Judge Demands Answers for Why Whitmer Kidnap Inmates Were Transferred out of State

Ken Silva
-
0
Judge Demands Answers for Why Whitmer Kidnap Inmates Were Transferred out of State

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) A judge wants to know why the men convicted of secondary roles in a plot to kidnap Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer have been transferred to federal prisons out of state.

The men—Paul Bellar, Joe Morrison and Pete Musico—have appeals pending following a trial on state charges in Jackson County in 2022. But their lawyers said it’s extremely hard to work with them hundreds of miles away.

They said the distance interferes with a right to have access to Michigan courts.

On Friday, Michigan Judge Thomas Wilson demanded answers from the state about the matter.

“Without that information, it feels like we’re flying blind,” Judge Wilson said.

Assistant Attorney General John Pallas said he didn’t know specifically why the three men were transferred out of Michigan, other “than general safety concerns.”

Pallas pledged to help the lawyers improve their ability to talk to the men. Wilson, however, set a hearing for Dec. 1 to get answers and an update.

Headline USA has previously reported how Bellar, Musico and Morrison have been blocked from speaking to their attorneys or reviewing necessary documents for their appeals.

“The Michigan Department of Corrections has transferred Mr. Bellar to a Federal prison facility in the State of Pennsylvania. Prior to the transfer, communication with Mr. Bellar was convenient, with counsel being able to hold the aforementioned video conference and his mail was being received,” Bellar’s attorney said in a filing last month.

“Since the transfer, however, communication is almost non-existent, with the Federal prison being unable or unwilling to facilitate confidential video and/or telephonic communication and with mail being returned to counsel as being ‘Refused.’”

Meanwhile, the so-called “ringleaders” of the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnap plot—Barry Croft and Adam Fox—also have appeals pending. Justice Department prosecutors have until Nov. 17 to respond to those appeals.

Croft and Fox have been subjected to similarly harsh treatment from the federal prisons system. Initially held in Michigan and communicating with a journalist about their cases, both men were suddenly transferred to supermax facilities in February, and they haven’t been heard from publicly since.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

Senate to Vote on Revoking Salary of Biden Official Linked to Leonardo DiCaprio

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Senate to Vote on Revoking Salary of Biden Official Linked to Leonardo DiCaprio

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) An embattled Biden official is at the center of a fiery Senate debate this week as Republicans push for the removal of her taxpayer-funded salary, Fox News reported on Oct. 30.

Ann Carlson, the acting administrator of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), found herself entangled in an ethics probe that has escalated concerns over her purportedly extreme environmentalist activism. 

The focal point of the controversy revolves around Carlson’s contentious appointment, which skipped the Senate’s confirmation process earlier this year, according to Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas. 

“President Biden’s illegal appointment of Ann Carlson, who was effectively rejected by the Senate due to concerns about her extreme agenda and radical record, will only yield more mandates, higher costs for families and a less vibrant economy,” said Cruz last month, according to Fox News. 

According to the news outlet, Cruz further alluded to the Federal Vacancies Reform Act, which prohibits “any person who has been nominated to fill any vacant office from performing that office’s duties in an acting capacity.” 

The spotlight on Carlson intensified following the circulation of an internal memo by the Republican Commerce Committee, shedding light on her involvement with the California-based law firm Sher Edling’s pursuit of litigation against fossil fuel companies. 

Fox News disclosed that Carlson allegedly played an active role in aiding Sher Edling’s pursuit of over a dozen climate nuisance lawsuits on behalf of cities and various states. These lawsuits primarily assert that oil companies bear responsibility for their alleged impact on climate change. 

“President Biden’s EV mandates and subsidies may have been inspired by radical politicians in deep blue states, but they’ve been put into practice by unaccountable bureaucrats like Ann Carlson,” Cruz said last month on Twitter.

Fox News reported that “Carlson worked with Dan Emmett, the chairman of the Emmett Institute on Climate Change & the Environment to raise money from liberal non-profit organizations to fund Sher Edling’s work through an indirect dark money fund.”

The further added, “The pair secured support from Terry Tamminen in his role as the Leonardo DiCaprio Foundation’s CEO at the time.”

House GOP Seeks to Cut IRS Budget for $14.3 Billion Israeli Bill

Luis Cornelio
-
0
House GOP Seeks to Cut IRS Budget for $14.3 Billion Israeli Bill

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., pushed a $14.3 billion aid package for Israel, prioritizing the nation’s defense against Hamas terrorists in the Gaza Strip. 

The 13-page bill, spearheaded by the newly-elected speaker, marks a significant move in the Republican-led House.

Notably, the proposed aid excluded funding for Ukraine, a decision likely to spark a confrontation with Senate Democrats and Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., who are pushing for Ukrainian aid despite the recent corruption scandal. 

“We’re going to move a stand-alone Israel funding bill this week in the House — I know our colleagues, our Republican colleagues in the Senate, have a similar measure,” stated Johnson in an interview with Fox News’s Maria Bartiromo on Sunday.

“There are lots of things going on around the world that we have to address, and we will,” Johnson added. “But right now, what’s happening in Israel takes the immediate attention, and I think we’ve got to separate that and get it through.”

However, the funding’s source has sparked controversy, as House Republicans plan to withdraw funds from the IRS, which has been under scrutiny in recent months due to allegations of politicization.

In response to the bill, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., expressed strong reservations, calling it dead on arrival. The Senate Democrat also criticized that the bill diverts funds from the contentious Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act. 

“We believe, our Democratic Caucus, we should be doing all of it together: Israel, Ukraine, South Pacific, etc. And obviously a pay-for like that makes it much harder to pass,” Schumer said, according to Politico. 

Echoing the sentiment, McConnell called for a more comprehensive aid package that includes support for Ukraine. McConnell announced his intent to address the legislation during a press conference on Tuesday.

Taxpayers Are Forced to Give $1.4M for ‘Gender Transition Services’

Dmytro "Henry" Aleksandrov
-
0
Taxpayers Are Forced to Give $1.4M for ‘Gender Transition Services’

(Dmytro “Henry” Aleksandrov, Headline USA) It was revealed in a public record request that from January 2015 to May 2023, Boston Children’s Hospital was reimbursed $1.4 million by the state of Massachusetts for its “gender transition services”

In 2022, the self-described first pediatric and adolescent “transgender” health program in the country received a heavy backlash for performing “gender transition” surgeries on minors, among which were vaginoplasty, phalloplasty, chest reconstruction and breast augmentation, a since-deleted website revealed.

It was discovered by the Daily Caller that from Jan. 1, 2015, to May 1, 2023, the Executive Office of Health and Human Services [EOHHS] of Massachusetts paid the hospital over $1.4 million for “gender transition services (i.e., physician’s services, inpatient and outpatient, hospital services, surgical services, prescribed drugs, therapies, etc.).”

According to a study that was published in the Journal of Clinical Medicine, the hospital performed 204 “gender affirmation” surgeries from 2017 to 2020, which was the same time when the hospital was funded by the EOHHS. The study also added that 177 were chest reconstruction surgeries and 65 of those surgeries were for minors.

A now-removed Boston Children’s “Center for Gender Surgery” web page contained dozens of videos discussing “gender” dysphoria, “transgender” sex, “top” and “bottom” surgery and even a how-to guide for talking to friends and family about the subject.

The “surgery is never the first step in a gender transition,” the website added, suggesting that newer patients should start with socially transitioning and “supplemental hormones.”

The website noted that 15-year-old patients could mutilate their bodies through breast or chest augmentation if they have their parent’s consent and a letter from a “medical doctor or nurse practitioner stating that you have ‘persistent, well documented, gender dysphoria.'”

In addition to that, the hospital also offered vaginoplasty surgeries to 17-year-olds without any parental consent, adding that a phalloplasty or a metoidioplasty — the surgeries to construct a penis — would be performed only on patients 18 years or older.

“We believe in a gender-affirmative model of care, which supports transgender and gender-diverse youth in the gender in which they identify. This is a standard of care grounded in scientific evidence, demonstrating its benefits to the health and well-being of transgender and gender-diverse youth,” the hospital said.

Biden Changes Tune on Israel Amid Pressure from Extremist ‘Squad’

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Biden Changes Tune on Israel Amid Pressure from Extremist ‘Squad’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) President Joe Biden appeared to adjust his stance on the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict, with a newfound emphasis on the well-being of Gazans amidst the recent escalations, according to a recent report. 

The shift in emphasis comes amidst pro-Palestinian pressure from the radical left faction of the Democratic Party, urging the administration to address the humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. 

In a recent communication with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Biden conveyed his support for Israel’s response to the Hamas threat, but notably linked continued support with the treatment of civilians in the Hamas-controlled Gaza Strip. 

On Oct. 14, Biden drew attention to the perceived innocence of Palestinians in the conflict, claiming that “the overwhelming majority of Palestinians had nothing to do with Hamas and Hamas’s appalling attacks, and they’re suffering as a result as well.” 

Four days later, the New York Times reported, Biden added, “Israel has been badly victimized. But, you know, the truth is that if they have an opportunity to relieve suffering of people who have nowhere to go, that is what they should do.”

In recent remarks, Jake Sullivan, Biden’s national security adviser, emphasized the administration’s commitment to Gazans, urging Israel to exercise restraint in response to the recent Hamas-ignited massacre, which has claimed the lives of at least 1,400 individuals in Israel, including several U.S. citizens.

White House officials have attributed the adjustment in rhetoric to the grave situation in Gaza. Notably, embers of the so-called “Squad” within the Democratic Party, including Reps. Ilhan Omar, R-Minn., and Rashida Tlaib, R-Mich., have been vocal in their criticism of the administration’s support for Israel. 

In a seemingly unhinged and viral response, Omar criticized the president’s support for Israel

“How is it that we have a president who is talking about releasing hostages, who is talking about getting American citizens out of Israel, but could not get himself to say, I want to save and work to save the hundreds, thousands of Americans stuck in Gaza,” Omar said during a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol. “What is wrong with you?”

Tlaib, who has Palestinian roots, led a group of protestors into the U.S. Capitol last week, resulting in the detention of approximately 300 individuals and charges against three individuals accused of assaulting a police officer.

Zelenskyy Aides Break Silence on Corruption: ‘Stealing Like There’s No Tomorrow’

Luis Cornelio
-
0
Zelenskyy Aides Break Silence on Corruption: ‘Stealing Like There’s No Tomorrow’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Aides of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy have broken their silence on the rampant corruption within the highest levels of the Ukrainian government. 

TIME Magazine’s senior correspondent Simon Shuster, reporting from Ukraine, unveiled the startling revelations from these high-ranking officials in a recent interview. 

In a candid admission, a top presidential adviser — whose name was not disclosed — exposed the prevalent culture of corruption within the government, stating, “People are stealing like there’s no tomorrow.” 

This statement was in response to Shuster’s expressed belief that Ukrainian officials might hesitate to engage in corrupt practices. However, the revelations painted a starkly different picture. “Simon, you’re mistaken,” the adviser said of the perception that Ukrainian officials would not take bribes.

The advisor’s testimony also implicated Zelenskyy himself, accusing him of turning a blind eye to the corruption for over six months. The advisor admitted that the Ukrainian president gave his allies time to solve the issues quietly or explain them away. 

The abrupt dismissal of Defense Minister Olesksii Reznikov, embroiled in the corruption scandal, failed to avert further corruption as other government officials did not “feel any fear.” The report alleged that the firing was perceived as a delayed response to the issue.  

Notably, Reznikov’s exit came just days before his scheduled meeting with U.S. defense officials, which raised concerns about high government officials implicated in the scandal. 

Shuster’s report revealed that Zelenskyy’s slow act did little to appease allies’ concerns about corruption, with some of them opting to cut off funding. 

In response to the scandal, Zelenskky lashed out at the allies, claiming that the issue was overexaggerated. “It’s not right for them to cover up their failure to help Ukraine by tossing out these accusations,” Zelenskyy told TIME. 

‘Squad’ Rep’s Hubby Confused When Asked Why He’s Paid By Her Campaign

Contributing Author
-
0
‘Squad’ Rep’s Hubby Confused When Asked Why He’s Paid By Her Campaign

(Headline USA) The husband of “Squad” Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., husband appeared confused when confronted last week on why Bush’s campaign has paid him tens of thousands of dollars over the past year.

Cortney Merritts, who worked as a security guard for Bush before marrying her earlier this year, has pocketed more than $100,000 from Bush’s campaign since Bush added him to her payroll in January 2022.

His payments were initially marked as a “security” expense, but were changed to “wage expenses” in April.

As Merritts was leaving a political fundraiser in Washington, D.C., last week, a Fox News reporter asked him what his current role with Bush’s campaign is.

“I don’t have a role in the campaign, man,” Merritts admitted.

The reporter responded: “You don’t have a role at all? They were reporting you had wages on the campaign for security, and then it was a general wage. I was just wondering what you’ve been doing on the campaign?”

Merritts again struggled to respond.

“Yeah, I mean you can Google what it is,” he replied. “You can also Google what happened with the FEC report came back 5-0, that it was all completely above board.”

The reporter continued to press, asking for confirmation that Merritts is still working for Bush’s campaign.

“Am I still employed with it? Yes, so obviously, I’m going to work with it,” Merritts said. “What’s this whole ‘gotcha’ s***? I’m not a politician, man, so ask me a question man-to-man, and I’ll answer.”

Bush and Merritts were married in February of this year, but her campaign acknowledged they had been together for more than a year while it was paying him for “security” services.

It is still not clear what “security” service Merritt provides. As of February, he did not have a private security license, and his name did not appear in a Washington, D.C., database of licensed security specialists, according to Fox News.

Report: OKC Lawmaker Calls for Arrest of Criminal ATF Agents

Ken Silva
-
0
Report: OKC Lawmaker Calls for Arrest of Criminal ATF Agents

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Oklahoma Republican State Rep. Justin Humphrey has reportedly called for state law enforcement to arrest the criminal ATF agents involved in an illegal raid of a kitchen-table gun dealer in June.

Humphrey recently filed a probable cause affidavit with the Oklahoma Attorney General’s Office regarding the agents who raided the home of Russel Fincher.

“I have contacted an ATF supervisor, Ashely Stephens, and ATF refuses to provide probable cause in this case, stating Fincher’s case is on ongoing investigation,” Humphrey said.

“I struggle with seeking charges against fellow police officers. However, it appears ATF is abusing their police powers and violating their oaths of office. I believe the ATF has committed crimes and violated Fincher’s civil rights and due process of law,” he said.

According to firearms journalist Lee Williams, Fincher is a high school history teacher, a Baptist pastor and a part-time gun dealer, who had a Federal Firearm License for three years.

He’s reportedly known as a kitchen-table gun dealer because he has no bricks-and-mortar store.

Fincher described the ATF raid on his home to reporter Williams.

“It was like the Trump raid. They called me out onto my deck and handcuffed me. My son was there and saw the whole thing. He’s 13 years old,” Fincher said.

“They held me on the porch for about an hour. I was surrounded by agents. One by one, they yelled at me about what I was doing. In my mind I decided if they were going to beat me up over every little thing, I’m done,” he said.

As soon as I said, ‘If you want my FFL, you can have it,’ one of the agents pulled out a piece of paper and said, ‘Well then sign here.’ He had made three copies in case I screwed one up. It was exactly what they wanted. I was shocked.”

According to Fincher, the ATF seized more than 50 of his personal firearms as “evidence.”

Fincher was not charged over the matter, and now the ATF is apparently taking a lot of backlash in Oklahoma.

In September, Oklahoma’s Pushmataha County Sheriff’s Office announced that it would be investigating the ATF over the matter.

“We weren’t apprised of anything,” undersheriff Dustin Bray reportedly said last month.

“We are a Second Amendment County and we are going to protect our citizens here. We are not going to enforce any gun law or rule that violates the constitution.”

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

Leftist Rep. Accused of Threatening Democrat Colleague over Support for Israel

Contributing Author
-
0
Leftist Rep. Accused of Threatening Democrat Colleague over Support for Israel

(Headline USA) Rep. Andre Carson, D-Ind., was accused this week of threatening one of his Democratic colleagues over the latter’s support for Israel.

Carson’s threat came in a wild rant about Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., a Jewish member of Congress who has been vocally support of Israel in its war against Hamas. Gottheimer has also been critical of his leftist colleagues in the “Squad,” who most recently voted against a House resolution condemning Hamas’s Oct. 7 terrorist attack.

“Last night, 15 of my Democratic colleagues voted AGAINST standing with our ally Israel and condemning Hamas terrorists who brutally murdered, raped, and kidnapped babies, children, men, women, and elderly, including Americans,” Gottheimer wrote in a post last week. “They are despicable and do not speak for our party.”

In response, Carson told CNN that Gottheimer is “cowardly” and seemed to suggest that he would be willing to fight him, Mediaite reported.

“I think he’s shown himself to be very emotional,” Carson said.

“Like most cowardly people, when you confront them, they’re afraid,” he continued. “I’m unafraid of the guy. And if he wants to call us despicable, I’m saying he’s a coward and he’s a punk. If he wants to play some kind of tough guy or gangster, we can handle it like gentlemen, or we can get into something else.”

Anti-Defamation League CEO Jonathan Greenblatt, who is also a Democrat, blasted Carson for trying to “intimidate” Gottheimer and other Jewish members of Congress.

“It’s inexcusable for any member of Congress to threaten a colleague, & especially egregious that @RepAndreCarson is threatening a Jewish member for speaking out at a moment when we’re seeing a massive spike in antisemitism,” Greenblatt tweeted. 

Ten House Democrats voted against the House resolution condemning Hamas’s attacks, while another six voted “present.”

The 10 voted against the resolution include: Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y.; Ilhan Omar, D-Minn.; Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich.; Jamaal Bowman, D-N.Y.; Summer Lee, D-Pa.; Cori Bush, D-Mo.; André Carson, D-Ind.; Al Green, D-Texas, and Delia Ramirez, D-Ill.

Kamala Awkwardly Reassures Voters Biden Is ‘Still Very Much Alive’

Contributing Author
-
0
Kamala Awkwardly Reassures Voters Biden Is ‘Still Very Much Alive’

(Headline USA) Vice President Kamala Harris awkwardly reassured voters this weekend that President Joe Biden was “very much alive” and still running for reelection in 2024.

During an interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes, Harris was asked about the possibility of Biden dropping out of the primary and whether she would be the next in line were that to happen.

 “Well, first of all, I’m not gonna engage in that hypothetical ‘cause Joe Biden is very much alive and running for reelection,” Harris replied.

CBS’s Bill Whitaker responded by pointing out that Biden’s age was a “legitimate concern.”

“I hear from a lot of different people a lot of different things, but let me just tell you, I’m focused on the job, I truly am,” Harris claimed.

“Our democracy is on the line, Bill,” she continued. “And I, frankly, in my head, do not have time for parlor games when we have a president who is running for reelection. That’s it.”

Harris was also asked about new polls showing Biden trailing former President Donald Trump, the Republican frontrunner, in a hypothetical general election match-up.

Whitaker pointed out that Trump’s rise in the polls comes despite multiple indictments and court appearances.

“Why are you not 30 points ahead?” he asked.

“Well, I’m not—I’m not a political pundit, so I, I, I’m not gonna speak to that,” Harris stammered. “But what I will say is this: When the American people are able to take a close look at election time on their options, I think the choice is gonna be clear.”

Harris went on to predict that she and Biden would win.

“Bill, we’re gonna win. Let me just tell you that. We’re gonna win. And I’m not saying it’s gonna be easy. But we will win,” she said.

A poll from August showed 77% of Americans, including two-thirds of Democrats, believe Biden is too old to serve another term.

1...1,6601,6611,662...3,876Page 1,661 of 3,876