Cut to the News
Cut through the clutter to today's top news
March 24, 2021
Good morning
Welcome to today's top news.
Leading the News . . .
Biden's experience isn't translating into preparation . . . When President Joe Biden was elected, supporters argued few candidates were better prepared for the White House: eight years as vice president, 36 years in the Senate, and stints as chairman of the Foreign Relations and
Judiciary committees. Since taking office, Biden has been caught flat-footed by several developments: the surge of migrants at the border, the uptick in inflation, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and splits among congressional Democrats on how to deal with the Middle East, with a growing faction in the House increasingly outspoken in its criticism of the Jewish state. Democrats have such narrow margins in Congress that even a handful of defections can prove decisive.
Analysis Washington Examiner
DOJ Charges BLM Supporter Who Allegedly ‘Stormed Capitol,’ Sold Footage to News Outlets . . . The Department of Justice (DOJ) seized $90,000 from a Utah man who sold footage of Ashli Babbitt being shot during the Jan. 6 Capitol breach, according to court filings filed by federal prosecutors. John Earle Sullivan, a political activist who reportedly attended Black Lives Matter protests last year and who allegedly agitated rioters inside
the Capitol, was also charged with new weapons charges. Sullivan portrayed himself as an independent journalist who was reporting on the chaos, but he actually encouraged other participants to “burn” the building and engage in violence. "We did this together. [Expletive] yeah! We are all a part of this history,” and “let’s burn this [expletive] down.” Epoch Times
Biden eyes course change as infrastructure plan hits impasse . . . Negotiations over President Biden’s massive infrastructure plan have hit a snag and the White House and congressional allies threatened Sunday to move toward a Democrat-only process if Republicans don’t acquiesce. Cedric Richmond, a top adviser to Mr. Biden, said Sunday that the president is prepared to shift tactics on getting a substantial infrastructure package through
Congress if Republicans don’t get on board. Washington Times
White House drops “infrastructure” proposal by a half-trillion dollars . . . This still doesn’t get it close to the Republican proposal, they are still nearly $1 trillion apart. Unclear if the White House is being serious because it lacks the votes for what it wants to do, or if it’s a ruse so that they can accuse Republicans of being uncooperative. Or both. Press secretary Jen Psaki revealed Friday that the White House is
offering to bring the price tag of its infrastructure package down more than a half-trillion dollars, from $2.25 trillion to $1.7 trillion, as negotiations with Republicans continue. “In our view, this is the art of seeking common ground,” she said. White House Dossier
Biden’s Top Energy Regulator Lobbied for Company Behind Admin-Approved Wind Farm . . . President Joe Biden's pick to lead a major federal energy agency spent years lobbying for the renewable power giant behind an offshore wind farm backed by the administration. From 2001 to 2016, Richard Glick, Biden's nom to chair the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission served as head lobbyist for Avangrid Renewables, the U.S. subsidiary of
Spanish electric conglomerate Iberdrola. The company set to become the country's first large-scale offshore wind farm after the Biden administration approved the project on May 11. Glick's new role will give him the authority to prioritize environmental projects that bolster the White House's green energy push and potentially enrich his former clients. Washington Free Beacon
Biden & Co.'s pervasive corruption has surfaced at every turn. Thanks to excellent investigative reporting by Free Beacon, we are learning about it.
Russia First: Biden playing pipeline favorites . . . Following a Biden administration move to lift U.S. sanctions blocking completion of Russia's Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline, critics are charging that the new president — who canceled the Keystone XL pipeline on his first day in office — is more concerned about Russian energy jobs and independence than he is about America's own. "President BIden, if [you] can't put America First, can you at
least not put Russia first?" form Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted. Just the News
Biden Advisers Link Amnesty for Illegal Immigrants With ‘Environmental Justice’ . . . An advisory panel to President Joe Biden is trying to marry the issue of amnesty for illegal immigrants with what it calls “environmental justice,” the federal effort to confront climate change. The White House Environmental Justice Advisory Council last week released a report with about 90 pages of recommendations that seem to have at best a
tenuous relationship to the environment “Lack of immigration status fundamentally limits the ability of immigrants to enforce their rights and have access to programs and services that would promote their food, housing, economic security, and improved environmental quality,” the White House report states. Daily Signal
Biden skips Notre Dame graduation amid uproar over abortion policies . . . President Biden did not deliver the address to the University of Notre Dame 2021 graduating class, breaking with recent tradition for newly installed administrations, as the nation’s second Catholic president continues to draw fire for pursuing a staunchly pro-choice policy agenda. The White House told the Catholic News Agency that the president was invited but had
a scheduling conflict, avoiding a brewing uproar over whether the Catholic institution should celebrate Mr. Biden by awarding him an honorary degree, as is customary for commencement speakers. Washington Times
President-in-waiting -- and -in-training.
Progressives ramp up scrutiny of US funding for Israel . . . U.S. security assistance to Israel is coming under increasing scrutiny from progressive lawmakers in Congress after this month’s bloody conflict in Gaza. Progressives are expected to keep pressing the concerns they voiced during the conflict, including questioning the once sacred cow of U.S. funding for Israel. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Mich.), the first Palestinian American woman
in Congress tweeted after the cease-fire was announced Thursday evening,“The U.S. must condition funding to uphold human rights, and end the funding entirely if those conditions are not met.” The Hill
Medical Tyranny Is the Next Great American Threat . . . With mask mandates lifted in most states, we are seeing the true faces of those in power who seek to use sensitive medical information — like vaccination status — to oppress others. Private companies, organizations, and educational institutions announce their plans as people return to the office and classrooms — some requiring proof of full COVID-19 vaccination before walking
through their doors. Some businesses plan to even segregate the vaccinated from the unvaccinated. Not getting the “jab” is the new Scarlet Letter. Those who are open about their non-vaccinated status will be forced to exist on the fringes of society. Commentary Patriot Post
Trump aides hope new rivalry helps sustain MAGA movement . . . The growing number of former Trump administration officials launching fledgling political groups naturally raises one key question: Can the MAGA movement avoid a post-Trump political fracture? In the months following the 45th president's Washington exit, top ex-Trump aides, including Domestic Policy Council Director Brooke Rollins and former senior White House policy adviser
Stephen Miller, have opened competing activism outfits.
Both organizations were designed with the explicit goal of fighting federal overreach in the judicial system, but Miller's is open about its attempts to thwart President Joe Biden's legislative agenda, while Rollins's claims to be nonpartisan. Washington Examiner
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Russia, China will look to expand influence in Middle East as US pulls back . . . Marine Gen. Frank McKenzie, commander of the U.S. Central Command, said that as the U.S. reduces its military footprint in the Middle East, competing world powers Russia and China would seek to expand their influence in the region. “The Middle East writ broadly is an area of intense competition between the great powers. And I think that as we adjust our
posture in the region, Russia and China will be looking very closely to see if a vacuum opens that they can exploit,” McKenzie told reporters, according to The Associated Press. President Biden had ordered a full withdrawal of U.S. troops in Afghanistan by Sept. 11. The Hill
Someone ought to talk some sense into Biden and convince him not to make September 11th the official withdrawal completion date. So disrespectful to the victims of terrorist attacks and their families.
Microsoft says it was hit by Chinese hackers, but Biden admin won't point finger . . . Microsoft and cybersecurity experts believe the massive hack against the Microsoft Exchange Server this year was conducted by a Chinese hacker group, but the Biden administration has yet to point the finger. President Joe Biden signed a cybersecurity executive order earlier this month, naming three recent prominent cyberattacks — SolarWinds,
Colonial Pipeline, and Microsoft — with a White House fact sheet saying those “recent cybersecurity incidents … are a sobering reminder that U.S. public and private sector entities increasingly face sophisticated malicious cyber activity from both nation-state actors and cyber criminals.” The tech giant announced in March that it was hacked by a "state-sponsored" group dubbed “Hafnium,” which “operates primarily from leased virtual private servers in the United States.” Microsoft said
the hacker group was “state-sponsored” and operating out of China. Microsoft has "high confidence" in this assessment. Washington Examiner
Well, Joe could just name them 'China-based' hackers, not connected to the government in Beijing, and still play footsie with Xi.
Son Of Hamas Co-Founder, A Christian Convert, Urges Israel To Kill Terror Group’s Leaders . . . Hassan Yousef, the son of a Hamas group co-founder, urged Israel to assassinate leaders of the terror group after the Friday ceasefire to “teach them a lesson.”
“Assassinating Hamas leadership will not destroy Hamas, but it will teach them a lesson,” Yousef told the Post. “Next time, before you get civilians on both sides involved in a bloodbath, you need to think 1,000 times. This is my personal suggestion.” Mosab Hassan Yousef was raised to be a leader in the Palestinian terrorist organization but converted to Christianity and sought asylum in the United States after witnessing Hamas operatives torture and murder Israelis. Daily Caller
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Three Wuhan Institute Of Virology Scientists Were Hospitalized In 2019 . . . Three researchers at the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) were reportedly hospitalized with an unknown infection in November 2019. The researchers were hospitalized around the time COVID-19 is believed to have begun circulating in China, according to a US intelligence report. The report raises new questions about the origins of the virus,
which some researchers, intelligence officials, and politicians believe is likely to have escaped from the WIV. Daily Caller
New US COVID cases at lowest level in a year . . . The coronavirus pandemic continues to recede in America — as the average number of new cases and deaths plummeted to levels not seen in almost a year. The CDC reported Sunday that the rolling seven-day average of daily new coronavirus cases had dropped to 24,315 nationwide. The last time the average was that low was on June 15 of last year, when the CDC reported a seven-day average
of 23,304 new cases. New York Post
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Belarus forces down passenger plane to arrest foe, US condemns Lukashenka . . . President Alexander Lukashenka of Belarus has in recent months faced increasing opposition to his iron-fisted rule, leading to mass arrests and the departure of some opposition leaders from the country. He has been in power since 1994 in the former Soviet republic. “This shocking act,” Blinken said, “perpetrated by the Lukashenka regime endangered the
lives of more than 120 passengers, including U.S. citizens. Initial reports suggesting the involvement of the Belarusian security services and the use of Belarusian military aircraft to escort the plane are deeply concerning and require full investigation.” Politico
Indeed, shocking.
Iran blocks watchdog access to nuclear site images . . . Iran’s parliament speaker Mohammad Bagher Qalibaf announced on Sunday that the International Atomic Energy Agency would no longer have access to images of its nuclear sites from fixed cameras. In December, parliament passed a bill to suspend the watchdog’s access to those images if European signatories of the 2015 nuclear accord failed to provide the Islamic Republic with relief
from oil and banking sanctions by a three-month deadline. This step, coming after the enrichment of uranium far beyond the limits set by the nuclear deal, ratchets up Iran’s negotiating stance in the Vienna talks to renegotiate the deal. DEBKAfile
Belgian Authorities on a Manhunt for Extremist Soldier . . . A weeklong manhunt for a Belgian soldier whom authorities suspect of planning a terrorist attack is highlighting concerns over right-wing extremism in Western militaries. Jurgen Conings, who was on a security watch list for his extremist views, disappeared Monday after taking weapons including rocket launchers from his army base and making threats against public
figures and institutions, Belgian authorities said. Wall Street Journal
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G7 is close to deal on taxation of world’s largest companies . . . The Group of Seven top advanced economies are close to an accord on the corporate taxation of multinationals, paving the way for a global deal later in the year to create new rules for the imposition of levies on the world’s largest companies. A G7 pact could be sealed as early as Friday and would be a powerful force and prerequisite for a deal in the
formal negotiations taking place at the OECD in Paris and directed by the wider G20. An OECD agreement would probably lead to the largest shake-up in international corporate taxation for a century, severely curtailing the ability of companies to shift profits to low tax jurisdictions. Financial Times
‘Woke capitalists’ provoke backlash from US conservatives . . . Why, a shareholder asked at Goldman Sachs’ annual meeting last month, was the bank supporting Marxists against the capitalist policies that had made it such a powerhouse? Had its board been taken over by “the far-left woke mob”? David Solomon, Goldman’s chief executive, replied equably to the demand to explain why he had joined hundreds of his peers in opposing legislation
that makes it harder for eligible voters to cast a ballot. The exchange captured a shift in the politics around corporate America as chief executives used to being lambasted by the left as tax-dodging contributors to inequality and environmental degradation find themselves attacked from the right as “woke capitalists”. A conservative backlash against companies’ responses to the 2020 election, voting battles, racial equity protests and other issues dividing Americans is becoming increasingly
visible at shareholder meetings and in Congress and the media. Financial Times
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Apple Employees Demand Company Stand With Palestinian Muslims . . . A group of Muslim employees at Apple is pushing the tech giant to publicly condemn Israel's "illegal occupation" of the Gaza Strip following a recent spate of violence caused by the terrorist group Hamas. In a letter to CEO Tim Cook, members of the Apple Muslim Association on Monday expressed their "sadness, anger, frustration, and disappointment" about "the struggle and
pain of the Palestinian people, and their decades-long existence under military occupation." The employees, however, have yet to speak out about the treatment of Uyghur Muslims in China, where Apple’s supply chain is largely located. Seven Apple suppliers use Uyghur forced labor to make iPhone parts. Washington Free Beacon
Incoming: Congressional hearings on UFOs . . . The public profile of UFOs and unidentified aerial phenomenon — UAPs — continues to intensify following the recent public releases of telling military videos offering proof of such phenomena. A veteran in the field, however, has already been at work seeking out the truth of the matter. Stephen Bassett is a registered lobbyist, director of the Paradigm Research Group and founder of X-PPAC, the
Extraterrestrial Phenomena Political Action Committee, launched in 1999. Mr. Bassett has leaned on lawmakers, the White House and assorted officials for years, urging them to disclose what they know about the extraterrestrial presence on Earth. Washington Times
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Florida 11-year-old earns world record for mental math . . . An 11-year-old Florida girl earned a Guinness World Record for mental math when she solved a 12-digit multiplication problem without a calculator, pen or paper.
Sanaa Hiremath, who was diagnosed with Autism at age 2, started showing an unusual aptitude for math when her parents started to home-school her. Sanaa's pediatrician led the
parents to research whether their daughter's gift could be a Guinness World Record.
The 11-year-old was given a 12-digit number to multiply, which she completed in under 10 minutes. Sanaa was awarded the Guinness World Record for largest mental arithmetic multiplication. UPI
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Rebekah Koffler
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