Report: Democratic Donor Assumed Hunter Biden’s Chinese Debt

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Last month, the House Oversight Committee revealed that Hunter Biden received a $250,000 “loan” from a Chinese business associate just months after Joe Biden launched his 2020 presidential campaign, and that he used Joe’s Delaware address to receive the wire transfer.

More damning information about the suspicious transaction was revealed Monday, when Just the News reported that Hunter’s “loan” was later assumed by a high-profile Democratic donor.

“After Joe Biden became president, the records show, Hunter Biden transferred the debt to Kevin Morris, a Hollywood lawyer whom he befriended after they met at a November 2019 Joe Biden campaign fundraiser in Los Angeles,” Just the News reported.

“The debt was ‘assumed’ by Morris on Nov. 17, 2021 when the lawyer acquired Hunter Biden’s stake in the BHR partnership and a separate company called Skaneateles, LLC … Biden ‘is no longer the primary obligor’ as a result of the transaction with Morris.”

The news outlet added that Hunter’s relationship with Morris is now under investigation. The lawyer has reportedly provided Hunter with millions of dollars in assistant, most of which have been in the form of loans.

“Why is a Democrat donor taking on Hunter Biden’s China debt?” the Oversight Committee asked on Twitter. “This raises serious ethical questions that the White House must answer.”

Morris has been dubbed Hunter’s ‘sugar brother’ because he agreed to loan the First Son a reported $2.8million to pay off his tax debts, and joined his legal team amid criminal and congressional investigations.

More recently, Morris was photographed apparently smoking a bong.

The photographs were reportedly captured when Biden was in the Pacific Palisades on Thursday to visit his attorney, Kevin Morris, after pleading guilty last month to federal tax crimes.

“While Hunter was at the house, Morris was snapped on a balcony in plain view of the public street appearing to huff from a white bong,” the Daily Mail reported in July. “It is not clear what substance was in Morris’s bong, and recreational marijuana use is legal in California. He did not immediately respond to a request for comment.”

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

New Speaker Stands by ‘No Right to Sodomy’ Remarks Made as Lawyer

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) New Republican Speaker of the House Mike Johnson refused to back down from remarks that he made 15 years ago when he penned an article suggesting that the U.S. Constitution does not guarantee a “right to sodomy,” the Daily Mail reported.

Johnson made the comments when asked about an argument that he wrote while he was the spokesman for the Alliance Defense Fund 15 years ago.

ADF would go on to become the Alliance Defending Freedom, one of the pre-eminent legal groups currently promoting pro-Christian and pro-conservative values in landmark cases, often before the U.S. Supreme Court.

In that statement, Johnson called homosexuality “inherently unnatural” and called gay marriage “the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy.”

Gay marriage, he suggested, is a “moral lapse” that “could doom even the strongest Republic.”

Further, in a 2005 op-ed—one of at least two he wrote in opposition to so-called gay rights issues in Louisiana—Johnson called cross dressing a “bizarre choice” that doesn’t “deserve protection” under the law.

Fox News’s Sean Hannity questioned Johnson about his prior statements, which have made him a ready target for leftist outrage and extreme rhetoric.

MSNBC’s Jen Psaki, for instance, attacking him as a “Christian fundamentalist” who should “scare” everyone.

But not only did Johnson refuse to apologize for his views in his interview with Hannity, he doubled-down, citing his Christian faith.

“Go pick up a Bible off your shelf and read it—that’s my worldview,” he told Hannity. “That’s what I believe, so I do not apologize for it.”

Johnson did back off a bit, noting that while he does not dislike homosexuals or transgenders, he believes that their anti-Christian and anti-political lifestyles pose a problem for society.

“I also genuinely love all people regardless of their lifestyle choices,” he said. “This is not about the people themselves. I am a Bible-believing Christian.”

He explained that it was his job at the time to “defend the state marriage amendments” as a litigator. “I was a religious liberty defense and was called to defend those cases in the courts.”

Johnson was alluding to his time as a defense lawyer for ADL, during which he wrote an opposing opinion to the Supreme Court’s 2003 decision on Lawrence v. Texas. The disposition of that case was the high court’s ruling that states could not pass laws criminalizing sodomy, thus undoing sodomy laws in 13 states.

Whitmer Seethes after State Rep. Honors Men Targeted in FBI Kidnapping Conspiracy

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) Michigan Rep. Rachelle Smit caused controversy last week when she paid tribute to two men in her district that were recently acquitted in the Gov. Gretchen Whitmer kidnapping conspiracy.

Smit presented the men, brothers William and Michael Null, with a awards for their “courage, unflagging spirt and dedication to our state and the founding principles of our beloved nation,” according to local news station WoodTV.

“Michael Null could have given up. His government—state and federal—betrayed him: It sent members of its secret police forces to concoct a plot to ‘kidnap’ Gretchen Whitmer, and to persecute innocent men in this government-orchestrated conspiracy, for the purpose of political theater and political gain,” Smit’s award to the Nulls stated.

“Michael Null bravely stood his ground, met his government inquisitors in court, and soundly defeated them,” the award stated, adding, “Through his courageous efforts to expose the government’s false-flag Whitmer conspiracy, he has made it clear that we all have opportunities each and every day to put our love of country to good use in helping our fellow citizens.”

Presenting the awards on Friday, Smith reportedly said they were being bestowed to the Nulls “on behalf of the state.”

That apparently triggered Whitmer, whose office issued a scathing response.

“This goes beyond the pale,” press secretary Stacey LaRouche reportedly wrote in an email to News 8.

“These types of actions normalize and incite violence against our political figures, and only serve to shake our faith in our values and our institutions. This tribute will further encourage and embolden radical extremists trying to sow discord and harm public officials or law enforcement.”

Smit held her ground when pressed on the matter by a reporter on Friday.

“Well, I am a representative of the state,” she reportedly said. “This is from my office, the 43rd District state Representative Rachelle Smit. They are my constituents and I am here to come out on behalf of them and support them in their efforts and grateful that … the charges are dismissed and they are found innocent.”

Indeed, the Null brothers were found innocent along with Eric Molitor after an uphill legal battle, which started with a judge ruling that they couldn’t raise “entrapment” as a legal defense.

The prosecution also threatened convicted Whitmer conspiracy defendant Adam Fox from testifying for the defense. Fox presumably would have told the jury how he was manipulated into the plot by about a dozen undercover informants and agents.

However, state prosecutor Bill Rollstin and the FBI’s main witness, agent Henrik Impola, were frequently caught in lies and inconsistencies throughout the trial.

Defense attorney William Barnett struck a crucial blow in the trial when he emphasized how improper it is for an FBI informant to train others for an alleged terrorist plot.

“How is it that you’re allowing your informant, who’s supposed to be a listening post, to train for an illegal purpose?” the defense attorney asked agent Impola.

“He’s basically training them for the crime we’re here for, isn’t he?”

Perhaps the most devastating point for the prosecution was when Impola was caught presenting doctored evidence to the jury.

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

Conservative Org. Urges RNC to Withdraw from NBC-Hosted Debate

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A conservative group known as the Restoration of America called on the Republican National Committee to find new moderators for the next presidential debate—replacing the NBC newscasters currently slated to fill the position.

Doug Truax, founder and president of Restoration of America, sent a letter to RNC Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel requesting that the RNC “immediately switch gears and retract your offer allowing NBC to moderate the upcoming debate.”

Truax expressed shock and dismay at the possibility of NBC moderators given the network’s record of consistent misrepresentation of conservatives and apparent disdain for their values, according to The Federalist.

“In case you’ve been in a coma for the last few years, we live in a new world where the government, Big Tech, and establishment media are openly colluding to hide the truth and help the Democrats,” Truax’s letter read. “The only way Democrats’ bad policies can survive in America is via a steady stream of propaganda.”

The RNC announced that Lester Holt, Kristen Welker and anti-Trump “conservative” radio host Hugh Hewitt would moderate the third debate, scheduled for Nov. 8 at the Adrienne Arsht Center for the Performing Arts in Miami–Dade County.

“[NBC] has spread thousands of false Russian collusion hoax stories, racial hoaxes, climate hoaxes, and gender and abortion misinformation,” Truax explained. “It lies 24/7 about nearly everything.”

A recent example of one such lie came from host Welker, who when interviewing former President Donald Trump, falsely claimed there was “no evidence” that President Joe Biden put pressure on Attorney General Merrick Garland to indict Trump.

“In fact, in addition to statements calling for efforts to prevent Trump from running, that pressure campaign was publicly laundered for all the world to see,” observed Federalist editor Mollie Hemingway, making reference to a New York Times piece that explicitly stated that Garland was facing “growing pressure” to investigate Biden’s chief political rival.

Welker also claimed, without evidence, that abortions are sometimes necessary to save the life of a pregnant woman.

Holt, meanwhile

NBC News also was revealed, alongside other networks, to have blacked out coverage of Hunter Biden’s notorious laptop for more than eight months during and after the 2020 election.

Holt, meanwhile, has openly celebrated the idea that journalists no longer need to treat fairness as one of their top ethical principles when it comes to covering ideas that clash with leftist dogma.

Recent polls showed that nearly 40% of Americans completely lost trust in the news media.

Truax concluded the letter by stating that McDaniel is responsible for ensuring Republican debates are hosted by networks that support conservative values, such as free speech.

“To fight back, new conservative media is spreading across the landscape in spite of efforts to stifle it,” Traux wrote. “As leader of the RNC, it should be your job to encourage and enable those media outlets that are speaking the truth, and to not reward purveyors of false establishment narratives.”

Oil Prices Could Reach ‘Uncharted Waters,’ Massive Shortages amid Conflicts

(Headline USA) The World Bank reported on Monday that oil prices could be pushed into “uncharted waters” if the violence between Israel and Hamas widens, which could result in increased food prices worldwide.

The possible famine could impact the U.S., where the Biden administration’s failed policies have significantly curtailed domestic oil production after former President Donald Trump led the country to become an energy exporter for the first time in decades.

Biden’s other failed economic policies, including his massive federal spending that has led to rampant inflation, and his open-border policy that has added 10 million illegal immigrants into the U.S. interior—many of them reliant on government subsidies—are also likely to compound the crisis ahead.

Ironically, much of the U.S. taxpayer’s money has been funneled into another war, the Ukraine conflict with Russia, which has no end in site, nor any clear objectives, nor any U.S. oversight as to how the money is being spent.

But while Ukrainian oligarchs and Hamas terrorists reap the benefit of U.S. toil and treasure, American citizens may soon suffer economically if they are not already doing so.

The World Bank’s Commodity Markets Outlook found that while the effects on oil prices should be limited if the conflict doesn’t expand, the outlook “would darken quickly if the conflict were to escalate.”

The attack on Israel by the militant organization Hamas and the ensuing Israel military operation against Hamas have raised fears of a wider Mideast conflict.

And the threat of escalation looms. Israeli tanks and infantry pushed into Gaza over the weekend as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced a “second stage” in the war. Hamas officials have called for more regional assistance from allies, including Iran-backed Hezbollah in Lebanon.

The World Bank report simulates three scenarios for the global oil supply in the event of a small, medium or large disruption.

Effects should be limited if the conflict doesn’t widen in a “small disruption” scenario—as oil prices are expected to decline from current levels of roughly $90 a barrel to an average of $81 a barrel next year, the World Bank estimates.

But during a “medium disruption”—equivalent to the disruptions experienced during the Iraq war—the global oil supply of about 100 million barrels a day would decline by 3 million to 5 million barrels per day, driving oil prices up possibly by 35%.

In a “large disruption” scenario—comparable to the Arab oil embargo of 1973—the global oil supply would shrink by 6 million to 8 million barrels per day and prices could go up by 56% to 75%, or to $140 to $157 a barrel, according to the report.

Indermit Gill, the World Bank’s chief economist, said Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has already had disruptive effects on the global economy “that persist to this day.”

“If the conflict were to escalate, the global economy would face a dual energy shock for the first time in decades—not just from the war in Ukraine but also from the Middle East,” Gill said.

Ayhan Kose, the World Bank’s deputy chief economist, said higher oil prices will inevitably result in higher food prices.

“If a severe oil price shock materializes, it would push up food price inflation that has already been elevated in many developing countries” as a result of Russia’s Ukraine invasion, Kose said. “An escalation of the latest conflict would intensify food insecurity, not only within the region but also across the world.”

Overall, oil prices have risen about 6% since the start of the conflict. And gold—a commodity that tends to rise in periods of conflict—has increased roughly 8%, according to the World Bank.

At a Bloomberg event on Thursday, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said the Biden administration was monitoring the economic consequences of Israel’s war against Hamas carefully.

“So far, we have not yet seen much that has global consequences,” she said, but if the war spreads “of course there could be more meaningful consequences.”

International Energy Agency Executive Director Fatih Birol said between Russia’s invasion and the latest violence between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, “no one can convince me that oil and gas are safe and secure energy choices for countries or consumers.”

Adapted from reporting by the Associated Press

Newsom Cheats at Basketball w/ Chinese Kids, Spanks One on Bottom

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) A viral clip of California Gov. Gavin Newsom playing basketball with a group of children in Beijing, China, showed him attempting to fake out the youngsters before aggressively charging one and tripping over himself, taking down the child in the process.

The video showed the Democrat governor and prospective presidential hopeful attempting to spin the basketball on his finger before dribbling toward the hoop. After faking out one child with a spin move, he then charged right into another boy and subsequently tumbled to the ground.

Making the clumsy situation even more awkward, Newsom then hugged the boy and appeared to pat or spank him on the lower back or buttocks while saying, “I got you.”

At least one Twitter user pointed out that under normal basketball rules, Newsom would have received a foul for charging his opponent, although he appeared to be playing the a variation of “streetball” with the children that typically follows the “no blood, no foul” convention.

It is unclear that the Chinese tots were aware of the rules of streetball prior to Newsom’s demonstration.

Other tweeters drew parallels between Newsom’s court game and his stewardship of the world’s sixth-largest economy. In both cases, suggested commenter David McCune, Newsom has talked a big talk then failed to deliver when it mattered.

Others wondered what Newsom was doing in China to begin with, suggesting it could be the next in a 2024 presidential run.

Some have speculated that the governor may be searching out additional funding from foreign partners for a surprise presidential campaign, just in case incumbent President Joe Biden’s campaign takes a turn for the worse.

The soon-to-be-81-year-old leader is not only facing intense legal scrutiny with mounting evidence that he accepted bribes as part of his family’s corrupt business deals, but also concerns about his physical and cognitive decline following regular public gaffes.

Newsom, meanwhile, coyly claimed the purpose of his weeklong trip was for “turning the page, of renewing our friendship and reengaging on foundational and fundamental issues that will determine our collective faith in the future.”

One of the primary issues up for discussion, he said, was the matter of international climate change policy.

“California and China hold the keys to solving the climate crisis,” Newsom said in a statement. “As two of the world’s largest economies, our partnership is essential to delivering climate action for our communities and beyond.”

Newsom also discussed the trafficking of fentanyl—which often comes to North America from China—with the nation’s president, Xi Jinping, despite previous claims by U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken that China only sent fentanyl chemicals to Mexican cartels “inadvertently.”

The Department of Homeland Security confirmed recently that Mexican cartels had purchased pill-pressing machinery from China to produce fentanyl pills on a larger scale.

This is Newsom’s second international trip in his official capacity as governor.

Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.

Ex-Obama Official: Trump Will ‘Likely Be Jailed’ for Violating Gag Order

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) Neal Katyal, a former acting solicitor general during the administration of former president Barack Obama, has claimed that another former president, Donald Trump, may be jailed for violating a judge’s gag order, Trending Politics News reported.

Earlier this month U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan issued the gag order at the behest of special counsel Jack Smith, barring Trump from speaking publicly about the case, including  criticism of any public officials who might potentially be called as witnesses.

Critics have noted that efforts to enforce such an order could provoke a constitutional crisis and be seen as attempting to meddle in the 2024 election, with the backlash from jailing the GOP frontrunner much worse than the consequence of any remarks he could make via his Truth Social platform or in speeches on the campaign trail.

However, the far-left Katyal claimed in a Sunday appearance with MSNBC host Jen Psaki that not only was a gag order necessary, but it was likely to lead to the destabilizing outcome

“I think Donald Trump has made the best case of anyone” Katyal claimed. “He’s witness A for why you need the gag order in effect because the moment that gag order was put on pause, he started going and attacking people left and right.”

Moreover, he added, there’s “no doubt in my mind that he’s going to violate it repeatedly, repeatedly,” meaning that the courts might have to “put the former president in jail.”

At least in one respect Katyal has proved prophetic. Though the gag order was suspended earlier this month after an appeal from Trump’s legal team, it was reinstated late Sunday night, after his MSNBC appearance.

When Psaki asked Katyal what might happen to Trump in the case of reinstatement, he responded imprisonment, suggesting that “you have to.”

“I mean, if he continues this behavior, no other litigant in this country would ever be able to do what he’s doing,” he replied.

“And judges, I don’t care what your politics are the one thing you understand is you put on that robe is it’s about the legitimacy of the court understand is you put on that robe is it’s about the legitimacy of the court and about the judicial process,” he claimed.

Chutkan, an Obama appointee and descendant of Jamaican pro-Marxist revolutionaries, has come under fire for her refusal to recuse herself after having made a number of inappropriate statements from the bench suggesting a strong partisan bias against Trump.

Media Scrubbing Reports of Maine Shooter Having TWO Gunshot Wounds to Head

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) After initial reports that alleged Maine mass shooter Robert Card was found dead in the woods with two gunshot wounds to the head, media outlets are now in lockstep that he was discovered in a dumpster with only one, apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound.

Of course, initial reports are often incorrect when it comes to quickly developing events such as mass shootings. But in this case, the media that initially reported two gunshot wounds have stealth-edited their articles, rather than issuing corrections explaining why the initial “error” was made.

The conflicting reports about the gunshot wounds is one of many anomalies springing from the Card case.

The Washington Post also reported Saturday that law enforcement had already searched the recycling center where Card’s body was discovered twice before. It was only on the third search—the day after the first two searches—that the body was found.

“Maine police had twice searched and cleared a recycling center before they found the body,” the Post reported.

“The body was discovered only after the center’s owner called local police to say that Army reservist Robert Card was familiar with the property, urging investigators to check the trailers in an overflow parking lot across the street from the main facility,” the newspaper added.

“The [police] commissioner rebuffed a question about whether the police should have searched that area sooner, saying they did not know it was connected to the recycling center.”

Additionally, more bizarre details are trickling out about Card, a U.S. Army Reservist who had been committed to a mental health facility for two weeks in the summer of 2023. The Daily Mail further reported on Friday that Card had been prescribed a hearing aid, which he claimed “allowed him to hear people criticizing him at Schemengee’s Bar,” where he allegedly carried out his second shooting.

And then there’s the incident itself. Card is said to have killed at least seven people at a bowling alley at 6:56 p.m. last Wednesday, before speeding 4.2 miles to Schemengee’s Bar to kill eight more by 7:08 p.m.

Meanwhile, Associated Press revealed that Maine police had knowledge since last month of “veiled threats” made by Card.

“We added extra patrols, we did that for about two weeks … The guy never showed up,” said Jack Clements, the police chief in Saco, where Card trained. Clements appeared to downplay the severity of the threats, saying that this department received a lot of similar alerts.

Adding another twist to the plot, the FBI has denied any prior knowledge of Card before the tragic incident. The bureau told the AP that it “did not have nor did it receive any tips or information concerning Robert Card.” The bureau claimed that its background check system “was not provided with or in possession of any information that would have prohibited Card from a lawful firearm purchase.”

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

Maine Police Alerted Weeks Prior to Mass Shooting, FBI Denies Knowledge

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) Law enforcement officials in Maine were allegedly warned weeks prior to the tragic mass shooting that claimed 18 lives.

The Associated Press revealed that Maine police had been alerted about a series of “veiled threats” made by Robert Card, the perpetrator of the attack and a U.S. Army reservist.

Two Maine police chiefs disclosed that the state issued an alert for Card following his threats against his base and fellow soldiers. Law enforcement officials were unable to locate him during their patrols and thus “they moved on,” the AP reported.

“We added extra patrols, we did that for about two weeks. … The guy never showed up,” said Jack Clements, the police chief in Saco, where Card trained. Clements appeared to downplay the severity of the threats, saying that this department received a lot of similar alerts.

“Never came in contact with this guy, never received any phone calls from the reserve center saying, ‘Hey, we got somebody who was causing a problem,’” he said. “We never got anything.”

Sagadahoc County Sheriff Joel Merry also confirmed that his office had been notified of the threats made by Card.

“We couldn’t locate him,” Merry said. When questioned about potential follow-ups, Merry claimed he did not remember because “I don’t have any reports in front of me.”

Adding to the twist, the FBI denied any prior knowledge of Card before the tragic incident. The bureau told the AP that it “did not have nor did it receive any tips or information concerning Robert Card.” The bureau claimed that its background check system “was not provided with or in possession of any information that would have prohibited Card from a lawful firearm purchase.”

The report also implicated the New York State Police, revealing that they had encountered Card on July 16. Responding to “threats to other members of his military unit.”

When approached for additional details, the New York State Police declined to comment. “This is an active investigation, and the New York State Police does not comment on active investigations, nor investigations in which we are not the lead agency,” the department said on Friday.

Johnson Hints at Hunter Subpoena: ‘Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures’

(Luis Cornelio, Headline USA) In a Sunday interview with Maria Bartiromo, House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., hinted at the possibility of subpoenaing Hunter Biden, suggesting that “desperate times call for desperate measures.”

The remarks come amid growing suspicions surrounding the Biden family, with Johnson emphasizing the importance of uncovering what he described as the “truth” for the American people.

When pressed about a potential subpoena amid the impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden, Johnson answered, “I am looking at that. I think desperate times call for desperate measures and that perhaps is overdue; we’ve not made a full decision yet. I’m counseling with the attorneys involved on all of this to see what the contours are.”

The issue of subpoenaing Hunter has sparked a debate within the Republican Party, with former House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., cautioning against preemptively issuing subpoenas due to constitutional concerns. 

“The one thing the American public has to understand is there’s a strategy behind everything,” McCarthy explained during a September interview with Fox. “We only follow facts. Hunter Biden will get subpoenaed, but when’s the appropriate time? Do you do it because television wants it, or do you do it around the facts and the timing?”

But it appears that Johnson pledged a more proactive approach to the subpoena. In the same conversation, Johnson commended the efforts of House Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Ky., and House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith on the impeachment inquiry. 

“They continue those investigations even while we were going through the speaker’s race, they were still working methodically through that, I am encouraging that I think we have a constitutional responsibility to follow this truth where it leads,” Johnson emphasized before slamming the previous impeachment proceedings against former President Donald Trump.

“We don’t use this for political partisan games like the Democrats have done and did against Donald Trump twice. We’re going to follow the law and the Constitution. […] I look forward to rolling that out over the coming days and weeks and letting the American people see exactly why we are taking the next steps and where it’s heading,” he added.