The Biden administration&#8217;s FCC nominee may have deep conflicts of interest with the companies she may oversee, according to a memo obtained by The Daily Wire.
According to the memo, Sohn&#8217;s public records show that she is a consultant for the Benton Institute for Broadband &amp; Society, a think tank dedicated to expanding broadband access. But that think tank is funded by many of the telecom giants she is nominated to oversee. And Sohn has publicly criticized that exact behavior before.
According to Sohn&#8217;s <a href="https://thewellnews.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/02/Sohn-Gigi-final278.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Executive Branch Personnel Public Financial Disclosure Report</a> with the Office of Government Ethics from January 2022, Sohn earned some $137,002 in &#8220;consulting fees&#8221; from the Benton Institute for Broadband &amp; Society, which accounts for nearly half of her reported salary. In the filing, Sohn described her work as &#8220;[p]ublic advocacy, coalition building and strategic guidance that broadens public awareness about the importance of universal, affordable and open communications networks.&#8221;
According to the Benton Institute&#8217;s website, Sohn has been a <a href="https://www.benton.org/benton-experts/gigi-sohn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Senior Fellow and Public Advocate</a> with the organization since 2018, and has published nearly 20 articles for their blog, and another she co-authored for the website TechDirt.
However, according to a <a href="https://www.benton.org/donor-recognition-dc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">donor list</a> also on the Benton Institute&#8217;s website, the organization is sponsored by several of the largest telecommunications giants in the country, companies that Sohn will oversee if appointed to the FCC. Among the organization&#8217;s &#8220;Platinum Sponsors&#8221; are Google Fiber, the internet giant&#8217;s fiber-to-the-premises broadband subsidiary; Verizon; and T-Mobile. One of the group&#8217;s &#8220;Gold Sponsors&#8221; is the National Lifeline Association, a non-profit which supports the federal Lifeline program. &#8220;Silver Sponsors&#8221; include AT&amp;T, Dish Network, and Twitter.
And Sohn has criticized these exact groups in the past. &#8220;Yes, it’s better that @FCC is again run by telecom, cable &amp; broadcast industries &amp; their bought &amp; paid 4 think-tanks,&#8221; Sohn tweeted sarcastically in 2017, replying to a critic. &#8220;Now *that’s* democracy!&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Yes, it’s better that <a href="https://twitter.com/FCC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FCC</a> is again run by telecom, cable &amp; broadcast industries &amp; their bought &amp; paid 4 think-tanks. Now *that’s* democracy! <a href="https://t.co/7rlzHTeqDD">https://t.co/7rlzHTeqDD</a>
&mdash; Gigi Sohn (@gigibsohn) <a href="https://twitter.com/gigibsohn/status/935863910044971010?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">November 29, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Sohn advertises her position at the Benton Institute in her Twitter bio.
On January 3, President Joe Biden <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/01/03/nominations-sent-to-the-senate-91/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">re-nominated</a> Sohn for a vacant seat on the FCC formerly held by Ajit Pai. He previously nominated her in 2021, but her nomination stalled because of concerns about overtly partisan statements and advocating for censorship of conservative news networks like Fox News and Sinclair Media.
“My principal concern with Ms. Sohn is that she has expressed a significant willingness to use government power against political enemies, and to use government power as a tool of censorship,&#8221; Texas Republican Senator <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/cruz-sounds-alarm-on-biden-fcc-nominee-dangerous-place-for-a-partisan" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ted Cruz</a> said in a Senate Commerce Committee hearing last March. &#8220;And I think the FCC is a particularly dangerous place for a partisan who is willing to try to muzzle those with whom she disagrees.” Cruz also raised ethical concerns over a secret legal settlement made by company she served on the board of, just one day after Biden announced her nomination.
The Commerce Committee deadlocked on her nomination, sending her confirmation to the full Senate with extra procedural hurdles. The nomination was never brought to the floor, and the Senate returned the nomination to Biden on January 3, before the 117th Congress concluded and the 118th Congress opened.
Sohn is currently facing criticism over her position on the board of the <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-fcc-nominee-sits-board-group-opposes-anti-sex-trafficking-efforts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Electronic Frontier Foundation</a> (EFF), which opposed a pair of bipartisan laws passed in 2018 aimed at stopping online sex trafficking, as well as sharing a tweet <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/bidens-fcc-nominee-gigi-sohn-shared-tweet-calling-trump-raggedy-white-supremacist-president" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attacking</a> former President Trump.

Screen Shot 2022-03-30 at 9.36.07 PM

Exclusive: Biden’s FCC Nominee Works For A Think Tank Funded By The Telecom Giants She Was Nominated To Oversee, Memo Claims

Exclusive: Biden's FCC Nominee Works For A Think Tank Funded By The Telecom Giants She Was Nominated To Oversee, Memo Claims

Biden Administration

Conflicts

Congress

Senate

U.S.

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/associated-press" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a> was forced to backtrack after being mercilessly mocked for a tweet instructing journalists not to call French people &#8220;the French.&#8221;
In a tweet posted Thursday morning, the AP Stylebook instructed journalists who work with the organization not to use &#8220;dehumanizing&#8221; collective terms for people, such as &#8220;<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/the-poor-the-mentally-ill-the-french-whats-with-the-morons-at-the-associated-press" target="_blank" rel="noopener">the French</a>.&#8221; The tweet was roundly mocked by, among many others, the French Embassy in the United States. The AP walked back its tweet Friday, but that did not make it any better.
“We recommend avoiding general and often dehumanizing ‘the’ labels such as the poor, the mentally ill, the French, the disabled, the college-educated. Instead, use wording such as people with mental illnesses,” the AP Stylebook wrote in the now-deleted tweet. “And use these descriptions only when clearly relevant.”
The tweet was almost immediately and mercilessly mocked by Twitter users on all sides.
&#8220;I agree, these days we probably should label &#8216;the college-educated&#8217; people with mental illnesses instead,&#8221; Daily Wire Editor Emeritus <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1618686125392146433?s=20&amp;t=MruxSUUvDApOvrVDBf2muw" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ben Shapiro</a> replied to the AP&#8217;s tweet. &#8220;Also, we should stop calling people &#8216;the French&#8217; and instead call them &#8216;people suffering from cheese-eating surrender monkeyness,’” he added.
&#8220;I agree; &#8216;People suffering from pretension&#8217; is much more humane than simply &#8216;the French,’” <a href="https://twitter.com/SpencerKlavan/status/1618683702070108160" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spencer Klavan</a>, associate editor of the Claremont Review of Books, wrote.
&#8220;I believe the correct AP label is ‘the/those f***ing French,’” said comedian <a href="https://twitter.com/jonstewart/status/1618713836311429120" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jon Stewart</a>.
&#8220;My favorite movie is The Connection With Frenchness,&#8221; comedian <a href="https://twitter.com/JeremyMcLellan/status/1618673301479636992" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jeremy McClellan</a> tweeted.
&#8220;The AP has declared the word ‘the’ offensive,&#8221; Babylon Bee editor-in-chief <a href="https://twitter.com/The_Kyle_Mann/status/1618981429479895041" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Kyle Mann</a> wrote. &#8220;I thought this was a @TheBabylonBee story for a second &#8211; and I run The Babylon Bee.&#8221;
Twitter CEO <a href="https://twitter.com/elonmusk/status/1619066176113606656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1619066176113606656%7Ctwgr%5E87e51ca88097522b05dd64f57dbef464894b1559%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Ftwitchy.com%2Fsamj-3930%2F2023%2F01%2F27%2Felon-musk-has-just-1-question-for-the-ap-after-they-called-the-a-dehumanizing-label-and-bahaha%2F" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Elon Musk</a> even got in on the dogpile. &#8220;So then why do call yourself &#8216;The&#8217; Associated Press 😂,&#8221; Musk tweeted.
The mockery came to a head when none other than the French themselves joined in mocking the AP&#8217;s tweet. &#8220;I guess this is us now&#8230;&#8221; the French Embassy in the United States tweeted, including a screenshot changing its handle to &#8220;Embassy of Frenchness in the US.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
I guess this is us now&#8230; <a href="https://t.co/YFybgfI2AB">https://t.co/YFybgfI2AB</a> <a href="https://t.co/LrKvgjiw1X">pic.twitter.com/LrKvgjiw1X</a>
— French Embassy U.S. (@franceintheus) <a href="https://twitter.com/franceintheus/status/1618735330202652672?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 26, 2023</a></blockquote>
A spokesman for the embassy said they were perplexed by the outlet singling them out. “We just wondered what the alternative to the French would be,” French embassy spokesman Pascal Confavreux told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/27/world/europe/ap-stylebook-the-french.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. “I mean, really.”
The Associated Press was forced to delete the tweet and <a href="https://twitter.com/APStylebook/status/1619005157508845568" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rework its guidance</a> on Friday. &#8220;We deleted an earlier tweet because of an inappropriate reference to French people,&#8221; AP Stylebook wrote. &#8220;We did not intend to offend.&#8221; The outlet did, however, reaffirm its position that journalists in its collective should not use &#8220;the&#8221; labels for groups of people, because doing so &#8220;can sound dehumanizing and imply a monolith rather than diverse individuals.&#8221; Instead of using terms like &#8220;the mentally ill&#8221; or &#8220;the wealthy,&#8221; the AP Stylebook recommends the use of phrases like &#8220;people with mental illnesses&#8221; or &#8220;wealthy people.&#8221;
But that walk-back was met with even more mockery online.
&#8220;The must be the first time in history that someone has surrendered to the French,&#8221; journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/byDavidGardner/status/1619065439161839617?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1619065439161839617%7Ctwgr%5Edfe1044a180a503b4ab0a7d485fd174ad416c809%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FbyDavidGardner2Fstatus2F1619065439161839617widget%3DTweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">David Gardner</a> wrote.
&#8220;THE woke!&#8221; Indiana Republican Congressman <a href="https://twitter.com/RepJimBanks/status/1619045401184829441?s=20&amp;t=Is5iATAzbB4UnRNQsgbEiQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jim Banks</a> added.
“‘An inappropriate reference to French people&#8217; is somehow even funnier than anything in the first tweet,&#8221; video game journalist <a href="https://twitter.com/MarioPrime/status/1619018421668290560?s=20&amp;t=6CRrmmSdmv6XzT_R59sFPg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Giovanni Colantonio</a> chimed in.
&#8220;THE Ohio State University has entered into the chat,&#8221; one user added.

Logos Of The World

AP Deletes Cringe Tweet To Not Call The French ‘The French’ After Being Mocked By, Among Others, The French

Associated Press Deletes Cringe Tweet Telling Journalists Not To Call The French 'The French’ After Being Mocked By, Among Others, The French

Associated Press

France

Journalism

language

Media

Twitter

Online persons are using the closing of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/disney-world" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Disney World</a>&#8216;s &#8220;Splash Mountain&#8221; attraction as a chance to make a quick buck by selling the alleged water from the ride.
Splash Mountain, the enormously popular log flume ride at Walt Disney World&#8217;s Magic Kingdom theme park, closed on Monday in preparation to be rebuilt as a more &#8220;inclusive&#8221; ride. But Disney fans, eager to preserve the memory of the iconic ride, are looking for souvenirs. To that end, internet salespeople are looking to cash in by selling alleged water from the ride.
A quick search of &#8220;Splash Mountain Water&#8221; on eBay yields some interesting results. Entrepreneurial eBay auctioneers are selling bottles, mason jars, and even plastic bags purportedly full of water from the ride, at prices ranging from just a few dollars to hundreds. One product is a plastic bag that allegedly contains <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/334714956753?hash=item4dee90ebd1:g:JHUAAOSwdctjzuKh" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4 ounces of water</a> from the ride, with &#8220;Splash Mountain Water 1/22/2023&#8221; written in black marker on the bag, with water droplets drawn on it; it is selling for $13.50.
A <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/125735480557?mkevt=1&amp;mkpid=0&amp;emsid=e11050.m43.l1123&amp;mkcid=26&amp;ch=osgood&amp;euid=8348a2b764ee4de0afdabae122faf849&amp;bu=45545240761&amp;osub=-1%7E1&amp;crd=20230124100220&amp;segname=11050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar bag</a> full of water is selling for $25. One auction was for a <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/204223436314?mkevt=1&amp;mkpid=0&amp;emsid=e11050.m43.l1123&amp;mkcid=26&amp;ch=osgood&amp;euid=021e4c41b7c74598a8e51d31599e5241&amp;bu=45545240761&amp;osub=-1%7E1&amp;crd=20230124100451&amp;segname=11050" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reusable bottle</a> full of the water, selling for $27; that auction was ended because the item was no longer available. Another person was selling a <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/275639643825?hash=item402d672eb1:g:0SYAAOSwxcFjzgB7&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4Bc7hlB6IT9%2FazNbwRERS6hSco4ib8TsevXvoX%2FEQZNqGQdFvhT4ZAnIlUUottqCZoUu5dtFqOfL6ZmjdwlGX%2BLgknRYgBBpcOofNPD5CLuhP%2BNyEK67zQipdm6ssHBTTsTLchBHDfsgqSh%2BRHWzdwuc0GmjGBxri5hoU7bc1HijB84luwRt5sw7uRp96dI4u4XBt90Dzhn43Ia%2F6b2mN1GEfa6L30eS9fNMaYLKKpC10B4jL885UyloEQPSMltxzj7mEZNQ8%2BhmzEOxFiy4nONlRuO90md92J%2BCIpZFsnhV%7Ctkp%3ABFBM-o-GiL5h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">small mason jar</a> full of the water. The image of the item shows a person holding the jar and standing in front of the ride entrance; that image has been appropriated by other sellers for their own auctions. And one seller is offering a tupperware container of the water for just <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/325511109969?hash=item4bc9f95d51:g:DwkAAOSwRl9j0Ks-&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4NiNxn6kUNfqh8tXQLXH7d4pArmIa1GE2oZt0Ed10nGBRtaDNRcsLpRoJc0DZ8WONN3hp3IBOS7ysFqYtVVxfN9970xS7azE3oIheWQNkaZULB2zzKt04HQaFDi6j5vKcz%2BfOTsRV15n0iEw%2F12TKhuW9ZEIheHMBhrG8K6egDJuAC%2Fx6IEr9Hx3KjhpwEhcekq3LRF%2BkCyGwvLNgzY%2Fni%2BoIQINNnSbpRNY%2BV70J04%2FxkI18WXU2fOrGiA2%2BOle%2B1gs7HShxPqYAnHalbK3AtE9iTyn94NDAoh9dxnH5C9T%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_yPhoi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">99 cents</a>. One person selling their water sample for charity offers it &#8220;<a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/155376037175?hash=item242d222d37:g:E-sAAOSwO0lj0F1F&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4MzDXS%2FSSUoUOahavlMRYOzCVVcI24KJ9P%2F9BWXORgZS65hyZFLfpzRtMpOmwnVizgCx95RFVboC6CRf2CxVZi3C4K08RKYpr6FFBYxtQxXJeKZSjK%2BP9OM4oD1a3%2FyKez3Pfghpml71QJfPZHAZhqfyRoYRguOIiiZRebbwwrP%2FyvLcDyPdTd%2B4qN4DkBlYI57fOOkH%2BgK8y2GnYawI7%2BwhmjlzsO3ckICP8KDjTEBcndN%2Bxkx3ijRewepBA3dn3ne4pocA%2BWjS3Pc%2Fs%2FEUSoWjwzEAFozG1lMabBv0V%2F7X%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR_qPhoi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">with rocks from the ride</a>.&#8221; As of the publication of the piece, the water has 13 bids and is selling for $91.
But many sellers are charging more than a pretty penny for their used log flume backwash. One seller advertises &#8220;AUTHENTIC Water From 01/22/23,&#8221; but with no picture of the item, only stock photos of the ride; it is being sold for <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/134426293307?hash=item1f4c6e743b:g:hBsAAOSwG5Jj0tjz&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4KZWncwuw1Mgxu0nnOvMAkPPO1m1%2FzpIwEYchkBfX1Ooym7tze7F8HtvWZZNtn3GjFl2xJ1HehkuwEYXsekH%2FOQ6odVEpR7Je2KNcyTjEaHot1VV17SkaCx09CrUQ4orXxZtI0bCRhLY4cnxXDmKaUKD%2FnXCeoWJz1Cnn4NerX%2BZZwuYs8YN9lB8%2BF6x7uV8RREn9IYbvR7sYBngxwfLeZz8muaZmGgKMzfRWiiB4%2BrmLev8Gg2I4aI8%2BGBrvgyQ0G2lVU14E08eRcrkpE5SZON1KJZwIuAmxnBQBCkQ5xJF%7Ctkp%3ABFBM-o-GiL5h" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$700</a>. &#8220;OWN YOUR PIECE OF HISTORY,&#8221; the listing entices. Another person offers a half-filled water bottle for the low, low price of <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/234873372834?hash=item36af8b40a2:g:dRoAAOSw8LNj0c5R&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoA2kkTf49FiONbj7J0KMjh%2B3zEp97J7pWqVbJEzTJ4PPqRIWKNkpiX%2BQ9t%2BR%2BHxQWXWMvyOl8Tuf6FsLjYWrAltikKowHDM48u5O%2BiRgFREYDuoipAC%2FiXjSoDC8KdEzvPwv1MDOdSLIZt%2FOkPS62FMtByu122L4vE0xUSDq3SIBu9NEMgVwnIY8rSMCmV2V1tlDXFJJz0bG1QAAEVIY1ww%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9DO-oi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$1000</a>. One seller advertises, &#8220;<a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/404125135485?hash=item5e17bc327d:g:XG4AAOSwV~1j0LaP&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAA4EU9%2FCrTZ2aYsNaxJGprrLZ2N2nOmjdmp%2FdGPELZoD%2B%2BsnLHMPZUiOhYyo9oSdeb9hoYB%2BIo7HdhRFIoVdvV1vAImRmAib9OpDvz%2Fo%2FsBXqq18DcFS4xw%2BKsM5u1tUUdPYApSLGnK%2Bkq5s6k5baRvrRPLLolMZbURNOVi8kltoFG45AEzFmUCPE6SqXSLM8lOuhwEwlzr0%2BiBh2gBYuSIIxXVnT7NGO6BH%2BOI2Ui7SsRRw0vl1mbwrAsDZaSKQ5nf8ulg0oH1rvA6jnnh9lYz%2FCnEJ7iYIq6nBH%2BGXFhAYzc%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR9LO-oi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RARE Disney 2023 Splash Mountain Attraction Flume Water</a>&#8221; in a custom Ziploc bag for a bargain; only $5000. One seller offers a <a href="https://www.ebay.com/itm/225370931763?hash=item3479278233:g:7EEAAOSwhN9jzkDK&amp;amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoCI6gbzRWiEzKIlSmm9F607aQC8uYUa5P4DVfwkMja66j7I%2FUYeZ07JOHRyLh9wHJEv%2Fx8WukWFGSwJ9AdDZcdIKOE3d0cBzBApwaNFhjQTRkLMAglTfMF5IaQKvfVeuaU0lmbbuXIZRJY9oFicYJBG%2B8lV9GNqxyY%2B1eSS09yndUCvQv%2Bsrp5vBKtlDnraBwr%2Bqfo405wnz%2Bz6ln8O3qGk%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR4CQhoi-YQ" target="_blank" rel="noopener">16.9 ounce water bottle</a> of the water; as of publication, it currently has a whopping 40 bids and is selling for $5,100.
One Disney World guest who has ridden Splash Mountain more than 200 times, summed things up succinctly. “The Disney community can be very weird sometimes,” Adrian Vasquez told <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/26/us/disney-splash-mountain-closes.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a>. “I honestly don’t know how else to put it.”
Splash Mountain took guests for the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fans-bid-farewell-to-disney-worlds-splash-mountain-as-it-closed-after-30-years-due-to-racism-assertions" target="_blank" rel="noopener">final ride</a> down its 50-foot drop on Sunday. The ride opened in 1992 and has been a popular staple of Disney World’s Magic Kingdom ever since, with celebrities like Princess Diana going for a ride. But the company announced in 2020 that it would shut down Splash Mountain, which was accused of having racist themes, in favor of creating a more inclusive ride themed after Princess Tiana from “The Princess and the Frog” in its place.
Some parkgoers called Splash Mountain “extremely problematic” due to “stereotypical racist tropes.” It’s based on elements from the Disney film “<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/movies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Song of the South</a>” (1946), which were included on the ride.
Disclosure: The Daily Wire has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/introducing-dw-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced plans</a> for kids entertainment content.

Splash Mountain

After ‘Splash Mountain’ Ride Closes, Online Sellers Offer Samples Of The Water, For A Few Dollars, Or Even Thousands

After 'Splash Mountain' Ride Closes, Online Sellers Offer Samples Of The Water, For A Few Dollars, Or Even Thousands

Disney

Disney World

eBay

Economy

Florida

The art gallerist who deals in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hunter-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Hunter Biden</a>&#8216;s artwork issued a fawning statement on Thursday about the first son&#8217;s paintings, just a day after Republicans requested his records.
George Berges, the owner of the George Berges art gallery in New York City, praised the younger Biden and his artwork effusively in a statement to the New York Post. Berges&#8217; statement came just a day after the House Oversight Committee sent a letter to him demanding he hand over any and all communications he may have had with the White House, as well as information on his dealings with Hunter Biden.
“I represent Hunter Biden because I feel that not only his art merits my representation, but because his personal narrative, which gives birth to his art, is very much needed in the world,” Berges said in his <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/26/hunter-biden-dealer-plugs-his-unrelenting-divinity-after-gop-sales-record-request/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> to the New York Post. “His is a story of perseverance; Hunter’s story reflects what I believe is the beauty of humanity, judged not by the fall, but by having the strength to rise up, by having the character required to change and the courage to do it. Hunter Biden’s art reflects all of that and more. His art gives us hope; it reminds us that tomorrow brings a new day, a new beginning, a new possibility.&#8221;
“Hunter Biden will become one of the most consequential artists in this century because the world needs his art now more than ever,&#8221; Berges continued. &#8220;In a world that beats us down, we need art in our lives that reminds of the unrelenting divinity within each of us.”
“Almost 10 years ago I opened a gallery that has a global perspective on the human experience and that seeks to find artists who I feel will be consequential not just in the art world but in the broader culture,” the art dealer went on. “Artists that are relevant to the times, not to esoteric circles where art and exhibitions come and go unnoticed by society, by the people, by culture, but relevant innovative artists and exhibitions that challenge us, and engage us.”
Berges told the outlet that further inquiries should be referred to his lawyers. He added that his primary focus is &#8220;the integrity of our artists and the privacy of our art collectors.&#8221;
Berges&#8217; fawning statement comes just a day after House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman <a href="https://oversight.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/01/2023-01-25-Letter-G.-Berges-HB-art.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">James Comer</a> (R-KY) sent a letter to Berges demanding information on Hunter Biden&#8217;s art dealings as part of their <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-gop-will-trace-the-money-flowing-into-penn-biden-center-hunter-biden-art-sales-comer-says" target="_blank" rel="noopener">investigation</a> into the Biden family&#8217;s business dealings. In the letter, Comer slammed Berges for not cooperating with the Committee when Republicans were in the minority, then requested the same information again.
In the letter, Comer demanded all relevant documents and communications between the dealer, his gallery, and the Biden White House or Hunter Biden; the agreements or contracts between Berges or the gallery and Hunter Biden; documents related to the prices for his artwork; any ethics guidelines set down in conjunction with the White House; and documents sufficient to show who attended the opening of Biden&#8217;s art shows and bought his pieces.

Hunter and Joe Biden

Hunter Biden’s Art Dealer Declares Him ‘One Of The Most Consequential Artists In This Century’ After House Demands His Records

Hunter Biden's Art Dealer Fawns Over First Son's Artwork After Oversight Committee Demands His Records

Executive

House Republicans

Hunter Biden

James Comer

New York Post

Politics

One of the most popular <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rock bands</a> of the 21st century is announcing its curtain call.
Panic! at the Disco singer <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/married-panic-disco-singer-comes-out-pansexual-amanda-prestigiacomo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brendon Urie</a> announced Tuesday that he was calling it quits, finally breaking up the multi-platinum selling, award-winning pop-rock group. Panic! was founded as a band, but transitioned to Urie&#8217;s solo project in recent years. Urie said that after his final tour in Europe, he would be hanging up his microphone to spend more time with his family.
&#8220;Well, it’s been a hell of a journey…&#8221; Urie posted in a statement on the band&#8217;s <a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/CnzNF9ouOUp/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Instagram</a> page. &#8220;Growing up in Vegas I could’ve never imagined where this life would take me. So many places all over the world, and all the friends we’ve made along the way. But sometimes a journey must end for a new one to begin. We’ve been trying to keep it to ourselves, though some of you may have heard. Sarah and I are expecting a baby very soon! The prospect of being a father and getting to watch my wife become a mother is both humbling and exciting. I look forward to this next adventure. That said, I am going to bring this chapter of my life to an end and put my focus and energy on my family, and with that Panic! At The Disco will be no more.&#8221;
Urie then thanked fans of the project. &#8220;Thank you all for your immense support over the years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I’ve sat here trying to come up with the perfect way to say this and I truly can’t put into words how much it has meant to us. Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or are just finding us, it has been a pleasure to not only share the stage with so many talented people but also share our time with you. I am looking forward to seeing everyone in Europe and the UK for one last run together. I love you. I appreciate you. Thank you for existing.&#8221;
Panic! at the Disco was founded by Urie along with childhood friends Ryan Ross, Spencer Smith, and Brent Wilson. The band released its first album, A Fever You Can&#8217;t Sweat Out, in 2005. Both the album and the second single, &#8220;I Write Sins Not Tragedies,&#8221; were massively successful: to date, the album is certified triple platinum, having sold over 3,000,000 copies, and peaked at number 13 on the Billboard 200 albums chart; the single is certified quintuple platinum, selling more than 5,000,000 units, and peaked at number 7 on the Billboard Hot 100.
The band enjoyed commercial success for their entire run: their second album, 2008&#8217;s Pretty. Odd., went platinum; the 2013 album Too Weird to Live, Too Rare to Die! went platinum, as did 2017&#8217;s Pray for the Wicked; their 2015 album Death of a Bachelor went double platinum. The band has had more than a dozen singles certified platinum or better, including &#8220;This Is Gospel&#8221; (double platinum); &#8220;High Hopes&#8221; (5x platinum); and &#8220;Hey Look Ma, I Made It&#8221; (double platinum).
Wilson was fired from the band in 2006, and replaced by Jon Walker. Ross and Jon Walker left the band in 2009, replaced by Dallon Weekes. Smith left the band in 2013, then Weekes left in 2017, leaving Urie as the sole remaining member.

Brendon Urie of Panic! At The Disco

Panic! At The Disco Singer Breaks Up One Of The Most Popular Bands Of The 2000s To Focus On Family

Entertainment

Instagram

Music

Music Industry

A state court building in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/new-york-city" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York City</a> unveiled a new art project that is not going over well online.
The sculpture, entitled &#8220;NOW,&#8221; was installed on the roof of the Appellate Division Courthouse of New York State, First Department on Madison Avenue last week as part of an art exhibit from artist Shahzia Sikander. The statue is meant to represent the legacy of the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, but New Yorkers and other viewers on Twitter noticed that the statue is both unsightly and unsettling.
Corporate consultant Andrew Beck shared pictures of the art installation in a Twitter thread. &#8220;A new statue atop a New York City courthouse,&#8221; he wrote. &#8220;The artist says it’s part of an &#8216;urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.’”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
A new statue atop a New York City courthouse. The artist says it’s part of an “urgent and necessary cultural reckoning underway as New York reconsiders traditional representations of power in public spaces and recasts civic structures to better reflect 21st-century social mores.” <a href="https://t.co/4IFRj7hCsf">pic.twitter.com/4IFRj7hCsf</a>
— Andrew Beck (@AndrewBeckUSA) <a href="https://twitter.com/AndrewBeckUSA/status/1618248543537606656?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 25, 2023</a></blockquote>
The roof of the court building is lined with statues of famous lawgivers from history and legend. The statue is situated on the corner of the building, with brazen metal standing out against the weathered stone statues next to it. It depicts a woman with hair braided into long spirals like ram&#8217;s horns, and a web of tentacle-like protrusions at each arm, wearing a lace apron like the one Ginsburg wore over her robe, and standing on a pink lotus flower.
A profile for the statue written by <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/01/25/arts/design/discrimination-sculpture-madison-park-sikander-women.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Times</a> said that the statue is the first female figure placed on the court building. “She [the statue] is a fierce woman and a form of resistance in a space that has historically been dominated by patriarchal representation,” Sikander told The New York Times. Sikander said she entitled the piece &#8220;NOW&#8221; because it is needed in the current year when abortion rights are being challenged in the wake of the Supreme Court returning abortion law to the states in Dobbs v. Jackson Women&#8217;s Health Organization.
Sikander has another piece with similar designs placed in the area. That statue, an 18-foot tall recreation of the same figure, but with a metal cage symbolizing a hoop skirt, is entitled &#8220;Witness&#8221; and is placed in Madison Square Park across from the court building. The two statues together are entitled, &#8220;Havah…to breathe, air, life.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
“Struggle is a never ending process. Freedom is never really won. You earn it and win it in every generation.” Never fading words by Coretta Scott King. Inspired and humbled that Havah..to breathe, air, life’ ‘NOW’ &amp; ‘Witness’ are open on MLK day Jan16, 2023 ✊🏽❤️⚖️ <a href="https://twitter.com/MadSqParkNYC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@MadSqParkNYC</a> <a href="https://t.co/TSpDl5C4TH">pic.twitter.com/TSpDl5C4TH</a>
— Shahzia Sikander (@shahziasikander) <a href="https://twitter.com/shahziasikander/status/1615129164465729536?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 16, 2023</a></blockquote>
But Twitter users immediately pointed out that besides being visually unpleasant, the sculpture idolizes abortion and has pagan or even demonic motifs.
&#8220;They turned abortion into a pagan idol to worship and put it on a courthouse,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/BillyGribbin/status/1618289675122388992?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1618289675122388992%7Ctwgr%5E30efe78ae6474befa57361f37ae990cc0100fe42%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FBillyGribbin2Fstatus2F1618289675122388992widget%3DTweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Billy Gribbin</a>, communications director for Republican Georgia Congressman Rich McCormick, wrote on Twitter.
&#8220;The New York Courthouse has added this aesthetic atrocity to its sculptures of great lawmakers,&#8221; Daily Wire podcast host <a href="https://twitter.com/andrewklavan/status/1618335013480828930?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1618335013480828930%7Ctwgr%5E77b5ab54309b7133ba8f47f37b91ec38f0e65aa4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fandrewklavan2Fstatus2F1618335013480828930widget%3DTweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Andrew Klavan</a> wrote. &#8220;It is meant to honor Ruth Bader Ginsburg&#8217;s pro-abortion stance by depicting a woman with demonic goat-horns who has clearly lost the power to reproduce. Or something.&#8221;
&#8220;The next Republican mayor of New York should not only remove but publicly destroy this monstrosity,&#8221; Daily Wire host <a href="https://twitter.com/michaeljknowles/status/1618358045003874306?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1618358045003874306%7Ctwgr%5E3a37c265f9e10933f3eb042594bc830d02ba9df4%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Fmichaeljknowles2Fstatus2F1618358045003874306widget%3DTweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Michael Knowles</a> added.
&#8220;New York has put an androgynous baphomet with tentacles digging into its own torso on top of the courthouse in order to ‘better reflect 21st century social mores.’” writer <a href="https://twitter.com/NoJesuitTricks/status/1618330987339059200?s=20&amp;t=K550eA55xVco3ZOA2HVw_w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Brandon Meeks</a> said. &#8220;Sounds about right.&#8221;
&#8220;[T]he ugliness is the point,&#8221; New Founding and American Firebrand digital director <a href="https://twitter.com/loganclarkhall/status/1618290699845373953?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1618290699845373953%7Ctwgr%5Ec9a4b5813dfee00c9d3ccbaa2ab44f549fce81dc%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2Floganclarkhall2Fstatus2F1618290699845373953widget%3DTweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Logan Hall</a> added.
&#8220;What a visual desecration of the landscape,&#8221; America First Legal Foundation founder <a href="https://twitter.com/StephenM/status/1618290002139701248?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1618290002139701248%7Ctwgr%5Ea05c992adddc6075e77e9266e6cb27f1b7edc6db%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fpublish.twitter.com%2F%3Fquery%3Dhttps3A2F2Ftwitter.com2FStephenM2Fstatus2F1618290002139701248widget%3DTweet" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Stephen Miller</a> tweeted.
&#8220;WOW the baphomet/Aries symbolism is… a lot,&#8221; one Twitter user chimed in. &#8220;Especially given the opposite or sister sign Libra represents the scales of balance or ‘arms’ of Justice.&#8221;

NYC Court Sculpture

‘They Turned Abortion Into A Pagan Idol’: New York Courthouse Installs Statue Symbolizing Abortion And RBG

New York Courthouse Installs Statue Symbolizing Abortion And Ruth Bader Ginsburg, And Social Media Has Thoughts

New York City

Ruth Bader Ginsburg

Statues

Congressman Patrick McHenry (R-NC) gave new insight into the tense moments on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> floor over the Speaker of the House election.
In an interview with <a href="https://www.ny1.com/nyc/all-boroughs/politics/2023/01/24/--it-was-a-wild-week---rep--mchenry-recounts-tumultuous-speaker-vote#" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Spectrum News</a>, McHenry provided new details about the fight on the House floor between allies of now-Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) and the 20 Republican holdouts who opposed his speakership bid. He also talked about the fight that nearly broke out between two members, and said it was a pivotal moment in the prolonged conflict.
“Had [North Carolina Republican Rep.] Richard Hudson not been there it would be a whole different night. It would be a whole different week and Kevin McCarthy would not be Speaker of the House,” McHenry told Spectrum reporter Reuben Jones. “Had Richard Hudson not walked over when he did, and instinctively do the right thing to remove somebody from a bad situation, that was on the cusp of getting much much worse.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
New:<a href="https://twitter.com/PatrickMcHenry?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@PatrickMcHenry</a> says if Richard Hudson didn&#8217;t restrain Mike Rogers from Matt Gaetz on the House floor during the Speaker vote Kevin McCarthy would not be Speaker today.
Watch FULL story: <a href="https://t.co/JdPnvV1OVq">https://t.co/JdPnvV1OVq</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ncpol?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#ncpol</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/RepHudsonNC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RepHudsonNC</a> <a href="https://t.co/xlb5MEpXTW">pic.twitter.com/xlb5MEpXTW</a>
— Reuben Jones (@ReubenJones1) <a href="https://twitter.com/ReubenJones1/status/1618008427263066125?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
At around 11 p.m. on January 6, after the 14th ballot of the speakership vote had concluded and McCarthy had once again failed to get a majority of votes, he approached Reps. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) and Lauren Boebert (R-CO) and began talking to them. During the exchange, McHenry walked up behind McCarthy and tried to talk to Gaetz. While McHenry was talking to McCarthy, Rep. Mike Rogers (R-AL) walked up and immediately began berating Gaetz. Hudson quickly stepped up and restrained Rogers, grabbing him by the face and pulling him away while McCarthy walked back to his seat.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Kevin McCarthy confronts Matt Gaetz during 14th House Speaker vote. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/118thCongress?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#118thCongress</a> <a href="https://t.co/nMa9bm0KSN">pic.twitter.com/nMa9bm0KSN</a>
— CSPAN (@cspan) <a href="https://twitter.com/cspan/status/1611575953024778240?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
McHenry said that the C-SPAN video didn&#8217;t fully capture the atmosphere in the chamber. &#8220;It was much more tense on the [House] floor than what what the video gives credit to,&#8221; he said.
Before the exchange between Rogers and Gaetz, McHenry had been negotiating with Gaetz to try to change his vote. “The goal was to get him to vote for Kevin and I quickly realized that I needed to move to a more modest goal which was for him to move to [vote] present as a sign of goodwill,” he said. He told the outlet he had no idea that C-SPAN cameras were on him in the moment, but that wouldn&#8217;t have changed anything. “Had you told me at the moment, it wouldn’t have affected a single thing I did.”
McHenry is a member of the conservative Republican Study Committee, and currently serves as Chairman of the House Financial Services Committee. He served as Republican Chief Deputy Whip from 2014 to 2019, and briefly became House Majority Whip in 2017 after Rep. Steve Scalise (R-LA) was shot at the Congressional Baseball Game. He was considered as a compromise candidate for speaker if McCarthy could not get the votes, Spectrum News reported. But despite his reputation for building relationships with all members of his caucus, McHenry <a href="https://twitter.com/ReubenJones1/status/1618008434456297473?s=20&amp;t=VYJc5kOE3B056Ia06d4V5w" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flatly said &#8220;no&#8221;</a> when asked if he would like to be speaker one day.
Gaetz and Rogers have since <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/matt-gaetz-says-all-is-forgiven-after-house-floor-row-with-fellow-gop-rep" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made up their quarrel</a>. “@RepMikeRogersAL and I have a six-year productive, working relationship,” Gaetz tweeted on January 8. “We’re going to work together wonderfully going forward. I don’t think there should be any punishment or reprisal just because he had an animated moment. He has my forgiveness.”
“@RepMattGaetz and I have a long and productive working relationship, that I am sure will continue,&#8221; Rogers quote-tweeted in reply to Gaetz. &#8220;I regret that I briefly lost my temper on the House Floor Friday evening and appreciate Matt’s kind understanding.&#8221;
Rogers stepped down from his position on the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/rep-mike-rogers-to-step-down-from-gop-steering-committee-days-after-tense-confrontation-with-fellow-republican" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Republican Steering Committee</a> after the exchange.

Rep. Patrick McHenry

‘It Would Be A Whole Different Night’: Top GOP Rep Says Heated Moment On House Floor Could Have Sunk McCarthy’s Speakership

GOP Rep. Patrick McHenry Gives New Insight About The Speaker Fight On House Floor

House Speaker

Kevin McCarthy

California Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gavin-newsom" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gavin Newsom</a> called the Second Amendment a &#8220;suicide pact&#8221; in the wake of two <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">mass shootings</a> in his state.
Speaking to CBS News&#8217; Norah O&#8217;Donnell on Monday, in the wake of the mass shooting in the city of Monterey Park, Newsom attacked the constitutionally-protected right to bear arms. He repeated claims that the U.S. is unique among the countries of the world because of mass shootings. He also took aim at high-capacity gun magazines and pushed for more restrictions on them.
&#8220;The Second Amendment is becoming a suicide pact, it feels like,&#8221; said Newsom. &#8220;And that&#8217;s the only question the community wants [answered]: how are you going to — what about our kids when they&#8217;re going to school? What more can we do? And you know, again, we look at that all the time. I mean, we did another half-dozen gun safety bills last year, we&#8217;ll continue to find whatever loopholes we can, we&#8217;ll continue to lead the national conversation on gun safety reform.&#8221;
&#8220;And the data bears out,&#8221; Newsom added. &#8220;It works. It saves lives. California [has a] 37% lower gun death rate than the rest of the nation. And yet, with all that evidence, no one on the other side seems to give a d***. I can&#8217;t get anything done in Congress.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
&#8220;This Second Amendment&#8217;s becoming a suicide pact, it feels like,&#8221; Gov. Gavin Newsom tells <a href="https://twitter.com/NorahODonnell?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@NorahODonnell</a> in Monterey Park. &#8220;California&#8217;s 37% lower than the death rate of the rest of the nation, and yet, with all that evidence, no one on the other side seems to give a damn.&#8221; <a href="https://t.co/tSz7oawXtR">pic.twitter.com/tSz7oawXtR</a>
— CBS Evening News (@CBSEveningNews) <a href="https://twitter.com/CBSEveningNews/status/1617705063295614978?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
But Newsom seemed to backpedal on his remarks later in the interview, claiming that he respects lawful gun owners. &#8220;Yeah, I have great respect,&#8221; he said. &#8220;I have no ideological opposition with someone reasonably and responsibly owning firearms and getting background checks and being trained and making sure they&#8217;re locked so their kid doesn&#8217;t accidentally shoot themselves or a loved one. Absolutely not. Never suggested that. That&#8217;s what they immediately do. &#8216;He wants to take away your guns.&#8217; I just want to take away weapons of war that are illegal on the streets of California and should be illegal across the United States. I mean, literally, just use common sense.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Large capacity magazines do not belong on our streets. <a href="https://t.co/kvYXFQBOQs">pic.twitter.com/kvYXFQBOQs</a>
— Gavin Newsom (@GavinNewsom) <a href="https://twitter.com/GavinNewsom/status/1617738057796710400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 24, 2023</a></blockquote>
Newsom went on, blasting the phenomenon of mass shootings as a uniquely American problem, and took aim at high-capacity magazines. &#8220;It&#8217;s always a weapon of mass destruction, isn&#8217;t it?&#8221; Newsom quipped. &#8220;I mean, I get it. We can talk about the anomalous nature of this, and it certainly is. But what is also anomalous is the fact that there&#8217;s a pattern here in the United States of America, these mass shootings that don&#8217;t exist anywhere else in the world, at least the free world. And maybe that should be the fundamental focus: large-capacity clips. Just insane. There&#8217;s no justification. Period. Full stop. It&#8217;s just insane. These people are perpetuating lunacy and should be ashamed of themselves.&#8221;
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/10-dead-10-wounded-in-california-mass-shooting" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Ten people were killed</a>, and another 10 were injured, in a mass shooting during a Lunar New Year celebration in Monterey Park Saturday night. The shooting occurred in a dance studio in the predominately Asian community, located about 10 miles east of Los Angeles. The shooter was identified as a man of Asian descent between 30 and 50 years old; he was not named by local police and will not be named in accordance with Daily Wire policy against naming mass shooters. The man was reportedly also connected to a second incident in nearby Alhambra.
Around the time Newsom was filming his CBS interview on Monday, <a href="https://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/peninsula/half-moon-bay-mass-shooting-motive-sought/3137737/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">another mass shooting</a> took place in the city of Half Moon Bay, about 30 miles south of San Francisco. The alleged gunman opened fire at a mushroom farm where he worked, killing four people and injuring one more, then reportedly drove to a second location where he killed three more people. He was arrested in the parking lot of the San Mateo County Sheriff&#8217;s Office Monday afternoon.

California Gov. Newsom Announces New Water Supply Actions Due To Climate Change

CA Gov Gavin Newsom: ‘The Second Amendment Is Becoming A Suicide Pact’ Amid Two Mass Shootings In His State

Amid Two Mass Shootings In His State, CA Governor Gavin Newsom Says 'The Second Amendment Is Becoming A Suicide Pact'

California

CBS News

Gavin Newsom

Gun Control

Mass Shooting

Second Amendment

Social Issues

Miami Republican Mayor Francis Suarez said Sunday that no cash bail policies in cities and counties across the country are contributing to rising crime.
On a panel of mayors from major cities appearing on CBS&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/video/4-mayors-on-the-challenges-facing-their-cities/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Face the Nation</a>&#8221; Sunday, Suarez, who also serves as President of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, said that bail reform has created &#8220;lawlessness.&#8221; He said that the lax punishment for criminals has led to increased crimes like petty theft and harming the economy.
&#8220;What I&#8217;m focusing on is that the no cash bail is creating lawlessness in a lot of our cities,&#8221; said Suarez. &#8220;What&#8217;s happening is, for example, people get out right away, they&#8217;re not even, you know, they don&#8217;t even have to post bail. So they&#8217;re able to get out right away. And so we&#8217;re seeing someone go into like a CVS, for example, and take thousands of dollars worth of merchandise, which is causing a CVSs to close, which hurts the, you know, the rest of the city, but that&#8217;s not particularly related to, to the gun violence issue. It&#8217;s related more to petty crime, which is creating lawlessness in some of our cities.&#8221;
Suarez also touted his policing policies in Miami. &#8220;We are funding our police,&#8221; he said. &#8220;A lot of cities cut into the defunding police movement. And we&#8217;re seeing [police funding] as a bipartisan issue.&#8221;
Last week, some <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/houston-restaurant-owners-are-sleeping-in-their-businesses-armed-to-keep-out-burglars-because-of-citys-lax-bail-policies" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houston</a> bar and restaurant owners started sleeping in their places of business to deter criminals, citing the city&#8217;s lax bail policies.
“I have been burglarized 15 times in the last year,” Lindsey Rae, the owner of Two-Headed Dog, said during a recent city council meeting, via the New York Post. “We’re seeing, if they are getting caught, they’re getting re-released because of the cash bond issues we’re having,” she added. “They can come back and rob us again.”
A 2021 investigation from ABC affiliate KTRK found that Houston’s bail policies had allowed more criminals back onto the streets. The outlet found that in 2011, just 3.5% of cases filed in Harris County court resulted in the defendant being released on felony bond; in 2021, the defendant was released in 18.8% of cases, nearly six times as often.
The probe also found that criminals committed more crimes while out on bail. In 2011, just 3.5% of cases involved a defendant who was already out on at least one existing felony bond; in 2021, that number rose to 19%. Of those cases, 968 accused felons allegedly committed four or more new crimes since being released on bond. One case investigated by the outlet found that the offender was out on 13 separate bonds.

Francis Suarez

Miami GOP Mayor: ‘No Cash Bail Is Creating Lawlessness’ In U.S. Cities

Miami Mayor Francis Suarez: 'No Cash Bail Is Creating Lawlessness' In U.S. Cities

Bail Reform

Crime

Face The Nation

Mayor

Miami

Republican

West Virginia Democratic Sen. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-manchin" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Manchin</a> called on his fellow Democrats to negotiate with the Republican House majority over the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/debt-ceiling" target="_blank" rel="noopener">debt ceiling</a>.
In consecutive appearances on NBC&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/meet-the-press/video/full-manchin-there-s-nothing-that-holds-lawmakers-accountable-161147461939" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Meet the Press</a>&#8221; and CNN&#8217;s &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/videos/politics/2023/01/22/manchin-full.cnn" target="_blank" rel="noopener">State of the Union</a>&#8221; Sunday, Manchin called out members of his own party who are refusing to negotiate with GOP leaders. Manchin said the debt ceiling fight presents an opportunity to address the dysfunction around the federal budget process and make changes.
&#8220;I think it&#8217;s a mistake,&#8221; Manchin said on CNN of the Biden administration&#8217;s refusal to negotiate. &#8220;This is a democracy that we have. We have a two-party system. And we should be able to talk and find out where our differences are. And if they are irreconcilable, then you have to move on from there and let the people make their decisions.&#8221;
Manchin also blasted Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL), who said Biden should not negotiate.
&#8220;We just respectfully disagree,&#8221; Manchin said. &#8220;[E]very American has to live within a budget. If they don&#8217;t, they&#8217;re in trouble financially. Every business that is successful has to live within a budget. Every state has to live within a budget. Shouldn&#8217;t the federal government have some guardrails that say, &#8216;hey, guys, you&#8217;re getting over &#8212; you&#8217;re overreaching here and you&#8217;re overspending?'&#8221;
During his appearance on Meet the Press, Manchin pointed out that for his entire tenure in the Senate, the budget process has been broken.
&#8220;I&#8217;ve been here 12 years,&#8221; he said. &#8220;We haven’t had a budget yet.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s nothing that holds us accountable,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Nothing at all. We can say, &#8216;oh, we&#8217;re gonna do it,&#8217; but as I&#8217;ve said before, 12 years, we haven&#8217;t had a budget. That&#8217;s ridiculous.&#8221;
&#8220;The process isn&#8217;t working,&#8221; he went on. &#8220;How come we&#8217;re not held accountable to have the appropriations bills done at a certain time before the end of the fiscal year&#8230; you know what happens, it rolls over into an omnibus bill at the end, everything&#8217;s thrown into it and, &#8216;Okay here. We got it guys. Thats it.&#8217; It makes no sense.&#8221;
Manchin said that the debt ceiling increase would pass anyway because Congress could not risk the financial standing of the dollar.
&#8220;With that being said, how do you get to it, how do you use this moment to get to responsibility?&#8221; said Manchin, pointing out that interest payments on the debt almost match the U.S. defense budget.

Joe Manchin

Manchin Says Dems Should Negotiate With GOP On Debt Ceiling, Use Opportunity To Fix The Budget Process

Manchin Says Dems Should Negotiate With GOP, Debt Ceiling Fight Is An Opportunity To Fix The Budget Process

Budget

Debt Ceiling

Meet the Press

State of the Union

Restaurant and bar owners in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/houston-taqueria-where-patron-shot-and-killed-would-be-robber-gets-robbed-again" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Houston</a> are sleeping in their establishments, armed, in order to protect them from robbers.
The restaurant owners have resorted to sleeping in their businesses in order to prevent a recent rash of break-ins that have taken place in recent weeks. The owners said that their businesses have been broken into repeatedly, sometimes by the same suspect. They placed the blame on Houston&#8217;s bail policies, which have resulted in more criminals out on the streets.
“We’ve been broken into six times now,&#8221; Tod Jones, the owner of Glitter, a karaoke bar in Midtown Houston, told local news outlet <a href="https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/houston-restaurant-bars-burglaries/285-6667ff6d-562d-4173-9594-be37661e754b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KHOU</a>. “They’re coming in, grabbing as many bottles as they can, throwing it in a bag and then they’re out. Both my windows are broken, and I’m like, &#8216;Man, I don’t even want to fix them because they’re going to be broken again in the next few days.’”
Jones said that the thieves have caused more than $20,000 in damages and stolen alcohol. “At this point, you don’t even want to claim it on your insurance, because you don’t want to lose your insurance,&#8221; he said. &#8220;You just have to fix it yourself.” KHOU reported that Jones now sleeps at the bar from closing until morning to protect the property.
Raul Jacobo, the owner of Cobos Barbecue in the East Downtown neighborhood, is also sleeping in the back office of his restaurant with a gun waiting for burglars. The restaurant was broken into twice in less than two weeks, despite being a block away from a Houston Police Department office. In one instance, Jacobo and a security guard caught a would-be thief and held him until police arrived. &#8220;Police got there, he had his bag with all his tools in it, ski mask,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Then, next thing I find out, he’s out the next day.”
“We are literally one street away from an [HPD] substation and we have a criminal that is breaking in twice in four days and doesn’t care about any consequence,&#8221; he added.
“I have been burglarized 15 times in the last year,” Lindsey Rae, the owner of Two-Headed Dog in Houston, said during a recent city council meeting, via the <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/01/19/armed-bar-owners-in-texas-sleeping-in-shops-to-stop-criminals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">New York Post</a>. “We’re seeing, if they are getting caught, they’re getting re-released because of the cash bond issues we’re having,” she added. &#8220;They can come back and rob us again.”
A 2021 investigation from ABC affiliate <a href="https://abc13.com/feature/harris-county-bond-system-repeat-offenders-houston-crime/11250980/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">KTRK</a> found that Houston&#8217;s bail policies have allowed more criminals back onto the streets. The outlet found that in 2011, just 3.5% of cases filed in Harris County court resulted in the defendant being released on felony bond; in 2021, the defendant was released in 18.8% of cases, nearly six times as often. The most frequent charges for defendants who posted felony bond were: felon in possession of a weapon; possession of a controlled substance; or aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The investigation also found that criminals were committing more crimes while out on bail. In 2011, just 3.5% of cases involved a defendant who was already out on at least one existing felony bond; in 2021, that number leaped to 19%. Of those cases, 968 accused felons allegedly committed four or more new crimes since being released on bond. One case investigated by the outlet found that the offender was out on 13 separate bonds.

Guns

Houston Restaurant Owners Are Sleeping In Their Businesses, Armed, To Keep Out Burglars Because Of City’s Lax Bail Policies

Houston Restaurant Owners Are Sleeping In Their Businesses, Armed, To Keep Out Burglars Because Of City's Lax Bail Policies

Houston

Robbery

Small Businesses

Texas

Drivers in the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/milwaukee" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Milwaukee</a> area were feeling a little bit corny after 20 tons of the vegetable spilled onto an interstate highway Thursday night.
In a Twitter thread Thursday evening, the Milwaukee County Sheriff&#8217;s Office said that traffic had to be blocked on Interstate 41 southbound outside Milwaukee because a tractor-trailer overturned and spilled the vegetables onto the road. Crews had to block the highway even further in an effort to salvage the truck. Police are still investigating the cause of the accident.
&#8220;TRAFFIC ALERT: Please exercise caution in the area of S/B I-41 @ Florist Ave., where an overturned semi carrying 40,000 lbs of 🌽 is blocking lanes 2 and 3,&#8221; the <a href="https://twitter.com/MilwCoSheriff/status/1616267354366947328?s=20&amp;t=_E49dTZphDFCF0aRbZ_fjg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">MCSO tweeted</a> around 9 p.m. local time. &#8220;The semi driver suffered just minor injuries. The circumstances of the crash/turnover are under investigation.&#8221;
The road had to be completely closed about an hour later. &#8220;UPDATE: The partial freeway closure at this rollover site is now a full freeway closure, as salvage efforts continue, with all southbound traffic diverted off of I-41 at Good Hope Road.&#8221;
The tweet included a photo of the crash site. The tractor-trailer lay on its side, with the truck on the shoulder and the trailer in a ditch off the road. The shipping container had slid off the trailer frame.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
UPDATE: The partial freeway closure at this rollover site is now a full freeway closure, as salvage efforts continue, with all southbound traffic diverted off of I-41 at Good Hope Road. <a href="https://t.co/WNRyicd0xO">pic.twitter.com/WNRyicd0xO</a>
— Milwaukee County Sheriff&#8217;s Office (@MilwCoSheriff) <a href="https://twitter.com/MilwCoSheriff/status/1616288623044997120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 20, 2023</a></blockquote>
Crews had to redirect traffic again shortly afterward. &#8220;UPDATE 2: Traffic is now being diverted off of S/B I-41 @ Appleton Ave,&#8221; MCSO <a href="https://twitter.com/MilwCoSheriff/status/1616289440263188480?s=20&amp;t=c4QmeugG3atH6zO_zv2-Vg" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
According to local radio station <a href="https://wtmj.com/traffic/2023/01/20/40000-lbs-of-corn-flood-milwaukee-roadway-in-semi-rollover-crash/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WTMJ</a>, it took several hours for crews to remove the truck and clear the roadway. The truck was the only vehicle involved in the accident. The driver&#8217;s condition was unclear, and no details about the crash were available Friday.
I-41 is a major arterial highway that connects Milwaukee and Green Bay with the cities on the Fox River. It runs North-South, beginning just south of the Wisconsin-Illinois border and ending north of Green Bay.
Last month, another truck carrying <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/tractor-trailer-spills-40000-pounds-of-meatballs-onto-virginia-highway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">20 tons of meatballs</a> overturned onto a highway in rural southern Virginia. Traffic was shut down for about four hours after the big rig jackknifed, spilling more than 40,000 pounds of frozen meatballs onto I-95 South. Police charged the driver of the rig with a traffic violation.
According to Norfolk-based news station WAVY, the tractor-trailer ran off the road and struck a guardrail when the driver overcorrected. The vehicle jackknifed, causing the trailer to break away. Another big rig traveling in the same direction could not avoid the trailer and collided with it, spilling the frozen meatballs onto the highway. Officials said that it took more than two hours for rescue crews to free the driver of the second rig from the cab of the truck. The driver was taken by ambulance to a nearby hospital with only minor injuries. The driver of the meatball truck was not reported injured; he was charged by police with failing to obey a highway marking.
In August of last year, two tractor-trailers overturned on opposite ends of the country, spilling other staples of Italian cuisine onto highways in California and Texas. First, a tractor-trailer carrying more than <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chain-of-car-crashes-caused-by-300000-tomatoes-rolling-onto-california-highway" target="_blank" rel="noopener">300,000 tomatoes</a> collided with another vehicle and plowed into a center divider, spilling the fruit onto the opposing lanes of traffic, which caused a chain reaction of crashes.
Then, another big rig overturned on a highway in Tennessee outside Memphis, spilling gallons of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/alfredo-sauce-spill-in-tennessee-follows-california-tomato-crash" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alfredo sauce</a> and creating a huge mess for drivers and work crews.

Menu

John Rigolizzo