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Trump Finds Unlikely Ally Adam Schiff in Fight for Hollywood
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Trump Finds Unlikely Ally Adam Schiff in Fight for Hollywood

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President Donald Trump has found an unlikely ally in his effort to revive Hollywood and bring film and television production jobs back to the United States: Sen. Adam Schiff, D-Calif, as reported by Fox News.

The two political opponents have spent years on opposite sides of some of Washington’s biggest battles. Schiff led the first impeachment effort against Trump and has remained one of the president’s most outspoken critics.

But both now support federal incentives aimed at reversing the loss of entertainment jobs and encouraging productions to return to Hollywood.

“I am in strong agreement with the President,” Schiff said on X. “Congress should immediately take up and pass a federal film tax incentive to bring back these good-paying jobs that we’ve lost to other countries.”

“Let’s work together — Republicans and Democrats — to get this done, and bring the movie magic back to America,” he continued.

Trump has called for Congress to move quickly on federal tax incentives after years of production leaving California for other states and foreign countries offering more competitive financial packages.

The president recently met with actor Jon Voight, who serves as the U.S. special ambassador to Hollywood.

Following that meeting, Trump said he wanted lawmakers to develop legislation designed to strengthen the American movie, television, and entertainment industries.

Trump urged congressional leaders from both parties to act immediately to “craft Legislation to save the Movie, Television, and Entertainment Business in America.”

“Congress should approve, immediately, a Federal Production Incentive to create Entertainment Jobs in America. It can be done quickly, accurately, efficiently and, importantly, will benefit ALL of America,” Trump said.

The effort comes as Hollywood continues to struggle with significant job losses. The entertainment industry has lost 49,000 jobs since 2022, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Hollywood’s decline has followed the COVID-19 pandemic and the collapse of the streaming boom that helped drive a major expansion in film and television production.

At the same time, states and countries have increasingly used tax incentives to lure productions away from California.

Trump has criticized the condition of the once-dominant entertainment center, saying film and television production has moved elsewhere in the United States and overseas, leaving Hollywood a “complete and total disaster.”

California lawmakers have attempted to respond by expanding the state’s Film & Television Tax Credit Program.

The Legislature moved to more than double the program to $750 million and added incentives designed to encourage productions to relocate or remain in California.

However, the state’s effort faced another obstacle after Gov. Gavin Newsom imposed a $5 million state corporate tax credit cap over the next three years.

Despite California’s expanded program, competitors continue to offer larger packages. Georgia allocates more than $1 billion in production tax breaks, while New York provides roughly $800 million.

Canada and the United Kingdom also offer substantial incentives that have drawn American film and television production abroad.

Trump said the competitive imbalance has created little reason for productions to remain in California.

“There is no incentive to be there, and it is hurting California very badly,” Trump said. “Jon, and many others in the Industry, are suggesting we do Federal Tax Incentives in order to Make our Movie and Television Production Business GREAT AGAIN, perhaps GREATER THAN EVER BEFORE!”

The proposal now faces a difficult congressional calendar. September has a shortened schedule, October will be heavily focused on midterm election campaigning, and November will begin the lame duck session in Washington, D.C.

Still, the unusual agreement between Trump and Schiff could give the proposal bipartisan momentum.

After years of political warfare between the two, Hollywood’s shrinking job base appears to be one issue where even longtime enemies can agree that something needs to change.

Swimmer Survives Relentless River Otter Attack During Lake Tahoe Swim [WATCH]
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Swimmer Survives Relentless River Otter Attack During Lake Tahoe Swim [WATCH]

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A Nevada woman who has spent decades swimming in Lake Tahoe said she is now reconsidering where she enters the water after a river otter attacked her during an open-water swim Sunday morning, as reported by the New York Post.

Lynnette Bellin, 51, a Reno-based swimming instructor and owner of ISR Reno Tahoe, was swimming near Hidden Beach on Aug. 30 when the encounter occurred.

Bellin said the animal repeatedly attacked her in the water before she was able to reach safety.

Bellin, who has swum in Lake Tahoe for 25 years, required 38 stitches following the incident, including 22 stitches to her foot.

“Something grabbed my leg and pulled me under,” Bellin told CBS News. “And it was so powerful I thought it was a human.”

She said the otter then began “biting and scratching” and described the animal’s behavior as persistent.

“It was just ruthless,” she said.

Bellin later described the encounter to NBC affiliate KRNV, saying the animal continued returning even after she attempted to push it away.

“It was teeth and claws, and it was a very long attack,” she said.

“It just kept coming after me. I kept pushing it away, and it kept coming back.”

Bellin yelled for help and eventually made her way onto nearby boulders, according to the Reno Gazette Journal. She said reaching safety was difficult because the rocks were slippery.

Once out of the water, Bellin said she could still see the otter nearby.

“I even watched, and it was just circling the rocks,” she said, describing the otter as “very menacing.”

The longtime Lake Tahoe swimmer said the incident was particularly difficult because swimming in the lake has long been an important part of her life.

Originally from Albuquerque, New Mexico, Bellin said she considers the freshwater lake a place of peace and sanctuary.

But the encounter has left her uncertain about returning to the water in the immediate future.

“I feel like that was robbed from me after the otter attack,” she wrote online.

Bellin nevertheless expressed hope that she may eventually return to swimming in Lake Tahoe, though she said the experience has changed how she views the places where she enters the water.

“Perhaps I will just pick different beaches to swim at,” she said.

The attack occurred near Hidden Beach, a popular area along Lake Tahoe.

Bellin’s experience has drawn attention to the rare but potentially dangerous encounters that can occur between people and wildlife, even in areas frequented by swimmers and visitors.

For Bellin, who has spent a quarter-century swimming in Lake Tahoe, the incident was an unexpected interruption to an activity she had long considered a source of comfort.

After receiving medical treatment for her injuries, she said she remains hopeful she can eventually return to the lake — though likely with a more cautious approach to choosing where she swims.

Senior Iranian IRGC Member Suffers Heart Attack on Live TV [WATCH]
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Senior Iranian IRGC Member Suffers Heart Attack on Live TV [WATCH]

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The United States launched a surprise attack against the Iranian regime on Sunday, according to Iranian affairs commentator Tousi, who said the action came after U.S. officials received information indicating Iran was preparing to launch a strike in Jordan, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The developments were followed by retaliatory missile launches targeting U.S. forces in Jordan, according to the report. Most of the missiles were intercepted.

The reported U.S. operation marked a significant escalation in tensions between Washington and Tehran.

Tousi described the American action as a preemptive strike carried out after intelligence suggested Iranian forces were preparing for an attack in Jordan.

As news of the military developments unfolded, a senior member of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Naemat al-Hami, died after suffering a heart attack during a campaign speech.

Al-Hami, an IRGC member and candidate, was speaking at a public event when he suddenly became ill and was unable to continue his remarks.

The incident was captured during the event and later circulated in coverage of the developments surrounding the U.S. operation and Iran’s response.

The death of the senior Iranian official occurred as the Iranian regime faced the aftermath of the surprise U.S. attack and prepared its military response.

Following the American operation, Iranian forces launched several retaliatory missiles toward U.S. forces stationed in Jordan, according to the report. Most of those missiles were shot down before reaching their intended targets.

The exchange represented another major confrontation involving the United States and Iran, with both sides taking military action amid heightened concerns about further escalation in the region.

Details regarding the reported intelligence that preceded the U.S. attack were limited.

Tousi said the United States had received information indicating Iranian forces were preparing to carry out a strike in Jordan, prompting what was described as a preemptive American operation.

Iran’s retaliatory missile launches followed soon afterward, placing U.S. forces in Jordan on alert as missile defense systems responded to the incoming threats.

The incident involving al-Hami added another unexpected development to an already volatile day for the Iranian regime.

His death came during a live public appearance and occurred as Iran was responding to the U.S. military action.

The full scope of the U.S. operation, including the specific targets involved and the extent of any damage, was not detailed in the report. Information about additional Iranian military responses was also limited.

Sunday’s events nevertheless marked a sharp increase in military tensions between the United States and Iran, as reports of the surprise American attack, Iran’s retaliatory missile launches, and the death of a senior IRGC official unfolded within the same period.

Steve Hilton Calls for FBI to Revisit Becerra Investigation Over Alleged Campaign Fund Scheme [WATCH]
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Steve Hilton Calls for FBI to Revisit Becerra Investigation Over Alleged Campaign Fund Scheme [WATCH]

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Republican California gubernatorial candidate Steve Hilton is calling for federal investigators to revisit their investigation into Democrat opponent Xavier Becerra, alleging that Becerra knew about a scheme involving hundreds of thousands of dollars from a California campaign account that was allegedly used to supplement the compensation of his former chief of staff, as reported by Red State.

Hilton announced the effort in a statement calling for the federal criminal probe involving former chiefs of staff connected to Becerra and California Gov. Gavin Newsom to be reopened.

Hilton said he and California attorney general candidate Michael Gates sent a letter to Todd Blanche requesting further action.

During an appearance on Fox Business on Sunday, Hilton argued that it was “impossible to believe Becerra didn’t know about the scheme.”

“This is a new announcement right this morning…”

“This guy Becerra, he was, he’s a 36-year career politician. He’ll be worse even than Newsom if he’s elected. But the really terrible thing is that he’s up to his neck in a corruption scandal. It’s involving his former chief of staff, and they took money from a California campaign account and used it to top up this other guy’s salary when he was chief of staff to Becerra when he was HHS secretary.”

The allegations stem from events that followed Becerra’s appointment by former President Joe Biden to lead the Department of Health and Human Services in 2020.

According to the account, Becerra wanted his longtime chief of staff, Sean McCluskie, to join him in Washington, D.C., but McCluskie sought higher compensation.

A scheme was then allegedly developed involving $225,000 from Becerra’s California campaign account.

The money was sent to a consulting firm operated by Dana Williamson, a former chief of staff to Gov. Gavin Newsom, and was allegedly used to pay McCluskie’s wife for what prosecutors described as a fraudulent job arrangement.

McCluskie, Williamson and a Sacramento lobbyist separately pleaded guilty to fraud and other charges connected to the case in late 2025 and May 2026. All three are awaiting sentencing.

Becerra has maintained that he did not know about the alleged scheme. Hilton, however, said a witness statement and text messages in the case raise questions about that claim.

“Now, they’ve been federally indicted; they pleaded guilty. Becerra claims he knew nothing about this illegal scheme, but we’ve got the witness statement from the case, and right there, I’ve circled it in red.”

“There’s a text exchange between the two people who pleaded guilty, and it says one of them says to the other, ‘Talk to Public Official Number One.’ Becerra has confirmed that he is Public Official Number One.”

“In other words, he did know about this, and I think — because it’s all about him getting his cheaper staff, working with him in D.C. — he probably came up with the whole idea. He needs to be re-interviewed by the FBI to make sure that voters know whether the Democrat candidate for governor is actually a criminal.”

Hilton’s request places renewed attention on the federal case as California’s gubernatorial campaign continues.

The Republican candidate is arguing that the FBI should further examine Becerra’s role and determine whether the available evidence warrants additional questioning or investigative action before voters head to the polls.

Becerra has denied knowing about the alleged scheme, while Hilton maintains that the witness statement cited in his request contradicts that position.

Any decision to reopen or expand the federal investigation would rest with federal law enforcement authorities.

NYC’s Largest Teachers Union Endorsed Mamdani, Now They’re Suing Him Over Broken Promises [WATCH]
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NYC’s Largest Teachers Union Endorsed Mamdani, Now They’re Suing Him Over Broken Promises [WATCH]

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New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing opposition from the city’s largest teachers union after his administration filed a lawsuit seeking to block a City Council measure that would provide bonuses of up to $10,000 for education paraprofessionals, as reported by Fox News.

The dispute places Mamdani at odds with the United Federation of Teachers, which endorsed him after he secured the Democratic nomination for New York City mayor in July 2025.

Last month, the New York City Council unanimously approved the RESPECT Check Act, legislation designed to provide bonuses of up to $10,000 to education paraprofessionals. The measure was passed unanimously on July 16.

Mamdani had previously supported a version of the legislation but later opposed the measure, arguing that it conflicts with New York state’s Taylor Law, which governs collective bargaining for public employees and protects their ability to negotiate compensation and other workplace issues.

On Aug. 19, Mamdani’s administration filed a lawsuit seeking to prevent the law from taking effect.

The UFT responded by filing a motion to intervene last week, positioning the union for a court fight if the mayor continues his effort to block the measure.

“We knew this lawsuit was a possibility, and we were prepared,” UFT President Michael Mulgrew said in a statement.

“The RESPECT check law, which was unanimously passed by City Council on July 16, was carefully drafted to make sure that it did not violate the state’s Taylor Law, which governs collective bargaining.”

Mulgrew added, “The City Council would not have introduced — let alone passed — this bill if it were illegal, and we would not have supported a bill that threatened our collective bargaining rights. This moment is an opportunity for Mayor Mamdani to create a new, fairer system and build the kind of city he said he wanted to lead. This administration must keep its promises, and we won’t stop until it does.”

The dispute centers on a group of school employees who assist teachers and work with students, including some of the city’s highest-need students.

City Council leaders have argued that the legislation addresses both compensation concerns and staffing shortages.

In a joint statement responding to Mamdani’s lawsuit, City Council Speaker Julie Menin and Council member Carmen De La Rosa defended the measure.

“Every member of the Council, in a unanimous and bipartisan vote, supported the RESPECT Check Act because it is unacceptable that paraprofessionals who support some of our highest-need students are earning as little as $32,000 a year. This law is not only the right thing to do, it is also the fiscally responsible thing to do, helping address the staffing shortages that contribute to the City’s $1.5 billion in Carter case costs. The Council will vigorously defend the law,” the statement read.

Mamdani has maintained that his administration does not oppose increasing paraprofessional pay despite filing the lawsuit against the legislation.

Speaking at a news conference last week, Mamdani said discussions between his administration, Menin and the UFT had been “productive.”

“The relationship [with Menin] continues as it’s been, and the talks [with the UFT] have been productive,” Mamdani said.

“They’ve been productive because we have a shared understanding of the critical role that paraprofessionals play in our [public school system] and in our city.”

The lawsuit nevertheless leaves Mamdani in a difficult political dispute with a union that previously backed his campaign. The UFT is now preparing to challenge the mayor’s administration in court over legislation that passed the City Council without a single opposing vote.

The case will determine whether the RESPECT Check Act can move forward as written or whether the city’s legal challenge will succeed.

For now, the mayor and one of his former political allies appear headed toward a courtroom battle over how New York City should deliver additional compensation to education paraprofessionals.

President Trump Scores Another Naming Victory as Google Maps Unveils Lake America [WATCH]
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President Trump Scores Another Naming Victory as Google Maps Unveils Lake America [WATCH]

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Google Maps has begun displaying Lake Ontario as “Lake America” for users in the United States following an executive order issued by President Donald Trump directing the federal government to adopt the new name, as reported by The Gateway Pundit.

The change began rolling out over the weekend, making Google the first major online mapping provider to implement the geographic rebranding following Trump’s order.

Trump signed the executive order Thursday, directing federal agencies to recognize “Lake America” as the official U.S. name for Lake Ontario, the easternmost of the five Great Lakes.

The move comes amid continuing trade tensions between the United States and Canada.

Google said its mapping service is following the U.S. Geographic Names Information System when determining how locations are displayed to users.

“People using Maps in the U.S. will see ‘Lake America,’ those in Canada will continue to see ‘Lake Ontario,’ and those outside of the U.S. and Canada will see both names,” the company said.

The change follows Trump’s 2025 decision to rename the Gulf of Mexico as the Gulf of America. That designation was later adopted for U.S. users by major mapping services after federal geographic databases were updated.

The Lake Ontario dispute has become another point of disagreement between Trump and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney as trade negotiations between the two countries have deteriorated.

Negotiations collapsed earlier this month after Carney chose to walk away from the talks. The breakdown was followed by Trump imposing U.S. tariffs on Canadian goods. Canada is expected to impose retaliatory tariffs beginning Sept. 8.

Carney criticized Trump’s executive order and referenced broader changes in American policy.

“We know that America is changing,” Carney said. “Their trading relationships, their foreign policies, their national monuments, their hydronyms.”

“Canadians also know that naming reality means calling it Lake Ontario — then, now and always.”

Ontario Premier Doug Ford also joined the opposition to the name change. On Saturday, Ford unveiled a large sign along the lake declaring, “Lake Ontario Now and Always.”

Ford has also recently threatened to cut off electricity supplied to the United States amid the continuing dispute.

The naming fight has unfolded alongside the broader economic disagreements between Washington and Ottawa, with tariffs and trade negotiations remaining unresolved.

Trump, meanwhile, addressed the new name in his own way by posting an AI-generated video showing ducks with his signature hairstyle standing guard near a body of water beneath a “Lake America” sign.

The change represents the latest example of federal geographic naming decisions being reflected on major digital mapping platforms.

While Canada continues to reject the new U.S. designation, Google Maps has moved forward with displaying “Lake America” to users in the United States.

The disagreement appears unlikely to disappear anytime soon, as the two countries remain divided over both the lake’s name and the wider trade dispute surrounding tariffs and negotiations.

For now, at least, Google Maps users in the United States will see a different name on their screens than their neighbors across the border.

Batman Coaster Horror Leaves Parkgoer with Both Legs Fractured After Terrifying Incident [WATCH]
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Batman Coaster Horror Leaves Parkgoer with Both Legs Fractured After Terrifying Incident [WATCH]

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A 49-year-old visitor was airlifted to a nearby hospital after suffering fractures to both legs during an incident Saturday on a Batman-themed roller coaster at Parque Warner Madrid in Spain, according to local reports.

The incident occurred on the Batman Gotham City Escape ride at the theme park, which confirmed the incident in a post on X.

Emergency crews responded after the rider was injured, and the attraction was stopped as park officials activated emergency procedures.

Europa Press, citing emergency officials, reported that the man suffered an open fracture to his left leg and a closed fracture to his right leg. First responders treated him at the scene before he was transported by air to a nearby hospital.

Parque Warner said the ride was stopped immediately following the incident.

“The affected person was attended to immediately by emergency medical services,” Parque Warner said.

The Batman: Gotham City Escape opened at Parque Warner in 2023. According to the park, it was Spain’s first multi-launch roller coaster.

The attraction uses three launches to propel riders upward at high speeds and includes four inversions, during which riders are briefly suspended upside down.

The incident prompted concern among other visitors at the park. Juan José Molina, another parkgoer, described an atmosphere of panic following the incident.

“There were people crying and having anxiety attacks,” he said.

Parque Warner said the Batman Gotham City Escape will remain closed while management examines what happened. The review is being conducted in coordination with authorities.

The attraction is among the major rides at Parque Warner Madrid, a theme park located in the Madrid area and known for rides and attractions based on Warner Bros. characters and properties.

The incident took place Saturday, Aug. 29, according to the timing of the reports, with Fox News publishing its account early Monday, Aug. 31, at 3:34 a.m. ET.

The circumstances surrounding the visitor’s injuries were not further detailed in the available reports.

Park officials have not announced when the Batman Gotham City Escape will reopen. The ride will remain out of operation while the review continues.

The decision to keep the attraction closed during the investigation means visitors will not be able to use the coaster until park management and authorities determine that it is appropriate to resume operations.

The incident comes more than three years after the attraction opened. Its combination of multiple high-speed launches and inversions makes it one of the park’s more prominent roller coasters.

For now, officials are focused on determining what happened and ensuring the ride is safe before allowing it to operate again.

The injured visitor was transported to a nearby hospital for treatment after emergency responders arrived at the park. No additional information about his condition was provided in the reports cited.

Parque Warner has not indicated how long its review will take. Further information is expected as authorities and park management continue examining the incident.

Trump’s Team is Disarming the Lords of Money, Smashing The Fed’s Crystal Ball [WATCH]
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Trump’s Team is Disarming the Lords of Money, Smashing The Fed’s Crystal Ball [WATCH]

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Susan Kokinda argued that Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh, Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and President Donald Trump are pursuing policies that could shift the American economy away from financial speculation and toward domestic growth, energy development and space exploration.

“Yesterday at the Jackson Hole annual summit, new Federal Reserve Chairman Kevin Warsh opened up that policy conference with this indictment:” Kokinda said before playing remarks from Warsh.

“If the Fed gets inflation wrong and judges the economy wrong, who gets the worst of it? Not the financial high flyers. Hardworking Americans are the ones left to deal with inflation that’s too high, or jobs that suddenly appear less secure,” Warsh said.

Kokinda said Warsh’s comments captured a fundamental problem with an economic system she believes has favored financial interests over working Americans.

“In those two sentences, Warsh captured what has gone wrong with our economy: the high flyers benefit, and working people pay the price,” Kokinda said.

Warsh later directly addressed the Federal Reserve’s responsibility for inflation.

“Now there is one signal nobody can miss: the responsibility for 65 months of sustained elevated inflation sits squarely with the central bank, and that’s where it belongs,” Warsh said.

Kokinda connected the 65-month period to the beginning of former President Joe Biden’s administration and then turned to the Federal Reserve’s use of forward guidance, through which officials signal the likely direction of monetary policy.

Warsh argued against allowing financial markets to become dependent on signals from the central bank.

“But we should not indulge a regime in which market participants are looking primarily to the Fed for their next trade; the economic literature has long described the distorting effects, what it called the Hall of Mirrors problem,” Warsh said.

“Market participants are unlikely to bear the biggest costs of the Hall of Mirrors problem. The most serious harm is likely to befall those without any financial assets.”

Kokinda interpreted the remarks as a move to reduce the Federal Reserve’s influence over financial speculation and redirect attention toward the underlying economy.

“So again, Warsh pointed to how the Fed’s forward guidance helps the market participants and hurts the lower 50% who don’t have financial assets,” Kokinda said.

She then turned to Bessent’s Operation Economic Outcast, announced Aug. 24 and aimed at networks used by Iran to move oil, evade sanctions and conduct financial transactions.

Kokinda highlighted an exchange between Bessent and a reporter concerning why sanctions were not being imposed immediately.

“So, why not impose the sanctions today?” the reporter asked.

“Well, we we are giving everyone the opportunity the to remedy bad behavior. Why would I want to blow up the global financial system?” Bessent responded.

Kokinda argued that Bessent’s answer revealed the extent to which questionable financial activity is intertwined with the international system.

“Think about that. Bessent is warning that if he were to pull the plug on the bad actors immediately, it would blow up the global financial system,” Kokinda said.

She also pointed to entities in Hong Kong targeted by Treasury and discussed the territory’s financial architecture before connecting Operation Economic Outcast with the administration’s broader policies involving oil markets.

Kokinda cited Trump’s announcement of what he described as a historic oil agreement involving Venezuela.

According to Kokinda, the arrangement gives private businesses majority U.S. control over more than 65 billion barrels of proven Venezuelan oil reserves without cost to American taxpayers.

Kokinda contrasted those financial and energy policies with Trump’s appearance at Johnson Space Center in Houston, where he presented the Congressional Space Medal of Honor to the four Artemis II astronauts.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman welcomed Trump and outlined the administration’s ambitions in space.

“Mr. President, welcome to Johnson Space Center. I am grateful to serve under a president with the vision and determination to ensure American leadership across the great frontier of space,” Isaacman said.

“We will pursue the secrets of the universe, unlock the economic potential in space, ensure our national security in the ultimate high ground, and inspire the next generation to carry the fire of exploration even further.”

Trump characterized the direction of the American space program as a departure from what he called a previous period of decline.

“Yet, as the world can see today under the Trump administration, we have brought back America’s space program and came out of the dark age, and it’s now into the golden age,” Trump said.

Kokinda said Trump also announced the creation of a United States Space Academy designed to prepare future astronauts, scientists, engineers, operators, entrepreneurs, civil servants and military personnel for an expanded American presence in space.

“This is all of society being drawn into the golden age of exploration,” Kokinda said. “This is the institutional rejection of the empire’s dark age.”

Apollo 17 astronaut Harrison Schmitt also addressed the gathering, connecting space exploration with scientific discovery and freedom.

“We are sampling creation. God is on our side, folks. In this infinitely complex movement of freedom into the solar system, and I’m absolutely convinced he wants us to go farther,” Schmitt said.

Schmitt then connected that exploration with challenges on Earth.

“Now he’s also on our side as well as the infinitely equally complex challenge we have in the preservation of freedom here on this planet,” Schmitt said.

Kokinda concluded that the administration’s moves involving the Federal Reserve, sanctions, energy and space represented different parts of a larger effort to challenge the economic and cultural system she opposes.

“That’s the fight, the preservation of freedom here on this planet,” Kokinda said. “Whether it is freeing ourselves from a financial system that serves the empire or a cultural system of limitations and littleness, that is indeed the infinitely complex challenge before us. And this administration is indeed on the right side, and it does have the right stuff.”

WATCH:

Report Claims Fauci Ordered Aide to Erase Gain of Function Emails Forever
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Report Claims Fauci Ordered Aide to Erase Gain of Function Emails Forever

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Newly obtained documents reportedly show Dr. Anthony Fauci instructed an aide to permanently erase an email about controversial gain of function research.

The 2012 correspondence adds another troubling chapter to the federal record keeping questions surrounding the former government health official.

The emails were obtained by the Daily Caller News Foundation and date to a fierce scientific debate years before the COVID 19 pandemic.

At issue were experiments designed to make a dangerous strain of bird flu transmissible through the air.

Dutch virologist Ron Fouchier conducted the experiments with funding from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, then led by Fauci. Fouchier described the resulting pathogen as “probably one of the most dangerous viruses you can make.”

That description was hardly reassuring to Americans concerned about scientists manufacturing more dangerous viruses in laboratories.

The research ignited a debate over whether its possible scientific benefits could ever justify the catastrophic consequences of an accidental escape.

New York Times science writer Phil Boffey raised alarms about what he called an “engineered doomsday” that could kill “hundreds of millions of people.”

He also noted that the National Institutes of Health had its own reputation on the line because taxpayers financed the experiments.

Fauci was not amused by the criticism.

In a March 4, 2012, email to then NIH Director Francis Collins, Fauci wrote, “Phil Boffey is really off base here,” before adding, “He is acting like a mischievous guy.”

The next morning, Fauci complained about Boffey to a subordinate.

“Clearly, people are getting to Phil Boffey and he is swallowing it,” Fauci wrote, suggesting the journalist had been influenced by critics of the risky research.

Fauci then reportedly instructed the subordinate to delete the email and remove it from the deleted messages folder.

That is not exactly the sort of direction likely to restore confidence in government transparency, especially when the correspondence concerned federally financed research with enormous public safety implications.

The disclosure raises fresh questions about Fauci’s handling of official communications and whether government records were properly preserved.

WATCH:

Senator Rand Paul, a Kentucky Republican and persistent Fauci critic, has previously pointed to two other instances in which Fauci allegedly sought to erase government communications.

Fauci testified before Congress in 2024 that he had not destroyed official records.

The newly disclosed instruction now gives lawmakers and investigators another reason to examine the paper trail rather than simply accept polished testimony from Washington officials.

Separate documents have also revealed cooperation between NIAID and the Central Intelligence Agency on sensitive virus research and biological threat projects during Fauci’s tenure.

The records described an arrangement involving the CIA Biological Technology Center and NIAID work on “forensic microbiology.”

Under that arrangement, the CIA could reportedly assist in obtaining biological agents.

The agency also controlled whether certain research data could be released by NIAID, creating another layer of secrecy around projects involving dangerous pathogens and national security interests.

Fauci eventually succeeded in pushing for Fouchier’s controversial bird flu research to be published in full.

Years later, Fouchier participated in private discussions with Fauci and other scientists about the origins of COVID 19.

Fouchier also contributed arguments associated with the influential “Proximal Origin” paper, which argued that a laboratory origin was unlikely.

That connection is certain to draw additional scrutiny from those who believe federal officials and favored scientists worked aggressively to steer public discussion away from the laboratory theory.

Pressure surrounding Fauci’s former agency has continued to build.

Several weeks ago, his former senior adviser David Morens pleaded guilty to conspiring to defraud the United States by concealing information about COVID 19 origins and attempting to evade Freedom of Information Act requests.

The latest records deepen concerns about a culture of secrecy inside powerful federal health institutions.

When officials discussing dangerous research allegedly reach for the delete button, taxpayers are entitled to ask what else vanished before congressional investigators, journalists, or the public could see it.

Scott Bessent Torches Elizabeth Warren, Offers Her a Foreign Exchange for Dummies Tutorial [WATCH]
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Scott Bessent Torches Elizabeth Warren, Offers Her a Foreign Exchange for Dummies Tutorial [WATCH]

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Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent fired back at Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., in a sharply worded letter responding to her criticism of the Trump administration’s intervention to support the Japanese yen, accusing the senator of misunderstanding basic foreign-exchange markets, as reported by the New York Post.

Bessent’s Thursday letter came after Warren, the ranking Democrat on the Senate Banking Committee, sent an Aug. 13 letter demanding details about the Treasury Department’s use of the Exchange Stabilization Fund, or ESF, as the United States joined Japan in buying yen after the currency fell to a roughly 40-year low against the dollar.

The Massachusetts senator raised concerns that American taxpayers could ultimately face losses if Japan failed to repay the Treasury.

Bessent rejected that premise, arguing that no loan had been made and that Japan owed the United States nothing.

“The lefty Massachusetts senator’s recent attack ‘unfortunately reveals that you know even less about foreign exchange markets than you do about banking,’” Bessent wrote.

“Terrifyingly, the opening paragraph is wrong about where the money came [from], what the transaction was, and whether there was even a borrower.”

Bessent said Treasury had exchanged existing Exchange Stabilization Fund foreign-currency assets for yen rather than extending credit to Japan.

“Treasury exchanged existing Exchange Stabilization Fund foreign-currency assets for yen,” he wrote.

“No new congressional appropriation was involved, and no credit was extended to Japan. Japan owes Treasury nothing.”

“There is therefore no risk that Japan will fail to repay a debt that does not exist.”

The Treasury secretary also took aim at media coverage of Warren’s claims, writing, “What is equally shocking, but not surprising: not a single member of your media mob has a rudimentary-enough level of financial market literacy to spot your remedial error.”

The intervention marked the first coordinated effort by the United States and Japan to strengthen the yen since 1998.

Treasury, acting through the New York Federal Reserve, sold euros and bought yen, although the exact size of the U.S. purchase has not been publicly disclosed.

A Reuters photograph taken July 31 showed a notepad in front of Bessent containing the words: “To Do Buy Japanese Yen (JPY) $5-10 bil.”

The note appeared to show a possible purchase in that range but did not establish the amount ultimately purchased.

Warren also questioned Treasury’s legal authority to use the ESF.

Bessent responded by pointing to Section 5302, which he said authorizes the Treasury secretary, with presidential approval, to deal in foreign exchange in support of orderly exchange arrangements.

“Your legal question is answered by the statute cited in your own footnote,” Bessent wrote.

“Treasury’s legal analysis begins with reading the statute. I recommend you try the same.”

Bessent defended the intervention as being in the United States’ economic interest, citing Japan’s position as a major holder of U.S. Treasuries, a significant trading partner and a treaty ally.

“Disorderly yen markets can trigger forced unwinds, which could destabilize global markets and ultimately raise borrowing costs for American families and businesses,” he wrote.

Then came Bessent’s most pointed suggestion for Warren and her staff.

“For a fuller explanation, I recommend any entry-level course in international finance for you and your staff, or I can give you a tutorial on Foreign Exchange for Dummies.”

Japan spent a record $96.5 billion intervening in foreign-exchange markets between July 30 and Aug. 26, according to government data released Friday.

Treasury has not disclosed the amount of its own yen purchase. The yen initially rose after the intervention before giving back much of those gains later in August.

Warren also cited Treasury’s previous use of the ESF to provide $20 billion in support to Argentina, calling that action politically driven.

Bessent defended the operation as an effort to address “acute, short-term illiquidity” and prevent a broader regional crisis.

“The best-managed crisis is the one that never happens,” he wrote.

“You, by contrast, appear to view preventable crises not as failures to avert but as welcome opportunities to expand government control — with ordinary Americans paying the price.”

Bessent concluded with another criticism of Warren’s approach to congressional oversight.

“The American people deserve oversight grounded in facts rather than slogans,” he wrote.

“Although I am not holding my breath, I hope your next letter will demonstrate that you have learned the difference between a currency purchase and a swap or a loan.”

A spokeswoman for the Senate Banking Committee said Warren’s questions remain unanswered and accused Bessent of focusing on the wrong priorities.

He “should focus less on his petty grievances with Senator Warren and more on reducing the cost of living for the American families struggling in President Trump’s economy,” Senate Banking Committee spokeswoman Saloni Sharma said in a statement.


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