News

Brendan Carr’s nomination  for Federal Communications Commission chair by President-elect Donald Trump resurfaces old fights over speech, regulation of communications providers, and net neutrality, but with a catch. Carr says he will take the fight to its proper battlefield: Silicon Valley.  The intangible nature of the FCC’s regulation of broadcast airwaves and other means by which Americans communicate — the internet chief among them — obscures from debates over such issues as net neutrality the more serious threats Americans have faced in exercising their rights to free speech. That threat has come in the form of censorship from major tech platforms such as Apple, Microsoft, Google, Facebook, and before Elon Musk’s purchase of Twitter, that platform as well. 

Those platforms enjoy, functionally, monopolistic dominance, and both massive license and protection from the government that shield platforms from liability for content users publish. That dynamic has crystallized over the past four years as it became apparent major tech platforms  also served as its de facto censorship arm. Carr has already notified tech companies the fight is coming to their door.

The litany of banned content and users being booted from major tech platforms have had grave downstream implications: Facebook’s suppression of the Hunter Biden laptop story likely changed the outcome of the 2020 election.  The Covid pandemic spawned a new era of censorship as platforms quelled dissent over lockdowns and vaccine mandates.  Spotify very nearly stands alone among major streaming and publishing platforms in the COVID era for allowing dissenting views on both the origins of the virus and safety of mRNA vaccines in continuing to stream Joe Rogan’s popular podcast, which now dwarfs cable news audiences. Rogan interviewed leading doctors and scientists who questioned dominant Covid narratives. 

Read the Full Story at The Midwesterner

Vivek Ramaswamy announced a temporary pause of his weekly “Truth” podcast as he shifts his focus to a new collaborative project with Elon Musk.

The initiative, described as a series of “Doge casts,” aims to provide unprecedented transparency into government waste, fraud, and abuse while actively working to address these issues.

Ramaswamy shared the news in a statement, expressing his gratitude to listeners for their support throughout the podcast’s run. “As part of that process, I’m now all in. I’m focused on making sure that we actually accomplish the goal, rather than just talking about it. So to that end, for the next little bit, I’m going to put a pause on the weekly truth podcasts,” he said.

Ramaswamy reflected on the experience of hosting the podcast and the insights he gained along the way. “I’ve enjoyed doing it this year. It’s been incredibly fun and entertaining. I’ve learned from a lot of the guests, and I’ve enjoyed communicating with all of you. We’re going to put that on pause for a little bit,” he added.

The upcoming Doge casts will be a key part of the joint effort between Ramaswamy and Musk, aiming to shed light on the inefficiencies and corruption within government operations. “As you may have heard, Elon and I are going to start a separate track of Doge casts that explain exactly what we’re doing to the public to provide transparency,” Ramaswamy said.

Describing the project as “once in a generation,” Ramaswamy emphasized the importance of bringing the public along in their mission. “We want to bring the public along with us, to lift the curtain, to take us behind the scenes of what actually that waste, fraud, and abuse in government looks like. However bad you think it is, it’s probably worse,” he stated.

Ramaswamy also stressed the proactive nature of the initiative. “But we don’t want to do this to just expose the problem. We want to do it to solve the problem,” he said, underscoring their commitment to actionable solutions.

The first details about the Doge casts will be announced soon, according to Ramaswamy, who acknowledged the urgency of their mission as the January 20 transition date approaches. “We are neck deep right now and transitioning to the new dawn on January 20,” he said.

Ramaswamy concluded with gratitude and optimism, thanking his audience for their engagement with the podcast. “I thank all of you for your journey this year, for joining us. I’ve loved doing the truth, and we’re just going to put it on pause for a little bit to hopefully embark on this new chapter of saving our republic,” he stated. “Stay tuned for further details, and we’ll be in touch.”

Read More at RVM News

Republican Senator John Kennedy of Louisiana confronted Benjamin J. Cheeks, a nominee for the United States District Court for the Southern District of California, over his past writings on controversial topics during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

Cheeks, currently a U.S. Magistrate Judge and criminal defense attorney, was nominated by President Joe Biden on October 23.

Kennedy questioned Cheeks about his past commentary on topics such as Black Lives Matter and the police.

During the hearing, Kennedy noted that Cheeks claimed earlier to Senator Dick Durbin of Illinois that he avoided taking positions in his writings.

“I see you’re quite a prolific writer and … you said you don’t — you don’t take a position in these articles,” Kennedy stated. Cheeks responded, “I said I tried not to take a position in most of my articles.”

Kennedy then referenced specific articles by Cheeks, including one written in the wake of George Floyd’s death. Quoting from one article, Kennedy read, “‘Needless to say I have a guarded opinion about the police. How do I teach my sons to respect them and fear them at the same time? There can be no question that police officers have some of these same internal or external biases.’” Kennedy emphasized Cheeks’ statement, “There can be no question that police officers, not some police, all police officers have some of these same internal or external biases.”

After reading the quote, Kennedy asked, “Did I read that correctly?” Cheeks confirmed he had.

Kennedy then shifted to a 2018 article in which Cheeks commented on the Trump administration’s “zero tolerance” policy for illegal entry into the United States.

Quoting from the article, Kennedy read, “‘Technically the law was broken, but these particular defendants, poor, hungry, hard-working and not dangerous, deserve a pass from prosecution.’”

Kennedy pressed Cheeks, asking, “Saying that illegal immigration should not be criminalized is a position, is it not?” Cheeks acknowledged that it was, but added, “Everything that I wrote, I wrote while I was an advocate, not a sitting judge.”

Cheeks emphasized that his role as a sitting magistrate judge required impartiality. “I no longer advocate,” he said.

Kennedy questioned Cheeks’ ability to separate his advocacy from his judicial role. “So you’re — so — so you — you don’t tell the truth when you’re an advocate, but you do when you’re not? Is it OK to lie if you’re an advocate?” Kennedy asked. Cheeks replied that he didn’t understand the question.

“I think it’s pretty clear and I think you follow it,” Kennedy said. He concluded the exchange by stating, “You’ve taken a lot of radical positions judge, and you can’t make this cat walk backwards. Now you can’t make this cat walk backwards.”

Read  More at LifeZette

ABC’s “The View,” co-host and ABC News Senior Legal Correspondent and Analyst Sunny Hostin issued a “legal note” after Attorney General nominee Matt Gaetz issued a statement to the network regarding allegations against him.

During a discussion of the Cabinet picks, Hostin said: “Matt Gaetz has long denied all allegations, calling the claims ‘invented’, and saying in a statement to ABC News that this false smear, following a three-year criminal investigation, should be viewed with great skepticism.”

“The DOJ investigation was closed with no charges being brought.”

We don’t know what was better, the statement or the expression on Hostin’s face.

Watch:

Regardless of what anyone thinks about Gaetz, he is entitled to the presumption of innocence.

It’s worth noting that the FBI and DOJ spent years investigating the allegations against Gatez but never found anything.

Gaetz has long asserted there was a conspiracy against him, and that was proven correct.

In 2021, Stephen Alford was indicted for attempting to extort Gaetz’s father in a scheme related to the sex-trafficking allegations.

“A Florida developer and fraud convict was arrested Tuesday on a charge that he tried to extort $25 million from the father of Rep. Matt Gaetz in exchange for a presidential pardon that would shut down a high-profile, criminal sex-trafficking investigation into the Republican congressman.

Stephen Alford, 62, of Fort Walton Beach, was indicted on charges of wire fraud and destruction of property subject to a seizure warrant.”

The DOJ investigation has now ended, meaning any pointed claims that Gaetz did what Hostin said could be defamatory.

The “The View” legal team obviously realized their mistake and wrote a correction to be read on-air, citing a statement provided by Gaetz.

The best thing about this was that Hostin was visibly upset by having to read it.

Read More at the Daily Fetched

House Majority leader Steve Scalise joined “Washington Watch with Tony Perkins” shortly after the Nov. election to discuss his projections for the upcoming 119th Congress.

“[W]e’ve got a very unique opportunity with unified government,” Scalise told Perkins. “Doesn’t happen often. … [W]e’re going to make the most of it by going and fighting for those families who are struggling. We ran on a very strong agenda of getting our economy back on track, of securing America’s border, standing up for our allies around the world, getting rid of these crazy regulations, promoting more American energy. We’re going to be focused on doing those things in the first 100 days.” (READ: Trump’s Promises To America: How To Hold Him Accountable)

“When you think about literally starting in January, the first 100 days— delivering on some really big things and getting the economy moving again, lowering costs at the grocery store, at the gas pump — I think you’re going to see this economy turn around quickly. Look, the day after the election, the stock market took off like something we hadn’t seen since 2022, because people are optimistic and excited again, because the Marxists, the communists, were defeated. This direction they were trying to take our country — we couldn’t sustain the spending, the radical policies, the open border, all the things they were doing. And now we’re going to finally have an opportunity to turn around. We’re not going to blow this opportunity,” he continued.

No Tax Increase

“One of the first things we do is make sure we don’t have a tax increase,” Scalise noted. “President Trump was very clear about this. … [W]e will all be on the same page. We don’t have the luxury of spending a few months trying to figure it out. We are going to start bullish on day one with a bold conservative agenda. Keep tax rates low … no taxes on tips and no taxes on overtime.” (READ: YouTube/Google Censors Biden’s Hateful Words Pre-Election)

“Democrats, unfortunately, walked away in 2017 from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. Not a single Democrat voted to cut taxes. Of course, it turned our economy around. It was great for the American people, but the Democratic Party just doesn’t believe in giving you more of your money back. We do as Republicans. … [W]e’re going to be working with a small majority, but we’re still going to be a focused majority working with President Trump to deliver some big wins for those hard-working families who are struggling,” he added.

Trump To Clean House?

“Donald Trump’s going to clean house,” Scalise seemed to promise. “He’s going to get rid of all the dirty cops. And it needs to happen because I think people really want … a restored faith, and they deserve a restored faith in these agencies that we used to trust. With law enforcement agencies at the federal level that used to stand for law and order, that started focusing on their political enemies [instead of] keeping Americans safe — that has to change. I think that’s going to be front and center in the things President Trump does when he appoints an attorney general and other people in those positions. It’s going to be critical who he picks, because he’s going to need to bring in tough people who want to clean house.”

Read More at Million Voices

It appears leftists would rather see their fellow Americans suffer financially than allow the economy to recover under Donald Trump’s presidency. Add this to the long list of Trump derangement Syndrome symptoms.

Some deranged liberals are now stocking up on supplies in order to spend as little money as possible during Trump’s second term.

The plan to withhold cash is part of a larger effort to keep Trump’s economy stagnant. You heard that right – the people who backed a presidential campaign that blew $1.5 billion are now preaching frugality.

This really shows you who these people really are.

Leftists are literally willing to prevent families from putting food on the table in order to hurt Trump.

“Trump will not have a good economy because we don’t have to let him,” one leftist wrote on X. “I myself plan on paying my bills and saving every penny beyond that.”

Another wrote: “I will not contribute to this economy in any other way,” adding “before he takes office and make sure I have everything I need for the next four years.”

Others are jumping on board, such as influencer “Brooklyn Dad,” who was caught taking $57,000 from a pro-Biden PAC in 2021. 

“Not buying extra shit will help sink his economy too. It won’t be hard, since everything will be 300% more expensive,” another states.

“Save that money. PASS IT ON.”

TDS sufferers will be left living in their own communist bubble while the rest of the country enjoys the new golden age under Trump.

Meanwhile, search giant Google is planning to host a social event with Democratic super PAC Priorities USA for raging liberals who declared they will “resist the Republican agenda.”

The tech giant will host a happy hour for Priorities USA, a leading Democratic super PAC, following Kamala Harris’s devastating loss to Donald Trump.

An invitation obtained by the Washington Free Beacon revealed that Priorities USA will first hold a “digital retrospective” to discuss the role of online campaigning in the 2024 election cycle.

A Google spokesman confirmed that the company will host the happy hour for Priorities USA

The spokesman stated:

“We did not participate in creating the content of the meeting. As they do for large ad buyers on both sides of the aisle, our political sales team will host some drinks after it.”

Read More at the Daily Fetched

A pro-teacher, pro-union lawmaker wants to raise the state’s 6% corporate income tax to 10% to spend billions more on public schools while slashing corporate subsidies. The proposal, which would raise the tax by 66%, aims to use the additional corporate income tax revenue to make “historic investments” in public schools. According to the bill’s author, Democrat Rep. Dylan Wegela, the extra money could give teachers an estimated $20,000-a-year raise.

Wegela’s plan would raise the corporate income tax to 10% while also doing away with “corporate handouts through the Strategic Outreach and Attraction Reserve Fund (SOAR) fund.” The legislation earmarks the first $1.2 billion of corporate tax revenue to the General Fund. The next $50 million would still go to the Housing Fund. Everything else would go to the School Aid Fund. Wegela wants to eliminate $500 million for SOAR and direct more than $2.4 billion to the School Aid Fund.

The proposal amounts to a 67% increase in the CIT, according to Michigan Chamber of Commerce spokesperson Sara Wurfel as reported by MIRS. Meanwhile, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed a $23 billion budget bill into law this summer.

Read the Full Story at The Midwesterner

President-elect Donald Trump has filed a groundbreaking $10 billion lawsuit against several prominent media organizations, including The New York Times and CBS, alleging defamation and intentional dissemination of false information during the 2024 presidential election.

The lawsuit, revealed late Friday, has sparked intense debate across political and media circles.

According to a statement from Trump’s legal team, the lawsuit accuses the media outlets of publishing and broadcasting “knowingly false and defamatory statements” designed to harm Trump’s re-election campaign and tarnish his reputation.

The complaint further claims that these actions represented a coordinated effort to mislead voters and influence the election outcome.

The lawsuit seeks $10 billion in damages, a figure that, if awarded, would represent one of the largest defamation claims in U.S. legal history.

Trump’s legal team asserts that the media’s alleged misconduct caused irreparable harm to the President-elect’s standing and undermined the integrity of the electoral process.

The lawsuit explicitly names The New York Times and CBS as defendants, with Trump’s legal team indicating that additional media organizations could be added as the case progresses.

Sources close to Trump’s legal team suggest that internal communications, whistleblower testimonies, and other evidence have been gathered to substantiate the claims.

Legal and media experts are closely watching the case, which is expected to test the boundaries of First Amendment protections and defamation law.

Throughout his political career, Trump has maintained a contentious relationship with the press, frequently labeling critical coverage as “fake news.”

However, this lawsuit marks a significant escalation, transforming his long-standing grievances into a high-stakes legal confrontation.

Legal analysts note that defamation cases involving public figures are particularly challenging due to the high standard of proof required.

Trump’s legal team will need to demonstrate that the media outlets acted with “actual malice” by knowingly publishing false information or showing reckless disregard for the truth.

Trump’s supporters have embraced the lawsuit as a necessary move to hold the media accountable.

Read More at RVM News

Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is scrambling to mitigate his plummeting approval in the polls by acknowledging that he made “mistakes” regarding his country’s wake mass immigration policy.

Trudeau claimed that large corporations and colleges exploited Canada’s temporary foreign worker (TFW) program to avoid hiring Canadian workers and charged students outrageous sums of money for degrees.

“Far too many colleges and universities used international students to raise their bottom line — because they could charge these students tens of thousands of dollars more for the same degree,” Trudeau explained. “And, then there are really bad actors who outright exploit people, who target vulnerable immigrants with promises of jobs, diplomas, and easy pathways to citizenship. Promises that would never come true.”

Trudeau added that “when the post-pandemic boom cooled and businesses no longer needed the additional labor help” the Canadian government could have “turned off the taps faster.”

As a result of Trudeau’s failure, Canadians have faced a decrease in their wages and wealth.

Canadians now struggle with increased housing prices, productivity, and birth rates.

An Ipsos poll found that 33 percent of Canadians approved Trudeau’s job performance, while 67 percent disapproved.

Trudeau now says he plans to cut Canada’s legal immigration by 20 percent. “Canada’s new immigration plan is straightforward,” Trudeau continued.

“Lower the number of new immigrants coming into Canada — both temporary and permanent. We’re prioritizing permanent residents with the skills we need, like healthcare workers for our hospitals and construction workers who will build more homes.”

Trudeau’s apparent 180 on pro-immigration policies came after Canadian Conservative Party leader Pierre Poilievre vowed to cut the flood of migrants into Canada.

Poilievre said that immigration levels in Canada should be based on employers’ needs and the number of homes being built.

Meanwhile, the leader of the People’s Party in Canada, Maxime Bernier, argued that “mass immigration” has brought “more poverty” into the country.

Bernier criticized Trudeau for smearing people who had “raised the alarm” on millions of foreigners coming into Canada as being racist.

“This clown finally recognized he f***ed up by allowing millions of foreigners to invade our country,” Bernier wrote on X.

“He smeared those of us who raised the alarm as racists until just a few months ago. And now we should believe him when he says he can fix what he broke?? What a joke.”

Read More at the Daily Fetched