Weekly News Bites #009 | New footage reveals we still have a lot to learn about Jan. 6
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Weekly News Bites #009 | New footage reveals we still have a lot to learn about Jan. 6
Tucker Carlson pokes holes in the Jan. 6 narrative, the Twitter Files testify before the house, Biden reevaluates his boarder policy.
Hi friend!
It’s FRIDAY, Mar. 10! YAY!
First, I want to let you know that if you have been following me, cover the Twitter Files on my Instagram. A new thread dropped last night, and I went through the whole thread in my stories. But don’t worry, I saved the highlights under “Twitter 📂 CIC.”
Also, you may notice the bites' tone is slightly different. That is because trying to sound smart was hurting my brain (yes, I know how that sounds), so I opted for a more casual approach. I hope you like it.
So much to cover this week!
Fox News host Tucker Carlson released previously unseen footage of the Capitol Hill riots on 6 January 2021.
Twitter Files Journalists Michael Schellenberger and Matt Taibbi testified before the House Judiciary Committee.
Southern Poverty Law Center attorney charged with domestic terrorism in Atlanta riot.
The Biden administration is reportedly considering reviving the policy of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally.
USA Powerlifting to allow trans athletes to compete with women after losing the suit.
Newly uncovered emails show that Dr. Anthony Fauci prompted and approved a scientific paper in February 2020 aimed to disprove the theory that COVID-19 came from a lab in China.
Taiwan warns of potential China's military 'sudden entry' close to the island.
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But if you want more in-the-moment daily news and culture breakdowns, follow me on Instagram. 😉 I publish breaking news and live updates in my stories every day.
Ok, that is enough. Time for some news bites!
➖ Fox News host Tucker Carlson released previously unseen footage of the Capitol Hill riots on 6 January 2021, and some of the media and Democrats’ narrative on January 6 was wrong. There's footage of the US veteran Jacob Chansley, who has become known as the “QAnon Shaman,” being escorted around by police officers. At one point, an officer is seen trying to open the door in the Senate chamber for Chansley. He is currently serving 41 months after pleading guilty to a single count of obstructing a proceeding of Congress.
After the riots, the NY Times reported that officer Brian Sicknick had been beaten to death with a fire extinguisher, a claim they retracted when it came out that he had later died due to a stroke. But the story had already gained roots, and many still do not know the real story to this day. Carlson’s footage further proves that Sicknick wasn't fatally injured and was “healthy and vigorous” during the events of the day, contrary to reports at the time that he had been fatally injured.
Some of the footage showed Ray Epps, the man accused of encouraging Trump supporters to enter the Capitol, on the grounds at least 30 minutes after the time testified to the January 6 committee. Carlson argued that this was a crime in itself and suggested that Epps may have coordinated with the FBI before the riot.
He also showed footage that debunks the idea that Senator Josh Hawley "fled" from the mob - Hawley was actually rushed away by police like other lawmakers.
➖ Jacob Chansley's attorney, Albert Watkins, who represented the “QAnon Shaman” in his Capitol Riot case, accuses the Department of Justice (DOJ) of withholding key evidence. Watkins alleges that the DOJ didn't give him a video of Chansley walking through the Capitol with officers. The footage was aired on Fox News earlier this week. Watkins claims that if he had seen the video, Chansley might not have pleaded guilty. The DOJ had set up a platform called evidence.com to house all videos, but Watkins had asked them several times to give him any video that showed his client, including videos of him walking calmly. It's possible that the DOJ would have given the evidence eventually if Chansley hadn't pleaded guilty. Some judges have criticized the DOJ for taking too long to provide evidence in these cases.
➖ Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene is planning to introduce a resolution that would designate Antifa as a terrorist group. Of course, it creates some debate. You know, because ANTIFA is “just an idea.” Some on the Left are saying that ANTIFA is protected by the First Amendment, but the Right is pointing out that the group is responsible for inciting violence that has led to numerous deaths and millions of dollars in damages across the country. Some people are saying that this resolution is just political theater, but others think it's a crucial move in fighting against a really harmful group.
➖ A bill that seeks to prohibit transgender women and girls from participating in sports teams for women and girls was considered by a House panel on Wednesday. The legislation, introduced by Rep. Greg Steube (R-Fla.), aims to amend Title IX, the federal law that prohibits sex-based discrimination. Many states have already passed similar laws, but some are getting held up in court. The bill is getting pushback from Democrats and people who want to support women's sports, but there are some conservative groups who support it.
➖ Ron DeSantis attacks liberals in California speech as he mulls White House run. Republican Governor Ron DeSantis of Florida, who is expected to run for President in 2024, he's been going around the country meeting with donors and rallying support from Republicans. He has been criticizing Democratic leaders in strongholds like California and New York, attacking their policies and branding them as being infected with a "woke mind virus." DeSantis has made the war against progressives a central theme of his governorship, seeking to appeal to the Republican base. People are thinking he could be a big threat to former President Trump, but he hasn't officially announced his candidacy yet.
➖ Former President Donald Trump won the straw poll at the GOP's annual Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) with an overwhelming 62% of the vote. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis came in second with 20%, while Nikki Haley won just 3%. Perry Johnson, a new player in the Republican race for president, beat out Haley in the CPAC poll with 5% of the vote. Trump used the event to set the stage for his 2024 campaign, focusing on his accomplishments in the White House and slamming the legal cases he is facing. Some are questioning if CPAC still carries the same weight it has in the past, as it may skew more towards Trump's brand of politics.
➖ Marianne Williamson, the self-help author who ran for president in 2020, is throwing her hat in the ring again for 2024. She's all about spiritual healing and is the first Democrat to challenge President Joe Biden for the nomination. Although, it's probably not going to be a super intense competition since most national Democrats are fully behind Biden. Williamson plans to campaign in early-voting states on the 2024 election calendar, including New Hampshire, which has threatened to defy a Biden-backed plan by the Democratic National Committee to have South Carolina lead off the nominating contests. Muy scadulosos!
➖ Twitter Files Journalists Michael Schellenberger and Matt Taibbi testified before the House Judiciary Committee. Before their testimony, they dropped a new thread titled the Censorship-Industrial Complex. Their testimony was part of an ongoing investigation into whether the US government pressured social media platforms, including Twitter, to censor speech. The journalists helped publish the "Twitter files," which revealed that the FBI, DHS, HHS, DOD, State Department, and CIA have a formal system in place to coordinate with social media companies to censor certain users and posts. The government claims it was flagging foreign disinformation to protect the public from COVID misinformation, but the journalists rejected this defense and raised concerns about First Amendment violations. Taibbi also criticized the media for not investigating these matters and called them "an arm of a state-sponsored thought-policing system."
➖ Two of the four US citizens who were violently kidnapped by gunmen in Mexico during a cartel shootout were found dead, while the other two were found alive. The group allegedly traveled to Mexico for a medical procedure when abducted at gunpoint. One person has been arrested, and it is believed that the kidnapping may have been a case of mistaken identity. It has recently been revealed that the four victims had lengthy rap sheets.
The Gulf Cartel, a notorious criminal organization in Mexico, has reportedly handed over five of its members to the authorities, claiming that they were involved in the kidnapping and murder of two American tourists. The bodies of the suspects were found tied up and left on the street in Matamoros, Mexico, along with a note of apology from the Gulf Cartel's Scorpions Group. The letter expressed remorse for the tragic incident and condemned the actions of those responsible. A translation of the letter reads, “The Gulf Cartel's Scorpions Group strongly condemns the events of last Friday, March 3, where unfortunately an 'innocent' working mother died, and 4 American citizens were 'kidnapped' of which 2 died.”
➖ Southern Poverty Law Center attorney charged with domestic terrorism in Atlanta riot. Thomas Webb Jurgens, a staff attorney with the Southern Poverty Law Center, allegedly threw Molotov cocktails and fireworks at a police training facility under construction in Atlanta. Now he's been charged with domestic terrorism. (You know because he ALLEGEDLY threw homemade incendiary devices at cops.) The event has been described as a coordinated attack, which resulted in the arrest of 23 arrests, but Jurgens and one other dude were the only ones from Georgia. All of this has sparked criticism of the SPLC, with allegations that Jurgens, an employee of SPLC, was a member of ANTIFA. Why does this matter? Because the FBI uses the SPLC to help them determine who's a domestic terrorist, so it’s kind of a big deal.
The SPLC stood behind their employee and claimed that Jurgens was there as a “legal observer.”
➖ The Los Angeles Police Union is proposing a list of 28 types of incidents that police officers in the city will no longer respond to. Sound crazy, I know! Apparently, this is because officers are overworked, and there aren't enough of them to go around. Some things on the list are pretty common, like parking violations and noise complaints, but there are also more serious things, like drug or alcohol use, calls about homeless people, mental health issues, and non-violent juvenile disturbances.
The union is suggesting that unarmed people could go to these calls instead of cops, which might help people feel better about things. But some folks in L.A. are really upset about this, with a spokesperson for the mayor warning that it would "compromise public safety."
➖ Sam Bankman-Fried's lawyers say they might need more time to prepare for the trial in October. They're considering asking for a delay so they can carefully review all the evidence and prepare to defend their client properly.
➖ A major snowstorm hit the mountain towns in San Bernardino County on February 23. Unfortunately, since then, 12 people have passed away. The locals are saying that the weather was a factor in their deaths, if not the direct cause.
The response from Governor Gavin Newsom hasn't been great. People in mountain communities all over the state are in serious danger, and there's been no sign of help from the National Guard or the state.
To make matters worse, a lot of the roads are still blocked with snow, so some folks haven't been able to get to their friends and family who are snowed in. Thousands of people in San Bernardino, Humboldt, Mendocino, and Placer counties (and maybe others) have been without power for two weeks. And unfortunately, volunteer search-and-rescue teams have already started finding people who have passed away in their homes.
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How as Gov. Newsom responded? He took a trip to Mexico while there was an emergency declaration related to a winter storm in 18 counties. It seems like many of his supporters aren't paying attention to what he did.
➖ The Biden administration is reportedly considering reviving the policy of detaining migrant families who cross the border illegally, a move that would be a reversal of the more compassionate approach promised by President Biden upon taking office. The administration has largely ended family detention, opting to let families stay temporarily in the US while keeping track of them with bracelets or traceable cell phones to keep track of them. However, officials are worried about more people coming over illegally when a public health measure ends in May, leading to discussions about reinstating family detention. Proponents think detaining families would make others think twice about crossing, but the practice has been controversial due to the risk of harm to minors.
➖ A federal judge in Florida has blocked the Biden administration's policy of releasing many illegal immigrants who cross the US-Mexican border instead of detaining them, citing a violation of US immigration law. The judge granted an injunction against the Department of Homeland Security's policy of authorizing "alternatives to detention," which included ankle bracelets, phone monitoring, or check-ins by immigration officers. The ruling could mean a significant increase in the number of people held in detention centers. The administration says they just don't have enough room or resources to handle all the new migrants coming in.
➖ Biden has presented a budget plan aiming to cut deficits by $3 Trillion Over 10 Years by raising taxes on Businesses. US President Joe Biden unveiled his fiscal year 2024 budget plan on Thursday, detailing his policy priorities for the second half of his term and laying out recommended funding levels for federal agencies and departments. The plan aims to reduce federal budget deficits by almost $3tn over the next decade by increasing taxes on wealthy people and large corporations. However, the Republicans who control the House are likely going to put up a fight, so it might not get very far in Congress. But it's still a pretty big deal, and it gives us a sneak peek into what Biden might talk about during his re-election campaign.
➖ USA Powerlifting to allow trans athletes to compete with women after losing the suit. After transgender lifter JayCee Cooper won her discrimination case against USA Powerlifting, USA Powerlifting has been ordered to allow trans athletes to compete in the women's division. Cooper filed a complaint back in 2019 with the Minnesota Department of Human Rights, saying that the organization was violating the state's Human Rights Act by not letting her compete with the women. In 2021, she filed a lawsuit, and the court ruled that USA Powerlifting has to change its policy barring transgender athletes and to "cease and desist from all unfair discriminatory practices" related to sexual orientation and gender identity. The USA Powerlifting officials said they are considering appealing the decision, citing they want to make sure they're being fair to both cis and trans women, who have different strengths in purely strength sports.
➖ Jill Biden presents a transgender woman with the International Women of Courage Award. Of course. Alba Rueda was being recognized for her efforts to promote diversity and inclusion. She's also the first transgender politician in Argentina to hold the position of Special Envoy for Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity. (My guess is that position hasn’t been around a long time, but I digress.) The award ceremony recognized 11 women from different parts of the world.
➖ Newly uncovered emails show that Dr. Anthony Fauci prompted and approved a scientific paper in February 2020 aimed to disprove the theory that COVID-19 came from a lab in China. During a White House press conference, Fauci later cited this paper as evidence that the lab leak theory was “implausible” while pretending not to know the authors. The House Oversight subcommittee published emails showing that Fauci had "prompted" the paper's co-author to write it with the goal of disproving the lab leak theory. The question of why Dr. Fauci went to all this trouble to keep people from thinking that COVID-19 came from a lab. The Republicans are especially interested in finding out and questioned a panel of scientists on Wednesday on the origins of the pandemic.
➖ Former CDC head says Covid was likely a result of gain-of-function research. During a hearing of the Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic, Georgia Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Green and Dr. Robert Redfield, the former director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, discussed the origins of Covid-19. Dr. Redfield stated that the virus looked as though it had been altered in a lab, pointing to its high affinity for human receptors as evidence. He also suggested that this was consistent with gain-of-function research. Last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray confirmed that the agency believed the lab leak hypothesis was the most likely explanation for the pandemic's origins.
➖ The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) will end mandatory COVID-19 tests for travelers from China on Friday, joining other countries in dropping the requirement. The U.S. will continue to monitor cases in China and around the world through the Traveler-based Genomic Surveillance Program (TGS), which asks travelers to volunteer for early detection of new variants. China faced a surge in COVID-19 cases after abandoning its zero-COVID policy in early December, although its leaders claimed a "major victory" over the virus in February.
➖ Taiwan warns of potential China's military 'sudden entry' close to the island. Taiwan's Defence Minister, Chiu Kuo-cheng, has warned of the potential for a "sudden entry" by the Chinese military into areas close to Taiwan's territory this year. China has increased its military activities in the region in recent years, including daily incursions into Taiwan's air defense identification zone. Chiu said the Chinese People's Liberation Army might find excuses to enter areas close to Taiwan's territorial air and sea space as the island steps up its military exchanges with the United States. China claims Taiwan as its own and has not renounced the use of force to bring it under its control.
➖ Russia launched a large-scale missile attack on energy infrastructure across Ukraine, including residential areas, killing at least five people and causing widespread power outages. The attack was the largest in three weeks and included strikes on the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, which lost power for the sixth time since being taken over by Russia months ago. Ukrainian officials condemned the attack as "barbaric" and "another massive attack on the energy infrastructure of Ukraine." The attack occurred as Russia advanced in Ukraine's eastern stronghold of Bakhmut and after a visit by the UN Secretary-General to Kyiv.
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➖ Alec Baldwin's attorney stated in a recent hearing that the state destroyed the gun used in the deadly "Rust" movie-set shooting. However, the New Mexico First Judicial District Attorney released a statement clarifying that the gun is in evidence and available for the defense to review. Baldwin and the film's armorer, Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, face involuntary manslaughter charges for the shooting that killed cinematographer Halyna Hutchins and injured director Joel Souza. Prosecutors recently downgraded charges against the two, removing a firearm enhancement penalty, and the preliminary hearing examination is expected to begin on May 3.
➖ Heather Dubrow, star of "Real Housewives of Orange County," recently revealed on her Instagram post dedicated to International Sons Day that her 12-year-old child, Ace, had chosen to transition. Dubrow was faced with negative comments on social media, which she addressed on her revamped podcast, "Let's Talk with Heather Dubrow." She thanked her supporters and clarified that revealing Ace's transition was not an attempt to remain relevant or create a storyline on a television show. Dubrow emphasized the importance of protecting and accepting her children and promised to help others protect their children too.
➖ Buckingham Palace has officially updated the line of succession, and Prince Harry and Meghan Markle's children, Archie and Lilibet, have been given their titles as prince and princess, respectively. Previously, they were listed as "master" and "miss." Archie is now sixth in line to the throne, and Lilibet is seventh. The lack of titles had led to some accusations of racial bias, accusations that Harry and Markle fed. But it was determined that the titles were not due until their grandfather, King Charles III, ascended to the throne. The update comes amid ongoing tension between Harry and the royal family, and the Sussexes have stated that they have no plans to return to the UK.