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US News:
Memo reveals FBI knew the contents of Hunter Biden’s laptop for years
The memo, written by senior IRS Criminal Investigation official Gary Shapley in 2020, reveals how senior law enforcement officers sat on the treasure trove of evidence from the First Sonโs computer and waited months before handing over mere excerpts to investigators working the case.
It also directly contradicts an open letter from 51 top former intelligence officials published weeks ahead of the 2020 presidential election which dismissed the laptop as having โall the classic earmarks of a Russian information operationโ.
Shapley and his subordinate, who both recently became whistleblowers toย Congress, believe that almost three years later they still havenโt received all the data on the hard drive โ which could incriminate not only Hunter but his father too.
Federal Agency Confirms It Was Hit in Massive Cyberattack
In a statement to news outlets Thursday, the agency said that โno HHS systems or networks were compromised,โ adding that โattackers gained access to data by exploiting the vulnerability in the MOVEit Transfer software of third party vendors.โ
Earlier this month, it was confirmed that a multitude of federal agencies were impacted in a wide-ranging breach. The Department of Energy was reportedly affected in the attack and was asked to pay a ransom.
Hackers behind the massive breach also claimed credit for stealing data from two major law firms, Kirkland & Ellis LLP and K&L Gates LLP.
The ransomware gang known as Cl0p posted the names of Kirkland & Ellis LLP and K&L Gates LLP to its leak site, typically a sign that negotiations between the victims and the hackers had broken down.
Army soldier shoots service member wife at her own birthday party: report
Rineyville neighbors reportedly tried to calm the couple, but when gunshots rang out, neighbors grabbed the couple’s children and fled, Lee said, according to a report fromย The News-Enterprise.ย
Lee said those at the party were drinking, and Henning, 33, and his wife, Ashley, 32, began fighting and arguing before Henning shot and killed her.
People began to leave as the coupleโs fighting escalated. Lee said neighbors attempted to calm the couple, but were unsuccessful.
Jordan was arrested andย charged with murderย โ domestic violence, which is punishable by 20 to 50 years or life in prison. He was arraigned in Hardin District Court on Tuesday.
Concealed carry holder sues Chicago, police after murder charges filed: ‘Totally unnecessary’
“My life changed. My son’s life changed. I’ve experienced pain in many ways that I would never have thought,” Hood said of the arrests. “What happened to me was totally unnecessary. Never in a million years would I have imagined being brutally attacked, beaten, and being arrested.”
Prosecutors have not pointed to a specific reason for dropping the charges against Hood and her son, with Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxxโs office only saying prosecutors “are unable to meet our burden of proof in the prosecution of these cases.”
Hood is aย licensed concealed carry holderย and has a valid FOID card – an Illinois identification card used for gun possession and purchase.ย
The mom was standing in line at a hot dog fast-food restaurant on June 18 when she and Brown got into an argument. Footage of the scene showsย Brown punching Hoodย at least three times. Hoodโs teenaged son was waiting in the car before Hood texted him and asked for help.ย
Wild dashcam video shows handcuffed suspect steal squad car before high-speed chase, fatal crash in Colorado
A Colorado man taken into custody following a shots-fired call and police chase is seen on video scooting into the front seat of a state police car and taking off down Highway 50 once again in Otero County before speeding into a fatal finale.
The suspect, Anthony Alphonso Sanchez III, later died after the car spun out on a stop strip and slammed into a tractor-trailer on the side of the road.
Police knocked his car off the road and took him into custody. In bodycam video, deputies recover a loaded handgun from the passenger seat and discuss having witnessed the suspect “ram” another car in the course of “multiple accidents.”
Twitter Chief Aims to Lure Advertisers Back
Twitter’s new chief executive, Linda Yaccarino, is working on a slew of measures to bring back advertisers who left the platform under Elon Musk’s ownership, including introducing a video ads service, pursuing more celebrities and raising headcount, the Financial Times (FT) reported on Wednesday.
Yaccarino, who started as CEO on June 5, is planning to launch full-screen, sound-on video ads that will be shown to users scrolling through Twitter’s new short-video feed, the newspaper reported, citing three people familiar with the situation.
She is in talks about a broader partnership with Alphabet-owned Google that would include advertising and access to some of Twitter’s data, the report said, citing someone familiar with the matter.
YouTube Removes Another RFK Jr. Interview
Sharing the news via Twitter on June 27, Kennedy characterized YouTubeโs actions as an attempt to influence the 2024 presidential election.
โPeople made a big deal about Russia supposedly manipulating internet information to influence a Presidential election,โ he noted in a post. โShouldnโt we be worried when giant tech corporations do the same?โ
According to Guart, the video was removed for supposed violations of YouTubeโs community standardsโan explanation he found to be inadequate.
โNot Quite Happy:โ Google Realizes Reddit Blackout Was a Disaster for Search Engine
When Reddit, the self-proclaimed โfrontpage of the intenetโ faced a wave of protests from users who blocked their content as part of a sitewide blackout, an unintended side effect emerged โ the quality of Google search results dropped significantly for users seeking effective answers to questions.
Google executives have realized that users are โnot quite happyโ and are desperately trying to improve their search engine in response.
CNBCย reportsย thatย Google is taking desperate measures to improve its search experience in response to the recentย Reddit blackouts. The tech giant has introduced a new function called โPerspectivesโ to address user discontent.ย Prabhakar Raghavan, Googleโs senior vice president in charge of search, acknowledged the user discontent during the Reddit blackouts.
โMany of you may wonder how we have a search team thatโs iterating and building all this new stuff and yet somehow, users are still not quite happy,โ Raghavan said. โWe need to make users happy.โ
Supreme Court: Racial Preferences Unconstitutional in College Admissions
Students For Fair Admission filed a number of lawsuits against public and private schools. The Supreme Court eventually took two of them: a challenge to the admissions policy of the University of North Carolina (UNC) under the Fourteenth Amendment and a challenge to Harvardโs policy under Title VI.
The Supreme Court held 6-3 that UNCโs policy is unconstitutional and held the same regarding Harvardโs policy by a 6-2 vote. (Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson recused herself from the Harvard case.) Chief Justice John Roberts wrote the majority opinion, joined by all the conservative and moderate justices.
The majority opinion declared that โthe Harvard and UNC admissions programs cannot be reconciled with the guarantees of the Equal Protection Clause.โ It concludes:
Joe Rogan praises Trump for ‘perfect’ answer declaring he would end Russia-Ukraine war as president
Podcast host Joe Rogan and standup comedian Duncan Trussell slammed Democrats for abandoning their anti-war beliefs, and praised former President Donald Trump for advocating for peace in Ukraine as the threat of nuclear war looms.
Rogan spoke on a recent episode of his podcast, “The Joe Rogan Experience,” about how the anti-war left of his youth has largely disappeared, suggesting Trump is one of very few leaders trying to bring the Russia-Ukraine conflict to a close.
The podcast host also condemned the “rah-rah aspect” of some politicians’ political rhetoric about the Russia-Ukraine war, which he described as a “very complex issue.”
World News:
Israeli Intelligence Agency Says It Conducted Operation Inside Iran To Capture Cyprus Terror Suspect
Mossad, the Israeli intelligence agency, in a statement on June 29 identified the suspect as Youssef Shahbazi Abbasalilu and alleged that he had “received detailed instructions and weapons from senior officials [of Iranโs Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (IRGC)].”
Mossad published a video of what it said was an interrogation of the suspect.
In the video, the man — who speaks Persian with an Azeri accent — says he was commissioned by his superior to identify Israeli and Jewish targets in Cyprus and to attack them. Mossad identified the superior as a senior IRGC leader.
He also said he surveilled the target and took photos of the personโs home in Cyprus but that he fled the island and returned to Iran after being alerted that police were searching for him.
Barclays settles after shuttering Christian charity’s account following alleged ‘conversion therapy’ promotion
London-based Barclays Bank made the payout equivalent of $25,000 following allegations that it suspended the account of Core Issues Trust (CIT) and the associated International Federation for Therapeutic and Counselling Choice (IFTCC) in 2020 because of their alleged support for “conversion therapy,”ย according to the Telegraph.The Northern Ireland-based nonprofit trust endeavors to help adults who voluntarily seek change in sexual identity and expression and is the only registered charity of its kind in the U.K. So-called conversion therapies are defined as therapies that aim to convert LGBT individuals to heterosexuals or traditional gender identities.
The trust has maintained that Barclays, which sponsors London’s Pride Parade and ranks as one of the most LGBT-friendly employers in the country, suspended its account amid a pressure campaign from activists, according to the Telegraph. Other companies also took action against the group in 2020, including Mailchimp, PayPal, Facebook and Instagram.
Jerusalem to stand firm vs enemies; US frustrated with Israel over leak on Iran TV7Israel News 29.0
1) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu proclaims that Jerusalemโs โIron Wallโ doctrine constituted the key ingredient to Israelโs regional integration.
2) (in contrast) U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken warns that Israelโs โcounter-terror activitiesโ in the West Bank districts of Judea, Samaria and the Jordan Valley and preventing the enlargement of the Abraham Accords, at this stage.
3) U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan complained to his Israeli counterpart Tzachi Hanegbi over Israeli leaks insinuating an imminent nuclear arrangement between Washington and Tehran.
Putinโs Top Generals Are Starting to Go Missing After the Wagner Rebellion Ceases
A Russian general who previously led the invasion force in Ukraine has not been seen in public since Saturday, with US intelligence reportedly claiming he had prior knowledge of the uprising led by the Wagner chief, Yevgeny Prigozhin.
Gen Sergei Surovikin is the head of the Russian aerospace forces and formerly Moscowโs supreme commander in Ukraine. Prigozhin had welcomed his appointment to that post in 2022, calling him a โlegendary figureโ and โborn to serve his motherlandโ.
The well-publicised links between Surovikin and Prigozhin have fuelled rumours that Surovikin may be purged or put under investigation for supporting the mutiny.
When Prigozhin launched his uprising, Surovikin made an unambiguous statement against it and in support of the Russian government late on Friday.
Turkey and Taliban Rage as Iraqi Burns Qurโan in Sweden
Iraqi national Salwan Momika, 37, who came to Sweden as an asylum seeker several years ago, was permitted by a judge earlier this month to conduct a burning of the Islamic holy book on the grounds of free speech.
While playing the Swedish national anthem and waving the blue and yellow flag of the nation, Momika began to tear pages from the book, wrapping some of the pages in bacon while using others to smoke a cigarette before ultimately setting fire to the copy of the Qurโan.
Explaining the reason for the provocative demonstration, Momika said prior to burning the book: โWe will burn the Qurโan. We will say: wake up Sweden. This is democracy. Itโs in danger if they say we canโt do thisโ.
Although he was granted permission by a court to perform the burning of the Qurโan, police announced that the activist was being investigated for โincitement against an ethnic groupโ โ despite Muslim not being an ethnicity โ and for violating a seasonal ban on lighting fires in Sweden.ย
Switzerland Blocks German Tanks For Ukraine While Citing Neutrality
The sale was meant to be for 96 non-operational Leopard I tanks which belong to Ruag but are currently being stored in Italy. The tanks were to be refurbished in Germany and then sent to Ukraine.
Meanwhile, the Swiss government did approve the sale of 25 Leopard 2 tanks that belong to the Swiss army which will be transferred to the German company Rheinmetall AG.
That deal is expected to go through by next year and the government supported the sale as Germany promised not to send the tanks to Kyiv, but rather to keep them for the German army to fill the gaps it has since sending its own tanks to Ukraine.
World Health Organization: Aspartame sweetener, used in Diet Coke, a possible carcinogen, per report
The Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) has been reviewing aspartame use this year. According to a report, both JECFA and IARC are set to make their findings public on July 14.
โIARC has assessed the potential carcinogenic effect of aspartame (hazard identification),โ an IARC spokesperson confirmed to the Guardian.
โFollowing this, the joint FAO/WHO expert committee on food additives will update its risk assessment exercise on aspartame, including the reviewing of the acceptable daily intake and dietary exposure assessment for aspartame.
The result of both evaluations will be made available together, on 14 July 2023.โ
Macronโs France Ablaze for Second Night as Anger, Street Violence Builds over Police Shooting
Franceโs interior minister said a further 40,000 police officers will deployed overnight Thursday to squash any fresh outbreaks of violence.
The teenagerโs mother called for a march on Thursday in tribute to her only child.
The death sparked clashes and arson attacks in several of the capitalโs suburbs overnight and across the next 24 hours with 31 people arrested and 24 police officers injured, as Breitbart Londonย reported.
AFPย reportsย overnight on Wednesday, cars were set on fire and fireworks aimed at police in the western suburb of Nanterre, where the shooting took place, as well as other communes of the Hauts-de-Seine region to the west of Paris, and in the eastern city of Dijon.
Brexitโs Nigel Farage Wins News Presenter of the Year, Trolls Media Elites: โYou Should Be Frightened!โ
As opposed to other years, the Television and Radio Industries Club (TRIC) Awards were decided entirely this year by public voting, which Mr Farage joked some thought would be a โrigged electionโ.
However, after crashing the voting system website several times, the legions of GB News and Farage fans ultimately prevailed, with the Brexiteer winning News Presenter of the Year, besting the likes of television mainstays Piers Morgan, Stephen Dixon, and Susanna Reid.
The upstart populist network also scored a major victory, with GB Newsโ Breakfast programme beating out establishment favourites such as Good Morning, Britain and BBC Breakfast for an award.
During his acceptance speech, Mr Farage faced down hecklers among the crowd of media elites, saying: โThose of you shouting, think about this. There is a large gap in the broadcast market.
OPINION Japan must abandon its reckless proposal to discharge Fukushima waste water into the ocean
Japanโs plan to discharge over a million tonnes of treated radioactive wastewater from the Fukushima nuclear plant into the Pacific is hazardous and irresponsible, and could have serious repercussions on the environment, human health, the regional economy, and diplomatic relations.
Theย planย violates international laws on nuclear waste disposal, poses serious environmental and health concerns, compromises the reputation and livelihood of the fishing industry, undermines regional trust and collaboration, and disregards alternative options and public opinion.
Chernobyl Elephant’s Foot Photo – The Most Dangerous Selfie
The Elephant’s Foot – Corpse of Chernobyl
Politics:
James Comer Asks Treasury for All Suspicious Activity Reports Related to Burisma, Maltese Bank, Vuk Jeremiฤ
โThe Committee on Oversight and Accountability has reviewed government documents that allege President Biden, while serving as Vice President, solicited and received a bribe from a foreign source in return for certain actions,โ Comer wrote Yellen Wednesday.
Comerโs request is in relation to a Maltese bank account opened by a Burisma executive for Hunter Biden. Emails uncovered by the nonprofit Marco Polo suggest Burisma tried to move money to the Bidens through a Maltese bank account set up by Vadym Pozharskyi.
Comer also appears to be digging deeper into the Bidensโ dealings with Serbian politician Vuk Jeremiฤ. Comer requested that Hunter and James Biden and Jeremiฤ turn over information about their business dealings, but all three refused to cooperate.
โEuropeโs Borders are not Secureโ: Poland Vows to Veto EU Migrant Plan
BRUSSELS (AP) โ Polandยดs prime minister insisted Thursday that his country would not be forced to accept European Union rules on migration, and he vowed to veto any plan that might force countries to take in refugees.
โAn attack on Europe is underway. Europeยดs borders are not secure. The safety of the inhabitants of our continent is at stake,โ Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said in a video statement.
He said he would propose โa plan for secure bordersโ to EU leaders at a summit in Brussels.
Earlier this month, EU countries made a breakthrough on asylum law reform, sealing agreement on a plan to share responsibility for migrants entering Europe without authorization. The issue is at the root of one of the blocยดs longest-running political crises.
Trump Hails โGreat Day for Americaโ as Supreme Court Ends Affirmative Action in Colleges
Former President Donald Trump on Thursday applauded the decision by the U.S. Supreme Court to strike down the consideration of race in college admissions.
Trump issued a statement making clear his delight. He said:
This is a great day for America. People with extraordinary ability and everything else necessary for success, including future greatness for our country, are finally being rewarded. This is the ruling everyone was waiting and hoping for and the result was amazing. It will also keep us competitive with the rest of the world.
Our greatest minds must be cherished and thatโs what this wonderful day has brought. Weโre going back to all merit-basedโand thatโs the way it should be!
As Breitbart News reported, racial preferences in college admissions violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Constitution, the Supreme Court decided in a historic decision with profound implications for racial preferences in many areas of law and public policy.
RFK Jr.:ย Iโmย โProudโ Trump Likes Me Even if Weย Donโtย Agree on Most Issues
Democrat presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. refused to attack former President Donald Trump and insisted that he is โproudโ the former president likes him even if they disagree on โmostโ issues.
NewsNation anchor Elizabeth Vargas noted that Kennedy has been โgetting a lot of support from a lot of leading voices on the right like Steve Bannon, Tucker Carlson, Alex Jones, former President Donald Trump,โ during Wednesdayโs town hall event.
Vargas then highlighted Trumpโs recent comments about Kennedy, praising the Democrat as a โcommon-sense guy.โ
โHeโs been very nice to me. Iโve actually had a very nice relationship with him over the years. Heโs a very smart guy and a good guy,โ Trump said of Kennedy. โHeโs a common-sense guy and so am I. So, whether youโre conservative or liberal, common sense is common sense.โ
Kennedy Jr. talks about JFK assassination and Second Amendment rights
Robert Kennedy Junior sits down with Sky News reporter Adam Walters to talk about the double loss of both his father and his uncle to political assassinations and how, despite the personal cost, he would not seek to remove the Second Amendment.
โWoke gone wildโ: Police identifying as gender neutral to collect higher pay
Former Liberal MP Nicolle Flint says the idea that officers are identifying as gender neutral to claim higher pay is just another way where taxpayers have to pay for the woke gone wild.
Ms Flint’s comments come as Victoria Police investigate an alleged spike in officers identifying as gender-neutral to claim a higher clothing allowance fee.
Justin Trudeau welcomes Pride season
Sky News host Caleb Bond has reacted to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s tweet on Wednesday welcoming Pride season.
New Info: Supposed Classified Iran Documents NOT Involved in Trump Indictment, with Ric Grenell
Megyn Kelly is joined by Ric Grenell, former acting DNI Director, to discuss new information that the supposed classified Iran documents are not involved in the Trump indictment, Trump’s new defense about the audio tape, the reality of the New Yorker article about Milley and Iran, and more.
Ric Grenell Responds to California Democrats Walking Out After He Receives Pride Month Honor
Megyn Kelly is joined by Ric Grenell, former acting DNI Director, to discuss California legislature members walking out after Grenell received a Pride month honor, how many in the gay community are done with the left, Scott Wiener’s outrageous legislation and attack on right-wing LGBTQ members, and more.
Commentary:
Victor Davis Hanson, Part II: The Contrarian Agrarian | Uncommon Knowledge
In this second and final installment of our conversation with Senior Fellow Victor Davis Hanson, we cover his writing process for his books and columns, examine how โWorld War IIโ has earned that name, and preview his upcoming book,
The End of Everything: How War Becomes Armageddon, which offers four cases studies of civilizations that collapsed.
Additionally, Professor Hanson discusses why Silicon Valley may be the most powerful political force the world has ever seen, outlines the future of the Republican Party and the Conservative movement, and explains how Donald Trump has changed both institutions forever. Finally, Victor (as he insists we call him), looks at the 2024 presidential race as well as US immigration and makes some surprising observations about his own life and career.
A Podcast Full of Inflammatory Things | Eric Metaxas | EP 371
Dr. Jordan B. Peterson and Eric Metaxas discuss his most recent book, โA Letter to the American Church,โ which argues a betrayal of faith by those who stay silent in the face of tyranny.
They parallel the arbiters of speech across history against those populating today, and detail the responsibility to act against falsehood that is intrinsically present in the Abrahamic tradition, yet increasingly absent in the American church today.
