A <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/north-carolina">North Carolina</a> man has been arrested and charged with multiple crimes after allegedly using bots and <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/artificial-intelligence">artificial intelligence</a> (AI) to generate <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/music">songs</a> to collect $10 million in royalties.
Michael Smith, 52, was arrested on Wednesday on charges of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York. Each charge has a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison.
Smith’s complex scheme involved using automated programs, also known as “bots,” to stream songs created with artificial intelligence, the federal indictment said. He used the bot accounts to stream those AI-generated songs billions of times across multiple streaming platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music, and Amazon Music, per <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/05/nyregion/nc-man-charged-ai-fake-music.html?partner=slack&amp;smid=sl-share">The New York Times</a>. The revenue he received from these plays resulted in royalty payments exceeding $10 million.
<a href="https://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724361346607000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1ZhyOQfEkxcMH_D1Ago3CQ">Tickets for “Am I Racist?” are on sale NOW! Buy here for a theater near you.</a>
Smith began using the illegal tactics in 2017 and continued through 2024 before being caught. His methods are said to have diverted money from other artists on the platform who had legitimate listeners and fans.
“Through his brazen fraud scheme, Smith stole millions in royalties that should have been paid to musicians, songwriters and other rights holders whose songs were legitimately streamed,” Damian Williams, the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, said in a <a href="https://www.wbtv.com/2024/09/04/north-carolina-musician-charged-with-music-streaming-fraud-aided-by-ai/">statement</a>. “Today, thanks to the work of the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office, it’s time for Smith to face the music.”
The defendant used software to continuously stream songs he owned, and he is accused of paying co-conspirators and individuals living overseas to sign up for bot accounts. Smith avoided detection by creating the bot accounts using false names and using debit cards issued to fake people to pay for them.
Smith had hundreds of thousands of AI-generated songs, each with a nominal number of listeners so they wouldn’t be noticed. Smith estimated that he could use the bot accounts to generate about 661,440 streams per day, resulting in annual royalties totaling $1,027,128.
<a href="http://www.amiracist.com/" target="_blank" rel="noopener" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://www.amiracist.com/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1724211156439000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2xQ8bdTcpfdrPBAzczIuck">WATCH THE TRAILER FOR ‘AM I RACIST?’ — A MATT WALSH COMEDY ON DEI</a>
Some songs had unusual names, such as “Zygotes” and “Zymoplastic.” The fake artists were called things like “Calm Baseball,” “Calorie Screams,” and “Camel Edible.”
The Southern District of New York Office’s Complex Frauds and Cybercrime Unit is prosecuting the case. Smith has been ordered to appear before a U.S. Magistrate Judge in North Carolina on an undisclosed future date.

AI Music

North Carolina Man Charged With AI Music Scheme Which Raked In $10M In Royalties

Artificial Intelligence

Crime

North Carolina

U.S.

United States

On Saturday, the first <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/hurricane" target="_blank" rel="noopener">hurricane</a> of the Atlantic season developed into a Category 1.
The hurricane, named Beryl, has sustained winds of approximately 75 mph as of Saturday afternoon, having grown from 60 mph on Friday when it was still a tropical storm. Beryl is expected to continue to strengthen as it travels west across the eastern Caribbean, potentially experiencing &#8220;<a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/beryl-forms-expected-to-become-1st-major-hurricane-of-2024-season/1663256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">rapid intensification</a>.&#8221;
According to Eddie Walker, <a href="https://www.accuweather.com/en/hurricane/beryl-forms-expected-to-become-1st-major-hurricane-of-2024-season/1663256" target="_blank" rel="noopener">AccuWeather’s</a> Senior Storm Warning Meteorologist, “Steering breezes will guide the system to cross the Windward Islands of the eastern Caribbean from Sunday night to Monday, then waters near Jamaica during the middle of next week and perhaps to the shores of Central America or southeastern Mexico at the end of next week.”
Another AccuWeather meteorologist noted that storms in this longitude and latitude are uncommon for this time of year, with only “seven named storms” forming “over the last 173 years” prior to Independence Day.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Beryl intensified into a hurricane in the Atlantic Ocean, and the US National Hurricane Center said it may undergo rapid strengthening <a href="https://t.co/N9wbGDa00M">https://t.co/N9wbGDa00M</a> <a href="https://t.co/4T6DYfX4fm">pic.twitter.com/4T6DYfX4fm</a>
— Reuters (@Reuters) <a href="https://twitter.com/Reuters/status/1807213964423582138?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 30, 2024</a></blockquote>
<a href="https://www.foxweather.com/weather-news/tracking-hurricane-beryl" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Fox Weather</a> reported that the first hurricane in the Atlantic basin doesn’t typically arrive until around August 11 on average, so Beryl is ahead of the game, which is likely due in part to the unseasonably high ocean temperatures.
The <a href="https://www.climate.gov/news-features/blogs/enso/how-does-noaa-see-2024-atlantic-hurricane-season-shaping#:~:text=This%20year%2C%20NOAA%20predicts%20a,is%203)%20(3)." target="_blank" rel="noopener">National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration</a> (NOAA) predicted that 2024 will see an above average hurricane season, with 8 to 13 hurricanes, and 4 to 7 being classified as “major.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712932862202000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0plT8RRdMy9XUpIhocnjQS">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
NOAA blames the likely above average season on the El Niño/La Niña pattern, as well as ocean temperatures, which “in May were closer to what we would expect in late August, when we are approaching the traditional peak of the hurricane season.”
When the 2023 hurricane season came to a close last year, it ranked as the <a href="https://www.noaa.gov/news-release/2023-atlantic-hurricane-season-ranks-4th-for-most-named-storms-in-year" target="_blank" rel="noopener">4th most active</a> in the last 73 years of tracking, though only Hurricane Idalia made U.S. landfall as a category 3 in northwest Florida.

Hurricane

2024’s First Atlantic Hurricane Forms, May See ‘Rapid Intensification’

General

Weather

World

NATO members are debating deploying more nuclear weapons to counter rising hostile powers, especially China, according to NATO’s secretary-general.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said the alliance is facing an unprecedented threat with a nuclear armed Russia and another rising nuclear power in China. To counter the threat and establish deterrence, the alliance is considering moving some nuclear weapons out of storage and making them operational.
“I won’t go into operational details about how many nuclear warheads should be operational and which should be stored, but we need to consult on these issues. That’s exactly what we’re doing,” Stoltenberg told <a href="https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2024/06/16/nato-jens-stoltenberg-nuclear-weapons-deployt-russia-china/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Telegraph</a> in an interview published over the weekend.
“In a not-very-distant future,” he said, “NATO may face something that it has never faced before, and that is two nuclear-powered potential adversaries – China and Russia. Of course, this has consequences.”
The secretary-general said that, unlike in years past, NATO should embrace transparency about its nuclear capabilities. Transparency is the key to deterrence, he said.
“Transparency helps to communicate the direct message that we, of course, are a nuclear alliance,” Stoltenberg said. “NATO’s aim is, of course, a world without nuclear weapons, but as long as nuclear weapons exist, we will remain a nuclear alliance, because a world where Russia, China, and North Korea have nuclear weapons, and NATO does not, is a more dangerous world.”
China in particular worries the NATO chief. Beijing’s stockpile of nuclear warheads could grow to 1,000 by the end of the decade. The Chinese military is investing heavily in other forms of advanced weapons, as well, Stoltenberg said.
NATO has 32 member countries, but only three of those are nuclear powers: France, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Americans tactical nuclear weapons are positioned in several other countries: Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkey, according to <a href="https://www.politico.eu/article/nato-should-flex-nuclear-muscle-jens-stoltenberg-says/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Politico</a>.
Among NATO members, the U.S. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/emilywashburn/2023/02/24/russia-has-the-most-nuclear-weapons-in-the-world-here-are-the-other-countries-with-the-largest-nuclear-arsenals/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">has</a> the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons at 5,428. Last year, the U.S. State Department <a href="https://www.state.gov/new-start-treaty-aggregate-numbers-of-strategic-offensive-arms-5/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">said</a> that 1419 warheads were deployed. Russia is believed to have the largest stockpile of nuclear warheads in the world at 5,977. In 2022, Russia said that it had 1,549 warheads deployed.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov bashed Stoltenberg’s comments, calling them “nothing else but an escalation.” The Kremlin spokesman went on to add that Russian President Vladimir Putin does not talk about nuclear weapons “at his own initiative as he takes the issue seriously,” according to Politico.

Jens Stoltenberg

NATO Considering Greater Deployment Of Nuclear Weapons, Alliance Chief Says

China

NATO

Nuclear Weapons

Russia

A group of Russian Navy vessels arrived in <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/cuba" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cuba</a> on Wednesday, a show of force by Moscow amid increasing tensions between the U.S. and Russia.
The vessels – the Russian frigate Admiral Gorshkov, nuclear-powered submarine Kazan, a rescue tug, and an oil tanker – entered Havana harbor with ceremonial firing from the Gorshkov and an 18th century colonial fort. The vessels are on a five-day official visit to Cuba in a show of ties between Moscow and Havana, according to <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/06/12/americas/russian-navy-cuba-intl/index.html">CNN</a>.
While in the harbor, the Gorshkov will be open to tours for the Cuban public for four hours a day for three days, CNN reports. The U.S. does not believe that the frigate is carrying nuclear weapons.
Tensions between Washington and Moscow have risen in recent weeks over the ongoing war in Ukraine. The U.S. has supplied billions of dollars-worth of supplies, training, and weapons to the Ukraine military.
Last month, the Biden administration <a href="https://www.cbsnews.com/news/u-s-allows-ukraine-to-use-american-weapons-strikes-inside-russia/">reversed</a> itself on a major rule restricting Ukrainian use of U.S. weapons by allowing Ukraine limited use of U.S. weapons in Russian territory.
&#8220;The president recently directed his team to ensure that Ukraine is able to use U.S.-supplied weapons for counter-fire purposes in the Kharkiv region, so Ukraine can hit back against Russian forces that are attacking them — or preparing to attack them,&#8221; a U.S. official said at the time. &#8220;Our policy with respect to prohibiting the use of ATACMS — or long range strikes inside of Russia — has not changed.&#8221;
Russian President Vladimir Putin <a href="https://apnews.com/article/russia-putin-ukraine-e192904652221b29efdc88d0af23114e">responded</a> last week, saying the change in policy could lead to “very serious problems.”
“That would mark their direct involvement in the war against the Russian Federation, and we reserve the right to act the same way,” Putin said.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712932862202000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0plT8RRdMy9XUpIhocnjQS">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
The U.S. had previously blocked Ukraine from using U.S. weapons in Russian territory to prevent escalation in the war and in tensions between the U.S. and Russia. Recently, Russian units have increasingly threatened Kharkiv, Ukraine’s second-most populated city before the war. Kharkiv sits about 20 kilometers from the Russian border, allowing Russia space to prepare attacks on the city that Ukraine had problems preventing and combatting.
U.S. Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) has <a href="https://kentuckylantern.com/2024/05/30/mcconnell-says-biden-should-let-ukraine-use-u-s-weapons-across-russian-border/">said</a> he has “consistently argued” for the administration to allow Ukraine more freedom with U.S. weapons.
“I think they should be allowed to hit the Russians in Russia,” McConnell said last month.

Cuba

Russian Warship Docks In Cuba Amid U.S.-Russia Tensions

Global Politics

Ukraine

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/boy-scouts">Boy Scouts of America</a> announced on Tuesday that it will undergo a rebrand to be more &#8220;inclusive.&#8221; 
The national scouting organization underwent a major change in 2018 when it started allowing girls to join the Cub Scouts, which is for <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/children">children</a> aged 7 to 10. The following year, the Boy Scouts program for older kids ages 11 to 17 began admitting young women.
The new name will reflect these changes as the group, which formerly switched to “Scouts BSA” will now rebrand as “Scouting America,” effective February 8, 2025, the 115th anniversary of the organization.
BSA President and CEO Roger A. Krone said the name change was made in part to encourage girls to join the program since it will no longer have the name “boy” in it. 
“While this may be a surprise to some of you, for us this is a straightforward evolution and the next natural step in ensuring all American youth feel welcomed and recognized in an organization that is meant to serve all Americans,” Krone said in a press release about the name change, per <a href="https://www.cnn.com/2024/05/07/us/boy-scouts-rebrands-scouting-america-reaj/index.html">CNN</a>. 
The CEO added that the change will not alter the organization’s mission of preparing “young people over their lives to make ethical and moral choices by instilling the scout oath, and the scout law. America’s values are scouting values.”
The change to allow girls into Boy Scouts has been mired in controversy. Besides the backlash from leaders and participants, Girl Scouts filed a federal lawsuit claiming they were entitled to the sole use of the term “scout” when referencing leadership opportunities for girls after BSA started using the word “scout” more generally. The courts ruled in favor of BSA, saying they did not violate the Girls Scouts’ trademark.
“The benefit of the single-gender environment has been well-documented by educators, scholars, and other girl- and youth-serving organizations,” Girl Scouts said in a press release at the time, per <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/kimelsesser/2024/05/07/boy-scouts-rebrand-as-scouting-america-to-boost-inclusivity/?sh=4fa9da213355">Forbes</a>.
More than 1 million children are enrolled in Boys Scouts of America, with 176,234 girls and young women represented in that number. BSA said in a news release that more than 6,000 young women earned the prestigious Eagle Scout rank, CNN reported.
Bob Brady, a scout leader in New Jersey, explained his decision to form an all-girls BSA troop. 
“Five and a half years after we started, you see people in town who see us marching a parade, doing a service project saying ‘Girls can be Scouts? It’s called Boy Scouts,’” Brady said during a news conference. “It takes some explaining to do… so I think this is gonna be great to help with recruiting and let everyone know the inclusive program that we’ve become over the last decade.”
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1715184052205000&amp;usg=AOvVaw30mpznqHO0I3crFOdodkQW">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
“Young girls, young boys, there’s nothing about the Scout oath or a law that is inherently masculine or inherently feminine and applies across the board. Young girls in 2024 like to go camping, they like to go hiking,” he continued. “You know what, I’ve had more moms and women tell me over the last five or six years, I wish I had the opportunity to be in scouts when I was a kid.&#8221;

Boy Scouts

Boy Scouts Of America Rebranding To ‘Scouting America’ So Everyone Feels ‘Welcomed’

Boy Scouts Of America Rebranding To 'Scouting America' So Everyone Feels 'Welcomed'

Children

Gender

Girl Scouts

Social Issues

While Israel attempts to rid Gaza of the terrorist group Hamas, which massacred over 1,200 people in Israel on October 7, the Biden administration has undermined the war effort by refusing to notify Congress about military aid intended for Israel, thus blocking the delivery of the aid, according to a new report.
Although critics of Israel often cite U.S. military aid to Israel, Tablet Magazine <a href="https://www.tabletmag.com/sections/news/articles/end-american-aid-israel" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a>, “(N)early all military aid to Israel — other than loan guarantees, which cost Washington nothing, the U.S. gives Israel no other kind of aid — consists of credits that go directly from the Pentagon to U.S. weapons manufacturers.”
According to <a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-s-delays-sending-precision-weapons-to-israel-253f12f0" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Wall Street Journal</a>, despite the fact that the State Department is required to notify Congress when the U.S. sells arms to other countries and the price surpasses certain thresholds, officials said the Biden administration has not notified Congress about the proposed sale of up to 6,500 “kits that enable unguided bombs to be steered to a target,” thus denying Israel the capacity to be more precise in its attack and spare civilians in the process.
Additionally, officials said the Biden administration hasn’t notified Congress about military aid, including tank ammunition, military vehicles and mortar rounds, the Journal reported.
The Biden administration’s campaign to undermine Israel includes a report it is <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/2024/05/06/biden-israel-violations-gaza-war/">expected</a> to deliver this week as to whether the administration contends Israel has violated U.S. or international law in Gaza. If the Biden administration says Israel has, it could jeopardize U.S. aid to Israel in the middle of Israel’s war against Hamas.
On April 30, Rep. Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), the Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee, and Sen. James Risch (R-ID), the Ranking Member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, wrote a <a href="https://foreignaffairs.house.gov/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/NSM-20-Letter-to-President-Biden-and-Secretary-Blinken.pdf" target="_blank" rel="noopener">letter</a> to President Biden slamming his February National Security Memorandum. “The timing of its release makes clear that its aim is to placate critics of security assistance to our vital ally Israel,” they stated.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1715167897594000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ZhOYl1hUvyplEJT3QwTSU">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
They continued:
<blockquote>
NSM-20 plainly was designed to appease critics of Israel. Following the brutal October 7, 2023, terrorist attack on Israel by Hamas – a U.S. designated Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) – Israel has been engaged in a campaign to destroy the military and governing capacity of Hamas in Gaza. Israel faces near-daily rocket fire from Hezbollah, another FTO, into its northern territory (where tens of thousands of citizens have been displaced), while Iran and Iranian-backed proxies in Iraq, Syria, and Yemen pose grave threats to Israel. Iran’s unprecedented drone and missile attack on April 13, 2024, was only the latest in a long series of aggressive actions that threaten regional stability. The February 2024 release date of the NSM, and the subsequent media attention it has generated on Israel alone, make clear that the policy is primarily motivated to placate anti- Israel sentiment at home and abroad.
</blockquote>
“We urge you to revoke NSM-20, abide by the robust and vital human rights safeguards already codified in U.S. security assistance law, and continue to support our critical partners around the world,” they concluded.

President Joe Biden National Action Network 2024 Convention

Biden Admin Delays Aid To Israel By Refusing To Notify Congress: Report

Hamas

Israel

Joe Biden

military aid

When it comes to the college protesters roiling America&#8217;s campuses and roiling America more generally, it&#8217;s time for Americans, and particularly their political class, to pick a side.
There are only two sides to this particular argument. One side despises America and the West, and the other side really likes America and the West. That binary decision is not particularly tough.
It is happening on college campuses all over America.
You get to pick which side you think the American president ought to stand on and which side you think the American people ought to stand on.
The first side includes a UCLA protest spokesperson <a href="https://twitter.com/Gabby_Hoffman/status/1786042514518032570">saying</a>, “I think, given the fact that the University of California is founded on colonialism, it&#8217;s inherently a violent institution. There needs to be an addressment (sic) of U.S. imperialism and its ties to the UC system, and how it perpetuates war and violence abroad. Not only abroad, but also here locally.”
The case they are making is that the United States is bad. When they say the University of California is founded on colonialism, what they really mean is that the United States is founded on colonialism, imperialism, exploitation, and rape of the native peoples — and all the rest of this garbage.
That&#8217;s what they mean. They mean the United States is bad when they say that what&#8217;s happening in Gaza is connected to this.
What they really mean is there is a coalition of people who are pseudo-oppressed, who are losers in life, who have now decided that the American system, the Western system, and meritocracy, are bad. Anybody who is successful in the system has designed the system for their own benefit.
<h4><a href="https://www.dailywire.com/episode/ep-1956-pick-a-damn-side-member-exclusive" target="_blank" rel="noopener">WATCH: The Ben Shapiro Show</a></h4>
This is the intersectional conspiracy theory taken to the extreme. And what it really means is these people — who are the most privileged people in human history, sitting on a beautiful campus at the University of California at the most beautiful time of the year, outdoors, enjoying their lives on the public dime because tuition is subsidized at UCLA by the state — believe they are the victims of American society or standing in solidarity with the victims of American society. 
The complaint is not about Israel. You don&#8217;t even hear the word Israel once in that statement.
The complaint is about the United States.
That&#8217;s one side. They hate America. They burn the flag. They take it down. They put up the Palestinian flag because the Palestinian flag has become the rallying point and tip of the spear in favor of this perverse view of the universe.
This has happened because revolutionary movements need to show skin in the game. The way they show skin in the game is by picking the worst victims, people who are least sympathetic, and declare they have sympathy for those victims.
That’s why the Black Lives Matter movement was founded originally around the death of Michael Brown, who tried to shoot a police officer before he was killed by a police officer. If you could declare your fealty to a false narrative about Michael Brown, suggesting that he died at the hands of American white supremacy, then you could sell those people anything.
The same thing is true with regard to the Palestinian cause. The Palestinians are a perfect example of a group of people who have elected terrorists, who are sympathetic to terrorists, who support terrorism, who hate Jews, who hate America, and who have made their own bed. They&#8217;ve been offered everything and they&#8217;ve taken nothing. They&#8217;ve decided they&#8217;re not going to take any deal over and over. Every dollar that has gone into Gaza has been used to build up a terror epicenter.
And these people declare solidarity with Palestinians because if you can declare solidarity with people who are obviously not victims and declare they are the victims of Western imperialism, you can declare virtually anything. That is why the keffiyeh and the Palestinian flag are substitutes for the American flag.
That’s side A. You can pick side A, but those people don&#8217;t love America.
Then, there’s side B.
The second side includes the frat boys at the University of Mississippi who showed up to sing the Star-Spangled Banner in front of people who hate the United States. This side includes the frat boys at the University of North Carolina who actually tried to prevent the American flag from being brought down. It includes people like my friend Ami Horowitz, who went to a protest at City University of New York with an American flag and got beaten up for the privilege.
You can either side with the statue of George Washington or with the people who deface the statue of George Washington.
<h4><a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP</a></h4>
But you do have to pick a side.
And if you pick the side that hates America, you should be held accountable, politically and otherwise. It turns out you should, in fact, love this country. It is an amazing country. It is the greatest country in the history of mankind. If you don&#8217;t, then there should, in fact, be some public opprobrium for you.
It doesn&#8217;t mean you don&#8217;t have a right to say these things. You do have the absolute right to say whatever dumbass thing you want to say. It&#8217;s the United States of America.
That does not mean people have to look at you as though you are anything but a moral idiot.
And these people are moral idiots.

Protests In Support Of Palestine Continue On UCLA Campus

Pick A Damn Side

Activists

American Flag

American Universities

Ben Shapiro

Colonialism

Leftists

Opinion

Protesters

Readers Pass

UCLA

Universities

A group of bipartisan U.S. lawmakers is warning that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is on the verge of destroying its credibility if it issues arrest warrants for Israeli officials for their execution of the country&#8217;s war against Hamas in response to the terrorist group&#8217;s October 7 massacre.
Israeli officials reportedly believe that the ICC is readying arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Israel Defense Forces chief of staff Herzi Halevi.
The ICC is not recognized by many countries, including the United States, Russia, China, India, and many more.
A Biden administration official <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/29/netanyahu-biden-icc-arrest-warrants-war-crimes">told</a> Axios: &#8220;As we have publicly said many times, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support its investigation.&#8221;
U.S. officials say that it&#8217;s not clear whether the ICC is going to issue arrest warrants, the report said, but added that the organization was under pressure from NGOs and a few member states that did not like how Israel was executing its war against Hamas.
Axios <a href="https://www.axios.com/2024/04/29/icc-congress-netanyahu-israel-gaza">reported</a> separately that some U.S. lawmakers are preparing legislation to sanction ICC officials involved in the investigation.
Netanyahu said on Friday that &#8220;Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.&#8221;
&#8220;The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Israel will continue to wage to victory our just war against genocidal terrorists and we will never stop defending ourselves. While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.&#8221;
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.
The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it. 
Israel…
— Benjamin Netanyahu &#8211; בנימין נתניהו (@netanyahu) <a href="https://twitter.com/netanyahu/status/1783855474573492732?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 26, 2024</a></blockquote>
House Speaker Mike Johnson released a statement on Monday calling the ICC&#8217;s reported move to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials &#8220;disgraceful&#8221; and said that the warrants were &#8220;illegitimate&#8221;.
&#8220;Such a lawless action by the ICC would directly undermine U.S. national security interests,&#8221; he said. &#8220;If unchallenged by the Biden administration, the ICC could create and assume unprecedented power to issue arrest warrants against American political leaders, American diplomats, and American military personnel, thereby endangering our country’s sovereign authority.&#8221;
&#8220;Instead of wrongly targeting Israel, the ICC should pursue charges against Iran and its terror proxies, including Hamas, for engaging in horrific war crimes,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The Biden Administration must immediately and unequivocally demand that the ICC stand down and the U.S. should use every available tool to prevent such an abomination.&#8221;
Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA) posted on X: &#8220;It would be a fatal blow to the judicial and moral standing of ICC to pursue this path against Israel.&#8221;
&#8220;Calling on @POTUS to intervene as part of the administration’s ongoing commitment to Israel,&#8221; he added.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">
It would be a fatal blow to the judicial and moral standing of ICC to pursue this path against Israel.
Calling on <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@POTUS</a> to intervene as part of the administration’s ongoing commitment to Israel. <a href="https://t.co/tPXDxhh9nw">pic.twitter.com/tPXDxhh9nw</a>
— Senator John Fetterman (@SenFettermanPA) <a href="https://twitter.com/SenFettermanPA/status/1784982764770439605?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 29, 2024</a></blockquote>
Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-NY) also slammed the ICC, posting on X: &#8220;Even though Hamas is the undeniable cause of the war in Gaza, the ICC might target Israel as though it were aggressor, as though Hamas had never committed October 7th.&#8221;
&#8220;The issuance of arrest warrants would represent the culmination of a long process of criminalizing the world’s only Jewish State,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;The weaponization of international law—in the service of terror—cannot be allowed to stand.&#8221;
Rep. Brad Sherman (D-CA) posted on X: &#8220;For months, families of Oct. 7th victims urged the ICC to arrest Hamas leaders for the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Instead the ICC apparently considers warrants on Israeli leaders for legitimate self-defense. Such a decision would be outrageous &amp; I condemn it.&#8221;
&#8220;The ICC has failed to go after those responsible for hundreds of thousands of deaths in #Syria, #Sudan and #Tigray; going after Israel will turn the International Criminal Court into a kangaroo court,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;@POTUS must condemn this &amp; I know Congress will ensure consequences for such an absurd decision.&#8221;
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) also weighed in on the matter, writing: &#8220;The ICC is on the verge of throwing in with genocidal terrorists and against a democracy responding to acts of terror. They want Israel to accept suicidal terms for a ceasefire that will not work. It would be the end of the ICC&#8217;s credibility. The absolute minimum response from the US if the ICC targets Israel would be sanctions against the Court and its officials.&#8221;

Speaker of the House Mike Johnson

Bipartisan U.S. Officials Warn ICC Destroys Its Credibility By Targeting Israel

John Fetterman

<a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/communist-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Communist China</a> is beginning to rapidly increase its footprint in the Caribbean as it seeks to dethrone the United States as the world&#8217;s leading superpower.
Newsweek <a href="https://www.newsweek.com/2024/05/03/china-caribbean-united-states-antigua-belt-road-diplomacy-debt-chinese-xi-jinping-rivalry-1891668.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a> that just a couple hundred miles away from the U.S. Virgin Islands, China has started to take over the paradise island of Antigua.
China is constructing a Chinese-run special economic zone on the island that &#8220;will have its own customs and immigration formalities, a shipping port and a dedicated airline and will be able to issue passports,&#8221; the report said. &#8220;It will establish businesses offering everything from logistics to cryptocurrencies, facial surgery to &#8216;virology.'&#8221;
China&#8217;s encroachment on what is known as &#8220;America&#8217;s third border&#8221; has U.S. officials alarmed because China uses these developments and upgrades to a country&#8217;s infrastructure as a way to bring their own military into a new region.
&#8220;We are aware that China may use its commercial and diplomatic presence for military purposes,&#8221; a spokesperson for the Florida-based Southern Command (SOUTHCOM) told Newsweek. &#8220;In Asia, Africa and the Middle East, China has already abused commercial agreements at host-country ports for military aims; our concern is they may do the same in this region.&#8221;
The report said that Antiguan Prime Minister Gaston Browne is a huge supporter of Chinese dictator Xi Jinping and the communist nation has become Antigua&#8217;s favorite country to borrow money from. Members of Antigua&#8217;s government refused to tell the publication how much the country owed China.
He said that even the insinuation that China could be doing anything nefarious was &#8220;utter rubbish.&#8221;
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
&#8220;Given the breadth of investment into logistics infrastructure China has made in the Caribbean, we are concerned that China could task its state-owned enterprises and diaspora to conduct intelligence or influence operations against the U.S. and our partners in the region for military purposes,&#8221; SOUTHCOM said. &#8220;Those concerns are further heightened when you consider the Chinese Communist Party&#8217;s practice of targeting, recruiting and bribing officials.&#8221;
Gisele Isaac, chairwoman of the United Progressive Party in Antigua, warned that Browne had sold out the country to the Chinese.
&#8220;Antigua has traded its sovereignty, I think most of us believe, to China,&#8221; she said. &#8220;I think China wants a foothold in more strategic places, as a superpower. I think that this administration has become, and that&#8217;s our concern, overly reliant on one partner, that partner being China.&#8221;
&#8220;Everybody feels like their testicles are in a vise; that if you say the wrong thing, if you align yourself the wrong way, you&#8217;re putting yourself in danger,&#8221; Isaac said. &#8220;At night, I switch on my alarm and say my prayers.&#8221;
China&#8217;s new embassy on the island is such an intimidating compound that locals often stop and take photos of it, the report said.
Antigua sold China the five acres of land for its embassy for the equivalent of 40 U.S. cents.
Multiple regional officials said that they believe the &#8220;embassy&#8221; was really &#8220;an intelligence base, or a listening post,&#8221; the report said.
&#8220;We assess that any intelligence activities conducted by the People&#8217;s Republic of China in the Caribbean will almost certainly be targeted at U.S. and regional commercial and military movements in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean,&#8221; SOUTHCOM added.
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/biden-forced-to-pull-u-s-forces-out-of-key-african-nation-thats-turning-to-russia-iran-china" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Biden Forced To Pull U.S. Forces Out Of Key African Nation That’s Turning To Russia, Iran, China</a>

Chinese navy Type 052C Luyang II class destroyer “Jinan” (front, 152) and Type 052D Luyang III class destroyer “Yinchuan”(175, back) prepare to leave the Victoria Harbour. 11JUL17 SCMP/ Dickson Lee

China Begins Rapidly Expanding On Small Island Near America’s Doorstep

Communist China

National Security

A secret plan to undermine the U.S. and The West with an “offensive information campaign” was drawn up by Russia’s Foreign Ministry and now has been revealed.
The April 11, 2023 document uses much more harsh language regarding Russia’s relations with the West than the <a href="https://www.mid.ru/ru/detail-material-page/1860586/?lang=ru" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Foreign Policy Concept of the Russian Federation</a>, approved by Russian President Vladimir Putin only 12 days before. The March document calls for “the democratization of international relations,” “sovereign equality” and states that “Russia does not consider itself an enemy of the West … and has no ill intentions toward it,” adding that Russia hoped the West would “realize the lack of any future in its confrontational policy and hegemonistic ambitions, and will accept the complicated realities of the multipolar world,”
But the April 2023 secret document utilizes harsher rhetoric, as <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/17/russia-foreign-policy-us-weaken/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">The Washington Post</a> reports, writing, “We need to continue adjusting our approach to relations with unfriendly states. It’s important to create a mechanism for finding the vulnerable points of their external and internal policies with the aim of developing practical steps to weaken Russia’s opponents.”
The Post <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2024/04/08/russia-propaganda-us-ukraine/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">noted</a> last week, “In an ongoing campaign that seeks to influence congressional and other political debates to stoke anti-Ukraine sentiment, Kremlin-linked political strategists and trolls have written thousands of fabricated news articles, social media posts and comments that promote American isolationism, stir fear over the United States’ border security and attempt to amplify U.S. economic and racial tensions &#8230;”
House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaul (R-TX) and Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Turner (R-OH) said that a portion of the Republican Party&#8217;s base has bought into Russian propaganda thanks to what they described as &#8220;conspiracy theory outlets&#8221; and &#8220;nighttime entertainment shows.&#8221;
In an interview with Puck News, McCaul said, &#8220;I think Russian propaganda has made its way into the United States, unfortunately, and it’s infected a good chunk of my party’s base.&#8221;
McCaul said that the source of a lot of the propaganda has been &#8220;some more nighttime entertainment shows that seem to spin, like, I see the Russian propaganda in some of it — and it’s almost identical [to what they’re saying on Russian state television] — on our airwaves.&#8221;
&#8220;They have the same problem in Europe. I mean, Russia’s been very effective at that,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;These people that read various conspiracy theory outlets that are just not accurate, and they actually model Russian propaganda. And I have to explain to them, &#8216;You’re actually a victim of Russian propaganda, and what you’re saying, you’re spreading Russian [propaganda].&#8217; [And they respond,] &#8216;Oh, no I’m not.'&#8221;
Turner was asked about McCaul&#8217;s comments during a Sunday interview on CNN&#8217;s &#8220;State of the Union&#8221; with Jake Tapper, specifically if he thought McCaul was correct and if it was a big problem.
&#8220;Oh, it is absolutely true,&#8221; Turner responded. &#8220;We see directly coming from Russia attempts to mask communications that are anti-Ukraine and pro-Russia messages, some of which we even hear being uttered on the House floor.&#8221;
&#8220;I mean, there are members of Congress today who still incorrectly say that this conflict between Russia and Ukraine is over NATO, which, of course, it is not, Vladimir Putin having made it very clear, both publicly and to his own population, that his view is that this is a conflict of a much broader claim of Russia to Eastern Europe, including claiming all of Ukraine territory as Russia&#8217;s,&#8221; he continued. &#8220;To the extent that this propaganda takes hold, it makes it more difficult for us to really see this as an authoritarian-versus-democracy battle, which is what it is. President Xi of China, Vladimir Putin himself have identified it as such. We need to stand up for democracy. We need to make certain that we know that authoritarian regimes never stop when they start an aggression.&#8221;
<div>
Related: <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/news/house-republican-committee-chair-russian-propaganda-has-infiltrated-chunk-of-gop-base">House Republican Committee Chair: &#8216;Russian Propaganda&#8217; Has Infiltrated Chunk Of GOP Base</a>
</div>

Kremlin

Secret Russian Document Reveals Plan To Target U.S. With ‘Offensive Information Campaign’

Misinformation

An Israeli defense official told local media that more than 100 drones launched by the <a href="https://www.dailywire.com/topic/iran" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Islamic Republic of Iran</a> have been shot down before ever reaching Israeli airspace.
The official credited the United States and the United Kingdom with shooting down the suicide drones, The Times of Israel <a href="https://www.timesofisrael.com/liveblog_entry/more-than-100-iranian-drones-have-been-intercepted-by-us-uk-outside-israel-says-defense-official/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">reported</a>.
A senior U.S. official <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/International/live-updates/israel-gaza-hamas-war/us-officials-think-there-will-be-400-to-500-drones-missiles-launched-109207939?id=108860743" target="_blank" rel="noopener">told</a> ABC News that the U.S. believes there could be up to 500 drones and missiles fired at Israel from Iraq, Syria, southern Lebanon, and Yemen — where the Iranians have terrorist proxy groups — but that the majority will come directly from Iran.
Israel&#8217;s Iron Dome also shot down numerous incoming projectiles, according to various videos posted to social media.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Comienza el ataque iraní, desde mi casa <a href="https://t.co/V1lOqwtrCJ">pic.twitter.com/V1lOqwtrCJ</a>
&mdash; Gabriel Colodro🟠 (@Gabrielcolodro) <a href="https://twitter.com/Gabrielcolodro/status/1779281371820654766?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Surreal footage of the Iranian attack over Jerusalem&#39;s Temple Mount/Haram al-Sharif <a href="https://t.co/NuSvF25HLX">pic.twitter.com/NuSvF25HLX</a>
&mdash; Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) <a href="https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1779292077886460213?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
🚨🚨🚨 BREAKING:
A video from Damascus showing how the Iranian suicide drones are being intercepted after being engaged by the Israeli air defense system. <a href="https://t.co/eV4Ys4Pum6">pic.twitter.com/eV4Ys4Pum6</a>
&mdash; Omar Abu Layla (@OALD24) <a href="https://twitter.com/OALD24/status/1779283616339472565?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Air defenses active over Israel <a href="https://t.co/ecwGxl1dIQ">pic.twitter.com/ecwGxl1dIQ</a>
&mdash; Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian (@manniefabian) <a href="https://twitter.com/manniefabian/status/1779280817459495008?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Amazing footage of the israeli skies. Dozens of ballistic missiles were intercepted. <a href="https://t.co/szSVUtt8m2">pic.twitter.com/szSVUtt8m2</a>
&mdash; Elad Simchayoff (@Elad_Si) <a href="https://twitter.com/Elad_Si/status/1779281997698867482?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Air defenses active over Jerusalem <a href="https://t.co/UUmVsFupcR">pic.twitter.com/UUmVsFupcR</a>
&mdash; Seth Frantzman (@sfrantzman) <a href="https://twitter.com/sfrantzman/status/1779280211307102464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Thank god for the Iron Dome <a href="https://t.co/fK3w3HA4cs">pic.twitter.com/fK3w3HA4cs</a>
&mdash; Israel ישראל (@Israel) <a href="https://twitter.com/Israel/status/1779282380211077599?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
Iranian drones are being intercepted. <a href="https://t.co/ODPyaOiTZr">pic.twitter.com/ODPyaOiTZr</a>
&mdash; Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) <a href="https://twitter.com/stillgray/status/1779289322312863936?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-width="500" data-dnt="true">
תיעוד היירוטים מעל הר חברון <a href="https://t.co/POAqeJQbse">pic.twitter.com/POAqeJQbse</a>
&mdash; החדשות &#8211; N12 (@N12News) <a href="https://twitter.com/N12News/status/1779286692467179712?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">April 13, 2024</a></blockquote>
<script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>
White House NSC Spokesperson Adrienne Watson released a statement on Iran&#8217;s &#8220;airborne attack against Israel&#8221; on Saturday evening
&#8220;President Biden is being regularly updated on the situation by his national security team and will meet with them this afternoon at the White House,&#8221; she said. &#8220;His team is in constant communication with Israeli officials as well as other partners and allies. This attack is likely to unfold over a number of hours.&#8221;
&#8220;President Biden has been clear: our support for Israel’s security is ironclad,&#8221; she continued. &#8220;The United States will stand with the people of Israel and support their defense against these threats from Iran.&#8221;
This is a breaking news story; refresh the page for updates.

F-16 Fighting Falcon Fires Missle

U.S., U.K. Shoot Down 100+ Iranian Drones Fired At Israel: Report

Drones

Iran

Terrorism

U.K.

The last total solar eclipse to pass over the United States until August 23, 2044, will occur on Monday.
Beginning over the South Pacific Ocean, the total eclipse will be seen near Mazatlán, Mexico, then cross over Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas before heading toward Cleveland, Ohio. It will then pass over Buffalo, New York, northwestern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine before it vanishes from the United States.
The last previous total solar eclipse that Americans saw occurred on August 21, 2017. Monday’s eclipse differs from the previous eclipse in various ways; the path of totality — in which Americans can see the total eclipse rather than a partial eclipse, is much wider as its range extends between 108 and 122 miles wide, rather than from roughly about 62 to 71 miles wide, as it was in 2017. The path is wider because the Moon, whose distance from the Earth varies as it orbits our planet, is closer to the Earth today than in 2017.
Additionally, as NASA <a href="https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1712664565562000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3inJBAzhWgCiUv_PicA5K0">explains</a>:
<blockquote>
In 2017, the Sun was nearing solar minimum. Viewers of the total eclipse could see the breathtaking corona – but since the Sun was quiet, streamers flowing into the solar atmosphere were restricted to just the equatorial regions of the star. The Sun is more magnetically symmetrical during solar minimum, causing this simpler appearance. During the 2024 eclipse, the Sun will be in or near solar maximum, when the magnetic field is more like a tangled hairball. Streamers will likely be visible throughout the corona. In addition to that, viewers will have a better chance to see prominences – which appear as bright, pink curls or loops coming off the Sun.
</blockquote>
Because the sun is nearing solar maximum during Monday’s eclipse, viewers may be able to see sunspots more clearly if they use eclipse glasses.
“When watching the partial phases of the solar eclipse directly with your eyes, which happens before and after totality, you must look through safe solar viewing glasses (“eclipse glasses”) or a safe handheld solar viewer at all times. You can also use an indirect viewing method, such as a pinhole projector,” NASA warns.
<a href="https://onelink.to/dwapp" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" aria-describedby="sk-tooltip-9096" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://onelink.to/dwapp&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1700760801843000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2PQrVSrJfhxNb4LcARqniG">CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP</a>
The last total eclipse Americans could see before 2017 occurred in 1979. The 2044 eclipse will start over Greenland and be seen only by Americans in Montana, North Dakota, and South Dakota.

Total eclipse of the Sun. The moon covers the sun in a solar eclipse

America Awaits Total Solar Eclipse, The Next One Over U.S. Won’t Be Until 2044

Moon

Science

Menu