Author: Just the News

Former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, who is running in the 2024 GOP presidential primary, said Republicans should “back off” of “accusations” of the “weaponization of the Justice Department.”

Hutchinson told ABC on Sunday that while he disagrees with some of the DOJ’s decisions, he believes Republicans are incorrect to label the department’s indictment of former president Donald Trump as “weaponization.”

As Support for ‘Black Lives Matter’ Group Dives, Most Black Americans Pessimistic About Racism on Third Federal Juneteenth: Poll

As the government observes Juneteenth as a holiday Monday for the third straight year, support for the Black Lives Matter movement has plummeted significantly as black Americans grapple with rising urban crime and stubborn inflation and grow pessimistic about racism in the future.

Juneteenth, the day that all enslaved Americans found out they were free when news of the Civil War’s end reached Galveston, Texas, on June 19, 1865, was celebrated by black Americans for years.

Gross National Debt Hits $32 Trillion for First Time in U.S. History

The gross national debt reached $32 trillion for first time in U.S. history on Friday.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates that the nation’s deficit for fiscal year 2023 will be $1.4 trillion, driving the national debt even higher.

Biden Picks Mandy Cohen to Serve as CDC Director

President Joe Biden on Friday announced that he had selected former North Carolina Health and Human Services Secretary Mandy Cohen to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Dr. Cohen is one of the nation’s top physicians and health leaders with experience leading large and complex organizations, and a proven track-record protecting Americans’ health and safety,” Biden said in a statement, pointing to her management of the COVID-19 pandemic in the state and her role in expanding Medicaid.

UPS Unionized Workers Vote to Authorize a Strike

June 18, 2023 Just the News

As contract negotiations continue, UPS workers who are part of the Teamsters union voted overwhelmingly to organize a strike that could start as soon as the beginning of August.

The union wants better pay, elimination of surveillance cameras in the trucks and more full time jobs, according to CBS News. To bolster their case, the Teamsters point to record profits for UPS in 2022, saying the company paid out more that $8 billion in shareholder dividends.

Concerns That Transgender Culture Has Gone Too Far Make for Unusual Pride Month

June 17, 2023 Just the News

Pride Month in the U.S. and elsewhere has historically been, for many, a celebration of gay rights and equality. But this year’s annual festivities have been undercut by concerns from consumers and others who believe transgender culture is being pushed upon them and their children, which has resulted in some companies and governments pulling back their support.

The recent backlash over heartland brands that appeared to alienate long-time core customers began in earnest earlier this year when Bud Light entered into a paid partnership with transgender influencer Dylan Mulvaney.

Women Who Start Birth Control Pill as Teens 130 Percent More Likely to Show Depression: Study

June 17, 2023 Just the News

Women who started taking birth control pills as teenagers showed depression symptoms at a 130% higher rate than those who never used oral contraceptives (OC), according to a new study of more than a quarter of a million women.

Women who began taking oral contraceptives as adults had a 92% higher rate of depressive symptoms compared to those who never took the pill, while women who started taking the birth control pill “before or at the age of 20 had 130% higher rate of depressive symptoms,” according to a U.K. study published Monday by Cambridge University Press.

Medicaid Emergency Spending for Illegal Migrants Doubles in One Year to $7 Billion: GOP House

June 15, 2023 Just the News

Medicaid emergency spending for illegal immigrants more than doubled from fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year 2021, according to House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mark Green.

During a congressional hearing Wednesday on Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas’ job performance, Green said more people have entered the U.S. illegally under his roughly two-year tenure “than in the 12 years of the Obama and Trump administrations combined.”

Virginia Attorney General Subpoenas School District over Merit Awards Investigation

June 15, 2023June 14, 2023 Just the News

Fairfax County Public Schools (FCPS) officials announced that they’ve been subpoenaed by the Virginia Attorney General’s Office to release a report on an investigation into the district’s failure to notify some students of their National Merit Awards. FCPS says it’s fighting the subpoena by taking “legal action.”

FCPS says it conducted an independent investigation into their notification process and released a summary of the investigation in March. The investigation concluded that educators did not do anything to intentionally harm students or their college applications, according to FCPS.

Movement to Decide Presidency by Popular Vote Gains States, Momentum But Also Faces Challenges

June 15, 2023 Just the News

The effort to change how the United States elects its presidents – from the existing Electoral College process to a national popular vote – is gaining momentum, but critics are questioning its legality and whether it improves the country’s election system.

Sixteen states and Washington, D.C., have joined the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, with Minnesota being the latest and Michigan and Nevada considering it.

Ohio U.S. Senator JD Vance Vows to Block Biden’s DOJ Nominees until Garland Stops ‘Harassing’ Political Opponents

June 15, 2023 Just the News

Sen. J.D. Vance says he is going to place holds on all of President Joe Biden’s Justice Department nominees following former President Donald Trump’s federal indictment for his handling of classified materials.

Vance, an Ohio Republican, wrote Tuesday on Twitter that he will halt all Justice nominees until Attorney General Merrick Garland “stops using his agency to harass Joe Biden’s political opponents.”

GOP House Settles Rift, Returns to Conservative Agenda in Passing Bill Protecting Gas Stoves

June 14, 2023 Just the News

The rift with within the Republican House Conference that shut down floor votes last week appears to have been resolved enough for the chamber to resume voting, with the Tuesday passage of a marquee conservative bill to stop Biden administration initiatives to further regulate gas-powered stoves.

The Gas Stove Protection and Freedom Act passed 248-180, after failing to get a final vote last week because 11 conservative-leaning conference members – in a nearly unprecedented move – blocked a preliminary procedural vote, essentially over what they considered House GOP leadership’s mishandling of the debt-ceiling agreement with Democrat President Joe Biden.

Federal Prosecutor in Trump Probe Reprimanded in Earlier Case for Secretly Recording Defense Lawyer

June 14, 2023 Just the News

A Justice Department prosecutor who helped secure last week’s indictment of former President Donald Trump was publicly reprimanded by a judge in 2009 for “gross negligence” in connection with secretly taping a defense lawyer and an investigator, an agency source has confirmed to Just The News.

The prosecutor, Karen Gilbert, is now serving as a deputy to Special Counsel Jack Smith, who on Thursday issued the 37-count indictment of Trump.

Trump Pleads Not Guilty to All 37 Charges at Miami Courthouse

June 13, 2023 Just the News

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty to all 37 charges at the Miami courthouse during his arraignment on Tuesday. He stayed at his property in Doral on Monday evening.

Whistleblowers: Biden’s Veterans Affairs Nominee Failed to Address Data Breaches

June 13, 2023 Just the News

President Joe Biden’s nominee for deputy secretary of the Veterans Affairs Department has been accused by at least one whistleblower of being involved in serious data security breaches, resulting in demands from watchdog groups for more information about the allegations before the Senate votes on whether to confirm her.

The nominee, Tanya Bradsher, currently serves as Veterans Affairs chief of staff. She was nominated to the position of deputy secretary by Biden in April.

Grassley: Foreign National Who Allegedly Bribed Joe, Hunter Biden Has Recordings of Them

June 12, 2023 Just the News

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley on Monday announced that the foreign national who allegedly bribed then-former Vice President Joe Biden and his son Hunter kept recordings of his conversations with each as an “insurance policy.”

GOP Lawmaker Introduces Articles of Impeachment Against Biden, Harris

June 12, 2023 Just the News

A Tennessee Republican lawmaker on Monday introduced articles of impeachment against President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. Rep. Andy Ogles accused the president of having used his position as both president and previously vice president to protect his family business and their alleged illicit activities from congressional oversight.

Scandal-Plagued Civil Rights Group Launches Attack on Parental Rights Groups

June 12, 2023June 11, 2023 Just the News

The Alabama-based civil rights organization that made its name suing the Ku Klux Klan has put parental rights groups in its sights and for the first time has started tracking the “antigovernment movement” ideology in its annual “Year in Hate & Extremism” reports.

The Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) added “reactionary anti-student inclusion groups” to a list of 702 “antigovernment extremism” groups it tracked in 2022, separate from 523 “hate” groups. The organization focused almost exclusively on just one in its annual report published this week: Florida-based Moms for Liberty, far and away the leader in chapters nationwide.

Election Integrity a Top-Tier Issue for Frontrunner GOP Candidates in 2024

June 12, 2023 Just the News

The 2024 GOP presidential primary season in now in full swing with essentially all of the top, likely candidates having committed and key issues emerging such as the economy and the war in Ukraine – as well as election fraud and election integrity, which remain at the top on front-running former President Trump’s list.

Virginia Gov. Youngkin Rails Against ‘Two-Tiered Justice System’ After Trump Indictment

June 11, 2023June 10, 2023 Just the News

Virginia Republican Gov. Glenn Youngkin on Friday fumed over the charges against former President Donald Trump brought special counsel Jack Smith, contending the case signified a stark disparity in the application of justice by the government.

“These charges are unprecedented and it’s a sad day for our country, especially in light of what clearly appears to be a two-tiered justice system where some are selectively prosecuted, and others are not,” the governor tweeted. “Parents in Virginia know firsthand what it’s like to be targeted by politically motivated actions. Regardless of your party, this undermines faith in our judicial system at exactly the time when we should be working to restore that trust.”

Trump’s Indictment in Miami Puts Him on Favorable Ground

June 10, 2023 Just the News

Former President Donald Trump informed the public Thursday evening that he had been summoned to face arraignment next week at the Miami federal courthouse, in presumed connection with special counsel Jack Smith’s investigation into his handling of classified materials.

Though Trump, now the front-running 2024 GOP presidential candidate, has insisted the case is a political witch hunt and the product of a partisan and weaponized justice system, the venue of the case offers Trump some advantages in defending himself.

Jack Smith Touts Severity of Trump Charges, but Highlights Presumption of Innocence

June 9, 2023 Just the News

Special counsel Jack Smith on Friday addressed his case against former President Donald Trump, whom he has charged with 37 counts, including mishandling classified documents, making false statements, conspiracy to obstruct, and falsification of records. Smith, whom Attorney General Merrick Garland appointed, has pursued the DOJ’s case against Trump since November. The case first became a matter of public knowledge in August of last year when the FBI raided Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate seeking classified materials he may have removed from the White House.

Marjorie Taylor Greene Reveals Contents of Biden Bribery Doc

June 8, 2023June 8, 2023 Just the News

Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene on Thursday revealed the contents of a document detailing an alleged bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden. After weeks of resistance, the FBI finally permitted the members of the House Oversight Committee to view the form FD-1023 which includes allegations from a confidential human source detailing the alleged pay-to-play scheme.

Trump Says the DOJ Has Indicted Him in ‘DARK DAY’ for the Country

Former President Donald Trump on Thursday announced that the Department of Justice has indicted him and that he must appear at a Miami courthouse on Tuesday. “The corrupt Biden Administration has informed my attorneys that I have been Indicted, seemingly over the Boxes Hoax, even though Joe Biden has 1850 Boxes at the University of Delaware, additional Boxes in Chinatown, D.C., with even more Boxes at the University of Pennsylvania, and documents strewn all over his garage floor where he parks his Corvette, and which is ‘secured’ by only a garage door that is paper thin, and open much of the time,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.

Supreme Court Strikes Down GOP-Drawn Alabama Congressional Map in Support of Voting Rights Act

The Supreme Court on Thursday struck down an Alabama congressional district map drawn by the state’s Republican-controlled legislature in a decision that the Court’s majority says upholds the Voting Rights Act.

Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Brett Kavanaugh sided with the court’s three liberals in the 5-4 ruling against Alabama. State officials will now have to redraw the congressional map to correctly reflect that the state is 27% black.

Gavin Newsom Proposes 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution to Restrict Gun Rights

California Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom on Thursday said he is proposing the 28th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, which will restrict gun rights.

The proposed amendment would raise the minimum age to purchase firearms to 21, implement universal background checks, create what Newsom called a “reasonable waiting period for gun purchases” and ban civilians from buying so-called “assault weapons,” according to the governor’s announcement on Twitter.

Plainclothes Police Officers at Capitol During January 6 Riot, One on Video Exhorting Crowd, Key Lawmaker Says

The Metropolitan Police Department in Washington D.C. has confirmed to Congress that it had plainclothes officers at the Capitol during the Jan. 6 riot and that at least one was captured on video exhorting the crowd, a key House investigator told Just the News.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk, R-Ga., the chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, said in wide-ranging interview Wednesday night that MPD body cam video that leaked onto the video platform Rumble is authentic and confirms that officers in plainclothes were at the riot.

Evangelist Pat Robertson Has Died

Pat Robertson, a conservative Christian television host, died early Thursday morning at his Virginia Beach home. He was 93. He is best known for his prayer and commentary for “The 700 Club” and for founding The Christian Broadcasting Network in 1960. Robertson also ran for the Republican presidential nomination in 1988, but he lost the primary to President George H.W. Bush.

Syrian Refugee Reportedly Suspect in France Stabbing Attack Targeting Toddlers

June 8, 2023June 8, 2023 Just the News

At least four toddlers were stabbed Thursday morning in a park in southeast France, the country’s interior minister says, and the suspect is reportedly a Syrian refugee who is now in police custody. Police were able to overpower and arrest the attacker, Interior Minister Gérald Darmanin said, according to the BBC.

Biden Leaves Key Federal Watchdog Positions Vacant, Grabbing Attention of Congress

The Biden administration is garnering some negative attention from Congress for leaving the chief taxpayer watchdog positions vacant at the Department of State, the Department of Treasury and the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).

House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) addressed a letter to President Joe Biden seeking answers why the key Inspectors General jobs are still open.

FBI Harbored Biden Allegations Since 2017, Through Impeachment, Election, Lawmaker Says

June 7, 2023 Just the News

If House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer’s sleuthing turns out to be right, the FBI harbored a deep, dark secret through the first Trump impeachment, the Hunter Biden laptop saga and the 2020 election fury. The secret: that a validated and well-paid informant raised concerns all the way back in 2017 that Joe Biden was involved in a $5 million bribery scheme involving Ukraine.

The question emerging now is did America’s most famous crime-fighting agency deep-six the allegation or dismiss it as “Russian disinformation” without thoroughly probing it.

Gas Stove Protections Put on Backburner in Retaliation over McCarthy-Biden Debt Deal

June 7, 2023 Just the News

In an unexpected GOP roadblock Tuesday, Republicans voted against a rule that would enable a vote on protecting gas stoves from heavy regulations and bans, citing the recent McCarthy-Biden debt limit deal as their reason for the setback.

Feds Inform Trump He Is Target Likely to Be Indicted as DOJ Rebuffs Prosecutorial Misconduct Claim

June 7, 2023 Just the News

Federal prosecutors have notified Donald Trump that he is a criminal target and likely to be indicted imminently in a probe into alleged classified documents even as the Justice Department declined to delay charges to give time to investigate allegations of witness tampering submitted by the former president’s legal team, according to multiple people familiar with the case. The sources directly familiar with the case told Just the News that DOJ declined to delay the planned indictment of Trump to investigate allegations that a senior prosecutor working on the case tried to influence a key witness by discussing a federal judgeship with the witness’ lawyer.

Joe Biden Bribery Allegations Involve Ukraine, First Raised with FBI in 2017, Key Investigator Says

Allegations that Joe Biden partook in a $5 million bribery scheme involve Ukraine where his son scored a lucrative energy job and were first presented to the FBI by a reliable and well-paid informant back in 2017, House Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer told Just the News on Tuesday evening. Comer made the bombshell revelation just a day after reviewing an FBI FD-1023 form that memorialized the informant’s allegations, and two days before he plans to hold a vote in Congress to hold FBI Director Christopher Wray in contempt for failing to provide a copy to his committee as demanded by a subpoena. He said the version of the informant report he was allowed to review by Wray had about 10% of information redacted and made clear the allegations were first reported to the FBI back in 2017 as Donald Trump was beginning his term as president.

Cornel West Announces He’s Running for President

Cornel West, a prominent left-wing academic and philosophical writer, announced on Monday that he is running for President in 2024.

West, 70, announced that he was running in a video posted on Twitter and will be seeking the People’s Party nomination. West said that he had decided to run for “truth and justice which takes the form of running for president of the United States.”

1619 Project Releases New ‘Reparations Math’ Curriculum for High School Students

High school students will learn about the causes of racial inequality and discuss reparations for slavery as part of a new “reparations math” curriculum developed by the creators of the controversial 1619 Project.

The 1619 Project Education Network, overseen by the Pulitzer Center, released the outline for “Reparations Math and Reparations History” on May 8.

Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie to Launch 2024 Presidential Campaign at New Hampshire Town Hall

Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie is launching his second bid for the Republican presidential nomination at a New Hampshire town hall Tuesday evening. Christie also ran in 2016, losing the nomination to former President Donald Trump. He went on to become an adviser to Trump before their relationship soured over their disagreement about the 2020 election results.

Amazon Possibly Offering Free Mobile Services for Prime Members

Amazon has reportedly been in talks with wireless carriers about offering low-cost or potentially free nationwide mobile phone service to Prime subscribers.

According to Bloomberg, Amazon has been in contact with Verizon Communications Inc., T-Mobile US Inc. and Dish Network Corp to negotiate low wholesale prices.

Crisis of Confidence in U.S. Marine Corps as Biden Nominates New Commandant

President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Marine Corps is raising concern among war hawks and others about whether his appointment will continue what they see as an ongoing effort to strip the military branch of its internal and external might and prowess.

Gen. Eric Smith, now the assistant commandant for the Marines, was nominated last week by the White House to be the next Marine Corps commandant.

DOD ‘Bait and Switch’ with Emergency and Licensed COVID Vaccines Killed Student, Lawsuit Alleges

The Pentagon conducted “human experimentation without consent” by falsely advertising a COVID-19 vaccine under emergency use authorization as fully licensed, a “bait and switch” that killed a college student, according to a new lawsuit against Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin by the student’s estate.

George Watts was waiting for FDA approval of Pfizer’s Comirnaty to fulfill the COVID vaccine mandate at New York’s Corning Community College, which provided a 35-day grace period for compliance following Comirnaty’s Aug. 23, 2021, approval, the filing states.

J6 Unmasked: Security Footage Confirms Senate Door Opened, Allowing 300 to Enter Capitol Freely

A door on the West side of the U.S. Capitol was left open and mostly unguarded for key moments during the Jan. 6 riot, allowing more than 300 people to enter the building unimpeded even as officers fought valiantly to keep protesters out of other sections of the official home of Congress, according to police security footage obtained by Just the News. The footage — which confirms concerns first raised by Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., two years ago — shows an episode in a narrow hallway in the middle of the Capitol that began around 2:30p.m. on Jan. 6, 2021 right after the first breaches were reported elsewhere in the landmark building.

NRA Exec, Trump Donor Says Daughter and Granddaughter Died in Plane Crash that Sparked DC Sonic Boom

An NRA executive and major Republican donor said her daughter and granddaughter were killed alongside the 2-year-old girl’s nanny and the pilot of a private Cessna plane that crashed in Virginia and sparked a sonic boom from responding military jets.

“My family is gone, my daughter and granddaughter,” Barbara Rumpel posted on Facebook Sunday evening.

Fort Bragg to Change Its Base Name to Fort Liberty

June 5, 2023June 7, 2023 Just the News

The army base Fort Bragg will be changing its name to Fort Liberty in a Friday ceremony, in order to make the U.S. army more welcoming to black service members.

The initiative is from the Department of Defense to start renaming military bases named after Confederate soldiers, according to CBS.

Congress Probing if FBI Used ‘Russian Disinformation’ Claim to Shut Down Biden Inquiries

The FBI travels to Capitol Hill on Monday to show House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman James Comer a confidential informant memo from summer 2020 alleging that Joe Biden was involved in a foreign bribery scheme, but the contents won’t be a surprise to Republicans. Both Comer and Sen. Chuck Grassley have already read the memo.

The larger question for Teams Comer and Grassley is whether the FBI sidelined the allegation of a $5 million bribery involving U.S. policy – which came from a confidential human source with a trusted track record – during the height of the 2020 election.

Comer Will Press for Contempt of Congress Against FBI Director Wray After Seeing Document Alleging Biden Bribery Scheme: Report