In The News Today:
Assange Extradition Case Moves Forward While the CIA Covers Its Tracks
In order to move the extradition case forward, per a British high court ruling US prosecutors needed to provide “assurances” that the US would not seek the death penalty and would not deprive Assange of his human right to free speech because of his nationality.
The US provided the assurance against the death penalty (which they’d previously opposed doing), and for the free speech assurance they said only that Assange will be able to “raise and seek to rely upon” US First Amendment rights, adding, “A decision as to the applicability of the First Amendment is exclusively within the purview of the U.S. Courts.”
At the same time, CIA Director William Burns has filed a State Secrets Privilege demand to withhold information in a lawsuit against the agency by four American journalists and attorneys who were spied on during their visits to Assange at the Ecuadorian embassy in London. State secrets privilege is a US evidentiary rule designed to prevent courts from revealing state secrets during civil litigation; the CIA began invoking it with the Assange lawsuit earlier this year.
As Assange himself tweeted in 2017, “The overwhelming majority of information is classified to protect political security, not national security.” Burns isn’t worried about damaging “the national security of the United States,” he’s worried about the potential political fallout from information about the CIA spying on American lawyers and journalists while visiting a journalist who was being actively targeted by the legal arm of the US government.
Mike Waltz says ‘highly classified’ documents found Biden basement
Waltz called for an ‘immediate damage assessment’ from the Intelligence Community regarding the documents found in Biden’s possession.
Biden was found to have classified material from his decades-long Senate career as well as from his eight years as vice president.
Some of the documents, related to the national intelligence community, were made available to House Intelligence Committee members and select senators for review.
Republicans are still fighting to get access to the classified documents and memos pertaining to the White House found in Biden’s possession for review, according a House source.
Bank of America Accused of Political Debanking
Bank of America is facing serious accusations of involvement in discrimination based on politics, religion, and ideology (i.e., speech expressing this), with the targets of “debanking” allegedly being some Christian churches as well as supporters of Donald Trump.
These suspicions are expressed by over a dozen attorney-generals from Republican states who are behind a letter sent to Bank of America CEO Brian Moynihan, looking for answers – and documents – related to the accusations.
The initiative follows revelations that Bank of America was turning over financial data belonging to clients to the FBI and the Treasury, as they investigated January 6 suspects.
Kansas AG Kris Kobach is leading the effort now, which centers on clarifying, by providing the relevant documents, the policy based on which the bank cancels some accounts. AGs from Alaska, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, South Carolina, Texas, and Utah also signed the letter.
Trump demands Europe pay their fair on Ukraine as US House weighs $95 billion foreign aid package
On Thursday, former President Donald Trump called on European countries to throw more financial support towards Ukraine in its war against Russia, suggesting that they are not paying their fair share.
He questioned why the United States has shelved out $100 billion more than European countries and demanded they equalize or match the US’s amount in financial aid to Ukraine, considering they share a border with the war-torn eastern European country and the United States does not.
X Says “Anti-Misinformation” Agency Spreading Falsehoods Caused “Incalculable” Damage
The DoubleVerify CEO went on to say they took “full responsibility” and apologized, also revealing that the brand safety rate enjoyed by X “across all campaigns” the company measured “exceeded 99.99%.”
The damage done in this way is described by X Corp’s Business Operations chief Joe Benarroch as being “incalculable.”
According to him, dozens of firms justified their decision to pull out of advertising on X referring to DoubleVerify’s rating. This started happening after Elon Musk acquired then Twitter – while previously, those same brands had no problem advertising when the platform had a “politically liberal CEO.”
This was the case even though, according to Benarroch, Twitter had “little to no” brand safety capabilities before the Musk takeover, and that as much as 90% of those capabilities were built afterward.
18-year-old female trans student charged for planning two Maryland school shootings, manifesto said she wanted to be ‘famous’
Andrea Ye, of Rockville, who goes by Alex Ye was arrested on Wednesday by local Montgomery County Police. This follows an investigation carried out by local police in association with the FBI field office out of Baltimore. The manifesto was discovered after a search warrant was carried out.
Parts of the manifesto were reportedly included in the application for statement of charges. It read:
“I want to shoot up my school. I’ve been preparing for it for the past few months. As I sit in front of my dad’s gun case and stare at the sleek, black gun inside, all I can think about is my finger on the trigger, taking aim, and killing people. The gun is an AR-15 style semi-automatic rifle. It’s the kind of gun with a long barrel and a stock you put up against your shoulder. The gun is going to change lives tomorrow.”
“As I walk through the hallways, I cherry pick the classrooms that are the easiest targets. These ones are close to the entrance and have windows in the doors. I need to figure out how I’ll sneak the gun in. Maybe a duffel bag will work. I just hope security doesn’t stop me.”
Top Timcast Episodes Are Deleted in YouTube’s Retroactive Censorship Raid
Tim Pool, a well-known podcaster, has shed light on another prominent censorship action taken by YouTube. With retrospective effect, a couple of his most popular episodes of the Timcast IRL podcast have fallen prey to YouTube’s enforcement protocol. Podcast episodes that hosted personalities such as Joe Rogan, Michael Malice, and Alex Jones have now been eliminated from the platform, despite being on the platform for the last three years.
In Pool’s words, “Youtube has declared war on Timcast IRL retroactively enforcing rules against our 2 biggest shows ever featuring Joe Rogan, Michael Malice, and Alex Jones.”
YouTube’s justification behind this unexpected action, according to Pool, rested on baseless grounds.
A glance back at one of the condemned episodes that aired in 2021 reveals a variety of subjects being explored in a conversation between Joe Rogan, Alex Jones, Blaire White, and Michael Malice. Topics ranged from coverage and insights on the Kyle Rittenhouse trial to discussions on the emergent border crisis.
Texas Officers Wrangle Illegal Immigrants Trying to Escape Custody
The Texas Department of Public Safety released body cam footage showing officers chasing down and tackling illegal immigrants who were being smuggled by a driver and passenger in Val Verde Country, TX, on April 10.
Two smugglers and one illegal alien were arrested, and four illegal immigrants were referred to U.S. Border Patrol.
NYPD arresting anti-Israel protesters at Columbia University
Fox News’ CB Cotton reports that the ‘Gaza Solidarity Encampment’ received several warnings before the university president authorized the police to remove students.
Dubai rocked by heaviest downpour in 75 years and fatal floods following cloud-seeding missions
The United Arab Emirates and neighboring states were rocked this week by the heaviest rains on record, which resulted in devastating floods, dozens of deaths, significant damage, and diverted flights.
A government meteorologist indicated early on that the UAE’s well-known geoengineering efforts were at least partly to blame. However, now that there is a body count, the government task force responsible for cloud-seeding missions in the region is attempting to deny responsibility.
Liberal media outlets such as the Guardian and Wired and so-called experts have dutifully accepted these denials, insinuating that climate change or other factors may instead be responsible.
The UAE has been conducting cloud-seeding missions for decades.
According to the Khaleej Times of Dubai, the UAE has ramped up its efforts under the UAE Research Program for Rain Enhancement, managed by the Gulf state’s National Center of Meteorology. This particular scheme was kicked off by the Ministry of Presidential Affairs of the UAE.
TV7 Israel News 18.04.24
1) Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant pledges to cut Iran’s proxies – as it continues to proactively manage multiple fronts against Israel.
2) Israeli War Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz pledges to Israel’s northern residents that Hezbollah will be dealt with either diplomatically or militarily before the next school year.
3) The G7 declares support for Israel versus Iran, while – in parallel – urging for de-escalation.
Walberg Stunned By Columbia Pres’s Response To Professor Who Made ‘Perverse’ Statement After Oct. 7
At today’s House Education Committee hearing, Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI) grilled Columbia University President Minouche Shafik about a professor who celebrated the Oct. 7 attack on Israel by Hamas.
Migrant suspected of double homicide used CBP’s app to gain entry into US
Kenol Baptiste, 30, was arrested by Middletown police on April 1 and charged with second-degree murder, first-degree manslaughter, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon.
Baptiste allegedly fatally stabbed two male roommates. One of the victims died at the scene. The other victim sustained multiple stab wounds and was transported to Garnet Health Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries during surgery.
Orange County Executive Steven Neuhaus called the killings “a failure on all levels of the federal government,” noting that Baptiste was awaiting a federal deportation hearing, News 12 reported.
“It was one of the most brutal murders that some law enforcement is reporting to us that they’ve seen,” Neuhaus added.
Kevin O’Leary torches NYC hush money case: We look like clowns!
Senior correspondent Eric Shawn reports the latest on Trump’s hush money trial from New York City. The ‘Outnumbered’ panel also addressed the latest on the case as jury selection continues.
‘Shocks the conscience’: New Planned Parenthood report shows how many abortions provided while receiving taxpayer money
Planned Parenthood is performing a record number of abortions.
This week, Planned Parenthood released its 2022–2023 annual report disclosing data on services provided for the year 2021–2022. In just that single year, Planned Parenthood ended the lives of 392,715 unborn children through abortion, or an average of approximately 1,076 unborn children per day.
Planned Parenthood abortions, then, are the fourth-leading cause of death in the U.S. for that year, behind only heart disease, cancer, and COVID-related deaths.
The organization described its efforts as “a year of moving mountains.”
Soros-backed DA Pamela Price will face recall vote
The county’s board of supervisors will need to determine when to hold the recall election. A date must be decided within 14 days of the registrar completing the signature validation process.
It is unclear whether the county will hold a separate special election, which would cost around $20 million, or if the recall vote will be consolidated with the regularly scheduled election in November to save funds.
Leaders of the effort to oust Price have blamed her progressive policies for the increase in criminal activity in Oakland.
Price promised to radically reform the criminal justice system, reduce mass incarceration, end the death penalty, and prohibit minors from being charged as adults.
Since Price has been in office, many Oakland businesses have closed down due to the area’s rampant crime.
‘How Could You Sleep At Night?’: Rand Paul Confronts Mayorkas About Laken Riley
At today’s Senate Homeland Security Committee hearing, Sen. Rand Paul (R-KY) slammed DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas’s at the border.
13 Dems vote against resolution condemning Iran after Israel strike
More than a dozen House Democrats voted against a resolution condemning Iran’s airstrikes on Israel Thursday.
The resolution, which also affirms U.S. support for Israel responding to the attack however it deems necessary, overwhelmingly passed 404 to 14. Just one House Republican, Rep. Thomas Massie, R-Ky., voted against the bill.
Massie was joined by 13 Democrats, including “Squad” member Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Cori Bush, D-Mo.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.; and Ayanna Pressley, D-Mass. Congressional Progressive Caucus Chair Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., was also among those opposing the bill.
House Majority Whip Tom Emmer, R-Minn., the No. 3 House GOP leader, tore into the Democrats who voted against condemning Iran in a statement to Fox News Digital after the vote.
Calif. Dems Tout Ties to Criminal Leniency Group
The mayors of California’s three biggest cities have rankled some progressive activists in recent months by joining a wave of fellow Democrats renouncing once popular initiatives to defund the police, reduce sentencing, and undertake other criminal justice reforms amid deep concerns over public safety.
Facing a public backlash over rampant thefts and an epidemic of fentanyl deaths related to drug trafficking, San Francisco Mayor London Breed and San Diego Mayor Todd Gloria in recent months have joined the GOP fight to dismantle Proposition 47. That law, approved by voters in 2014, recategorized thefts below $950 from felonies to misdemeanors, and many critics blame it for the spate of smash-and-grab robberies at department and convenience stores across California.
“We should be locking up criminals, not laundry detergent,” Gloria, who refers to himself as a progressive Democrat, declared in his state-of-the-city address in January.
Meanwhile, Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has called for adding hundreds of police officers to the city’s rolls and boosting their pay.
But Democratic incumbents and candidates in several of the most competitive U.S. House of Representatives races across California – the outcome of which will play a critical role in determining control of the chamber in the next Congress – are either swimming against the tough-on-crime tide or trying to avoid alienating a key ally.
These Democrats have been touting their close ties to a progressive lobbying powerhouse that helped usher in some of the most controversial changes to criminal justice laws across the state in recent years.
Joe Biden’s Gas Station Visit Mocked by Conservatives
Joe Biden’s stop at a Sheetz gas station in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, while on his way to deliver remarks in the city was mocked by conservatives on social media who claimed the visit failed to excite those present at the scene.
Sharing a clip of the Democratic president entering the Pittsburgh-area Sheetz to buy sandwiches for construction workers, conservative news website Red Voice Media wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter: “Notice everyone’s excitement. [face with rolling eyes emoji] Compare this with literally anywhere Donald Trump goes.”
Newsweek contacted the White House for comment by email on Thursday morning.
Another user who describes themselves as a “Christian, conservative, MAGA patriot,” shared the clip of Biden at the Pittsburgh’s gas station next to footage of Donald Trump arriving in Harlem, New York, on Tuesday and being received by a cheering crowd chanting “Trump, Trump, Trump.”
Deranged ‘Get Trump’ Democrats only boost ex-president with their constant attacks, insults
The “Get Trump” Democrats are beside themselves with glee about the former president being stuck in a Manhattan courtroom for the Stormy Daniels hush-money trial while the current president hits the campaign trail.
They have taken to calling Donald Trump “Hitler Pig” in emails and text messages among White House staff, campaign aides and other Democrats close to the administration, reported Politico Wednesday.
So much for Joe Biden bringing civility back to politics.
That’s as believable as his other tall tales, that he stopped inflation and never spoke to his son about overseas business dealings.
Todd Bensman: “We’ve Just Crossed the 1 Million Person Thresh Hold For Fiscal 2024”
ANDY NGO REPORTS: Antifa trial of the decade exposes a violent conspiracy in San Diego riot
As the criminal trial of two So Cal Antifa members goes into its third week, the public is learning about how one of the notorious Antifa groups organizes and carries out violence against targets.
Jeremy Jonathan White, 41, and Brian Cortez Lightfoot Jr., 27, both of Los Angeles, are accused of carrying out violent attacks on supporters of former President Donald Trump in a felony conspiracy—the first time Antifa suspects have been charged with such a serious felony accusation anywhere in the US Nine of their co-defendant comrades have already been convicted in plea deals, including Luis Francisco Mora, 32, who took a last-minute plea deal at the start of the trial.
On Jan. 9, 2021, roving mobs of black-clad So Cal Antifa members attacked supporters of Donald Trump and people walking on the boardwalk at Pacific Beach in San Diego County. A dog and his walker were among those maced. Eleven people, about half from Los Angeles County, were indicted in 2022 by a secret grand jury on a total of 29 felonies, including conspiracy to riot, assault and other violent crimes. Prosecutors alleged the defendants engaged in a coordinated conspiracy to riot.
During her opening statements to jurors on April 2, prosecutor Makenzie Harvey showed video footage of violence during the riot that included aerials from a local police helicopter. The jury also saw communications between defendants, including one from Lightfoot, before the riot, in which he stated: “Got a team coming from L.A.” and “I wanna fight!” Lightfoot used the alias “John Wick” on his Signal encrypted communications and had an Antifa logo featuring black and red flags as his avatar photo. One of his confirmed Instagram usernames was “@antifaboyacab5.”
Texas Border Operation Captures Half a Million Illegal Immigrants, Thousands of Felons
This month the state published an update on the security initiative’s work. Since it was put into place, over 507,200 illegal immigrants have been captured and more than 41,500 criminal arrests have been made with more than 36,900 felony charges filed.
Additionally, Texas officials have transported over 100,000 illegal aliens to sanctuary cities throughout the country that openly welcome and protect migrants. New York received the largest chunk—42,000—of relocated migrants caught entering Texas illegally, followed by Chicago (34,400), Denver (18,000), Washington D.C. (12,500), Philadelphia (3,400) and Los Angeles (1,500).
“Operation Lone Star continues to fill the dangerous gaps created by the Biden Administration’s refusal to secure the border,” reads the statement announcing the latest figures. “Every individual who is apprehended or arrested and every ounce of drugs seized would have otherwise made their way into communities across Texas and the nation due to President Joe Biden’s open border policies.”
Mike Davis And Julie Kelly Discuss The J6 Case Happening In The Supreme Court
D.C. National Guard Whistleblowers Testify Over J6 Delay
In regards to the Inspector General’s 2021 report, Loudermilk said the report concludes that the leader of the National Guard response, Maj. Gen. William Walker, received two orders from then U.S. Army Secretary Ryan McCarthy to deploy troops to the Capitol, once at 4:45 pm and again at 5:00 pm.
“Walker denies that either of these calls took place,” Loudermilk said. “Despite the many inconsistencies and contradictions of the DOD’s responsibility that day, the select committee on January 6th ignored these discrepancies despite them being shared privately by their own staff and barreled forward with the DOD’s side of the story.”
The hearing comes after the oversight panel published a never-before released transcribed interview from Trump’s former White House deputy chief of staff Anthony Ornato, which showed that the former president offered 10,000 National troops to secure the Capitol. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D-Washington D.C.), however, rejected the call.
Loudermilk said the now-defunct January select committee withheld Ornato’s “critical witness testimony from the American people because it contradicted their predetermined narrative.”
Electric Vehicle Sales Plunge Across Europe as Demand Stalls
The Daily Telegraph reports sales of battery-powered cars dropped by 11.3 percent as demand in Germany, Europe’s largest economy, plunged by 28.9 percent, according to the European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association (ACEA).
Overall figures show electric vehicle sales have stalled despite Europe’s plans to ban the sale of new internal combustion engine cars by 2035.
According to the Telegraph report, Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz and Tesla have all recorded falling electric vehicle sales in the first three months of the year.
The slowdown in EV sales in recent months has not been limited to Europe.
Mexico offers assistance to Texas residents against ‘anti-immigrant’ SB4
Alicia Barcena was in El Paso on Wednesday with a message to residents of Mexican descent uncomfortable with Texas’ aggressive efforts to enforce immigration laws: You are not alone.
“We want Mexican and immigrant communities here to know Mexico will support them whether or not SB4 is enforced,” Mexico’s foreign minister said during the first of four stops in Texas to meet with her 11 consuls general in the state. “We are very concerned; that’s why we are here to promote initiatives like ‘Know your rights,’ legal assistance and 24-hour protection for our nationals.”
SB4 is a Texas law banning local governments from preventing law enforcement from arresting migrants illegally in the country. It’s been blocked by the courts while a federal circuit court weighs whether it’s constitutional.
Barcena was to visit San Antonio, Eagle Pass and Laredo upon leaving El Paso.
The foreign minister also had a message for Americans leery of record migration in the past few years.
UN weighs vote on full Palestinian membership
Virginia congressional candidate Derrick Anderson joined ‘Fox & Friends First’ to discuss the latest on the conflict between Israel and Iran and what the key takeaways are regarding Iranian military capabilities following the weekend attack.
Woman Who Strangled Pregnant Teen, Ripped Baby from Womb Sentenced to 50 Years
According to prosecutors, 51-year-old Clarisa Figueroa strangled Marlen Ochoa-Lopez on April 23, 2019, with a cable after luring her to her home by offering her free clothing for her baby, NBC News reported.
“Figueroa then called 911, saying she [had] given birth and the child was not breathing,” according to the report. “The child died about two months later.”
Officials said Figueroa began planning to acquire a newborn soon after her adult son died of natural causes. Figueroa reportedly began telling her family she was pregnant and posting photos of an ultrasound and a decorated baby room to her Facebook page. In March 2019, Figueroa connected with Ochoa-Lopez on a Facebook page for pregnant women, according to the report:
Newsfeed News.com 