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Biden Announces Sanctions on Iran, But They Largely Have No Effect
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Katie Pavlich: In response to the unprecedented drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend, President Joe Biden announced new sanctions on the Iranian regime Thursday morning. According to Iran experts, the administration’s previous unfreezing of cash assets to the regime will hinder the effectiveness of the new sanctions. Further, they don’t target industries fueling Iran’s terrorism apparatus ( Townhall). Jonathan Schanzer: US announces new sanctions on Iran. Entirely insufficient right now. Literally will do nothing to deter more aggression at this point ( X). Richard Goldberg: Notably, however, Iran’s UAV program, steel industry and auto sector will be subsidized by the administration’s $10 billion sanctions waiver and tacit approval of Iranian oil exports to China ( X).
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U.S. Vetoes Resolution in U.N. Admitting Palestine As a Member
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Associated Press: The United States vetoed a widely backed U.N. resolution on Thursday that would have paved the way for full United Nations membership for Palestine, a goal the Palestinians have long sought. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 in favor, the United States opposed and two abstentions, from the United Kingdom and Switzerland. U.S. allies France, Japan and South Korea supported the resolution. The resolution would have recommended that the 193-member General Assembly, where there are no vetoes, approve Palestine becoming the 194th member of the United Nations. Some 140 countries have already recognized Palestine, so its admission would have been approved, likely by a much higher number of countries ( Associated Press). Reuters: The Palestinians are currently a non-member observer state, a de facto recognition of statehood that was granted by the U.N. General Assembly in 2012. But an application to become a full U.N. member needs to be approved by the Security Council and then at least two-thirds of the General Assembly. “We believe that such recognition of Palestinian statehood should not come at the start of a new process, but it doesn’t have to be at the very end of the process. We must start with fixing the immediate crisis in Gaza,” Britain’s U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council ( Reuters).
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14 House Lawmakers Vote Against Resolution to Condemn Iran for Attacking Israel
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Daily Wire: On Thursday, a band of more than a dozen House lawmakers voted against a resolution condemning Iran for its drone and missile attack on Israel over the weekend. The measure passed with overwhelming support — by a 404-14 tally — while 13 lawmakers did not vote. Among those who opposed the resolution were 13 Democrats, including members of the leftist “Squad,” and one Republican ( Daily Wire). Rob Pyers: Full roll call on the House resolution condemning Iran’s drone and missile attack on Israel, with 13 Democrats and Republican Thomas Massie voting ‘Nay’ ( X).
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Poll Shows Trump Ahead of Biden, Americans Believe Cost of Living Rising
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Townhall: A new national survey from Emerson College Polling shows former President Trump ahead of President Biden in a head-to-head matchup and when third-party candidates are factored into the race. The April poll found 46 percent of voters favoring the 45th president, 43 percent supporting the incumbent, and 12 percent undecided. When the undecideds are asked which candidate they’re leaning towards, Trump’s support jumps to 51 percent and Biden’s increases to 48 percent. When independent presidential candidates are included on a ballot test, 44 percent support Trump, 40 percent favor Biden, 8 percent stand behind Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ( Townhall). Emerson College: Seventy-five percent of voters think the cost of living in the United States is rising, 18% think it is staying the same, and 7% think the cost is easing ( Emerson College).
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Full Jury Selected for Trump’s Trial After Morning Hiccup
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Fox News: 12 jurors and 1 alternate juror have been seated for the hush money trial against former President Donald Trump ( Fox News). NBC: Thursday’s jury selection in former President Donald Trump’s hush money trial in New York City began with a rocky start after two jurors who’d already been sworn in were dismissed from the case, underscoring the difficulty lawyers are having in finding jurors who can remain impartial. One of the seven already-selected jurors was let go after she told the judge she now had concerns that she could not be impartial after friends, colleagues and family members asked her if she was a juror on the case. The juror, a nurse, said she did not believe she could “let the outside influences not affect my decision-making in the courtroom” ( NBC). End Wokeness: Trump juror sworn in by Judge Merchon comes clean and admits she will NOT be fair and impartial ( X). Spencer Brown: Of the original 200 individuals called on Monday to begin the jury selection process, a fresh 96 are being run through the gamut in court on Thursday in attempts to seat a full 18-member panel of jurors and alternates ( Townhall).
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Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson Asks for $70 Million in Taxpayer Cash to Sink Into Illegal Immigration
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Fox News: Infuriated Black Chicagoans showed up in force at a City Council meeting on Wednesday to protest Mayor Brandon Johnson’s request for an additional $70 million in taxpayers’ funds to be spent on tackling the city’s migrant crisis. The progressive mayor, who has vigorously defended the city’s sanctuary policies in the past, wants aldermen to greenlight the extra cash in a vote on Friday despite the Windy City having already poured $300 million into housing, food and health care for the recently arrived migrants, according to the city’s latest numbers. However, critics of the spending spree blasted the mayor during Wednesday’s gathering, where aldermen were initially expected to vote on rubber-stamping the new funds. Aldermen deferred the measure, using the council tactic to stall consideration ( Fox News). Washington Examiner: Disapproval for Johnson is so high that resident Dan Boland is organizing a petition that would allow citizens to vote on a recall for the mayor. Currently, the only recall that is allowed is for the governor. For the initiative to appear on the November ballot, Boland must collect 56,464 signatures by Aug. 5. If he does, he can then put on the November ballot the question of whether residents should be able to recall a mayor. If that is approved, he would need to launch another petition, this time gathering 122,503 signatures ( Washington Examiner).
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Scotland’s Sole Gender Clinic Stops Giving Puberty Blockers to Minors
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CBS: The only gender identity clinic in Scotland has paused prescribing puberty blockers to new patients under 18 years old, mirroring action taken by England’s health authorities after a landmark review found young people had been let down by “remarkably weak” evidence backing medical interventions in gender care. The report, commissioned by Britain’s National Health Service, also found that the “toxicity” of the debate around gender identity meant physicians were operating in fear ( CBS). NBC: Public health officials in Scotland cited the Cass Review for their reasoning, saying it would be working with England’s NHS to “generate evidence of safety and long-term impact for therapies.” Twenty-three U.S. states have enacted bans on gender-affirming care, including the prescription of puberty blockers. Health care providers in five states — Florida, Alabama, Oklahoma, North Dakota and Idaho — could be charged with a felony for providing gender-affirming care to trans minors ( NBC).
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With Record Funding, Planned Parenthood Performed More Abortions
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Daily Wire: Planned Parenthood performed more abortions in 2021 and 2022 despite a massive decrease in patients, according to its latest annual report. The country’s largest abortion provider reported that it performed 392,715 abortions in the fiscal year ending in fall 2022. That total is more than 18,000, or 5% higher, than the number of abortions performed the previous year, according to an analysis by the Charlotte Lozier Institute. It’s also a 20% increase over the organization’s past 10 annual reports. Abortions made up more than 97% of Planned Parenthood’s pregnancy resolution services ( Daily Wire). Christian Post: Planned Parenthood performed over 390,000 abortions while receiving nearly $700 million in government grants and reimbursements. New, a senior associate scholar at the pro-life research organization Charlotte Lozier Institute, found that Planned Parenthood performed 228 abortions for every adoption referral in 2023 ( Christian Post).
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Google Fires 28 Employees Who Protested Israel by Staging Sit-Ins in Offices, Disrupting Work
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National Review: Google fired over two dozen employees on Wednesday for protesting its $1.2 billion contract with Israel by staging sit-ins inside several of the technology company’s offices the day before. The termination of 28 employees was revealed in a memo from Google vice president of global security Chris Rackow after the company conducted an internal investigation. “They took over office spaces, defaced our property, and physically impeded the work of other Googlers,” Rackow wrote in a memo ( National Review). Reporter Yashar Ali: Nine employees were also arrested. In a note sent to employees the company says: “If you’re one of the few who are tempted to think we’re going to overlook conduct that violates our policies, think again” ( X).
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High School Suspends Student for Saying “Illegal Alien” in Clarifying Question During Class
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Townhall: A North Carolina high school student was reportedly suspended for three days for using the term “illegal alien” when he sought clarification from his teacher on an assignment. According to the boy’s mother, Leah McGhee, the assignment used the word “alien,” so her son, Christian, followed up to ask, “Like space aliens or illegal aliens without green cards?” The student’s question angered a classmate, who threatened to fight him, so the teacher took the issue to the assistant principal, the Carolina Journal reports. His question was then determined to be offensive to Hispanic students and he was suspended for three days, which could affect his chances of receiving a college sports scholarship. His mother said he is “devastated and concerned that the racism label on his school record will harm his future goal of receiving a track scholarship” ( Townhall). Carolina Journal: Leah said the assistant principal has so far refused to remove the infraction from her son’s record. The family is working with an attorney to remedy the situation so it doesn’t harm his future, and they expect more developments in the days ahead ( Carolina Journal).
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