Elon Musk is Reportedly Selling Twitter User Data to a Gov’t Surveillance Contractor

Ken Silva
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Elon Musk is Reportedly Selling Twitter User Data to a Gov’t Surveillance Contractor

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) While Elon Musk has talked a big game when it comes to privacy and free speech, he’s continued to sell Twitter/X user data to a controversial surveillance company that provides services to the U.S. military and intelligence agencies, according to a new report in The Intercept.

Citing emails obtained via the Freedom of Information Act, The Intercept reported Monday that Twitter is continuing to sell user data to Dataminr, which provides its customers with customized real-time “alerts” on desired topics, “giving clients like police departments a form of social media omniscience.”

“The alerts allow police to, for instance, automatically track a protest as it moves from its planning stages into the streets, without requiring police officials to do any time-intensive searches,” The Intercept reported.

“Watching everything that happens on X in real time is key to Dataminr’s pitch to the government. The company essentially leases indirect access to this massive spray of information, with Dataminr acting as an intermediary between X’s servers and a multitude of police, intelligence, and military agencies.”

While Dataminr’s relationship with Twitter was long known, it was unclear if it continued after Musk bought the platform. But a July 2023 message confirms that the relationship is ongoing.

“Dataminr has a unique contractual relationship with Twitter, whereby we have real-time access to the full stream of all publicly available Tweets,” a representative of the surveillance company reportedly wrote to the Secret Service in that July 2023 message.

Neither Twitter nor Dataminr responded to The Intercept’s requests for comment on the matter.

The Intercept’s report is the latest disappointment for users that hoped Musk would stick to his word on the reforms he promised for Twitter.

The company has also reverted to its pre-Musk censorship and banning policies, announcing last September that it would ban users for “commercial inviability”—in other words, the company will kick users off the platform if they post messages that upset advertisers.

The company also updated its privacy policies that will allow for the collection of biometric data and employment history, among other information.

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

Report: Feds Collected Names of Accounts to View Certain YouTube Videos

Ken Silva
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Report: Feds Collected Names of Accounts to View Certain YouTube Videos

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The U.S. government ordered Google to provide it with the names addresses, telephone numbers, user activity and IP addresses of the accounts that watched certain YouTube videos between January 1 and 8, 2023, according to a recent report from Forbes.

Citing unsealed court records, Forbes reported Friday that the federal government collected that information as part of an investigation into someone who uses the name “elonmuskwhm” online.

According to Forbes, elonmuskwhm is suspected of illegally selling bitcoin for cash. Undercover agents reportedly sent the suspect links to videos of YouTube tutorials for mapping via drones and augmented reality software. However, those videos were public and were viewed by thousands of other YouTube users—meaning that those accounts were subject to a federal investigation even though they weren’t suspected of a crime.

“There is reason to believe that these records would be relevant and material to an ongoing criminal investigation, including by providing identification information about the perpetrators,” authorities reportedly told Google in their request for the YouTube data.

In another incident, according to Forbes, authorities asked Google for a list of accounts that “viewed and/or interacted” with eight YouTube livestreams.

“Cops requested for that information after learning that they were being watched through a stream while they were searching an area following a report that an explosive was placed inside a trashcan,” wrote Engadget, summarizing the Forbes report, which is behind a paywall. “One of those video livestreams was posted by the Boston and Maine Live account, which has over 130,000 subscribers.”

A court apparently ordered Google to keep the government’s request private. It’s also reportedly unclear if Google handed over the data the authorities were asking for. A Google spokesperson reportedly told Forbes that the company follows a “rigorous process” to protect the privacy of its users.

The Forbes report is the latest example of the government collecting large troves of data from social media companies. As exposed by Headline USA on Nov. 27, the Justice Department’s investigation into Donald Trump included a search warrant against Twitter for every account to like, follow or retweet the former President.

That warrant revealed that the DOJ took from Twitter “all lists of Twitter users who have favorited or retweeted tweets posted by [Trump], as well as all tweets that include the username associated with the account (i.e., mentions or replies)”—as well as other information.

Numerous outlets picked up the story, politicians discussed the issue and presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy even used the information as a talking point during a recent debate.

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

Amid Supply Shortage, Chick-fil-A Reconsiders Its ‘No Antibiotics’ Policy

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Amid Supply Shortage, Chick-fil-A Reconsiders Its ‘No Antibiotics’ Policy

(Headline USA) The fast-food chain Chick-fil-A backtracked from its decade-old “no antibiotics ever” pledge intended to help prevent human antibiotic resistance linked to the rampant use of the drugs in livestock production.

Instead, it will embrace a standard known as “no antibiotics important to human medicine,” often abbreviated as NAIHM, the company said in a statement.

“NAIHM restricts the use of those antibiotics that are important to human medicine and commonly used to treat people, and allows use of animal antibiotics only if the animal and those around it were to become sick,” said the statement.

Livestock producers have long used antibiotics to boost rapid weight gain in animals such as chickens, pigs, cows and sheep, improving the profitability of their businesses.

Over the past decade, however, many nations, including the United States, have begun to restrict the practice as evidence mounted that it was contributing to drug resistance and reducing the effectiveness of antibiotics against disease in humans.

Chick-fil-A said it will begin shifting to the new policy in the spring of 2024.

A company spokesman added that the move reflects company concerns about its ability to acquire sufficient supplies of antibiotic-free chicken.

One of the poultry industry’s largest companies, Tyson Foods, said last year that it was reintroducing some antibiotics to its chicken production and removing its “No Antibiotics Ever” package labeling. It began to eliminate antibiotics from some of its poultry production in 2015.

In a May 2023 video featured on the Tyson Foods YouTube channel, Tyson’s senior director of animal welfare, Karen Christensen, described the shift as “based on scientific research and industry learnings.”

She noted that Tyson planned to begin using antibiotics known as ionophores, which don’t play a role in human medicine, to “improve the overall health and welfare of the birds in our care.”

Ionophores have long been used to promote growth in livestock.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Boeing CEO Will Depart as Part of Broader Company Leadership Shakeup

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Boeing CEO Will Depart as Part of Broader Company Leadership Shakeup

(Headline USA) The top executive at embattled plane maker Boeing will step down this year amid a broader shakeup of the company’s top leadership, capping a tumultuous five plus years that has shaken faith in one of America’s most storied manufacturers.

The company has come under intense scrutiny over its manufacturing process since a pair of its marquee aircraft crashed, killing hundreds of people in late 2018 and 2019 in Indonesia and Ethiopia.

Those problems have snowballed and the Federal Aviation Administration recently ordered an audit of assembly lines at a Boeing factory near Seattle, where the company builds planes like the Alaska Airlines 737 Max that suffered a door-panel blowout on Jan. 5. Investigators say bolts that help keep the panel in place were missing after repair work at the Boeing factory.

Boeing CEO Dave Calhoun will step down from the embattled plane maker at the end of the year. Calhoun took over the company after CEO Dennis Muilenburg was ousted following the two crashes.

Board Chair Larry Kellner has also told the company he doesn’t plan to stand for re-election.

Boeing also said Monday that Stan Deal, president and CEO of its commercial airplanes unit, will retire from the company. Stephanie Pope will now lead the division.

Boeing is also under intense pressure from the CEOs of various airlines, who have been outspoken in their frustration with Boeing’s manufacturing problems, which have slowed deliveries of planes that the carriers were counting on.

Southwest Airlines recently said that it was reevaluating its financial expectations for this year because of related delays in the delivery of planes.

“As we begin this period of transition, I want to assure you, we will remain squarely focused on completing the work we have done together to return our company to stability after the extraordinary challenges of the past five years, with safety and quality at the forefront of everything that we do,” Calhoun wrote in a letter to employees.

Calhoun acknowledged that Alaska Airlines Flight 1282 was a “watershed” moment for Boeing.

“We must continue to respond to this accident with humility and complete transparency,” he said. “We also must inculcate a total commitment to safety and quality at every level of our company.”

The board has elected Steve Mollenkopf to succeed Kellner as independent board chair. In this role, Mollenkopf will lead the board’s process of choosing Boeing’s next CEO.

Shares rose 4% before the market open.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Trump-Backing Granddaughter of Famed Maine Bootmaker, Dies at 82

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Trump-Backing Granddaughter of Famed Maine Bootmaker, Dies at 82

(Headline USA) Linda L. Bean, a granddaughter of famed outdoor retailer L.L. Bean who became an entrepreneur, philanthropist and conservative activist, has died at age 82.

Bean died Saturday, her business manager, Veronika Carlson, confirmed in a written statement Sunday. No cause was given.

“Linda was known for her amazing work ethic, entrepreneurial spirit as well as her pride and dedication to her home state of Maine and L.L.Bean, the company her grandfather founded,” the statement said. “Our hearts go out to her family and friends.”

Bean’s grandfather, Leon Leonwood Bean, founded the company in 1912. It grew through its popular catalogue, offering durable products such as rubber-bottomed boots that came with a lifetime guarantee.

Linda Bean served on the company’s board for nearly half a century. She also bought lobster dealerships, founded the Perfect Maine Lobster brand in 2007, and owned general stores, inns and vacation rentals on Maine’s central coast, where she lived in Port Clyde.

She helped lead the effort to have Maine’s lobster industry certified as sustainable in 2013 by a London-based nonprofit, the Marine Stewardship Council—a certification that was pulled in 2022 over concern about harm to whales.

Her philanthropic efforts included supporting LifeFlight of Maine medical helicopters and the Maine Botanical Gardens at Boothbay, as well as promoting the life of early 20th century illustrator and artist N.C. Wyeth, the father of the famous painter Andrew Wyeth, and preserving the family’s properties.

“Linda Bean loved the State of Maine. Its coastal communities, islands, and art, particularly by the Wyeths, had a special place in her heart,” Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, said in a written statement Sunday.

“Linda also was an astute businesswoman who promoted Maine lobster through her restaurants,” Collins added. “Many a time while waiting for my plane in Portland, I had a cup of her famous lobster stew at her airport restaurant.”

Bean was also a big donor to Republican causes and twice campaigned unsuccessfully for Congress, in 1988 and 1992. She ran as an opponent of abortion, gay-rights legislation and gun control, and she believed in cutting taxes to spur the economy.

She also supported efforts to repeal a Maine law outlawing discrimination based on sexual orientation, and she urged the Department of Defense to overturn Obama-era policies allowing transgender individuals to serve in the military.

In 2017, the Federal Election Commission said Bean made excessive contributions to a political action committee she bankrolled to support Donald Trump’s presidential campaign.

That prompted some leftist groups to call for a boycott of L.L. Bean—which she described as harassment by “a small kernel of hardcore bullies out on the left coast, West Coast, in California, trying to control what we do, what we buy, what we sell in Maine.”

Trump came to her defense, urging his supporters to buy the company’s products.

“While her politics did not align with mine, Linda and I found common ground in our mutual love of our home state, of the coast of Maine and our working waterfronts, of Maine inspired art and of the perfect Maine lobster roll,” Gov. Janet Mills, a Democrat, said in a written statement.

“I enjoyed her company and admired her business acumen,” Mills added. “On behalf of the people of Maine, I extend deep condolences to Linda’s family and loved ones and to the entire L.L.Bean community.”

No information about survivors was immediately available.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Chuck Todd, Other Leftist Ideologues Unhinged by Ronna McDaniel’s NBC Move

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Chuck Todd, Other Leftist Ideologues Unhinged by Ronna McDaniel’s NBC Move

(Headline USA) Leftist media and other partisan ideaologues became fully unhinged over the Sunday debut of former Republican National Committee Chair Ronna Romney McDaniel, putting their hypocritical lack of self-awareness on full display while throwing a temper-tantrum that bemused McDaniel’s many critics on the Right.

Leading the humiliating display was former Meet the Press host Chuck Todd, ostensibly cancelled last year due to low ratings driven by his own lack of credibility, who could not seem to quit his former network.

After new host Kristen Welker brought on McDaniel in what the show insisted was a “news interview” scheduled well before her recent hiring, Todd resurfaced as part of a panel in a post-interview critique, and could barely contain his feels from escaping.

“Our bosses owe you an apology for putting you in this situation because I don’t know what to believe,” Todd said. “I don’t have any idea whether any answer she gave to you was because she didn’t want to mess up her contract.”

He reveaed on the air that many NBC journalists were uncomfortable with the decision to hire McDaniel because some of their professional dealings with the RNC during McDaniel’s tenure “have been met with gaslighting, have been met with character assassination.”

Prominent conservative Twitter users—including former Trump press secretary Sean Spicer and notable red-pilled liberal investigative journalist Glenn Greenwald—derided the bloviating ex-host, who was notorious for wearing his own biases on his sleeve and refusing to represent all sides of an issue.

In fact, Todd’s pretense that presenting both sides posed a threat to the network’s credibility might itself be considered a sort of “gaslighting” if he was suggesting that he was speaking from a place of neutrality and adherence to facts.

Greenwald, in fact, pointed out that the network had a long history of hiring people straight from political posts—including former Biden press secretary Jen Psaki, former RNC Chair and NeverTrumper Michael Steele and former Bush/Cheney campaign manager Nicolle Wallace.

The later two have functioned effectively as “token Republicans” by actively denouncing everything about the Republican party—a pivot that some suspected McDaniel, the niece of retiring Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah, might make as well.

During the interview, McDaniel acknowledged that Biden won the 2020 election “fair and square.”

That was a reversal from a comment she made on CNN last summer, when she said “I don’t think he won it fair. I don’t.”

On Sunday, she said, “the reality is Joe Biden won. He’s the president. He’s the legitimate president. I have always said, and I continue to say, there were issues in 2020. I believe that both can be true.”

Under questioning from Welker, McDaniel said Sunday that she disagreed with Trump’s contention that people jailed for their part in the Jan. 6, 2021, uprising at the Capitol should be freed.

“Why not speak out earlier?” Welker asked.

“When you’re the RNC chair you kind of take one for the whole team, right?” McDaniel said. “Now I get to be a little bit more myself, right? This is what I believe.”

But a pouty Todd said he couldn’t ascertain whether her on-air betrayal of Republicans was sufficiently sincere—whether she really believed her statements and was not just echoing the message that NBC executives told her to convey like all its other on-air personalities.

McDaniel “has credibility issues that she has to deal with,” Todd claimed. “Is she speaking for herself or is she speaking on behalf of who is paying for her?”

Meanwhile, leftists “intellectuals” such as Harvard Law professor Lawrence Tribe declared that henceforth they would boycott NBC because if the addition of a lone voice who might possibly at some point fail to blame Donald Trump for everything.

Feckless NBC executives refused to defend their hiring of McDaniel and offered no comment on Todd’s unhinged rant.

The network announced McDaniel’s hiring on Friday, two weeks after she stepped down as the RNC leader, saying McDaniel would add to NBC News’s coverage with an insider’s perspective on national politics and the future of the Republican Party.

“NBC News has a legacy of serving its audience through reporting that reflects and examines the diverse perspectives of American voters,” Carrie Budoff Brown, NBC’s senior vice president for politics, said in a memo to staff members obtained by The Associated Press. She said McDaniel would contribute her analysis “across all NBC News platforms.”

However, the Wall Street Journal reported on Sunday that MSNBC’s president, Rashida Jones, had told employees that there was no chance of McDaniel gracing the airwaves on the far-left cable-news network.

MSNBC would not comment on that report on Sunday. An MSNBC executive, who spoke on condition of anonymity because the person would not publicly discuss internal matters, said it would be up to individual network shows to decide whether to bring McDaniel on—not that there is a network-wide ban.

MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” hosts said on the air Monday that they strongly objected and wouldn’t have her on their show.

“We hope NBC will reconsider its decision,” said Mika Brzezinski, co-host of MSNBC’s four-hour morning show with her husband, former GOP congressman Joe Scarborough.

Scarborough said he objected because of McDaniel’s role in former President Donald Trump’s “fake elector scheme” and said she summed up the “sickness” in the Republican Party where sticking with the team is more important than speaking the truth.

Scarborough—who was forced from his congressional seat in disgrace after a female intern died in his office under mysterious circumstances—and Brzezinski, the daughter of Jimmy Carter’s national security adviser with deep ties in globalist organizations like the Trilateral Commission, are often considered to be the deep state’s leading propaganda program, as well as a personal favorite of Biden’s.

Brzezinski claimed Morning Joe believes NBC News should seek out conservative Republican voices to provide balance in election coverage. “But it should be conservative Republicans, not a person who used her position of power to be an anti-democracy election denier,” she said.

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Ex-Capitol Police Officer Running for Congress Was Suspended after Domestic Violence Allegation

Ken Silva
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Ex-Capitol Police Officer Running for Congress Was Suspended after Domestic Violence Allegation

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Punchbowl News published records Friday detailing the suspension of former Capitol Police officer Harry Dunn, who is now running for Congress as a Democrat in Maryland.

Dunn’s 2012 suspension for mishandling his firearm was already reported in conservative media, but the startup liberal publication Punchbowl News published a three-page letter in three PDFs, which explain that  Dunn stored his service weapon in a home lockbox with a broken lock for more than a month.

The incident was discovered by the Capitol Police after Montgomery County Police investigated an alleged incident of domestic violence at Dunn’s Maryland home the previous year.

“While no charges were filed against either Dunn or his then-wife, a U.S. Capitol Police investigation resulted in Dunn’s suspension for mishandling his service weapon,” Punchbowl News noted.

Dunn’s wife reportedly denied that any domestic violence took place, while Dunn said he “learned the lesson” from the four-day suspension for mishandling his firearm.

The Punchbowl News report is the latest blow to the reputation of an officer whom Democrats made a poster boy for the Capitol Police following the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol Hill uprising.

Dunn has made numerous dubious claims about what happened on Jan. 6, including that protestors called him the N-word and shouted numerous other slurs at him. Dunn should have the body cam footage to prove his claims, but so far no footage has shown protestors attacking him or shouting racist slurs.

More recently, Dunn was found to have given false statements about the Oath Keepers, according to an investigation from Blaze Media.

Blaze journalist Steve Baker, who spearheaded the investigation into Dunn, has promised more damning revelations about the congressional candidate.

“Unfortunately for now-Congressional candidate Dunn and those who have engaged in the cover-up of his many hidden indiscretions — on and off duty — our series on ‘A Day in the Life of Harry Dunn’ has only just begun,” Baker said.

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

Grassroots Efforts Secure Another Repeal of Gold and Silver Sales Taxes

Money Metals News Service
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Grassroots Efforts Secure Another Repeal of Gold and Silver Sales Taxes

(Mike Maharrey, Money Metals News Service) Major sound money battles in the states have been heating up — with important bills moving forward right now in Kentucky, New Jersey, Idaho, Nebraska, and Iowa, among others.

Adding to a long list of Money Metals’ legislative victories, last week Utah became the fourth state to embrace the idea of holding gold as a reserve asset… and Wisconsin became the 44th state to repeal sales taxes on gold and silver.

The enactment of the Wisconsin law in particular will benefit real people in a tangible way, and it was made possible by the efforts of everyday folks just like you.

Wisconsin’s New Tax Policy on Gold and Silver

Rep. Shae Sortwell sponsored AB29 along with a large coalition of cosponsors. Sen. Duey Stroebel carried the Senate SB33 in the Senate.

The legislation creates a sales and use tax exemption for precious metal bullion. The new law defines “precious metal bullion” as coins, bars, rounds, or sheets that contain at least 35 percent gold, silver, copper, platinum, or palladium. 

Sound Money Defense League executive director Jp Cortez praised the enactment of this legislation.

“As inflation ravages American families, Wisconsin has taken an important step toward remonetizing gold and silver, a proven inflation hedge and the only form of money mentioned in the U.S. Constitution.”

Wisconsin was tied for 45th in the 2024 Sound Money Index — an authoritative ranking of states on their sound money polices published each year by Money Metals Exchange. Enactment of this measure is expected to boost the state’s ranking dramatically.

Real Benefits for Real People

Don’t mistake this new law as an insignificant change to mundane tax policy. It will significantly benefit gold and silver investors in the Badger State.

In a message to Money Metals, one customer expressed joy at the news of the bill’s passage.

“When I heard the news that Gov. Evers signed the bill, I literally fell off my chair in the office. Crying happy and jumping around my office screaming with joy! I lost over $20,000 on stupid Wisconsin tax on my precious metals over five years buying gold. … From now on, moving forward, I am going to buy as much gold as I can until I retire.”

Removing taxes on the exchange of gold and silver also takes a step toward treating gold and silver as money instead of commodities. Taxes on precious metal bullion erect barriers to using gold and silver as money by raising transaction costs. As Cortez testified during a committee hearing on a similar, charging taxes on money itself is beyond the pale.

“In effect, states that collect taxes on purchases of precious metals are inherently saying gold and silver are not money at all.”

Grassroots Efforts Make ALL the Difference

The passage of AB29 was a grassroots victory.

Every day people making phone calls and sending emails to their state representatives and the governor were a big factor in pushing the legislation over the finish line.

For example, Wisconsin Sen. Howard Marklein was the sole vote against the bill in the Joint Committee on Tax Exemptions, but he flipped and voted “yes” in the full Senate. Sources close to the Sound Money Defense league say he flipped due to overwhelming grassroots pressure to support the bill.

Cortez said that when similar bills moved through Alabama and Tennessee in recent years, he heard several anecdotes from legislators saying that the sound money bill they were considering was the most popular bill of the session and that they were drowning in calls and emails.

During the debate on a gold and silver tax bill in Arkansas, Cortez said a committee chairman called him angry about all the contact he was receiving. Instead of backing down, he upped the pressure — sending out even more email and direct mail alerts to Money Metals customers — and the chair brought the bill up for a vote within days.

Most people feel powerless in the political process. And when it comes to making changes at the national level, that feeling might be warranted unless you are a well-heeled lobbyist.

But you can make a difference at the state level. State representatives and senators serve much smaller constituencies than your representatives in Washington D.C. And they are not used to getting high volumes of feedback on specific legislation.

A former state representative in Kentucky once told me he often went through entire legislative sessions without hearing from a single constituent on a specific bill. 

Given the general level of political apathy at the state level, you can imagine the impact even a handful of phone calls on a specific bill can make. They are not used to seeing that kind of contact most of the time, and when they do see it, it gets their attention. Bigtime.

The lesson?

When you hear from Money Metals regarding legislation to support sound money in your state, take a few minutes and make that phone call. Send that email. It truly can make a difference!

It’s also important to be persistent. Sometimes it takes multiple phone calls. You should take action any time you get an alert — even if you have already called once. Political action generally isn’t a one-and-done game.

You can never assume your representatives are going to do the right thing. It’s up to you to hold their feet to the fire and drive the change you want. 

As Samuel Adams said, “It is the duty of everyone to use his utmost exertions in promoting the cause of liberty.”

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.

MTG Doubles Down on Push to Oust Speaker Johnson and Expel ‘RINO’ Gallagher

Luis Cornelio
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MTG Doubles Down on Push to Oust Speaker Johnson and Expel ‘RINO’ Gallagher

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) A defiant Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., rebuked both House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., and outgoing Rep. Mike Gallagher, R-Wisc., who is set to resign and leave his seat vacant until next year. 

Speaking to Fox News host Maria Bartiromo on the latest edition of Sunday Morning Futures, Greene did not mince words regarding her efforts to hold Republicans accountable ahead of the 2024 election. 

“Speaker Johnson cannot remain as speaker of the house,” Greene told Bartiromo, laying blame on him for the continuously decreasing Republican majority in the House of Representatives. 

Greene criticized Johnson for permitting Gallagher’s delayed departure until April 19, which exceeds the state’s deadline for holding special elections and filling the vacant congressional seat until the next cycle. 

Earlier in her remarks, Greene singled out Gallagher, Johnson, and Rep. Ken Buck, R-Colo., (who also resigned prematurely) for inadvertently bolstering Democratic influence. 

“Those people stepping down early and leaving are the ones that are leaving it, us at risk of the Democrats controlling the majority, not me,” she declared. 

Greene is leading efforts to expel Gallagher from Congress before April 19, thereby enabling the state to pursue a replacement candidate. Notably, the district in question is a reliably Republican stronghold. 

During the same interview, she reiterated her intent to unseat Speaker Johnson but clarified that she has yet to bring the motion to vacate the speakership to the House floor. 

“This is like issuing a pink slip and giving our conference a notice, saying that we have got to find a new speaker. This may take weeks, it may take months, it may not if even happen until next congress.” 

Greene alluded that Johnson’s support for a $1.2 trillion appropriations bill to fund the federal government until September signifies the conclusion of his tenure as speaker.  

She cited his failure to allow Republicans and Americans a 72-hour window to scrutinize the bill, which was also endorsed by Senate Democrats and President Joe Biden. 

“I will force change. I’m not bringing chaos,” she emphasized, underscoring that removing Johnson wouldn’t impede former President Donald Trump’s presidential campaign. 

Her remarks aim to refute criticisms suggesting that leaving the speakership vacant might negatively impact Republicans politically in an election year. 

Protest Breaks Out in Dom. Rep. amid Proposed Haitian Refugee Camp

Luis Cornelio
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Protest Breaks Out in Dom. Rep. amid Proposed Haitian Refugee Camp

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Hundreds of citizens in the Dominican Republic took to the streets on Sunday to protest a United Nations-led immigrant shelter for Haitian nationals displaced due to gang control in its neighboring country. 

The march comes as the U.S. and other Caribbean countries raise the alarm about an impending mass wave of illegal immigration from Haiti. 

Led by the Antigua Orden Dominicana (Old Dominican Order), a paramilitary and pro-sovereignty group that seeks to uphold the founding principles of the Dominican Republic, the march gained momentum when it neared the headquarters of the United Nations.

“We don’t want Haitians here!” the group’s members chanted in Spanish. “They must remain in their country and we will remain here.”

At the United Nations headquarters, federal army forces barricaded the front, shielding it from protesters, all the while the protesters played the Dominican National Anthem outside. “Out with the UN! Out with the UN!” they chanted.

“This march is taking place in protest against the imposition of the UN in our country… which seeks to burden us with the responsibility of accommodating Haitians, all while their countries refuse and deport Haitian nationals,” said Angelo Vasques, the leader behind the Sunday march. “Yet, we are expected to host refugee camps? Nobody elected the UN to govern us. If there’s no one willing to advocate for us, then we must advocate for ourselves.”

Vasques did not immediately respond to Headline USA’s messages via WhatsApp.

Visibly present at the march were Dominican Republic flags and photos of Juan Pablo Duarte, one of the founding fathers of the country who led the revolution against Haiti in 1844—when Haiti ruled the entire Hispaniola Island.

“Quisqueya has awakened,” read a sign, referring to the indigenous name of the Hispaniola Island, where the Dominican Republic is located. “No illegal aliens” and “Dominican Republic is not for sale” read two other signs.

As reported by local newspaper Listin Diario, the group delivered a stern message to the UN. “In unity and determination, we protect our sovereignty and work together for the well-being of our nation in line with the legacy of Duarte,” the group declared. 

The protest coincided with heightened concerns surrounding mass immigration from Haiti, following the resignation of Prime Minister Ariel Henry amid pressure from criminal gangs. 

Jimmy “Barbecue” Chérizier, the notorious gang leader, continues to wreak havoc in Haiti, allegedly orchestrating a prison break that freed approximately 4,000 criminals. 

In response to the security breach and prevailing uncertainty, the Dominican Republic halted air travel to Haiti, while Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis bolstered law enforcement presence across the Florida Keys. 

In the aftermath of Henry’s resignation, Secretary of State Antony Blinken convened a regional summit in Jamaica, aiming to forge solutions amidst the turmoil engulfing Haiti. 

In previous years, the Dominican Republic has clashed with Haiti over large-scale illegal immigration. Some critics on the left have accused the Dominican Republic of promoting xenophobia due to its anti-Haitian stance.

“We don’t harbor xenophobia against the Haitian community,” stated Elvin Castillo, a member of the order, in Spanish. “But it’s inconceivable that 30% of the national budget of a country so poor like ours is allocated to illegal aliens who don’t contribute their fair share of taxes.”

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