217;s home</a> in Indiana and turned over to the FBI. The Justice Department already appointed two separate special counsels to investigate former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden for their handling of documents over classified materials stored in their residences and offices.
Schiff said there is a &#8220;systemic problem&#8221; with how White House officials are handling classified materials and called for an intelligence community risk assessment.
In the four years since he became chairman of the intelligence panel in 2019, Schiff has become a controversial figure, in part of his public claims of there being <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/21/adam-schiff-collusion-trump-1283786" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;ample&#8221; evidence</a> of collusion between Trump and Russia as well as his <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/bombshell-schiff-knew-about-whistleblower-allegations-days-before-complaint-filed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">handling of whistleblower allegations</a> during the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-senator-hawley-drafts-motions-to-subpoena-bidens-schiff-whistleblower" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ukraine impeachment saga</a>.
Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) has accused Schiff of being a repeat liar in vowing to remove Schiff from the Intelligence Committee this session of Congress, along with Rep. Eric Swalwell (D-CA). Daring McCarthy to make good on his pledge, Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democratic-leader-picks-schiff-and-swalwell-for-intel-panel-in-defiance-of-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">formally recommended</a> Schiff and Swalwell to stay on the committee, calling them &#8220;eminently qualified.&#8221;

Schiff Claims He Never Took Classified Docs Home

A prosecutor in Georgia requested the findings of a special grand jury investigating whether former President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/donald-trump" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Donald Trump</a> and his allies illegally interfered in the 2020 election not be released as charges are considered.
Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis argued her case Tuesday in a court hearing on whether to release a report put together by the Atlanta-area panel. The report may include recommendations for indictments as well as other information from the special grand jury&#8217;s investigative work. A disclosure could happen <a href="https://twitter.com/TamarHallerman/status/1617923028423430144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">in full or with redactions</a>.
“We want to make sure that everyone is treated fairly and we think for future defendants to be treated fairly, it is not appropriate at this time to have this report released,” Willis said. She also told the judge, &#8220;decisions are imminent.&#8221;
Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney was <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DLRKW2TXq6U" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hearing arguments</a> on whether the <a href="https://twitter.com/NormEisen/status/1617929970881560576" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report is a presentment</a> and is therefore required to be released under Georgia law because the grand jurors recommended their findings be publicized. In addition to the timing, the judge is expected to consider whether the report should be <a href="https://apnews.com/article/politics-georgia-state-government-disaster-planning-and-response-donald-trump-9fb5f9419c296170631b8a5fa7c6a126" target="_blank" rel="noopener">disclosed publicly</a> in full or with <a href="https://twitter.com/TamarHallerman/status/1617923028423430144" target="_blank" rel="noopener">redactions</a>.
A group of media organizations <a href="https://www.fultonclerk.org/DocumentCenter/View/1674/SPGJ-FILING--BRIEF-OF-MEDIA-INTERVENORS" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a brief</a> supporting the release of the report. <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/24/georgia-investigation-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">They called it a</a> &#8220;matter of profound public interest that goes to the heart of the nation’s democratic forms of government,&#8221; <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2023/01/24/georgia-investigation-trump/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to The Washington Post</a>. An attorney for the media intervenors, Tom Clyde, made arguments in favor of immediate disclosure during the hearing on Tuesday.
The proceedings ended after about 90 minutes, with the judge saying he would &#8220;circle back&#8221; on a decision and promising there would be advance notice if he decided in favor of a disclosure.
Trump&#8217;s attorneys said in a statement they were not attending the hearing Tuesday, noting the former president was “never subpoenaed nor asked to come in voluntarily by this grand jury or anyone in the Fulton County District Attorney’s office.”
The attorneys, Georgia-based Drew Findling and Marissa Goldberg, added, “We can assume that the grand jury did their job and looked at the facts and the law, as we have, and concluded there were no violations of the law by President Trump.&#8221;
The special grand jury, which had the authority to subpoena witnesses and documents but not to issue indictments, was impaneled at the behest of Willis in May 2022 and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/georgia-special-grand-jury-submits-trump-probe-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">completed its work roughly two weeks ago</a>. Willis may use the findings to pursue charges by impaneling a separate, regular grand jury.
Several high-profile witnesses testified before the special grand jury, including Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-SC), former national security adviser Michael Flynn, and Trump&#8217;s former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani.
Willis, a Democrat, began her investigation after a phone call recording surfaced in which Trump pressed Raffensperger <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-raffensperger-call-transcript-georgia-vote/2021/01/03/2768e0cc-4ddd-11eb-83e3-322644d82356_story.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to “find” 11,780 votes</a>, enough to reverse losing the state to now-President Joe Biden, arguing there was widespread voter fraud. Giuliani and a group of 16 Republicans who served as pro-Trump alternate electors have been designated as targets of the district attorney&#8217;s investigation, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/24/politics/fulton-county-trump-grand-jury-hearing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to CNN</a>.
Trump often defends the call as <a href="https://truthsocial.com/@realDonaldTrump/posts/109745428818564017" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;perfect&#8221;</a> and broadly rejects claims of wrongdoing. The former president is separately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-special-counsel-sends-subpoenas-to-officials-in-7-states" target="_blank" rel="noopener">under investigation by the federal government</a>. Special counsel Jack Smith has been tasked with overseeing investigations into Trump’s handling of government documents after leaving office and the circumstances leading up to the Capitol riot on January 6, 2021. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-trump-launches-third-bid-for-white-house" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced a third campaign</a> for the White House in November.

Fani Willis

Georgia Prosecutor Wants Grand Jury Report In Trump Probe Kept Secret

2020 Election

Donald Trump

Elections

Georgia

The now-deceased suspect in this weekend&#8217;s deadly <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass shooting</a> in Monterey Park, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/california" target="_blank" rel="noopener">California</a>, brought multiple allegations to police earlier this month, according to authorities.
Police in Hemet, California, where the alleged shooter is believed to have lived, released a statement on Monday.
The man &#8220;visited the Hemet Police Department lobby on January 7 and 9, 2023, alleging past fraud, theft, and poisoning allegations involving his family in the Los Angeles area 10 to 20 years ago,” police said.
Police added the man &#8220;stated he would return to the station with documentation regarding his allegations but never returned.”
The suspect, whom the Daily Wire is not naming in keeping with a policy of depriving mass shooters of undeserved notoriety, is accused of <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2023/01/23/monterey-park-california-shooting-victims-identified-list/11105457002/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killing 11 people and wounding several more</a> at a dance studio on Saturday night.
In the hours that followed, the suspect was <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/watch-exclusive-video-captures-moment-man-disarms-monterey-park-shoote-rcna67061" target="_blank" rel="noopener">thwarted in carrying out a second attack</a> at another location and then died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a white van during a standoff with police, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/authorities-say-suspected-california-mass-shooter-killed-himself" target="_blank" rel="noopener">officials said Sunday</a>.
As part of an investigation, authorities conducted a search warrant at the suspect&#8217;s mobile home inside a gated senior community in Hemet, about 85 miles southeast of Monterey Park, <a href="https://ktla.com/news/local-news/monterey-park-shooting/law-enforcement-search-hemet-home-of-monterey-park-mass-shooter/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to KTLA</a>.
Investigators found a .308 caliber rifle, hundreds of rounds of ammo, and items suggesting that the suspect was building homemade firearm suppressors, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said on Monday.
Luna also said a motive has not yet been established. “We want to know as much as all of you, and we’re working very hard to attain that,&#8221; he added.
People who knew the suspect said he used to frequent the Monterey Park dance studio where the attack took place on Lunar New Year&#8217;s Eve, and he even met his ex-wife there, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/23/us/monterey-park-california-mass-shooting-monday/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN reported</a>. Records show the suspect filed for divorce in late 2005, which a judge approved the following year, and was an immigrant from China.

Crime scene Monterey Park

Monterey Park Gunman Made Allegations To Police Weeks Before Attack

California

Crime

Law Enforcement

Mass Shooting

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ghislaine-maxwell" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ghislaine Maxwell</a> says she believes her longtime companion, sex offender <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/jeffrey-epstein" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeffrey Epstein</a>, was murdered in jail.
In a phone interview from <a href="https://nypost.com/2022/10/28/ghislaine-maxwell-seen-laughing-jogging-on-florida-prison-track/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prison in Florida</a>, Maxwell, 61, cast doubt on the ruling that Epstein killed himself in 2019.
“I believe that he was murdered. I was shocked. Then I wondered how it had happened because as far as I was concerned, he was going to … I was sure he was going to appeal,&#8221; Maxwell told TalkTV’s Jeremy Kyle.
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&quot;I believe that he was murdered.&quot;
Ghislaine Maxwell speaks on Jeffrey Epstein&#39;s death, adding that she didn&#39;t know &quot;he was so awful&quot; and &quot;wishes that she had never met him&quot;.<a href="https://t.co/cpCBxt3SJV">pic.twitter.com/cpCBxt3SJV</a>
&mdash; TalkTV (@TalkTV) <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkTV/status/1617606782892838913?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Epstein, a wealthy financier and convicted sex offender, died at the age of 66 in his New York City jail cell in 2019 after being arrested on sex trafficking charges involving young girls.
A New York City medical examiner <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/aug/16/jeffrey-epstein-cause-of-death-coroner-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">determined he died by suicide</a>, but &#8220;Epstein Didn&#8217;t Kill Himself&#8221; quickly became a meme that persists this day.
Maxwell is serving <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/ghislaine-maxwell-sentenced-20-years-prison-conspiring-jeffrey-epstein-sexually-abuse" target="_blank" rel="noopener">a 20-year prison sentence</a> after being found guilty of conspiring with Epstein to sexually abuse underaged girls. She <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/top-news/articles/2022-07-07/ghislaine-maxwell-appeals-conviction-20-year-sentence-in-epstein-case#:~:text=July%207%2C%202022%2C%20at%202%3A49%20p.m.&amp;text=NEW%20YORK%20(Reuters)%20%2D%20Ghislaine,over%20more%20than%20a%20decade." target="_blank" rel="noopener">appealed the conviction</a> in July 2022.
During the interview, Maxwell made a number of other claims.
She said a decades-old photo showing Prince Andrew with an arm around his sexual abuse accuser Virginia Giuffre, along with Maxwell in the background, is &#8220;fake.&#8221; Prince Andrew <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/king-charles-evicts-prince-andrew-from-buckingham-palace" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly paid millions of dollars</a> in an out-of-court settlement with Giuffre but has publicly denied any wrongdoing.
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“I don’t believe it’s real for a second.”
EXCLUSIVE: Ghislaine Maxwell claims the photo of Virginia Giuffre and Prince Andrew is fake.
Don&#39;t miss Ghislaine Behind Bars with Jeremy Kyle. Monday at 7pm on TalkTV.<a href="https://twitter.com/jkyleofficial?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JKyleOfficial</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/TalkTV?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@TalkTV</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GhislaineTalkTV?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#GhislaineTalkTV</a> <a href="https://t.co/UJ2OyyBklp">pic.twitter.com/UJ2OyyBklp</a>
&mdash; Jeremy Kyle Live (@JeremyKyleLive) <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyKyleLive/status/1617130088633405443?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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“I don’t believe it’s real for a second,” Maxwell said of the photo. “In fact I’m sure it’s not … there’s never been an original. Further, there’s no photograph. I’ve only even seen a photocopy of it.”
Maxwell also claimed she did not know Epstein &#8220;was so awful&#8221; and said she wishes she had never met him.

Patrick McMullan Archives

Ghislaine Maxwell Says She Believes Jeffrey Epstein Was Murdered

Ghislaine Maxwell

Jeffrey Epstein

Sex Trafficking

Democrats are daring Speaker <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/kevin-mccarthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kevin McCarthy</a> (R-CA) to make good on his pledge to remove two members from the House Intelligence Committee.
Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-NY) formally recommended &#8220;eminently qualified&#8221; Reps. Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) continue serving on the panel with a letter dated Saturday. The missive is addressed to McCarthy, who <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/10/mccarthy-confirms-he-will-boot-schiff-swalwell-and-omar-from-house-panels/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">vowed retribution</a> as he accused Democrats of creating a &#8220;new standard&#8221; after GOP members were booted from their committee assignments in the last session of Congress.
&#8220;It is my understanding that you intend to break with the longstanding House tradition of deference to the minority party Intelligence Committee recommendations and deny seats to Ranking Member Schiff and Representative Swalwell,&#8221; Jeffries said in the letter <a href="https://punchbowl.news/leader_jeffries_letter_regarding_hpsci_appointments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">published by Punchbowl News</a>. &#8220;The denial of seats to duly elected Members of the House Democratic Caucus runs counter to the serious and sober mission of the Intelligence Committee.&#8221;
McCarthy rose to the speakership while making promises to bump Schiff and Swalwell from their Intelligence Committee perches — a move he has the power to make unilaterally. McCarthy has also talked about bouncing Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) from the Foreign Affairs Committee, but that would take a House floor vote to accomplish. In November, McCarthy accused Schiff of lying to the American public &#8220;time and again&#8221; and said Swalwell would be unable to get a security clearance in the public sector, alluding to Swalwell&#8217;s intimate ties to an alleged Chinese spy years ago.
Long regarded to be apolitical, the House Intelligence Committee became ground zero for partisan sniping during former President Donald Trump&#8217;s presidency with investigations into the 2016 election and Trump&#8217;s alleged ties to Russia. Schiff, who became chairman in 2019, made headlines by claiming there was <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2019/04/21/adam-schiff-collusion-trump-1283786" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;ample&#8221; evidence</a> of Russia collusion.
In reacting to McCarthy&#8217;s threat to remove him from the panel, <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/sunday-talk-shows/3751782-schiff-knocks-mccarthys-threat-of-removal-from-intelligence-committee/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Schiff told CNN</a> in November that &#8220;McCarthy’s problem is not with what I have said about Russia&#8221; but rather McCarthy&#8217;s bid to earn enough votes to become speaker. &#8220;So, he will misrepresent my record,&#8221; Schiff added. Swalwell argued McCarthy&#8217;s actions appeared to be <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-4wvrTe8Wuo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;political vengeance&#8221;</a> and <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/eric-swalwell-denies-wrongdoing-chinese-spy-scandal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">defended himself</a> in the Chinese spy scandal by pointing to FBI officials <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2021/03/18/eric-swalwell-fbi-christine-fang-477020" target="_blank" rel="noopener">telling the media</a> he was cooperative with any investigation and not suspected of wrongdoing.
In his letter, Jeffries argued Democrats did not set a &#8220;precedent or justification&#8221; for McCarthy to remove Schiff and Swalwell. He specifically pointed to the last session of Congress when Democrats controlled the House, stressing that some Republicans joined Democrats in voting to kick Reps. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ) from their committees over a series of inflammatory statements and a controversial video shared on social media, respectively.
&#8220;In the 117th Congress, two Members were removed from their committee assignments after a bipartisan vote of the House found them unfit to serve on standing committees for directly inciting violence against their colleagues,&#8221; Jeffries wrote. &#8220;This action was taken by both Democrats and Republicans given the seriousness of the conduct involved, particularly in the aftermath of a violent insurrection and attack on the Capitol.&#8221;
Last week, the House GOP Steering Committee <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/marjorie-taylor-greene-set-to-make-comeback-with-new-committee-assignments" target="_blank" rel="noopener">elected to give Greene and Gosar fresh committee</a> assignments, including on the powerful House Oversight Committee.
Jeffries also brought up <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/records-contradict-george-santos-claim-his-mother-was-in-world-trade-center-on-9-11-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;serial fraudster&#8221; Rep. George Santos (R-NY)</a> in an attempt to bolster his argument. Republicans opted to give the freshman lawmaker, who has admitted to lying about aspects of his career and personal life, committee assignments despite Santos facing multiple investigations and calls to resign.
&#8220;The apparent double standard risks undermining the spirit of bipartisan cooperation that is so desperately needed in Congress,&#8221; Jeffries said.

Democratic Leader Picks Schiff And Swalwell For Intel Panel In Defiance Of McCarthy

Hakeem Jeffries

The suspect in a shooting that killed 10 people and injured 10 others at a Los Angeles-area dance studio fatally shot himself, authorities announced on Sunday evening.
Officials held a press conference at Monterey Park City Hall offering details about a standoff that ended hours earlier in Torrance, California, which is about 30 miles southwest of the mass shooting scene in Monterey Park where people gathered on Lunar New Year&#8217;s Eve.
Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna said police officers pulled up Sunday morning behind a white cargo van and followed it to a shopping center parking lot. When the officers left their patrol vehicle to contact the occupant they heard a single gun shot coming from within the vehicle, Luna said. After the officers retreated and requested tactical support, a SWAT team determined the suspect had died of a self-inflicted gun shot wound and he was pronounced dead at the scene, Luna said.
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LIVE BREAKING UPDATE: LA Sheriff press conference on Monterey Park mass shooting following standoff &#8212; <a href="https://t.co/onvrSuLQEj">https://t.co/onvrSuLQEj</a> <a href="https://t.co/FMEikNeuVW">https://t.co/FMEikNeuVW</a>
&mdash; ABC 10News San Diego (@10News) <a href="https://twitter.com/10News/status/1617331453213433856?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 23, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Luna identified the suspect at the evening press conference, but The Daily Wire is not naming him in keeping with a policy of depriving mass shooters of undeserved notoriety. Earlier, the Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department <a href="https://twitter.com/LACoSheriff/status/1617241146710962178" target="_blank" rel="noopener">released a bulletin</a> seeking the public&#8217;s help in finding the suspect. It featured photos of the suspect and described him as adult Asian man wearing a black leather jacket, beanie, and glasses.
The bulletin said the suspect should be considered armed and dangerous, but Luna stressed his department did not immediately release a name over concerns the disclosure would <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/live-updates-mass-shooting-monterey-park-california-manhunt-gunman-lun-rcna66887#rcrd10089" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;inhibit&#8221; authorities in making an arrest.</a>
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On Saturday January 21, 2023 at 10:22 PM the suspect male/adult/Asian pictured above was involved in a shooting. Investigators have identified him as a Homicide suspect and he should be considered armed and dangerous. Contact LASD Homicide with any information at 323-890-5000. <a href="https://t.co/2gPUBBybvv">pic.twitter.com/2gPUBBybvv</a>
&mdash; Robert Luna (@LACoSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/LACoSheriff/status/1617241146710962178?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Authorities were not ready to announce a motive as of Sunday evening but an investigation is ongoing. &#8220;We want to know how something this awful can happen,&#8221; Luna said at the press conference.
The violence started around 10:22 p.m. Saturday night when a gunman opened fire at a dance studio near a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-dead-10-wounded-in-california-mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">killing at least 10 people</a> and wounded 10 others before the suspect fled the scene, according to authorities.
Paramedics declared five men and five women dead at the scene, Luna said during a news conference earlier in the day Sunday. The injured victims were taken to nearby hospitals, where their conditions ranged from stable to critical, <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-22/la-me-monterey-park-mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Los Angeles Times</a> reported. Luna said seven remained hospitalized as of Sunday evening. The sheriff did not identify any of the victims, but described them as being in their 50s, 60s, or even older.
Officials said a second incident took place within a half hour of the Monterey Park shooting at another dance hall in nearby Alhambra. Two people managed to wrestle a firearm from an <a href="https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-01-22/la-me-monterey-park-mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">armed male Asian suspect</a> before the suspect took off, according to Luna, who noted <a href="https://www.cnn.com/us/live-news/los-angeles-mass-shooting-01-22-2023/h_d7fd403b1a7674c9c2f06892df15a0fe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">witnesses saw</a> the suspect flee in a white cargo van, leading to the bulletin. &#8220;They saved lives,&#8221; Luna said of the two individuals who disarmed the suspect.
In the latest press conference, Luna described the weapon that was recovered from the Alhambra scene as an semi-automatic &#8220;assault pistol&#8221; with an extended magazine. In response to a reporter&#8217;s question, Luna said he believes the weapon was not legal to have in the state of California but stressed that he needed to investigate further. The sheriff said another handgun was found in the van and &#8220;several pieces of evidence&#8221; linking the suspect to both incidents.
Earlier in the day, dramatic images showed armored vehicles trapping the white cargo van during a traffic stop. Aerial video from KABC from the scene later showed what appeared to be SWAT team members smashing windows to gain entry into the van.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
NEW &#8211; SWAT officers smash out front window and enter the Torrance van believed to be tied to <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/MontereyPark?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#MontereyPark</a> shooting &#8211; images on delay, officers in information gathering posture per <a href="https://twitter.com/joshscampbell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@joshscampbell</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/juliettekayyem?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@juliettekayyem</a> <a href="https://t.co/6pTFtE3Tfr">pic.twitter.com/6pTFtE3Tfr</a>
&mdash; Mike Valerio (@ValerioCNN) <a href="https://twitter.com/ValerioCNN/status/1617266205450027008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The Los Angeles County Sheriff&#8217;s Department Special Enforcement Bureau announced the standoff had ended after a couple of hours. “SEB SWAT operation for an armed suspect in Torrance has concluded. Neighborhood safe,&#8221; the bureau said in a tweet.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LASD?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LASD</a> SEB SWAT operation for an armed suspect in Torrance has concluded. Neighborhood safe. <a href="https://t.co/QSNjMATzgR">pic.twitter.com/QSNjMATzgR</a>
&mdash; SEB (@SEBLASD) <a href="https://twitter.com/SEBLASD/status/1617274113583898625?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 22, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;
Officials could not immediately determine if Lunar New Year, which is celebrated by billions of people from a <a href="https://time.com/6248736/lunar-new-year-celebrations/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">myriad of Asian cultures</a> around the world, was connected to the shooting. Monterey Park has a population of about 60,000, and <a href="https://www.census.gov/quickfacts/fact/table/montereyparkcitycalifornia/PST045221" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about 65% of its residents</a> are Asian.
“Monterey Park should have had a night of joyful celebration of the Lunar New Year,” <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1617178780895956994" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tweeted Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA)</a> on Sunday morning. “Instead, they were the victims of a horrific and heartless act of gun violence. Our hearts mourn as we learn more about the devastating acts of last night.”
President Joe Biden said he directed his homeland security adviser <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/22/statement-from-president-joe-biden-on-the-shooting-in-monterey-park-california/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to prepare federal support</a> for the investigation and he ordered flags to fly at half-staff at the White House and all public buildings in honor of the victims at Monterey Park.

Torrance standoff

Authorities Say Suspected California Mass Shooter Killed Himself

Shooting

President Joe Biden will appoint a former COVID czar to be his next chief of staff, according to a report Sunday.
Sources <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ron-klain-expected-to-step-down-as-bidens-chief-of-staff-report" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The Washington Post</a> that Jeff Zients would be named the successor to Ron Klain, who is expected to step down as chief of staff in the coming weeks. A formal announcement has yet to be made as of press time.
Zients served as COVID response coordinator for the first year-plus of Biden&#8217;s presidency, leading the charge in <a href="https://www.virginiamercury.com/2022/02/03/white-house-plans-speedy-delivery-to-states-of-covid-vaccine-for-littlest-kids/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">promoting vaccinations</a>. In the spring of 2022, when Biden announced Ashish Jha would be taking over the role, the president praised Zients as <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2022/03/17/statement-by-president-joe-biden-on-the-white-house-covid-19-response-coordinator/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">&#8220;a man of service and an expert manager.&#8221;</a>
So far, the White House remains tightlipped about a chief of staff overhaul. Still, senior administration officials <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/21/us/politics/ron-klain-resigning.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told The New York Times</a> that Klain has been telling colleagues privately he planned to step down ever since the midterm elections.
Insiders told <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/01/22/jeff-zients-biden-chief-of-staff/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a> that Zients returned to the White House in the fall to help Klain with staff turnover after the 2022 elections. Klain has been assigning Zients various projects, which some insiders have viewed as Klain preparing Zients for the chief of staff position, the report added.
Zients established himself as a wealthy investor who took on various senior roles in the Obama administration and served on Facebook&#8217;s board of directors.  <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/bidens-wealthiest-cabinet-officials-zients-lander-rice-top-the-list-11616500809" target="_blank" rel="noopener">A Wall Street Journal analysis</a> in March 2021 showed Zients listed assets worth at least $89.3 million, placing him among the richest of Biden&#8217;s top aides.
If he does become chief of staff, Zients will take on the top job as Biden faces a growing controversy over his handling of classified documents.
The White House has repeatedly insisted the president and his attorneys are fully cooperating with the National Archives and Justice Department as an investigation turns up more classified documents at Biden&#8217;s Wilmington, Delaware, residence and a think tank office <a href="https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/fbi-finds-six-more-documents-marked-classified-in-search-of-bidens-home" target="_blank" rel="noopener">dating back as far back as his time in the Senate</a>.

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Daniel Chaitin