The husband of Rep. Mary Peltola (D-AK) died on Wednesday following a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/plane-crash">plane crash</a> in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alaska">Alaska</a>, according to the congresswoman&#8217;s office.
Anton McParland, chief of staff to Peltola, shared the grim news in a statement posted to social media on Wednesday morning.
&#8220;We are devastated to share that Mary&#8217;s husband, Eugene Peltola Jr. — &#8216;Buzzy&#8217; to all of us who knew and loved him — passed away earlier this morning following a plane accident in Alaska,&#8221; McParland said.
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&mdash; Rep. Mary Peltola (@Rep_Peltola) <a href="https://twitter.com/Rep_Peltola/status/1701967057225449805?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;He was one of those people that was obnoxiously good at everything. He had a delightful sense of humor that lightened the darkest moments. He was definitely the cook in the family. And family was most important to him. He was completely devoted to his parents, kids, siblings, extended family, and friends — and he simply adored Mary. We are heartbroken for the family&#8217;s loss,&#8221; the statement continued.
Eugene Peltola Jr., who <a href="https://www.bia.gov/as-ia/opa/online-press-release/secretary-zinke-fulfills-promise-alaska-new-bureau-indian-affairs">served</a> as regional director of Bureau of Indian Affairs in Alaska and <a href="https://www.bia.gov/regional-office/alaska-region#:~:text=Eugene%20R.,tribal%20governments%20and%20tribal%20organizations.">retired</a> in July 2022, died after the crash of a single-engine Piper PA-18 that he was piloting on Tuesday, <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/us/articles/2023-09-13/us-agencies-investigate-alaska-plane-crash-that-killed-husband-of-lawmaker">according to Reuters</a>. The Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board are investigating the incident.
The announcement of Peltola Jr.&#8217;s death drew an outpouring of reactions from politicians and others expressing their condolences.
&#8220;Rose and I are shocked and deeply saddened by the passing of Gene Peltola. We will be praying for Mary, their children, and all of the Peltola family. Gene’s dedication to Alaska ran deep, and he will be dearly missed,&#8221; Governor Mike Dunleavy (R-AK) <a href="https://twitter.com/GovDunleavy/status/1701977983874191685">said</a> in a post to X.
&#8220;My warm thoughts and my prayers are with my colleague [Rep. Peltola] and her family on the tragic devastating loss of her husband Eugene,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/BillPascrell/status/1701979199722942813">said</a> Rep. Bill Pascrell (D-NJ).
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&#8220;I am shocked, saddened and truly beyond words to express my grief at the loss of Gene Peltola Jr. Anyone who met Buzzy felt his warmth, generosity and charm. It was easy to see why so many Alaskans called him a friend, and how he was so loved by his family,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/lisamurkowski/status/1701976270685262109">said</a> Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-AK). &#8220;He was Mary’s number one supporter and truly her rock. My heart is in Alaska today with Mary and their children, and Verne and I offer prayers and condolences to them.&#8221;
Rep. Peltola, who represents the entire state of Alaska in the U.S. House of Representatives after taking the place of the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/breaking-alaska-gop-congressman-don-young-passes-away-at-88">late Don Young</a> last year, is returning home to be with family, her office said.
&#8220;[W]e ask that their privacy be respected during this time,&#8221; McParland added. &#8220;Our team will continue to meet with constituents and carry on the work of the office while Mary and her family grieve.&#8221;

Gene and Mary Peltola

Alaska Congresswoman’s Husband Dies After Plane Crash

Alaska Congresswoman's Husband Dies After Plane Crash

Airplane crash

Alaska

Congress

Plane Crash

U.S.

President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Joe Biden</a> faced a wave of backlash on social media after he claimed to have visited <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden">Ground Zero in New York City</a> one day after the terrorist attacks on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/9-11">September 11, 2001</a>.
In delivering remarks to U.S. troops in Alaska on the 22nd anniversary of 9/11, Biden stressed the phrase &#8220;never forget&#8221; and before speaking of lives being taken too soon when &#8220;evil&#8221; attacked. He then brought up New York City, where hijackers crashed planes into the towers of the World Trade Center, <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/2-new-911-victims-identified-medical-examiner-vows/story?id=103032291">killing more than 2,700 people</a>.
&#8220;Ground Zero in New York, I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building. And I felt like I was looking through the gates of hell&#8221; because it &#8220;looked so devastating &#8230; from where you could stand,&#8221; Biden said.
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“I join you on this solemn day to renew our sacred vow, ‘never forget.’ … I remember standing [at Ground Zero] the next day and looking at the building. I felt like I was looking through the gates of hell.”
— Pres. Biden commemorates 9/11 at a military base in Anchorage, Alaska <a href="https://t.co/reG0FPWwyJ">pic.twitter.com/reG0FPWwyJ</a>
&mdash; The Recount (@therecount) <a href="https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1701334894285332572?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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But, as many users on X pointed out as clips of his comments went viral, Biden was not at Ground Zero the day after the terror attacks but was in Washington, D.C., speaking out as a U.S. Senator.
&#8220;This is a lie! [Biden] WAS NOT at Ground Zero on September 12, 2001,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/BernardKerik/status/1701353965768597629">exclaimed</a> former New York City Police Commissioner Bernard Kerik.
&#8220;Joe Biden just completely lied about being at Ground Zero the day after 9/11. He was in DC. The Senate convened on 9/12/01 to condemn the attack,&#8221; said <a href="https://twitter.com/greg_price11/status/1701344932684808307">Greg Price</a>, a conservative communications pro.
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Joe Biden today: &quot;Ground Zero in New York — I remember standing there the next day (Sept. 12) and looking at the building. I felt like I was looking through the gates of hell.&quot; 
Joe Biden was in Washington, DC on September 12, 2001:<a href="https://t.co/nHycmnTomp">pic.twitter.com/nHycmnTomp</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1701361505508237659?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;I can’t remember Biden being at Ground Zero on September 12,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/mirandadevine/status/1701341988757389794">said</a> New York Post columnist Miranda Devine, a journalist known for her coverage of the various Hunter Biden scandals.
&#8220;Biden claims he visited Ground Zero on 9/12/01 to view the wreckage. He was actually in Washington the whole time. On 9/12/01, the Senate convened at 1:45pm to condemn the attacks. Later that night, Biden did a TV hit **from Washington**,&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1701345472051368384">said</a> Townhall contributor John Hasson.
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Biden claims he visited Ground Zero on 9/12/01 to view the wreckage. 
He was actually in Washington the whole time. 
On 9/12/01, the Senate convened at 1:45pm to condemn the attacks. Later that night, Biden did a TV hit **from Washington** <a href="https://t.co/DhNmp8kNxf">pic.twitter.com/DhNmp8kNxf</a>
&mdash; John Hasson (@SonofHas) <a href="https://twitter.com/SonofHas/status/1701345472051368384?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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&#8220;Did he just poach this memory and description from Hillary Clinton, who actually was there on 9/12/01? Or was he referring to his memory from a week later — the timeline of which he’s misremembered/repackaged for greater emphasis?&#8221; <a href="https://twitter.com/guypbenson/status/1701353637081911343">asked</a> Fox News contributor Guy Benson.
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) simply <a href="https://twitter.com/tedcruz/status/1701352912335536613">responded</a> with &#8220;Um….,&#8221; while former Wisconsin Republican Governor Scott Walker <a href="https://twitter.com/ScottWalker/status/1701347210133176829">said</a> Biden &#8220;even lies about 9/11. He is a disgrace.&#8221;
Biden made the stop in Alaska upon returning from a trip to India for a G-20 summit and Vietnam. His vice president, Kamala Harris, visited Ground Zero in Biden&#8217;s stead on Monday.
Fox News White House correspondent Peter Doocy reported that after he asked the White House why Biden did not go to any of the 9/11 attack sites, he received an &#8220;analogy&#8221; stating that U.S. presidents were not visiting Hawaii anymore to mark Japan&#8217;s military attacked Pearl Harbor during World War II after 22 years — yet another explanation that <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wh-blows-off-critics-after-biden-skips-9-11-memorials-presidents-werent-going-to-pearl-harbor-after-22-years">does not hold up to scrutiny</a>.

President Joe Biden

Biden Gets Hammered For Claiming He Was At Ground Zero The Day After 9/11

9/11

Joe Biden

New York City

Politics

White House

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> has signed off on a deal to release five Iranian prisoners and $6 billion in frozen assets in exchange for five Americans held captive in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Iran</a>.
Secretary of State <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/antony-blinken" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Antony Blinken</a> approved the deal last week, and Congress was notified Monday as lawmakers and officials honored the 22nd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to the <a href="https://apnews.com/article/us-iran-prisoners-blinken-3e834df0a845ef2cc5c52af14598c66f" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Associated Press</a>.
In exchange for the prisoners, the United States will issue a waiver for banks in South Korea and Qatar to allow Iran access to billions of dollars without fear of violating U.S. sanctions. The funds will be transferred to Qatar’s central bank where the Iranian government can make requests to pay for humanitarian goods out of the account.
Iran is a prolific state sponsor of terrorism hampered by strict U.S. sanctions since former President Donald Trump pulled the U.S. out of the Iran nuclear deal in 2018. Trump scrapped the deal over concerns that the agreement would allow Iran to construct a nuclear weapon.
The Biden administration has tried to revive the Iran nuclear deal, but negotiations have been tabled for months. The White House has prioritized thawing relations with Iran to restore the agreement, and the prisoner swap may be an <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/us-iran-small-tentative-steps-lower-tensions-rcna103781" target="_blank" rel="noopener">attempt</a> by both sides at some de-escalation.
News of the finalized deal comes as Biden delivered comments on the anniversary of 9-11 from Alaska. During his remarks, the president claimed that he visited Ground Zero the day after the Twin Towers fell.
“Ground Zero in New York — I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building. I felt like I was looking through the gates of hell, it looked so devastating,” Biden said.
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BIDEN: &quot;Ground Zero in New York — I remember standing there the next day and looking at the building. I felt like I was looking through the gates of hell.&quot;
On September 12, 2001, Biden was in Washington, D.C., for a Senate session. <a href="https://t.co/vUyu63KXcV">pic.twitter.com/vUyu63KXcV</a>
&mdash; RNC Research (@RNCResearch) <a href="https://twitter.com/RNCResearch/status/1701345112968901101?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 11, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The president has taken <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/wh-blows-off-critics-after-biden-skips-9-11-memorials-presidents-werent-going-to-pearl-harbor-after-22-years" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticism</a> for jetting to Alaska and forgoing 9-11 ceremonies in New York, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C. Former New York City Police Commissioner Bernie Kerik called Biden’s absence from the services “disgusting.”
&#8220;I think it’s disgusting. I got to be honest, I was disgusted with the fact that Biden wasn’t going to be there or attend any ceremony whether it was New York, Shanksville, D.C., Pentagon,” Kerik said, according to <a href="https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/former-nypd-commissioner-excoriates-biden-skipping-911-ceremonies-mayorkas-showing" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Just The News</a>.

Biden Gives Iran Access To $6 Billion In Prisoner Swap

Iran

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/biden-administration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a> announced on Wednesday that it would be canceling oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Preserve and move to ban drilling in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alaska&#8217;s</a> National Petroleum Reserve. 
The <a href="https://doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-takes-major-steps-protect-arctic-lands-and-wildlife-alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announcement</a> from the Department of the Interior means that seven leases for drilling given during the Trump administration will be rescinded and that 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve will be off limits for drilling if the proposed rule is approved. The leases <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/biden-admin-axe-alaska-oil-gas-leases-backed-state-lawmakers-native-americans" target="_blank" rel="noopener">were held</a> by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) and encompassed 365,775 acres. 
“Alaska is home to many of America’s most breathtaking natural wonders and culturally significant areas. As the climate crisis warms the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the world, we have a responsibility to protect this treasured region for all ages,” President Joe Biden said in a statement. 
The announcement was opposed by top Alaskan officials, including Governor Mike Dunleavy and Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. 
“Today the Biden Administration announced that it is cancelling legally-issued oil and gas leases in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge section designated for oil and gas development. The leases AIDEA holds in ANWR were properly acquired in a sale mandated by Congress,” Dunleavy <a href="https://twitter.com/GovDunleavy/status/1699520164356927930" target="_blank" rel="noopener">posted</a> on X. “It’s clear that President Biden needs a refresher on the Constitution’s separation of powers doctrine. Federal agencies don’t get to rewrite laws, and that is exactly what the Department of the Interior is trying to do here.”
The governor added that Alaska would turn to the courts to challenge the Biden administration&#8217;s moves to cut down on oil production. Sullivan said Biden’s actions endangered the energy security of the U.S.
“This war on Alaska is devastating for not only Alaska but also the energy security of the nation. This unlawful cancellation of leases brings us to 55 executive orders and actions specifically targeting Alaska since President Biden assumed office,” Sullivan said. 
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This war on Alaska is devastating for not only Alaska but also the energy security of the nation. This unlawful cancellation of leases brings us to 55 executive orders and actions specifically targeting Alaska since President Biden assumed office. (1/2)<a href="https://t.co/FAEd6i6T9m">https://t.co/FAEd6i6T9m</a>
&mdash; Sen. Dan Sullivan (@SenDanSullivan) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenDanSullivan/status/1699500517574009053?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 6, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Secretary of Interior Deb Haaland <a href="https://doi.gov/pressreleases/biden-harris-administration-takes-major-steps-protect-arctic-lands-and-wildlife-alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that the decision was made to protect the environment.
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“With climate change warming the Arctic more than twice as fast as the rest of the planet, we must do everything within our control to meet the highest standards of care to protect this fragile ecosystem,” Haaland said in a statement. “President Biden is delivering on the most ambitious climate and conservation agenda in history. The steps we are taking today further that commitment, based on the best available science and in recognition of the Indigenous Knowledge of the original stewards of this area, to safeguard our public lands for future generations.”
Despite the fact that Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/death-by-a-thousand-cuts-oil-executive-details-how-biden-is-a-drag-on-the-industry" target="_blank" rel="noopener">canceled</a> the Keystone XL pipeline expansion and aggressively pushed green energy, climate activists are still angry at Biden after he <a href="https://apnews.com/article/alaska-arctic-refuge-oil-gas-leases-interior-318dcc3f2d5b104a800bf3ba48e764b7" target="_blank" rel="noopener">allowed</a> the Willow oil project in Alaska’s North Slope to go forward, which could end up yielding 180,000 gallons of oil per day. The decision to end the leases and block drilling comes as gas prices across the country remain high.

General Views Of The Trans-Alaska Pipeline System

‘War On Alaska’: Biden Admin Cancels Alaskan Oil And Gas Leases, Bans Drilling On Millions Of Acres

Biden Admin Cancels Alaskan Oil And Gas Leases, Bans Drilling On Millions Of Acres

Biden Administration

Department of the Interior

Oil and Gas

China and Russia sent naval warships near the coast of Alaska during a joint naval patrol earlier this week, prompting a response from the U.S. Navy and condemnation from Alaska’s senators. 
The two countries sent eleven ships close to Alaska’s southwest coast — nearing the Aleutian Islands — but never entered American waters, according to a <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/russia-and-china-sent-large-naval-patrol-near-alaska-127de28b" target="_blank" rel="noopener">report</a> from The Wall Street Journal. This is likely the largest fleet of Russian and Chinese ships ever to approach the American coast, experts told the outlet.  
“It is a historical first,” senior research fellow at the Heritage Foundation, Brent Sadler, said. “Given the context of the war in Ukraine and tensions around Taiwan, this move is highly provocative.”
Republican Senator Dan Sullivan of Alaska <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/russia-china-send-naval-ships-near-alaska-triggering-forceful-us-response" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> Fox News the U.S. Navy mobilized four destroyers to shadow and guide the Chinese and Russian ships away from Alaska’s coast. A U.S. defense official said the USS John S. McCain, the USS Benfold, the USS John Finn, and the USS Chung-Hoon tracked the foreign ships’ movements and were accompanied by a maritime patrol and reconnaissance plane, the Journal noted. 
A U.S. Northern Command spokesman confirmed to the Journal a combined patrol consisting of Russian and Chinese ships had occurred but would not confirm the number of vessels or their location. 
“Air and maritime assets under our commands conducted operations to assure the defense of the United States and Canada,” a U.S. Northern Command statement said. “The patrol remained in international waters and was not considered a threat.”
A Chinese embassy spokesman told the outlet the patrol and its location was “not targeted at any third party and has nothing to do with the current international and regional situation.” 
Sullivan called the move “unprecedented” and “concerning,” adding, “It just solidifies this idea that we&#8217;ve entered a new era of authoritarian aggression led by the dictators in Beijing and Moscow who are increasingly aggressive.” 
Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) expressed <a href="https://www.murkowski.senate.gov/press/release/murkowski-sullivan-statements-on-chinese-and-russian-vessels-in-us-waters-off-coast-of-aleutians" target="_blank" rel="noopener">similar concerns</a> over the increasing tensions and explained the important role Alaska plays in foreign relations and national security, given its proximity to Russia. Murkowski pressed her colleagues in the Senate to support additional funding and resources for military readiness and capabilities in Alaska. 
Sullivan called the U.S. response a “significant improvement” over the “tepid” American response to a smaller flotilla in September. That fleet got 90 miles from the Aleutians and consisted of seven Russian and Chinese ships, Fox News reported. In response, the U.S. dispatched one Coast Guard cutter. 
&#8220;We ramped that up significantly. Four U.S. destroyers and air assets, P-8&#8217;s, that were tracking and monitoring this large-scale Russian-Chinese task force quite closely. So that is a significant improvement,&#8221; Sullivan said of the recent incursion and American response. &#8220;That&#8217;s a lot of naval power up here demonstrating American resolve.&#8221;
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Admiral John Aquilino, the leader of the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, said at the Aspen Security Forum last month that Russian-Chinese joint exercises have increased, according to the Journal. “I only see the cooperation getting stronger, and boy that’s concerning. That’s a dangerous world,” he said. 
There is currently a struggle for dominance and power in the Arctic region, which is becoming contested territory, and the Russian-Chinese naval patrols appear to be part of that struggle, the Journal reports. Their work together in the region is a sign of increasing cooperation between Moscow and Beijing. According to the Arctic Council, which is an intergovernmental forum focused on the Arctic, the Aleut region, where the Aleutian Islands are located, is <a href="https://arctic-council.org/news/at-the-doorway-to-the-arctic-an-aleut-perspective-on-a-sustainable-arctic-ocean/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">referred</a> to as the &#8220;doorway to the Arctic.&#8221; 
Eight countries that have territory in the Arctic make up the Arctic Council and are “stewards of the region,” according to the Council <a href="https://arctic-council.org/about/states/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">website</a>. They include the U.S., Canada, Russia, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Sweden, and Norway, and according to the council, “Their national jurisdictions and international law govern the lands surrounding the Arctic Ocean and its waters.” 
China, however, claimed it was a “near-Arctic state” in 2018 in an attempt to push for a greater governance role in the region, according to the <a href="https://www.rand.org/blog/rand-review/2022/12/what-does-chinas-arctic-presence-mean-to-the-us.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">RAND Corporation</a>. It has attempted to establish gas and mining operations in the region and claims it is an “active participant, builder, and contributor in Arctic affairs.”

RUSSIA-MOSCOW-CHINA-XI JINPING-PUTIN-TALKS

China And Russia Sent Warships Near Alaska Coast, Prompting U.S. Response

China

Communist China

Global Politics

Lisa Murkowski

Russia

World

A float that appears to take inspiration from “Johnny The Walrus,&#8221; a book written by Daily Wire host and children’s author Matt Walsh, won first place at a local parade in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alaska">Alaska</a>, only for one of the judges to recoil in horror online.
The competition was held as part of the Golden Day festival in Fairbanks, Alaska, which hosts the largest parade in Alaska. Local school board candidate Michael Humphrey entered a giant inflatable Walrus into the parade’s political float competition, with a campaign sticker on its side and &#8220;Johnny&#8221; plastered on the front.
After the decision, one of the judges took to social media to respond to nascent outrage.
“So it turns out that the best political float was an anti-trans float. The judges had no idea. We had two floats to choose from for political. You know what I hate? Hateful people,” the judge <a href="https://mustreadalaska.com/johnny-the-walrus-gets-first-place-for-political-float-in-fairbanks-then-the-parade-judge-had-a-meltdown/">tweeted</a>. “We both feel sick about it and especially on how it reflects on our community to those who don’t know that the judges DID NOT HAVE CONTEXT.”
The book “Johnny The Walrus” tells the tale of a spirited young man who imagines himself as a walrus and then is pressured to medically transition into his fantasy by “the internet people.” The book was published in 2022 and quickly became a <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10757193/Amazon-staffer-works-tears-sale-childrens-book-featuring-transgender-allegory.html">bestseller</a>, specifically in Amazon’s LGBTQ Books category, which was the subject of much hand-wringing.
Humphrey, a marine veteran, self described conservative Christian and father of six, has pledged on his <a href="http://humphreyforschoolboard.org/">campaign page</a> to “[Protect children by stopping the spread of radical gender ideology” and “[create] opportunities for more parental involvement in school.”
“Please help get the word out about this disgusting candidate and ensure he does not get elected,” one anonymous Facebook user demanded. “He is running against incumbent Tim Doran.”
Walsh, for his part, seemed quite pleased when he became aware of the controversy.
“This is awesome,” he <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1681063057823334400?s=20">tweeted</a>.
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This is awesome. A school board candidate in Fairbanks won first place in a local parade for his Johnny the Walrus float. The judges were libs who only realized after the fact that the float was based on my children’s book, which caused massive meltdowns
 <a href="https://t.co/vwMtlahSQd">pic.twitter.com/vwMtlahSQd</a>
&mdash; Matt Walsh (@MattWalshBlog) <a href="https://twitter.com/MattWalshBlog/status/1681063057823334400?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">July 17, 2023</a></blockquote>
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TOPSHOT-NORWAY-ANIMAL-WALRUS-FREYA-OFFBEAT

Johnny The Walrus Wins Float Contest, Judge Flips Out

LGBTQ

Matt Walsh

School Board

Three <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-army" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Army</a> soldiers are dead after two Apache helicopters crashed following a training exercise in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/alaska" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alaska</a> on Thursday. 
The crash happened near Healy, Alaska, and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2023/04/27/alaska-army-helicopter-crash-apache/?utm_campaign=wp_main&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">involved</a> four service members and two AH-64 Apache helicopters from the 11th Airborne Division’s 25th Aviation Regiment. According to Captain Molly Treece, the survivor was transported to a hospital in Fairbanks. 
&#8220;This is an incredible loss for these soldiers’ families, their fellow soldiers, and for the division,&#8221; Maj. Gen. Brian Eifler, commanding general of the 11th Airborne Division, said in a <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/us/two-us-army-apache-helicopters-crash-alaska-killing-soldiers?intcmp=tw_fnc" target="_blank" rel="noopener">statement</a> from the Army. &#8220;Our hearts and prayers go out to their families, friends, and loved ones, and we are making the full resources of the Army available to support them.&#8221;
One of the pilots died while being transported to the hospital while the other two died at the scene of the crash. 
The cause of the crash, which took place not far from Denali National Park and Preserve, is being investigated by experts from the Army Combat Readiness Center in Fort Novosel. The names of the soldiers who died will not be disclosed until their families have been notified. 
This is the second Army helicopter crash in Alaska this year, with an incident in February when two soldiers were injured shortly after an Apache took off from Talkeetna and the helicopter crashed. 
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Last month, two Army HH-60 <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/multiple-casualties-after-black-hawk-helicopter-crash-in-kentucky" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Black Hawk helicopters crashed</a> in Kentucky during a training exercise, resulting in the deaths of nine service members. The nine service members involved were <a href="https://www.wkrn.com/news/kentucky/fort-campbell-to-honor-9-soldiers-killed-in-helicopter-crash/#:~:text=FORT%20CAMPBELL%2C%20Ky.,are%20identified%20as%20Staff%20Sgt." target="_blank" rel="noopener">identified</a> as Staff Sgt. Joshua Gore, 25; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Zachary Esparza, 36; Sgt. David Solinas Jr., 23; Staff Sgt. Taylor Mitchell, 30; Sgt. Isaac J. Gayo, 27; Chief Warrant Officer 2 Rusten Smith, 32; Warrant Officer Aaron Healy, 32; Cpl. Emilie Marie Eve Bolanos, 23; and Warrant Officer Jeffery Barnes, 33.
That crash occurred at around 10:00 p.m. local time between two helicopters that were part of the 101st Airborne Division. The crash took place in Trigg County, near Fort Campbell. 
Kentucky local Nick Tomaszewski told WSMV that he heard the crash happen after he saw the helicopters fly by. “So it’s nothing out of the norm to see helicopters, we see them all the time, but tonight there were two that were coming kind of straight up over our house, headed straight northbound,” he said.

Three Soldiers Dead After Apache Helicopters Crash In Alaska

Disasters

U.S. Army

U.S. Military

On October 16, 1972, then-House Majority Leader Thomas Hale Boggs, along with Alaska Rep. Nick Begich and one of Begich’s aides, were flying from Anchorage to Juneau when their twin engine Cessna 310 vanished into thin air. No trace of the plane, or its pilot and passengers, has ever been found.
Boggs was born in 1914 in Long Beach, Mississippi, and received a bachelor’s degree in journalism and a law degree from Tulane University. He quickly became a public figure, working to break the political machine of then-Sen. Huey Pierce Long Jr., a Left-wing radical who criticized President Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal as not being extreme enough.
At age 27, Boggs became the youngest member of Congress when he defeated incumbent Rep. Paul Maloney in the 1940 Democratic primary, which paved the way to victory, as he ran unopposed in the general election. During the next election, however, Boggs lost to Maloney and joined the U.S. Navy, serving in the final years of World War II.
<div id="attachment_523685" style="width: 765px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-523685" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="wp-image-523685 size-large" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-514971148-755x576.jpg" alt="" width="755" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-514971148-755x576.jpg 755w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-514971148-300x229.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-514971148-768x586.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-514971148-1536x1172.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-514971148-2048x1563.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 755px) 100vw, 755px" />(Original Caption) The closing session of Congress is always an interesting event, and this time the family of Representative Hale Boggs of Louisiana had ringside seats at the ceremony. The Representative is shown with the family, after the curtain had rung down. Left to right are Mrs. Boggs, Tommy, 6 1/2 years old; Congressman Boggs; Barbara, 8 years old; and Corrine (aka Cokie), 3 1/2 years old. Bettmann. Getty Images.</div>
When the war ended, Boggs again ran for Congress, and was elected in 1946 after Maloney retired. In 1951, he ran for governor of Louisiana, but lost. He continued to rise as a congressman, however, and became the youngest member of the Warren Commission, which investigated the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. Boggs dissented from the commission’s majority report, POLITICO <a href="https://www.politico.com/story/2016/10/hale-boggs-plane-vanishes-in-alaska-oct-16-1972-229692" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> in 2016, believing the single bullet theory – a lone assassin – may not have been accurate. Boggs reportedly said he “had strong doubts about” the theory.
<div id="attachment_523705" style="width: 738px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-523705" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-523705" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-515024260-728x576.jpg" alt="John Kennedy Watching Blastoff" width="728" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515024260-728x576.jpg 728w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515024260-300x237.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515024260-768x608.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515024260-1536x1215.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515024260-2048x1620.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 728px) 100vw, 728px" />(Original Caption) Watching the blastoff. Washington: The White House released this picture today showing President Kennedy and the Democratic Congressional leaders watching astronaut John Glenn&#8217;s blast off on TV. Left to right: Rep. Hale Boggs, LA.; Speaker John McCormack, Mass. (in rear); Rep. Carl Albert, Okla.; Sen. Hubert Humphrey, Minn.; and Vice Pres. Lyndon Johnson. Bettmann. Getty Images.</div>
<div id="attachment_523693" style="width: 869px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-523693" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-523693" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-515489988-859x576.jpg" alt="Warren Commission Members Outside Book Depository" width="859" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515489988-859x576.jpg 859w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515489988-300x201.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515489988-768x515.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515489988-1536x1030.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-515489988-2048x1373.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 859px) 100vw, 859px" />Hale Boggs, John Cooper, and Richard Russell, Warren Commission members, leave the Texas School Book Depository after inspecting the President Kennedy Assassination scene. Bettmann. Getty Images.</div>
In 1962, Boggs became the Democratic majority whip, and became majority leader in 1971 – a position he served until his disappearance.
Boggs regularly campaigned for other Democrats around the country, so it was not unusual that he was in Alaska in 1972 campaigning for Rep. Begich, who was locked in a tight race with Republican candidate Don Young. On October 16, Boggs, Begich, and Begich’s aide Russell Brown boarded the tiny Cessna in Anchorage, Alaska, setting off for a campaign event in Juneau, nearly 600 miles away.
The weather in Alaska was fierce that day, and at some point during the flight, the plane disappeared, never to be seen again. All four people on board, including pilot Don Jonz, vanished along with the plane.
At noon the following day, Rep. Tip O’Neill, then the Democratic whip, told members of the House that “it is our hope and prayer, of course, that the men will be found safe,” according to POLITICO.
The search for the missing men became the largest search and rescue operation ever conducted at the time. A 325,000 square mile area was searched by 40 military aircraft and 50 civilian planes. More than 3,600 hours were spent searching for the missing men and the plane.
<div id="attachment_523717" style="width: 846px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-523717" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-523717" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-517284548-836x576.jpg" alt="Woman Speaking to Her Children" width="836" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-517284548-836x576.jpg 836w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-517284548-300x207.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-517284548-768x529.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-517284548-1536x1058.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-517284548-2048x1411.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 836px) 100vw, 836px" />(Original Caption) Washington, D.C.: Mrs. Hale Boggs, with her son, Tommy, and daughter, Mrs. Barbara Sigmund, of Princeton, N.J., wait at the Boggs home in nearby Bethesda, Md. for word of the missing House majority leader. Boggs, 58, Rep. Nick Begich and two others were in a twin engine plane that disappeared in a rainstorm on a flight from Anchorage to the state capital of Juneau. On the wall is a portrait of Rep. Boggs as a young man. Bettmann. Getty Images.</div>
After 39 days of searching, however, the search was ended without any sign of a plane crash or survivors. Boggs and Begich were both declared dead on December 29, 1972, following a hearing and quick jury deliberation.
Despite being missing, Boggs and Begich were both re-elected posthumously. House Resolution 1, enacted on January 3, 1973, recognized that Boggs had died and allowed a special election to take place. A similar resolution passed for Begich. Don Young, who was Begich’s Republican challenger in 1972, ended up winning the special election and served in Congress until his death in 2022.
For Boggs, his widow, Lindy, won his seat during the special election and served the second district of Louisiana until she retired after the 1990 election. In 1997, President Bill Clinton appointed her as the U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See, a position she held until 2001.
<div id="attachment_523709" style="width: 877px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-523709" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-523709" src="https://dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/GettyImages-1387337282-867x576.jpg" alt="Lindy Boggs, American Politician &amp; Ambassador" width="867" height="576" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1387337282-867x576.jpg 867w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1387337282-300x199.jpg 300w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1387337282-768x510.jpg 768w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1387337282-1536x1021.jpg 1536w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/04/GettyImages-1387337282-2048x1361.jpg 2048w" sizes="(max-width: 867px) 100vw, 867px" />American politician and ambassador Lindy Boggs (1916-2013), United States House of Representatives member from Louisiana&#8217;s 2nd district, in New Orleans, Louisiana, 4th April 1973. Lindy is the widow of the late House Democratic Leader Hale Boggs. (Photo by Bettmann Archive/Getty Images)</div>
The Boggs’ had four children, including famous TV and public-radio journalist Cokie Roberts. Begich had six children.
The disappearance of the men in Alaska led to new requirements for flights. No emergency transmission signal from the plane was ever heard during the extensive search and rescue effort. In its report on the disappearance, the National Transportation Safety Board said that the pilot, who was supposed to carry a portable emergency transmitter if one was not fixed to the plane, did not follow procedure. The portable transmitter was found in a different aircraft in Fairbanks, Alaska. The incident resulted in Congress passing a law that mandated all U.S. civil aircraft must install emergency locator transmitters.

Portrait of Hale Boggs

Unsolved: The Disappearance Of House Majority Leader Hale Boggs And Rep. Nick Begich

Louisiana

Readers Pass

On July 31, 1949, Laura Showalter was murdered in the territory of Alaska during the course of an attempted rape. Months later, Harvey Carignan, then 22, was arrested after attempting to rape another woman, Christine Norton.
Carignan was convicted of first-degree murder and assault with intent to commit rape for his crimes against the two women and sentenced to death. In 1951, however, Carignan won a new trial when his confession was thrown out because it had been improperly obtained. An officer had told Carignan that he wouldn’t receive the death penalty if he confessed to the crime, which he then did.
With his confession suppressed, the murder charge was eventually dismissed, but he did serve a 15-year sentence for assaulting Norton.
He was paroled in 1960, but just months later he and his brother were arrested for burglary in Minnesota. They were convicted and Carignan was sentenced to another four years in prison before being paroled on March 2, 1964. He again committed a burglary just eight months after his release and was convicted and sentenced to 15 years, this time getting paroled in 1968. He also spent another year in prison for violating his parole.
For several years, Carignan remained quiet, but on October 15, 1972, Leslie Brock, 19, was found beaten to death in Washington. A witness claimed to have seen her getting into Carignan’s truck.
It wasn’t until 1973 that Carignan allegedly committed the crime that would earn him his serial killer moniker “The Want-Ad Killer.” On May 1, 1973, Kathy Sue Miller, 15, saw a help wanted sign for Carignan’s gas station. When she responded to the ad, Carignan reportedly raped her before beating her to death with a hammer. Her body wasn’t found for months, until two boys hiking near Everett, Washington, found her wrapped in a sheet of plastic with holes in her skull.
Carignan was never charged with Brock or Miller’s murders because prosecutors lacked evidence to connect him to the crimes.
Months after allegedly murdering Miller, in September 1973, Carignan raped and beat 13-year-old Jerri Billings with a hammer, but let her go with a threat to not report the attack to anyone.
By 1974, Carignan began living with Eileen Hunley, 29, in Minnesota, but when she left him that August, she disappeared and was found dead five weeks later with multiple blows to the head. She had also been raped with a tree branch.
One month after killing Hunley, Carignan took Gwen Burton from a parking lot, choked her until she was almost unconscious, and then sexually assaulted her with a hammer. He then dumped her in a nearby field. She survived.
Days later, Carignan picked up Sally Versoi and Diane Flynn, both teenagers, and forced them to perform oral sex on him. He threatened to beat them if they didn’t comply. The girls were able to escape when Carignan stopped at a gas station. A couple days after that, Katherine Schultz, 18, disappeared and was found a day later beaten to death with a hammer.
Carignan was arrested on September 24, 1974, less than two weeks after his brutal crime in Minnesota spree began. He was charged with attempted murder and aggravated sodomy, to which he pleaded insanity, claiming God told him to “kill whores and harlots,” TMZ <a href="https://www.tmz.com/2023/03/14/want-ad-killer-harvey-carignan-dead-dies-prison-serial-murder/">reported</a>.
He was convicted in 1975 on both charges. Months later, he was found guilty on other charges including sodomy upon a child, and sentenced to 60 years in prison. He was also indicted for murdering Schultz and Hunley. He pleaded guilty to killing Schultz and was sentenced to 40 years in prison. He was later convicted of killing Hunley and sentenced to life in prison.
Though he was only convicted of murdering three women, Carignan allegedly killed at least five and raped even more.
Earlier this month, Carignan, 95, died from natural causes while serving his life sentence at a Minnesota prison.

Inside Alcatraz Prison – Row of Bars and Cells

True Crime: Harvey Carignan, ‘The Want-Ad Killer,’ Dies In Minnesota Prison

True Crime: Harvey Carignan, ‘The Want-Ad Killer’

Murder

Prison

True Crime

The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-administration-proposes-new-gas-stove-regulations-despite-national-outrage-over-ban-comments/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden administration</a>’s approval of an $8 billion oil drilling project in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-suspends-oil-leases-in-alaskas-arctic-refuge-as-gas-prices-continue-to-rise/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Alaska</a> has anti-fossil fuel activists feeling double-crossed.
The so-called Willow Project, a plan to drill on Alaska’s North Slope inside the federally-owned National Petroleum Reserve, could eventually yield as many as 600 million barrels of oil. Initially approved under the Trump administration, it has the support of both Republicans and Democrats in Alaska, and even Native American tribes who believe it will generate much-needed jobs and revenue.
“We finally did it, Willow is finally reapproved, and we can almost literally feel Alaska’s future brightening because of it,” Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski said in a statement.
Native American <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/democrat-mary-peltola-republican-sarah-palin-alaska-house-election-outcome-uncertain-in-ranked-choice-vote/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Democratic Rep. Mary Peltola</a> also praised the Biden administration for greenlighting the project.
“After years of consistent, determined advocacy for this project, from people all across the state and from every walk of life, the Willow Project is finally moving forward,” Peltola said. “I would like to thank the President and his administration for listening to the voices of Alaskans when it mattered most.”
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
The White House has decided to authorize ConocoPhillips&#39; mammoth Willow oil project in northwest Alaska, rejecting arguments from environmental activists. Scoop by <a href="https://twitter.com/jendlouhyhc?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@jendlouhyhc</a> &amp; <a href="https://twitter.com/JenniferJJacobs?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@JenniferJJacobs</a> <a href="https://t.co/wzsDBWY2di">https://t.co/wzsDBWY2di</a>
&mdash; Ari Natter (@AriNatter) <a href="https://twitter.com/AriNatter/status/1634323337659678720?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2023</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
But global warming activists and other Native American tribes say the project will spoil the 23 million acre reserve while generating carbon they believe is heating the planet. More than one million people have written letters to the White House complaining about the approval and a Change.org petition has garnered millions of signatures.
Critics of the project, including the environmental activist group Earthjustice, also intend to challenge the approval in court.
“We are too late in the climate crisis to approve massive oil and gas projects that directly undermine the new clean economy that the Biden Administration committed to advancing,” Earthjustice President Abigail Dillen said. “We know President Biden understands the existential threat of climate, but he is approving a project that derails his own climate goals.”
Former Vice President Al Gore called Biden&#8217;s decision &#8220;recklessly irresponsible.&#8221;
The Alaska Wilderness League, which is opposed to fossil fuels, also blasted the decision.
<p style="font-weight: 400;" data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_745F67F3-7235-8ACE-8FF2-DB6B7432E338@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">“This is the wrong decision for our climate future, for protecting biodiversity, and for honoring the frontline communities who have raised their voices against this project,” Executive Director Kristen Miller said in a statement.
<div id="attachment_512350" style="width: 254px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-512350" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-medium wp-image-512350" src="https://www.dailywire.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-13-at-12.03.15-PM-244x300.png" alt="The National Petroleum Reserve encompasses 23 million acres" width="244" height="300" srcset="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-13-at-12.03.15-PM-244x300.png 244w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-13-at-12.03.15-PM-469x576.png 469w, https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2023/03/Screenshot-2023-03-13-at-12.03.15-PM.png 516w" sizes="(max-width: 244px) 100vw, 244px" />(Inside Climate News)</div>
The project, which includes pipelines, several miles of road, and multiple bridges, was proposed by oil giant ConocoPhillips with bipartisan backing from Alaska’s Congressional delegation. The Biden administration Interior Department initially sought to scale back the project’s scope from five drilling pads to just two. But after intense lobbying, the White House agreed to allow three drilling pads. Still the project as approved covers 68,000 fewer acres than originally proposed, which the Interior Department said would ensure the protection of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/polar-bear-attacks-kills-woman-and-boy-in-alaska-before-being-shot/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">polar bears</a> and yellow-billed loons.
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“This was the right decision for Alaska and our nation,” said ConocoPhillips Chairman and CEO Ryan Lance. “Willow fits within the Biden Administration’s priorities on environmental and social justice, facilitating the energy transition and enhancing our energy security, all while creating good union jobs and providing benefits to Alaska Native communities.”
<p style="font-weight: 400;" data-uri="archive.cms.cnn.com/_components/paragraph/instances/paragraph_4F2C4124-631E-9A2E-B61E-DB58449A0F61@published" data-editable="text" data-component-name="paragraph" data-analytics-observe="off">On Monday, the White House rolled out new protections for land and waters in and around Alaska, including barring future oil and gas wells in the U.S. Arctic Ocean and new rules protecting over 13 million acres in the National Petroleum Reserve.

Willow Project protests

Bitter Climate Activists Blast Biden For Approving Alaska Oil Project

Environmentalists

The Anchorage, Alaska, school board shut down a father who attempted to read from a book approved by the district that he felt included inappropriate material.
The book, “Let’s Talk About It: The Teen’s Guide to Sex, Relationships, and Being Human,” by Erica Moen and Matthew Nolan, includes “advice on watching porn, anal sex, and how to edit nude selfies,” The Daily Mail <a href="https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-11761261/Alaska-school-board-members-brawl-debate-sexually-explicit-materials-school-libraries.html">reported</a>.
Jay McDonald, appearing before the seven-member school board, began by saying, “We hear so much about diversity, inclusion, and equity and how it’s one of the main thrusts, main objectives of the school board and the school district; we don’t often see specific examples of what diversity, equity and inclusion looks like.”
“So today I brought an excellent representation; this is like an archetype of diversity, inclusion, and equity material,” he continued. “It is one the books that was just recently purchased for our libraries. &#8230; It’s called ‘Let’s Talk About It,’ by Erica Moen. One of the chapters in here’s about sexting.”
Before he was interrupted by school board Vice President Carl Jacobs, McDonald stated. “Now I’ll just read some of the text here: So before you start sending your naughty masterpieces around the world, take some time to get familiar with photo editing, software, and apps. Digital photos are permanent and impossible to retract once they’re out there, so keep your recognizable features out of them before you share them.&#8217; This is a book for kids. &#8216;Don’t forget to crop out your face, hide your birthmarks and scars, and edit out your piercings and tattoos, and don&#8217;t forget to tell your sweetie how hot they look. Let them know you appreciate the little gift they&#8217;ve sent you.”
“Mr. McDonald?’ Jacobs interrupted.
“Yes?” McDonald replied.
“I’m going to interrupt you at this point. It sounds like you have a concern about a book,” Jacobs declared. “I’d be glad to get connected to the superintendent on our team to go through the appropriate process.”
“I’d appreciate if you don&#8217;t interrupt my time,” McDonald said.
“Mr. McDonald, I’ve asked you to defer to the superintendent and their team if you have a concern about a book,” Jacobs insisted. &#8220;We have a procedure and a process and a team ready to assist you.”
Board member Dave Donley told Jacobs: “Mr. President, I don&#8217;t think he&#8217;s violated any rules. I mean, he hasn&#8217;t used pornography, I mean he hasn&#8217;t shown any pornography; he hasn&#8217;t shown any bad words.”
“Mr. Donnelly, you can overrule the ruling of the chair if you&#8217;d like,” Jacobs responded. “It&#8217;s my determination that we should ask Mr. McDonald to go through the appropriate process.”
“Well, I understand suggesting that to him and I think that’s fine, but I don’t think he’s said anything that would cause us to cut off his testimony at this point,” Donley countered.
“I think we have a past precedent in this boardroom which would support my ruling. You’re welcome and I support your right to appeal the ruling of the chair,” Jacobs said.
The board ruled 5-2 to let Jacobs shut McDonald down. Only Donley and fellow board member Andy Holleman voted against Jacobs.
Given one more chance to speak, McDonald pointed out that the book was still being procured by the school district, adding, &#8220;distribution of indecent and pornographic materials to minors is a class c felony.”
&#8220;I keep getting cut off when I just read these books that are — there are still purchase orders out for these books,&#8221; McDonald said. &#8220;They’re not old things that were just put on the shelves to rot, they’re things that you’re actively procuring. The first book that I read – I’m gonna bring some of the FOIA documents that I have next time I’m in here. There’s teachers that are actually using it on their reading lists in their classrooms as part of their class material so I don’t want to hear that we’re not giving this to kids. I was at the police department today and I was talking to them about this and what it comes down to is there’s a gray area where they say that – you gotta understand that distribution of indecent and pornographic materials to minors is a class c felony.
&#8220;I hope that people understand that,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;So if there’s the argument that, well, it’s loosely covered by the First Amendment and that’s what you’re hiding behind to give this to students in school, then how can you say, I don’t have First Amendment rights to just read this to adults at a school board meeting. Is it or is it not a First Amendment issue? I don’t understand how it’s appropriate for kids and it’s not appropriate for the school board. I didn’t even say a bad word. It feels a lot like you don’t want parents to be seeing what’s being given to the kids. You’re happy to give this to children – I mean you even host reading times on the weekends. What’s your reading list when you host reading time on the weekends with Felix? You’re happy to give these books to kids; it seems like you’re terrified to give them to parents. And I think it’s an absolute travesty that you cut off my time and don’t even let me have my three minutes. I think you’re breaking your own rules. Thank you.&#8221;
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Alaska, USA: Welcome to Alaska sign at Canadian border on Top of the World Highway

WATCH: Alaska School Board Shuts Down Dad Protesting Sexually Explicit Book

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New <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/ufo" target="_blank" rel="noopener">UFO</a> sightings appear to be popping up all around the United States over the past few days.
In the week since the U.S. military shot down a suspected Chinese spy balloon off the coast of South Carolina, officials say at least three other strange flying objects have been blasted out of the sky, and there have been multiple additional incidents leading to temporary restrictions in pockets of sky around the Midwest.
In the most recent development, a U.S. F-16 fighter jet shot down a UFO over Lake Huron on Sunday, according to officials. The Defense Department (DOD) said in a statement that President Joe Biden ordered the strike on the recommendation of military leadership after detecting an &#8220;airborne object flying at approximately 20,000 feet altitude in U.S. airspace&#8221; over the lake, a location chosen for its low impact on people below and the improved odds for debris recovery.
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JUST IN: F-16 fighter jet downed an “airborne flying object” over Lake Huron today with AIM-9X missile: DoD
US had concerns about path and altitude of object, potentially flying in view of sensitive military sites.
US military has now shot down 4 spy aircraft since start of Feb <a href="https://t.co/aCOSnTZb07">pic.twitter.com/aCOSnTZb07</a>
&mdash; Jack Detsch (@JackDetsch) <a href="https://twitter.com/JackDetsch/status/1624903062438420489?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The DOD statement said the object was detected Sunday morning and its altitude raised concerns, &#8220;including that it could be a hazard to civilian aviation.&#8221; The object &#8220;flew in proximity to sensitive DOD sights&#8221; and had &#8220;potential surveillance capabilities&#8221; but likely no &#8220;kinetic military threat&#8221; the DOD said. A recovery operation is now expected to take place. Officials said there were no indications of civilians being hurt.
&#8220;Today, a high-altitude object was detected in U.S. airspace over Lake Huron. NORAD launched Canadian and U.S. aircraft to investigate and the object was taken down in U.S. airspace by U.S. aircraft. We unequivocally support this action,&#8221; tweeted Canadian Defense Minister Anita Anand. &#8220;We will continue to work with the U.S. and NORAD to protect North America.&#8221;
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We will continue to work with the U.S. and NORAD to protect North America.
&mdash; Anita Anand (@AnitaAnandMP) <a href="https://twitter.com/AnitaAnandMP/status/1624898730422943744?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Gen. Glen VanHerck, commander of U.S. Northern Command and North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD), was asked Sunday whether the objects being shot out of the sky could be &#8220;aliens or extraterrestrials&#8221; during a briefing with reporters.
The general said he would leave it to the intelligence community and counterintelligence community to make a determination. &#8220;I haven&#8217;t ruled out anything at this point,&#8221; VanHerck added.
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Now: When asked directly by reporters if the objects in the sky are “aliens or extraterrestrials,” General VanHerck, commander of the Air Force’s Northern Command, says &quot;I haven&#39;t ruled out anything at this point.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/I0aEvE7nZL">pic.twitter.com/I0aEvE7nZL</a>
&mdash; philip lewis (@Phil_Lewis_) <a href="https://twitter.com/Phil_Lewis_/status/1624935777909055490?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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The general also said he would not categorize the objects that have been shot down since Friday as balloons. &#8220;We&#8217;re calling them objects for a reason,&#8221; VanHerck said, adding that he was not able to &#8220;categorize&#8221; how these vessels could stay aloft.
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Pentagon official on the most recent objects that have been shot down:
&quot;I&#39;m not going to categorize them as balloons. We&#39;re calling them objects for a reason &#8230; These are objects. I am not able to categorize how they stay aloft.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/pxpzZA8EVf">pic.twitter.com/pxpzZA8EVf</a>
&mdash; The Post Millennial (@TPostMillennial) <a href="https://twitter.com/TPostMillennial/status/1624932142861152256?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 13, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Hours earlier, Senate Majority Leader <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/chuck-schumer" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Chuck Schumer</a> (D-NY) told ABC News&#8217;s George Stephanopoulos he discussed the situation with National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan the night before, and shared that U.S. officials believe the UFOs shot down after being observed over a remote part of Alaska and Canada were balloons.
These objects were &#8220;much smaller&#8221; than the balloon shot down over the Atlantic Ocean last weekend, Schumer said, and they were flying at a lower altitude of about 40,000 feet, endangering commercial aircraft.
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“I think the Chinese were humiliated. I think the Chinese were caught lying, and it’s a real step back for them…they look really bad,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer tells <a href="https://twitter.com/GStephanopoulos?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@GStephanopoulos</a> about the Chinese balloon surveillance program. <a href="https://t.co/eS3P8M0epS">https://t.co/eS3P8M0epS</a> <a href="https://t.co/GrR27nUY3d">pic.twitter.com/GrR27nUY3d</a>
&mdash; This Week (@ThisWeekABC) <a href="https://twitter.com/ThisWeekABC/status/1624775988558065664?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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With salvage operations underway, Schumer said U.S. military and intelligence officials are focused on gathering and accumulating information. A &#8220;comprehensive analysis&#8221; will follow, the senator added.
Pentagon spokesman Brig. Gen. Patrick Ryder said on Friday the UFO shot down over Alaska was &#8220;<a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/11/politics/unidentified-object-alaska-military-latest/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">about the size of a small car</a>&#8221; and “not similar in size or shape” to the suspected Chinese surveillance balloon. The Pentagon said recovery teams were deployed to collect debris on top of ice in U.S. territorial waters, <a href="https://abc7chicago.com/unidentified-object-high-altitude-shot-down-over-alaska-ufo/12801361/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">per CNN</a>.
Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau first announced on Saturday a U.S. Air Force fighter jet shot down a UFO flying <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1624527581331554306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">over the Yukon</a>. He said Canadian forces would recover and analyze the wreckage of the object <a href="https://twitter.com/JustinTrudeau/status/1624527581331554306" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shot down over the Yukon</a>. Anand said the UFO appeared to be a &#8220;small, cylindrical object.&#8221;
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“We have no further details about the object at this time other than it appears to be a small, cylindrical object” <a href="https://t.co/ocB4FnEVTQ">pic.twitter.com/ocB4FnEVTQ</a>
&mdash; Acyn (@Acyn) <a href="https://twitter.com/Acyn/status/1624567905919664129?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Little more information has been formally released through official government channels, and unlike the suspected Chinese spy balloon, there have been no reliable images of the other aircraft that have emerged.
The suspected Chinese spy balloon appears to have been much larger than the UFOs that followed and was flying at a higher altitude that apparently did not endanger commercial aircraft, according to U.S. officials. A senior State Department official said the Chinese balloon was equipped with &#8220;multiple antennas&#8221; capable of collecting signals intelligence, <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/national-security/chinese-spy-balloon-carried-multiple-antennas-collecting-signals-intel-rcna69898" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according to NBC News</a>.
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Moment the Chinese Spy Balloon was shot down off the Coast of South Carolina; that’s one for the History Books. <a href="https://t.co/r9WkaZGCcd">pic.twitter.com/r9WkaZGCcd</a>
&mdash; OSINTdefender (@sentdefender) <a href="https://twitter.com/sentdefender/status/1621959058587525121?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 4, 2023</a></blockquote>
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While concerns have been raised about why the military did not shoot down the balloon sooner as it transited a wide swath of the United States, the Pentagon stressed the danger of falling debris and even the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-military-reveals-size-of-chinese-spy-balloon-says-it-potentially-carried-explosives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">possibility of the vessel carrying explosives</a>.
China claims the vessel was a civilian weather balloon that had been blown off course and <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/live/2023/02/04/us/china-spy-balloon" target="_blank" rel="noopener">condemned the United States</a> for its decision to shoot the aircraft down.
There have been other potential sightings in the past 24 hours.
NORAD detected what it called a &#8220;radar anomaly,&#8221; leading to a temporary flight restriction over the central part of Montana on Saturday night. But a fighter aircraft sent to investigate &#8220;did not identify any object to correlate&#8221; the radar hits and the restriction was lifted, NORAD said.
&#8220;I am in constant communication with NORCOM and they have just advised me that they have confidence there IS an object and it WAS NOT an anomaly,&#8221; tweeted Rep. Matt Rosendale (R-MT) on Sunday. &#8220;I am waiting now to receive visual confirmation. Our nation’s security is my priority.&#8221;
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I am in constant communication with NORCOM and they have just advised me that they have confidence there IS an object and it WAS NOT an anomaly. I am waiting now to receive visual confirmation. Our nation’s security is my priority.
&mdash; Matt Rosendale (@RepRosendale) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepRosendale/status/1624824597911674880?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Also on Sunday, the Federal Aviation Administration <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/u-s-closes-airspace-over-northern-michigan-for-national-defense-situation" target="_blank" rel="noopener">temporarily closed</a> a section of airspace mostly over northern Lake Michigan in support of a national defense situation.
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NEW: A new NOTAM has been posted and a Temporary Flight Restriction enacted until further notice in far northern Lake Michigan. This is once again National Defense Airspace.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/balloongate?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#balloongate</a> continued? <a href="https://t.co/BbN4WIRD3K">pic.twitter.com/BbN4WIRD3K</a>
&mdash; Nick Stewart (@NStewCBS2) <a href="https://twitter.com/NStewCBS2/status/1624828896079142912?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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It appears the temporary air restriction over Lake Michigan was connected to the object shot down over Lake Huron to the east on the other side of the state of Michigan. &#8220;Based on its flight path and data we can reasonably connect this object to the radar signal picked up over Montana,&#8221; DOD&#8217;s Sunday statement said.
Rep. Jack Bergman (R-MT) appeared on Fox News and said he was told by the Defense Department that the UFO shot down over Lake Huron appears to have had an octagonal structure. That matches a tweet by <a href="https://twitter.com/ewong/status/1624896439221469187" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Edward Wong</a>, a <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/by/edward-wong" target="_blank" rel="noopener">diplomatic correspondent</a> for The New York Times, who said U.S. officials revealed the object appeared as &#8220;an octagonal structure with strings hanging off but no discernible payload.&#8221;
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Michigan Congressman Jack Bergman:
&quot;They informed me an f-16 using a missile had shot down an octagonal structure over at Lake Huron. The altitude was about 20,000 feet.&quot; <a href="https://t.co/BBvUqyCKpy">pic.twitter.com/BBvUqyCKpy</a>
&mdash; Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) <a href="https://twitter.com/CitizenFreePres/status/1624888291190505472?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 12, 2023</a></blockquote>
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Sightings in other parts of the world were also reported Sunday. Authorities in China said they witnessed a UFO off the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/chinese-authorities-claim-to-spot-ufo-state-media" target="_blank" rel="noopener">coast of a port city</a>, a state-run newspaper claimed. There were also reports that Uruguay&#8217;s Air Force was investigating &#8220;<a href="https://twitter.com/dave_brown24/status/1624844040251342849" target="_blank" rel="noopener">flashing lights in the sky</a>.&#8221;
During his interview on ABC&#8217;s &#8220;This Week,&#8221; Schumer claimed the United States only discovered such flying objects dating back to the Trump administration within the past few months. Indeed, new reports have divulged intelligence about sightings of high-altitude balloons believed to be from China around places <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/06/politics/military-intelligence-report-china-balloon-trump/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">such as Florida and Hawaii</a>.
“It is wild that we didn’t know,&#8221; Schumer said. He added later: &#8220;Now they are learning a lot more. And the military and the intelligence are focused like a laser on first gathering and accumulating the information, then coming up with a comprehensive analysis.&#8221;

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