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Category: News
January 9, 2024
William Upton
News

Kamala Harris Bought THOUSANDS of Her Own ‘Signature Scent’ Candles As Gifts for Foreign Dignitaries.

Vice President Kamala Harris has her very own personalized scent of candles, with up to 5,000 of them produced so far, according to her friend and candlemaker Melanie Apple Fields. The jasmine-scented candles even bear the seal of the Office of the Vice President and are often given as gifts to dignitaries, special guests, and friends of Harris. Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, and King Abdullah II of Jordan were reportedly given one of Harris’s scented candles as a gift.

Apple Fields, who owns the Voyage et Cie candle shop in Los Angeles, produces the gifts for the Vice-President. When Harris’s successor, Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), wanted to order 125 candles with the same “personalized” scent as Harris’s, Apple Fields contacted the Vice-President’s office for permission. According to the candlemaker, Harris’s office said the Senator was fine to produce his own similar candle but couldn’t copy the Vice-President’s “scent.”

“They’re just exclusively hers, and they’re really beautiful looking,” Apple Fields said in a recent interview, revealing she’s sold “definitely over 2,000” candles to Harris, adding that number may top 5,000.

The L.A. creative also makes a “unique” candle for First Lady Jill Biden, again at taxpayer expense. Sen. Padilla’s office claims he was more interested in the candle’s “look” than the specific scent.

When asked during an interview if she would produce a “special” candle for former President Donald Trump, Apple Fields said she would not. “I think he’s a mean guy. I would do it for [Utah Sen.] Mitt Romney, but I wouldn’t do it for Trump. I have to like the person,” she said.

The Vice President apparently brought in Apple Fields to “scent” the Vice President’s Residence when she first took office and even had to be released from a non-disclosure agreement to discuss her candle work for Harris.

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Vice President Kamala Harris has her very own personalized scent of candles, with up to 5,000 of them produced so far, according to her friend and candlemaker Melanie Apple Fields. The jasmine-scented candles even bear the seal of the Office of the Vice President and are often given as gifts to dignitaries, special guests, and friends of Harris. Nayib Bukele, president of El Salvador, and King Abdullah II of Jordan were reportedly given one of Harris's scented candles as a gift. show more
January 9, 2024
News

Park Service REVERSES Decision to Remove William Penn Statue From Philly Park.

The National Park Service (NPS) reversed its decision on Monday to remove a statue of Pennsylvania founder William Penn from Philadelphia’s Welcome Park, which bears the name of the ship on which he sailed to America. NPS claimed that news of the decision to remove the statue was “released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.”

The sudden reversal came after a public outcry against the initial decision to remove the Penn statue, which was announced last week, and was part of plans to “rehabilitate” the park to provide “an expanded interpretation of the Native American history of Philadelphia.”

Although the William Penn statue will remain in Welcome Park, NPS stated its intention to continue with the park’s “rehabilitation.”

“The National Park Service (NPS) remains committed to rehabilitating Welcome Park as the nation prepares to commemorate the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026,” the agency said in a statement. “Upon completion of all the necessary internal reviews, the park looks forward to engaging in a robust public process to consider options for refurbishing the park in the coming years.”

Many statues deemed by some to be politically incorrect have been removed from public places in recent years, with Confederate memorials being a particularly favorite target. However, statues of other historical figures, such as George Washington, have also come into the crosshairs.

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The National Park Service (NPS) reversed its decision on Monday to remove a statue of Pennsylvania founder William Penn from Philadelphia's Welcome Park, which bears the name of the ship on which he sailed to America. NPS claimed that news of the decision to remove the statue was “released prematurely and had not been subject to a complete internal agency review.” show more
January 9, 2024
News

Ashli Babbitt’s Family Files $30 Million Wrongful-Death Suit.

The family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, has filed a $30 million wrongful death action in Southern California.

Babbitt, a 35-year-old Air Force veteran and Trump supporter, was assassinated at point-blank range by Capitol Police Officer Lt. Michael Byrd while trying to climb through a window near the House Chamber. Byrd admitted not seeing a weapon on Babbitt before discharging his firearm. The legal action introduces disconcerting facts relating to the shooting, alleging Babbitt’s hands were in plain sight and visibly empty when she was killed:

Ashli could not have seen Lt. Byrd, who was positioned far to Ashli’s left and on the opposite side of the doors, near an opening to the Retiring Room, a distance of approximately 15 feet and an angle of approximately 160 degrees. Sgt. Timothy Lively, one of the armed officers guarding the lobby doors from the hallway, later told officials investigating the shooting, ‘I saw him . . . there was no way that woman would’ve seen that.’ Lt. Byrd, who was not in uniform, did not identify himself as a police officer or otherwise make his presence known to Ashli. Lt. Byrd did not give Ashli any warnings or commands before shooting her dead.

The complaint also alleges that Officer Byrd gave a false “shots fired” report following his shooting Babbitt:

At 2:45 p.m., or within one minute after shooting Ashli, Lt. Byrd made the following radio call: ‘405B. We got shots fired in the lobby. We got shots fired in the lobby of the House chamber. Shots are being fired at us and we’re sh, uhh, prepared to fire back at them. We have guns drawn. Please don’t leave that end. Don’t leave that end.’ Approximately 35 seconds later, Lt. Byrd made another radio call, stating, ‘405B. We got an injured person. I believe that person was shot.’ In fact, no shots were fired at Lt. Byrd or his fellow officers. The only shot fired was the single shot Lt. Byrd fired at Ashli. He heard the loud noise of the gunshot. He saw her fall backwards from the window frame.

You can read the entire filing here.

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The family of Ashli Babbitt, who was shot and killed by police during the riot at the U.S. Capitol on January 6th, has filed a $30 million wrongful death action in Southern California. show more
romney turd
January 9, 2024
News

Even Mitt Romney Thinks Jan 6 Is A Political ‘Dead Horse.’

Utah Senator Mitt Romney, in a recent interview, warned President Joe Biden against using the January 6 Capitol attack in his campaign against Donald Trump, deeming it a “dead political horse.”

“Jan 6 will be four years old by the election. People have processed it, one way or another,” he said. “Biden needs fresh material, a new attack, rather than kicking a dead political horse,” Romney said in an interview with The New York Times. 

Romney, who is retiring from the Senate this year, has been a consistent critic of Trump and voted to convict the 45th President in both impeachment trials.

The Utah Senator’s comments come as President Biden has made Trump’s alleged support for “insurrection” a key theme of his campaign. “Donald Trump’s campaign is about him, not America. Not you. Donald Trump’s campaign is obsessed with the past, not the future. He’s willing to sacrifice our democracy [to] put himself in power,” Biden said in a speech on Friday.

Romney recently described himself as a “turd in the punch bowl” for a biography of himself which failed to attract any interest.
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Utah Senator Mitt Romney, in a recent interview, warned President Joe Biden against using the January 6 Capitol attack in his campaign against Donald Trump, deeming it a "dead political horse." show more
January 9, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Media
News
Politics

LISTEN: Hot Mic Catches Journos Joking About Trump Being Assassinated – ‘Like JFK! Take a Convertible!’

Microphones caught journalists waiting for Donald Trump to arrive at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington D.C. joking about the former president being assassinated on Tuesday.

Trump is attending the D.C. Court of Appeals to hear the opening oral arguments in his appeal against Jack Smith’s efforts to prosecute him over January 6th, and journalists gathered outside the courthouse in substantial numbers ahead of his arrival.

Two of them could be heard in live feeds joking about having a “good shot” at the America First leader when he arrived, particularly if he showed up driving a convertible like the one the late President John F. Kennedy was riding in when he was shot in the head in 1963:

First Journalist: You know what the worst part is? Even if he has his window open and he’s hanging out of it, he will be on the other side of the street.

Second Journalist: I mean, if he’s driving, we’ve got a good shot!

First Journalist: Yeah, if he’s driving with the front window open?

Second Journalist: Yeah, or if it’s a convertible?

First Journalist: Yeah. I wasn’t thinking about that.

Second Journalist: Yeah. Like if he just pulls up–

First Journalist: Like JFK?

Second Journalist: (laughs)

First Journalist: Maybe someone, just like they told JFK. You know what you should do? You should take a convertible! It’s so nice out!

Trump’s hearing is being overseen by a panel of two Joe Biden-appointed judges and one George H. W. Bush-appointed judge.

His lawyers argue the Smith prosecution amounts to double jeopardy, as Trump was already tried and acquitted over January 6th by the U.S. Senate, and that Smith is also violating the principle of presidential immunity for official acts.

LISTEN:

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Microphones caught journalists waiting for Donald Trump to arrive at the E. Barrett Prettyman Courthouse in Washington D.C. joking about the former president being assassinated on Tuesday. show more
January 9, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
Crime
Politics

Fulton County DA Fani Willis ‘Had Affair With Married Special Prosecutor, Funded Vacations with Public Money.’

Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, pursuing Donald Trump for supposed election interference in Georgia, and married special prosecutor Nathan Wade have been accused of engaging in an “improper” and “clandestine” relationship by lawyers for Michael Roman, one of the former president’s co-defendants.

Willis and Wade are accused of personally enriching themselves, with Wade having been paid almost $654,000 in legal fees authorized by the DA since his appointment in January 2022. Wade is said to have used this money to bring Willis on vacations in Florida and Napa Valley and to take her on Caribbean cruises.

Roman’s lawyers are calling for the charges against him to be thrown out, with the DA and special prosecutor potentially facing investigation for the federal crimes of honest service fraud and racketeering.

“The district attorney chose to appoint her romantic partner, who at all times relevant to this prosecution has been a married man,” Roman attorney Ashleigh Merchant wrote in a filing.

Merchant is calling for the case to be dropped “on the grounds that the district attorney and the special prosecutor have been engaged in an improper, clandestine personal relationship during the pendency of this case, which has resulted in the special prosecutor, and, in turn, the district attorney, profiting significantly from this prosecution at the expense of the taxpayers.”

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Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis, pursuing Donald Trump for supposed election interference in Georgia, and married special prosecutor Nathan Wade have been accused of engaging in an "improper" and "clandestine" relationship by lawyers for Michael Roman, one of the former president's co-defendants. show more

Editor’s Notes

Behind-the-scenes political intrigue exclusively for Pulse+ subscribers.

RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
The full motion to dismiss can be read here
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The full motion to dismiss can be read here show more
for exclusive members-only insights
January 8, 2024
Media

WATCH: Even Mike Pence Says Jan 6 Was Not ‘An Insurrection.’

“Do you think Donald Trump engaged in insurrection?” Jake Tapper asked former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday, eliciting a slap back from the man consistently name-checked by the left as being on the receiving end of “hang Mike Pence” chants back in 2021.

“I have never called what happened on January 6 an insurrection. And it is noteworthy that, even in the federal case in Washington, D.C., the president hasn’t been charged with insurrection,” Pence replied, adding: “And while I said that the president’s words were reckless, and I believe that history and the American people will hold him ultimately to account for his role in that day, I think these efforts to take the decision away from the American people are really antithetical to the very democracy that the President Biden and many Democrats talk about wanting to defend.”

“Removing the former president or any other candidate from the choice of the American people, I don’t believe is in the interest of the country.”

WATCH:

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“Do you think Donald Trump engaged in insurrection?” Jake Tapper asked former Vice President Mike Pence on Sunday, eliciting a slap back from the man consistently name-checked by the left as being on the receiving end of "hang Mike Pence" chants back in 2021. show more
January 8, 2024
News

Judiciary, Oversight Committees Recommend Hunter Biden Held in Contempt of Congress

The House Judiciary and Oversight Committees released reports on Monday recommending that Hunter Biden be held in contempt of Congress for his “flagrant defiance” of a Congressional subpoena related to the impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden.

Hunter Biden “must be held accountable for his unlawful actions,” read the reports, echoing a joint statement by Oversight Chairman Rep. James Comer (R-Kentucky) and Judiciary Chairman Rep. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) issued last week, which said that Hunter Biden’s defiance of Congress “warrants referral to the appropriate United States Attorney’s Office for prosecution.”

Should the Republican-led committees pass the resolutions to hold Hunter Biden in contempt, a full House vote will be triggered. The lower chamber, which is controlled by a slim Republican majority, could then vote to refer the case to the Department of Justice, which would ultimately decide whether or not to pursue criminal charges against Biden.

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The House Judiciary and Oversight Committees released reports on Monday recommending that Hunter Biden be held in contempt of Congress for his "flagrant defiance" of a Congressional subpoena related to the impeachment inquiry of President Joe Biden. show more
January 8, 2024
William Upton
Crime

Dead Man Stuffed in Trash Can 3 Blocks from Nats Stadium in Bowser’s DC.

Human remains have been found in a dumpster near the Nationals baseball stadium in Southwest D.C. The Metropolitan Police Department initially said they were investigating the case as a natural death but the city’s medical examiner has since ruled the death a homicide.

Washington, D.C. saw a drastic increase in crime throughout 2023. By the end of last year, 247 people had been killed in the nation’s capital.

The neighborhood around the Nationals baseball stadium is a popular nightlife hotspot — attracting both tourists and locals — with its plethora of restaurants and bars. Recently, however, it has also seen several incidents of violent crime. On December 21st of last year, four people were shot two blocks from the baseball stadium — two of the victims died from their wounds.

Last year, Washington, D.C. saw violent crime rise by nearly 40 percent compared to 2022. Homicides increased by 35 percent, robbery was up nearly 70 percent, theft increased 23 percent, and carjackings were up a staggering 82 percent. Many in the city blame soft-on-crime policies, enacted by the city council after the death of George Floyd in 2020, for the violent crime plaguing the capital. The city’s Democrat mayor, Muriel Bowser, introduced legislation in October aimed at reversing some of the post-Floyd policies, but the city council has yet to take up the legislation.

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Human remains have been found in a dumpster near the Nationals baseball stadium in Southwest D.C. The Metropolitan Police Department initially said they were investigating the case as a natural death but the city's medical examiner has since ruled the death a homicide. show more
January 8, 2024
William Upton
News

Dems Prioritise Jan 6 Museum at Capitol if They Win Congress.

Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said if Democrats are able to attain majorities in both houses of Congress after the 2024 election, he intends to push for ‘exhibits’ and ‘tours’ to ensure the January 6th riot is remembered by the American people.

During a press conference outside the U.S. Capitol building, the Maryland Democrat was asked if was concerned about public knowledge of the 2020 riot fading. “We should be having tours of the capitol grounds and the Capitol of exactly what took place on January 6th,” Raskin responded, adding: “And I hope we will get to a point where there will be an exhibit inside the Capitol which talks about Sergeant Gonell, and Harry Dunn, and Michael Fanone, and the police officers who put their lives on the line on that day.”

Turning to Donald Trump, Raskin said: “When we defeat Trump and we defeat Trumpism we will be able to get to a point were January 6th will be a day where we can celebrate the heroes and champions of democracy…”

With the 2024 election cycle heating up, President Joe Biden and Congressional Democrats have ramped up claims former President Donald Trump is a threat to American democracy. Biden himself has accused Trump of parroting the rhetoric of the German Nazi dictator Adolf Hitler, though his campaign worries the ridiculousness of the comparison may actually turn off voters.

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Congressman Jamie Raskin (D-MD) said if Democrats are able to attain majorities in both houses of Congress after the 2024 election, he intends to push for 'exhibits' and 'tours' to ensure the January 6th riot is remembered by the American people. show more