Boston Mayor Pledged to Support Radical Pro-Crime Agenda, Later Backpedaled

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Boston Mayor Pledged to Support Radical Pro-Crime Agenda, Later Backpedaled

(Headline USA) Prior to being elected, Democratic Boston Mayor Michelle Wu advocated a leftist agenda that would decriminalize certain crimes, including theft, to combat alleged racial injustice.

According to Fox News, Wu submitted a questionnaire in 2021 with Progressive Massachusetts, a nonprofit that tracks and ranks how progressive elected officials in the state are, with the intention of transforming Massachusetts “into a bold laboratory for progressive state initiatives.”

In the form, Wu outlined her most leftist commitments, including abolishing the city’s gang registry and implementing a do-not-prosecute list.

The list, which had been enacted by former Suffolk County District Attorney Rachel Rollins, identified more than a dozen charges prosecutors should not pursue. Those charges included shoplifting, larceny, disorderly conduct, receiving stolen property, driving with a suspended license, breaking and entering with property damage, wanton and malicious destruction of property, threats, minor in possession of alcohol, marijuana possession, possession with intent to distribute, non-marijuana drug possession. 

“Do you support the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office’s do-not-prosecute list and expanded approach to dealing with such low-level offenses? YES/ NO?” the questionnaire asked Wu.

“Yes,” Wu responded. 

Wu also expressed support for defunding the police, arguing some of the Boston Police Department’s budget should be reallocated to other priorities and that law enforcement in general should be “demilitarized.”

However, Wu ultimately rejected a Democrat-led effort by the Boston City Council last year to slash the Boston Police Department’s budget.

“Our budget must be responsive to the needs of our constituents, fiscally responsible, and built on a foundation of effective delivery of City services that are central to our residents’ quality of life,” Wu said in a letter to councilmembers.

Unsurprisingly, the Left turned on Wu.

“It is unacceptable that Mayor Wu vetoed a higher $10 million [allotment] for participatory budgeting and used false criticisms to undo the council’s critical investments in Boston’s underfunded working class, BIPOC communities,” the Better Budget Alliance said in a statement.

It argued that Wu “has chosen to protect unused police funds and excessive overtime in the bloated BPD budget instead of funding real community investments.”

Embattled Soros DA Panders to Asian Community w/ ‘Chinese Name’

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Embattled Soros DA Panders to Asian Community w/ ‘Chinese Name’

(Headline USA) An embattled leftist district attorney in California attempted to smooth over her relationship with the Asian community this week by announcing her “Chinese name,” despite the fact that she is black and has no Asian heritage.

Alameda County District Attorney Pamela Price, who is facing a recall election in November, has been accused by former staffers of being “condescending and disrespectful” toward Asians in the community, on top of being deliberately soft on crime.

She was set to host an event commemorating Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month on Tuesday, during which she reportedly planned to unveil her “Chinese name.” But the planned event prompted immediate backlash from community members who accused Price of cultural appropriation.

“I think it’s ridiculous. It’s cultural appropriation and pandering at the highest level,” said Charles Huang, who heads the local National Asian Pacific Islanders Prosecutors Association.

“There’s no bounds to her virtue signal game,” another local added.

The backlash forced Price’s office to cancel the event at the last minute.

However, Price has been using her “Chinese name” since at least last April, when she took out a full-page ad in the World Journal, a Chinese-language newspaper.

According to translators, the characters in Price’s name translate to “government official,” “kind or good,” and “pure or virginity.”

One Cantonese speaker mocked the name itself, saying, “It’s actually pretty dumb to call herself that. The three characters together mean ‘a nice virgin bureaucrat.’”

Last year, Patti Lee, who worked as Price’s spokeswoman for about six months, accused Price of “constantly and openly” making derogatory comments about Asian Americans.

Lee also alleged Price fired her because of anti-Asian discrimination. She later sued Price for $1.5 million, alleging that she suffered emotional distress stemming from retaliation, discrimination, wrongful termination and failure to pay wages. 

Price is one of several George Soros-backed prosecutors who ascended to their positions in the 2020 election but have since faced recalls or other political fallout for their controversial philosophies.

That has included offering a plea deal to an alleged triple murderer and hiring her boyfriend to a six-figure position despite a previous  FBI investigation into her questionable hiring practices.

Although she has openly espoused the view that her position has “no impact” on crime, residence of crime-plagued Oakland beg to differ. Citizens have held several town-hall meetings to address the serious crisis, which has also forced several businesses to permanently close shop.

Biden-Appointed Judge Releases Alleged ISIS Fighter on Bond

Ken Silva
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Biden-Appointed Judge Releases Alleged ISIS Fighter on Bond

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Biden-appointed U.S. District Judge Natasha Merle has released an alleged ISIS fighter caught in Syria on $500,000 bond ahead of her trial for allegedly receiving military-type training from a foreign terrorist organization.

The alleged ISIS fighter, Halima Salman, was released earlier this month after being repatriated with 10 other Americans, including five minors, from Syria.

Judge Merle, who was appointed by Joe Biden as a federal judge last August, ordered Salman to stay home and stay off the internet as her charge is pending. Salman’s bond was signed by 11 sureties. Her next court date is a status conference set for June 18.

According to the Justice Department’s criminal complaint against Salman, the 25-year-old American received training regarding the handling and operation of an AK-47 in Syria around March 2018, when she was 17. She had travelled from New York to Turkey, and entered Syria from there. She was captured by forces fighting ISIS in 2019, charging documents state.

Salman was interviewed by the FBI in Syria last November, when she told agents that she did not attend any type of training, never owned a weapon, and was never involved in any ISIS activities.

But the FBI has claimed to the contrary, pointing to pictures of Salman with an AK-47 in the background, and several photos of her and an ISIS flag in the background.

The FBI also found an alleged letter, which states that her military training was successfully and that she is qualified to receive ammunition for the AK47 already in her possession. According to the FBI, the letter is signed with a signature stamp indicating that it is issued by the Nusaybah Katiba—an ISIS military battalion or unit composed solely of female members of ISIS, principally those who were or had been married to male ISIS fighters.

Court Watch, which first reported on Salman’s release, commented, “That was a bit unusual for a terrorism case and may represent a bit of a sea change from the previous default of all folks accused of terrorism automatically being detained. Or it could just be that she had a phenomenal Federal Defender. Or both.”

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

India Silver Imports Have Already Topped 2023 Total

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India Silver Imports Have Already Topped 2023 Total

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) India imported more silver through the first four months of 2024 than it did in the entirety of last year.

Indian silver imports totaled 4,172 tons of silver from January through April. That compares with 455 tons during the same period in 2023. 

India imported 3,625 tons of silver last year.

India ranks as the world’s number one silver consumer. 

According to a Reuters report, rising demand from the solar panel industry and investor optimism that silver will outperform gold this year are driving a silver buying spree in India. 

Silver is already up 28 percent in rupee terms this year. That compares to a 14 percent increase in gold prices. 

“Silver prices haven’t done as well as gold in the past decade, but investors think it will do better than gold this year,” a Mumbai-based silver dealer told Reuters.

Silver has historically outperformed gold in a gold bull market. This has proved true during the current gold rally in the U.S. Since its low in February, Silver is up over 41 percent. Meanwhile, gold is up about 22 percent in the same period.

An agreement with the UAE that allows private traders to import silver through the India International Bullion Exchange at a lower duty also helped boost silver imports. 

Global silver demand is expected to hit the second-highest level on record in 2024. 

Industrial offtake for silver is expected to lead the growth in global demand this year with a 4 percent increase to a record 690 million ounces. That would build on the all-time high industrial demand in 2023.

The growing use of silver in solar panel production in India reflects a broader trend globally.

According to the Silver Institute, global photovoltaic installations significantly exceeded market expectations in 2023, and new capacity additions are forecast to reach another record high this year. Silver offtake will also benefit from a technological breakthrough bringing new, higher-efficiency N-type solar cells into mass production. These solar cells use even more silver than the older technology.

According to a 2022 research paper by scientists at the University of New South Wales, solar manufacturers could consume over 20 percent of the current annual silver supply by 2027. And by 2050, solar panel production will use approximately 85–98 percent of the current global silver reserves.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for MoneyMetals.com with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Biden’s $320 Million ‘Pier to Nowhere’ Project for Hamas Crumbles at Sea

Ken Silva
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Biden’s $320 Million ‘Pier to Nowhere’ Project for Hamas Crumbles at Sea

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The U.S.-built pier to Gaza was broken apart by strong winds and heavy seas last week, just days after it became operational—the latest setback to a Biden administration boondoggle that faces criticism for failing to live up to its $320 million price tag.

U.S. officials say that the steel causeway connected to the beach in Gaza and the floating pier are being repaired and reassembled at a port in southern Israel, then will be reinstalled and working again next week.

“When we are able to re-anchor the pier back in, you’ll be able to see that aid flow off in a pretty steady stream,” Pentagon spokeswoman Sabrina Singh said Tuesday. “We’re going to continue to operate this temporary pier for as long as we can.”

While early Pentagon estimates suggested the pier could deliver up to 150 truckloads of aid a day when in full operation, that has yet to happen. Bad weather has hampered progress getting aid into Gaza from the pier, while the Israeli offensive in the southern city of Rafahhas made it difficult, if not impossible at times, to get aid into the region by land routes.

The Pentagon has also warned that the pier could lead to the U.S. military being directly involved in the Israel-Hamas conflict. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin admitted as much during a congressional budget hearing last month.

At the hearing, Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., expressed concerns that the 1,000 US troops operating just off the coast of Gaza are prime targets for Hamas. A staging area for the pier has already come under mortar fire, as noted by antiwar.com.

Gaetz then asked if he thinks an attack is likely, and the defense secretary said it’s “possible.”

Austin insisted that there won’t be American boots in Gaza. But Gaetz said he didn’t see the difference of U.S. boots being on Gaza’s physical land and them being on a pier connected to Gaza.

The Pentagon still apparently doesn’t have a firm plan for protecting the pier.

When asked about the matter at the daily Pentagon briefing earlier this month, Air Force Gen. Pat Ryder said that  U.S. Central Command has been working very closely with a number of entities, including USAID, the Israelis, and other partners in the region, on putting together a comprehensive security plan for this temporary pier and the aid distribution routes.

Responsible Statecraft editor Kelley Vlahos blasted Gen. Ryder’s non-answer.

“We don’t know if aid can safely get into Gaza.  We don’t know where the trident pier is … Finally, how long will this pier be in operation? When asked, the DOD won’t say,” she wrote Wednesday.

“To ask ‘why’ wouldn’t hurt either,” she added. “Wouldn’t using U.S. leverage to ensure land routes were opened, rather than spending millions in U.S. taxpayer dollars and putting U.S. service members at risk be a better option?”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Ken Silva is a staff writer at Headline USA. Follow him at twitter.com/jd_cashless.

Zimbabwe Officials Already Looking to Inflate New Gold-Backed Currency

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Zimbabwe Officials Already Looking to Inflate New Gold-Backed Currency

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) Last month, Zimbabwe officials introduced a gold-backed currency in an effort to stabilize the country’s economy.

At the time, I warned that a gold-backed currency would be a great step, but that it wasn’t going to solve Zimbabwe’s problems unless the government changed its ways.

So far, things don’t look good.

Government officials are already pushing miners in the African nation to produce more gold. This would allow the government to expand the money supply. 

In other words, just one month into the gold-backed currency experiment, the government is already pushing for inflation.

What Is the ZiG?

The ZiG, also known as Zimbabwe Gold, is a structured currency backed primarily by 2.5 tons of gold along with other forex reserves including $100 million USD.

The Zimbabwe government introduced the ZiG at a rate of 13.56 per dollar. It is currently trading at 9.96 ZiG to a dollar.

The currency will ultimately be available in denominations of 1, 2, 5, 10, 50, 100, and 200 ZiG. The country also plans to mint ZiG coins.

As the Zimbabwe African National Union-Patriotic Front (Zanu PF) explains it, “Given that Zig is a structured currency deriving its value from gold (a valuable asset), it is likely to maintain a stable value, ceteris paribus. The value of zig against USD therefore appreciates or depreciates as gold price increases or decreases at the international market. Given the stability of gold price, the zig is more likely going to be a stable in value currency.”

Zimbabwe’s Monetary Malfeasance

The hope is the ZiG will stabilize a Zimbabwe monetary system that has been brutalized by bad government policy.

The country has a long history of rampant inflation. The Zimbabwean dollar (RTGS) lost about 800 percent of its value against the dollar in 2023 alone. 

Hyperinflation totally wiped out the value of the Zimbabwe dollar in the early 2000s. In 2009, the government abandoned its currency and adopted foreign currencies – primarily the U.S. dollar (or, more accurately, the Federal Reserve Note).

The African nation reintroduced the Zimbabwe dollar, also known as the bond note, in 2016. It was to be backed by the U.S. dollar loan facility. Then-central bank governor John Mangudya swore the new Zimbabwe dollar would remain on par with the greenback. But the bond note crashed when the government once again began printing excess money. By mid-July 2019, price inflation had increased to 175 percent.

Can a Zebra Change Its Stripes?

The ZiG is supposed to slam the door on the country’s monetary malfeasance. Backing currency with a hard asset limits money creation. The government can’t create more notes unless it gets more gold. A gold standard puts a natural brake on monetary expansion.

But a new currency alone won’t do the trick. 

The hard part is changing the mentality of politicians and bureaucrats who rely on the expansion of the money supply to support spending and grow government. A gold standard only works as long as government officials leave it alone. As Americans learned in the 1930s, governments can quickly unravel a gold standard when it suits their purposes.

With the dollar tied to gold, the Federal Reserve couldn’t significantly increase the money supply during the Great Depression. It wasn’t able to simply fire up the printing press as it can today. The Federal Reserve Act required the central bank to hold enough gold to back at least 40 percent of the notes in circulation.

But a lot of Americans were redeeming paper dollars for physical gold because they were losing faith in the paper currency. As a result, the central bank was low on gold and up against the limit. 

This put President Franklin D. Roosevelt between a rock and a hard place. He wanted the Fed to increase the money supply and support government spending, but this was limited by this partial gold standard.  

To solve the problem, FDR took a number of steps to untether the dollar from gold, including attempting to remove most gold from private ownership. 

This is a cautionary tale for Zimbabweans. The ZiG is only as strong as the government’s commitment to maintain the gold backing.

And it already appears the government is pushing to expand the money supply. 

According to a Bloomberg report, government officials are pushing the country’s gold miners to up their output.

“This new currency is anchored on gold production, we have to determine ways to increase production,” Mines and Mining Development Minister Winston Chitando said in a meeting with miners earlier this month.

Since late 2022, Zimbabwe miners have been required to pay a portion of their royalties to the state in gold. An increase in mine production will increase the country’s gold supply. This would theoretically allow the government to increase the amount of ZiG in circulation while maintaining the current ratio of gold backing.

Simply put, an increase in the gold supply amounts to inflation. 

The good news for Zimbabweans is gold is difficult to dig out of the ground. Even with a concerted effort, the government won’t be able to significantly expand the money supply with gold mining alone. According to government officials, Zimbabwe produced 30.1 tons of gold in 2023. The goal for this year is 40 tons.

The bad news is we’re just two months into the ZiG experiment and government officials are already publicly pushing for a way to expand the money supply. This reveals the mindset of the Zimbabwe government, and it appears that hasn’t changed much with the introduction of the new currency. One has to wonder how long it will be before officials take more aggressive actions to wiggle out from the limits imposed by gold.

Mike Maharrey is a journalist and market analyst for MoneyMetals.com with over a decade of experience in precious metals. He holds a BS in accounting from the University of Kentucky and a BA in journalism from the University of South Florida.

Harvard Univ. Won’t Be Releasing Political Statements After Facing Backlash

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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Harvard Univ. Won’t Be Releasing Political Statements After Facing Backlash

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Harvard University recently said after facing the backlash that it “should not… issue official statements about public matters that do not directly affect the university’s core function.”

The news came after the infamous institution has embroiled itself in controversy with 122 faculty members saying that criticizing the deadly phrase “from the river to the sea, Palestine must be free” is “imprudent” and a former president refusing to condemn anti-Semitic protests and calls for the genocide of Jews, the Daily Wire reported.

Last month, Interim President Alan M. Garber and Interim Provost John F. Manning announced the formation of the Institutional Voice Working Group to decide when Harvard as a university “should speak on matters of social and political significance and who should be authorized to speak for the institution as a whole,” the Harvard Gazette reported.

The news source added that the group was co-chaired by Noah Feldman, the Felix Frankfurter Professor of Law at Harvard Law School, and Alison Simmons, the Samuel H. Wolcott Professor of Philosophy.

“The main point of the report is that the University’s leadership can and should speak out on anything relevant to the core function of the University, which is creating an environment suitable for free, open inquiry, teaching and research. That environment is threatened these days, and we need to defend it,” Feldman said.

He then said that talking about politics could not be classified as something relevant to the “core function” of Harvard.

“At the same time, the University as an institution should not make official statements on issues outside its core function. Harvard isn’t a government. It shouldn’t have a foreign policy or a domestic policy.”

Claudine Gay, Harvard’s former president, resigned in January 2024 after it was discovered that she plagiarized her academic papers and was reluctant to condemn blatant anti-Semitism in Harvard when she testified before Congress.

Gay also exposed her anti-white and anti-male beliefs when she put together a task force after the death of George Floyd to diminish the number of white men who were visible on Harvard campus.

In Fired-Up Letter, Justice Alito Stands Strong Against Baseless Recusal Calls

Luis Cornelio
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In Fired-Up Letter, Justice Alito Stands Strong Against Baseless Recusal Calls

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Supreme Court Justice Samuel Alito is pushing back against demands for his recusal in cases related to the Jan. 6 protest.  

These demands follow dubious reports by a leftist newspaper about a flag flown at his home. 

In letters addressed to lawmakers on Wednesday, Alito argued that their recusal demands “do not meet the conditions” required by judicial ethics laws. 

“I am confident that a reasonable person who is not motivated by political or ideological considerations or a desire to affect the outcome of Supreme Court cases would conclude that the facts recounted above do not meet the applicable standard for recusal,” Alito wrote.  

“I am therefore required to reject your request,” he added. 

The lawmakers’ recusal demand centers on The New York Times’s report that an upside-down U.S. flag was flown at Alito’s home. 

The Times claimed, citing leftist sources, that this flag has been adopted by Trump supporters to protest the 2020 presidential election results. 

However, there is little evidence linking this flag to the 2020 election protests. 

In another incident, The Times accused Alito of flying the “An Appeal to Heaven” flag, which the newspaper claimed was flown by protesters on Jan. 6. 

Alito clarified that the flags were displayed by his wife and not by him.  

Additionally, the “An Appeal to Heaven” flag is primarily viewed as controversial by the left, which also criticizes the Founding Fathers, the Constitution and the National Anthem. 

In his letters, Alito emphasized that he had no involvement in flying the flags.  

“My wife is fond of flying flags,” Alito wrote. “I am not. She was solely responsible for having flagpoles put up at our residence and our vacation home and has flown a wide variety of flags over the years.” 

Alito continued, “In addition to the American flag, she has flown other patriotic flags (including a favorite flag thanking veterans), college flags, flags supporting sports teams, state and local flags, flags of nations from which the ancestors of family members came, flags of places we have visited, seasonal flags, and religious flags.” 

Dennis Quaid Plans to Vote for Trump after Seeing ‘Weaponization of the Justice System’

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Dennis Quaid Plans to Vote for Trump after Seeing ‘Weaponization of the Justice System’

(Headline USA) Actor Dennis Quaid revealed this week that he plans to vote for former President Donald Trump, noting the “weaponization of the justice system” convinced him Trump was the right choice, according to CNN.

“People might call him an a**hole, but he’s my a**hole,” Quaid told Piers Morgan.

“It just makes sense,” added the Oscar-nominated star of films including The Big Easy and Great Balls of Fire! “I was ready not to vote for Trump, until what I saw is, more than politics, I see a weaponization of our justice system and a challenge to our Constitution.”

Quaid—who has previously portrayed President Bill Clinton and even starred in the global warming paean The Day After Tomorrow—blasted the multiple cases that have been brought against the former president, including one by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg that could deliver a verdict this week.

“Trump is the most investigated person, probably in the history of the world, and they haven’t been able to really get him on anything,” Quaid explained.

The actor went on to admit that he used to “cringe” at Trump, but also liked “everything he did” as president.

“What he did with Korea, with Rocket Baby, the way he defeated ISIS in three weeks—you know, people don’t even remember it happened so fast. How he stood up for us overseas. The way he responded to China. He stands up to people, and that’s what makes him a leader. Rather than, what I kind of compare it to, what was going on in Jimmy Carter’s administration, where we’re trying to be everybody’s friend and pal,” he said.

Quaid added that Trump has remained “sincere” on at least one front.

“I’ll tell you one true thing about him is that I really feel that he is working for the American people. That’s what he’s all about, and I do believe that to be true and sincere,” he said.

When asked about President Joe Biden, Quaid argued the 81-year-old isn’t “at the helm … I don’t feel he’s there.”

He also speculated that someone else in the administration is really pulling the strings.

“I feel that he says things to get votes, not that he truly believes them. And now I’m really gonna get some blowback, but that’s the way I feel,” Quaid added.

RFK Jr. Accuses CNN, Trump, Biden of Excluding Him from Upcoming Debate

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
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RFK Jr. Accuses CNN, Trump, Biden of Excluding Him from Upcoming Debate

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) Independent presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. filed a complaint on May 28, 2024, in which he said that CNN, Joe Biden and Donald Trump violated federal campaign and debate rules by preventing him from participating in the upcoming debate next month.

Trump and Biden were scheduled to meet face-to-face at the network’s Atlanta headquarters on June 27, 2024, with no third-party candidates involved, the New York Post reported.

CNN “colluded” with the Biden and Trump teams to exclude RFK Jr. from joining the debate by employing “criteria designed to result in the selection of certain pre-chosen candidates,” Kennedy’s team said.

In the complaint, the team also mentioned a report by the Washington Post from May 17, 2024, about the Biden team collaborating with CNN so that RFK Jr. would not be involved.

CNN responded to the complaint by citing its eligibility thresholds for debates, which require a candidate to appear “on a sufficient number of state ballots to reach the 270 electoral vote threshold to win the presidency prior to the eligibility deadline” and attain “at least 15% in four separate national polls of registered or likely voters that meet CNN’s standards for reporting,” the news source reported.

“The law in virtually every state provides that the nominee of a state-recognized political party will be allowed ballot access without petitioning… Both Biden and Trump will satisfy this requirement. As an independent candidate, under applicable laws, RFK, Jr. does not,” CNN’s spokesperson said.

RFK Jr. said that he has enough signatures to be on the ballot in 15 states that award 229 electoral votes. However, the process to get on the ballot is ongoing and many of the signatures have yet to be officially verified.

Additionally, RFK Jr. is averaging 12% support in polling, which is below the 15% threshold.

“The mere application for ballot access does not guarantee that he will appear on the ballot in any state. In addition, RFK, Jr. does not currently meet our polling criteria, which, like the other objective criteria, were set before issuing invitations to the debate,” the spokesperson said.

RFK Jr. has until June 20, 2024, to hit those metrics.

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