White House officials push for favorable Biden coverage in secret meetings with news outlets . . . The White House is reportedly unhappy with the media coverage of President Biden and has embarked on a mission to change that, according to a report late Tuesday. CNN reported that three top White House officials are secretly meeting with major news outlets to persuade them into more favorable coverage of the president. The officials also are seeking positive stories about job creation, the economy and the supply chain, arguing the economy is in better shape than it was last year, according to the report. The White House officials attending the meetings are said to be National Economic Deputy Directors David Kamin and Bharat Ramamurti along with Ports Envoy John Porcari. While CNN did not name any of the outlets they met with, it did say that they’ve spoken with anchors, producers and reporters. Washington Times

 

 

At the Democracy Summit, Biden Bungles Again . . . President Biden’s democracy summit failed before it even began.
In virtual meetings on Thursday and Friday, activists and business groups and representatives from some 110 nations are discussing ways to guard against authoritarianism, fight corruption, and promote human rights. There will be another summit next year for countries to report progress. The real problem—as with much of Mr. Biden’s foreign policy—lies in the summit’s clumsy execution. Instead of promoting democratic values, this meeting risks alienating friends and whitewashing the reputation of thugs. Some of the summit’s bizarre inclusions (Pakistan, the Democratic Republic of Congo) and questionable exclusions (Sri Lanka, Singapore) suggest confusion rather than coherence. The Biden administration seems not to have grasped a central difference from the Cold War: Many of the strongmen most responsible for eroding liberal democracy are popular in their home countries. Democratic backsliding in places like the Philippines and India won’t be stopped with finger wagging or sanctions. Wall Street Journal

 

 

 

 

Biden, Harris led frenzy to amplify Jussie Smollett's false hate crime claims . . . "Empire" actor Jussie Smollett was found guilty on five charges of staging a hate crime and lying to police on Thursday, raising questions as to whether or not several high-profile political figures would offer apologies or attempt to clarify their public defense of his innocence. "What happened today to @JussieSmollett must never be tolerated in this country," President Biden, tweeted in January 2019 when he was mulling a presidential run, "We must stand up and demand that we no longer give this hate safe harbor; that homophobia and racism have no place on our streets or in our hearts. We are with you, Jussie." Fox News

 

 

 

US ends combat mission against ISIS in Iraq, but troops remain . . . The U.S. military on Thursday ended its combat mission in Iraq, transferring instead to a training and advisory role, the Pentagon announced. Under the terms from a July agreement, the United States for months has wound down the mission against the Islamic State, with about 2,500 service members still in Iraq. Those troops will remain for now to advise and assist Iraqi security forces, a change finalized after technical talks wrapped up between Washington and Baghdad on Thursday. The Hill

 

Congress Seeks Records Related to Pentagon Study of ‘Alternatives’ to Nuclear Modernization . . . House defense hawks are working to force the Biden administration to turn over records related to a Pentagon-funded study of "alternatives" to modernizing the U.S. nuclear missile stockpile. House lawmakers inserted language into the National Defense Authorization Act rules guidance on Tuesday, requiring the administration to provide Congress with contracting documents and reports related to any federally funded, third-party reviews of "service life extension program for Minuteman III intercontinental ballistic missiles" or the "future of the intercontinental ballistic missile force." The NDAA passed the House on Tuesday and is expected to pass the Senate this week. The records could shed light on why the Biden administration decided to contract out the study to two nuclear disarmament advocates at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, a Washington-based think tank. Washington Free Beacon

 

Customs and Border Protection To Host ‘Unconscious Bias’ Seminar During Immigration Crisis . . . Amid an immigration crisis, Customs and Border Protection this month is offering a seminar on "unconscious bias" for all staff. According to an internal memo obtained by the Washington Free Beacon, CBP will on Dec. 10 host a "virtual discussion" between a senior Border Patrol official and Susan Fleming, a self-described expert in "gender bias," on the topic of "the impact of stereotypes and unconscious biases in the workplace." Attendance is optional for all staff. Washington Free Beacon

 

UAE, Saudis seek détente with Tehran, fed up with US-Israel slow motion on nuclear-armed Iran . . . United Arab Emirates and Saudi leaders took significant steps this week towards rapprochement with Tehran, backing away overtly for the first time from the Iran policies pursued by US and Israel. Nonetheless, little notice was attracted by the Emirati National Security Adviser Sheikh Tahnoon bin Zayed’s visit to Tehran on Monday, Dec. 6 and his meetings with his Iranian counterpart, Ali Shamkhani and President Ibrahim Raisi. Likewise, the Saudi Crown Prince Muhammed bin Salman (MbS)’s tour of Gulf capitals kicked off at Muscat, Oman, was practically unreported.
However, according to DEBKAfile’s Iran and Gulf sources, those trips were the first formal steps of a major policy shift in the region that reflects disenchantment with the US and Israel. DEBKAFile

 

Biden Preps Allies for Talks With Kremlin on Russian Troop Buildup . . . President Biden laid the groundwork Thursday for talks with Moscow to de-escalate the crisis over the massing of Russian forces near the Ukrainian border. The negotiations, which Mr. Biden said a day earlier could include some North Atlantic Treaty Organization members and Russia, promise to be difficult for the Biden administration. Russian President Vladimir Putin is demanding not only U.S. concessions on Ukraine but also revisions in the post-Cold War order in Europe. The White House hasn’t announced a location, timing or format for the talks. But Mr. Biden sought to assure Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky and the leaders of eastern-flank countries in phone calls Thursday that the U.S. wouldn’t negotiate over their heads and underscored his administration’s “commitment to trans-Atlantic security,” the White House said. Wall Street Journal

 

 

 

In need of a baby boom, China clamps down on vasectomies . . . For more than three decades, Chinese authorities forced men and women to undergo sterilization to control population growth. Now, as the government tries to reverse a plummeting birthrate that it fears could threaten social stability and the economy, hospitals are turning away men seeking vasectomies. China says its population is still growing, if slowly, in once-a-decade census. China recorded 8.5 births per 1,000 people in 2020, the lowest rate in more than 70 years, according to official data released in November. With one of the world’s lowest fertility rates — at 1.3 children per woman, it is below Japan’s — demographers predict China’s population could begin to fall within a few years. Washington Post

 

China and Nicaragua re-establish ties in blow to U.S. and Taiwan . . . China and Nicaragua re-established diplomatic ties on Friday after the Central American country broke relations with Chinese-claimed Taiwan, boosting Beijing in a part of the world long considered the United States' backyard and angering Washington. China has increased military and political pressure on Taiwan to accept its sovereignty claims, drawing anger from the democratically ruled island, which has repeatedly said it would not be bullied and has the right to international participation. China's Foreign Ministry, announcing the decision after meetings with Nicaragua's finance minister and two of President Daniel Ortega's sons in the northern Chinese city of Tianjin, said the country had made the "correct choice". Reuters

 

 

Pfizer-BioNTech Covid-19 Booster Authorized for 16- and 17-Year-Olds . . . U.S. health regulators cleared the Covid-19 booster from Pfizer Inc. PFE 1.32% and partner BioNTech BNTX -2.65% SE for use in 16- and 17-year-olds, widening eligibility as the worrisome Omicron variant spreads around the world. The Food and Drug Administration decision permits the teenagers to receive a third dose of the shot at least six months after their primary vaccination series. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky encouraged the use of the shots, saying that initial data shows boosters strengthen protection against the worrisome Omicron variant. Her recommendation was the last step before many states and vaccination sites began making boosters available to the older teenagers. Wall Street Journal

 

US government has granted vaccine mandate exceptions to 165,000 workers . . . Tens of thousands of US government employees remain unvaccinated against Covid-19 despite a federal vaccine mandate, after agencies handed out exemptions and extensions to more than 165,000 staff, a Financial Times analysis has revealed. The White House announced last month that 97 per cent of the federal workforce was in compliance with the government mandate, which was imposed as part of Joe Biden’s push to increase America’s vaccination rate. But its definition of compliance included workers who have been granted an exemption or extension to the rules. An FT analysis of the figures shows that such exceptions have been granted to as many as 5 per cent of the US government’s 3.5m employees. Financial Times

 

US consumer prices expected to log biggest annual gain since 1982 . . . US consumer prices are expected to have increased at the fastest pace in nearly 40 years in November, threatening to pile more political pressure on the Biden administration as it seeks support for a massive spending plan.
According to a consensus forecast compiled by Bloomberg, the consumer price index (CPI) published by the Bureau of Labor Statistics at 8:30am Eastern time on Friday is expected to have risen by 6.8 per cent last month from a year ago, which would be the fastest annual pace since 1982 and a significant pick-up from the 6.2 per cent rate in October. Financial Times

 

Oil Price Swings Scramble Inflation Outlook . . . A loss of momentum in oil markets has prompted investors and traders to dial down bets on how fast inflation will run in the coming years. After rising for much of 2021 on the back of a recovery in economic activity, oil prices have stalled since late fall. Among the catalysts: President Biden said the U.S. and other big energy consumers would release crude from strategic reserves to tame fuel prices. Travel restrictions designed to contain the Omicron variant of coronavirus then cut demand for jet fuel. U.S. crude prices are down 16% from their late October high at about $71 a barrel, even after recovering some lost ground this week. Wall Street Journal

 

Project Veritas Scores Big Legal Win In Biden Diary Case . . . A federal court ordered Wednesday that a special master be appointed to review materials seized by the FBI during raids against Project Veritas last month. The special master will determine whether evidence seized by the FBI in raids against Project Veritas founder James O’Keefe and two former Project Veritas employees can be used by prosecutors in a case involving the alleged theft of Ashley Biden’s diary. Judge Analisa Torres granted Project Veritas’ request that a special master be appointed, but declined to order the Department of Justice (DOJ) to conduct an investigation to determine whether information about the raid was leaked to The New York Times. The FBI carried out the raids as part of an investigation into whether the diary of Ashley Biden, the now-40-year-old daughter of President Joe Biden, was stolen last year. Daily Caller

 

CVS could soon be your doctor in big health care push . . . CVS Health is the local drugstore for many, and now the chain wants to be your doctor as well.  CEO Karen Lynch said in a statement that this "major evolution" will include expanding into areas like primary care. The company plans to add advanced primary care centers to its mix of drugstores and "HealthHUB" locations it started introducing a few years ago. Those stores can include employees like dietitians and are already trying to provide more health services to customers. Fox Business

 

U.K. Court Rules Julian Assange Can Be Extradited to U.S. . . . A British court ruled on Friday that Julian Assange can be extradited to the United States to face espionage charges that could result in decades of jail time, reversing a lower-court decision in the long-running case against the embattled WikiLeaks founder. Britain’s High Court ruled in favor of the U.S. government, overturning an earlier decision by a district court that had blocked Mr. Assange’s extradition based partly on concerns for his mental health. The ruling pointed to a number of assurances from the United States.
Mr. Assange can appeal the verdict. Mr. Assange has been charged with 17 counts of violating the Espionage Act, alleging that he played a role in obtaining secret military and diplomatic documents related to the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. If found guilty on all charges, he could face a sentence of up to 175 years in prison. New York Times

 

Jussie Smollett Will Be Forced To Share A Jail Cell With His Attacker . . . People are protesting in the streets today after human rights groups revealed Jussie Smollett will be forced to share a jail cell with his racist attackers. "This is an outrage!" said Reverend Jesse Jackson. "Not only was Mr. Smollett attacked by hateful racist bigots who want to tear our country apart, but now he has to share a jail cell with them? This is cruel and unusual punishment. This is the kind of thing that happens in our white supremacist country. Send me money!" 

Criminal justice watchdogs also revealed that in addition to sharing a cell with his attackers, he will have to share his toothbrush, his bunk bed, and clothes. They expressed worry that this may lead to Jussie Smollet suffering further racist and homophobic attacks from other attackers named Jussie Smollett while in prison. When asked for comment, Jussie Smollet angrily yelled "This is MAGA country!" before punching himself in the face. Babylon Bee