Hunter Biden tax charges fans flame of impeachment inquiry
Hunter Biden’s latest tax indictment has fanned the fire of criticism against the president, who faces an impeachment inquiry by House Republicans and growing evidence that he personally benefited from his son’s overseas business deals. The latest indictment, which features nine more charges related to allegedly failing to file or pay taxes and filing falsely, backs up critics of the Biden family who say the impeachment inquiry is not without merit. “This indictment describes extremely serious felony violations of federal law for not only failing to pay taxes, but for engaging in a deliberate, intentional scheme to evade paying those taxes, including by claiming false and fraudulent business deductions. The standard sentence for that is many years in prison,” Hans von Spakovsky, a legal expert at the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, told The Center Square. “This also proves that the claims that there is nothing for the House committee to investigate is nonsense and it shows that the president himself was potentially involved in a shady, crooked business enterprise that sold government access for millions of dollars and did everything to hide its income from disclosure,” he added. House Oversight Committee Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., also raised concerns about reports from IRS whistleblowers that the Department of Justice interfered in the IRS investigation into Hunter Biden. “The Department of Justice got caught in its attempt to give Hunter Biden an unprecedented sweetheart plea deal, and today’s charges filed against Hunter Biden are the result of Mr. Shapley and Mr. Ziegler’s efforts to ensure all Americans are treated equally under the law. Every American should applaud these men for their courage to expose the truth,” Comer said. “IRS whistleblowers also revealed investigators were prevented from following evidence that could have led to Joe Biden.” The Biden family and associates received more than $20 million from several overseas entities, including China and Russia, with Comer saying some of those funds were funneled to the president himself. The ongoing Congressional investigation into that matter is separate but linked to the latest tax charges indictment, which laid out how Hunter Biden spent lavishly on prostitutes, drugs, and more while not paying taxes. “Between 2016 and October 15, 2020, the Defendant spent this money on drugs, escorts and girlfriends, luxury hotels and rental properties, exotic cars, clothing, and other items of a personal nature, in short, everything but his taxes,” the indictment said. Comer threatened Hunter Biden with a contempt of Congress charge if he skips his scheduled deposition next week. Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley and Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler, both IRS employees with nearly 30 years of combined experience at the agency, testified earlier this year that Hunter Biden received preferential treatment. The whistleblowers testified that Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf helped block investigators’ plan for an interview of the president and a search warrant of the Biden residence in Delaware. Biden’s DOJ also took fire for what was considered a lenient plea deal that was offered to Hunter Biden but later fell through. “But it also shows that he was almost right – he would have gotten away with this through a sweetheart plea deal with no jail time except for a federal judge questioning the unprecedented leniency of government prosecutors,” said Hans von Spakovsky. “And even though these are very serious charges – finally – they also show the incompetence of DOJ prosecutors or their deliberate malfeasance since he is only being charged with four years of tax violations when we know that these prosecutors allowed the statute of limitations to expire on prior years of similar tax violations.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Texas erects more wire barriers along Rio Grande River as lawsuit continues
As Texas’ lawsuit continues against the federal government over its right to defend its border, Texas National Guard soldiers continue to erect concertina wire barriers along the Rio Grande River. The Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals recently handed Texas a temporary win in the lawsuit, staying its own court panel’s previous ruling, and blocking the federal government from taking down or destroying Texas’ barrier. In October, Texas sued the Biden administration after Border Patrol agents began bulldozing concertina wire barriers on Texas soil to allow foreign nationals to illegally enter Texas between ports of entry. A district judge initially issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the federal government from destroying Texas’ concertina barriers, then reversed her ruling allowing them to do so. Texas appealed and a Fifth Circuit panel of judges initially stayed the district court ruling until they heard the case. They then reversed course, siding with the district judge. Texas then appealed to the full Fifth Circuit, which recently issued a stay until the entire court could hear the case. Gov. Greg Abbott has argued that Texas has a right to defend its sovereign border and is prepared to go all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. In the meantime, Abbott says, “Texas National Guard soldiers continue to install and reinforce razor wire barriers along the Texas-Mexico border. While [President Joe] Biden’s dereliction of duty at the border continues, Texas holds the line.” This week in Brownsville, Texas National Guard Engineer Special Response Teams repaired existing concertina wire barriers damaged by illegal crossers and installed a new anti-climb barrier (ACB), which is a fence erected behind the concertina barrier. The concertina barrier is in place along the riverbank close to the water to prevent illegal entry after someone swims or walks across the river, depending on the location. Some have thrown blankets, clothes, or towels to climb over the concertina barrier. Others use wire clippers to cut pieces to tear down or to cut holes to climb through. The ACB is comprised of connected 8-foot by 12-foot gates, reinforced by concertina wire, “to make it even more anti-climb,” Capt. Chris Daniel, SRT-1 officer in charge explained in a video published by the Texas Military Department. “There’s a heavy amount of cutting” in the Brownsville area, he said. “We have bad actors that are coming, opening up the wire allowing traffic to move through as we lay more wire in. The ACB reinforcement with the c-wire will slow that down a little bit. They’re going to have to do a lot more cutting to get through the ACB. They absolutely can’t manipulate it or push it down by putting clothes on it. Climbing will be a very hard task for them to complete. We’re trying to create a barrier that’s going to allow” Operation Lone Star officers to intercept “bad actors, stop them from being able to manipulate these barriers,” he said. OLS efforts continue after the Texas Legislature allocated over $11.5 billion towards border security efforts, including $1.5 billion recently allocated to continue building Texas’ first border wall. They also continue after Texas has borne the brunt of illegal border crossings, with at least over 1.9 million people illegally entering Texas since President Joe Biden’s been in office, according to data first reported by The Center Square.
Tommy Tuberville wants aid for Israel separated from aid for Ukraine
On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) spoke on the Senate floor about what he sees as the importance of separating funding for Israel from aid for Ukraine. Sen. Tuberville reiterated his support for Israel and called on Democrats to prioritize Israel’s fight against terrorism. He also urged Democrats to defund the hiring of 80,000 new IRS agents. “I join my colleagues on the floor to support our ally, Israel,” Sen. Tuberville said. “On October the seventh, Israel was suddenly and deliberately attacked by Hamas terrorists. The terrorists targeted innocent people – not military targets. That’s very important. They killed thousands of civilians, including dozens of Americans. They filmed their own atrocities and put videos on the internet. They were very proud of what they were doing. It is absolutely disgraceful.” “The United States has supported Israel from the very beginning,” Tuberville continued. “The first leader in the world to recognize Israel was Harry Truman. Administrations from both parties have strongly supported Israel. But now the Biden Administration is trying to ride the fence. Joe Biden knows that his voting base does not like Israel. The left dislikes Israel. In their woke ideology, they say Palestinians are oppressed by Israel. It’s just not true. Since the war broke out in October, liberals in Congress and around the country have expressed sympathy for Hamas. It’s been especially bad on college campuses. I’m not even going to repeat some of the things that have been said by Democrat members of Congress.” Tuberville has been an outspoken critic of the Biden Administration’s foreign policy. “Joe Biden has also continued to practice appeasement of Iran. When Joe Biden took office, Iran was dead broke,” Tuberville continued. “They had access to just a few billion dollars in foreign currencies. Today, they have ten times that much money. This is because of loosened sanctions and because of oil sales by Iran. Iran is the number one sponsor of terrorism in the world. Iran provides funding for Hamas and for Hezbollah. Joe Biden is helping Iran to get rich. There is no question that sanctions relief for Iran will end up in the hands of terrorists. Joe Biden wants to ride the fence, but we can’t ride the fence on this one, not for our ally. This is a battle between good and evil. This is about an ally of the United States of America fighting terrorists who kill innocent women and children. And let’s remember the terrorists killed Americans too. Hamas would love to kill more Americans, and they will kill more Americans if they get the chance.” While Tuberville helped block the aid package in the Senate, he does support the House version that funds Israel’s war on Hamas in Gaza but does not fund Ukraine in their war against Russia and which pays for the aid by eliminating partisan funding passed in the last Congress to dramatically enlarge the number of IRS enforcement agents the agency fields. “So, Israel needs to wage a war of extermination against Hamas,” Tuberville explained. “I’m supporting this legislation to provide fourteen billion in aid to Israel. Unlike the Democrats’ requests for foreign aid, this is paid for. We pay for it by canceling out the Democrats’ plan to supersize the IRS. Are they more important than Israel? Last year, the Democrats cut the IRS a check for eighty billion dollars. They’re planning to hire eighty thousand new IRS agents. They want to double the size of the IRS. They want to shake down the American people for every last dime. The wealthy, they’ll be just fine. The wealthy have tax lawyers and accountants. It’s families and small businesses who will pay this price. A report from the joint tax committee says that the Democrats’ bill last year raised taxes on almost every tax bracket.” Tuberville said that he stands unequivocally with Israel and is horrified by the rise of antisemitism among Democrats, especially on college campuses. Tommy Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Americans plan to spend more this Christmas than in two decades
Americans plan to spend nearly $1,000 this Christmas, newly released polling shows. Gallup polling shows that Americans expect to spend $975 this holiday season on Christmas presents and other holiday gifts. That figure is the highest since 1999. “Last year at this time, U.S. holiday retail sales seemed poised to increase by between about 4% and 6%, according to Gallup’s modeling comparing its holiday spending estimate trends with actual holiday retail sales for each year. In fact, average November-December 2022 retail sales (not including autos and gas) increased by 6.2%,” Gallup said. This increase in spending could be good news for retailers. “The same modeling procedure applied to Americans’ restrained spending estimate this October suggested holiday sales would increase by about 4% — a relatively moderate rate of annual growth similar to the long-term average,” Gallup said. “Now, with consumers’ spending estimate rising to $975, it appears year-over-year holiday sales could grow by somewhere between 6% and 9%.” Spending on holiday gifts took a sharp dip during the 2007-2008 financial recession but has steadily risen since then. “Americans’ November forecast for their holiday gift spending has more than recovered from the $616 low recorded during the 2008 financial crisis when it had tumbled by $250 from the year prior,” Gallup said. “Since then, it has generally trended upward, although it was fairly steady near $850 for the past four years before surging well past that this year.” While Americans will spend more on gifts this year than in years past, they may not get much more for it since inflation has risen more than 17% since President Joe Biden took office. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
AGs, industry groups sue feds over new water rule
A group of attorneys general and industry organizations are suing the federal government over a new water protection rule that went into effect last month. The lawsuit asks the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Louisiana to vacate the 2023 rule, which went into effect on Nov. 27, and block the EPA from enforcing it, leaving a Trump-era rule in place. The EPA says the final rule under the Clean Water Act “enhances certification review and provides regulatory certainty to advance federally permitted projects” by creating a 6-month default timeframe for certification agreements with a one-year maximum for review. “The rule emphasizes that states, territories, and Tribes may only consider the adverse water quality-impacts from the activity,” the EPA said in September. “To limit delays, the rule also provides a clear approach to defining the required contents in a request for certification.” The plaintiffs argue the changes are “sweeping and unlawful.” “The 2023 Water Quality Certification Rule is arbitrary and capricious, an abuse of the EPA’s discretion, exceeds the statutory authority on which it relies and is otherwise contrary to law,” the complaint says. The American Petroleum Institute, Interstate National Gas Association of America, and National Hydropower Association are listed as plaintiffs, along with attorneys general from Alabama, Arkansas, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Oklahoma, South Carolina, West Virginia, and Wyoming. “The Trump administration’s reforms preserved the role of states in protecting their water quality while stopping states acting in bad faith and abusing the process to achieve unrelated policy goals and stopping or delaying nationally important projects and critical infrastructure,” Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen said in a statement. “In its new rule, [Joe] Biden’s EPA has once again turned the Clean Water Act on its head, ignoring congressional intent and exceeding its authority.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Alabama’s GOP presidential debate draws headlines
On Wednesday night, four Republican presidential candidates faced off in Tuscaloosa for the Fourth Republican Presidential Debate. This is the first presidential debate held in Alabama and the first-ever hosted by NewsNation. Frontrunner former President Donald Trump again chose not to participate in the debate. Recent polling has former United Nations Ambassador Nikki Haley in second place, followed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy rounded out the stage for what could be the last of the GOP presidential debates in this election. Haley continued her crusade to ban the Chinese government-controlled social media platform TikTok “once and for all.” Haley alleged that the site is fueling antisemitism. Haley also called for an end to anonymous social media identities. “Every person on social media should be verified by their name,” Haley said. “That’s, first of all, it’s a national security threat. When you do that, all of a sudden, people have to stand by what they say.” “That is not freedom; that is fascism, and she should come nowhere near the levers of power, let alone the White House,” Ramaswamy said of Haley and her proposal. Christie predicted that Trump would be convicted of one of the 140 plus charges he faces in four separate felony trials, so he won’t be able to even vote in 2024. “You’ll all be heading to the polls to vote, and that’s something Donald Trump will not be able to do,” Christie said. “Because he will be convicted of felonies before then, and his right to vote will be taken away. If we deny reality as a party, we’re going to have four more years of Joe Biden.” Christie also criticized Trump’s trade policy, which Haley supported. “All he did was impose tariffs, which raised the prices for every American,” said Christie. “Nikki Haley’s campaign launch video sounded like a woke Dylan Mulvaney Bud Light ad talking about how she would kick in heels,” Ramaswamy said. Haley said that Ramaswamy was not even worth responding to. “No, it’s not worth my time to respond to him,” Haley said when asked to respond. Christie opposes the Alabama Vulnerable Child Protection Act, which bans gender transitioning of children. Christie said that parents and not governments should make those decisions. “Republicans believe in less government, not more,” Christie said. “I trust parents.” “This is an angry, bitter man who now wants to be back as president because he wants to exact retribution on anyone who has disagreed with him,” Christie said of Trump. DeSantis said Trump is too old to be President. “Father time is undefeated,” Desantis said. “Right now, the average homeowner in America is 49 years old,” Haley said. “You’ve got young people everywhere. That used to be the American dream, and now it’s out of reach.” DeSantis said inflation and housing market prices are ‘taking the American dream away.’ “We’re gonna get the interest rates down,” DeSantis said. “We’ll reduce spending, and I believe we’re going to have to veto.” DeSantis said that student loans should be backed by colleges and universities instead of the federal government. “Another thing that’s burdening young people are these student loans,” DeSantis said. “These student loans are going to be backed by the universities because they need to have an incentive to produce gainful employment for people.” Haley promised that if elected, she would be “a no-drama president.” That would be a marked change from the Biden and Trump administrations, both of which have been noted for their scandals and investigations. “My approach is different: no drama, no vendettas, no whining.” Trump has called for the RNC to stop holding these debates. A fifth has not been scheduled. The Iowa presidential caucuses are just six weeks away. The Alabama presidential primary will be held on March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville and Katie Britt demand Biden Administration protect children at border from traffickers
On Monday, U.S. Senators Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) and Katie Britt (R-Alabama) joined Senator Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and 36 other Republican Senators in a letter calling on the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR) to overhaul its policies regarding the treatment of unaccompanied alien children in the United States. Tuberville, Britt, and Grassley claim that ORR’s proposed rule – parts of which the agency is already enforcing – allows children to be placed in the custody of unvetted, potentially criminal sponsors and obstructs whistleblowers from reporting to Congress on abuse in the program. Tuberville, Britt, Grassley, and fellow Republicans are demanding that ORR rewrite its policies or face congressional action to overturn the finalized rule. “This Administration continues to turn a blind eye to the tragic human costs of its reckless agenda,” stated Sen. Britt in a statement. “The reality is that President [Joe] Biden’s border policies are anything but compassionate. Every single day, untold numbers of vulnerable children are being trafficked and recycled across our porous southern border. These innocent girls and boys are not living the American Dream – they’re facing an American nightmare. Meanwhile, women and men continue to be viciously trafficked by the cartels, and American families and communities continue to be devastated by the deadly fentanyl flowing into our nation. Enough is enough. It is past time to end this unprecedented humanitarian and national security crisis. Yet again, my Senate Republican colleagues and I are offering commonsense solutions to do just that.” “This Proposed Rule ignores nearly seven years of oversight conducted by Congress and the Office of Inspector General and reveals chronic foot-dragging—if not total reluctance—when it comes to protecting vulnerable children,” the Senators wrote. “It provides ample protections to government bureaucrats at the expense of children. Even more concerning, ‘the requirements being [adopted] in this proposed rule are already enforced by [the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)].’” “…ORR does not even consider a sponsor’s criminal record, current illegal drug use, history of abuse or neglect, or other child welfare concerns ‘necessarily disqualifying to potential sponsorship.’… In effect, ORR accepts a sponsor’s representations almost entirely on face value,” the senators continued. “ORR’s Proposed Rule abdicates the agency’s responsibility for protecting the vulnerable children in its custody from harmful behavior by poorly vetted, potential criminals. For these services, the taxpayer paid ORR $5.5 billion in FY2022. The Proposed Rule is wholly unworkable and ORR should discard it and its current practices. If not, Congress will have no choice but to introduce a resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act,” the senators concluded. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Committees threaten Hunter Biden with contempt of Congress charge
Republican leadership on the House Oversight Committee and the House Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Hunter Biden Wednesday, threatening him with a contempt of Congress charge if he skips his scheduled Dec. 13 deposition. Those two committees are helping lead the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. Members got into a public spat with Hunter Biden after his lawyer requested a public hearing, accusing Republicans of twisting private testimony. House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said Hunter Biden will be deposed but will likely be allowed to testify publicly at a later date. “On November 8, 2023, we issued subpoenas to your client, Robert Hunter Biden, for a deposition on December 13, 2023,” reads the Wednesday letter to Hunter’s lawyer, Abbe Lowell. “We received your letters dated November 28, 2023, and December 6, 2023, concerning the deposition subpoenas. Contrary to the assertions in your letter, there is no ‘choice’ for Mr. Biden to make; the subpoenas compel him to appear for a deposition on December 13. If Mr. Biden does not appear for his deposition on December 13, 2023, the Committees will initiate contempt of Congress proceedings.” The committees issued subpoenas in recent weeks to Hunter Biden and several other Biden family members and associates. The impeachment inquiry has intensified in recent months as the Oversight Committee released a steady stream of evidence to back allegations that the president financially benefited from his son’s overseas business dealings. IRS whistleblower testimony, bank records, and testimony from long-time Hunter Biden associate Devon Archer show the Biden family and associates received more than $20 million from several overseas entities, including in China, Russia, and Ukraine. Archer has said publicly that the president joined several phone calls on speaker phone with his son, Hunter, where Hunter’s business associates were present. Copies of two checks totaling $240,000 show direct payments to the president from his family members with a memo saying “loan repayment.” Comer, though, points out those checks came right after Hunter Biden received $5 million from a China-linked company. Hunter received that money through his joint venture with a Chinese national, the same venture that paid the president nearly $1,400 on a monthly basis, according to recently released bank records. An AP/NORC poll from October found that only 30% of Americans think the president did not do anything illegal or unethical related to his son’s business. Biden responded to a question from a reporter Wednesday asking why the president interacted so much with those associates. “I did not,” Biden said. “It’s just a bunch of lies. They’re lies. I did not. They’re lies.” Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Katie Britt, Tommy Tuberville and colleagues urge Biden administration to enforce sanctions on Iranian steel
On Tuesday, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) announced that last week she and Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) had joined 29 of their Senate Republican colleagues in a letter to President Joe Biden, Secretary of State Antony Blinken, and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen urging the Treasury Department to enforce existing sanctions on Iranian steel. “The Biden Administration must reimpose a comprehensive, bone-crushing sanctions enforcement regime on Iran and its terror proxies,” stated Senator Britt. “As this Administration continues down a dangerous, misguided path of appeasement, it only endangers our national security and emboldens our adversaries across the globe. It is past time to achieve peace through unrelenting strength.” In the letter, the Senators express the importance of “proactively and continuously” enforcing sanctions and the detrimental consequences of ineffective – or willfully negligent – enforcement. Iran is one of the largest steel-producing countries in the world, with the industry generating significant funds via exports. “In 2020, the United States sanctioned Iran’s metals industries and steel producers, massively impacting their exports in 2021,” the Sens. wrote. “The enforcement of these sanctions decreased Iranian steel exports from 9 million metric tons in 2020 to 4.2 million tons in 2021,” wrote the Senators. “However, Iranian steel exports rebounded to 10 million tons in 2022. This correlates to the United States reengaging with Iran to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), along with a decrease in enforcement of existing sanctions by the Treasury Department.” “We write to you just weeks after our nation’s great ally was suddenly and barbarically attacked by Hamas terrorists—proxies funded, trained, and equipped by the Islamic Republic of Iran,” the Sens wrote. “The pure evil inflicted on the Israeli people on October 7, 2023, will live in infamy as one of the deadliest terrorist attacks in world history.” “Iran is the largest state sponsor of terrorism across the globe, and its stated objective is to wipe Israel off the face of the planet,” the Sens. continued. “It is estimated that Iran provides $700 million dollars annually to Hezbollah and $350 million annually to Hamas. Additionally, Iranian-backed terrorist proxies in Syria and Iraq have received substantial new financial support, including double-digit percentage increases to the salaries paid to affiliated individuals this year alone.” “Steel is one of Iran’s most lucrative export markets,” the Sens. explained. “The World Steel Association announced in September 2023 that Iran is the 10th largest steel producer in the world. In 2020, the United States sanctioned Iran’s metals industries and steel producers, massively impacting their exports in 2021. The enforcement of these sanctions decreased Iranian steel exports from 9 million metric tons in 2020 to 4.2 million tons in 2021. However, Iranian steel exports rebounded to 10 million tons in 2022. This correlates to the United States reengaging with Iran to revive the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), along with a decrease in enforcement of existing sanctions by the Treasury Department.” We urge your Administration to enforce all Iran-related sanctions at your disposal, to include secondary sanctions on other countries who seek economic engagement with Iran. We owe it to the innocent children, women, and men who were savagely beaten, raped, tortured, and killed on October 7, 2023.” Iran funds terror groups in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, Gaza, Yemen, and other places. Those Iranian-backed militia groups have, in recent weeks, attacked American armed forces as well as the Israelis. The U.S. Navy destroyer Carney was recently attacked in the Red Sea by drones launched by the Iranian-backed Houthi terrorists in Yemen. While the Ayatollah has consistently used the harshest rhetoric possible about war with the United States and Israel, the Biden administration has avoided taking sterner stances with the country. Republican critics argue that the Biden Administration’s payment of six billion dollars to Iran in exchange for prisoners only emboldened the regime by showing weakness. Katie Britt was elected to the Senate in 2022. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Fifth Circuit stays its own ruling on Texas concertina wire barrier lawsuit
By Bethany Blankley | The Center Square contributor In what has been back-and-forth rulings among the courts, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals on Monday overturned its previous ruling, issuing an administrative stay in a case filed by Texas over the federal government tearing down concertina wire border fencing. In October, Texas and the Texas Public Policy Foundation sued the Biden administration after Border Patrol agents began bulldozing concertina wire barriers on Texas soil to allow foreign nationals to illegally enter Texas between ports of entry. The district judge in the border town of Del Rio, Texas, initially granted Texas’ request and issued a temporary restraining order, blocking the federal government from destroying Texas’ concertina barriers. The judge then reversed course, after a recent hearing, and lifted the TRO. Texas appealed to the Fifth Circuit and two of three judges on a panel affirmed the lower court’s ruling. Texas then appealed to the full court to hear its case. In Monday’s ruling, the court granted Texas’ request for a TRO. It also set a deadline for a response to the motion by 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 8. The TRO prohibits the federal government from damaging Texas’ concertina wire fencing as the U.S. Department of Justice prepares a response to Texas’s motion for an injunction pending appeal of the district court’s order. Gov. Greg Abbott has argued that Texas has a right to defend its sovereign border and will take the issue all the way to the U.S. Supreme Court. This is one of three recent lawsuits related to Texas border barriers installed as part of Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star. Two are before the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans. Another lawsuit before the Fifth Circuit was filed by the federal government against Texas after Abbott installed marine barriers in the Rio Grande River south of Eagle Pass in response to an ongoing surge of illegal border crossers in the area. A district court first ordered Texas to move the marine barriers closer to its shoreline, which The Center Square first reported. Confusion about the case resulted from multiple news outlets misreporting that the court ordered Texas to remove the buoys altogether. Texas appealed the district court’s ruling, and the Fifth Circuit stayed the ruling until it heard the case, then reversed it on Friday. The ruling put back in place the district court order, which issued a preliminary injunction requiring Texas to “cease work on the barrier and shift it to the Texas riverbank.” Abbott said Friday night, “The 5th Cir. Court of Appeals’ denial of Texas’ sovereign authority to secure the border with floating marine barriers is clearly wrong.” Texas then sought an immediate rehearing by the full court. “We’ll go to SCOTUS if needed to protect Texas from Biden’s open borders,” Abbott said. In the meantime, Texas National Guard soldiers are continuing to install concertina wire on Texas soil along the Rio Grande River through OLS. “Texas National Guard soldiers continue to install and reinforce razor wire barriers along the Texas-Mexico border,” Abbott said. “While [President Joe] Biden’s dereliction of duty at the border continues, Texas holds the line.” Texas is also continuing to build its own border wall. “Texas is the first and ONLY state in America to build our own border wall. While Biden refuses to enforce federal immigration laws, Texas will use every tool and strategy to secure the border,” he said. Texas is the first and ONLY state in America to build our own border wall.While Biden refuses to enforce federal immigration laws, Texas will use every tool and strategy to secure the border. pic.twitter.com/jTgdf4xf9n— Greg Abbott (@GregAbbott_TX) December 4, 2023 As of last month, since Abbott launched Operation Lone Star, Texas law enforcement officers have apprehended nearly 500,000 illegal foreign nationals and made over 36,600 criminal arrests, with more than 33,200 felony charges reported. Texas law enforcement officers have also seized more than 435 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill more than the combined populations of Canada and the United States. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Tommy Tuberville urges China travel ban to prevent spread of a new mystery illness
On Friday, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) joined Senator Marco Rubio (R-Florida) and colleagues in sending a letter to President Joe Biden, urging the President to restrict travel between the U.S. and China until U.S. health experts have more information regarding the mysterious respiratory disease that is rapidly spreading throughout China. “[W]e should not wait for the WHO to take action given its track record of slavish deference to the [Chinese Communist Party],” the senators wrote. “We must take the necessary steps to protect the health of Americans and our economy. That means we should immediately restrict travel between the United States and the [People’s Republic of China] until we know more about the dangers posed by this new illness. A ban on travel now could save our country from death, lockdowns, mandates, and further outbreaks later.” “In light of an unknown respiratory illness spreading throughout the People’s Republic of China (PRC), we call on you to immediately restrict travel between the United States and the PRC,” the Senators wrote. “As you know, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has a long history of lying about public health crises. During the COVID-19 pandemic, the CCP’s obfuscation of the truth, and lack of transparency, robbed the United States of vital knowledge about the disease and its origin.” “At this moment, the world faces another unknown pathogen emanating from the PRC that could spread to other countries, including the United States,” the Senators continued. “The PRC has reported an increase in this mystery illness—which it claims to be pneumonia caused by known pathogens—since mid-October. This illness reportedly is a special hazard for children and has overrun hospitals in the north of the country. The World Health Organization (WHO) says it is unclear if the disease is due to an overall increase in respiratory infections or separate events. If history is any indication, we have cause to be concerned.” Joining Sens. Tuberville and Rubio on the letter were Senators J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), Rick Scott (R-Florida), and Mike Braun (R-Indiana). The sudden rise in respiratory illnesses in children has sparked concern from hospitals in northern China. The virus has been called “walking pneumonia.” It is continuing to spread through parts of China and severely affect health services, as cases of “white lung pneumonia” continue to rise. The WHO has asked China to share information on the outbreak. Officials in China insist it is not a new disease but rather a combination of different respiratory illnesses that occur during the winter. China was previously criticized for failing to share information about COVID-19. Tuberville has represented Alabama in the United States Senate since 2020. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Sandra Day O’Connor, who made history as the first woman on the Supreme Court, dies at 93
Ashley Murray, Alabama Reflector WASHINGTON — The first woman to serve on the nation’s highest court is dead at 93. Sandra Day O’Connor, a groundbreaking justice on the U.S. Supreme Court, died Friday in Phoenix, Arizona of complications related to advanced dementia, probably Alzheimer’s, and a respiratory illness, according to an announcement from the court. President Ronald Reagan nominated O’Connor in 1981, and she was confirmed by the full Senate, 99-0, in September of that year. The moderate O’Connor, who served on the bench until her retirement in 2006, was often the decisive vote in major cases that reached the Supreme Court in her nearly quarter-century as associate justice. The justices issued rulings in high-profile cases during O’Connor’s tenure, including Bush v. Gore, which settled the 2000 presidential contest in George W. Bush’s favor, and Planned Parenthood of Southeastern Pennsylvania v. Casey, a 5-4 decision that affirmed the constitutional right to an abortion but with leeway for states to impose some restrictions. O’Connor sided with the majority in both cases. “She was consequential,” journalist and historian Evan Thomas told the National Archives in 2019 while promoting his biography “First: Sandra Day O’Connor.” She cast the so-called “swing vote” 330 times in 24 years, Thomas said. “And where it really mattered was in abortion rights and affirmative action,” he said, referring to several cases, including Grutter v. Bullinger, which upheld the consideration of race in the University of Michigan’s law school admissions. In 2022, O’Connor’s successor, Justice Samuel Alito, wrote the majority opinion overturning Planned Parenthood v. Casey and Roe v. Wade, striking down abortion rights at the federal level. A ‘true public servant’ and ‘trailblazer’ Chief Justice John Roberts said in a statement Friday that O’Connor “blazed a historic trail as our Nation’s first female Justice.” “She met that challenge with undaunted determination, indisputable ability, and engaging candor. We at the Supreme Court mourn the loss of a beloved colleague, a fiercely independent defender of the rule of law, and an eloquent advocate for civics education. And we celebrate her enduring legacy as a true public servant and patriot,” he said. Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky said in a statement that the “nation mourns the passing of a towering figure in the history of American law.” “… From her election as the first female Majority Leader in the history of American legislatures to her confirmation as the first female Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, Sandra Day O’Connor led with a brilliance and conviction that disarmed resistance. Her vote on the court frequently determined the majority in landmark cases, and the legacy of her role in landmark decisions reviving federalism during her first several terms on the Court continues to resound in Constitutional jurisprudence,” McConnell said. In the mid-1990s and 2000, O’Connor provided decisive votes in two 5-4 decisions that found federal laws unconstitutional under the Commerce Clause, including sections of the Violence Against Women Act and a federal law that criminalized carrying a firearm within 1,000 feet of schools. Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York said O’Connor was the “conscience of the Court.” Schumer said in a statement issued Friday that O’Connor “was one of the true historic figures of the 20th century. In decision after decision, Sandra Day O’Connor was often the key vote in defending the rights of Americans—in protecting clean air, in protecting women’s rights, in protecting against discrimination, in protecting voting rights. I join Americans all across the country in mourning her passing today.” Speaker of the House Mike Johnson of Louisiana described O’Connor as a “trailblazer” and “legal giant” in a Friday morning post on X. “As the first woman to ever serve on the Supreme Court, Justice O’Connor inspired a generation of women — including the five female Justices that succeeded her — to chart a path that previously seemed unattainable,” he said. “Despite never serving as Chief Justice, she was widely regarded as the most powerful Justice on the bench during her tenure.” The women who followed O’Connor’s appointment to the court included Ruth Bader Ginsburg, nominated by former President Bill Clinton in 1993; Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan in 2009 and 2010, both nominated by former President Barack Obama; Amy Coney Barrett, nominated by former President Donald Trump in 2020; and Ketanji Brown Jackson, nominated by President Joe Biden in 2022. Obama released a statement Friday recounting the well-known story of O’Connor’s challenges finding a job in the legal field as a woman in the 1950s, when she was asked about her typing skills and offered work as a legal secretary. “Fortunately for us, she set her sights a little higher – becoming the first woman to serve as a U.S. Supreme Court justice,” Obama said. “As a judge and Arizona legislator, a cancer survivor and child of the Texas plains, Sandra Day O’Connor was like the pilgrim in the poem she sometimes quoted – forging a new path and building a bridge behind her for all young women to follow. Michelle and I send our thoughts to Sandra’s family and everyone who learned from and admired her.” From the Southwest to the nation’s capital O’Connor was born on March 26, 1930, in El Paso, Texas, and grew up on a ranch in Arizona. She graduated near the top of her law school class at Stanford University in 1952. O’Connor began her law career as deputy county attorney of San Mateo County, California, followed by a position as a civilian attorney for Quartermaster Market Center, Frankfurt, Germany, from 1954 to 1957. O’Connor practiced law in Maryvale, Arizona, until 1960 and went on to serve as assistant attorney general of Arizona from 1965 to 1969. She followed her time in the attorney general’s office with multiple terms in the Arizona State Senate beginning in 1969 and eventually serving as the body’s majority leader. In 1975, she was elected as a Maricopa County Superior Court judge and served until 1979, when she was appointed to the Arizona Court
