CNN announced Thursday that it will host two GOP presidential debates in January, with one being held at St. Anselm College in New Hampshire, but officials at St. Anselm and the New Hampshire Republican Party had no idea about CNN’s plans. 
Hours after the close of the fourth Republican debate in Alabama, the network <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/07/politics/cnn-gop-presidential-primary-debates-2024/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> it will host debates in Iowa and New Hampshire days before the states’ caucuses and primary. Neil Levesque — the executive director of the New Hampshire Institute of Politics and Political Library at Saint Anselm — said the university was “surprised” by CNN’s announcement, seeing how nothing had been planned between the university, the Republican Party, and the legacy media outlet. 
“We were surprised to be included on a press release by a network about a debate which we had not planned or booked,” Levesque <a href="https://twitter.com/NeilLevesque/status/1733120161010307322" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in a post on X. “Such a debate announcement breached the RNC debate rules. We have and will continue to work with the Republican Party on debates.”
Chris Ager, chairman of New Hampshire’s Republican Party, was also flabbergasted. 
“The CNN thing came out and everybody’s like, ‘What the heck?’” Ager <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/12/08/business/media/cnn-debate-new-hampshire.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> The New York Times. “I’m still scratching my head. And I still haven’t been contacted by CNN at all.”
“For a big, professional organization like that, putting out a location on this date and the location doesn’t know — something’s not quite right,” he added.
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CNN couldn’t speak to the apparent miscommunication, according to a spokesperson, who said the network is “moving forward with our plans to host a debate in New Hampshire on Jan. 21,” which is just two days before the New Hampshire primary. 
Both the Republican Party and St. Anselm College have already approved a GOP debate for January 18 hosted by ABC News. Ager said the state GOP had been working with ABC “for months” on the debate and even did a “run-through” of the facility that will be used for the event at St. Anselm. 
CNN is also planning to host a Republican debate in Iowa on January 10, five days before the Iowa caucuses, but that debate has also not yet been sanctioned by the Republican Party. Current RNC rules dictate that candidates who attend an unsanctioned debate will be barred from attending future Republican gatherings, but the party’s debate committee was expected to meet Friday to discuss waiving that rule, allowing candidates more freedom to attend any debate, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/12/07/cnn-debates-iowa-nh-00130650" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
Republican debate viewership has consistently declined since the first debate on August 23, which attracted over 12 million people. Former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, has skipped each of the first four GOP debates, leaving the stage to those who are trying to catch him as he leads by nearly 50 points in the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Real Clear Politics</a> average of national polling.

‘Still Scratching My Head’: CNN Announces GOP Debate At St. Anselm College Without Clearing It With School Or Party, Officials Say

2024 Primaries

Debates

New Hampshire

Politics

Republican Primary

Ratings for the fourth Republican presidential debate held on Wednesday dropped to the lowest numbers so far this primary season with a 47% decrease in viewership from the previous debate. 
With the party’s frontrunner, former President Donald Trump, skipping each of the GOP debates, viewership has consistently fallen since the first Republican faceoff held on August 23 on Fox News, which attracted 12.8 million viewers. The second debate, held a month later on Fox Business, drew 9.5 million viewers, and the third debate on NBC was watched by 7.5 million people. The downward trend continued Wednesday night as 4.1 million people tuned into the most recent Republican debate on NewsNation, Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2023/12/07/41m-people-watch-fourth-republican-presidential-debate">reported</a>. 
While the debate marked the lowest ratings for this Republican primary cycle, it set a record for NewsNation, an outlet that debuted in 2021. NewsNation attracted 1.6 million people to its coverage of the debate, the largest audience in the network’s young history, <a href="https://www.nexstar.tv/newsnation-and-the-cw-network-deliver-more-than-4-million-viewers-for-gop-presidential-primary-debate/">according</a> to Nexstar Media Group, which owns NewsNation. Another 2.5 million people watched the debate on the CW’s simulcast, another subsidiary of Nexstar Media Group. 
“NewsNation was incredibly honored to host last night’s debate, and we are very pleased that so many viewers tuned-in and watched,” said Sean Compton, the president of Networks for Nexstar Media. “This debate represents a remarkable achievement for a cable news network that is just barely three years old. We’re very proud of the NewsNation team, the great job done by the moderators, and the overall production. In the end, the real winners last night were the nation’s voters.”
The NewsNation debate featured a narrowing field of Republican candidates, with only four candidates qualifying for the stage. Former Fox News host Megyn Kelly, Washington Free Beacon Editor-in-Chief Eliana Johnson, and NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas moderated the debate, which showcased Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie. 
Wednesday’s debate ratings came up just shy of the debate last week between DeSantis and Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) that was moderated by Fox News host Sean Hannity, which garnered nearly <a href="https://deadline.com/2023/12/desantis-newsom-debate-ratings-fox-news-1235648926/">five million</a> viewers. The NewsNation debate did, however, beat out Hannity’s town hall with Trump that aired on Tuesday and attracted <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/media/fox-news-channels-hannity-trump-town-hall-scores-3-2-million-viewers">3.2 million</a> viewers. 
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Hours after the fourth GOP debate in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, had finished, CNN <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/07/politics/cnn-gop-presidential-primary-debates-2024/index.html?Date=20231207&amp;Profile=CNN&amp;utm_content=1701967085&amp;utm_medium=social&amp;utm_source=twitter">announced</a> that it will host two more debates in January, one in Iowa on January 10 — five days before the Iowa caucuses, and another in New Hampshire on January 21, just two days before the New Hampshire primary.

Fourth Republican Presidential Debate Held In Tuscaloosa, Alabama

Republican Debate Ratings Continue To Drop As 4th GOP Faceoff Posts Lowest Viewership Of 2024 Primary

Debate

NewsNation

Ratings

The owner of a construction and electrical company blasted the Democrats he said he voted for after a group of at least 10 thieves broke into his business early Wednesday morning. 
During an interview on Fox 11 Los Angeles, Ryan Baggaley — the owner of Delta Construction and Electric Co. — called out L.A. Mayor Karen Bass, California Governor Gavin Newsom, and President Joe Biden for failing to protect business owners like himself from an increasing amount of break-ins. 
“This whole strip has been broken into, our neighbors have been broken into four times, these guys just got broken into two months ago,” Baggaley said, pointing across the street. “What are we supposed to do? We’re a small construction company.” 
Following the burglary, the L.A. business owner slammed the Democrats he voted for as his neighborhood is victimized by more robberies. 
“I voted for Karen Bass. I voted for Biden. I voted for Gavin Newsom. I’m sick of it,” Baggaley said. “At some point you have to give me a reason to vote for you again.”
“We just do our jobs, make a living, help our employees make a good living, and move on, but it’s really freaking difficult to survive,” Baggaley added. 
WATCH: 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Another brazen break-in caught on camera. Another L.A. business owner fed up:
“I voted for Karen Bass. I voted for Biden. I voted for Gavin Newsom. I’m sick of it. At some point you have to give me a reason to vote for you again.”<a href="https://twitter.com/FOXLA?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FOXLA</a> <a href="https://t.co/EKGtDE5rb6">pic.twitter.com/EKGtDE5rb6</a>
&mdash; MarlaTellez (@MarlaTellez) <a href="https://twitter.com/MarlaTellez/status/1732674896172630213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 7, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Surveillance footage from cameras used by Baggaley’s business captured between 10 and 15 thieves smashing through his gate with a car before breaking into the Delta Construction and Electric Co. building and taking anything they could get their hands on. Baggaley told Fox 11 that the Kia Soul used by the thieves to break through his company’s gate was stolen from an LAPD impound yard and police recognized it from a chalk mark on the vehicle’s window.
Among the items stolen by the thieves were music equipment Baggaley and his brother, who used to be a part of a band, stored in the building. Baggaley estimated that the burglars stole and damaged thousands of dollars worth of equipment and tools. 
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The business owner said that he was notified of the break-in by his Ring system and he rushed to his business, telling his wife to call the police. But officers didn’t respond to the burglary for two hours, according to Baggaley.
“They’re saying, ‘We don’t have anyone in the area,’” he <a href="https://ktla.com/news/la-co-business-owner-frustrated-at-repeated-break-ins/">told</a> KTLA 5. “We’re like, ‘Now it’s been 15 minutes, then it’s 20 minutes and they’re still not here.&#8217; It just kept going and they didn’t respond for two hours.”
In August, Los Angeles launched a task force committed to combatting retail theft and robberies carried out by large groups of thieves. At the time, Bass said the recent spree of organized theft in L.A. was “unacceptable.” 
“These are not victimless crimes,” said Bass, adding, that the task force will “aggressively investigate” these incidents and hold the perpetrators “fully accountable.”

Gavin Newsom/Karen Bass

L.A. Business Owner Victimized By Gang Of Thieves Goes Off On Dems He Voted For: ‘I’m Sick Of It’

L.A. Business Owner Victimized By Gang Of Thieves Goes Off On Dems He Voted For: 'I’m Sick Of It'

California

Crime

Gavin Newsom

Joe Biden

Karen Bass

Los Angeles

Robbery

U.S.

Michigan state government agencies must move to 100% “zero-emission” vehicles (ZEVs) by 2040, per an executive order signed by Democratic Governor <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/gretchen-whitmer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Gretchen Whitmer</a> on Tuesday.
Whitmer’s order requires state agencies to shift the state government’s fleet of around <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/dtmb/Law-and-Policies/Legislative-Reports/FY2021/2021_Fleet_Plan.pdf?rev=f9a5c6589b5e492f8f92af8ea6eb3150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">9,000 vehicles</a> to electric beginning with light-duty cars by 2033 and moving on to medium- and heavy-duty vehicles by 2040. The governor’s directive came just a week after she <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/gretchen-whitmer-signs-one-of-the-nations-most-extreme-green-energy-mandates" target="_blank" rel="noopener">signed</a> one of the most extreme green energy bills in the nation, requiring utility providers to transition to completely carbon-free energy generation by the end of the next decade.
“Michigan is on the cutting-edge of mobility and electrification,” Whitmer’s executive directive <a href="https://content.govdelivery.com/attachments/MIEOG/2023/12/05/file_attachments/2706506/ED%202023-5%20%28signed%29.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stated</a>. “Our world-leading auto industry is making the switch to electric, and we continue to attract battery, semiconductor, and clean energy investments from other states and nations. We must usher the future of mobility and clean energy into Michigan by winning projects and leading by example in state government.”
“Getting this done will help drive demand of Michigan-made electric vehicles, lower gas and maintenance costs for the state since ZEVs cost far less to fuel and maintain and reduce air and noise pollution in our communities,” Whitmer added in a <a href="https://michiganadvance.com/blog/whitmer-signs-directive-transitioning-the-states-fleet-to-zero-emission-vehicles-by-2040/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
The executive order was short on details about the cost of transitioning the entire state government’s fleet of vehicles to electric. A 2021 <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/-/media/Project/Websites/dtmb/Law-and-Policies/Legislative-Reports/FY2021/2021_Fleet_Plan.pdf?rev=f9a5c6589b5e492f8f92af8ea6eb3150" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from the Michigan Department of Technology, Management, and Budget stated that the Michigan government has 8,788 on-road vehicles, which include dozens of buses and semi-trucks. Among the state agencies included in Whitmer’s directive is the Michigan State Police, which uses hundreds of coupes and sedans and over 1,000 SUVs for law enforcement.
State agencies can request exemptions from the directive for certain vehicles, but must “offer alternative emission reduction options including hybrids,” according to Whitmer’s press release.
Michigan House Republican Leader Matt Hall slammed Whitmer&#8217;s EV directive, telling The Daily Wire that the Democrats&#8217; EV and green energy push is hurting the automotive industry and hard-working Michiganders.
“Joe Biden and Gretchen Whitmer’s green energy schemes are accelerating the decline of Michigan’s automotive manufacturing industry, and the governor’s decision to replace all of Michigan’s state fleet with electric vehicles is just the latest step on this destructive path,&#8221; Hall said. &#8220;Michigan families have determined that EVs are too expensive and unreliable for them, which is why these vehicles are just sitting on car lots around the state.&#8221;
Whitmer said the switch to EVs will help Michigan car manufacturers that are rapidly moving to EV production as the Biden administration pushes American car companies and consumers to get on board with its <a href="https://www.whitehouse.gov/briefing-room/statements-releases/2023/04/17/fact-sheet-biden-harris-administration-announces-new-private-and-public-sector-investments-for-affordable-electric-vehicles/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">plan</a> to have “50 percent of all new vehicle sales be electric by 2030.” Of the nearly 9,000 vehicles operated by Michigan state government agencies, only three are electric, according to Whitmer’s communications director Bobby Leddy, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2023/12/05/gov-whitmer-directs-state-govt-vehicle-fleet-to-go-electric/71813588007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
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The governor’s executive directive is on par with her push for Michigan car manufacturers to embrace EVs as the future of transportation. In February, Whitmer <a href="https://www.michigan.gov/whitmer/news/press-releases/michigan-won-2500-jobs-3-billion-investment-from-ford-facility-in-marshall" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> plans for an EV battery plant in Marshall, Michigan, saying it is “expected to create 2,500 good-paying jobs” while helping “support Ford’s goal of producing two million electric vehicles annually by 2026.”
That plan, however, came to a screeching halt in September when Ford <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/business/autos/ford/2023/09/25/ford-motor-company-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-marshall-pausing/70963467007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">paused</a> the construction of the Marshall battery plant. Now, Ford says it&#8217;s <a href="https://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2023/11/21/ford-marshall-electric-vehicle-battery-plant-reduce-plans-jobs/71664207007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scaling back</a> its commitment to the Marshall plant, cutting 800 jobs and over $1 billion.
Ford, one of Michigan’s “big three” car manufacturers, recently <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-gets-9-2-billion-loan-from-biden-admin-for-ev-battery-factories-biggest-check-since-2009-bailouts" target="_blank" rel="noopener">received</a> a $9.2 billion loan from the Biden administration intended to help construct three electric vehicle battery plants — none of which are in Michigan — after the motor company projected the EV push would cost it $3 billion in 2023. That projection was <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ford-loses-billions-on-electric-cars-embraces-hybrids" target="_blank" rel="noopener">bumped up</a> to $4.5 billion in losses over EVs a few months later, meaning Ford lost around $32,000 for every EV it sold during the second quarter of 2023.
“Democrats’ artificially accelerated shift to EVs will eliminate Michigan jobs at existing factories,&#8221; Hall told The Daily Wire. &#8220;And their mandates for unreliable green energy will lead to higher electricity prices on manufacturers — imposing additional costs on Michigan’s automotive industry that will kill more Michigan jobs and move more manufacturing overseas.”

Gretchen Whitmer

Whitmer Orders All State Government Vehicles To Be 100% Electric Days After Signing Extreme Green Energy Bill

Biden Administration

electric vehicles

Energy

Ford Motor Co.

Michigan

Sen. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) said his 42-year-old son was involved in a police chase on Wednesday that came to a tragic end, resulting in the death of a sheriff’s deputy.
A Mercer County, North Dakota, Sheriff’s deputy was killed as police engaged in a pursuit of Ian Cramer after the senator’s son reportedly took off with his mother’s car. Ian — who “suffers from severe mental disorders which manifest in severe paranoia and hallucinations,” according to the senator — was taken to the emergency room by Cramer’s wife, Kris, after he told her he wanted to go see his brother who died five years ago. When Kris got out of the car at the hospital, Ian jumped into the driver’s seat and sped off, the senator said in a statement, KFYR <a href="https://www.kfyrtv.com/2023/12/07/mercer-county-sheriffs-deputy-dies-during-pursuit/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. 
“Our daughter was able to track the car through Kris’ cell phone and lead officers to him in Mercer County, ND,” Cramer said in a statement. “We don’t have more details right now but will work with authorities to properly inform the public.” 
The Mercer County Sheriff’s Department initially located Ian and the stolen SUV in Hazen, North Dakota, where officers approached him, but the 42-year-old fled, according to authorities. As police pursued him, a Mercer County Sheriff’s deputy stood alongside the road next to a parked patrol car, preparing to deploy a spike strip to deflate the tires of the vehicle Ian was driving. The SUV, however, veered off the road and rammed into the parked patrol car head-on. The crash pushed the patrol car back into the deputy standing on the side of the road, killing him, KFYR reported.  
Ian was rushed to the hospital following the crash before being taken to the Mercer County Jail. No charges have been filed yet as the North Dakota Highway Patrol investigates the incident. Sen. Cramer said he and his family are grieving for their son and the deputy’s family and asked the public for their prayers. 
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“I will take the first flight I can to be with our family as we grieve what has happened,” Cramer added. “We grieve especially for the family of the hero who tried to help Ian, and we pray for our gracious God to show up as He always does in tragedy. We ask the public for prayers for the lost officer’s family and colleagues who serve us every day and are grateful for all they do for us. We also ask God for healing for Ian. We love him and hurt deeply.”

Kevin Cramer

GOP Senator’s Son Involved In Police Chase Resulting In Death Of Sheriff’s Deputy

Car Crash

Congress

North Dakota

Police

U.S. Senate

The shooter who <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/several-people-shot-at-unlv-suspect-is-deceased" target="_blank" rel="noopener">murdered three people</a> and injured a fourth person at the University of Nevada Las Vegas on Wednesday was identified as a professor who recently applied for a job at the school, according to police sources. 
Around 11:45 a.m., the shooter made his way to the fourth floor of Beam Hall, UNLV’s business school, where he opened fire. The gunman then went to “multiple floors” before he was taken down by officers when he was outside the building, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/unlv-shooting-las-vegas-live-updates-rcna128402" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Las Vegas Police Sheriff Kevin McMahill.
The gunman, a 67-year-old man who had previously worked as an associate professor for 15 years at East Carolina University, had applied for a job at UNLV but didn’t get it, police sources said, according to <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/unlv-suspected-shooter-identified-sources/story?id=105448262" target="_blank" rel="noopener">ABC News</a>. Authorities said the shooter — who will not be named by The Daily Wire per company policy — was killed in a shootout with two police detectives who responded to the shooting. 
“If it hadn’t been for the heroic actions of one of those police officers who responded, there could have been countless additional lives taken,” McMahill <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/live-blog/unlv-shooting-las-vegas-live-updates-rcna128402" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a>, adding that “armed confrontation of the suspect by law enforcement stopped the suspect’s further actions.” 
The three people killed were faculty and staff, according to investigators, which suggests to them that the shooting could have likely been a targeted attack. The 67-year-old shooter armed himself with a handgun and fired at police after killing the three victims and wounding a fourth. The injured victim was initially listed as being in critical condition but is now stable, police said.
According to the gunman’s LinkedIn account, he was a “semi-retired university professor” who graduated from Radford University in Virginia with a double major in mathematics and statistics, The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/12/07/news/unlv-mass-shooting-suspect-idd-as-anthony-polito-professor-who-failed-to-get-job-at-school/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. He then went on to get a masters degree at Duke University and a doctorate of Philosophy from the University of Georgia.
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Authorities have already searched the shooter’s home in Henderson, Nevada, which is around 15 miles southeast of Las Vegas. Detectives found the gunman’s phone and some of his writings which they are investigating for more clues shedding light on the motive for the attack.

UNLV Shooting

UNLV Shooter Who Killed 3 Identified As Professor Who Applied For A Job At The University: Police Sources

College

Las Vegas

Professors

Shooting

Daily Wire Editor Emeritus Ben Shapiro opened his show Wednesday morning by announcing a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/daily-wire-and-the-federalist-sue-biden-state-department-over-censorship-effort">lawsuit</a> filed by his company along with The Federalist and the state of Texas against the U.S. State Department over its <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7YKAqey0e8">censorship</a> effort. 
The Daily Wire, conservative news outlet The Federalist, and the state of Texas <a href="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/12/DailyWire-v-State-final.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">filed a lawsuit</a> Tuesday night against Biden’s State Department alleging that the government agency funded censorship technology designed to bankrupt conservative media outlets. The lawsuit says the case is “one of the most audacious, manipulative, secretive, and gravest abuses of power and infringements of First Amendment rights by the federal government in American history.”
“The U.S. State Department is funding the development, testing, and marketing of censorship technology used to suppress First Amendment-protected activity by American media outlets like The Daily Wire,” Shapiro said on his show. “The State Department uses its Global Engagement Center (GEC) to finance the development and promotion of censorship technology and enterprises, including organizations like NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT: Just like we sued the Biden administration over the pathetic and ridiculous OSHA vax mandate, we have now joined with <a href="https://twitter.com/FDRLST?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@FDRLST</a> to sue the U.S. State Department to stop their censorship regime from targeting the Daily Wire and other conservative media outlets. <a href="https://t.co/5egyaxkisE">pic.twitter.com/5egyaxkisE</a>
&mdash; Ben Shapiro (@benshapiro) <a href="https://twitter.com/benshapiro/status/1732464535959707774?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
Founded in 2011 as the Center for Strategic Counterterrorism Communications, the GEC focused on countering foreign terrorist propaganda from groups such as Al Qaeda. It was renamed to the GEC in 2016 but continued to defend against terrorist propaganda. Congress even made clear that “none of the funds authorized” for the entity “shall be used for purposes other than countering foreign propaganda.”
Nonetheless, GEC turned its focus on Americans, the complaint alleges, using taxpayer funds to finance the development and promotion of censorship organizations such as NewsGuard and the Global Disinformation Index (GDI), which regularly target conservative media outlets such as The Daily Wire and The Federalist with the stated goal of limiting ad revenue.
“Their goal is to paint us as unreliable and therefore to push advertisers away from advertising on programs like this one, websites like The Daily Wire, websites like the Federalist,” Shapiro added. “That is being pushed by the State Department. That is an ongoing problem.” 
Shapiro said the censorship effort from the State Department is just one aspect of how the federal government is interfering with free speech rights. This same type of censorship has also infected the FBI and other government organizations that have been “coordinating with social media in order to shut off particular stories,” according to Shapiro. 
“We are suing, not for money,” the Daily Wire co-founder continued. “We are suing the State Department for an injunction so they will stop their censorship regime.” 
In 2021, The Daily Wire sued the Biden administration over the OSHA vaccine mandate resulting in a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/read-it-supreme-courts-massive-blow-against-bidens-vaxx-mandate">major win</a> for the company when in January of 2022, the Supreme Court blocked the Biden administration’s vaccine mandate for employers with at least 100 employees.
Luke Rosiak contributed to this report.

Ben Shapiro

‘Stop Their Censorship Regime’: Ben Shapiro Highlights Daily Wire Lawsuit Against Biden State Department

Censorship

Former President Donald Trump is still dominating Republican primary polls and leading a hypothetical rematch with President Joe Biden as Biden now trails behind three GOP candidates, according to the latest <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/general-election-trump-vs-biden-7383.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polling average</a> from Real Clear Politics. 
Trump’s lead in the Republican primary stands at 48 points as of Wednesday morning. He holds 61% of the party’s support, according to the Real Clear Politics <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/2024_republican_presidential_nomination-7548.html">average</a> of national polling. The former president also continues to post polling leads against Biden, who has dipped recently and is facing some of the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/biden_favorableunfavorable-6677.html">lowest approval ratings</a> of his presidency. Trump currently leads Biden 46.7% to 44.7%.
Biden’s polling slump is reflected in his numbers against Republican candidates Nikki Haley and Ron DeSantis as both lead the president in a hypothetical 2024 matchup. Haley — the former South Carolina governor and U.S. ambassador to the U.N. under Trump — is leading Biden by nearly five points, according to the <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/general_election_haley_vs_biden-8127.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RCP average</a>. The latest poll from The Messenger/HarrisX showed Haley leading by an impressive 10 points, while a Fox News poll from a month ago had similar results, with Haley ahead of Biden by 11 points. 
DeSantis has also <a href="https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/2024/president/us/general_election_desantis_vs_biden-7967.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> some of his best polling numbers against Biden in the past month. The Messenger/HarrisX showed the Florida governor leading in a hypothetical general election against Biden by two points, while last month’s Fox News poll showed him ahead by five points. It remains unclear if DeSantis’ polling numbers were affected by his debate with California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom last week. 
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Latest RCP Averages of 2024 General Election Matchups:
Biden v. Trump: Trump +2.0%
Biden v. DeSantis: DeSantis +1.0%
Biden v. Haley: Haley +4.8%<a href="https://t.co/GuSEE7uAdv">https://t.co/GuSEE7uAdv</a><a href="https://t.co/7qOYGjEv13">https://t.co/7qOYGjEv13</a><a href="https://t.co/sYwXBO50Ln">https://t.co/sYwXBO50Ln</a>
&mdash; Tom Bevan (@TomBevanRCP) <a href="https://twitter.com/TomBevanRCP/status/1732027529580417370?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 5, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
The trailing Republican candidates will gather for another debate Wednesday night in Tuscaloosa, Alabama. Haley and DeSantis will take center stage being flanked by tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie.
Trump will once again forego the debate, meaning the leading Republican candidate will have skipped each of the first four primary debates. Since the first GOP debate on August 23, Trump’s national polling lead in the primary has grown by seven points, while his lead in Iowa has improved by around two points, per the RCP average. 
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The former president’s polling dominance also comes as he faces multiple legal battles. In the past year, Trump has been indicted four times and charged with state and federal crimes related to alleged hush money payments to porn actress Stormy Daniels, his handling of classified documents after leaving office, and his challenging the 2020 election results.

Joe Biden/Donald Trump

Latest Presidential Polls: Trump Continues Dominance As Biden Struggles Against Republican Candidates

2024 Election

Donald Trump

Elections

Nikki Haley

Polls

Ron DeSantis

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-NY) was reportedly incensed during a classified Senate intelligence briefing on Ukraine Tuesday after multiple Republican senators brought up security at the U.S. southern border. 
The briefing included top Biden administration and military officials such as Secretary of State Antony Blinken, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin, and Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Charles Q. Brown Jr., The Hill <a href="https://thehill.com/homenews/senate/4344137-senate-classified-briefing-ukraine-border/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Sens. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and Tom Cotton (R-AR) reportedly grilled the senior officials in the room, asking them pointed questions about the importance of securing the southern border.
“I asked Gen. Brown [for] his best military advice. Is supporting Ukraine and Israel important enough that Democrats could at least consider reluctantly supporting some southern border security? He wanted to talk about Ukraine,” Cramer said.
The question made Schumer go &#8220;nuts,&#8221; according to Cramer. The Senate majority leader later said the Republican senators were acting disrespectfully toward the military officials.
“One of them started — was disrespectful — and started screaming at one of the generals and challenging him why he didn’t go to the border,” Schumer said, according to The Hill. 
Schumer then accused Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) of attempting to “hijack” the intelligence briefing to address Republicans’ concerns about the border crisis. 
“It was immediately hijacked by Leader McConnell. The first question — instead of asking our panelists — he called on Lankford to give a five-minute talk about the negotiations on the border, and that wasn’t the purpose of the meeting at all,” said Schumer. “And then when I brought up the idea that they could do an amendment and have the ability to get something done on [the] border, [Republican colleagues] got stuck.” 
Sen. Angus King (I-ME), who caucuses with the Democrats, reportedly agreed that those in the meeting should address the ongoing border crisis and defended Republicans who sought answers on the issue. 
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“Sen. King said, ‘Hey, this may not have been the time that I want to discuss this, but it’s an important topic. The president put it on the agenda with the supplemental having border funding. This is the only time we’re all together, so it’s totally legitimate for us to have that discussion,’” according to a Republican senator who was familiar with the talks.
Republicans on Capitol Hill are looking to push the Biden administration to do more to address the border crisis as President Joe Biden urges Congress to approve more funding for Ukraine. After the White House sent a letter to Congress requesting more funds for the European country, House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) responded by <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/speaker-johnson-blasts-biden-admin-in-dust-up-over-ukraine-aid" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasting</a> the Biden administration for “failing to substantively address” Republicans’ concerns about a resolution in Ukraine while “continually ignoring the catastrophe at our own border.”
“House Republicans have resolved that any national security supplemental package must begin with our own border,” Johnson said. “We believe both issues can be agreed upon if Senate Democrats and the White House will negotiate reasonably.”

Chuck Schumer

Schumer Goes ‘Nuts’ During Classified Briefing On Ukraine After His GOP Colleagues Bring Up Border Security: Report

Schumer Goes 'Nuts' During Classified Briefing On Ukraine After His GOP Colleagues Bring Up Border Security: Report

Border Crisis

Southern Border

Ukraine

Two members of Detroit’s Reparations Task Force — including one of the co-chairs — stepped down last weekend, citing their growing frustration over the “lack of progress” and a missing “broad strategic vision” less than a year after the group was formed. 
Co-chair Lauren Hood said she and task force member Maurice Weeks had been thinking about stepping down for months as the group lobbied Detroit’s City Council for help, The Detroit News <a href="https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/detroit-city/2023/12/04/2-members-resign-from-detroits-reparations-task-force/71799468007/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Both Hood and Weeks resigned during the task force’s meeting on Saturday, which was the group’s first public meeting since August. 
&#8220;I think, collectively, that group of people has different ideas about what reparations is fundamentally and we didn&#8217;t get to a place where we had a broad strategic vision,&#8221; Hood said. &#8220;I&#8217;m happy that we&#8217;re now getting things done. We&#8217;ve got some partners who can help us organize existing information that will help make decisions, but we also still desperately need a strategy for how we engage the public around this work.&#8221;
The Reparations Task Force was launched in April of last year and is <a href="https://detroitmi.gov/government/city-council/city-council-president-district-5/reparations-task-force" target="_blank" rel="noopener">assigned</a> with formulating housing and economic development recommendations that address “historical discrimination” against Detroit’s black community, according to the city. Hood said that she was frustrated with the lack of meetings and opportunities for the public to hear about the task force’s work. 
&#8220;We haven&#8217;t had a public meeting in a few months so the impetus was there just because we had a public opportunity to let folks know what was happening,&#8221; Hood said. &#8220;We had some concerns at the last meeting that we had and nothing really changed. So it&#8217;s just like, how long do you stay the course when you don&#8217;t see anything changing?&#8221;
<a href="https://www.boston.gov/news/members-reparations-task-force-announced" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cities</a> <a href="https://phlcouncil.com/reparations-application-announcement/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">across</a> the country, and even the state of California, put together task forces in a renewed push for reparations which came in the aftermath of George Floyd’s death and the ensuing demonstrations and riots in 2020. California lawmakers are expected to look into recommendations from the state’s Reparations Task Force after it <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/california-reparations-task-force-approves-plan-giving-up-to-1-2-million-to-each-black-resident" target="_blank" rel="noopener">approved a plan</a> that <a href="https://www.politico.com/news/2023/08/17/black-reparations-price-tag-california-00110137" target="_blank" rel="noopener">suggested</a> paying up to $1.2 million to black residents who descended from slaves or free African Americans who lived in the U.S. before 1900. 
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As for Detroit, voters who overwhelmingly approved the Reparations Task Force two years ago will have to wait to see if the group comes up with any plan. The task force was given a $350,000 budget and has 18 months to submit a written report to the city council on its findings and recommendations, according to The Detroit News. The once-13-member board is now down to 10 members following Hood and Week’s departure and the death of Rev. JoAnn Watson in July. 
&#8220;The work we do on ourselves, the work we do with each other as humans first is part of the process of repair internally that needs to happen before we try to design this thing, externally and citywide,&#8221; said Hood. &#8220;And it just didn&#8217;t seem like everybody was on the same page about that.&#8221;

Detroit Protest

Members Resign From Detroit’s Reparations Task Force Over Lack Of ‘Progress,’ No ‘Broad Strategic Vision’

Members Resign From Detroit's Reparations Task Force Over Lack Of 'Progress,' No 'Broad Strategic Vision'

Detroit

Race

Reparations

Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI) revealed Monday that she took extreme heat after condemning Hamas for its rape of Israeli women in the October 7 terrorist attack on Israel. 
Dingell told CNN in an interview that Palestinian men “went after” her and doxxed her three times after she called attention to the atrocities committed against women and girls by Hamas terrorists.
“The very first week of this [Hamas] attack, I condemned the raping of women and said that no one could condone it, and Palestinian men went after me — called me a liar, demanded I retracted it. I got doxxed over the subject,” Dingell <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/dingell-says-she-doxxed-over-184848066.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> CNN’s Kasie Hunt, according to The Hill. “I have spent the last seven weeks researching the raping of women that has occurred in the Mideast. It is outrageous. I condemn it.”
The Michigan Democrat said she was stunned to witness the “vicious” attacks from anti-Israel voices and activists, including women, who called on her to retract her condemnation of Hamas. But Dingell said the extreme opposition to her stance only made her double down. 
“All it did was make me angrier,” she said. “This is going to be an issue I am seriously going to take on.”
“Rape is a tool of war. It is violence that should be exercised against no woman — any woman: a Jewish woman, an Arab woman, a white woman, a black woman, and I unequivocally stand against it,” Dingell added.
Dingell said she would reach out to her colleague and House Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal (D-WA) following Jayapal’s refusal to condemn Hamas without also calling out Israel. 
The leftist congresswoman was pressed by CNN’s Dana Bash on Sunday to condemn Hamas’ rape of Israeli women. <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/female-democrat-demands-balance-in-condemnation-of-hamas-raping-israeli-women-and-cnns-dana-bash-stops-her-cold" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Jayapal responded</a> to Bash, saying that “of course” she condemned Hamas and all instances of rape and sexual violence, but then pivoted to suggest that Israel was not adhering to international law in its response to the October 7 massacre.
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“I’m going to talk to Pramila. I have a call into her,” Dingell said, adding, “I’m going to just speak for myself on this subject, and I’m raw on this subject because of the hate that I have had directed at me for speaking the truth. I will speak the truth, and I don’t care who it is. But rape is an act of violence and it becomes too often a tool in any act of war, and as women everywhere, we must stand up for women everywhere.”
Dingell joined her leftist colleagues in the House last week in calling for Israel to agree to a ceasefire, even as Hamas continued its attacks on the country, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/terrorists-violate-temporary-ceasefire-in-gaza-as-israeli-forces-come-under-attack-idf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">violating</a> the temporary ceasefire it had promised to abide by as Israel negotiated the release of hostages taken by the terrorist group. In her <a href="https://twitter.com/RepDebDingell/status/1729875143093371119/photo/2" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> calling for the ceasefire, Dingell condemned Hamas’ attack on Israel before saying that “violence from both sides must come to a permanent end.” 
Virginia Kruta contributed to this report.

Debbie Dingell

Dem Congresswoman Says She Was Doxxed Multiple Times After Condemning Hamas’ Rape Of Israeli Women

Dem Congresswoman Says She Was Doxxed Multiple Times After Condemning Hamas' Rape Of Israeli Women

Democrats

Doxxing

Hamas

Israel

Rape

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> announced new rules for the oil and gas industry Saturday, requiring it to cut methane emissions by nearly 80% through 2038.
The U.S. committed to the new regulations on the oil and gas industry during the Climate Change Conference (COP28) in Dubai where Vice President Kamala Harris also announced that the U.S. would <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/white-house-announces-3-billion-for-green-projects-overseas-including-nearly-500m-for-gender-equity" target="_blank" rel="noopener">spend $3 billion</a> in taxpayer dollars as a pledge to climate and “gender equity” funds.
EPA Administrator Michael Regan and White House National Climate Adviser Ali Zaidi were also in Dubai to announce the new crackdown on methane emissions, saying the rule will help the Biden administration make the “progress we need to make.”
“From mobilizing billions in investment to plug orphaned wells, patch leaky pipes, and reclaim abandoned mines to setting strong standards that will cut pollution from the oil and gas sector, the Biden-Harris Administration is putting the full weight of the federal government into slashing harmful methane pollution,” Zaidi said in a <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-finalizes-standards-slash-methane-pollution-combat-climate#:~:text=%E2%80%9CFrom%20mobilizing%20billions%20in%20investment,government%20into%20slashing%20harmful%20methane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a>.
Under the new rule, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will require oil and gas companies to end routine flaring of natural gas and capture gas instead of burning it, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/12/02/climate/cop28-methane-announcement-climate/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. Flaring is the conventional method oil and gas companies have <a href="https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/gasflaringreduction/gas-flaring-explained" target="_blank" rel="noopener">used</a> for controlled burning of natural gas since the beginning of oil production around 160 years ago.
The American Petroleum Institute (API) said it supports regulation of methane emissions, but asked the EPA to modify its current plan, <a href="https://www.api.org/news-policy-and-issues/news/2023/02/13/api-urges-epa-to-finalize-its-methane-rule-with-modifications" target="_blank" rel="noopener">saying</a>, “we are concerned the proposed rule as drafted could create barriers to innovation and hamper U.S. energy production, which could lead to higher energy costs.&#8221;
The API also joined the Independent Petroleum Association of America (IPAA) and the American Exploration and Production Council in submitting comments to the EPA in October, warning that rule on methane emissions would “create a potentially significant financial impact” on the oil and gas industry, Just The News <a href="https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/energy/despite-voluntary-gains-methane-reductions-epa-will-impose-more-regulations" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Industry expert Tom Shepstone told Just The News that while seeking ways to reduce emissions can be good, the Biden administration is pursuing a more radical agenda.
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“I think we make a big mistake when we don&#8217;t recognize that the EPA, the Biden administration, and environmental groups, generally speaking — not all of them but a lot of them — are really about trying to get rid of fossil fuels,” Shepstone said.
Between 2018 and 2022, major oil and gas basins in the U.S. were already <a href="https://www.energyindepth.org/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Methane-Emissions-Decline-Top-Basins-2018-22.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reporting</a> large declines in methane emissions, from 18% to 77% decreases. But even with oil and gas companies working to decrease emissions, the Biden administration has now leveled more restrictions on the industry in back-to-back years after <a href="https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/biden-harris-administration-strengthens-proposal-cut-methane-pollution-protect" target="_blank" rel="noopener">increasing</a> standards last year.

Pump jacks and gas flare

Biden Admin Finalizes Plan To Cut Oil And Gas Industry’s Methane Emissions By 80%

Biden Admin Finalizes Plan To Cut Oil And Gas Industry's Methane Emissions By 80%

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)

Oil and Gas

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Zach Jewell