The following is an edited transcript excerpt of an interview between Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley and Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/christians-and-the-foster-care-crisis-6-23-24" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sunday Edition of Morning Wire</a>.
When it comes to providing homes for at-risk kids, people of faith, especially Christians, are far more likely to adopt and foster than non-religious people. But because of new regulations from the Biden administration, the very religious beliefs that prompt people of faith to adopt and foster could now render them ineligible. The faith-based commitment that inspires many Christians to care for vulnerable children is illustrated in a new film, “Sound of Hope,” which <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/videos/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot-official-trailer-angel-studios" target="_blank" rel="noopener">DailyWire+ has partnered with Angel Studios</a> to get into theaters on July 4th.
JOHN: Daily Wire culture reporter Megan Basham joins us now to discuss the new PeaceTree Productions film “<a href="https://www.angel.com/movies/sound-of-hope-the-story-of-possum-trot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sound of Hope</a>,” and how new federal regulations might impact the role communities of faith play in caring for foster children. So Megan, let’s start out by giving some context here. How big of a need is there for adoptive and foster families?
MEGAN: I think it’s fair to say heartbreakingly big. So, the most recent year for which we have <a href="https://adoptioncouncil.org/article/foster-care-and-adoption-statistics/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">data</a> is 2022. In that year, just over 53,000 kids were adopted out of foster care. But well over twice that number had a case plan for adoption. Meaning, they just continued in the system because they didn’t have any families that case workers believed were safe for them to return to and no one adopted them.
Joe Knittig is the CEO of the Global Orphan Project and founder of CarePortal, a platform that connects churches to kids in need. He was also an executive producer on “Sound of Hope” and he broke down some of the statistics for me in an interview:
<blockquote>Every year in the United States, even though we pour about $30 billion taxpayer dollars into child welfare, there are more than 7 million children, that&#8217;s more than 4 million families that are referred to Child Protective Services. So these are families at the front door of the system. And there are nearly 400,000 children that are in foster care right now. And there are more than 100,000 children in the system who are available and waiting for adoption. So that&#8217;s kind of a big picture look. A myth about child welfare is that every child that&#8217;s in that system is there because of abuse. That&#8217;s not true. The number one driver for why those 7 million children go into the system — is not abuse, it is neglect. And it&#8217;s usually poverty related neglect. So, in sum, we have a very reactive system with many children waiting. We keep flooding more children into the system. Children that shouldn&#8217;t be going in there in the first place. That is the state of the union of child welfare and child wellbeing in the United States of America.</blockquote>
To give a little more context, the average child in foster care is around 8-years-old. And as they get older, it becomes much harder to place them.
<div id="attachment_750669" style="width: 1034px" class="wp-caption alignnone"><img aria-describedby="caption-attachment-750669" decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-large wp-image-750669" src="https://dw-wp-production.imgix.net/2024/06/MixCollage-13-Jun-2024-06-47-PM-4886-1024x576.jpg" alt="Sound of Hope" width="1024" height="576" />Angel Studios/DailyWire+</div>
JOHN: Definitely heartbreaking. So just how big of a role do people of faith and Christian communities tend to play in providing homes for these kids?
MEGAN: Oh man, just a massive role. According to Barna research, practicing Christians are more than two times more likely to adopt than the general population. For evangelicals, which is who this film focuses on, they’re five times more likely than other Americans to adopt. They’re also more likely to adopt older kids and kids who have special needs or behavioral issues. I spoke to Tony Mitchell, a board member for the Christian Alliance for Orphans, also known as CAFO. That’s a nonprofit that represents around 200 organizations and close to a thousand churches. He was adopted out of foster care himself by a Christian family. And he told me that upbringing, and his own personal faith that grew out of it, were the reasons he decided to get involved in this work.
<blockquote>So I was given up at birth to foster care and I remained in the foster care system for two and a half years. Up until late in my life, I did not know what happened during those two and a half years, how many homes, or anything at all. Then I was adopted at two and a half years by a wonderful family. That family, we were not very wealthy, we existed below the poverty level, and then I was the first and only one to go to college. And then after a 30 year, very successful business career, I retired. And now I give time to several ministries and have a ministry focused retirement…</blockquote>
He also told me that Christians are instrumental in caring for at-risk kids, not just in the fostering and adopting they do themselves, but also in how they support those who foster and adopt.
<blockquote>My adoptive parents were people of faith and it had a significant impact on me. My dad would always quote things from the Bible without chapter and verse. I did not know as a child where his sayings, as I called them, came from. And when I opened the Bible for the first time myself, my first reaction was, “Hey, they got this from my dad.” So it was definitely a part of my life. And God also touched my life in my foster experience. People of our faith are very key … many times a church will create a community around foster children, and families, adopted children, families, and even families that are at risk and to help prevent children from being put into the system.</blockquote>
He pointed out that you will often see churches organizing to make sure the foster and adoptive families in their congregations are provided with clothes, beds, and other material needs. They offer baby-sitting, weekend care, homework assistance. Just anything you can think of so these families don’t feel like they’re bearing the responsibility on their own.
<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/christians-and-the-foster-care-crisis-6-23-24">LISTEN: Catch the full interview with Megan Basham on Morning Wire</a>
JOHN: Yeah, I&#8217;ve seen that play out personally in communities I&#8217;ve been involved with. So why is it often Christians who tend to be especially engaged in this work?
MEGAN: Because, as Barna Research found, Christians believe they have a biblical command to be involved in this kind of work. 77% of them say they have a personal responsibility to care for orphans. For example, James 1:27 says: &#8220;Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to look after orphans and widows in their affliction.” And I’d say that belief is very authentically reflected in “Sound of Hope,” which tells the true story of Bennett Chapel, a church located in the small East Texas town of Possum Trot. All 22 families in the church adopted 77 children out of foster care.
JOHN: Yeah. Now when you hear about kids in need in the foster care system and religious families stepping up to fill the need, I think many people find it surprising, even shocking, that this issue has become controversial and a matter of political debate. What’s going on there?
MEGAN: Well, essentially, the very thing that makes these families decide to adopt and foster — their Bible-based beliefs — is what’s prompting some political leaders to decide they’re unfit. So on April 29, the Department of Health and Human Services <a href="https://dailycitizen.focusonthefamily.com/christian-families-are-not-second-class-foster-parents/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">enacted</a> a new rule called the Safe and Appropriate Foster Care Placement Requirements. It requires foster families to use a child&#8217;s &#8220;identified pronouns, chosen name,” and to allow the child to dress “in a manner that the child believes reflects their self-identified gender identity and expression.&#8221; In other words, if a girl says she’s a boy, the foster parents would be required to treat her as a boy, and vice versa. The rule also says that any foster families “&#8230;must commit to establishing an environment that supports the child’s LGBTQI+ status or identity.” That language could potentially even mean that foster families must commit to something like providing puberty blockers to the child. So these rules conflict with the doctrinal convictions of the <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2022/07/07/attitudes-about-transgender-issues-vary-widely-among-christians-religious-nones-in-u-s/">vast</a><a href="https://research.lifeway.com/2022/09/09/one-group-still-opposes-same-sex-marriage-weekly-churchgoers/" target="_blank" rel="noopener"> majority</a> of church-going Christians in the United States. Here’s what Republican Senator James Lankford of Oklahoma said while discussing these concerns during a finance committee hearing last month:
<blockquote>I am getting some concerns from some folks that are coming back to my office on — just the concern the <a href="https://www.acf.hhs.gov/cb/policy-guidance/im-24-05">ACF recent rule</a> on foster care consider situations where a child has been removed from their home. The statement was due in part, or in whole, to a familial conflict about their sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression or sex characteristics. I know it&#8217;s a touchy issue on this, but we’ve got to figure out how to get as many people as we can possibly to be able to help in the foster system. And what I don&#8217;t want to have is a message being sent to faith-based organizations or families that believe in a traditional marriage situation that you&#8217;re no longer welcome to participate.</blockquote>
When HHS proposed the new rule at the end of last year, a group of 18 Republican attorneys general sent a letter to the administration saying it violates the constitution because it discriminates against religious families. They also said the proposal, &#8220;will harm children by limiting the number of available foster homes…” But the administration went forward with it anyway.
JOHN: Okay, so the rule has just recently been enacted. Do we know yet how it’s going to be applied?
MEGAN: Not yet, because it’s not scheduled to go into effect until 2026, and if a new administration takes power, they could reverse this, of course. But we can look at how some Democrat-led states are applying similar policies. Oregon’s Department of Human Services also requires foster and adoptive parents to “support” a child’s sexual orientation and gender identity. And there Christians are stepping forward to say the state has not allowed them to foster or adopt because of their Christian beliefs. For example, Alliance Defending Freedom is representing Jessica Bates, a widowed mother of five who says her <a href="https://x.com/ADFLegal/status/1644106457925709827/video/1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">application to adopt a pair of siblings out of foster care was denied</a> because of her Christian beliefs.
Also last year, Catholic couple Mike and Kitty Burke said Massachusetts rejected their application to be foster parents. They said the only reason listed on their application was that the state did not believe they would, &#8220;be affirming to a child who identified as LGBTQIA.&#8221; They have also filed a lawsuit arguing that this is a violation of their constitutional right to religious liberty.
JOHN: You almost wonder whether a story like the one told in “Sound of Hope” would be possible in some states right now.
MEGAN: Yes, and that’s something the filmmakers behind the movie are very concerned about. Josh and Rebekah Weigel made this movie together — they were co-writers and Josh directed. And they’re also adoptive parents themselves. So this was a serious labor of love for them and an expression of their own faith. They told me policies like the new HHS rule stand to hurt suffering kids the most:
<blockquote>We&#8217;re Christians and this is a story about a Christian community. And, you know, obviously that kind of legislation would prevent this story from happening again. &#8230; People may not understand that over two thirds of the people helping are people that may not agree with that kind of legislation … You would have a monumental ocean of traumatized children mounting every year if you were to cut off that kind of care&#8230;
Rebekah: Anything that would stand in the way of churches being able to be the answer to this crisis and being able to care for children is going to hurt the kids. And we want to see more churches step in. We want to see them be the solution to this. So any legislation prohibiting that is definitely problematic.</blockquote>
Hopefully, though, the attention this film is getting will encourage audiences, whether religious or not, to consider how they can care for foster kids or support foster and adoptive families.
JOHN: Yes. The most important people we have to remember when considering these policies are the children in need. Thanks for bringing us this report, Megan.
MEGAN: Anytime.

Conceptual image of family love, togetherness and safety

The Foster Care Crisis: How Biden’s New HHS Rule Will Make It Harder To Place Kids In Christian Homes

Adoption

Angel Studios

Biden Administration

Christians

Entertainment

Foster Care

Morning Wire

Movies

Readers Pass

Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (R-FL) is urging colleagues to support her resolution to empower the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/u-s-house-of-representatives" target="_blank" rel="noopener">House</a> sergeant-at-arms to detain Attorney General <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/merrick-garland" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Merrick Garland</a>.
The <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-sergeant-at-arms-could-take-garland-into-custody-under-gop-proposal" target="_blank" rel="noopener">measure</a> comes in response to Garland refusing to share audio from the classified documents probe against President <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/joe-biden" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Joe Biden</a> in compliance with subpoenas.
Luna posted a photo to X on Monday showing a hand holding a stack of envelopes and stating that her team was delivering a letter to every other House Republican.
In the letter, which has been <a href="https://x.com/RepLuna/status/1805279017609601368" target="_blank" rel="noopener">shared</a> online, Luna said she plans to call up her resolution to hold Garland in inherent contempt of Congress in &#8220;the next few days.&#8221;
&#8220;The urgency of this situation cannot be overstated,&#8221; Luna wrote in the missive. &#8220;Our ability to legislate effectively and fulfill our constitutional duties is at stake.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Read the letter: <a href="https://t.co/vUmNepV9dO">https://t.co/vUmNepV9dO</a>
&mdash; Rep. Anna Paulina Luna (@RepLuna) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepLuna/status/1805280640713031784?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 24, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
At issue are audio files of interviews with Biden and his ghostwriter, Mark Zwonitzer, conducted as part of special counsel Robert Hur&#8217;s classified documents investigation.
Hur&#8217;s team declined to recommend charges against Biden, who is running for re-election, but described him as a “sympathetic, well-meaning, elderly man with a poor memory.&#8221;
The Department of Justice (DOJ) <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/justice-department/doj-wont-prosecute-merrick-garland-house-gop-held-contempt-biden-tapes-rcna157261" target="_blank" rel="noopener">refuses</a> to prosecute Garland despite the House <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-votes-to-hold-garland-in-contempt-for-withholding-biden-docs-case-audio" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voting</a> to hold him in contempt because Biden <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-asserts-executive-privilege-over-tapes-in-docs-probe" target="_blank" rel="noopener">asserted</a> executive privilege over the tapes.
Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/justice-department-prosecute-garland-contempt-refusal-provide-audio-111134793" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has vowed</a> to take legal action as the next step, but Luna is not waiting around to see whether a court battle will produce results.
Luna&#8217;s <a href="https://luna.house.gov/posts/breaking-rep-luna-introduces-resolution-to-hold-attorney-general-merrick-garland-in-inherent-contempt-of-congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">resolution</a>, if enacted, could lead to the House sergeant-at-arms <a href="https://www.politico.com/live-updates/2024/05/16/congress/garland-contempt-vote-00158433" target="_blank" rel="noopener">taking Garland into custody</a> if the attorney general continues to defy the subpoenas.
It would be the first time one of the chambers of Congress has used its inherent contempt powers <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2018/01/18/congress-ability-to-twist-arms-is-limited-unless-it-wants-to-arrest-bannon-itself/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">to hold</a> someone <a href="https://www.usnews.com/news/national-news/articles/2024-06-11/what-is-contempt-of-congress-and-why-does-it-matter#:~:text=The%20third%20option%20is%20a,1934%20under%20the%20Hoover%20administration." target="_blank" rel="noopener">since 1934</a> during the Hoover administration.
Lawmakers got transcripts of the interviews but Republicans say they need the audio for oversight purposes. Democrats claim their GOP colleagues are motivated by politics.
Fox News reported Garland <a href="https://x.com/ChadPergram/status/1804268648216887592" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reached out</a> to moderate Republicans, pressing them to reject Luna&#8217;s effort. There may be an attempt to table the measure before it gets a final vote.
Rep. Dave Joyce (R-OH) is the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/sole-republican-to-oppose-garland-contempt-explains-vote" target="_blank" rel="noopener">sole member</a> of the House GOP who broke ranks and joined with Democrats in voting against holding Garland in contempt earlier this month.
“As a former prosecutor, I cannot in good conscience support a resolution that would further politicize our judicial system to score political points,” he said in a statement.
Joyce added, &#8220;The American people expect Congress to work for them, solve policy problems, and prioritize good governance. Enough is enough.&#8221;

Attorney General Merrick Garland

House Could Vote On Measure Empowering House Sergeant-At-Arms To Detain Biden Official

Luna Plans To Call Up Vote On Empowering House Sergeant-At-Arms To Detain Garland

Congress

Department of Justice

Joe Biden

Merrick Garland

Robert Hur

U.S.

U.S. House of Representatives

The following is an edited transcript of an interview between Daily Wire editor-in-chief John Bickley and Texas Congressman Dan Crenshaw (R-TX) on a <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/dan-crenshaw-s-crusade-against-ideological-persecution-saturday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Saturday Extra edition of Morning Wire</a>.
The Biden administration’s prosecution of a Texas doctor who blew the whistle on transgender procedures being conducted on children in the state has sparked accusations of political and ideological persecution. We spoke with U.S. congressman from the state of Texas, Republican Dan Crenshaw, about what actions he and his colleagues are taking on the issue of child transgender medical procedures and what they say is the weaponization of the federal government.
JOHN: Joining us now is Republican Congressman Dan Crenshaw of Texas. Congressman, thank you for coming on. Let&#8217;s start with the prosecution of <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/a-doctor-blew-the-whistle-on-his-hospitals-transgender-clinic-now-the-feds-are-trying-to-ruin-his-life" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Dr. Eithan Haim</a>. He worked at the Texas Children&#8217;s Hospital in your district. He&#8217;s <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/how-the-doctor-at-the-center-of-latest-texas-childrens-hospital-scandal-built-an-alliance-with-transgender-activists?topStoryPosition=1" target="_blank" rel="noopener">being prosecuted</a> after blowing the whistle on the hospital because it was continuing to perform transgender procedures on children, even after the Texas AG said that practice is dangerous. You believe this is a political prosecution. Why?
DAN: Well, I believe it&#8217;s political because it&#8217;s unusual for the DOJ and HHS to bring somebody up on criminal charges for HIPAA violations. And if you look at what they&#8217;re really charging him with, it&#8217;s a stretch to say it&#8217;s even a HIPAA violation. So they&#8217;re charging him for unlawful access to the database, but of course he has access to that database, to patient data. He did not release any personal information on those patients. He anonymized any data he released. So you have to squint really hard to see this as a HIPAA violation and to justify federal agents arresting him for doing this. This is the kind of thing where you might think Texas Children&#8217;s might have a civil case against him for it, and they would go to the courts as such, and there might be a fine involved, right? That&#8217;s what you would normally expect from this. But these are criminal charges being brought against him for accessing a database that he has perfectly lawful access to. Of course it&#8217;s political because this is such a politicized topic. This is the topic of affirmative transgender care on minors. It&#8217;s pretty contentious, I&#8217;ve noticed, because I&#8217;ve introduced legislation in the Congress and watched even my most moderate, reasonable Democrats throw their hands up like crazy people and argue with me that it should be okay to do a double mastectomy on a 12-year-old girl just because she thinks she&#8217;s a boy. So, hyper-politicized.
JOHN: We&#8217;ve seen the Biden administration prioritize this issue in a way that we&#8217;ve never seen another administration do. What do Republicans need to do if they want to counter the Democrat agenda on this?
DAN: Conservatives need to fight back against it. Now, in Texas, shortly after this whistleblower blew the whistle on Texas Children&#8217;s Hospital, Texas passed SB14, which prohibits this practice entirely. Then, there was no question. After that, I think it can be said that all the hospitals in Texas stopped doing these procedures because it was made in law. Prior to that – and what Dr. Haim was referencing when he blew the whistle – was an opinion from the Attorney General. So the Attorney General issued an opinion, which is a fairly normal thing to do, saying, look, we&#8217;ve looked into this, our interpretation of the laws based on child abuse laws says that you cannot do this practice. So, hospitals are taking a risk at that point if they move forward because they could be prosecuted by the Attorney General because he&#8217;s made it clear what the interpretation is of that law. And then again, shortly afterwards the law was made extremely clear: You cannot do this in Texas.
JOHN: Then we have the Title IX changes, which do directly address gender identity and make this something for all publicly funded educational programs.
DAN: Yes, I have a new daughter now, she&#8217;s nine-months-old and God help the people who try to put a boy in whatever sport she wants to play. There&#8217;s not enough wrath for them. We have to fight this and the public is on our side — the public is on our side on all of these issues. We saw a Washington Post survey some time ago that asked the public, ”Do you support puberty blockers or hormone therapy for minors for a gender transition?” They didn&#8217;t even ask about surgeries, by the way – just asked about those two things. 70% said no. This practice of affirmative gender care is being rolled back in Europe. They&#8217;re seeing how the data just doesn&#8217;t add up. The recent systematic review by Dr. Cass from the U.K. really was the final nail in the coffin on this practice. After reviewing all of the data and all of the studies and all of the methodology behind each study, it showed that this practice just doesn&#8217;t come with any benefits, but it does come with enormous risks. And that&#8217;s a really big problem. These are huge long-term physiological changes, and if we can&#8217;t even point to any benefits from doing them – well, then we&#8217;ve got a problem on our hands.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/dan-crenshaw-s-crusade-against-ideological-persecution-saturday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">LISTEN: Catch the full interview with Congressman Dan Crenshaw on the Saturday Extra edition of Morning Wire</a></h4>
JOHN: Indeed. I want to talk about some actions you&#8217;ve taken related to this. First, you sent a letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland and Health and Human Services Secretary Javier Becerra, demanding all documents regarding the prosecution of Haim. In the letter, you say the prosecutor did not even review the evidence before considering him a target. Is that true?
DAN: That&#8217;s true, as far as we know. That&#8217;s from Dr. Haim&#8217;s lawyers and I don&#8217;t think they would make that claim if they didn&#8217;t have some sort of proof. Again, showing how politicized this is. I mean, they see a case like this and they say, “Let&#8217;s go, let&#8217;s go! Boom, boom, boom.” And they start shooting in the air and hooping and hollering and driving off into the sunset. That&#8217;s yet another reason we think this is politicized. This kind of thing should not be done lightly.
JOHN: Do you expect AG Garland to actually cooperate? He&#8217;s been pretty uncooperative so far with Congress. Do you feel like he&#8217;s going to stonewall again?
DAN: Absolutely. I don&#8217;t expect real answers to this. They&#8217;re going to come back and claim — if they even bother to respond— that it&#8217;s an active investigation and that they can&#8217;t possibly share records or any information about it. I have another piece of legislation, which I think would be quite helpful in this. I&#8217;ve been urging the Speaker to take it up because it&#8217;s already passed out of our committee on energy, and my legislation would actually prohibit funding the children&#8217;s hospitals around the nation, specifically for Graduate Medical Education (GME), which basically funds their residencies. It&#8217;s a federal program that helps fund residencies and hospitals. A good program we all like, but I don&#8217;t think you should have access to that kind of federal money if you are engaging in child abuse and bullying parents into “transitioning” their kids. So, again, the public is well behind us on this. I want to have that debate on the floor and get that moving.
JOHN: And that would block funds from going to that program if you did that, if you promoted transgender treatments and procedures for children.
DAN: Right. Your access to that federal money would be contingent on whether or not you perform those kinds of procedures.
JOHN: Final question: We&#8217;ve seen quite a few seemingly political prosecutions by government agencies, against Donald Trump and many of his attorneys — John Eastman, Rudy Giuliani — and even peaceful pro-life objectors. What do you make of what Jim Jordan calls a “weaponized” government?
DAN: Well, look we even created a subcommittee on Jordan&#8217;s Judiciary Committee to deal with this called the Weaponization of Government Select Committee. Obviously it&#8217;s something we take seriously as Republicans, and we&#8217;re not crazy. I&#8217;m the first to call out my own side when people are overreacting or going down some rabbit holes they shouldn&#8217;t go down. But this isn&#8217;t really one of them. There is a list of these prosecutions and they are out of the ordinary. We obviously just talked about this one, which is just simply out of the ordinary. Anything wildly out of the ordinary in the court of law should be looked at with some skepticism and you should note that there might be political bias there. The charges against Trump – I still haven&#8217;t heard one real good lawyer actually come out and say, “No, these are actually real charges, somebody else might get charged with this kind of thing.” Nobody has said that. Everybody knows they&#8217;re bogus. And the list goes on and on, and it&#8217;s ironic because the Democrats are constantly wringing their hands and clutching their pearls — that were probably donated to them by rich people in Hollywood. And they&#8217;re constantly wringing their hands about the “threats to democracy.” Well, one of the greatest threats to democracy is the upending of the sanctity of our judicial system. And if you don&#8217;t believe you can get a fair shot in a court of law, you do start to lose your democracy. That&#8217;s a huge part of our social contract, of our nation&#8217;s fabric that holds us together. This idea that there&#8217;s due process, that if you make the right arguments and you show the right evidence that you can prevail. If that turns out not to be the case, you&#8217;ve got a very, very serious problem on your hands, just from a basic civics perspective.
JOHN: A very troubling prospect, no doubt. Congressman, thank you so much for joining us. 
DAN: Thanks for having me.
* * *
Catch the full interview between John Bickley and Dan Crenshaw on <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/podcasts/morning-wire/dan-crenshaw-s-crusade-against-ideological-persecution-saturday-extra" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Morning Wire</a>.

Members Of The Texas Congressional Delegation Speak On Border Security

‘Hyper-Politicized’: Dan Crenshaw’s Crusade Against Ideological Persecution

'Hyper-Politicized': Dan Crenshaw’s Crusade Against Ideological Persecution

Children's Health

Dan Crenshaw

interview

Texas

An <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/illegal-immigration" target="_blank" rel="noopener">illegal alien</a> who entered the U.S. under President Joe Biden has recently pled guilty to raping a 12-year-old girl in Iowa.
The Washington Examiner exclusively <a href="https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/policy/immigration/3051196/illegal-immigrant-iowa-pleads-guilty-sexually-assaulting-12-girl/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> on Tuesday that Honduran national Junior Manuel Dubon Benitez, 18, pled guilty last month in Iowa District Court to raping the child.
He was arrested this year on Valentine&#8217;s Day on suspicion of “sexual abuse upon Jane Doe a 12 year old child” at a home in Waterloo, Iowa. The attack happened a few days before he was arrested.
Dubon Benitez was initially charged with second-degree sexual abuse, but accepted a plea deal for third-degree sexual abuse, the report said, adding that he faces up to 10 years in state prison.
Dubon Benitez, 18, illegally entered the U.S near Hidalgo, Texas, in April 2022 as a 16-year-old, the report said.
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) filed a detainer request against him so that when he is released from state prison, he will be deported back to Honduras.
The news comes after another Biden-era illegal alien admitted to prosecutors in New York City this week that he, too, raped a young girl.
Christian Geovanny Inga-Landi, 25, was arraigned on multiple charges after a group of Good Samaritans beat him up and held him until authorities were able to arrest him early on Tuesday. He had been on the run for several days after the attack on a 13-year-old girl in Kissena Park in Queens.
The New York Post <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/19/us-news/ecuadorian-migrant-who-allegedly-raped-13-year-old-nyc-girl-said-he-recorded-the-attack-in-sickening-confession-da/?utm_campaign=nypost&amp;utm_source=twitter&amp;utm_medium=social" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that the Ecuadorian national was charged with predatory sexual assault, first-degree rape, two counts of second-degree kidnapping, two counts of first-degree robbery, second-degree rape, first-degree sexual abuse, obstructing governmental administration, and two counts of endangering the welfare of a child.
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Prosecutors said in court that Inga-Landi, who illegally entered the U.S. in 2021, stated during a videotaped confession: “I was nervous at first, then got comfortable and recorded it.” Assistant District Attorney Kasey Esposito reportedly read the transcript of the videotaped statement.
The illegal alien allegedly tied them together, stuffed a bandana in the girl’s mouth and cut off her shorts and underwear, and then raped her.
He then took their phones, ran away, and bought drugs, prosecutors said.
The New York Post separately <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-admin-failed-to-deport-illegal-alien-accused-of-violent-child-rape-after-judge-ordered-it-2-years-ago" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that a federal immigration judge ordered him to be deported in February 2022, according to sources at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). The report said that Inga-Landi illegally crossed into the U.S. at Eagle Pass, Texas, in June 2021 as part of the unprecedented wave of millions of illegal aliens pouring into the country under Biden.

Biden-Era Illegal Alien Pleads Guilty To Raping Child In Iowa

Illegal Immigration

Iowa

Rape

Two illegal aliens from <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/venezuela" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Venezuela</a> were charged this week with allegedly murdering a young girl in Houston, Texas.
Johan Jose Rangel Martinez, 21, and Franklin Jose Pena Ramos, 26, were each charged with capital murder in the killing of 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray.
The Houston Police Department responded to a call about a girl floating in a shallow creek on Monday. She was pronounced dead on the scene, police said.
Investigators said that Nungaray was murdered via strangulation and police were able to trace the movements the suspects before and after the killing by using surveillance videos.
Prosecutors said that the defendants &#8220;lured&#8221; Nungaray &#8220;under a bridge&#8221; where they &#8220;remained with her for over two hours, took her pants off, tied her up and killed her, then threw her body into the bayou.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
NEW: Booking photos for the two Venezuelan illegal aliens charged w/ murdering 12-year-old Jocelyn Nungaray in Houston. Prosecutors are asking for $1 million bail, citing the following aggravating circumstances:
&#8220;In this case, the defendant lured a 12-year-old under a bridge… <a href="https://t.co/ea17zi060q">pic.twitter.com/ea17zi060q</a>
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) <a href="https://twitter.com/BillMelugin_/status/1804204949292880331?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 21, 2024</a></blockquote>
U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) confirmed that both men were illegal aliens who entered the U.S. recently and were released into the interior of the country by the Biden administration.
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&#8220;Martinez and Pena both illegally entered the U.S. without inspection, parole or admission by a U.S. immigration officer on an unknown date and at an unknown location,&#8221; the agency said. &#8220;On March 14, Martinez was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol near El Paso, Texas. That same day he was released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear. Pena was apprehended by the U.S. Border Patrol on May 28 near El Paso. He was also released on an order of recognizance with a notice to appear the same day he was apprehended.&#8221;
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/illegal-alien-who-came-in-under-biden-admits-to-raping-young-girl-prosecutors-say" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Illegal Alien Who Came In Under Biden Admits To Raping Young Girl, Prosecutors Say</a>

Franklin Pena and Johan Jose Martinez-Range

2 Venezuelan Illegal Aliens Who Came In Under Biden Charged With Murdering Young Girl In Texas

Murder

Former President Trump called to offer condolences to Patty Morin, the mother of Rachel Morin, the mother of five who was allegedly raped and murdered by an illegal immigrant from El Salvador, prompting a very different reaction than her response to the Biden administration’s seeming indifference to her pain.
Patty Morin revealed on Wednesday that no one in the Biden administration had reached out to her after the arrest of Victor Antonio Martinez-Hernandez, 23, who was arrested last Friday in Tulsa, Oklahoma and charged with first-degree murder and first-degree rape in Rachel Morin’s death. Morin was murdered while she was reportedly jogging on the Ma and Pa hiking trail in Bel Air, Maryland last August.
“I am deeply touched by President Trump’s kindness and concern,” Patty Morin stated, according to <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/20/us-news/donald-trump-calls-mom-of-slain-jogger-rachel-morin-deeply-touched/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The New York Post</a>. “He was genuine and truly wanted to know how our family was coping. He asked about Rachel and showed honest compassion for her untimely death. His words brought comfort to me during this very difficult time.”
On Tuesday, CNN’s Jim Acosta asked Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, “What do you say to critics who blame the administration for allowing something like this to happen? Obviously this is something you hear in Right-wing media all the time.”
Mayorkas refused to refer to Rachel Morin by name, answering, “Jim, first and foremost, of course our hearts break for the children, the family, the loved ones, the friends of the individual who was murdered — the woman — the mother. Jim, a criminal is responsible for the criminal act. The criminal who committed this heinous act should be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law, and forcefully so. That is my response.”
On Wednesday, Patty Morin <a href="https://www.foxnews.com/politics/rachel-morins-mom-blasts-mayorkas-description-slain-daughter-illegal-immigrant-suspect-nabbed" target="_blank" rel="noopener">blasted</a> Mayorkas, saying, “It’s a completely political statement &#8230; It totally depersonalizes her and makes her an object. &#8230; No one has contacted me personally and as far as I know, no one has reached out and contacted anyone in the family. &#8230; to categorize her as a statistic, it just shows how impersonal they are and how they don’t value life.”
“They just seem to be disconnected completely from what is happening at the southern border and how it is affecting Americans,” Morin family attorney Randolph Rice added. “They are hemorrhaging at the southern border and they’re arguing about what kind of band-aid to put on it when instead they should be putting a tourniquet on it and stopping this flow so that we don’t have another Rachel Morin.”
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mayorkas-blames-criminal-denies-any-responsibility-for-latest-murder-allegedly-by-illegal-alien">Mayorkas Blames &#8216;Criminal,&#8217; Denies Any Responsibility For Latest Murder Allegedly By Illegal Alien</a>

LIV Golf Invitational – Miami – Day Three

‘Deeply Touched’: Trump Calls Mom Of Rachel Morin, Mom Of Five Allegedly Raped And Murdered By Illegal Immigrant

Alejandro Mayorkas

Donald Trump

illegal immigrant

Rachel Morin

A staffer for a Democratic <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/congress" target="_blank" rel="noopener">congresswoman</a> crowed on social media on Thursday about getting his student loans forgiven by the Biden administration, saying &#8220;elections matter,&#8221; but it turns out his boss previously opposed cancelling student loans.
Representative Marcy Kaptur&#8217;s (D-OH) communications director Ben Kamens <a href="https://x.com/BeeKamens/status/1803490997457789263" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">posted</a> a photo of the letter informing him that his student debt had been forgiven.
&#8220;Just got a call to let me know my student debt has been canceled,&#8221; Kamens wrote.
&#8220;This is why elections matter. Thanks @JoeBiden,&#8221; he added.
The letter showed a total of $8,250 in student loans from 2010 were forgiven Kamens.
&#8220;Congratulations! The Biden-Harris Administration has forgiven your federal student loan(s),&#8221; read the letter from Nelnet, the country&#8217;s largest servicer of student loans.
Back in 2022, Kaptur, an Ohio Democrat, <a href="https://sanduskyregister.com/news/404779/kaptur-criticizes-student-loan-debt-relief/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">criticized</a> the Biden administration&#8217;s plan to erase billions of dollars in student loan debt.
“What about the people who paid off their loans?” Kaptur said. “What about the people who didn’t rack up that level of debt? What about people who put college on hold? What about the systemic problems we have in the student loan program, where you walk into an admissions office at a college and they give you a credit card, and you get the money, and you can spend the money on a car or a vacation or whatever, and then the student doesn’t graduate. There’s a lot of issues.”
Kaptur also questioned whether the president has the legal authority to push forward with the massive loan forgiveness plan, saying President Biden likely &#8220;overreached his authority.&#8221;
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“There was no consultation with Congress,&#8221; she said. &#8220;The last time I checked the Constitution, you can’t impact the bottom line of the federal treasury without some bill moving through Congress. I think the president probably overreached his authority on this one. My expectation is it will go to the courts. I’m not sure how that will happen.”
However, Kaptur later <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/20/us-news/aide-to-rep-marcy-kaptur-boasts-of-receiving-biden-student-loan-bailout-which-his-boss-opposed/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">voted</a> twice against House measures criticizing the administration&#8217;s student loan cancellation.
Meanwhile, the criticism online was swift on Thursday.
One X user <a href="https://x.com/Mar__G_3/status/1803557104847859802" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> that Kamens makes over $90,000 a year, <a href="https://www.legistorm.com/person/Benjamin_A_Kamens/361249.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to Legistorm, but still apparently expected taxpayers to pay his debt.
Others pointed out that Kamens had previously posted about holding Philadelphia Eagles season tickets and that the address on his loan forgiveness letter was for a house valued at over half a million dollars.
&#8220;You are jubilant at having foisted your student debt on other taxpayers. Meanwhile, a cursory spin through your profile in just recent times show multiple examples of extraneous expenditures that could have gone toward your years long debt. Nice,&#8221; one X user <a href="https://x.com/LisasFineLines/status/1803519366455296227" target="_blank" rel="noopener">wrote</a>.
Kamens switched his X account to private mode after his post garnered attention.
Last summer, the Supreme Court <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/supreme-court-delivers-defeat-to-biden-admin-on-student-loan-forgiveness">struck down</a> Biden’s $430 billion student debt relief policy that would have forgiven the student debt of about 40 million people. The high court ruled 6-3 that the HEROES Act of 2003 does not give Biden the authority to cancel billions in student loan debt.
Just weeks later, however, Biden announced the Education Department’s Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan, which is <a href="https://nypost.com/2023/07/17/bidens-new-student-loan-forgiveness-to-cost-475-billion/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">expected</a> to cost taxpayers about $475 billion over the next decade.

Piggy bank with Debt Forgiveness graduation cap on cash

Dem Hill Staffer Celebrates Getting Biden Student Loan Cancellation, But His Boss Opposed It

Democrat

Politics

Student Loan Cancellation

Student Loans

Fisker announced this week that it has filed for bankruptcy as the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/electric-cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">electric vehicle</a> market continues to collapse amid low demand for the costly vehicles and various other concerns about electric cars.
The company has struggled for a long time and had to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/ev-startup-fisker-halts-production-to-raise-emergency-funds-amid-cash-crunch-from-low-demand" target="_blank" rel="noopener">stop production</a> of its vehicles earlier this year to raise hundreds of millions of dollars that it needed to stay alive. The company later <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/03/01/business/ev-maker-fisker-says-it-may-go-out-of-business/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> that it had “substantial doubt about Fisker’s ability to” stay in business.
Fisker said in a statement on Tuesday that it has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy and is already in &#8220;advanced discussions with financial stakeholders regarding debtor-in-possession financing and the sale of its assets.&#8221;
A spokesperson for the company claimed: &#8220;Fisker has made incredible progress since our founding, bringing the Ocean SUV to market twice as fast as expected in the auto industry and making good on our promises to deliver the most sustainable vehicle in the world.&#8221;
&#8220;We are proud of our achievements, and we have put thousands of Fisker Ocean SUVs in customers’ hands in both North American and Europe,&#8221; the spokesperson added. &#8220;But like other companies in the electric vehicle industry, we have faced various market and macroeconomic headwinds that have impacted our ability to operate efficiently. After evaluating all options for our business, we determined that proceeding with a sale of our assets under Chapter 11 is the most viable path forward for the company.&#8221;
The company’s struggles comes despite the Biden administration&#8217;s efforts to destroy the gas-powered car industry by implementing the most extreme pollution restrictions in history on automakers.
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Numerous companies have been forced to <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/apple-ends-multi-billion-dollar-effort-to-build-electric-cars" target="_blank" rel="noopener">scrap their plans</a> to build electric cars, <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/mercedes-scraps-plan-to-only-sell-electric-vehicles" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cancel their plans</a> to go all electric, or have had to <a href="https://www.foxbusiness.com/fox-news-auto/ev-maker-files-bankruptcy-after-hemorrhaging-cash#:~:text=The%20company%20joins,U.S.%20regulators.">file for bankruptcy</a>. An executive of another EVs company was recently <a href="https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdny/pr/trevor-milton-sentenced-four-years-prison-securities-fraud-scheme">sentenced</a> to federal prison for lying to investors about the abilities of his company.
Consumers regularly have complained about the high prices of electric vehicles, their quality and reliability, the lack of charging stations, the time it takes to charge them, how inconvenient they can be, and their significantly decreased performance during cold weather conditions.

SWITZERLAND-AUTO-SHOW

Electric Car Company Fisker Files For Bankruptcy As EV Market Continues To Collapse

Economy

Electric cars

Money

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/russia" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Russia</a> has overtaken the United States as the top exporter of natural gas to Europe despite the continent trying to break its reliance on Russian energy in response to Russia&#8217;s war in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin cut his country&#8217;s supply of gas to Europe following his invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and the continent responded by importing liquified natural gas (LNG) from the U.S.
&#8220;The US overtook Russia as a supplier of gas to Europe in September 2022, and has since 2023 accounted for about a fifth of the region’s supply,&#8221; The Financial Times <a href="https://www.ft.com/content/15e7b892-c4f3-45b8-b375-80ef52e4b83c" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. &#8220;But last month, Russian-piped gas and LNG shipments accounted for 15 per cent of total supply to the EU, UK, Switzerland, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and North Macedonia, according to data from ICIS.&#8221;
U.S. shipments of natural gas to Europe have since fallen to 14% of the region&#8217;s supply, the report said, which comes despite efforts from several European nations to sanction Russian energy, which would reduce Russia&#8217;s ability to continue funding its war through energy sales.
Experts claimed to the newspaper that &#8220;one-off factors drove the reversal,&#8221; including an outage at a major U.S. natural gas export facility.
However, the outage comes after President Joe Biden halted issuing new licenses for natural gas exporters, which has forced companies to delay signing new contracts with U.S. energy producers, Bloomberg News <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-03-15/biden-s-lng-freeze-delaying-projects-and-risking-us-market-share?embedded-checkout=true" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
Rep. Stephanie Bice (R-OK) responded to the development by telling The Daily Wire in a statement: &#8220;The Biden Administration’s decision to pause approvals for new LNG export terminals has once again forced Europe into the pockets of Putin.&#8221;
&#8220;His decisions not only counter his climate goals, since Russian natural gas is 41% dirtier than American, but harms our domestic producers,&#8221; she added. &#8220;When it comes to Russia, Biden talks the talk, but his actions are doing nothing but supporting Putin.&#8221;
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also responded to the news during the most recent episode of his &#8220;Verdict&#8221; podcast this week, saying that Biden and the Democrats &#8220;are united in favor of this policy.&#8221;
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&#8220;They are helping Russia. They are hurting our allies, they are hurting Europe, and they&#8217;re hurting jobs in Texas, and hurting jobs in America,&#8221; he said, later adding: “Joe Biden and the Democrats have this incoherent view that they hate oil and gas produced in America, which, by the way, produces jobs, raises wages here in the United States, but they seemingly love oil and gas produced by our enemies. They love Russian oil and gas. They love Iranian oil and gas. They love Venezuelan oil and gas.”
“Joe Biden is halting the sale of American natural gas to Europe, which means the Europeans are buying them from Vladimir Putin,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The Democrats are literally funding Russia in the war against Ukraine. It is incoherent and it&#8217;s indefensible.”

Putin and Biden

Russia Now Supplies More Natural Gas To Europe Than U.S. Does

Energy

Europe

Russia

Ukraine-Russia War

World

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/economy" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Retail chains</a> are closing thousands of stores this year, nearly a quarter more than by this time last year, a new survey shows.
Companies are announcing the closures of almost 3,200 brick-and-mortar stores so far in 2024, <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/store-closures-surging-2024-family-dollar-rue21-cvs-rite-aid/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">according</a> to a recent analysis from CoreSight Research, which tracks store closures and openings.
This is a 24% increase from a year ago, according to the report.
Major retail chains have announced about 4% fewer store openings compared to this time last year as well.
The stores cite multiple factors, including bankruptcies, inflation, and shoplifting, all of which lead to the prohibitive costs of keeping the stores open. Organized retail theft rings have become an urgent problem for both retail chains and small businesses in some areas.
Another factor is customers opting to shop online at places like Amazon rather than in person, a trend that has driven down store traffic over the past two decades.
RiteAid and Rue21, a clothing company, have both declared bankruptcy. Rue21 <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/03/business/rue21-bankruptcy-stores-closing/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cited</a> inflation and is laying off all of its 4,900 employees. RiteAid will close 165 stores this year.
About eight million square feet of closed retail space resulted from drug store and pharmacy closures in the U.S. this year, the CoreSight report <a href="https://nypost.com/2024/06/18/us-news/more-companies-announce-bankruptcies-and-closures-citing-inflation-as-almost-3200-stores-face-shuttering-in-2024-poll/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>.
Dollar Tree cited inflation and shoplifting in announcing plans to close more than 600 Family Dollar locations, the largest number of any retailer so far this year.
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Tupperware <a href="https://triblive.com/business/iconic-brand-shutting-down-its-only-u-s-factory-moving-production-to-mexico-report/#:~:text=The%20iconic%20brand%2C%20Tupperware%2C%20is,people%20will%20be%20laid%20off." target="_blank" rel="noopener">announced</a> last week that it will close its only U.S. factory located in South Carolina, laying off all 148 workers starting in September.
The container company will continue production at a Mexico plant.
Other companies closing a large number of stores include 99 Cents Only Stores, which is closing 371 stores, CVS with 315 stores, 7-11 with 272 stores, Express with 105 stores, Walgreens&#8217; parent company with 77 stores, and Macy&#8217;s with 51 stores.
Stores closing under 50 stores include Sleep Number, Burlington, Foot Locker, Carter&#8217;s, Abercrombie &amp; Fitch, Big Lots, Dollar General, H&amp;M, Best Buy, and Ross, among others.
However, several of these chains are also expanding. Dollar General plans to add more than 800 locations this year, and 7-Eleven plans to open more than 270 new stores this year. Five Below also plans to open 227 new stores.
The skyrocketing inflation of the last several years has caused prices for everyday necessities to spike, including food, gas, and housing, and Americans are feeling the pain in their wallets.
Prices are up an eye-popping 20% since January, 2021, before inflation spiked.
Inflation has fallen significantly after peaking at 9.1% in June, 2022, but as of last month it <a href="https://www.nerdwallet.com/article/investing/inflation#:~:text=Rate%20is%203.3%25.-,Here's%20Why%20It%20Matters,help%20when%20making%20financial%20decisions." target="_blank" rel="noopener">remained</a> high at about 3.3%, much higher than the Federal Reserve&#8217;s goal of 2%.

Going Out of Business Sign

Retailers Closing Nearly 3,200 Stores, Up From Last Year: Survey

Business

Inflation

Prices

Russian President Vladimir Putin met with North Korean Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un in Pyongyang, where, on Wednesday, the two dictators signed a mutual defense agreement.
Putin&#8217;s North Korea trip marks his first visit to the Hermit Kingdom in 24 years, and the Russian president was greeted with fanfare and crowds of North Koreans chanting his name, NBC News <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/putin-meets-kim-north-korea-rcna157665" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>. Following his meeting with Kim, Putin said the leaders signed &#8220;a truly breakthrough document&#8221; that boosts security, trade, and humanitarian agreements. Kim <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-russia-north-korea-summit-ukraine-a6b8d2c12de7ee2ab6716d4747c9850e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">called</a> the agreement the &#8220;strongest ever treaty&#8221; between the two countries.
The Russian president said U.S. allies Japan and South Korea were &#8220;hostile to North Korea&#8221; and labeled U.S. policy toward Kim as &#8220;confrontational,&#8221; according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/19/asia/north-korea-russia-putin-visit-thursday-intl-hnk/index.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CNN</a>. Biden administration officials have expressed concern that increased ties between Russia and North Korea will help boost Kim&#8217;s nuclear capabilities and help supply Putin&#8217;s forces with ammunition as it continues its assault on Ukraine.
Putin thanked Kim for continuing to support Russia in its “fight against the imperialist hegemonistic policies of the U.S. and its satellites against the Russian Federation.” Kim <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/kim-jong-un-expected-to-meet-with-putin-for-weapons-talks-reports" target="_blank" rel="noopener">visited</a> Putin in the Russian port city of Vladivostok last September to discuss weapons shipments to Russia.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken <a href="https://apnews.com/article/vladimir-putin-kim-jong-un-russia-north-korea-summit-ukraine-a6b8d2c12de7ee2ab6716d4747c9850e" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> on Tuesday that Putin&#8217;s visit to North Korea shows the Russian leader is trying &#8220;in desperation, to develop and to strengthen relations with countries that can provide it with what it needs to continue the war of aggression that it started against Ukraine.”
Six senior U.S. officials told NBC News that the Biden administration believes Russia is sending North Korea ballistic missile technology in exchange for munitions the country is supplying to Russian troops. The U.S. <a href="https://www.state.gov/imposing-measures-in-response-to-navalnys-death-and-two-years-of-russias-full-scale-war-against-ukraine/#:~:text=Since%20September%202023%2C%20the%20DPRK,conflict%20since%20early%20October%202023" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> in February that North Korea has sent &#8220;10,000 containers of munitions or munitions-related materials to Russia&#8221; since the Kim-Putin meeting in September of 2023.
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While details of the new agreement are still not fully known, the Russia-North Korea security treaty appears to be the strongest between the two countries since 1961, when the former Soviet Union promised to aid North Korea if it was attacked, the Associated Press reported. After the collapse of the Soviet Union, Russia and North Korea agreed to a weaker security deal in 2000.

Vladimir Putin/Kim Jong Un

Putin Signs ‘Breakthrough’ Mutual Defense Agreement With Kim Jong Un

Putin Signs 'Breakthrough' Mutual Defense Agreement With Kim Jong Un

Global Politics

Kim Jong Un

North Korea

Vladimir Putin

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu slammed President Joe Biden&#8217;s administration on Tuesday for holding up weapons shipments to Israel that it has long promised to deliver.
While the administration has provided some support to Israel, it has caved to the far-left-wing of the Democrat Party after facing intense pressure to stop supplying Israel with the weapons that it needs to win its war against Hamas following the October 7 massacre. The White House has <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/white-house-rejects-netanyahu-criticism-withholding-weapons-israel-rcna157884">rejected</a> Netanyahu&#8217;s accusation.
The administration has withheld everything from <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-blocks-shipment-of-rifles-to-israel-over-concerns-of-west-bank-settler-violence-9764c87d">rifles</a> meant to arm local Israeli communities who are at risk of being overrun by Islamic terrorists to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-delays-sending-precision-weapons-to-israel-253f12f0">precision bombs</a> that could reduce collateral damage in the war.
&#8220;When Secretary [of State Antony] Blinken was recently here in Israel, we had a candid conversation,&#8221; Netanyahu said in a video posted to X. &#8220;I said, I deeply appreciated the support the U.S. has given Israel from the beginning of the war, but I also said something else. I said it&#8217;s inconceivable that in the past few months, the administration has been withholding weapons and ammunitions to Israel.&#8221;
Netanyahu&#8217;s statement comes after The Wall Street Journal <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/congressional-leaders-allow-major-arms-sale-to-israel-to-proceed-after-white-house-pressure-f2e48389">reported</a> earlier in the day that the administration was withholding a fleet of F-15 jet fighters being shipped to Israel, even though Congress approved the sale a month ago.
&#8220;Israel, America&#8217;s closest ally, fighting for its life, fighting against Iran, and our other common enemies,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;Secretary Blinken assured me that the administration is working day and night to remove these bottlenecks. I certainly hope that&#8217;s the case. It should be the case. During World War II, Churchill told the United States, &#8216;give us the tools, we&#8217;ll do the job.&#8217; And I say, give us the tools and we&#8217;ll finish the job a lot faster.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Give us the tools and we&#8217;ll finish the job. <a href="https://t.co/eQHpyd9q0X">pic.twitter.com/eQHpyd9q0X</a>
— Benjamin Netanyahu &#8211; בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1803064164539081120?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 18, 2024</a></blockquote>
Biden — who is trailing Trump in swing states, according to multiple polls — is trying not to upset the Islamic voters in the Democrat Party ahead of the 2024 election as their votes could be critical in swing states where the final results could be close.
The White House reportedly lashed out at Netanyahu over his message criticizing the administration by canceling a high-level meeting between U.S. and Israeli officials over Iran.
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Israeli officials were already en route to the U.S. when they received the message that the meeting had been canceled, Axios reported. The report said that the Biden administration specifically canceled it to &#8220;send a message about the video.&#8221;
A Biden official thumped their chest in a statement to Axios: &#8220;This decision makes it clear that there are consequences for pulling such stunts.&#8221;
The White House <a href="https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/white-house-rejects-netanyahu-criticism-withholding-weapons-israel-rcna157884">denied</a> the Axios report.
Political commentator Mark Levin took a shot at Axios reporter Barak Ravid, who authored the report, saying: &#8220;Barak Ravid is an Israeli mouthpiece for Blinken. He’s a disgrace.&#8221;
&#8220;And what’s more outrageous is the way Biden-Blinken treat Netanyahu as the prime minister of Israel,&#8221; he added. &#8220;This is the most anti-Israel, antisemitic U.S. regime ever. They never treat any other world leader like this, including the monster who runs Iran. Indeed, they kiss his a*s. Hopefully in November, we can broom these evil bastards out of our government. And they can take their lapdog Ravid with them.&#8221;

Israeli Authorities Announce Rescue Of Four Hostages From Gaza

Netanyahu Blasts Biden Admin For Delaying Weapons Shipments To Israel; Admin Reportedly Hits Back

Benjamin Netanyahu

Israel

weapons

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