A WordPress Blog-THE CHURCH MILITANT Ephesians 5:11-"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather expose them". This Christian News Blog maintains a one stop resource of current news and reports of its own related to church, moral, spiritual, and related political issues, plus articles, and postings from other online discernment ministries, and media which share the aims to obey the biblical commands to shed light on and refute error, heresy, apostasy, cults, and spiritual abuse. ALL CONTENT FROM HTTPS://RATHEREXPOSETHEM.BLOGSPOT.COM MOVED TO THIS NEW BLOG, MAY 2020
Dr. Mehmet Oz took center stage on Capitol Hill to prescribe his vision for the U.S. health care system.
Dr. Mehmet Oz arrives for his confirmation hearing with the Senate Finance Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on March 14, 2025 in Washington, DC. Oz is U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Dr. Mehmet Oz took center stage on Capitol Hill to prescribe his vision for the U.S. health care system.
On Friday, President Donald Trump’s nominee to run the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid testified before the Senate Finance Committee.
Dr. Oz outlined his vision for making healthcare more affordable and efficient for millions of Americans.
The former heart surgeon turned television personality emphasized the need to strengthen healthcare while ensuring its long-term sustainability.
“We have a generational opportunity to fix our health care system and help people stay healthy for longer,” he said. “That’s why President Trump wants to love and cherish Medicare and Medicaid because he believes every American should get the care they want, need and deserve. To achieve this vision, CMS should work with Congress to find efficiencies that will help stabilize our insurance markets, which will make it easier and more affordable for Americans to adopt healthy lifestyles.”
Oz also voiced his support for work requirements for Medicaid recipients, saying it would help ensure resources go to those most in need.
While speaking on prescription drug prices, Oz reaffirmed President Trump’s goal of lowering costs for both the government and the American people
“President Trump has been very clear on this. We want to reduce the cost of medications to our government and to the American people, the co-pay. That’s not happening right now. We can do better,” Oz stated.
When questioned about a Republican budget plan that could impact healthcare coverage, Oz said he had not reviewed the specifics, but assured lawmakers he did not want children to lose insurance.
Oz then defended Medicare drug price negotiations, saying he would explore every option to reduce costs.
“I’m going to look, as the president has instructed me already to every single way that we can reduce drug prices. There are lots of options available. I feel compelled to pursue every one of them.”
With a Republican majority in the Senate, Oz is expected to be confirmed and oversee Medicare, Medicaid and other health programs serving more than 150 million people in the United States.
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U.S. President Donald Trump joined by women athletes signs the “No Men in Women’s Sports” executive order in the East Room at the White House on February 5, 2025 in Washington, DC. The executive order, which Trump signed on National Girls and Women in Sports Day, prohibits transgender women from competing in women’s sports and is the third order he has signed that targets transgender people. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
OAN Staff James Meyers
8:03 AM – Tuesday, March 4, 2025
A bill to ban biological males from participating in school athletic competitions designated for female athletes failed to advance Monday night, with Democrats standing united on the vote.
A test vote on the bill failed to gain the required 60 votes needed to advance in the chamber as senators stuck to their party lines in a 51-45 vote tally.
The bill sought to determine Title IX protections “based solely on a person’s reproductive biology and genetics at birth.” The vote comes after President Donald Trump signed an executive order in February cutting off federal funding for any state that did not comply with banning biological males playing in female sports. The order stated that an athlete’s “sex” is their gender assigned at birth.
However, Republicans in Congress still have the option of amending the 1972 Title IX law, which protects people from discrimination based on sex in education programs or activities that receive federal financial assistance.
“Around the country we have seen men — biological men who identify as women — take up spaces and medals in athletics meant for actual women,” said Senate Majority Leader John Thune, (R-S.D.), adding, “This is a matter of fairness and equality.”
Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) condemned Democrats for blocking the bill as well.
Well, at least now the American people know the truth.
Even after @realdonaldtrump’s landslide election, Democrats STILL support men competing in women’s sports.
This is far from over. I’ll NEVER stop fighting to protect women and girls.
— Coach Tommy Tuberville (@SenTuberville) March 4, 2025
“This is far from over,” he wrote on X. “I’ll NEVER stop fighting to protect women and girls.”
Democrats claimed the bill as a distraction from more “pressing issues” and a federal overreach into school decisions.
“What Republicans are doing today is inventing a problem to stir up a culture war and divide people against each other,” Sen. Brian Schatz, (D-Hawaii), said in a floor speech.
Sen. Tammy Baldwin, (D-Wis.), said, “This is a decision for sports leagues to thoughtfully craft policy that takes seriously what is best for all players, not blanket mandates that will undoubtedly have unintended consequences for the safety of all students.”
After Trump’s executive order went into effect, the NCAA changed its participation policy for transgender athletes to be banned from competition in women’s sports.
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“It’s déjà vu all over again,” Blaze News senior editor Daniel Horowitz tells Glenn. While Senate Republicans are planning on cutting a few hundred billion dollars in their next budget, they STILL passed a $340 billion budget blueprint. “Everyone hates inflation,” Horowitz argues, “except, they don’t want to reform or cut anything that’s driving it … What’s causing the current and future inflation are these programs!” Meanwhile, President Trump is asking for a balanced budget. “Now is the time,” Glenn says, for Trump to demand of Congress: “you HAVE to find these cuts!”
The Senate has voted 52 to 48 to confirm President Donald Trump's pick of Tulsi Gabbard as the director of National Intelligence. Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) was the only Republican to vote alongside the Democrats to oppose Gabbard's confirmation.
Tulsi Gabbard, U.S. President Donald Trump’s nominee to be Director of National Intelligence, arrives to testify during her confirmation hearing before the Senate Intelligence Committee in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on January 30, 2025 in Washington, DC. (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf
11:50 AM – Tuesday, February 4, 2025
Tulsi Gabbard was able to secure support from GOP senators who were previously on the fence regarding her director of national intelligence nomination, surviving a crucial Senate Intelligence Committee vote on Tuesday.
The Senate Intelligence Committee sent Gabbard’s nomination to the full Senate by a vote of 9 to 8.
Republican Senators Todd Young (R-Ind.) and Susan Collins (R-Maine) confirmed their support for Gabbard — after previously expressing skepticism.
“American intelligence officers around the globe deserve our respect and support. I appreciate Tulsi Gabbard’s engagement with me on a variety of issues to ensure that our intelligence professionals are supported and policymakers receive unbiased information under her leadership,” Young stated on Tuesday.
“I have done what the Framers envisioned for senators to do: use the consultative process to seek firm commitments, in this case commitments that will advance our national security, which is my top priority as a former Marine Corps intelligence officer,” Young continued. “Having now secured these commitments, I will support Tulsi’s nomination and look forward to working with her to protect our national security.”
We caught Sen. Todd Young after he publicly said he’ll support Tulsi Gabbard’s nomination for DNI.
Young’s comments of approval follow his prior concerns over Gabbard’s “dismissive” attitude towards whistleblower Edward Snowden while at her heating last week.
“I think it would benefit you, and be helpful to the way you are perceived by members of the intelligence community, if you would at least acknowledge that the greatest whistleblower in American history, so-called, harmed national security by breaking the laws of the land.”
Snowden, a former National Security Agency (NSA) contractor, previously leaked classified documents in 2013, disclosing the massive illegal and unconstitutional global surveillance programs that the NSA was conducting, which included the mass surveillance of everyday Americans, among other illicit programs.
Meanwhile, Collins further confirmed her support for Gabbard on Monday, stating “After extensive consideration of her nomination, I will support Tulsi Gabbard to be the Director of National Intelligence.
Collins previously voted against Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, showcasing her willingness to defy the GOP and President Donald Trump’s preferred candidates.
Collins added: “The Office of the Director of National Intelligence, however, has become far larger than it was designed to be, and Ms. Gabbard shares my vision of returning the agency to its intended size.”
Another point of contention was Gabbard’s previous opposition against Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act Section 702, which provides the federal intelligence apparatus to spy on non-Americans living abroad. Gabbard previously expressed concern that the program could violate the Fourth Amendment by “accidentally” collecting information on U.S. citizens.
However, after certain provisions were made that would disallow the possibility of these concerns to occur, Gabbard quickly changed her tune during the previous hearing.
“The national security capability that is provided by Section 702, that enables this foreign surveillance on non-U.S. persons overseas, is critical — period,” she affirmed during her hearing, calming one of Collins’ concerns.
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Secretary of Defense nominee Pete Hegseth attends the Commander and Chief Inaugural Ball on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. President Trump will attend some of the inaugural balls after taking the oath as the 47th president. (Photo by Andrew Harnik/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi
3:10 PM – Thursday, January 23, 2025
The Senate has voted to advance the nomination of Pete Hegseth as the new secretary of the Department of Defense.
On Thursday, the Senate advanced Hegseth’s nomination, despite objections from Democrats and some Republicans who have questioned his ability to lead the military.
One Republican, Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), posted on X in regard to the Senate’s advancement, asserting that she would not be voting in favor of confirming Hegseth.
“After thorough evaluation, I must conclude that I cannot in good conscience support his nomination for Secretary of Defense,” Murkowski said in a statement on Thursday. “I did not make this decision lightly; I take my constitutional responsibility to provide advice and consent with the utmost seriousness.”
Murkowski continued, attempting to raise concerns about Hegseth’s “lack of experience” in comparable executive positions, his previous “remarks on women” in combat, and the anonymous accusations of alcohol abuse and alleged sexual misconduct lodged against him.
Nevertheless, Hegseth has adamantly refuted these claims on numerous occasions.
According to Hegseth’s lawyer, Tim Parlatore, evidence gathered by a California DA’s office purportedly includes proof that the anonymous female accuser had filed false claims of sexual assault against another man in a different jurisdiction. Parlatore has been working to have these documents released to the public.
A spokeswoman for the Trump administration declared on Thursday that the “[22-page police report] corroborates what Mr. Hegseth’s attorneys have said all along. The incident was fully investigated and no charges were filed because police found the allegations to be false.” Monterey County District Attorney Jeannine M. Pacioni also admitted that her office could not file charges since it didn’t have “proof beyond a reasonable doubt.”
Despite this, Murkowski continued to explain her position.
“Although he has recently revised his statements on women in combat since being nominated, I remain concerned about the message that confirming Mr. Hegseth sends to women currently serving and those aspiring to join,” Murkowski said. “Women have served our nation with distinction, overcoming immense obstacles to excel in combat and leadership roles, and they deserve to know that their leader honors and values their commitment to our nation.
“While the allegations of sexual assault and excessive drinking do nothing to quiet my concerns, the past behaviors Mr. Hegseth has admitted to, including infidelity on multiple occasions, demonstrate a lack of judgment that is unbecoming of someone who would lead our armed forces,” Murkowski added. “Men and women in uniform are held accountable for such actions, and they deserve leaders who uphold those same standards.”
Since Mr. Hegseth’s nomination last November, I have met with him and carefully reviewed his writings, various reports, and other pertinent materials. I closely followed his hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee and gathered substantial feedback from organizations,…
Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) similarly voted not to confirm Hegseth — due to the allegations against him.
The 51-49 vote to end debate on Hegseth’s nomination sets the stage for a final confirmation vote on Friday, when he is anticipated to secure the majority support he needs to join Trump’s Cabinet.
The Armed Services panel voted along party lines, 14-13, to waive the seven-day rule and advance the nominee.
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In her State of the State address, Gov. Kristi Noem (R-SD) spoke about the southern border before her Senate confirmation hearing to be Secretary of Homeland Security.
Incoming U.S. Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) (R) speaks to reporters following the weekly Senate luncheon at the U.S. Capitol on December 17, 2024 in Washington, DC. Thune spoke on the passing of the National Defense Authorization Act and the upcoming government funding bill. Thune was joined by Sen. Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) (L) and Sen. John Barrasso (R-WY). (Photo by Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
OAN Staff James Meyers 1:52 PM – Wednesday, December 18, 2024
The Senate approved the Pentagon’s massive $895 billion annual budget on Wednesday, which also prohibits the use of federal funds to provide transgender surgeries for minors with gender dysphoria, angering pro-LGBTQ Democrats.
In an 85-to-14 vote, the Senate passed the 1,800-page National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which had cleared the House of Representatives last week and now just needs President Joe Biden’s signature.
At the start of every new fiscal year on October 1st, Congress is tasked with passing the NDAA to authorize defense spending and specify expenditures. This year’s bill, which comes more than two months late, amounts to a 1% uptick over last year’s budget.
The bill also features a 4.5% pay hike for service members across the board at the start of 2025.
While NDAAs historically garner bipartisan support, Republicans were able to successfully throw out the bill’s provision on child transgenderism, which Democrats uplifted.
GOP officials argue that since a child’s brain doesn’t stop developing throughout their teens and mid-20s, with many “phases” and confusion naturally experienced throughout their childhood, it’s ethically wrong to allow under-18 minors to permanently alter their bodies forever due to a mental disorder.
The new NDAA blocks the military’s health care service Tricare from footing the bill for “gender transition” coverage pertaining to service members’ children under the age of 18. All 21 Senate Democrats were against the provision change.
Led by Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), she claimed that the transgender policy could have an impact on an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 gender dysphoric children of service members.
According to the Modern Military Association of America, there are close to “10,000 transgender youth ages 6 to 22” with parents active in the military.
Besides the transgender provisions, the NDAA aimed to improve conditions for service members, including a 14.5% bump for junior troops in a bid to help recruitment efforts. An amendment was also added to the bill that would authorize the Department Of Defense (DoD) to safeguard the border from drones, which comes after the recent arrival of drones in the Northeast.
“Murderous drug cartels and foreign adversaries have taken advantage of the chaos of the last administration to fly drones unchecked into American airspace,” Ernst said in a statement.
“Border security is national security, and Americans deserve real measures to protect them against a growing threat.”
Additionally, the measure enables the use of the National Guard to help support efforts to control the crossing of illegal immigrants across the U.S.-Mexico border. Hiring individuals based on diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) will also be prohibited until the DoD is able to conclude its investigation of DEI programs.
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Poll workers demonstrate how ballots are are received, processed, scanned, and securely stored on Election Day at the Philadelphia Election Warehouse during a press tour by the Philadelphia City Commissioners on October 25, 2024 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Unverified claims of ballot tampering have already been made in Pennsylvania and other states ahead of the November 5th general election. (Photo by Matthew Hatcher/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Abril Elfi 4:35 PM – Monday, November 18, 2024
The cost of Pennsylvania’s Senate recount is expected to cost around $1 million in federal funds.
Secretary of the Commonwealth Al Schmidt said that statewide recounts are triggered if the votes are within a 0.5% margin.
Senator Bob Casey (D-Pa.) and Senate-elect David McCormick (R-Pa.) were separated by 0.43% votes, with a maximum of 80,000 provisional and mail-in ballots still left to be counted.
According to the Department of State, as of 4 p.m. local time on November 14th, Casey received 48.53% of the vote with 3,359,086 votes, and McCormick had 48.90% with 3,385,115.
Schmidt stated that the last recount in the state between McCormick and cardiothoracic surgeon Mehmet Oz, known on television as Dr. Oz, cost Pennsylvania taxpayers $1.053 million.
In this case, about 7 million ballots will be subject to recount, and counties will begin counting on November 20th and must finish by November 26th at noon. They also must report their data to Schmidt by November 27th at 12 p.m.
During the recount, Schmidt said that counties will use “a different method or different equipment to tabulate the results” than they used in the initial tally to identify any potential issues.
Schmidt also noted that the results of the recount will be published online on November 27th, the day before Thanksgiving. Meanwhile, the state website’s election returns page will be updated as counties update their unofficial vote tallies from the original count. These updates are separate from the recount.
Meanwhile, House Minority Leader Bryan Cutler slammed Casey for declining to waive the costly recount.
“Throughout his entire career, Sen. Casey has publicly called for the enforcement of the rule of law and the upholding of judicial norms,” said Cutler. “The facts and the law are clear: The election was free and fair; Dave McCormick is our new U.S. senator; a costly, statewide recount is unnecessary and duplicative; and Democrat-controlled counties are now openly defying the courts and the plain language of the election law to try and overturn a legal election result.”
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Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., explains why he believes he is the best choice for Senate majority leader and says Pennsylvania Sen.-elect Dave McCormick (R) should be allowed to attend Senate orientation.
Former and future President Donald J. Trump’s return to office will assure more 2A-friendly federal court nominations and a reversal of Joe Biden’s crusade against gun rights. (Donald Trump IMG WhiteHouse-gov)
The silver lining of Donald J. Trump’s re-election as the 47th President Tuesday is that for the next two, and possibly four years, he will be able to fill federal court vacancies, including any open seats on the U.S. Supreme Court, with Second Amendment-friendly judges and justices.
It was a repudiation of the policies of anti-gun President Joe Biden and his equally anti-gun Vice President Kamala Harris. It was also a triumph over Democrats from the Biden-Harris administration on down who have waged a war against the former president beginning when he first took office in 2017 and have not relented over the past four years in an effort to prevent him from running for another term.
Gun owners should expect the new Trump administration to quickly do a couple of things:
Abolish the Biden-Harris White House Office of Gun Violence Prevention. This blatant creation of an internal administrative mini-bureaucracy whose only purpose was to lobby for stricter gun control laws was considered an open declaration of war on the Second Amendment and the nation’s gun owners.
Fire and replace ATF Director Steve Dettelbach. Install someone in that position who does know something about firearms, and who can tell the difference between honest American gun owners and violent criminals who belong in prison.
This person should quickly change policies regarding the regulation of traditional gun shows across the country.
Gun owners are also expecting President Trump to nominate a U.S. attorney general who directs his/her attention to prosecuting and imprisoning genuine violent criminals, rather than adopt and enforce policies designed to make criminals of law-abiding gun owners.
Here are a few suggestions for Republicans in the House and Senate:
Pass legislation prohibiting waiting periods for anyone with a concealed carry license or permit issued by any state.
Pass national reciprocity legislation, requiring states that do not already have so-called “constitutional carry” statutes to recognize carry permits/licenses issued by any other state.
Pass legislation allowing cross-state purchase of handguns, with enough funding to improve the FBI’s National Instant Check System (NICS). (After all, an individual who can pass a background check in his/her home state should be able to pass a background check in any state.)
Pass legislation requiring photo identification for voting. (People must show valid photo ID to open bank accounts, make major purchases, buy firearms and do all sorts of other things. It should be the same for voting in any election.)
It is clear gun owners in critical battleground states turned out to help move the vote for Trump and away from Harris, who could not shake her position on “mandatory buybacks” despite efforts by her campaign to walk it back.
As noted by Alan Gottlieb, chairman of the Citizens Committee for the Right to Keep and Bear Arms, “In this election, the Democrats shot blanks and the voters buried their gun ban agenda. I bet they will double down on gun prohibition because they know that it was gun owners that removed them from power and they are gunning to get even. The fight to defend gun rights is not over and every gun owner who helped win this battle must remember that the war on gun rights is ongoing.”
One major disappointment came from the Pacific Northwest, where voters elected vehemently anti-gun Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson as the state’s next governor. He may have an awkward time of things, considering his history of filing lawsuits against the president-elect during his first term.
As noted by Fox News, Ferguson “came to national prominence by repeatedly suing the administration of former President Donald Trump, including bringing the lawsuit that blocked Trump’s initial travel ban on citizens of several majority-Muslim nations.”
Ferguson reminded his supporters of his history of litigating against Trump, beginning almost immediately after the president took office in 2017.
In his victory speech, Ferguson declared, “I will lead a government that protects our core freedoms.” That may not apply to Article I, Section 24 of the state constitution, which declares “The right of the individual citizen to bear arms in defense of himself, or the state, shall not be impaired.” Yet Ferguson has lobbied for bans on so-called “assault weapons” and “large-capacity magazines.”
The concern now will be how fast Washington lawmakers move to make the Evergreen State just like New Jersey or California. Watch for an exodus of gun owners to neighboring Idaho, or states where they will be welcomed, such as Montana, Utah, Wyoming, Arizona or Texas.
Donald Trump arrives to speak with former first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. (Photo by Joe Raedle/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Sophia Flores 11:55 PM – Tuesday, November 5, 2024
Donald Trump has officially been elected the 47th president of the United States of America.
Trump was elected to the Oval Office in a landslide victory.
As of 11:50pm PST, Trump won 277 electoral votes, sending him over the needed 270 to clinch the White House. In addition to winning the most electoral votes, he won the popular vote. A Republican has not won the popular vote since George W. Bush in 2004.
Additionally, Trump would be the second president in history to serve two nonconsecutive terms. The last president to do so was former Democrat President Grover Cleveland in 1892.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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Newsmax projected Donald Trump the winner of the presidency, the first network to do so.
Newsmax made the projection at 1:23 a.m. ET, beating all major news networks.
The projection came minutes after Newsmax called the state of Pennsylvania for Trump.
The Pennsylvania win gave him the magic 270 electoral votes, making him the 47th President of the United States.
"The Pennsylvania race was extremely close, but it became clear that there was no pathway for Kamala Harris to overcome President Trump's lead," Gary Kanofsky, Senior Vice President of News at Newsmax, said.
"We kept crunching the data and it became obvious as more votes came in that Donald Trump had established an insurmountable lead. That's when we were confident it was time to make the call."
Other networks followed Newsmax's lead, including Fox News, which called the race for Trump a half hour later.
Trump beat Kamala Harris after picking up key victories in swing states Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Michigan.
Georgia in picking Trump became the first to flip from the 2020 results. Joe Biden narrowly carried Georgia in 2020, but Republicans have won every other Georgia presidential vote since 1996.
Harris and Trump had their eyes on seven battleground states before the election: Arizona, Georgia, Pennsylvania, North Carolina, Wisconsin, Michigan, and Nevada.
Trump took North Carolina first, followed by Georgia, Pennsylvania and then Wisconsin.
Justin Robert Young, the host of “Politics, Politics, Politics” says the GOP will easily pick up Senate seats in Montana and West Virginia. But he also says the races in Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and Michigan are tightening up. He also explains the similarities between the 2016 Trump Campaign and the 1960 Kennedy Campaign, which bodes well for the MAGA movement in 2024.
Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. President Donald Trump is whisked away by the Secret Service after shots rang out at a campaign rally at Butler Farm Show Inc. on July 13, 2024 in Butler, Pennsylvania. (Photo by Jeff Swensen/Getty Images)
OAN Staff Blake Wolf 11:47 AM – Thursday, September 26, 2024
A new Senate report has revealed that the U.S. Secret Service agent in charge of former President Donald Trump’s July 13th Butler, Pennsylvania, rally was aware of “credible intelligence” regarding a dire security threat, yet did not pass the information on to event planners or her supervisor.
The Wednesday report, released by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee and Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, found that the Secret Service’s lead agent in charge of the Trump rally had stated in a security planning document that there was “no adverse intelligence” regarding Trump’s Butler rally, despite her own “prior knowledge of an unspecified threat.”
Additionally, the advance agent in question reportedly told Senate investigators that she had notified the special agent in charge (SAIC) of the Secret Service’s Pittsburgh field office regarding the “credible intelligence” prior to the rally. However, after contacting Pittsburgh’s SAIC and speaking to him directly, he disputed her claims and informed Senate officials that he was not informed and had no knowledge of this.
Pittsburgh SAIC then told investigators that if he had known about the threat, the rally would have most likely moved to an indoor location in order to mitigate the potential risk.
Why were counter snipers there?
A “threat” the USSS Intelligence Advance Agent, the Lead Advance Agent, the Pittsburgh Special Agent in Charge all WERE NOT TOLD about
The FBI did not respond to an intel request for Butler before the rally
The 94-page report also cited security failures, which included: a lack of chain of command, poor coordination between state and local law enforcement, insufficient equipment and resources, and a failure to effectively secure the site of the rally.
Gunman Thomas Matthew Crooks, 20, came within millimeters of killing the former president on live television. Crooks climbed on top of a nearby building and, soon after, fired eight gunshots from his AK-47 style firearm in Trump’s direction. Nonetheless, the gunman only hit Trump in the side of his right ear, as the former president had turned and moved his head at the exact timing of the gunshots.
However, 50-year-old rally goer Corey Comperatore and two others were not so lucky. Comperatore passed away that day after being hit by a barrage of bullets, while the other two men were quickly rushed to the hospital.
In terms of the Senate report, it also revealed that counter snipers were on site due to this exact “credible intelligence” of a threat, yet the majority of Secret Service personnel who spoke to the committee still claimed that they had been unaware of the threat.
Secret Service agents said that they “could not identify” who had the final authority to make decisions during the Trump event.
“It was almost like an ‘Abbott and Costello’ farce with ‘who’s on first’ finger pointing by all of the different actors,” stated Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), “It was really truth being stranger than fiction.”
“Every single one of these actions is directly related to a failure in the U.S. Secret Service’s planning, communications, intelligence sharing and law enforcement coordination efforts,” Chairman Gary Peters stated on Tuesday. “Every single one of these failures was preventable, and the consequences of those failures were dire.”
Despite egregious mistakes by the lead agent and other Secret Service members, they still refused to accept any responsibility when questioned by investigators on the security failure findings.
The lead agent’s identity has not been made public, however, during a July hearing with Secret Service Director Ronald Rowe, Missouri Senator Josh Hawley (R-Mo.) stated “I know their name,” referencing the lead agent.
Secret Service spokesperson Anthony Guglielmi also stated that the agency reviewed the report and agreed that the committee’s findings aligned with many of the Secret Service’s “Mission Assurance Review,” revealing multiple communication issues as well as a lack of “due diligence.”
“The weight of our mission is not lost on us and in this hyperdynamic threat environment, the U.S. Secret Service cannot fail,” Guglielmi stated. “Many of the insights gained from the Senate report aligned with the findings from our mission assurance review and are essential to ensuring that what happened on July 13 never happens again.”
The committee has reportedly completed 12 interviews, reviewed roughly 2,800 documents, and conducted a walkthrough inspection at the Butler rally site, with additional interviews expected in the coming weeks.
Committee aides have not confirmed if the probe will expand or continue, looking into the second assassination attempt, which took place earlier this month at Trump’s West Palm Beach golf club. However, Attorney General Merrick Garland announced at a recent Justice Department event that the DOJ will “waste no resources” in the agency’s investigation of the second incident.
“We’ve put a lot of meat on the bones here, but we are a long way from getting the information we need,” stated Wisconsin Senator Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), a member of the investigation subcommittee.
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Government agencies acquiring farmland due to chemical contamination concerns, leading to potential nationwide implementation. 0:00 Senate seeks funding to purchase farmland from U.S. farmers. 0:44 Government agencies are pushing for a buyback program, raising concerns about narrative control. 04:23 Government agencies acquiring farmland due to chemical contamination concerns, leading to potential nationwide implementation. 08:07 Organic farms contaminated with PFAS due to nearby sewage sludge usage. 12:17 Complexity of the proposed government program to address the farm crisis causing panic and concern. 16:21 Concerns over government control, farm shutdowns, and global agendas impacting food security.
DOVER, Del. -- A bill allowing doctor-assisted suicide in Delaware narrowly cleared the Democrat-led House on Thursday and now goes to the state Senate for consideration.
The bill is the latest iteration of legislation that has been repeatedly introduced by Newark Democrat Paul Baumbach since 2015, and it is the only proposal to make it to a floor vote. After lengthy debate, lawmakers voted 21-16 for the measure, which needed at least 21 affirmative votes for passage.
Among those voting for the bill was Republican Rep. Kevin Hensley of Townsend, who voted against the proposal in previous legislative sessions.
“I did not get confused,” Hensley assured fellow lawmakers after the vote. Hensley said his perspective on the issue changed after his mother, who lives in California, opted for physician-assisted suicide a year ago.
“This was probably one of the toughest votes I’ve ever had to make,” said Hensley, the only GOP lawmaker to vote for the bill.
California is one of 10 states, along with the District of Columbia, that have laws legalizing medically assisted suicide.
Several Republican lawmakers expressed ethical concerns about the Delaware legislation. They also questioned the need for it, given advances in hospice and palliative care in recent years.
Baumbach said the measures are not intended to replace palliative or hospice care, but to complement them. Data from other states indicate that hospice care is involved in the vast majority of cases involving doctor-assisted suicide, he added.
Baumbach said the “end-of-life option” offered in the bill gives terminally ill individuals certainty that they can choose to end their pain if it becomes greater than what hospice or palliative care can alleviate.
“This puts the choice in the dying person’s hands to determine whether or not they wish to self-administer the medicine,” he said.
The legislation allows an adult resident of Delaware who has been diagnosed with a terminal illness and is expected to die within six months to request lethal prescription drugs from a doctor or advanced practice registered nurse who has primary responsibility for the terminal illness. A consulting physician or nurse would have to confirm the diagnosis and prognosis of the patient, who must have “decision-making capacity.”
The patient would have to be evaluated by a psychiatrist or a psychologist if any of the medical professionals involved are concerned that he or she lacks decision-making capacity. A person also would not qualify for doctor-assisted suicide solely because of age or disability.
The patient would have to make two oral requests for a lethal prescription, followed by a written request, and would have to wait at least 15 days after the initial request before receiving the drugs. The attending doctor or nurse would have to wait at least 48 hours after the written request, which must be signed by two witnesses before prescribing the drugs.
The bill states that any provision in a contract, will, or any other agreement that would affect whether an individual could make or rescind a request for lethal prescription “is not valid.” It also states that requesting, prescribing or dispensing the lethal medication “does not, for any purpose, constitute elder abuse, suicide, assisted-suicide, homicide, or euthanasia.”
The legislation goes further to assert that the act of killing oneself with self-administered prescription medication does not invalidate any part of an insurance policy or annuity.
During the testimony of federal officials on the situation of unaccompanied migrant children, Robin Dunn Marcos faced criticism from Josh Hawley and Lindsey Graham. Seema Nanda, the solicitor of labor for the U.S. Labor Department, revealed to the Senate Judiciary Committee that there has been an 88% increase in the number of children employed illegally since 2019. Along with representatives from the State, Homeland Security, and Health and Human Services Departments, Ms. Nanda discussed various aspects related to the well-being and safety of unaccompanied minors at the border. These included resource requirements, border security, enforcement of child labor laws, and the provision of care and services for these children, as well as protocols for identifying and assisting trafficked minors.
Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) speaks during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol on March 7, 2023 in Washington, DC. McConnell spoke on a range of issues after a closed-door lunch meeting with Senate Republicans. (Photo by Drew Angerer/Getty Images)
OAN’s Sophia Flores 9:35 AM – Wednesday, February 28, 2024
The longest serving Senate leader in history, Mitch McConnell, is set to step down from his position in November.
McConnell (R-Ky.), announced the news on Wednesday afternoon in the well of the Senate. A place he first became acquainted to in 1985.
“One of life’s most underappreciated talents is to know when it’s time to move on to life’s next chapter,” he said in prepared remarks obtained by The Associated Press. “So I stand before you today … to say that this will be my last term as Republican leader of the Senate.”
“As I have been thinking about when I would deliver some news to the Senate, I always imagined a moment when I had total clarity and peace about the sunset of my work,” McConnell said in his prepared remarks. “A moment when I am certain I have helped preserve the ideals I so strongly believe. It arrived today.”
While McConnell will be stepping down as the GOP leader, he plans to serve out his Senate term. It concludes in January 2027.
This is a breaking story. Check back for updates.
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In a bold move that underscores his commitment to America First principles, Speaker Johnson has put a stop to a Senate bill that sought to funnel billions in foreign aid, sidestepping critical domestic issues such as border security. This special report dives into the fiery press conference where Johnson didn't just shut down the bill but also blasted President Biden for his mishandling of classified information and overall incompetence. Johnson's stance sends a clear message: American leadership must prioritize the needs of its people over international aid. This report unpacks the implications of Johnson's actions, the reactions it has sparked, and what this means for the future of American policy and leadership. Don't miss our Final Thought, where we tie everything together, revealing why this moment is crucial for every American.
