Anyone who went to COVID.gov on Friday hoping to find information about where to get their 10th booster was in for a big shock.
The website, created by the Biden administration to spread information about vaccines and other government COVID policies, now <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/lab-leak-true-origins-of-covid-19/">redirects to a page</a> explaining how the coronavirus originated in a Chinese lab.
&#8220;LAB LEAK: The True Origins of COVID-19&#8221; walks readers through the pandemic&#8217;s origins and exposes Dr. Anthony Fauci and other government officials who attempted to discredit the now-vindicated lab leak theory. The website explains how the coronavirus likely originated at the Wuhan Institute of Virology, where a group called EcoHealth &#8220;used U.S. taxpayer dollars to facilitate dangerous gain-of-function research.&#8221;
Democrats and the mainstream media long dismissed this theory as a &#8220;conspiracy&#8221; and actively pushed a different narrative.
“&#8217;The Proximal Origin of SARS-CoV-2&#8242; publication — which was used repeatedly by public health officials and the media to discredit the lab leak theory — was prompted by Dr. Fauci to push the preferred narrative that COVID-19 originated naturally,&#8221; the website says. &#8220;By nearly all measures of science, if there was evidence of a natural origin it would have already surfaced. But it hasn’t.&#8221;
&#8220;The American people deserve to know the truth about the Covid pandemic and we will always find ways to reach communities with that message,&#8221; a senior Trump administration official told Fox News.
The website makes the case against various government COVID recommendations, including mask mandates, lockdowns, and social distancing.
&#8220;There was no conclusive evidence that masks effectively protected Americans from COVID-19,&#8221; the website states. &#8220;Prolonged lockdowns caused immeasurable harm to not only the American economy, but also to the mental and physical health of Americans, with a particularly negative effect on younger citizens.&#8221;
It devotes an entire section to &#8220;New York Pandemic Failures,&#8221; which explains that then-Governor Andrew Cuomo and his administration &#8220;worked to cover up the tragic aftermath of their policy decisions in an apparent effort to shield themselves from accountability.&#8221;
<div id="attachment_909625" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-909625" class="size-large wp-image-909625" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.01.47%E2%80%AFAM-1024x489.png" alt="" width="1024" height="489" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.01.47%E2%80%AFAM-1024x489.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.01.47%E2%80%AFAM-300x143.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.01.47%E2%80%AFAM-768x367.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.01.47%E2%80%AFAM-1536x733.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.01.47%E2%80%AFAM-2048x978.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />White House</div>
In addition to Cuomo, the website singles out Fauci for claiming that the coronavirus &#8220;just sort of appeared,&#8221; and notes that Biden granted Fauci a &#8220;full and unconditional pardon&#8221; shortly before leaving office.
<div id="attachment_909631" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-909631" class="size-large wp-image-909631" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.02.04%E2%80%AFAM-1024x487.png" alt="" width="1024" height="487" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.02.04%E2%80%AFAM-1024x487.png 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.02.04%E2%80%AFAM-300x143.png 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.02.04%E2%80%AFAM-768x365.png 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.02.04%E2%80%AFAM-1536x730.png 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/04/Screenshot-2025-04-18-at-11.02.04%E2%80%AFAM-2048x973.png 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />White House</div>
All of the information on the website is &#8220;sourced from the House Oversight Committee website, a Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic of the Committee on Oversight and Accountability in the U.S. House of Representatives.&#8221;

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Everyone Go To COVID.Gov Right Now. Just Trust Us.

Andrew Cuomo

Anthony Fauci

COVID-19

Donald Trump

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton announced Tuesday that he will challenge Senator John Cornyn in 2026, citing the Texas Republican’s frequent opposition to President Donald Trump’s agenda.
Paxton made the announcement during an appearance on Fox News&#8217; “The Ingraham Angle,&#8221; telling host Laura Ingraham that &#8220;it&#8217;s definitely time for a change in Texas.&#8221;
&#8220;We have a great U.S. Senator, Ted Cruz, and it&#8217;s time we have another great senator that will actually stand up for Republican values, fight for the values of the people of Texas, and also support Donald Trump in the areas he&#8217;s focused on, in a very significant way,&#8221; Paxton said. &#8220;That&#8217;s what I plan on doing.&#8221;
Paxton told Ingraham it was &#8220;hard to think of the things&#8221; Cornyn has &#8220;done good for Texas or for the country,&#8221; slamming the senator for &#8220;things like his gun restrictions, his lack of wanting to fund a border wall, and even opposing President Trump&#8217;s election in 2016 and in the most recent election.&#8221;
&#8220;There&#8217;s certainly many things to focus on that he has not done,&#8221; Paxton added, &#8220;and I think it&#8217;s time that somebody held him accountable for that.&#8221;
The attorney general also railed against Cornyn in a statement announcing his run, in which he pledged to “take a sledgehammer to the D.C. establishment.”
“John Cornyn has been in Washington for over two decades, and he has turned his back on President Trump and the America First Agenda time after time.”
“Texans deserve far better than a senator who thinks it’s ‘naive’ to build a border to protect our citizens,&#8221; Paxton said.
Paxton, who has served three terms as attorney general, has frequently criticized Cornyn. In a March interview with Punchbowl News, Paxton <a href="https://punchbowl.news/article/senate/paxton-plots-to-take-on-cornyn/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">slammed</a> Cornyn for pushing gun control legislation and supporting American aid to Ukraine.
“I’m going to start calling him ‘Senator Ukraine,’ because he’s funding Ukraine more than he’s funding our border, and that’s a problem in Texas,” Paxton said.
Paxton has emerged as a leading voice on major issues, using his office to protect <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-investigating-school-officials-who-said-theyd-break-the-law?row=0&amp;elementPosition=3&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Tim+Rice&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+Launches+Probe+Into+Schools+Scheming+To+Get+Boys+Onto+Girl+Sports+Teams&amp;category=News">women&#8217;s sports,</a> defending Texas A&amp;M&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-texas-ag-to-defend-texas-am-over-decision-to-ban-campus-drag-shows?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=EXCLUSIVE%3A+Texas+AG+To+Defend+Texas+A%26M+Over+Decision+To+Ban+Campus+Drag+Shows&amp;category=News">decision</a> to ban a campus drag show, and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/texas-arrests-48-year-old-woman-for-performing-illegal-abortions-operating-fake-clinics?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Leif+Le+Mahieu&amp;title=Texas+Arrests+48-Year-Old+Woman+For+Performing+Illegal+Abortions%2C+Operating+Fake+Clinics&amp;category=News">prosecuting</a> a woman who performed illegal abortions.
Cornyn, who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/john-thune-elected-senate-majority-leader?row=0&amp;elementPosition=undefined&amp;rowType=Vertical+List&amp;author=Tim+Pearce&amp;title=John+Thune+Elected+Senate+Majority+Leader&amp;category=News" target="_blank" rel="noopener">lost</a> the race to succeed Kentucky Senator Mitch McConnell as Majority Leader, is <a href="https://docs.google.com/document/d/12NQYwfF1_c06LvP2Imx-54dTMjXJxrI2sz7MujKphFg/edit?tab=t.0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">serving</a> his fourth term in the upper chamber. A mainstay in Republican politics, he previously served as chair of the National Republican Senatorial Committee and as Senate Majority Whip.
Senate Republican leaders have <a href="https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/06/politics/cornyn-texas-senate-primary/index.html">reportedly asked</a> Trump to endorse Cornyn to put a stop to what could be a costly and high-profile primary. Speaking to CNN&#8217;s Manu Raju, Cornyn demurred on the question of Trump&#8217;s endorsement, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2025/04/06/politics/video/sen-john-cornyn-gop-texas-primary-donald-trump-manu-raju-digvid">noting</a> that &#8220;his endorsement will be important&#8221; and saying Trump will &#8220;make an endorsement when he&#8217;s ready.&#8221; Cornyn also said that he and the president have &#8220;a very good relationship.&#8221;
But it&#8217;s unclear if Trump — who once <a href="https://www.texastribune.org/2024/05/20/donald-trump-ken-paxton-attorney-general/">floated</a> the idea of tapping Paxton as U.S. Attorney General — would back Cornyn, whom the president <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4120760-trump-rips-weak-ineffective-cornyn-romney/">once called</a> &#8220;weak [and] ineffective.&#8221;
A recent poll found that Paxton leads Cornyn by 20 points, The New York Times <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/02/us/politics/paxton-cornyn-senate.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> earlier this month.

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Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton Will Challenge Senator John Cornyn

John Cornyn

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The Kennedy Center is $40 million in debt, and will soon begin “reducing expenses” to address its “difficult” financial situation, The Daily Wire has learned.
Kennedy Center Chief Financial Officer Donna Arduin emailed staff at noon Wednesday “in the spirit of transparency” to share “the difficult reality of our current financial situation.&#8221;
“For years, the Kennedy Center has been budgeting to lose money. Instead of balancing our bottom line, we have spent all the funds that were raised on paying off part of The REACH debt, leaving us $40 million in debt with no cash to pay our bills,” she wrote.
REACH is a multipurpose space that includes rehearsal spaces, studios, and more, which President Donald Trump criticized on a recent visit to the site.
“The road out of this economic environment will not be easy and the shift will be felt across the Center,” Arduin added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
SCOOP: Kennedy Center’s newly-instated CFO just alerted the entire staff that it’s $40M in debt and has “no cash to pay our bills”
&#8220;The road out of this economic environment will not be easy and the shift will be felt across the Center&#8221;
Here&#8217;s the letter: <a href="https://t.co/fso3wovjaa">pic.twitter.com/fso3wovjaa</a>
— Daily Wire (@realDailyWire) <a href="https://twitter.com/realDailyWire/status/1904966366949494919?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 26, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
Trump has made it a priority to reform the Kennedy Center, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-dumps-kennedy-center-board-puts-immediate-end-to-drag-shows-for-kids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">firing</a> its board and installing himself as its chairman. Trump also tapped Special Envoy Rick Grenell to serve as the Center’s interim director.
“At my direction, we are going to make the Kennedy Center in Washington, D.C. , GREAT AGAIN,” Trump wrote in February. “Just last year, the Kennedy Center featured Drag Shows specifically targeting our youth — THIS WILL STOP.”
But Arduin’s letter makes it clear that the Kennedy Center’s largest problems have little to do with its repertoire.
“We have an operating deficit of over $100 million dollars,” she wrote to staff, “and are roughly $225 million dollars behind on capital maintenance needs, projects which are long overdue.”
Arduin notes that she and other Kennedy Center executives “are on a mission to turn this amazing performing arts center around.”
To get the Center out of the red, Grenell “has hired new Department leaders with lower salaries than those they replaced, including his salary which is dramatically lower than the previous President&#8217;s.”
The CFO also said that the Kennedy Center “will adopt business practices with performance goals to bring accountability to our patrons and philanthropists.”
“Therefore, we are reducing expenses enterprise-wide and will be using Key Performance Indicators to drive business decisions going forward.”
It is unclear exactly what cuts the Kennedy Center will make to rectify its financial situation. But the severity of Arduin’s letter, combined with the Trump administration’s dedication to reducing the scope of the federal workforce, could imply that layoffs are imminent.
Some have already begun. The Center on Tuesday laid off its five-member &#8220;social impact team,&#8221; the Washington Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/2025/03/26/kennedy-center-social-impact-team-trump/?utm_medium=social&amp;utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter">reported.</a> The team&#8217;s mission was “to advance justice and equity” through Kennedy Center performances.
This is a developing story, refresh this page for updates.

Kennedy Center

EXCLUSIVE: Kennedy Center Is $40 Million In Debt, Will Make Major Cuts

The Kennedy Center

Satanists who plan to perform a &#8220;black mass&#8221; in the Kansas Statehouse are undeterred by an attempt to move the event by Democrat Governor Laura Kelly, who critics say isn&#8217;t doing enough to make sure the event doesn&#8217;t happen.
The leader of the Kansas Satanic Grotto told The Daily Wire that he will defy Kelly&#8217;s attempt to move the event out of the government building. Michael Stewart, who calls himself “The Devil of Kansas,” said Kelly “caved” to pressure from Republicans and Catholics on Wednesday when she ordered the planned March 28 “black mass” moved to the steps outside the statehouse.
“I will be performing that black mass in our State Capitol,” Stewart said. “If they have to arrest me, then they have to arrest me. I will be putting the call out to every satanist within three hours of Kansas City or Topeka and saying, ‘Who wants to march into the Capitol with me?’ We&#8217;ll see how many show up.”
An explicit parody of the Catholic Mass, satanic black masses have <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/262621/kansas-bishops-call-for-prayers-plan-legal-response-to-planned-black-mass" target="_blank" rel="noopener">historically involved</a> the desecration of consecrated Communion Hosts, which Catholics believe to be the body, soul, and divinity of Jesus Christ. In a statement, the Catholic Bishops of Kansas said that any planned desecration of the Eucharist would “be an insult to not only Catholics but all people of goodwill.”
During the event, the Satanic Grotto <a href="https://www.kwch.com/2025/03/12/gov-kelly-responds-plans-black-mass-event-kansas-statehouse/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">says</a> it will “dedicate the grounds and our legislature to the glory of Satan” by “indulging in sacrilegious blaspheme.”
“We have wafers,” Stewart told The Daily Wire. “I don&#8217;t want to comment on whether they&#8217;re consecrated or not because that would ruin the mystery.”
Stewart said he did “not believe anyone in our group has obtained a consecrated wafer through illegal or fraudulent means.” Pressed if those “illegal or fraudulent means” included a member of the Satanic Grotto receiving Communion in a Catholic Church, Stewart said, “The Catholics have informed me that that&#8217;s all their property, so as far as I know, there is no legal way to grab it.”
Chuck Weber, Executive Director of the Kansas Catholic Conference, says Kelly isn&#8217;t doing nearly enough to stop the black mass.
“Make no mistake, it’s going to be a vile and despicable satanic worship ritual,” Weber told The Daily Wire, adding that Kelly’s decision to move the event from inside to the statehouse steps is “a distinction without a difference,” akin to moving something from your living room to the front porch.
Weber expressed frustration with Kelly’s statement, noting that while she emphasized Kansans&#8217; rights to “free expression,” she failed to exercise her “duty to express her condemnation of this provocative hatred and anti-Catholic bigotry.”
“There are more constructive ways to protest and express disagreements without insulting or denigrating sacred religious symbols,” Kelly <a href="https://www.governor.ks.gov/Home/Components/News/News/573/56" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>. “However, as governor, I also have a duty to protect protesters’ constitutional rights to freedom of speech and expression, regardless of how offensive or distasteful I might find the content to be.”
Kelly’s office did not respond to a request for comment.
Former Kansas congressman Tim Huelskamp, a Republican, told The Daily Wire that this issue transcends politics.
“Every politician, whether they’re Catholic or not, should do everything within their power to make certain this event doesn’t happen,” he said. “There should be no black mass ever held on state property in Kansas, and I think it’s within the right and responsibility of the attorney general and the governor of Kansas to make sure this doesn’t happen.”
Ironically, the satanist Stewart is also disappointed in Kelly’s statement. He says he’s “supported the Democratic Party in the past” because he believes that “no human is illegal,” and tries “to be anti-racist.” But “in the wake of Biden” and “the way everything&#8217;s turned out” with the black mass, he says he’s “sick of” Democrats.
“Hell, I&#8217;ll run for governor in 2026,” Stewart said. “The Devil of Kansas for Governor.”
In 2014, the Archdiocese of Oklahoma <a href="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/30380/successful-okla-lawsuit-could-stop-future-black-masses" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sued</a> to stop an occult group that claimed to be in possession of a consecrated Host from holding a black mass. The Archdiocese successfully argued that the Host was stolen property, and the organizers were forced to turn it over to a Catholic priest. If the Kansas Satanic Grotto is found to be in possession of a consecrated Host, the Archdiocese of Kansas and its allies could rely on the Oklahoma case to launch a similar suit.
Stewart told The Daily Wire that the point of the black mass “is not to mock the Catholic Church,” but to engage in a kind of “therapeutic blasphemy” wherein satanists “express some of the anger, and the pain and the sorrow” they feel from their Catholic or other religious upbringings.
Weber echoed the Kansas bishops in calling for Catholics to pray for Stewart’s conversion “during this season of Lent,” when Catholics prepare for Easter with fasting and penitence. Weber observed that the story of Satan tempting Jesus in the desert — which Catholics hear each year on the first Sunday of Lent — offers a model for how to respond to the Kansas satanists.
“Jesus doesn’t ignore the devil,” Weber noted, “but He doesn’t give him that much more oxygen, either.”

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Kansas Gov Not Doing Enough To Stop Satanists From Performing ‘Black Mass’ At Capitol, Critics Say

Catholic Church

Kansas

satanic

WASHINGTON—Vice President JD Vance on Friday hailed the Trump administration’s foreign policy as an effort to protect “Christian rights all over the world,” hours before the president is set to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the White House.
“Where I think President Trump’s policy is the most in accord with Christian social teaching and with the Catholic faith, is that more than any president of my lifetime, President Trump has pursued a path of peace,” Vance said at the 20th annual National Catholic Prayer Breakfast.
“One of the things that I am most ashamed about is that in the United States of America, sometimes it is our foreign misadventures that lead to the eradication of historical Christian communities all over the world,” Vance added.
“When President Trump talks about the need to bring peace, whether it’s in Russia and Ukraine, whether it’s in the Middle East, we of course have to recognize that as a policy oriented towards saving lives and carrying out one of Christ’s most important commandments.”
&#8220;That is, in my view, perhaps the most important way in which Donald Trump has been a defender of Christian rights all over the world, as he has a foreign policy that is oriented towards peace.&#8221;
Vance’s comments come just hours before Trump and Zelensky meet at the White House for a highly-anticipated conversation on the future of American aid to Ukraine. Trump <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-russia-ukraine-deal-will-happen-fairly-soon-or-it-wont-happen-at-all?topStoryPosition=undefined" target="_blank" rel="noopener">raised the stakes</a> ahead of the meeting, saying that a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine will “either be fairly soon or it won’t be at all.”
Secretary of State Marco Rubio and other Trump administration officials met with a Russian delegation to begin negotiations earlier this month, without any Ukrainian representatives present. In response, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/you-couldve-made-a-deal-trump-blames-ukraine-for-ongoing-war-with-russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Zelensky said</a> that he “will never accept any decisions between the United States and Russia about Ukraine.”
After touching on foreign policy, Vance largely focused on the role of Christian faith in public life. The vice president joked about his recent conversion to Catholicism, calling himself a “Baby Catholic” and noting that “sometimes, the bishops get mad at me.”
“If you ever hear me pontificating about the Catholic faith, please recognize it comes from a place of deep belief, but it also comes from a place of not always knowing everything all the time,” he said.
Vance briefly touched on Pope Francis’s criticisms of the Trump administration’s immigration policy, gently but firmly holding his ground in the face of papal rebuke.
“You obviously know my views, and I will speak to them consistently because I think that I have to do it because it serves the best interest in the American people,” Vance said. But rather than launch into a lengthy defense of the White House’s immigration policies, the vice president urged American Catholics to avoid fighting about the Pope’s exhortation.
“I think that sometimes a lot of conservative Catholics are too preoccupied with the political criticisms of a particular clergy member or the leader of the Catholic Church,” Vance said. “It&#8217;s not in the best interests of any of us to treat the religious leaders of our faith as just another social media influencer.”
“Frankly, that goes in both ways, if I could be so bold,” Vance added, saying it was “incumbent upon our religious leaders to recognize that in the era of social media, people will hang on every single word that they utter, even if that wasn&#8217;t their intention, and even if a given declaration wasn&#8217;t meant for consumption in the social media age.”
Vance stressed that, for all their disagreements, he believes that “the pope is fundamentally a person who cares about the flock of Christians under his leadership.” He recalled fondly Pope Francis’s speech during the height of the COVID pandemic, praising him “as a great pastor, as a man who can speak the truth of the faith in a very profound way at a moment of great crisis.”
The vice president then led the crowd in a prayer for the Holy Father’s health.
Around 1,400 people attended the 20th annual breakfast, the theme of which was “hope.” Among the guests were newly-confirmed Small Business Administrator Kelly Loeffler, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley, former Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, and former Pennsylvania Senator Rick Santorum.
Philanthropist Terry Kaster and Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker were also briefly honored, though they did not deliver any remarks.
Congressman Chris Smith (R-NJ) was honored with the “Christifideles Laici Award,” given every year to honor a Catholic layman who has served the Church. Smith was hailed for his work fighting the global AIDS pandemic and advancing pro-life policies in the United States.
“More people are alive today, more people live with a greater sense of dignity today…because of the work of Chris Smith,” National Catholic Prayer Breakfast board member Tim Saccoccia said in his introduction.
During his speech, Smith praised Trump for appointing the judges who helped overturn Roe v. Wade and taking steps to defend the pro-life movement during his second term.
“We are moving towards a culture of life: coming to America, and coming to the world,” Smith said.

JD Vance

Hours Before Zelensky Meeting, Vance Praises Trump For Pursuing ‘A Path Of Peace’

Immigration

Pope Francis

Ukraine-Russia War

Volodymyr Zelensky

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton is investigating two school districts whose officials were caught on tape saying they would help alter records for male students so they could play girls’ sports, The Daily Wire has learned.
Accuracy In Media last month <a href="https://aim.org/2025/01/13/texas-schools-found-skirting-gender-law-aim-undercover-investigation-reveals/">exposed</a> two school officials in separate districts saying they would violate a Texas law that requires students to play on teams that match their sex. Though the two administrators don’t seem to have had any contact with each other, the similarity of their answers suggests a willingness among Texas public school staff to put their ideological beliefs above the law. 
Now, Paxton is demanding answers from the two school districts to better understand the situation.
“The idea of school district officials turning their backs on female students and sacrificing the integrity of women’s athletics to advance the radical transgender agenda is disgusting,” Paxton told the The Daily Wire. “Any systematic effort by a school district to sidestep state law and allow biological boys to play in girls’ sports in Texas will be rooted out, and my office will explore all avenues to hold those responsible to account.”
Paxton’s investigation could have sweeping consequences. On Wednesday, President Donald Trump signed an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/surrounded-by-young-female-athletes-donald-trump-bans-men-from-womens-sports?topStoryPosition=undefined">executive order</a> stipulating that the United States will “rescind all funds from educational programs that deprive women and girls of fair athletic opportunities.”
In January, an Accuracy In Media reporter posing as a parent approached Dallas Independent School District’s LGBT Youth Program Coordinator Mahoganie Gaston, and Reny Lizardo, the executive director of campus operations at the Irving Independent School District.
Asked if there were ways to circumvent Texas’s prohibition on boys playing on girls’ sports teams, both officials were quick to offer “loopholes.”
Gaston said parents could simply “update” the gender on their child’s birth certificate — a violation of Texas law. She claimed that she “would go to jail” to help a transgender-identifying student join a sports team, and <a href="https://wjactv.com/news/nation-world/texas-school-district-official-acknowledges-loopholes-in-trans-sports-law-video-shows-dallas-independent-school-district-lgbtq-coordinatior-accuracy-in-media">boasted</a> that she would have no trouble finding allies if she faced legal trouble.
“If you can get that done, and you turn us a birth certificate that says ‘this gender,’ that&#8217;s the gender we go with,” Lizardo said, adding “it’s not illegal if you don’t get caught.” In a statement, Irving ISD distanced itself from Lizardo, who <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/sports/school-responds-video-admin-telling-parents-alter-trans-kids-birth-certificate-play-girls-sports">resigned</a> in the wake of the Accuracy In Media report.
&#8220;Irving ISD complies with all state and federal laws, and all employees are expected to adhere to any and all legal and ethical standards,” the district said in a statement,” adding that Lizardo “was acting outside of his role as it relates to legal and regulatory expertise.”
It is unclear if Gaston is still employed by Dallas ISD, which did not respond to a request for comment.

U.S. Supreme Court Hears Expedited Challenges Over Texas Abortion Ban

EXCLUSIVE: Texas AG Launches Probe Into Schools Scheming To Get Boys Onto Girl Sports Teams

Former college swimmer and women&#8217;s rights advocate Riley Gaines is slated to speak at a members&#8217; lunch on Wednesday, The Daily Wire has learned.
Gaines, a former NCAA swimmer, became the face of the fight to save women’s sports after competing against trans-identifying male swimmer Lia Thomas. Wednesday’s event is the latest point of collaboration between Gaines and the committee, whose members have led the charge on protecting women’s sports and spaces.
Gaines was on Capitol Hill last month when the House of Representatives passed the Protection of Women and Girls Act, which was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-again-passes-bill-to-protect-womens-sports">introduced</a> by Republican Study Committee member Rep. Greg Steube (FL).
“Americans are united in our belief that men have no place in women’s sports, whether it’s breaking records, entering locker rooms, or stealing scholarship opportunities,” Steube <a href="https://mikejohnson.house.gov/news/documentsingle.aspx?DocumentID=1526">said at the time</a>. “Denying biological truth erases fairness in sports and puts women’s safety and opportunities at risk.”
Gaines praised House Republicans for passing the bill, which she said brings the country “one step closer to ensuring no more women lose trophies, roster spots, playing time, scholarships, or fair competition to men in their own sport.”
As The Daily Wire’s Mary Margaret Olohan <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-trump-learned-to-embrace-the-transgender-culture-wars">chronicled</a>, Gaines was one of several activists whose work helped bring President Donald Trump around on the transgender issue. Trump, who shied away from the issue during his 2020 campaign, made it a pillar of his 2024 race — a move that helped <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-exposed-kamalas-radical-stances-on-gender-americans-voted-against-it">propel him</a> to a landslide victory.
Since taking office, Trump has taken several steps to protect biological women. On his first day in office, he signed an executive order stipulating it was the official policy of the United States that there are <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-to-sign-executive-order-defining-sex-as-male-and-female">only two genders</a>. Just days later, he <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wire-celebrates-trumps-move-to-ban-child-transgender-medical-transitions">signed an order</a> banning taxpayer-funded gender transitions for minors, a move that has <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/hospitals-across-u-s-stop-transitioning-children-after-trump-signs-order-protecting-kids">already stopped</a> hospitals from performing these often irreversible procedures.
Gaines made headlines once again this week thanks to her appearance in an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/j-k-rowling-shares-powerful-ad-about-protecting-female-sports-but-theres-more-to-the-story">ad showcasing</a> her and other female athletes who have faced criticism for defending women’s sports.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
This is the first and likely the last time I’ll retweet an ad, but I love it. <a href="https://t.co/oALpr5c10v">pic.twitter.com/oALpr5c10v</a>
— J.K. Rowling (@jk_rowling) <a href="https://twitter.com/jk_rowling/status/1886348443745976525?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2025</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script> 
J.K. Rowling, who has also come under fire for her defense of biological women, shared the ad on X, saying, “This is the first and likely the last time I’ll retweet an ad, but I love it.”
The Republican Study Committee is viewed as the policy engine of House Republicans. Its decision to host Gaines signals its continued dedication to leading on gender issues.

Riley Gaines and House Republicans Speak Following Vote On The Protection Of Women And Girls In Sports Act

Republican Study Committee Set To Host Riley Gaines

House Republicans

Riley Gaines

Transgender

Women's sports

As I joined the growing number of tuxedoed Washingtonians abandoning their Ubers on 14th Street, choosing to brave the frigid temperatures rather than wait another minute behind a blockade, I tried to ignore the biting wind and focus on my mantra: I have to make it to the TikTok party.
Shuffling down the road, I wondered what to expect. Would the Inauguration Eve shindig be just another DC party full of lobbyists and waiters circulating with chicken skewers? Or would I be plunged headfirst into an unfamiliar scene and spend the night awkwardly mingling with too-cool influencers?
It was a little bit of both. I waited in line with a prominent conservative tweeter and a newly-minted White House staffer. The second we got inside, I saw a platoon of trendy partygoers jostling to get their fur-collared overcoats from coat check as a clip of Matt Walsh played on the screen behind them.
Turning to my left, I saw Chelly, a TikTok influencer who specializes in Vivek Ramaswamy impersonations. That pretty much summed up the vibe at the Power 30 Awards and Inauguration Party.
<div id="attachment_864407" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-864407" class="size-large wp-image-864407" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-200.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Shindelverse Photography)</div>
Maybe this is how Democrats feel all the time. You show up to a party and see Beyonce doing lemon drops with Janet Yellen. But most of us aren’t used to this seamless intermingling of politics and celebrity. I can safely say that I’ve never been invited to a party where Liz Truss and Conor McGregor were feted in the VIP lounge while people got bottle service downstairs in honor of Walsh, his fellow Daily Wire hosts, and other conservative influencers like Riley Gaines.
<div id="attachment_864413" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-864413" class="size-large wp-image-864413" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-049.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Shindelverse Photography)</div>
You could argue – and many have – that this party was nothing more than TikTok’s ploy to woo those in Trump’s orbit so the president would save the Chinese-owned app. And that was obviously part of it, as the #SaveTikTok step-and-repeat set up in the lobby suggested.
But there was something else going on here. TikTok didn’t need to spend $50,000 on a party just to lobby the Trump administration — that’s what lobbyists are for. Nor did the party need to be so … cool. The bottle girls with sparklers and signs, like something out of a Miami nightclub; the DJ spinning a set that multiple people described as “like a college party – in a good way!” And of course, the headline event: Waka Flocka Flame, live in person, throwing McDonald’s cheeseburgers to the crowd.
<div id="attachment_864411" style="width: 874px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-864411" class="size-large wp-image-864411" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338-864x576.jpg" alt="" width="864" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338-864x576.jpg 864w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338-300x200.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338-768x512.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338-1800x1200.jpg 1800w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338-1200x800.jpg 1200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-338.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 864px) 100vw, 864px" />(Shindelverse Photography)</div>
This isn’t the kind of party you throw because you have to. This is the kind of party you throw because you want to.
By now, I’m probably the 100th writer to comment on the vibe shift that followed Donald Trump back to the White House. Whether it’s Nelly performing at the Inauguration or Kim Kardashian praising Melania Trump’s swearing-in outfit, the most unlikely people are rushing to celebrate Trumpworld.
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Critics – the haters, to put it in TikTok parlance – say these celebrities are just acting out of fear. But we know that’s not true, because they didn’t do it last time. For the past eight years, hating Trump has been as en vogue in Hollywood as Ozempic and cropped sweatshirts. But things are different now. Famous people don’t just want to celebrate conservatives – they want people to know they’re doing it.
Oscar de la Renta didn’t just dress Usha Vance — the label bragged about it. Maybe Kim Kardashian felt like she had to praise Melania to seem polite. But her sister Khloe clearly had something else in mind when she shared a Daily Wire reporter’s tweet criticizing Los Angeles’ Democratic mayor. Clearly, something has shifted in the American consciousness.
Which brings us back to the TikTok party.
<div id="attachment_864433" style="width: 394px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-864433" class="size-large wp-image-864433" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-057-384x576.jpg" alt="" width="384" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-057-384x576.jpg 384w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-057-200x300.jpg 200w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-057-768x1152.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-057-1024x1536.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-057-1360x2040.jpg 1360w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2025/01/SHINDELVERSE-057.jpg 1365w" sizes="(max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px" />(Shindelverse Photography)</div>
Watching Taylor Lorenz and her bejeweled mask mingle with content creators and conservative journalists in the VIP lounge, I couldn’t help but think about Joe and Stewart Alsop, brothers whose columns were required reading in midcentury Washington. In 1952, Joe predicted that “Eisenhower’s Washington will, I think, be unbearably boring,” while Stewart dismissed Republicans as “dull fellows who work late and go to bed early.” Years later, Joe cheered the Kennedy administration for reviving DC’s social scene and influencing it with “glamour, which is not a quality usually associated with Washington.”
Since then, Republicans have always been the boring party. When Democrats are in the White House, the media rush to profile where the president dines, what neighborhoods are being made trendy by young staffers, and more. Republican administrations, meanwhile, bring weepy pieces about the death of the district’s cocktail bars or innovative restaurants.
That doesn’t seem to be happening this time. For the first time since the Alsops cheered the fun and freedom that would come with Camelot, the tastemakers and socialites want to hang out with Republicans.
If that’s not a vibe shift, I don’t know what is.

SHINDELVERSE-346

I Went To TikTok’s Inauguration Party. The Trump Vibe Shift Is Real.

TikTok

Washington D.C.

As Americans greeted their New Year’s Day hangovers with pledges to lay off the sauce, the Biden administration took a major step towards making every month Dry January.
Last week, Biden&#8217;s Surgeon General Vivek Murthy issued an <a href="https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2025/01/03/us-surgeon-general-issues-new-advisory-link-alcohol-cancer-risk.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">advisory</a> “outlining the direct link between alcohol consumption and increased cancer risk.” Murthy wants health warnings on all alcohol products that mention cancer risk, as well as “a reassessment of the guideline limits for alcohol consumption to account for cancer risk.”
It may sound like benign bureaucratic jargon. But it’s far worse than that.
As The Daily Wire <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/no-donald-trump-isnt-coming-for-your-tequila-but-kamala-might-be" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in October, a secret committee working deep behind the scenes of the Biden administration is working to revise federal dietary guidelines regarding alcohol. The Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Prevention of Underage Drinking (ICCPUD) is a six-person panel working within the Department of Health and Human Services. But instead of just trying to keep kids from drinking, this panel <a href="https://tomwark.substack.com/p/no-amount-alcohol-healthy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reportedly</a> wants the United States to adopt the World Health Organization’s <a href="https://www.who.int/europe/news/item/04-01-2023-no-level-of-alcohol-consumption-is-safe-for-our-health" target="_blank" rel="noopener">position</a> that “no level of alcohol consumption is safe for our health.”
Now, I love an “I told you so” moment as much as the next keyboard warrior. But this is no reason to gloat. The bureaucracy’s push to stop Americans from drinking is a dangerous development, and not just because it’s profoundly lame. It’s the latest sign of how leftists want to use the government to meddle in Americans’ daily lives. And it’s not even based on real science.
Murthy notes that “alcohol is a well-established, preventable cause of cancer responsible for about 100,000 cases of cancer and 20,000 cancer deaths annually in the United States.” He further notes that “for breast cancer specifically, 16.4% of total breast cancer cases are attributable to alcohol consumption.”
Much like Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/im-not-a-biologist-supreme-court-nominee-says-she-cant-define-the-word-woman" target="_blank" rel="noopener">I’m not a biologist.</a> So I have no reason to doubt these statistics. But whenever a government official starts calling for a total ban on anything for my own good, I get suspicious. Banning things that can be unhealthy when consumed in excess is the first step towards nanny statism and universal health care. It’s downright European.
Or, in this case, Canadian. As we previously reported, three of the ICCPUD’s six members are Canadians who helped slash the number of recommended drinks in their frozen homeland back in 2013. That recommendation didn’t even play well in Canada, a country that has basically thrown its hands up and accepted euthanasia and leaders like Justin Trudeau as inevitabilities.
The mere presence of Canadian health bureaucrats should be enough to disqualify whatever the ICCPUD recommends. But there’s also a <a href="https://www.nationalacademies.org/news/2024/12/new-report-reviews-evidence-on-moderate-alcohol-consumption-and-health-impacts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">new study</a> from the National Academies of Science, Engineering, and Math, which found that “compared with never consuming alcohol, moderate alcohol consumption is associated with lower all-cause mortality.”
That study is hardly biased towards alcohol. In fact, it includes the same cancer statistics that Murthy cites in his advisory. But it also looks at other areas, and finds that moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of both heart attack and stroke, compared to never drinking at all.
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There’s also a recent <a href="https://harvardpublichealth.org/policy-practice/is-alcohol-bad-for-you-or-is-alcohol-good-for-you-yes/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Harvard study</a> that found moderate drinking lowered blood sugar and was associated with lower rates of diabetes as well as lower rates of “thyroid cancer, non-Hodgkin lymphoma, and renal cell carcinoma.” Looking at the whole board, the authors conclude that “the data do not justify sweeping statements about the [negative] effects of moderate alcohol consumption on human health.”
Murthy probably won’t get his warning labels. Such a change would require congressional approval, and if the <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2025/01/03/surgeon-general-alcohol-cancer-congress-00196399" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bipartisan opposition</a> to the new drinking guidelines is any indication, it seems unlikely that Congress would vote to slap cancer warnings on liquor bottles.
But Murthy’s advisory is telling nonetheless. Biden is packing up the Oval Office, and his Surgeon General is trying to bring back Prohibition. That would be shocking, if his boss wasn’t spending this time trying to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/exclusive-biden-races-to-sell-off-border-wall-parts-before-trump-takes-office" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sell off pieces</a> of the border wall, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/disgraceful-decision-trump-press-secretary-blasts-bidens-move-to-block-more-offshore-drilling?topStoryPosition=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stop offshore drilling</a>, and smuggle in all sorts of policies that would hamstring the incoming Trump administration.
It’s a troubling reminder of how Democrats act when they have power, and of what their priorities will be the next time they take the White House. Fortunately, we won’t have to deal with that for at least the next four years.
I’ll drink to that.

Conference Of Mayors Held In Washington, DC

The Biden Surgeon General’s Alcohol Warning Is Just The Tip Of The Prohibition Iceberg

Alcohol

Cancer

Joe Biden

Surgeon General

Vivek Murthy

It’s January 6, and a storm is brewing in Washington, D.C.
By the end of the day, the nation’s capital could have more than 10 inches of snow, enough precipitation to bring this spiritually-southern city to its knees. Schools are already closed, there are at least two snowball fights planned for the National Mall, and bureaucrats are anxiously refreshing the government snow day page, hoping to work remotely.
But there’s at least one group of people settling in for a full work day. At 1:00 p.m., Vice President Kamala Harris will gavel in a special joint session of Congress. In her capacity as President of the Senate, she’ll oversee a vote to certify the results of the 2024 presidential election.
In an <a href="https://x.com/Bobby_LaVallley?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1875925375605436555%7Ctwgr%5E291dc49cd44d7b0bcf985f566e62c9ffffdd42a0%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&amp;ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.dailywire.com%2Fnews%2Fwith-snow-blast-imminent-speaker-johnson-says-we-cannot-delay-certification-of-trumps-victory">appearance</a> on Fox News yesterday, House Speaker Mike Johnson, fresh off his re-election, said he does not expect the blizzard to interfere with the vote.
“Well, I hope we have full attendance,” Johnson told Maria Bartiromo. “We’ve got a big snow storm coming to D.C. and we encourage all of our colleagues, ‘Do not leave town. Stay here.’ Because, as you know, the Electoral Count Act requires this on January 6 at 1 p.m. So, whether we’re in a blizzard or not we’re going to be in that chamber making sure this is done.”
Winter weather aside, this is all pretty standard stuff — and a far cry from the last vote to certify, the day that Americans will always remember when they think “January 6.”
A lot has happened since then. Trump, of course, handed power over to Joe Biden, whose disastrous presidency eventually gave way to Harris’s disastrous, insurgent presidential campaign. And after a landslide victory in November, Trump is now set to return to the White House in just two weeks.
He might kick off his term by pardoning the January 6 defendants.
Trump has said <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-attorney-behind-january-6-prosecutions-stepping-down-before-trumps-inauguration">repeatedly</a> that he is open to pardoning many of the 1,600 people charged for their involvement in the Capitol Riot, hundreds of whom have been jailed. And Trump has frequently spoken out against what he says is very unfair treatment of mostly peaceful protestors.
“These people have suffered,” Trump said in a December appearance on “Meet The Press.” “Their lives have been destroyed.”
The president-elect has indicated that he would not consider a blanket pardon, and that he would make “some exceptions” for those found to have done something really criminal. But it seems very likely that Trump will kick off his second term by pardoning many of the January 6 defendants.
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This was by no means a foregone conclusion. After January 6, many people predicted that Trump’s political career was over. Many wanted him to go to jail for his role in the protests. And Democrats and the legacy media called the protesters domestic terrorists engaged in a coup, an effort to upend American democracy.
But Trump came back. The election interference case against him <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fani-willis-disqualified-from-trump-election-case-what-does-that-mean-for-trump">failed</a>. In October, the New York Times <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/fewer-americans-believe-trump-threatened-democracy-after-2020-election-poll">found</a> that fewer and fewer people thought January 6 was a threat to democracy, while a growing number of people thought Trump was well within his rights to contest the 2020 election results.
In December, an <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ig-says-fbi-had-dozens-of-informants-in-d-c-on-jan-6-including-in-capitol">inspector general report</a> determined the FBI had 26 undercover informants on the ground on January 6, many of whom stormed the Capitol without authorization, but were not charged. A few weeks after the report was released, Matthew Graves, the DC attorney general who prosecuted the January 6 defendants, announced that he’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-attorney-behind-january-6-prosecutions-stepping-down-before-trumps-inauguration">stepping down</a> before Trump returns to the White House.
All of this — combined with Biden’s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-announces-mass-commutations-after-criticism-over-hunter-pardon">unpopular</a> decision to pardon his son, Hunter Biden, and commute the death sentences of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-commutes-sentences-of-dozens-of-murderers-two-days-before-christmas">brutal murderers</a> — has really softened the ground for whatever January 6 pardons Trump may consider.
A lot can happen in four years.

Republican Nominee Donald Trump Campaigns For President Across Pennsylvania

A Tale Of Two January 6ths

Congress

January 6

Kamala Harris

After 70 years, it’s time to start taking “White Christmas” seriously.
Few will deny that the 1954 musical is a classic Christmas movie, but no one would call it a “classic” in the same vein as “It’s A Wonderful Life.” Frank Capra’s meditations on morality lend themselves to serious thoughts; Bing Crosby crooning his way through Irving Berlin ballads and Danny Kaye pratfalling all over the Technicolor sets, not so much.
But beneath all the schmaltz and snowfall, &#8220;White Christmas&#8221; is a realistic depiction of a country and people struggling to return to normalcy after years of war and conflict. Its willingness to confront that transition — as well as the social and commercial adjustments it requires — make it not only a true classic, but the perfect Christmas movie for the present.
&#8220;White Christmas&#8221; is the story of Bob Wallace and Phil Davis, World War II veterans turned successful entertainers who find themselves spending Christmas at a struggling Vermont inn owned by their former commanding officer, General Tom Waverly. With ample song and dance, Wallace and Davis manage to save the inn, romance a pair of singing sisters, and put on a spectacular Christmas show that ends with the titular song, just as the first snow of the season begins to fall.
<div id="attachment_704253" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-704253" class="size-large wp-image-704253" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/White-Christmas-1024x576.jpg" alt="A poster the 1954 musical romantic comedy, 'White Christmas', directed by Michael Curtiz and starring (left to right) Bing Crosby, Rosemary Clooney, Danny Kaye and Vera-Ellen." width="1024" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/White-Christmas-1024x576.jpg 1024w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/White-Christmas-300x169.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/White-Christmas-768x432.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/White-Christmas-1536x864.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/03/White-Christmas.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px" />Photo by Movie Poster Image Art/Getty Images</div>
Yes, it’s fluffy. But beneath that fluff is a story of transitions. Career soldier Waverly can’t make peace with peacetime, and tries to trade his pipe and slippers for a new commission. Wallace has done a better job adjusting to postwar life, but only because he’s thrown himself into work, much to the chagrin of Davis, who urges his partner to settle down and start a family.
This is really what “White Christmas” is all about. Think of it this way: the film only has one song about Christmas, but two songs about how hard it is for soldiers to adjust to civilian life.
That fact alone is enough to make us consider that “White Christmas” is about more than seasonal merriment — especially considering the film’s director.
Michael Curtiz is best known for “Casablanca,” an epic tale of love and loyalty at the height of World War II. While the two films don’t seem to have a lot in common, “White Christmas” actually serves as a quasi-sequel to “Casablanca.” So, in order to understand what’s really going on with Wallace and Davis, we have to look back to Rick and Ilsa.
<div id="attachment_844887" style="width: 750px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-844887" class="size-large wp-image-844887" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1137157651-740x576.jpg" alt="" width="740" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1137157651-740x576.jpg 740w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1137157651-300x234.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1137157651-768x598.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1137157651-1536x1196.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1137157651-2048x1594.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 740px) 100vw, 740px" />(Photo by LMPC via Getty Images)</div>
Like “White Christmas,” “Casablanca” is set in the same year it was released. So, contemporary audiences would have seen each film as a commentary on their lives.
With “Casablanca,” that commentary was a call to arms. The film is famously stirring, so much so that the U.S. Office of War Information <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Round-Up-Usual-Suspects-Casablanca/dp/1562827618" target="_blank" rel="noopener">prevented</a> troops stationed in North Africa from seeing it out of fear it would incite violence against Vichy supporters in the area. And the Bureau of Motion Pictures <a href="https://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/active_learning/explorations/casablanca/bmp_report_casablanca.cfm" target="_blank" rel="noopener">determined</a> that “Casablanca” would help the Allies win the war by effectively showing “that personal desire must be subordinated to the task of defeating fascism.”
“Casablanca” isn’t just another war movie. It’s the ultimate war move, in that it drummed up support for the same war it depicted. Similarly, “White Christmas” is more than just a “feel-good” movie. It’s a peacetime movie, one that eased its audience back into normalcy by offering them a step-by-step guide to that end, and showing how happy their cinematic contemporaries were made by following that guide.
Early on in the film, Wallace begrudgingly admits his debt to Davis for convincing him to get into show business after leaving the army, snapping, “We did great, and I’m grateful!” Later on, the film reaches its emotional climax with Bing Crosby’s famous rendition of “Count Your Blessings (Instead Of Sheep).”
You’d be hard pressed to find a better metaphor for prosperity than an abundance of blessings so large, you can toss them off as you’re nodding off. But nowhere is this point better made than at the end of the film, when Wallace and Davis have reunited the members of the 151st Division to surprise General Waverly on Christmas.
Everyone’s happy. Most brought their families. Those whose careers we hear about are wildly successful. And at least one soldier has gotten so pleasantly plump that he can’t fit into his uniform, which gives the whole squad a good chuckle.
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This is the point of “White Christmas.” That it’s okay be okay, to be successful and happy, even — especially! — shortly after a period of national tumult. Captain Wallace’s patriotism is not minimized by the fact that he became a successful entertainer, nor is his professional success minimized by his ultimate decision to settle down. He earned both turns, as did everyone else we meet in the film.
<div id="attachment_844889" style="width: 717px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-844889" class="size-large wp-image-844889" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1262769670-707x576.jpg" alt="" width="707" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1262769670-707x576.jpg 707w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1262769670-300x245.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1262769670-768x626.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1262769670-1536x1252.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/12/GettyImages-1262769670.jpg 1800w" sizes="(max-width: 707px) 100vw, 707px" />(Photo by FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives via Getty Images)</div>
Once we understand the central message of “White Christmas” — that you can and should embrace the comfort and normalcy that follows strife — we can appreciate what a serious film it is. First and foremost, it’s Curtiz’s answer to “Casablanca,” a balm for the people whose wartime passions he had only recently inflamed.
It’s also an ideal Christmas movie in the truest sense. Though it’s surprisingly light on the holiday’s commercial trappings, “White Christmas” is about the promise of a new start for humanity. The soldiers become singers, the singers become fathers. The wolf shall live with the lamb, and all that.
This was an essential message for postwar America. But it’s equally important today. Now as then, our country stands on a precipice. We’ve been fighting for years — about politics, culture, education, and more. For a time it seemed like we would never again return to normal.
But now, the opportunity to get back to normal is here. Yes, our country may be divided, and there are certainly many important fights worth having. But with a monumental election behind us, we now have an opportunity to turn away from the fray and focus on the things that matter.
“White Christmas” reminds us what those things are, and urges us to pursue and celebrate them.
The summer brought two presidential assassination attempts and as many Democratic presidential candidates. Let’s let the winter bring comfort and joy, promise and rebirth, and so many blessings you just can’t help but sing about them.

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After 70 Years, It’s Time To Start Taking ‘White Christmas’ Seriously

After 70 Years, It’s Time To Start Taking 'White Christmas' Seriously

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The Biden administration staffer behind the pro-Kamala Harris propaganda account &#8220;Kamala&#8217;s Wins&#8221; likely violated federal law, according to an ethics complaint filed by a watchdog group that centers around an October Daily Wire investigation. 
The Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) on Wednesday filed a <a href="https://65db7681-e755-4cff-abe7-1d9e373df4db.usrfiles.com/ugd/65db76_9e7ea79e729a40b1ab4bc87b0618a9b5.pdf">complaint</a> against Ethan Wolf, a “communications specialist” in the U.S. Department of Commerce’s International Trade Administration. FACT alleges that Wolf “violated the Hatch Act by running the political X account ‘Kamala’s Wins’ while on duty as a federal government employee.”
The Hatch Act <a href="https://osc.gov/Services/Pages/HatchAct-Federal.aspx">bars</a> federal employees from engaging in political activity while on duty or in a federal building. 
The complaint, which cites The Daily Wire’s October <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamalas-wins-viral-source-of-pro-kamala-misinformation-was-launched-by-biden-admin-employee">exposé</a> of Wolf and “Kamala’s Wins,” calls on “the Office of Special Counsel to act immediately” and look into Wolf’s apparent violations.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kamalas-wins-viral-source-of-pro-kamala-misinformation-was-launched-by-biden-admin-employee">READ MORE: Viral Account Pushing Pro-Kamala Misinformation Was Launched By Biden Admin Employee</a>
“This is a straightforward case,” FACT Executive Director Kendra Arnold wrote in the complaint, adding that “given the prominence of Wolf’s political account, his political activity could easily be seen as coercive and hostile to other employees.”
Wolf first launched his viral account as “Biden’s Wins” in January 2022. At the time, Wolf — a recent college graduate — was working as deputy political director for Illinois Democrat Brad Schneider’s reelection campaign. 
“Biden’s Wins” quickly became “a favorite of White House staffers” such as Ron Klain, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/newsletters/west-wing-playbook/2022/07/18/always-tweet-00046393">reported</a> in July 2022.
In September 2022, Wolf was <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ethan.wolf.167/posts/pfbid02kKvrEF2uQYdp2fnVCLqPBuraESLJ8SNLWHmk6ACdKBwHvoPTQa4dUrBGzuJKSFo2l">invited</a> to the White House “for a private briefing” with Biden, Harris, and Klain. A month later, he returned to the <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6989521571837083649-xL7I/">White House</a> for another meeting, where he posed for photos with top White House officials and <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/posts/activity-6989521571837083649-xL7I/">Doug Emhoff</a>.
Around a year after launching “Biden’s Wins,” Wolf landed his  <a href="https://s.bookplum.org/live/hb2T9anuppRlDZ/1QDPUTHbp5uf4t/Ethan-Wolf-oge-278e.pdf">$94,000 a year</a> job in the Commerce Department. In July 2024, after Biden withdrew from the presidential ticket, the account was rebranded as “Kamala’s Wins.”
The account, which has since been <a href="https://x.com/DemocraticWins">rebranded again</a> as “Democratic Wins Media,” has nearly 738,000 followers as of this writing. The account has been a frequent source of misinformation, <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/07/30/politics/fact-check-nfl-quarterbacks-kamala-harris-fundraising-call/index.html">falsely claiming </a>that a number of NFL quarterbacks were part of a “White Dudes for Harris” fundraising call. It has also parroted false claims about former President Donald Trump’s involvement with Project 2025 and his <a href="https://x.com/harris_wins/status/1834652339472417177">2017 remarks</a> in Charlottesville, Virginia.
The account also misconstrued facts about Biden and Harris’s record, claiming their administration’s policies caused inflation and grocery prices to <a href="https://x.com/harris_wins/status/1833523201923813719">plummet</a>, and led to a reduction in <a href="https://x.com/harris_wins/status/1840936148270563413">violent crime.</a>
Wolf also <a href="https://x.com/ethanmwolf/status/1829551588782096473">repeatedly</a> <a href="https://x.com/ethanmwolf/status/1833961958451937759">shared</a> political content from his personal X account during work hours, The Daily Wire reported. Wolf <a href="https://x.com/ethanmwolf/status/1755760573625581946">insisted</a> in February 2024 that Biden was mentally competent, just five months before a series of embarrassing mental gaffes forced Biden to suspend his presidential campaign.
The ethics complaint was first <a href="https://freebeacon.com/biden-harris-administration/biden-harris-official-violated-federal-law-by-operating-viral-pro-kamala-misinformation-account-on-govt-time-watchdog-complaint-alleges/">reported</a> by the Free Beacon.

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Biden Staffer Violated Federal Law With Pro-Kamala X Account, Watchdog Claims

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