A Tennessee woman pleaded guilty on Tuesday to “concealing material support and resources”  which were supposed to aid a Syrian Islamic terrorist organization after an undercover investigation by the feds.
Georgianna A.M. Giampietro, of Sparta, Tennessee, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-mdtn/pr/sparta-woman-pleads-guilty-concealing-material-support-intended-foreign-terrorist">admitted</a> her guilt at a U.S. District Court in Middle Tennessee and could face up to a $250,000 fine and 10 years in prison. The 36-year old was indicted for attempting to help a Foreign Terrorist Organization back in August 2019.
“I commend our law enforcement partners and our prosecutors who have worked diligently to investigate this case and bring this individual to justice,” U.S. Attorney Mark Wildasin said in a statement. “All attempts to provide support to terrorist organizations will receive the full attention and resources of our office and law enforcement to ensure that those who engage in such activity are held accountable.  The safety and security of the American public demands no less.”
Back in September 2018, Giampietro attempted to aid an undercover agent who was trying to go overseas to become part of Hayat Tahrir Al-Sham (HTS) in Syria. HTS, a militant Sunni Islamic group that has had ties to al-Qaeda, was <a href="https://www.csis.org/programs/transnational-threats-project/past-projects/terrorism-backgrounders/hayat-tahrir-al-sham">designated</a> as a Foreign Terrorist Organization by the State Department in May 2018. The group has been embroiled in the Syrian Civil War. 
“Today’s actions notify the U.S. public and the international community that HTS is an alias of al-Nusrah Front,” the State Department <a href="https://2017-2021.state.gov/amendments-to-the-terrorist-designations-of-al-nusrah-front/index.html">said</a> at the time. “Terrorism designations expose and isolate organizations and individuals, and deny them access to the U.S. financial system.”
According to authorities, Giampietro provided the agent with the procedure about how to join HTS. It involved advising the agent (alongside the agent’s “husband” who was going to fight for HTS) to cut ties with other people in the six to eight months before going to Syria, purchasing new phones, and evading law enforcement. Giampietro suggested making it to Syria via Turkey. 
Giampietro also communicated with contacts who she said could help the agent make it to Syria. She suggested that the agent and her husband travel to Afghanistan instead as she was reportedly told by a contact that there really wasn’t any jihad going on in Syria. 
The feds claim that Giampietro knew that HTS was a Foreign Terrorist Organization, and yet still intended to aid it. She gave information to the agent about how to get in touch with her contact who was supposed to aid the couple in their trip to Syria. 
She used an encrypted messaging system, where the messages would sometimes delete so that they could not be read. 
&#8220;Protecting the United States from terrorist attacks is the FBI’s number one priority,” Special Agent Douglas M. Korneski stated. &#8220;This case once again demonstrates the FBI&#8217;s dedication to vigorously pursue those who provide material support to terrorist organizations, and hold them accountable for their conspiratorial actions.”
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SYRIA-CONFLICT-AFGHANISTAN-TALIBAN

Tennessee Woman Pleads Guilty To Attempting To Aid Syrian Islamic Terrorist Organization

Crime

Radical Islamic Terror

Syria

West Virginia Republican State Treasurer Riley Moore announced Monday that the state would no longer be using BlackRock Inc. for banking transactions due to the company’s involvement in China and its policies related to coal and natural gas. 
“As the state’s chief financial officer and chairman of the Board of Treasury Investments, I have a duty to ensure that taxpayer dollars are managed in a responsible, financially sound fashion which reflects the best interests of our state and country, and I believe doing business with BlackRock runs contrary to that duty,” Moore said.
He added that companies should invest in America rather than China, and that West Virginia would work with businesses that do not undercut the state’s interests. The Board of Treasury Investments will no longer work with BlackRock. 
“Any company that thinks Communist China is a better investment than West Virginia energy or American capitalism clearly has a bad strategy,” Moore said. “We will continue to give our state’s business to people who aren’t simultaneously trying to destroy our economy.”
Moore cited BlackRock’s recent commitment to “net zero” investing as one of the major reasons why he decided to cut ties with the massive multinational company. Moore said that the state should not do business with companies that would hurt West Virginians.
The Republican treasurer was also worried about BlackRock’s ties to China and “increasing” investment in the communist country. He pointed to China’s dubious “interference” with the market and intellectual property issues. 
Back in September, BlackRock made headlines for putting forward about $1 billion in its Chinese mutual fund, the first company to have a “wholly owned Chinese mutual fund business” <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/3c9d8a3d-c083-437a-aa77-6ccfa246af7d">according</a> to the Financial Times. 
“The Chinese government’s blatant interference and controls over businesses and markets creates a tremendous amount of uncertainty and risk for anyone attempting to invest there,” Moore said.
He said that it didn’t make sense for BlackRock to be so concerned with cracking down on emissions from “reliable energy sources” in the United States while seemingly not being concerned with China’s mistreatment of the Uyghur people and other human rights violations. 
“BlackRock CEO Larry Fink has been <a href="https://www.blackrock.com/corporate/investor-relations/larry-fink-ceo-letter">outspoken</a> in pressuring corporate leaders to commit to investment goals that will undermine reliable energy sources like coal, natural gas and oil under the guise of helping the planet, but at the same time he’s pouring billions in new capital into China, turning a blind eye to abhorrent human rights violations, genocide and that country’s role in creating the COVID-19 global pandemic,” Moore noted. 
Last <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/un-american-republican-state-financial-officers-call-for-banks-to-stop-catering-to-bidens-coal-and-oil-policies">year</a>, Moore led a coalition of states to fight back against bank boycotts of the coal and gas industry. He was joined by at least 16 other state financial officers, including the treasurers of Arizona, Arkansas, and Alabama. 
He sent a <a href="https://www.wvtreasury.com/Portals/wvtreasury/Fossil%20Fuel%20Banking%20Letter%20Nov%2022.pdf">letter</a> to American banking institutions, where he and the state financial officers announced that they would “be taking collective action in response to the ongoing and growing economic boycott of traditional energy production industries by U.S. financial institutions.”
The letter took aim at “woke capitalists and globalist actors” whom he said hurt America’s energy independence. 
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BlackRock offices in New York City. Founded in 1988,

‘Destroy Our Economy’: Republican Treasurer Cuts Ties To Company Over China, Coal Strategies

China

West Virginia

Charles McGee, a Tuskegee airman who flew over 400 combat missions during his military career, died at the age of 102. McGee, who flew in World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War, died in his sleep on Sunday at his house in Bethesda, Maryland. 
Yvonne McGee, his daughter, <a href="https://www.nbcwashington.com/news/local/tuskegee-airman-charles-mcgee-dies-at-102/2938419/">said</a> that her father “had his right hand over his heart and was smiling serenely,” when he died. 
As a Tuskegee airman, McGee was one of the first black combat pilots, and he holds a record for his 409 aerial combat missions. 
“McGee remained in the Army Air Corps, later the U.S. Air Force, and served for 30 years. He flew low-level bombing and strafing missions during the Korean War and returned to combat again during the Vietnam War.” the Associated Press <a href="https://apnews.com/article/kamala-harris-race-and-ethnicity-bc701d5f060a826a49e6fe88c53657c5">reported</a>. “The National Aviation Hall of Fame says his 409 aerial fighter combat missions in three wars remains a record.”
During World War II, nearly 1,000 airmen were trained at Tuskegee with 350 being sent abroad for duty. After the war had ended, about 150 Tuskegee Airmen had been killed in combat or other accidents.  The Tuskegee airmen have been honored not only as being the first black combat pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps but also for their prowess on the battlefield. 
According to the National Museum of the United States Air Force, the Tuskegee Airmen <a href="https://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/Visit/Museum-Exhibits/Fact-Sheets/Display/Article/195963/escort-excellence/">downed</a> over 100 enemy planes, took out 150 grounded aircraft, took out at least 40 boats and barges, and wrecked 600 railway cars throughout World War II.
“You could say that one of the things we were fighting for was equality,” McGee said in a 1995 AP interview. “Equality of opportunity. We knew we had the same skills, or better.”
After finishing flight school, McGee became part of the ‘Red Tails’ in 1944 serving on 136 missions with the 332nd Fighter Group, an all black unit. 
In 2019, he <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/01/16/obituaries/charles-e-mcgee-dead.html">was</a> promoted by Congress and former President Donald Trump to be an honorary brigadier general, a one star ranking. Later McGee, who was born on December  7, 1919, was a special guest at Trump’s 2020 State of the Union Address. 
Writing for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, McGee <a href="https://airandspace.si.edu/support/wall-of-honor/charles-mcgee-0">said</a> that he was happy with the progress America had made in ending segregation, but noted that he wished Americans knew more about their history. 
“I am pleased that America has put segregation and other forms of racial discrimination behind us. But I am bothered that so few young people understand World War II history, including the unique contribution of the Tuskegee Airmen. It&#8217;s important for our young people to not only know where our country is going, but also where it&#8217;s been,” he wrote.
McGee also noted that 150 Distinguished Flying Crosses, 8 Purple Hearts, and 14 Bronze Stars were awarded to Tuskegee Airmen. 
“I am often asked why the Tuskegee Airmen were so successful in combat. I would say it was because of our courage and perseverance. We dreamed of being pilots as boys but were told it was not possible,” McGee continued. “Through faith and determination we overcame enormous obstacles. This is a lesson that all young people need to hear.”
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President Trump Gives State Of The Union Address

‘We Overcame Enormous Obstacles’: Tuskegee Airman Who Flew Over 400 Combat Missions Dies At 102

World War II

Arkansas Republican Senator Tom Cotton introduced the “Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act” on Wednesday, which would not allow for males who identify as female to be placed in women’s prisons. 
“President Biden’s plan to house male and female prisoners together will put women in danger. Documented cases prove that placing men—including ones who ‘identify’ as female—in women’s prisons puts female inmates at increased risk of sexual assault. My bill will stop the president’s ill-conceived plan and keep men and women separated in federal prison,” Cotton <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/news/press-releases/cotton-bill-blocks-biden-plan-to-place-men-in-female-prisons">said</a> in a statement.
Backers of the bill included Heritage Action, the American Principles Project, and Concerned Women for America LCA.
The bill would block federal prisons from housing males in female prisons for reasons of gender identity. The language <a href="https://www.cotton.senate.gov/imo/media/doc/preventing_violence_against_female_inmates.pdf">says</a> that the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) should “use the biological sex of person charged with or convicted of offenses against the United States in making determinations regarding housing such persons.”
It also notes that prisons should “not co-locate in detention facilities persons charged with or convicted of offenses against the United States if those persons are not of the same biological sex, unless the Bureau of Prisons co-locates such persons without regard to their purported gender identity.”
Under the bill, state prisons would not be eligible for certain federal funding if they housed members of the opposite sex together.
The bill would not prevent prisons from making separate housing exclusively available on the bases of gender identity “as long as they are not housed with inmates of the opposite sex.”
It also states that “a state or federal institution would still be allowed to use short-term detention cells in a courthouse to house both male and female prisoners during a trial in which they are both witnesses, subject to normal security considerations to protect all detainees.”
Cotton’s bill may conflict with what Biden has said in the past regarding the issue. Biden has <a href="https://news.grabien.com/story-joe-biden-prison-your-sexual-identity-defined-what-you-say-n">stated</a> that “in prison, your sexual identity is defined by what you say, not what the prison says.”
The policy on housing transgender prisoners has become more contested with reports on if and how much Biden would change from the Trump era policy that <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/news/white-house/biden-administration-may-instruct-prisons-to-house-transgender-inmates-without-regard-to-biological-sex-report">said</a> prisons should &#8220;use biological sex as the initial determination” for housing.
That policy is being reviewed by the Justice Department, and would apply to the approximately 1,200 prisoners who identify as transgender.
&#8220;BOP is in the process of reviewing the current version of its policy regarding transgender inmates, which was developed in order to meet the community standard of medical and mental health care, appropriately manage and support the offenders, and meet legal requirements as determined by case law, statutes and federal regulations,&#8221; a Justice Department spokesman <a href="https://www.axios.com/doj-housing-transgender-inmates-policy-164e214f-d104-4f2f-b824-0c9cc6ce30f6.html">told</a> Axios in September.
Some states, like Rhode Island, Washington, Massachusetts, and Connecticut allow gender identity to be the determining factor in where a prisoner is housed.
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Legislators Continue Work On Capitol Hill

‘Preventing Violence Against Female Inmates Act’: Cotton Introduces Bill To House Prisoners By Biological Sex

Prisons

Tom Cotton

Transgender

In a 5-4 decision, the Supreme Court upheld the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) vaccine mandate, while blocking the mandate for U.S. businesses with 100 or more employees. 
Justices Brett Kavanaugh, John Roberts, Sonia Sotomayor, Stephen Breyer, and Elena Kagen ruled to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-supreme-court-blocks-biden-vaccine-or-test-policy-large-businesses-2022-01-13/">uphold</a> the CMS mandate while Justices Clarence Thomas, Samuel Alito, Neil Gorsuch, and Amy Coney Barrett dissented. 
The mandate covers approximately 10 million healthcare workers at roughly 76,000 hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare facilities. The majority in the CMS case argued that the government had the ability to mandate the vaccine as it dealt with facilities that received Medicare and Medicaid funding. 
&#8220;After all, ensuring that providers take steps to avoid transmitting a dangerous virus to their patients is consistent with the fundamental principle of the medical profession: first, do no harm,&#8221; the court ruling stated. 
This ruling ended a block on the mandate that had been put in place in over 24 states by judges in Missouri and Louisiana. Another block on the mandate from a Texas judge was not impacted by the ruling. 
“In November 2021, the Secretary announced that, in order to receive Medicare and Medicaid funding, participating facilities must ensure that their staff—unless exempt for medical or religious reasons—are vaccinated against COVID–19,” the court&#8217;s decision <a href="https://www.supremecourt.gov/opinions/21pdf/21a240_d18e.pdf">explained</a>. “Two District Courts enjoined enforcement of the rule, and the Government now asks us to stay those injunctions. Agreeing that it is entitled to such relief, we grant the applications.”
Now, most healthcare workers across the country have until the end of February to comply with the mandate. 
In his dissent, Thomas argued that CMS does not have the authority to force healthcare workers to take the vaccine. 
“These cases are not about the efficacy or importance of COVID–19 vaccines. They are only about whether CMS has the statutory authority to force healthcare workers, by coercing their employers, to undergo a medical procedure they do not want and cannot undo,” he wrote. 
The mandate has led to concerns about worker shortages at healthcare facilities. Mayo Clinic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-struggle-with-covid-related-worker-shortages-many-fired-unvaccinated-workers">let</a> go about 700 of its employees due to its vaccine mandate earlier this month. 
“Some providers have said the vaccine stipulation could result in massive employee losses and force closures due to already historic staffing shortages,” McKnight’s Long-Term Care News <a href="https://www.mcknights.com/news/breaking-cms-vaccine-mandate-upheld/">reported</a>. “A McKnight’s Long-Term Care News survey in late December found 75% of U.S. nursing homes restricted admissions due to staffing shortages or related pandemic issues in 2021.”
While the court did allow the CMS mandate to go forward, it blocked the mandate for businesses with 100 or more employees. 
“Technically, the Supreme Court wasn’t considering the full merits of the administration’s mandates,” the Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/supreme-court-blocks-biden-vaccine-rules-for-private-employers-allows-them-for-healthcare-workers-11642103130">explained</a>. “Instead, the justices heard the cases on an emergency basis to decide whether the regulations could go into effect right now while more detailed litigation continued in the lower courts.”
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Hospital

Supreme Court Allows CMS Vaccine Mandate For Healthcare Workers To Go Forward

Biden Administration

Vaccine Mandate

A new report from NASA’s Inspector General is worried the agency is not diverse enough or taking the proper actions to ensure that it will meet its equity and diversity goals. 
The <a href="https://www.oversight.gov/sites/default/files/oig-reports/NASA/Final-Report-IG-22-007-NASAs-Management-Its-Astronaut-Corps.pdf">report</a> claims that NASA databases lack “comprehensive demographic” data to know whether or not NASA will be able to meet its diversity goals such as putting a woman and a non-white person on the moon. 
“Current data limitations restrict NASA’s ability to fully measure its progress towards meeting broader diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility goals—a significant issue given that astronauts are among the most publicly visible employees at the Agency,” the report said. 
In response, the astronaut corps has been told to “provide greater detail on diversity within the corps.” The IG recommended that NASA keep better records of information about astronauts, including demographic data, so that they can continue to “expand diversity.” 
The report included a timeline of the history of demographic changes and diversity within the astronaut corps, noting that things had changed since 1959 when it was “all white male pilots.” 
NASA, which last landed a man on the moon in 1972 during the Nixon administration, has made diversity and helping “historically underserved communities” key goals in recent years. In 2015, they put out a report on “Promising Practices for Equal Opportunity, Diversity, and Inclusion,” followed by a “Unity Campaign” in 2019. Most recently in 2021, they promoted “Mission Equity.”
Investigators are worried that insufficient data would hamper NASA diversity and equity goals. 
“[We] also found that the Astronaut Office’s personnel databases do not contain comprehensive demographic information—race, national origin, gender, birthplace, education, or disability—specific to astronaut diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility nor do they monitor the demographic makeup of the corps over time,” the report stated.
According to Johnson Human Resources, about 32% of astronaut applicants in 2021 chose not to disclose their race or national origin, but they did say that they had used applicants&#8217; self-identified applicant data to “monitor the diversity pool” at every stage of the hiring process.
The “Agency will need to clarify what the requirements of that space flight will be specific to skillset and Artemis mission diversity objectives to inform the selection and assignment process for the crew, as well as the training requirements to safely and successfully prepare the crew to complete the mission,” the auditors said. 
In response to the Inspector General’s recommendations, NASA’s Associate Administrator of Space Operations concurred with the need to collect better data to expand diversity, and said they would work to further “centralize” the process of data collection by May.  
Aside from diversity concerns, investigators also pointed to a potential shortage of astronauts to keep pace with all of NASA missional goals.
According to estimates from the Astronaut Office, the number of astronauts in FY 2022 is the same as the amount of flight manifest seats for the period, leaving little room for flexibility. 
“As a result, the Agency may not have a sufficient number of additional astronauts available for unanticipated attrition and crew reassignments or ground roles such as engaging in program development,” the report noted. “In light of the expanding space flight opportunities anticipated for the Artemis missions, the corps might be at risk of being misaligned in the future, resulting in disruptive crew reorganizations or mission delays.”
Despite these potential staffing and “diversity” issues, NASA has said that it will return to the moon in 2025.  
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SpaceX And NASA Prepare For Next Launch Attempt On Saturday, After Weather Delays Wednesday Launch

Government Worried NASA Astronauts Not Diverse Enough, Says Agency Lacks ‘Comprehensive Demographic’ Data To Measure Its ‘Diversity, Equity, Inclusion’ Goals

Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI)

NASA

The academic health system of the University of California, San Diego, agreed to pay almost $3 million over allegations of using Medicare to fund “unnecessary genetic testing.” 
“UC San Diego Health, the academic health system of the University of California, San Diego, has paid $2.98 million to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by ordering medically unnecessary genetic testing reimbursed by Medicare,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdca/pr/uc-san-diego-health-pays-298-million-resolve-allegations-ordering-unnecessary-genetic">according</a> to the Justice Department. 
While the allegations about misusing Medicare money were never officially adjudicated, the payment will bring a conclusion to the allegations. The UC San Diego Health allegedly “ordered and submitted referrals” for CQuentia Arkansas Labs, CQuentia NGS, and Total Diagnostic II to produce unneeded genetic tests from 2015 to 2019. 
Investigators claim that this led to false claims being made for Medicare to pay for the testing. 
“Ordering unnecessary genetic tests creates a drain on vital government-funded health care programs like Medicare,” U.S. Attorney Randy Grossman said. “This settlement is another example of this office’s commitment to work with our law enforcement partners to hold medical providers accountable when their conduct leads to taxpayers bearing the cost of improper billing practices.”
The investigation spanned multiple agencies including the FBI, the Department of Health and Human Services, the Southern District of California’s attorney’s office, and the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Brian M. Boynton of the Justice Department&#8217;s Civil Division said that hospitals had a responsibility to make sure that everything they did was “medically appropriate.” 
“Hospitals are the gatekeepers for medical care and are expected to ensure that all services performed at their direction, including genetic tests, are medically appropriate,” Boynton said. “The department will continue to pursue those who undermine the integrity of federal health care programs and waste taxpayer dollars.”
A spokeswoman for UC San Diego Health said that the hospital “fully cooperated and promptly resolved the matter,” according to the San Diego Union-Tribune. 
“Working at the forefront of patient care sometimes involves the use of new technologies from emerging companies. When UC San Diego Health learned that the Department of Justice had concerns about one of our technology providers, we fully cooperated and promptly resolved the matter,” spokeswoman Jacqueline Carr <a href="https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/courts/story/2022-01-11/uc-san-diego-health-settlement-genetic-testing">said</a>. “The DOJ’s settlement announcement alleges that our doctors ordered tests from a company that then allegedly made false claims about those orders.”
Carr noted that the hospital system, &#8220;remains committed to integrating the leading best practices and technology into our research, teaching and patient care missions, in accordance with the highest standards of ethical conduct and all applicable laws and regulations.&#8221;
The Union-Tribune also reported that it seems as if CQuentia, headquartered in Tennessee, is no longer open. The company has faced a lawsuit involving false claims as recently as 2017.
Federal investigators noted how false claims and medical fraud diminish trust in hospitals and the healthcare industry. 
“False claims diminish trust in our health care while generating enormous unnecessary costs and the FBI is proud to work alongside our federal partners to disrupt such schemes,” FBI Special Agent Suzanne Turner said. 
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Interior of doctor’s office in hospital

University Medical System In California To Pay Nearly $3 Million After Claims Of ‘Unnecessary Genetic Testing’

Medicare

University of California

A man in Oregon has been sentenced to prison for fraudulently taking pandemic small business relief funds and has been told to return over $18 million in Tesla stock and other properties.
According to the District of Oregon attorney’s office, 51-year-old Andrew Aaron Lloyd was directed to give up nearly 16,000 Tesla shares, 25 properties, and pay about $4 million in restitution for stealing funds meant for COVID-19 small business relief. The Eugene, Oregon, man was also sentenced to four years in prison. 
Lloyd’s scheme involved using the business names and personal identifications of family and other associates to apply for funds through the CARES Act, according to authorities. 
“Lloyd submitted false documentation to justify the loan amounts requested, including IRS forms listing the 2019 wages purportedly paid by entities controlled by Lloyd. Lloyd claimed these entities paid employees as much as $4.7 million,” authorities <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-or/pr/oregon-man-sentenced-federal-prison-and-ordered-forfeit-over-18-million-stock-and">noted</a>. 
Included in his application were the names of “purported employees” and the addresses of alleged business locations. He received six of the nine PPP loans he applied for granting him a total of $3.4 million in funds. Lloyd also got a $160,000 payment from an accepted  EIDL application, another program that was used to help small businesses impacted by the pandemic. 
With the funds, Lloyd invested in stocks, including nearly $2 million in one brokerage account, and bought property in Oregon and California. His stock investments reportedly did well, jumping in value very quickly before he was arrested just over a year ago. 
“In January 2021, agents seized Lloyd’s brokerage account, which included 15,740 shares of Tesla, Inc. purchased with proceeds of his fraud,” the attorney for the District of Oregon’s office noted. “In March 2021, agents seized another account containing more than $660,000 in securities and cash. The securities and cash seized from Lloyd’s accounts are presently valued at more than $18 million.”
Fraud pertaining to pandemic relief funds seems to be somewhat widespread with a New Jersey man <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/new-jersey-man-sentenced-to-prison-for-fraudulently-receiving-millions-in-covid-small-business-relief-funds">sentenced</a> to prison last month for stealing millions in funds and three more individuals were charged with COVID-19 insurance fraud on Thursday. 
Luigi J. Montes,  Alexander Hoyos Rivera, and Peter Alexander Stincer, “made their initial appearances in federal court today for their alleged roles in a conspiracy to apply for and use Nevada and California unemployment insurance benefits debit cards — approved for over $900,000 — that were issued in other peoples’ names,” <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-nv/pr/three-men-charged-covid-19-unemployment-insurance-benefits-fraud">according</a> to authorities. 
Other pandemic related funding, like the stimulus funding, also seems to have gone out relatively indiscriminately with one of the terrorists in the Boston Marathon bombing <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/boston-marathon-bomber-received-1400-covid-relief-check-from-bidens-stimulus-bill-reports">even</a> receiving a $1,400 check. 
“Prisoners were largely eligible to receive $1,400 payments included in the $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan that President Joe Biden signed into law last March,” Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/boston-marathon-bomber-dzhokhar-tsarnaev-got-1400-covid-relief-that-feds-seek-claim-1666167">reported</a>. “Republicans unsuccessfully rallied against allowing inmates to receive the checks at the time, although prisoners were also not excluded from stimulus checks included in the GOP-backed Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act that former President Donald Trump had signed the previous year.”
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Tesla’s Stock Drops Sharply After It Was Not Added To S&P Index

Oregon Man Forced To Give Up Nearly 16,000 Tesla Shares After Stealing COVID-19 Relief Funds

Texas GOP Representative Chip Roy named six priorities that he said Republicans should focus on in 2022 to win “the hearts and minds of Americans” in an interview with The Daily Wire. 
Roy said that, while much of the talk heading into 2022 has centered on the midterm elections and Republicans retaking the majority, that Republicans should instead lead on critical issues and combatting Biden’s agenda. 
“Especially in a year where Democrats are nakedly incompetent and irresponsibly damaging our country, its facially obvious that the Democrat agenda is undermining our national security, undermining our border security, undermining the health and well-being of the United States, endangering people’s lives, favoring the wealthy and the corporate class over the working class,” he said. 
He had criticism for some of his Republican colleagues as well saying that it was “ridiculous” that several “saddled up with Pelosi” to give life to Biden’s infrastructure bill. 
“I am not interested in passing any of these quislings, little minor, useless suspension calendar BS pieces of legislation that half the Republicans whine and bellyache about. I’m interested in actually fighting the fight that the American people want us to fight for them, which is to live in a free country that’s fiscally responsible and has a limitedly used but strong military, and then [a government that] gets the hell out of people&#8217;s way,” he said. 
Discussing his decision to vote against spending for ALS research, he said that he was tired of “gutless” and “cowardly” Republicans campaigning on limited spending, but getting in Congress and voting for spending increases. He slammed everyone voting to keep increasing the national debt.  
“We are $30 trillion dollars in debt because these incompetent a**holes keep spending money we don’t have, and I’m tired of it,” Roy said. 
Instead of spending more money, the Texas Republican listed six priorities he said the GOP should pursue: border security, fiscal responsibility, healthcare freedom, strong but limited military, law and order, and ending “woke cultural nonsense.” 
Regarding the border, Roy argued that securing it shouldn’t be a debate and that he didn’t want to hear complaints from labor and the Chamber of Commerce. “No. Shut your piehole and secure the border,” he said. 
Discussing spending, he said that Americans would lose the Republic if the budget was not brought back under control. He said that it was time to get “middlemen and corporate junkies” out of the way to free up healthcare. 
Roy also said that Republicans should support a strong, but “sparingly” used military and return security to American streets by supporting law and order. 
He said that Republicans should “end critical race theory, end chief diversity officers, end every single division or department in the United States government that has anything to do with race, get rid of it.” 
One area where he said there might be some bipartisan interest is looking at the power and scope of big corporations like Twitter, Facebook, Amazon, and Apple. 
“If an entity is trying to hide behind 230, and they&#8217;re making editorial decisions, that is a real issue that we got to look at, and we have to look at the size and scope and power of these companies under antitrust,” he said. 
In the meantime, he recommended that  Americans “stay off social media, it’s a disaster, it&#8217;s the devil.”
“COVID has exposed a lot of garbage that heretofore was going unseen by a lot of the American people. An education system that’s corrupt and teaching our kids that America’s evil. A healthcare system that is corrupt, and big corporations are making decisions for you and your family&#8217;s healthcare. A border that is wide open,” the congressman told The Daily Wire.  
“The underlying fundamentals of this country remain strong and great,” Roy said, adding that people are tired of the “absolute incompetence” coming out of a “broken Washington” 
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

House Freedom Caucus Holds Press Conference On Infrastructure Bill

Interview: Attack ‘Woke Cultural Nonsense’: Chip Roy Details Republican Path To Success In 2022

Chip Roy

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Members of the Florida Republican Congressional delegation sent a letter to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra on Wednesday asking for him to change his policies regarding monoclonal antibody drugs, calling current policies “shortsighted and burdensome.” 
“I have received calls from many constituents who are desperately trying to find monoclonal antibody treatment, with no luck. The Governor has announced that there is a shortage of supply because the Biden Administration has been keeping the state of Florida from ordering directly from the manufacturer,” Congressman Gus Bilirakis <a href="https://bilirakis.house.gov/media/press-releases/bilirakis-dunn-rubio-scott-and-other-members-florida-delegation-urge-biden">said</a>. 
The <a href="https://bilirakis.house.gov/sites/bilirakis.house.gov/files/wysiwyg_uploaded/Letter-to-hhs--mab-drugs--follow-up.pdf">letter</a> which, included Senators Marco Rubio and Rick Scott, claimed that federal allocation of monoclonal antibody treatments was insufficient and that the government was making it more difficult for Florida to purchase necessary treatments. 
“Now, HHS’ decision to control the allocation and amount of mAbs a state or healthcare provider can receive, plus prohibiting these entities from ordering treatments directly from drug manufacturers, remains a serious concern,” the legislators wrote. “This type of volatility and heavy-handed approach is handicapping states who seek to be flexible and innovative to meet the needs of its patients, such as Florida has done.”
They claimed that Biden’s messaging on COVID-19 was out of line with the approach to making states dependent on the government for monoclonal antibody drugs. According to the letter, the centralization of the treatments was putting at risk patients in danger. 
“Therefore, it is critical healthcare providers have flexibility and access to all authorized mAbs in order to prevent any shortages should hospitalizations begin to surge in the coming weeks,” the letter says, “This artificial shortage is further exacerbated by the HHS’ actions in September 2021 to prohibit states and healthcare providers from directly ordering mAbs from drug manufacturers.”
Calling the administration’s policies “burdensome” and “shortsighted,” the Florida Republicans asked HHS to return power to the states to purchase their own monoclonal antibody treatments. 
Bilirakis said that he would continue “imploring” the Biden administration to stop “rationing” the treatments. 
“President Biden has recently been forced to admit that pandemic response is best handled at the state level, and yet this contradictory policy is interfering with our state’s ability to ensure appropriate access to treatment that Floridians want,” he said. 
In late December, Florida Surgeon General Joseph A. Ladopo <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/florida-surgeon-general-biden-admin-actively-preventing-the-effective-distribution-of-monoclonal-antibody-treatments-in-u-s">accused</a> the Biden admin of “actively preventing the effective distribution of monoclonal antibody treatments in the U.S.”
“The sudden suspension of multiple monoclonal antibody therapy treatments from distribution to Florida removes a health care provider’s ability to decide the best treatment options for their patients in this state,” Ladopo said in a letter to Becerra. “This shortsightedness is especially evident given that the federal government effectively prohibited states from purchasing these monoclonal antibodies and serving their populations directly.”
Florida Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has been a major proponent of various COVID-19 treatments, including the use of monoclonal antibody treatments. 
The Daily Wire is one of America’s fastest-growing conservative media companies and counter-cultural outlets for news, opinion, and entertainment. Get inside access to The Daily Wire by becoming a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/subscribe">member</a>.

President Biden Delivers Remarks To Commemorate World AIDS Day

‘Handicapping States’: Florida Republicans Call Out Biden Admin Monoclonal Antibody Treatment Policies

Biden Admin

COVID-19

Florida

monoclonal antibodies

A scientist from Pennsylvania pleaded guilty to stealing trade secrets for a Chinese pharmaceutical company after forming a fraudulent cancer research and drug company to store stolen information. 
According to the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Lucy Xi, 44, of Malvern, Pennsylvania, <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-edpa/pr/fourth-defendant-pleads-guilty-stealing-trade-secrets-glaxosmithkline-benefit-chinese">pleaded</a> guilty to stealing trade secrets from GlaxoSmithKline (GSK), a large multinational pharmaceutical company, and giving the secrets to Renopharma, a Chinese pharmaceutical company. 
“This defendant illegally stole trade secrets to benefit her husband’s company, which was financed by the Chinese government,” U.S. Attorney Jennifer Williams said. “The lifeblood of companies like GSK is its intellectual property.”
She added that this kind of theft not only damaged the strategic benefit of American research, but that it also harmed American workers. 
“[When] that property is stolen and transferred to a foreign country, it threatens thousands of American jobs and jeopardizes the strategic benefits brought about through research and development. Such criminal behavior must be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law,” Williams noted. 
Lucy Xi was aided in the conspiracy by Yu Xue, Tian Xue, and Tao Li, who have all pleaded guilty. Another alleged conspirator, Yan Mei, is currently in China as a fugitive. 
Back in 2015, Lucy Xi sent out an email containing confidential data from GlaxoSmithKline pertaining to monoclonal antibodies and other related research. In the email to Yu Xue, her husband, she said: “You need to understand it very well. It will help you in your future business [RENOPHARMA].”
The fake entity they created, Renopharma, was given money by the Chinese government. Lucy Xi and her colleagues stole the research from the GlaxoSmithKline lab that they worked at in Upper Merion, Pennsylvania. According to authorities, normally about $1 billion is spent in working on the pharmaceutical products. 
“Pharmaceutical firms like GSK invest staggering amounts of time and money to develop new medications and bring them to market,” said FBI Special Agent Jacqueline Maguire. “When individuals steal valuable trade secrets concerning one of these drugs, it’s a threat both to that firm and beyond. After all, innovation like this propels the U.S. economy.”
Maguire added that the FBI was focused on cracking down on theft of U.S. products and research. 
“The FBI is committed to enforcing laws that protect the nation’s businesses from such theft. We will not permit American research and development to be scavenged for the benefit of other companies or countries,” she said. 
The Intellectual Property Commission, first founded in 2012, is a bipartisan organization that looks to research and provide recommendations on protecting American intellectual property. In March of 2021, it <a href="https://www.nbr.org/wp-content/uploads/pdfs/publications/ip_commission_2021_recommendations_mar2021.pdf">released</a> updated recommendations where it identified China as “the largest origin of IP theft.” 
One of the goals of the commission was to: 
<blockquote>Better inform U.S. businesses regarding threats of IP theft abroad. It is essential to identify, punish, and publicize bad actors, on both a country and company basis. 
• Create a multinational registry to share information on bad actors. 
• Deny bad actors access to the U.S. market if they have a record of stealing IP.</blockquote>
The guidance also noted that it would be devoting time to looking at issues pertaining to the global supply chain, changing digital environment, and a U.S.-China trade agreement.
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GlaxoSmithKline Headquarters In Brentford, London

Scientist Pleads Guilty To Stealing Monoclonal Antibody Research For Chinese Pharma Company

On Monday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection released data showing a dramatic increase in drug seizures and the amount of unique encounters with unaccompanied children in fiscal year 2021. 
“The operational statistics for Fiscal Year 2021 show the breadth and scope of CBP’s mission, which encompasses travel and trade, drug interdiction, and border security,” CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus said. “CBP’s mission is vital to making our country safer and more secure, and important to our economic recovery.”
According to the <a href="https://www.cbp.gov/newsroom/national-media-release/cbp-releases-operational-fiscal-year-2021-statistics">report</a>, CBP seized over 624,500 pounds of drugs in the time period, which runs from October 1, 2020 to September 30, 2021. fiscal year 2021 saw a 68% increase in cocaine seizures, a 7% increase in methamphetamine seizures, a 6% decrease in heroin seizures, and a 134% increase in fentanyl seizures compared to fiscal year 2020.
In the last several years, fentanyl-related deaths have jumped in the United States, especially for people aged 18-45. Much of the illicit fentanyl coming into the country is believed to be from either Mexico or China. 
While drug seizures increased drastically, the amount of unaccompanied children also jumped from pre-pandemic levels. 
The report explained that in fiscal year 2021 there was “a continued long-term shift from almost all encounters being single adults from Mexico to large numbers of individuals in family units; a continued rise in encounters of unaccompanied children; and increasing migration flows from countries other than Mexico or the Northern Triangle.”
According to the report, unique encounters of children without adults increased 73% since fiscal year 2019. It also tried to place partial blame on the Trump administration for children being held “for too long” at border patrol stations in 2021.
It claimed that the Trump administration failed “to expand the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) capacity to receive unaccompanied children from Border Patrol stations within the required timeframe.”
Only 28% of those encountered at the border in fiscal year 2021 were Mexican nationals, the lowest ever, with many coming from Northern Triangle countries (Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador). Individuals from Ecuador, Brazil, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Haiti, and Cuba were also seen quite frequently. 
The data also notes that there were 1.72 million enforcement encounters, which included 1.2 million repatriations. About 62% of those encountered trying to illegally cross the border were sent back to avoid the spread of Covid-19. 
About 200 non-immigrant visas and 240 Global Entry and SENTRI cards were taken away thanks to Operation Sentinel, a new initiative designed to crack down on human trafficking by criminal organizations. 
Another stated priority of CBP was to stop the importation of goods using forced labor into the U.S. CBP sent out Withhold Release Orders to “to protect American consumers and businesses from goods made by forced labor.”
“Those orders have targeted cotton products and tomato products from China’s Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region; silica-based products made by a company that operates in Xinjiang; palm oil from a Malaysian company; and tuna and other seafood harvested by a Chinese fishing fleet, a Taiwan-flagged fishing vessel, and a Fijian-flagged fishing vessel,” the report explained. 
Nearly $500 million worth of goods were stopped by CBP in fiscal year 2021 from entering the American economy. 
Magnus explained, “These are not just numbers; they reflect the commitment of CBP’s workforce to their mission, to protecting the American people, and to fighting modern-day slavery.”
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Border Crossings Fall For Third Straight Month

Fiscal Year 2021 Saw 134% Increase In Fentanyl Seizures At Border, 73% Increase In Unaccompanied Children Since 2019

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection

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Leif Le Mahieu