Pentagon Can’t Account for at Least $220 Billion of Equipment: GAO

Ken Silva
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Pentagon Can’t Account for at Least $220 Billion of Equipment: GAO

(Ken Silva, Headline USA) The Pentagon can’t account for at least $220 billion of equipment provided to military contractors, according to a report released this week by the Government Accountability Office.

The GAO’s report studied “government-furnished property,” which auditors defined as property the government provides to contractors to carry out their responsibilities. Contractors can possess assets such as ammunition, missiles, torpedoes and equipment for specific uses associated with these items, the GAO said.

The GAO, a federal agency designed to provide Congress with non-partisan research, noted that the Department of Defense’s inability to properly track its military equipment stretches back to at least 2001.

In 2003, the DOD began working on a database that would track government-furnished property.

The completion date for that database was initially 2011. Then, the Pentagon pushed back the completion date to 2016 before postponing it again to 2017, and then to 2019. Now, the remediation date is 2026.

The GAO also noted that the $220 billion value estimate for the unaccounted property is based off of a 2014 report, and in fact “is likely significantly understated,” the GAO added.

“For example, in fiscal year 2016, we reported that the Army indicated the actual number of these GFP assets is unknown and that actual quantities may be greatly different than the Army’s documented property records reflect,” the GAO said.

The GAO noted that the Pentagon’s inability to track the equipment it provides to contractors is a major reason the DOD is the only federal agency to have never passed an audit with a clean bill of health.

The DOD, which holds some $3.2 trillion in assets—amounting to about two-thirds of the federal government’s total assets—has undertaken and failed five audits since Congress mandated such procedures in 1990. Its most recent audit failure was in December.

The GAO recommended that the DOD undergo a number of bureaucratic overhauls to address its shoddy record-keeping, including the development of a “comprehensive strategy” to “clearly articulate the detailed DOD-wide efforts to address the government-furnished property material weakness.”

“Without such a strategy, DOD is at an increased risk that its efforts to remediate the GFP material weakness will continue to be insufficient and that it will continue to miss or push back target remediation dates,” the GAO warned.

The DOD agreed with the recommendations, and the GAO said it will provide updates when its recommendations are implemented.

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

18 Democrat State AGs Support N.Y. Gun-Industry Liability Law

Wire Editor
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18 Democrat State AGs Support N.Y. Gun-Industry Liability Law

(Bruce Walker, The Center Square) A coalition of 18 state attorneys general, all Democrats, on Wednesday submitted an amicus brief in support of New York’s firearms industry accountability law.

In the brief, the coalition led by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul asserts the law’s legitimacy to protect residents public health, safety and welfare.

The law in question aims to hold the firearms industry legally liable for what the prosecutors label “irresponsible sale and marketing of firearms when that conduct results in harm to the public. Under the law, public officials or private citizens can file a lawsuit against a gun industry member when they knowingly or recklessly endanger the safety or health of the public in New York state through the unlawful or unreasonable sale, manufacturing, importing, or marketing of firearms. Gun industry members can also be held liable when they fail to use reasonable controls and procedures to prevent firearms from being unlawfully used or sold in New York state.”

New York became the first state in the nation to enact a gun accountability law in 2021. The law is facing court challenges, which contend it is unconstitutional and preempted by federal law. An initial lawsuit was dismissed by the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York. The attorneys general brief seeks to persuade an appellate court to uphold the lower court’s ruling.

“Although the amici States have taken different approaches when enacting measures designed to curb and remediate the effects of gun violence, they agree that public nuisance causes of action like the one created by § 898 – which addresses the gun industry members’ own misconduct – fall well within the States’ sovereign authority to protect their residents and to ‘provide tort remedies to their citizens as they see fit,'” Raoul wrote in the brief.

In a statement on the Smith & Wesson website, CEO Mark Smith countered what he characterizes as anti-Second Amendment legislation, including the New York statute.

“It is no surprise that the cities suffering most from violent crime are the very same cities that have promoted irresponsible, soft-on-crime policies that often treat criminals as victims and victims as criminals,” Smith said. “Many of these same cities also maintain the strictest gun laws in the nation. But rather than confront the failure of their policies, certain politicians have sought more laws restricting the 2nd Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens, while simultaneously continuing to undermine our institutions of law and order.

“And to suppress the truth, some now seek to prohibit firearm manufacturers and supporters of the 2nd Amendment from advertising products in a manner designed to remind law-abiding citizens that they have a Constitutional right to bear arms in defense of themselves and their families. To be clear, a Smith & Wesson firearm has never broken into a home; a Smith & Wesson firearm has never assaulted a woman out for a late-night run in the city; a Smith & Wesson firearm has never carjacked an unsuspecting driver stopped at a traffic light.”

Attorneys general signing the brief were from California, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington and Wisconsin.

Public Schools Diversity Employees Among Highest Paid in Seattle

Wire Editor
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Public Schools Diversity Employees Among Highest Paid in Seattle

(Tom Gantert, The Center Square) Seattle Public Schools is focused on addressing the “legacies of racism in our education system” and has made its diversity, equity and inclusion employees among the highest paid in the district.

The top administrators for the African American Male Achievement and the Department of Racial Equity Advancement are among the highest paid in the district.

James Bush had his salary increase from $151,480 to $214,714 from 2020-21 to 2021-22, according to salary information provided by the state of Washington. Bush received that 42% pay increase when he was promoted to the chief of Equity, Partnerships and Engagement.

Mia Williams made $231,229 as the chief of the office of African American Male Achievement in 2021-22.

Manal Al-Ansi made $154,662 in 2021-22 as the director of Racial Equity Advancement. She has eight people in her department.

Keisha Scarlett had her salary increase in one year from $158,451 to $226,695 after she was appointed as the chief of Equity, Partnerships and Engagement. In 2022, Scarlett was promoted to chief academic officer and made $231,229 in 2021-22.

The Seattle Public Schools has made improving the academic proficiency of African-American boys the focus of its “flagship goals.” One of the goals is to improve the 7th-grade proficiency on the Smarter Balanced Assessment in math from 23% in June 2019 to 45% in June 2024 and to 70% by June 2026.

The highest-paid employee in the district (not including the superintendent) made $242,087 in 2021-22. A first-year teacher with a bachelor’s degree made $63,180 in 2021-22 in Seattle Public Schools.

Tim Robinson, lead media relations specialist for Seattle Public Schools, didn’t respond to an email seeking comment.

School districts around the country are hiring diversity administrators in high-paid positions. For example, the Columbus City Schools hired Dionne Blue as its first chief equity officer in June 2000. Blue made $163,034 in 2021-22 and was the district’s seventh-highest-paid employee.

March for Life Arrives in D.C. for First Post-‘Dobbs’ Event

Jacob Bruns
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March for Life Arrives in D.C. for First Post-‘Dobbs’ Event

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) The “March for Life” organization heads to D.C. this weekend for the first time since the Supreme Court’s Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization decision last summer.

Students from local universities as well as people from all across the country will gather to commemorate the overturning of Roe v. Wade and continue to press on in the restriction of abortion in numerous states.

“I think tomorrow is going to be special. I think it’s going to be something for the history books,” said Catholic University of America student Katie Zaremba, reported CBS 2KUTV reported.

Per a Boston.com report, the pro-life movement plans to shift its focus in the wake of the Dobbs decision from fighting against the now-overturned Roe v. Wade to persuading lawmakers in Congress that they should leave pro-life laws alone in the various pro-life states.

“This year will be a somber reminder of the millions of lives lost to abortion in the past 50 years, but also a celebration of how far we have come and where we as a movement need to focus our effort as we enter this new era in our quest to protect life,” Jeanne Mancini, president of March for Life Education and Defense Fund, wrote in a statement.

Others in the pro-life movement plan to begin persuading lawmakers to restrict abortion from the federal level in the future, especially later-term abortions.

“We know it’s not going to happen this session, but this is the beginning,” Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of SBA Pro-Life America said. “It’s (Congress’) responsibility to listen to the will of the people.”

Lizz Winstead, the founder of Abortion Access Front, said that she and her friends, along with holding a Women’s March on Sunday, will attempt to troll Republican congressmen by calling and asking uncomfortable questions.

“If [congressmen] are going to play doctor instead of play politician, then we are going to hold them to a higher standard and ask them some medical questions that might make them feel slightly uncomfortable,” Winstead said.

REPORT: DOJ, White House Conspired to Hide Document Scandal from Public

Jacob Bruns
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REPORT: DOJ, White House Conspired to Hide Document Scandal from Public

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) President Joe Biden and his administration conspired with Attorney General Merrick Garland and the Department of Justice to hide Biden’s document scandal from the public, Breitbart reported.

Despite their repeated claims that they would be transparent, both the White House and the DOJ both failed to report the initial discovery, just days prior to the Nov. 8 midterm election, until it was leaked to media in early January.

Both also flat-out refused to release a second load of classified documents after they were found at Biden’s home.

Things are so bad for Biden that even the far-left Washington Post, admitted that there was an agreement to hide the truth.

“Early on, Biden’s attorneys and Justice Department investigators both thought they had a shared understanding about keeping the matter quiet,” the Post noted, alluding to the second bundle of classified documents discovered at the Biden residence.

“White House officials confirmed the scoop, but since the investigation was ongoing, they decided not to offer any additional details—including the critical information that a second batch of documents had been discovered at Biden’s home.”

Of course, the Biden administration has repeatedly promised transparency as the investigation ensues, with White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre leading the way.

“There was transparency in doing what you’re supposed to do when these items were discovered,” she lied during a Jan. 12 press conference.

When asked about the ongoing investigation earlier this week, Jean-Pierre stuttered through a non-answer, then announced that she would never address the topic.

“I’m just going to continue to be prudent here. I’m going to let this ongoing review that is happening—this legal process that is happening—let that process continue under the special counsel. We’re not—I’m not—going to comment from here,” she said.

“Look, guys, you guys can ask me this 100 times, 200 times, if you wish. I’m going to keep saying the same thing,” she added. “I hear your question. It’s been asked. It’s been answered. It’s been noted.”

ESPN Host Campaigns to Replace Partisan Hack Jimmy Kimmel

Jacob Bruns
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ESPN Host Campaigns to Replace Partisan Hack Jimmy Kimmel

(Jacob Bruns, Headline USA) ESPN personality Stephen A. Smith has started a campaign to replace far-left late-night television host Jimmy Kimmel.

Smith, who covers the NBA and hosts the ESPN show First Take, made the claims in an appearance Thursday on Fox News, telling host Sean Hannity that he ought to have his own late-night show, perhaps replacing Kimmel, the New Jersey Local News reported.

“I am interested in doing late night,” Smith acknowledged. “I would love to be the heir apparent to Jimmy Kimmel. I believe I could do it.”

According to Smith, his lack of ideological commitment would make him more interesting than Kimmel.

“I would throw everybody for a loop—my politics would throw people off because I’d be fair to everybody and I’d listen to everybody” he said.

“It wouldn’t be one-sided—I’m not a one-sided kind of guy,” he added. “I’m one-sided on issues. I’m not one-sided on ideology.”

Hannity responded by noting that all three of the major cable networks had been infiltrated by radical left-wing activists who put their politics front and center while carrying water for the current Biden administration.

“I don’t care if you’re watching Colbert or you’re watching Fallon, or you’re watching Kimmel—it’s like a left-wing comedy show, and they’re alienating and pushing away half the country,” Hannity said, noting that their ignoring of Biden’s constant gaffes revealed their lack of commitment to comedy.

In response, Smith agreed that such an approach most certainly kills cable TV ratings.

“Assuming you’re correct in what you’re saying, it should be a problem,” Smith continued. “Because reality of the situation is there’s 350 [million] plus Americans in this country, and at least 170 to 180 million… that like Sean Hannity, OK? We understand that, and whether you like it or not, that’s their reality.”

For Smith, a good comedy show would cut across partisan divides, leaving no party or individual unspared.

“In order to get everybody, you gotta think about everybody,” he said. “You gotta think about what they want, you gotta think about what they need, you gotta think about what they like, what they dislike.”

The dramatic pivot of late-night comedians toward politics and away from humor has had one positive side effect for Fox News, which has enjoyed seeing its own host, Greg Gutfeld, surge in the late-night ratings.

That has spurred the beleaguered CNN to announce that it would like to develop its own late-night programming with a name-brand personality like Jon Stewart or Bill Maher, both of whom have experience in the late-night hosting market.

It is unlikely, however, that another leftist comedian would draw Gutfeld’s viewers away, with the more likely outcome being more competition for the same demographic shares as the Big Three networks.

Moreover, it is unclear that CNN, which just sold off its landmark Atlanta headquarters and has made major staff cuts, could afford a marquee name to carry its late-night ratings.

Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.

San Francisco Doubles Down on Legal Drug use as Fentanyl Epidemic Rages On

Molly Bruns
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San Francisco Doubles Down on Legal Drug use as Fentanyl Epidemic Rages On

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) In another attempt to legally sanction hard drugs, San Francisco Mayor London Breed announced that she is working with city officials to try to implement supervised injection sites throughout the city.

Breed co-authored a bill with city Supervisor Hillary Ronen that would attempt to overturn a law forbidding injection sites. If the current law is overturned, injection sites would provide a “safe space” for drug users.

According to the Daily Caller, such sites also provide clean needles, alcohol prep pads, cotton balls and supervision for those taking drugs.

Breed and her constituents argue that her plan would reduce overdoses and open-air drug use.

Her previous pitch included a drug treatment center to the tune of $22 million. In the end, less than 1% of users went to the center for treatment, and the neighborhood became an epicenter for crime and drug use.

The center shut down a few months into its operation.

Current Gov. Gavin Newsom and former Gov. Jerry Brown, both Democrats, vetoed bills proposing statewide injection sites in 2020 and 2018, respectively.

“The unlimited number of safe injection sites that this bill would authorize—could induce a world of unintended consequences.” Newsom said.

However, Breed is readying her bill for another attempt and claims that the repeal of the city’s current law is necessary to protect people from drug use and overdoses.

“We are committed to opening overdose prevention sites in San Francisco, but due to legal restrictions, there remain significant challenges,” Breed said. “Despite that, we are continuing to work with our nonprofit partners to find creative ways to open these sites, and these steps are critical for that to happen.”

As Breed pushes for her overdose prevention sites, recent reports indicate that children of 14 years of age and younger are the greatest victims of the skyrocketing rates of fentanyl coming into the U.S.

In one case, a toddler exposed to fentanyl in one of San Francisco’s public parks nearly died as a result.

House Republicans recently announced the formation of a a special committee on China, where the drug is largely trafficked from, which will investigate the fentanyl issue as part of its work.

NYC Mayor Calls for Biden to Distribute Illegals Equally Throughout U.S.

Ezekiel Loseke
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NYC Mayor Calls for Biden to Distribute Illegals Equally Throughout U.S.

(Ezekiel Loseke, Headline USA) Democrat Mayor Eric Adams on Wednesday called for an equal distribution of illegal aliens across America during the U.S. Conference Of Mayors.

“Just a few days ago, I was in El Paso to see for myself how the asylum seeker crisis is affecting our border states and our entire nation,” Adams said in his speech at the conference’s opening luncheon.

“What I saw was not a state problem or a city problem,” he continued. “It is a national problem, driven by global forces, impacting regular people.”

Adams has complained bitterly about busing of illegal immigrants to New York City which has strained the city’s infrastructure and other resources due to the open-border policies of the Biden administration.

Although both Democrat and Republican leaders—including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and Colorado Gov. Jared Polis—have sent migrants to the city, often at their request, Adams played politics by assigning blame squarely on his political opponents.

“Every attempt to deal with immigration on a national level through legislation has been sabotaged, mostly by right-wing opposition,” he complained, “and cities are bearing the brunt of this failure, which is why I ask all of you here today to join me and say: We must come together as Americans to solve an American problem.”

As part of a six-point proposal, Adams called for “a decompression strategy at the border that establishes a plan for each migrant’s arrival—and creates a system to fairly distribute newcomers regionally,” according to Breitbart News.

But even while he seeks to redistribute illegals out of his own back-yard, Adams still hoped to retain the political benefit to be gained from importing new Democrat voters.

His plan also would necessitate an “expedited right-to-work options for asylum seekers,” and “legislation that provides a clear pathway to residency or citizenship,” he said.

Unlike many red states, New York has, under Adams, proudly declared itself to be a sanctuary city that refuses to cooperate with federal immigration laws.

The influx of illegals has overwhelmed New York City, creating chaos, crime, and death, and leading Adams to attempt several previous rhetorical strategies, none of which have been effective:

Headline USA’s Ben Sellers contributed to this report.

McCarthy Reinstates In-Person Voting, Hearings Requirements for House

Molly Bruns
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McCarthy Reinstates In-Person Voting, Hearings Requirements for House

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif., announced that congressmen would no longer be allowed to cast their votes remotely by appointing an employee to attend hearings for them, otherwise known as proxy voting.

“No more proxy voting,” McCarthy wrote on Twitter. “Effective immediately, Members of Congress have to show up to work if they want their vote to count.”

McCarthy made his intent to end the measure clear during the many rounds of voting for the House speaker position, according to the Post Millennial.

“From the get-go, we warned that proxy voting would be misused as a means of convenience rather than as a precaution for health—and it has been, by members of both parties,” he said.

Rep Steve Scalise, R-La., said that virtual hearings—which became the norm over the course of the lockdowns—are also coming to an end.

“Committees can’t be meeting in these … boxes where nobody’s in a room and everybody’s in some remote location and you can’t even discuss an amendment,” he said. “We’re gonna be back in person again.”

Former Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., implemented proxy voting in May of 2020 as a protective measure against COVID-19.

Democrats took advantage of the proxy-vote system to host campaign rallies, attempting to raise money and gain voters by neglecting their work.

Several Republicans voted by proxy to attend CPAC in 2022. However, many of them were glad to see the practice die out.

Several other pandemic-time measures are being abandoned as the world moves back toward some semblance of normalcy.

Joy Reid Accuses DeSantis of Supporting Fascist Italy

Molly Bruns
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Joy Reid Accuses DeSantis of Supporting Fascist Italy

(Molly Bruns, Headline USA) MSNBC host Joy Reid implied Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis of supporting “fascist Italy” in World War II based on the advanced placement high school courses his administration approved.

“Just take a look at which AP courses are deemed educationally valuable in the state of Florida, per the book banning wannabe president,” Reid said.

“European history, of course. Along with courses on the history and language of Italy, where DeSantis’ family hails from, Germany, and Japan, which happened to be the Axis countries the U.S. fought in World War II,” she added. “Whether Ron would consider fascist Italy to have been a bad guy in that war, that’s up for debate.”

Florida’s administrative officials rejected an AP course in African-American Studies, drawing the ire of Reid and other leftist political pundits.

According to the Daily Caller, the course centered around Critical Race Theory, and also featured a chapter on gender theory.

DeSantis signed the Stop Woke Act into law, therefore banning the teaching kids about race in a way that made students feel “guilt, anguish or other psychological distress.”

District Judge Mark Walker blocked parts of the law due to possible free speech violations.

Reid attacked DeSantis for his criticism against the National Hockey League’s job fair, which prioritized “diverse job seekers.”

“Participants must be 18 years of age or older, based in the U.S., and identify as female, Black, Asian/Pacific Islander, Hispanic/Latino, Indigenous, LGBTQIA+, and/or a person with a disability. Veterans are also welcome and encouraged to attend,” the event description stated on LinkedIn

DeSantis’ office released a statement responding to the blatant discrimination, to which the NHL responded the “original wording of the LinkedIn post associated with the event was not accurate.”

In response, Reid quoted DeSantis’s 2018 opponent in the Florida gubernatorial race:

“I’m not saying Ron DeSantis is racist, but to quote Andrew Gillum, ‘I think the racists might think he’s racist,’” Reid said.

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