“The Sons and Daughters of America Are Not Foot Soldiers for Your Party’s Inept Geriatric Despot… To be Dispatched at the Whims of an Idiot” – Rep. Madison Cawthorne

North Carolina Representative Madison Cawthorne dropped some bombs on the House floor while arguing against dispatching troops to Ukraine “on the whims of an idiot”.

Mediaite reported:

Madam Speaker, the sons and daughters of America are not foot soldiers for your party’s inept geriatric despot. They are not expendable pawns to be dispatched at the whims of an idiot, tossed carelessly around the world to godforsaken caves and bloody sand boxes. They are Americans, worthy of honor and dignity. The only salute from them Joe Biden deserves involves one finger…

“The path to American national security does not lie in American international interventionism,” he continued. “It lies in securing our southern border – not the Russia-Ukraine border. Our greatness is forged in our resistance to interference. The war lobby has no ally in the America First Republicans. We will preserve our strength through nationalism. We will champion America First today and America First forever.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/sons-daughters-america-not-foot-soldiers-partys-inept-geriatric-despot-dispatched-whims-idiot-rep-madison-cawthorne/

Slain ISIS Terror Leader Resided In Turkish Occupation Area Of Syria

update(11:06am ET): In total 13 people people reportedly died, and a US Blackhawk helicopter went down in an emergency landing (subsequently destroyed by US operatives), during the daring overnight raid on the terror leader's hideout. Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, said to the the successor of the Islamic State's al-Baghdadi, reportedly detonated a suicide bomb as US special forces conducted their operation by a middle of the night landing from helicopters. He was living an a multi-story residence Atmeh, Idlib, which is in an area controlled by Turkey & HTS (or Syrian al-Qaeda).

According to details presented by the White House:

Al-Qurayshi died after detonating a suicide bomb that also killed members of his family as U.S. forces closed in, Biden said in an address from the White House.

The counterterrorism operation was carried out under his direction, he said, with all U.S. forces emerging safe from the raid.

Local residents and first responders described a chaotic scene that left a number of people dead, including women and children.

The UK Times details, "According to reports from witnesses, he refused an initial order to surrender. In the subsequent fighting, the house was blasted with explosives and in total 13 people were killed, including four women and six children."

Akin to the 2011 Bin Laden raid in Abbottabad, Pakistan - a US military helicopter went down: "A U.S. official said that a military helicopter experienced a maintenance issue during the operation. It set down safely at least a mile away from the objective, but was deemed unsafe to fly back and was detonated on site, the official said."

The operation was said to have been "months" in planning, and reports say defense planners and the administration knew it would be a high risk, dangerous raid in the middle of a residential area with women and children present.

https://www.zerohedge.com/geopolitical/us-commandos-take-out-top-isis-leader-daring-raid-syrias-idlib

21-Year-Old Greek Football Player Dies on the Pitch Following Cardiac Arrest

A 21-year-old footballer died during a match after a sudden cardiac arrest with no defibrillator or ambulance available at the First Municipal Stadium during a match against Ermionida on Wednesday.

The attacking midfielder collapsed with just five minutes on the clock while playing for Greek team Ilioupoli. Doctors from both teams rushed in and tried to revive him, according to local reports. Unfortunately, the ambulance arrived at the scene for another 20 minutes so he was not revived immediately, the Sun reported. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

His death was announced by his team through social media without giving any further information about his death.

The club wrote [translated]: “Our Aleko, our friend, our brother, you left so unjustly. The whole team, the whole city is mourning today. The words do not come out… only an unbearable pain and a knot in the stomach. Have a good trip Alecara.”

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/new-normal-21-year-old-greek-football-player-dies-pitch-following-cardiac-arrest/

"We Can Open Up Society": Sweden Lifts Nearly All Covid-19 Restrictions

In a press conference on Thursday morning, the Swedish government announced plans to remove the majority of restrictions against Covid-19 on February 9th, the Local.se reported.

Prime Minister Magdalena Andersson, Health Minister Lena Hallengren and the Director General of the Public Health Agency, Karin Tegmark Wisell, announced that almost all restrictions will be removed on February 9th, and that those working from home should prepare to return to work.

“The pandemic is not over, but is entering a completely new phase,” said Andersson. “We are nearing the point for Sweden to open up again.”

The government explained that the decision to open up was based on a number of factors, partly that Omicron appears to be a milder variant of the virus, and partly that the percentage of Sweden’s population who are fully vaccinated or have taken a booster dose continues to increase.

“There are multiple international studies of a milder illness, and the data we have from Sweden paints the same picture,” Andersson explained. “The rate of vaccination in Sweden has been high in recent weeks,” she continued, stating that this means that “we can open up society, at least for all who have been vaccinated”.

Almost 50 percent of over-18s in Sweden have received their third dose of the vaccine, and more than 86 percent of over-12s have received their first dose. Sweden does not recommend the Covid vaccines to children under the age of 12, unless they are particularly at risk.

Health Minister Lena Hallengren also stated that “the government is planning on removing travel restrictions introduced on December 21st for the Nordic countries”, stating that they would provide more information as soon as it was possible.

She didn’t say anything about travel restrictions for other countries. Sweden’s current entry rules for EU/EEA arrivals are currently in place until February 28th, and March 31st for people travelling from other countries.

In terms of returning to work and higher education, Hallengren stated that “in order to prevent a new wave, the return to work and school should occur successively”.

https://www.zerohedge.com/markets/we-can-open-society-sweden-lifts-nearly-all-covid-19-restrictions

Canadian Truckers Vow To Continue "Until It's A Free Nation Again"

Overnight, truckers with the Freedom Convoy who have gathered in Coutts, Alberta near the border with Montana managed to refuel and re-supply as supporters continued to contribute to keep the protests going even as the RCMP continue to surround them in a blockade that has disrupted commerce - something the government has tried to blame on the truckers.

But back in Ottawa, where hundreds of protesters remain camped out after this weekend's Freedom Rally at the seat of Canadian government, locals - and local officials (who have already tried to seize money raised for the truckers on GoFundMe) are growing increasingly anxious, since organizers expect the number of supporters in Ottawa to swell in the coming days as the weekend arrives and with it, another wave of protests.

The movement's organizers have pledged not to relent until the Canadian government drops some of its more draconian policies, including a quarantine requirement that essentially would make life impossible for unvaccinated truckers.

He conceded the protest would likely grow again this coming weekend and "there may not be a policing solution" to resolve the impasse.

Tamara Lich, a spokeswoman for the protestors, said she and fellow organizers had been surprised by the turnout at first "but we are now well organized and are settling in, until Canada is a free nation again."

Unfortunately, it seems like local police are insistent on cracking down; they have arrested a handful of demonstrators for a range of charges including carrying a "weapon" to "posting threats on social media".

Police acknowledged to the BBC that demonstrators have come from "all parts of Canada" and some even from the US.

"Most demonstrators have left," police chief Peter Sloly said at a Wednesday news conference. "What remains is a highly determined and highly volatile group of unlawful individuals."

He conceded the protest would likely grow again this coming weekend and "there may not be a policing solution" to resolve the impasse.

As we noted above, some Ottawa officials have suggested trying to cut off the supply of donations financing the truckers. One even proposed suing GoFundMe to block the money raised by supporters from reaching the truckers, whom the council member described as "mercenaries" who are "unlawfully occupying our communities".

https://www.zerohedge.com/political/canadian-truckers-vow-continue-long-it-takes-more-protests-expected-ottawa

Leaked Documents Show US Is Serious About Arms Control With Russia

The US's written response to Russia was leaked and published by the Spanish newspaper El Pais

Washington’s written response to Moscow’s security proposals was leaked and published by the Spanish newspaper El Pais. While the US isn’t willing to give a written guarantee that Ukraine won’t ever join NATO, the document contained serious offers from the US on the issue of arms control.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been concerned that US MK 41 missile launchers that are deployed in Romania can fit Tomahawk missiles that could potentially target Russia. In the written response, the US said that it was willing to discuss a “transparency mechanism to confirm the absence of Tomohawk cruise missiles” at US bases in Romania and Poland.

In exchange for the verification method, which would likely be in the form of on-site inspections, the US wants Russia to offer “reciprocal transparency measures on two ground-launched missile bases of our choosing in Russia.”

Russia is also seeking a mutual ban on the deployment of short and medium-range missiles in Europe that were previously prohibited under the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty, which the US withdrew from in 2019. The US said it’s prepared to start talks on “arms control for ground-based intermediate and shorter-range missiles and their launchers.”

At this point, there is only one major piece of nuclear arms control between the US and Russia, the New START treaty, which puts limits on the deployment of nuclear warheads, Intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs), submarine-launched ballistic missiles (SLBMs), and heavy bombers. Last year, President Biden and Putin agreed to extend New START for five years.

The US proposed to Russia to begin negotiations on a follow-on to New Start “immediately.” The document reads: “We share the goal of sustaining limits on intercontinental-range delivery vehicles currently subject to New START … In addition, we must include new kinds of nuclear-armed intercontinental-range delivery vehicles in follow-on arms control agreements. We also must discuss non-strategic nuclear weapons and non-deployed nuclear warheads.”

Another major concern for Moscow is the potential deployment of US missiles and combat troops to Ukraine. The US said it’s “prepared to discuss conditions-based reciprocal transparency measures and reciprocal commitments by both the United States and Russia to refrain from deploying offensive ground-based missile systems and permanent forces with a combat mission on the territory of Ukraine.”

Neither the US nor Russia commented on the contents of the leaked document on Wednesday, but the Pentagon did confirm its authenticity. Putin said Tuesday that the US is ignoring its main concerns related to NATO expansion, but the Russian leader said he still favors talks.

Even with the NATO issue, the US has signaled it might be willing to give Moscow an informal guarantee that Ukraine won’t be joining the alliance anytime soon. Russia wants a guarantee in writing since the US broke a verbal promise it made at the end of the Cold War not to expand NATO eastward. But if there are real deals made concerning bans on missile and troop deployments to Ukraine, that could alleviate Moscow’s main worries of what a Ukrainian NATO membership could mean.

https://elpais.com/infografias/2022/02/respuesta_otan/respuesta_otan_eeuu.pdf

https://news.antiwar.com/2022/02/02/leaked-documents-show-us-is-serious-about-arms-control-with-russia/

Minister accused of breaching international law

The agriculture minister sparked anger by ordering a halt on all EU post-Brexit checks on food and farm products

Northern Ireland’s agriculture minister, Edwin Poots, issued a unilateral order on Wednesday to end all Brexit checks on food and farm goods from midnight, sparking a potential conflict with the EU and drawing immediate pushback from officials in the Republic of Ireland.

The checks were brought in as a result of the Northern Ireland Protocol outlined in the UK’s Brexit deal to prevent the reintroduction of a hard border between Northern Ireland and neighboring Republic of Ireland, which is an EU member.

“I have taken legal advice in relation to my position from senior counsel. Earlier today, I received that legal advice. The advice concluded that I can direct the checks to cease in the absence of executive approval,” Poots told the Stormont assembly.

However, his order sparked condemnation from the Irish government, which argued that the order to halt checks would breach international law in light of the UK’s Withdrawal Agreement. Similarly, Sinn Fein, which shares power with Poots’ party, the DUP, claimed it was an unlawful “stunt.”

Responding to the situation, a spokesperson for UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson said that Downing Street had not been informed ahead of time about the DUP’s plan, stating that the checks should remain in place while British negotiations with the EU continue. However, the spokesperson added that “the operation of those checks is a matter for the Northern Ireland executive.”

The UK and the EU have been at loggerheads in recent months over the Northern Ireland Protocol, which essentially creates a border along the Irish Sea. Britain has been frustrated about the arrangement, which requires inspections and document checks for goods moving from mainland UK to Northern Ireland, as the latter remains in effect in the EU’s single market post-Brexit.

https://www.rt.com/news/548247-international-law-northern-ireland-border/

Johns Hopkins Prof. Slams Media, Own Institution For Hiding Bombshell Study That Found Lockdowns Are Ineffective

A Johns Hopkins professor slammed his own university and the establishment media for failing to report on a major study that concluded lockdowns have been almost completely ineffective at curbing COVID mortality rates.

As we reported yesterday, the study was authored by multiple eminent researchers at the University and concluded that lockdowns “are ill-founded and should be rejected as a pandemic policy instrument.”

The authors wrote that “While this meta-analysis concludes that lockdowns have had little to no public health effects, they have imposed enormous economic and social costs where they have been adopted.”

https://www.zerohedge.com/covid-19/watch-johns-hopkins-prof-slams-media-own-institution-hiding-bombshell-study-found

https://sites.krieger.jhu.edu/iae/files/2022/01/A-Literature-Review-and-Meta-Analysis-of-the-Effects-of-Lockdowns-on-COVID-19-Mortality.pdf

Biden Regime Takes Out ISIS Leader in Syria in Night Raid – Six Kids and 4 Women Also Killed

On Thursday morning the Biden regime released a statement on the targeted killing of Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurayshi, the leader of ISIS in Syria.

Six children were also killed in the attack.

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/biden-regime-takes-isis-leader-syria-night-raid/

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/biden-regime-takes-isis-leader-syria-night-raid/

President Trump: Why Isn’t Unselect Committee Investigating the Massive Ballot Harvesting Operation that Has Just Been Irrefutably Reported?

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/president-trump-isnt-unselect-committee-investigating-massive-ballot-harvesting-operation-just-irrefutably-reported/

President Trump Asks Why “Crazy Nancy” Pelosi and the “Massive Voter Fraud” Are Not Being Investigated by the “Highly Partisan Sleazebags” of the “Corrupt Unselect Committee”?

https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2022/02/president-trump-asks-crazy-nancy-pelosi-massive-voter-fraud-not-investigated-highly-partisan-sleazebags-corrupt-unselect-committee/

On 1 Feb. 2022 Executive Order 13848 went into effect: imposing certain sanctions in the event of foreign interference in a US Election – meaning all super powers – Chinese Communist Party, Vatican, Queen, Corporations and others who participated in the fraudulent 2020 Election, would be sanctioned into bankruptcy, their assets seized…a process that has been the works since Jan. 2021.

Executive Order 13848—Imposing Certain Sanctions in the Event of Foreign Interference in a United States Election

September 12, 2018

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, including the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701 et seq.) (IEEPA), the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1601 et seq.) (NEA), section 212(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952 (8 U.S.C. 1182(f)), and section 301 of title 3, United States Code,

I, Donald J. Trump, President of the United States of America, find that the ability of persons located, in whole or in substantial part, outside the United States to interfere in or undermine public confidence in United States elections, including through the unauthorized accessing of election and campaign infrastructure or the covert distribution of propaganda and disinformation, constitutes an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security and foreign policy of the United States. Although there has been no evidence of a foreign power altering the outcome or vote tabulation in any United States election, foreign powers have historically sought to exploit America's free and open political system. In recent years, the proliferation of digital devices and internet-based communications has created significant vulnerabilities and magnified the scope and intensity of the threat of foreign interference, as illustrated in the 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment. I hereby declare a national emergency to deal with this threat.

Accordingly, I hereby order:

Section 1. (a) Not later than 45 days after the conclusion of a United States election, the Director of National Intelligence, in consultation with the heads of any other appropriate executive departments and agencies (agencies), shall conduct an assessment of any information indicating that a foreign government, or any person acting as an agent of or on behalf of a foreign government, has acted with the intent or purpose of interfering in that election. The assessment shall identify, to the maximum extent ascertainable, the nature of any foreign interference and any methods employed to execute it, the persons involved, and the foreign government or governments that authorized, directed, sponsored, or supported it. The Director of National Intelligence shall deliver this assessment and appropriate supporting information to the President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Defense, the Attorney General, and the Secretary of Homeland Security.

(b) Within 45 days of receiving the assessment and information described in section 1(a) of this order, the Attorney General and the Secretary of Homeland Security, in consultation with the heads of any other appropriate agencies and, as appropriate, State and local officials, shall deliver to the President, the Secretary of State, the Secretary of the Treasury, and the Secretary of Defense a report evaluating, with respect to the United States election that is the subject of the assessment described in section 1(a):

(i) the extent to which any foreign interference that targeted election infrastructure materially affected the security or integrity of that infrastructure, the tabulation of votes, or the timely transmission of election results; and

https://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/documents/executive-order-13848-imposing-certain-sanctions-the-event-foreign-interference-united

Durham Filing Rebuts Inspector General Horowitz’s Claims on Missing Cellphones, Hints at Growing Rift

A supplemental court filing by special counsel John Durham confirms previous reporting that Department of Justice (DOJ) Inspector General Michael Horowitz concealed crucial information from Durham in connection with two separate investigations—the ongoing prosecution of former Clinton campaign lawyer Michael Sussmann and the criminal leak investigation of former FBI General Counsel James Baker.

The Jan. 28 filing by Durham updated the court on precisely when Durham first learned of two cellphones that had been used by Baker while he was with the FBI. The existence of these phones was first mentioned in a Jan. 25 filing, in which Durham claimed that the Inspector General’s Office (OIG) had failed to disclose its possession of two FBI cellphones belonging to Baker.

Following the Jan. 25 filing, Horowitz’s office apparently told Durham that the existence of one of the cellphones may have been mentioned on a conference call that took place four years ago.

“The OIG Special Agent had a conference call with members of the investigative team, including Mr. Durham, during which the cellphones likely were discussed,” reads the Jan. 28 court filing.

However, Durham states in the filing that he not only doesn’t recall the conference call, but also that he had no knowledge of Horowitz’s possession of Baker’s cellphones before being informed of their existence by a separate investigative team within the FBI on Jan. 6.

Notably, Horowitz is unable to say with certainty that Baker’s phone was even mentioned on the Feb. 12, 2018, conference call. Moreover, at the time of the conference call, Horowitz’s office was not in possession of either of Baker’s cell phones.

While Horowitz did gain possession of Baker’s phone several days later, on Feb. 15, 2018, there’s no record that he informed Durham. Nor is there any record of subsequent communications between Howowitz’s office and Durham regarding the Baker phone. This despite the fact that Durham was conducting a criminal leak investigation into Baker at around the same time that Horowitz gained access to Baker’s cellphone.

Although it isn’t currently known when Horowitz took possession of a second Baker cellphone, there appears to have been no follow-up from either Horowitz or Durham at the time, suggesting that neither of the phones had ever been mentioned to Durham. This is further supported by the fact that as recently as Jan. 5, Durham was seeking Baker’s “call log data” from the FBI’s Inspection Division, suggesting he didn’t know about Horowitz’s possession of Baker’s phones.

While Horowitz’s objection to Durham’s Jan. 25 filing may have been intended to deflect from his office’s disclosure failures, the latest filing raises further questions.

Even if Horowitz’s new claims about the alleged 2018 conference call were true, this wouldn’t have absolved him from disclosing this information in 2021, when he was formally requested by Durham to do so.

However, the most significant revelation contained in the supplemental filing is that Horowitz didn’t object to the other assertions made by Durham in his Jan. 25 filing.

That filing highlighted Horowitz’s failure to cooperate with Durham’s special counsel investigation. In addition to not disclosing the existence of Baker’s cellphones, Horowitz also failed to disclose that he and his general counsel had personally met with Sussmann regarding a “cyber matter” in March 2017, and Horowitz may have failed to disclose the identity of a Hillary Clinton-connected individual who provided the underlying data to Sussmann that led to the in-person meeting.

All of these undisclosed facts are crucial to Durham’s case against Sussmann.

Notably, Durham didn’t learn about this information from Horowitz, but rather from other sources, including Sussmann himself.

https://www.ntd.com/durham-filing-rebuts-inspector-general-horowitzs-claims-on-missing-cellphones-hints-at-growing-rift_735634.html

Serial Child Rapist Cop, Who Used His Badge to Rape Children, Gets 40 Years in a Cage

Crowley, LA — All too often, as frequent readers of the Free Thought Project can attest, sexually abusive cops get slaps on their wrists for heinous and vile crimes. Even when these officers abuse society’s most vulnerable, children, they often times avoid jail all together. It is a travesty of justice and it is unfortunately a normal part of charging police officers with crimes.

The following case, however, is an exception to that rule. A disgraced Louisiana cop will not be avoiding jail and will not be getting off with a slap on the wrist for preying on children. Former Crowley Police Department officer Damon Broussard, 45, was sentenced by 15th Judicial District Court Judge Marilyn Castle this week to 40 years behind bars — arguably the rest of his life.

As is the state law in Louisiana, Broussard will not be eligible to even apply for parole or probation for at least 25 of those years. This is music to the ears of his victims as Broussard is a repeat offender.

Broussard has an arrest record spanning back nearly a decade. He was first arrested in 2013 on multiple counts of aggravated rape and molestation of a juvenile after several of his victims came forward. During that time, he was employed with another department, the Lake Arthur Police Department.

Broussard’s first victim was just 8 years old when this monster first attacked her. That victim, now an adult, came to Broussard’s sentencing on Tuesday to see her abuser get put away for decades. Five other women — who Broussard abused as children as well — also attended the sentencing.

During the trial, prosecutors pointed out that Broussard was not on the job when the sexual abuse occurred, but believe his position of authority as a police officer aided in his targeting of the victims.

As the Advocate reports, the victim at the center of the case provided a victim impact statement in advance of the sentencing announcement; the other women were able to provide testimony during the trial as part of admissible evidence, the assistant district attorney said.

“I think they were relieved. They were happy. I think ultimately they were just glad that something happened and that some closure was brought to them, and that they know they weren’t forgotten. I think they’re kind of prepared to close this chapter in their lives and move forward,” assistant district attorney Brian Langford said.

No one could answer why it took 9 years for Broussard to go to trial. However, after Langford took over the case in January of last year, Broussard was finally convicted in November after Langford, co-counsel Burleigh Doga and the victim’s assistance coordinator Pam Fruge worked closely with the victims to revive the case.

Because he was not swiftly charged and put in jail, Broussard was able to victimize even more children after his arrest in 2013. While awaiting trial, this sicko was arrested again in 2018. This time it was for multiple counts of child pornography and a series of other charges stemming from that arrest.

He has been locked up since his arrest in 2018 and has yet to go to trial for those charges. Langford told reporters this week that they are considering on how best to move forward with the remaining charges.

Given that he is now a convicted child rapist, after he goes to trial for the child pornography charges, he will like spend the rest of his pathetic life in a cage — something that undoubtedly gives all of his victims peace.

https://thefreethoughtproject.com/serial-child-rapist-cop-who-used-his-badge-to-rape-children-gets-40-years-in-a-cage/

J&J and Drug Distributors to Pay $589 Million Settlement to Native American Tribes Over Opioid Crisis

Johnson & Johnson (J&J) and three of the nation’s largest drug wholesalers and distributors have agreed to pay $589 million in settlement after hundreds of native tribes accused the companies of fueling the opioid crisis in their communities.

The three pharmaceutical distributors—Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen Corp., and McKesson Corp.—will pay more than $439 million in settlement over seven years. The Janssen-owned Johnson & Johnson has agreed to pay $150 million over two years.

The plaintiffs accused J&J of understating the addiction risks of opioids in its marketing campaign, and accused the distributors of letting addictive painkillers be diverted into illegal channels, according to court filings (pdf).

The native tribes, represented by the Tribal Leadership Community, stated in court filings that tribal governments have had to spend “considerable tribal funds to cover the costs of the opioid crisis” including costs for “health care, social services, child welfare, law enforcement, and other government services” which has imposed “severe financial burdens” on the plaintiffs.

“We’re not solving the opioid crisis with the settlement, but we are getting critical resources to tribal communities to address the crisis,” stated Steven Skikos, a lawyer for the tribes, in a telephonic court hearing, according to Reuters.

J&J told Reuters in a statement that it did not admit wrongdoing in the settlement and that the company was “appropriate and responsible” in its role of promoting opioid pain relief prescription medications.

This follows a 2019 lawsuit in which the drug distributors agreed to pay $75 million to resolve similar claims made by Cherokee Nation, one of the largest Cherokee tribes recognized by the federal government.

A 2016 report (pdf) released by the National Congress of American Indians found that American Indians suffered the highest rate (8.4 overdose deaths per capita) of opioid overdoses, followed by whites (7.9 overdose deaths per capita).

All 574 federally recognized tribes will be able to receive money from the settlements even if they had not filed the lawsuits, according to Tara Sutton, an attorney for the tribes, in a Feb. 1 statement to The Wall Street Journal.

The settlement comes a week after 44 U.S. states agreed to a $26 billion settlement proposed by the three drug distributors and J&J to resolve thousands of similar lawsuits accusing the companies of fueling the opioid epidemic.

The Epoch Times has reached out to Cardinal Health, AmerisourceBergen Corp., McKesson Corp., and Janssen for comment.

https://www.ntd.com/jj-and-drug-distributors-to-pay-589-million-settlement-to-native-american-tribes-over-opioid-crisis_735654.html

Trump Defends Ortagus Pick and Suggests Robby Starbuck Voted for Obama… Except He Didn’t?

President Donald J. Trump defended his controversial endorsement of former State Department official Morgan Ortagus on Newsmax this week, going so far as to claim that her opponent in the Republican Primary for Tennessee’s 5th Congressional District, Robby Starbuck, voted for Barack Obama. Except, according to Starbuck, no such thing ever happened.

Trump, who has endorsed a number of former Democrats including ex-Obama donor Kari Lake (AZ), took to the airwaves on Tuesday to offer his thoughts on the decision that has roiled his MAGA base:

“Well, I didn’t know Robby Starbuck; I have known Morgan; she’s been in the administration; she did a good job,” Trump told anchor Rob Schmitt. “I didn’t know Robby Starbuck. I hear good things about him, but I also hear he voted for Obama. If he voted for Obama, then I am very satisfied [with my decision]. I’ve heard he voted for Obama, but maybe he didn’t.”

President Trump added: “I’ve done a lot of things that were somewhat controversial and they’ve worked out… She’s solid.” But critics have pointed to the hiring of characters such as Omarosa Manigault, Anthony Scaramucci, Alyssa Farah, Stephanie Grisham, and others from the executive, candidate endorsement, and campaign sides of his operation as evidence of the contrary: they haven’t always worked out.

Schmidt didn’t appear to push back, though he did place Ortagus on the show immediately after, to accept the further endorsement.

Robby Starbuck – the Marjorie Taylor Greene-backed MAGA candidate – has been fighting in the district for years. He challenged Trump’s claim in a lengthy statement sent to The National Pulse, saying it was erroneously based upon a set of hypothetical tweets during a debate online, and that he albeit still regrettably voted for John McCain in 2008, and Mitt Romney in 2012.

In the comment, Starbuck said: “President Trump acknowledged in his recent Newsmax interview that his endorsement of Morgan Ortagus was ‘unpopular’ and that he’s been told I was ‘a great guy’ but in this interview he also signaled that someone floated a tweet to him that I ‘maybe’ voted for Obama. Here’s the truth: I regret my 2008 general election vote for President but it was not for Barack Obama — it was for John McCain. I won’t speak ill of the dead but I wasn’t a fan of either of them.”

Starbuck went on to describe how he has only ever registered Republican, and originally supported Ron Paul in 2008.

“If you search my statements over the years about Obama, they’re all negative. It would probably be easier to tell you I did vote for Obama as a protest vote against McCain after what was done to Ron Paul in that election season, but it wouldn’t be the truth and I believe in telling the truth and having transparency,” Starbuck added.

The news comes as the MAGA base weighs Trump’s decision to pre-emptively endorse Ortagus, a friend of his daughter Ivanka Trump, for the seat in Tennessee.

Ortagus has been criticized for her long-standing best friendship with Never Trumper Samantha Vinograd, who was also briefly her business partner. On her last day at the State Department, Ortagus pledged to “faithfully serve the Biden administration” in an e-mail to colleagues, a point not lost on Starbuck:

“After all of the backlash, I think deep down President Trump knows who the America First candidate is in this race. He’s had his biggest supporters, best advisors, many of his endorsed candidates and many of his lawyers come out in support of me after the endorsement of Ortagus. Lastly, I would note that the person he endorsed is on the record having called President Trump ‘disgusting’ and pledging to ‘faithfully serve the Biden Administration.’ That pledge happened AFTER Biden stole the election. I’m much more concerned with that than the way anyone voted in 2008 and I think the voters will agree with me on that!”

https://thenationalpulse.com/2022/02/03/the-battle-for-tn-5-trump-defends-ortagus-pick-and-suggests-robby-starbuck-voted-for-obama-except-he-didnt/

Tennessee Democrat expelled from state Senate over fraud conviction

A Tennessee Democrat was expelled from the state Senate on Wednesday over her conviction on fraud charges.

State Sen. Katrina Robinson of Memphis was convicted of wire fraud last fall after being accused of stealing $600,000 from a health care school she ran to pay for her wedding and other personal expenses before she was in office.

On Wednesday, state senators voted 27-5 for her expulsion after a recommendation from the Ethics Committee, FOX 13 of Memphis reported.

Senate Speaker Randy McNally said in a statement Wednesday, “While the expulsion of a Senator for the first time in history was not something any of us wished to see, it was a necessary action. The integrity of the Senate is of paramount importance.”

Robinson called the expulsion a “procedural lynching” and claimed the process was “racist” and “misogynistic” and talked about scandals that have plagued other state senators who have not been expelled.

“They determined she violated a criminal statute,” Republican state Sen. John Stevens said of her conviction. “How can we demand that citizens respect the integrity and reputation of the Senate if we disrespect them by ignoring their determinations?”

She and other Democrats argued the vote should be delayed until March when she is sentenced on two charges. Robinson was acquitted by a judge on 15 of 20 charges and a jury convicted her on four of the five charges of wire fraud.

Two of the four remaining charges were later dismissed by a judge and she was ultimately convicted on just two of the 20 counts, involving $3,400 in wedding expenses in 2016, according to FOX 13.

“I feel beat up standing in front of you guys,” Robinson said. “And really I didn’t prepare any words because there are no words for what this is.”

The last time any Tennessee lawmaker was expelled was in 1866 after the Civil War when six House members were removed because they refused to attend a special legislative session, a legislative librarian told The Associated Press.

Robinson, 41, represented Tennessee’s 33rd state Senate district, composed of portions of Memphis and nearby suburbs. She was in her first term after being elected to the Senate in 2018.

https://nypost.com/2022/02/03/tennessee-democrat-katrina-robinson-expelled-from-state-senate-over-fraud-conviction/

NYT’s ‘Turn’ on Biden Family ‘an Important Development’

Breitbart News senior contributor Peter Schweizer, author of Red-Handed: How American Elites Get Rich Helping China Win, reacted to The New York Times suing the State Department for access to Hunter Biden’s emails.

Schweizer told FNC’s “Fox & Friends” that the media’s “turn” on President Joe Biden and his family’s overseas dealings “is an important development.” He added the media see “Biden is struggling as president” and know he is likely on his way out.

“I think a lot of these newsrooms, you had management that did not want to cover these stories. They were sort of putting their fingers on the scale as far as politics are concerned,” Schweizer outlined. “And I honestly think part of the calculation is, Steve, that they see that Joe Biden is struggling as president. He is probably not going to be here for very long. I think this represents a turn, as it were, as far as some of the news publications’ management is concerned.”

“[I] think this is an important development,” he added. “I wish they were covering the China relationships with the Bidens. This involves Romania. But still, it’s an important story, and it speaks to the pattern of corruption that exists in the Biden family as it relates to these overseas dealings.”

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2022/02/03/schweizer-nyts-turn-on-biden-family-an-important-development/

Czech Court Abolishes Vaccine Passports For Restaurants and Hotels

The Supreme Administrative Court of the Czech Republic has ordered the abolition of vaccine passports for restaurants, hotels, and other venues, arguing that the measure is tantamount to vaccination coercion, and therefore not legal.

The court has given the Czech government seven days to reply to the ruling, which would remove all vaccine passport requirements from the country’s restaurants, bars, clubs and hotels once that period expires.

“The aim of the measure cannot be to indirectly force citizens to vaccinate. This would make voluntary vaccination mandatory through an extraordinary measure because unvaccinated people would have no choice but to be vaccinated if they wanted to live normally,” Supreme Administrative Court Judge Petr Mikeš said, influential Czech news outlet Seznam Zprávy reports.

Judge Mikeš ruled that the government’s pandemic laws do not allow for the specific regulation of restaurants, clubs and hotels and that measures would only be justified if the government could prove the entire country was at risk of the Wuhan coronavirus or if the government were to enact a state of emergency and use emergency powers to force venues to accept the vaccine passport.

“The Supreme Administrative Court has already stated in the past that the Ministry of Health has no basis for restricting this type of establishment in the so-called Pandemic Act, unless it is technical measures, such as the use of disinfection or the placement of seating,” Mikeš stated.

The case is not the first time a court has overturned government pandemic measures, including vaccine passport policies. In Spain, the Basque High Court ruled against the introduction of the vaccine passport for certain venues in November, arguing the measure was unjustified.

Despite the ruling, the vaccine passport was later approved after the case was taken to the Spanish supreme court in December.

Just months prior in August, the Spanish Supreme Court ruled that Spain’s 2020 strict lockdown policies had been unconstitutional but claimed that businesses and people were not eligible to take the government to court to sue for monetary damages incurred during the lockdowns.

https://www.breitbart.com/europe/2022/02/03/czech-court-abolishes-vaccine-passports-for-restaurants-and-hotels/

https://www.seznamzpravy.cz/clanek/koronavirus-soud-do-hospody-nebo-hotelu-i-bez-ockovani-nebo-prodelane-nemoci-187300