The angry demonstrators surrounded the iconic venue on Sixth Avenue, where Barack Obama and Bill Clinton joined Biden for the fundraiser that included a discussion that was moderated by CBS Late Show host Stephen Colbert, according to the New York Post.
“Free, free Palestine!” the group chanted, with a line of NYPD officers watching them and standing behind barricades that were placed outside the theater.
Other protesters yelled “F*** Joe Biden” and “Genocide Joe has got to go!” over the sounds of drums pounding.
Many protesters waved Palestinian flags while others held signs denouncing Biden and the Democratic Party as “war criminals.” Among other signs that were seen at the protest was “End all US aid to Israel.”
The news source reported that at least one demonstrator had been arrested for disorderly conduct by 8 p.m. on the day of the protest.
Biden’s campaign reported that $25 million was raised for Biden in his reelection campaign at the fundraiser — setting a record for the biggest haul for a political event.
A Democrat who is familiar with the planning of the event said that more than 5,000 people paid between $225 and $500,000 to attend the event. The Post’s source also reported that even streaming the event online cost $25.
The people willing to waste the most of their hard-earned money spent the most time with three of the Democrats: a photo with all three cost $100,000. Wasting $250,000 earned donors access to one reception and $500,000 got them into an even more exclusive gathering.
Jill Biden and “DJ D-Nice” also hosted an after-party at Radio City Music Hall with 500 guests.
Beginning at noon on March 28, 2024, the NYPD shut down 49th, 50th and 51st streets to traffic between Fifth Avenue and Sixth Avenues outside of the iconic venue.
Initially peaking at $10 billion amidst frenetic trading, the company’s valuation has settled at a still-impressive figure, even though it’s been generating only $3 million in revenue for the first nine months of 2023, according to the Daily Mail. Additionally, the news source reported that the Times is only valued at around $7 billion.
This financial phenomenon placed Trump’s media firm’s share price at an astonishing 2,000x its revenue, which drew attention from investors and Trump’s critics, Trending Politics reported. Some people argued that the reason why the company’s value skyrocketed was not because of its financial fundamentals but more about investment in Trump’s brand and potential political future.
In February 2021, Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) launched Truth Social. The platform was created as an alternative to other social media networks like Twitter and Facebook, the platforms that became infamous for censoring conservatives for their political point of view.
The development and launch of the social media platform were announced after Trump was banned from major social media platforms, such as Twitter, Facebook and YouTube after Jan. 6, 2021.
“This is a very unusual situation. The stock is pretty much divorced from fundamentals,” Jay Ritter, a finance professor at the University of Florida’s Warrington College of Business who has studied initial public offerings for 40 years, said.
He also warned that the platform’s stock could settle far below its current share price, adding that the investors who previously lived through the era of meme stocks like AMC and Gamestop should be cautious about approaching the next opportunity for volatility, the news source said.
“I’m reasonably confident the stock price will eventually drop to $2 a share and could even go below that if the company blows through the money it got from the merger,” he said.
(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) A series of women from New York City posted alarming videos on TikTok about being randomly punched by “strangers,” including at least two daylight attacks that were reported to cops this week.
Halley Kate, an influencer with 1.1 million followers on the platform, posted a video on March 25, 2024, after one attack being investigated by the NYPD, saying it caused her to fall to the ground and blackout, according to the New York Post.
“You guys, I was literally just walking, and a man came up and punched me in the face. Oh my God, it was so bad, I can’t even talk,” Kate said through tears in a Monday morning post.
She didn’t specify when or where the incident happened, but her video recounting the ordeal appeared to be shot on 7th Avenue between West 15th and 16th streets in Chelsea, the news source reported.
Six hours later after Kate posted the video, a woman named Mikayla Toninato, whose bio said she attends Greenwich Village’s Parsons School of Design, tagged Kate in her post where she talked about a similar story.
“I just got punched in the face, walking home. I was literally leaving class, I turned the corner and I was looking down and I was looking at my phone and texting, and then, out of nowhere, this man just came up and hit me in the face,” she said.
Toninato then said in another post that the attack happened at West 14th Street and 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
On March 17, 2024, another woman named Oliva Brand reported the same experience in a clip that was filmed on Mulberry Street in Nolita.
“I literally got punched in the head on the sidewalk. He goes, ‘Sorry,’ and then punches me — in the head. Holy crap, what the hell just happened? Oh my God,” Brand said in a video of her walking down a street.
People online immediately started suggesting that the reason why none of the victims identified the attacker was because he was a non-white man.
“I watched all 4 clips and not a single one gave a description of the perpetrator. This is a reminder that a lot of women will often protect criminals that attack them just so they don’t seem a bit racist,” a popular account @DeIudedShaniqwa wrote.
I watched all 4 clips and not a single one gave a description of the perpetrator. This is a reminder that a lot of women will often protect criminals that attack them just so they dont seem a bit racist https://t.co/8NcOma4apL
— Shaniqua Posting Delusions (@DeIudedShaniqwa) March 26, 2024
Adams announced a pilot program for the scanners at a news conference on March 28, 2024, at the Fulton Street subway station in Lower Manhattan.
“This is our Sputnik moment. Like when Kennedy said we’re going to put a man on the moon… Let’s bring on the scanners,” he said, according to the Daily Wire.
The event included a demonstration of how the scanners work, during which the scanners appeared to flag a man carrying a loaded gun, but not a man with a backpack full of electronics.
It was also reported that subway riders will not be required to pass through the machines and the new scanners will not be implemented for several months.
The NYPD will look for vendors of weapons detection technology during a legally mandated 90-day waiting period, with the public being able to comment on the scanner program for the first 45 days of the waiting period.
The city didn’t say which subway stations will get scanners as part of the pilot program. Police are expected to monitor the machines to see if the program should be expanded, the news source added.
“We are taking the next step forward in our ongoing efforts to make our subways even safer and ensure New Yorkers feel safer in the transit system,” Adams said on March 28, 2024.
The new scanners come amid a sharp increase in gun violence in the city’s subway, with four subway killings happening so far this year, just under the five that occurred over all of last year.
So far this year, 19 illegal guns have been seized in the subway by the NYPD, which is up from nine by this point last year.
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) At least 70 illegal aliens are now facing charges related to their alleged involvement in a viral altercation with Texas authorities, during which hundreds of individuals came close to trampling members of the Texas National Guard.
These individuals have been charged with misdemeanor rioting, as reported by the New York Post. These latest arrests come after nine individuals were charged with causing damage exceeding $2,500 and assaulting guard members.
However, according to the Post, Texas authorities are seeking the arrest of around 200 illegal aliens currently in ICE custody. Yet, a source has informed the outlet that ICE is not being “cooperative” in facilitating the transfer of these individuals.
The arrests are the result of a “riot” on March 21.
According to reports, several hundred illegal aliens breached a border fence erected by the Texas National Guard in an attempt to unlawfully enter the United States.
This is the moment when TX National Guard became overrun by migrants rioting to get across the border here in El Paso today
National guardsmen swiftly responded to the compromised section of the border fence, confronting the illegal aliens who disregarded orders not to proceed further.
Despite instructions to halt, the group forcibly tore the fence from the guardsmen’s grasp and surged through, causing a chaotic scene and nearly trampling the agents.
Arrest records indicate that the illegal aliens assaulted the guardsmen as they pushed through the border fence.
In a video of the incident, predominantly male voices can be heard pleading for assistance in Spanish. However, these appeals contrast starkly with the allegations outlined in the charges.
Junior Evaristo-Benitez stands accused of “purposefully and with malice” stomping on a soldier’s knee, as detailed in the Post’s report on the charge. Additionally, it’s alleged that some of the illegal aliens were armed with knives and makeshift weapons.
A Texas guardsman did not mince words when addressing the assault, telling the Post, “These people were willing to assault military. They were willing to assault law enforcement. They have complete disregard for our laws.”
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) The Republican National Committee, under new leadership, has filed a lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson, alleging that the state has undermined ballot security measures.
At the heart of the lawsuit is an alleged directive from Benson instructing local election officials to presume the validity of signatures on absentee ballots.
These alleged instructions directly contradict the Michigan Constitution and a prior court order that upheld the requirement that signatures must match those on file.
This week, a Republican National Committee-led coalition filed an election integrity lawsuit against Michigan Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson for secretly attempting to circumvent Michigan’s absentee voting safeguards.
“Michigan’s State Constitution is very clear: election officials have to verify the identity of voters casting absentee ballots,” stated RNC Chairman Michael Whatley in a press release.
Whatley further remarked, “Jocelyn Benson is yet again working to undermine election integrity by secretly instructing officials to disregard and circumvent these clear requirements. The RNC is suing Benson because Michiganders deserve election integrity, not underhanded Democrat schemes.”
The RNC alleged that Benson issued the directive regarding ballot validity through unofficial channels, seemingly away from public scrutiny. This directive was issued before the 2024 primaries.
“The Secretary’s instructions are unlawful now for the same reason they were unlawful three years ago: they were not adopted in accordance with Michigan’s Administrative Procedure Act,” the RNC wrote in a statement posted on its website.
State Court of Claims Judge Christopher Murray ruled that Benson’s 2021 guidance to state clerks before the 2020 presidential election was “invalid,” as reported by the Detroit News.
“The presumption is found nowhere in state law,” Murray wrote. “The mandatory presumption goes beyond the realm of mere advice and direction, and instead is a substantive directive that adds to the pertinent signature-matching standards.”
The lawsuit is being led by the RNC with the assistance of the Michigan GOP and the National Republican Congressional Committee.
(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Addison Pierre Maalouf, a popular American YouTuber, was kidnapped by one of the gangs wreaking havoc in Haiti after landing in the crime-stricken country to interview Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, the de facto leader and head of G9 and Family Gang.
As reported by the New York Post and Haiti 24.net, Maalouf and a Haitian counterpart were kidnapped by members of the 400 Mawozo gang on March 14. The gang is demanding a $600,000 ransom for the YouTuber’s release. Despite reportedly receiving at least $40,000, the gang shows no signs of relenting.
This is the last video he recorded before he got kidnapped, if you have his number pls don’t text him while he’s in there for safety reasons. 🙏 https://t.co/JJ7y1uVjGA
Fellow YouTuber Lalem confirmed Maalouf’s kidnapping in a Twitter post, stating, “Tried keeping it private for 2 weeks, but it’s getting out everywhere now, Yes Arab has been kidnapped in Haiti and we’re working on getting him out. Love yall he’ll be out soon.”
Days before his abduction, Maalouf wrote on his Twitter page, “Going on another one of those trips. If I die, thanks for watching what I’ve put out. If I live, all glory to God.”
In a video released by Maalouf before his kidnapping, he described the precautions he took before traveling to the capital, Port-au-Prince. Maalouf admitted in the clip that the hotel where he was staying was empty.
“So, we actually cannot leave to Port-Au-Prince until the morning because it’s already 6 p.m. and if we leave right now, we’ll get there while it’s dark—it’s about a six-hour roundtrip,” Maalouf is seen saying in a video hours before heading to the capital.
In the same clip, Maalouf acknowledged that the capital “is completely run by gangs so you don’t want to be dealing with the gangs.” Unknowingly predicting his own fate, Maalouf said, “All it takes is one stupid gang member holding an AK-47 for one thing to go wrong, so we’re not taking that risk at night.”
Despite the risks, traveling to Haiti seemed within Maalouf’s strongholds. In one of his most popular videos titled “Day 1 of Living with the Mexican Cartel,” Maalouf traveled to Mexico to document his experience with a drug cartel.
“Over the next five days, I dance with death,” Maalouf admitted in the video, where he is seen interviewing, dancing, and eating with alleged gang members.
Earlier this month, the U.S. government reiterated to American citizens residing in Haiti to leave the country due to security concerns. The Biden administration has evacuated some embassy personnel and warned that Americans stranded in the capital are on their own.
Alarmingly, the Biden administration implemented evacuation trips from the northern section of Haiti—approximately three hours away from the capital. However, the government warned that those traveling north are doing so at their own risk.
(Mike Gleason, Money Metals News Service) We’re seeing another big move in the gold market. The monetary metal reached a new record high on Thursday to close out this holiday-shortened trading week. Gold finished the week, the month, and the quarter on a high note at $2,243 an ounce, gaining 3.1% since last Friday’s close.
Silver, however, isn’t quite matching gold’s strength. The white metal showed a gain of just 1.1% for the week to bring spot prices to $25.15 per ounce.
Platinum rose 1.7% this week to close at $923 an ounce on Thursday. And its sister metal palladium registered a weekly gain of 2.8% to finish at $1,051 per ounce.
Gold may be making headlines, but precious metals remain under-owned by individual investors, pension funds, and governments. As fiat currency proliferates and pushes up the nominal value of financial assets, gold and silver as a percentage of total liquid assets remains near historic lows.
And silver, of course, remains historically cheap – still about 50% below its old nominal high. Given gold’s advance to new highs in terms of U.S. dollar fiat currency, silver has a lot of catching up to do. And when it does finally garner some serious buying momentum, it can catch up quickly.
Precious metals are positioned to gain ground as portfolio diversifiers for individuals and as reserve assets — not just for foreign central banks but for U.S. state and local governments as well.
Last Thursday, Utah Governor Spencer Cox signed legislation empowering the state Treasurer to secure state funds with a significant allocation to physical gold and silver. The Treasurer may hold up to 10% of certain state reserve accounts in precious metals to help secure state assets against the risks of inflation and financial turmoil.
Up to now, Utah’s reserves have been invested almost exclusively in Treasuries, municipal bonds, corporate bonds, and agency debt. These debt instruments carry credit risk and inflation risk. Even under modestly elevated inflation rates, bonds can deliver negative real returns that compound into enormous losses over time.
And now just yesterday, our own state of Idaho passed a similar bill out of the house in a narrow vote. The bill would allow Idaho’s treasurer to invest up to 7.5% of the state idle funds – which is nearly $10 billion in total – into gold and silver. The bill will now be sent to the governor’s desk and would become law if he decides to sign it.
Here are some excellent comments by Reps. Vito Barbieri and Heather Scott, made during the floor debate in the Idaho House on Thursday.
(Idaho, District 3, Representative) Vito Barbieri: Thank you, Mr. Speaker. I’m astounded at some of the some of the debate here. Investments are not hedges against inflation. They’re a store of value. We are printing a trillion dollars of fiat currency every hundred days. Now the fluctuation that the gentleman from [District] 25 is talking about was not when we were printing a trillion dollars, three and a half trillion dollars a year of paper fiat backed by nothing. There was a time when the petrodollar was backed by oil because we controlled the oil fields, even though they weren’t in the nation. Money as a store of value must remain constant. But if you’re going to go into debt and print money, it cannot stay constant. It simply cannot do that. I used this example last time we talked about this. A suit of clothes a hundred years ago would cost you the same in gold than it would today, converted into dollars. But that suit is, what? 15x more expensive now. We’ve got to recognize that we’re not talking about mandating this for the treasure but giving the treasure the option to store value. We are in unprecedented times. Do you want to pretend like we’re not? I’m fine with that. I would prefer that you were right. But you cannot debase a currency without it reflecting in some commodity. Why are nations purchasing tons of gold? Because they think it can be manufactured at some other point? That we can alchemize the lead into gold? I don’t think so. All we’re talking about is giving the treasurer an option with the appropriate advice to store in value. We, this money, what do we call them? Cash equivalents, they’re bonds. They are still bonds and bills that are paying interest. And that interest that they are paying is less than the inflation. It is less than the inflation. We are losing money on those cash equivalents. The fundamentals are different now than they may have been at any time before, specifically because of what I’m saying with respect to the printing of a fiat currency. The present dollar is a Federal Reserve Note, a promise to pay in the future, with future Federal Reserve notes. Future promises. Fascinating way to build an economy. But they’re doing it, and they’re doing it successfully, at three and a half trillion dollars a year. Don’t forget, that we all believe in the United States Constitution. It specifically states gold and silver is to be used as legal tender. Article 1, Section [10]. If inflation is going to continue to exceed the amount that we’re going to get on interest, that is the way it’s going to work. We’re going to continue to lose while we continue this cash flow, take, collect taxes, and pay the taxes out. The only last thing I can say is, with respect to these Federal Reserve notes, is they do have a counterparty risk. At some point, if you can’t print the dollar, oh, we’re going to start putting them into electronic digits. And what are those worth? There’s counterparty risk in any loan, whether it’s a cash equivalent or not, that’s got to be paid back. And if it can’t be, then the value of that note goes down. All we’re talking about, again, is a store of value while the federal government prints trillions. Thank you.
(House Speaker of Debate): For the debate on the motion, good lady from [District] 2. Good lady has the floor.
(Idaho, District 2, Representative) Heather Scott: I guess just touch on the Constitution, no state shall make anything but gold or silver coin as tender in payment of debts. One of the, one of the people, or one of the good gentlemen brought up the idea that well, could we make gold in the future? And I want to take you back to science class, maybe fifth grade. Gold is a chemical element, it’s an element. Gold and silver are elements, not compounds. And so that’s why our Constitution, that’s why we say nothing but gold and silver. They are pure substance made with the same atoms. And that’s why we stick to gold and silver. This bill, what I like about it, it’s not mandatory. It’s another option. But what I don’t think that we’ve put into this whole mix is we do live in the gem state. Many of the founders of this state came here for gold and silver. The reliance on precious metals has been part of our culture since statehood. And that rings true to my district, District 2, where at its prime, it had more silver taken out of the ground than any other place in the world. Now that’s something amazing about Idaho. It’s embarrassing that all these other states are investing in gold and silver, and we are saying it’s too risky. It’s, it’s just, I can’t, I can hardly understand that, that argument. Because, you don’t think cash is risky? You don’t think the dollar is risky? The other thing, I think that wasn’t mentioned is the Idaho Mining Association does support this bill. They believe that the passage of it will send a signal that Idaho is favorable to precious metals and favorable in mining. And they believe it will help junior mining companies in this state. And I just encourage you to maybe think outside the box a little bit. I know we’ve been living in a society that’s just cash, cash, cash, Federal Notes. But, look at during our lifetime how it’s gone from. From an actual note to now a promise of a note. It used to be payable. All our dollars used to be payable in gold or silver. If you took them into the bank, you could get gold or silver. There has to be some value in gold and silver. And this bill just asks for an opportunity to invest in that. To hedge our investments. And so that, I ask for your green light.
That last speaker was Representative Heather Scott from Northern Idaho.
As state legislators are increasingly recognizing, the monetary metals provide an important hedge against inflation, debt default risks, and stock market declines. An allocation to hard money has historically boosted risk-adjusted investment returns while insuring against risks inherent in financial assets.
The Sound Money Defense League and Money Metals Exchange have been actively encouraging states to hedge reserve and pension funds using gold and silver. Texas and Ohio have previously acquired gold. Meanwhile, legislation like Utah and Idaho’s recently passed in Tennessee and is also under consideration right now in Oklahoma, North Carolina, Kansas, West Virginia, Iowa, Indiana, and Missouri.
Meanwhile, when it comes to states repealing sales taxes on purchases of precious metals, Kentucky is now on the cusp of joining Wisconsin, whose governor just signed a sales tax exemption bill into law in the Badger State last week.
The Kentucky house and senate passed a similar bill yesterday, which is now on the desk of the Commonwealth’s governor awaiting his signature. Assuming the bill signed, Kentucky would join 44 other states with a sales tax exemption on gold and silver.
So, it has been a very active week for sound money at the state level indeed.
And with federal deficits spiraling out of control, states and individuals alike need not sit around and wait for a solution out of Washington, D.C. that will likely never come. They can take matters into their own hands by trading out Federal Reserve notes and other paper promises for uncorruptible currency in the form of precious metals.
(Ken Silva, Headline USA) A defense attorney representing a J6 defendant has motioned for the government to provide a list of media members who were allowed onto the grounds or inside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021.
Defense attorney William Shipley filed his motion on March 22, after the Capitol Police refused to provide a list of approved Jan. 6 media. The U.S. government also refused to provide a list of people whom the Capitol Police, Justice Department and FBI identified as media on Jan. 6, but who weren’t approved to be on Capitol grounds.
Shipley filed his motion after USCP Lt. Frederick Hopkins testified earlier this month at a separate Jan. 6 trial that media had to apply in advance to be admitted to the Capitol that day, vetted for security purposes, and then given specific instructions as to where they were to go prior to the beginning of the event. Lt. Hopkins also testified that the Capitol Police has records of approved list of all members of the media allowed onto the grounds or inside the Capitol on January 6.
Shipley’s motion is on behalf of Jan. 6 defendant Nathan Hughes, who faces charges of civil disorder, entering and remaining in a restricted building or grounds, disorderly and disruptive conduct. Hughes has pled not guilty to all charges.
Shipley said his client is a journalist, and that he’s contemplating a motion to dismiss on selective-prosecution grounds.
“Hughes is a freelance independent journalist, with a history of reporting on political rallies, demonstrations and protests going back to 2017 … Mr. Hughes covered the events of January 6 in this same fashion, and posted his observations on various social media and online news websites,” his motion said.
“To the extent that the Government has identified members of media companies or freelance journalists on the grounds or inside the Capitol who were NOT on the pre-approved list, Mr. Hughes has a legitimate basis to be provided that evidence in order to determine whether a motion to dismiss is warranted based on his disparate treatment relative to other identified media members who have not been charged in the more than three years since the events,” he said.
Headline USA understands there are more than 20 other reporters who the Capitol on Jan. 6, but aren’t facing charges.
But to date, the only journalists to be charged for Jan. 6 are conservatives.
(Headline USA) Former President Barack Obama tried to scold leftist protesters who interrupted his fundraiser with President Joe Biden and former President Bill Clinton on Thursday.
Hundreds of anti-Israel activists gathered outside the fundraiser venue in New York City to protest the Biden administration’s continued support of Israel in its war against Hamas, according to a report on the incident by Politico. A few made their way into the event itself and interrupted the presidents by yelling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“You’re out of your f***ing minds,” yelled the first protester, who was escorted out of the room.
Late night host Stephen Colbert, who was moderating the discussion, attempted to diffuse the situation, saying, “Excuse me, Mr. President,” he said to Biden.
“For people who are watching at home on the feed, you may not be able to hear, but there’s some protesters here. There are some protesters here who are no doubt related to the protests we saw across the street,” he said.
“There are people outside, and people in this room I’m sure, who have passionate divisions about what the best course of action is for the crisis in Israel, in Gaza right now,” Colbert continued. “What do you believe the United States’s role should be going forward to ensure the most peaceful and prosperous future for the people of Israel and for Gaza?”
More protesters interrupted Colbert and Biden, accusing the president of having “blood on his hands.”
At one point, Obama tried to cut in, saying his heart “breaks … initially for a massacre of unbelievable cruelty,” he said in reference to Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack on Israel. “It is also possible for us to say we unequivocally support the people of Israel and their ability to live and raise families and so forth, which is what Joe’s position has been.”
But Obama was also met with protests from the activists in the crowd. He then tried to scold them, saying, “No, no, listen. You can’t just talk and not listen. That’s what the other side does.”
The protest is the latest indication that Biden is facing a revolt from the Democratic Party’s left-flank over his handling of the war, with tens of thousands of primary voters abandoning his reelection campaign during the primary elections earlier this year.
