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Category: News
January 19, 2024
Economy
News

Macy’s Sheds 2,300+ Jobs, Closes Five Stores.

Macy’s, an iconic US department store, announced on Thursday that it will reduce its workforce by approximately 3.5 percent — equivalent to around 2,350 jobs — as the retailer seeks to cut costs and revive flagging sales. This comes alongside plans to shutter five of the brand’s department stores in Arlington, Virginia; San Leandro, California; Lihue, Hawaii; Simi Valley, California; and Tallahassee, Florida this year. Affected employees were also notified of the layoffs on Thursday, with the last day for those impacted being January 26.

Internal changes at the company’s leadership level are also on the horizon. Current Bloomingdale’s CEO, Tony Spring, is set to assume the CEO role at Macy’s in early February, replacing outgoing CEO Jeff Gennette. This comes as the company anticipates reporting its fiscal fourth-quarter earnings in late February. As of October 28, Macy’s has 723 locations nationwide, which includes about 500 namesake stores, 158 Bluemercury stores, and 56 Bloomingdale’s stores.

The sluggish American economy under President Joe Biden has hit the retail sector especially hard. Polling over recent months has shown voters continue to disapprove of Biden’s handling of the economy. Even traditional Democrat constituencies have soured on what the Biden White House has dubbed “Bidenomics.”

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Macy’s, an iconic US department store, announced on Thursday that it will reduce its workforce by approximately 3.5 percent — equivalent to around 2,350 jobs — as the retailer seeks to cut costs and revive flagging sales. This comes alongside plans to shutter five of the brand’s department stores in Arlington, Virginia; San Leandro, California; Lihue, Hawaii; Simi Valley, California; and Tallahassee, Florida this year. Affected employees were also notified of the layoffs on Thursday, with the last day for those impacted being January 26. show more
January 19, 2024
Jack Montgomery
UK
War
World

Yemen Requests US, UK Boots on the Ground.

Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, Vice President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), says PLC forces “must be supported on the ground” if the Houthis are to be defeated, warning British-American air strikes against the terror group will prove “useless” on their own.

“Ground forces must be supported on the ground, and these forces belong to the legitimate government,” al-Zoubaidi said at the World Economic Forum (WEF) summit in Davos, Switzerland.

“These forces are the ones who can achieve a victory on the ground because strong [air] strikes without ground operations are useless,” he added.

Joe Biden appears to agree with al-Zoubaidi, publicly acknowledging his air strikes have been ineffectual on Thursday but insisting they will continue regardless.

Asked by a reporter if “the air strikes in Yemen working,” Biden responded: “Well when you say ‘working,’ are they stopping the Houthis? No. Are they going to continue? Yes.”

While the PLC is recognized as Yemen’s legitimate government in the West, the Iran-backed Houthis — properly Ansar Allah (‘Supporters of Allah’) — control the country’s capital, most of its population, and much of the Red Sea coast.

They have been launching attacks on U.S. warships and commercial shipping in the Red Sea for weeks to pressure Israel and its allies into bringing an end to the war on Hamas in Gaza. The group recently promised to spare Chinese and Russian ships due to their stance on the Gaza war.

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Aidarus al-Zoubaidi, Vice President of Yemen’s Presidential Leadership Council (PLC), says PLC forces “must be supported on the ground” if the Houthis are to be defeated, warning British-American air strikes against the terror group will prove “useless” on their own. show more
January 19, 2024
Wake Up Right
Health
News

American Academy of Pediatrics Co-Signs Sex Surgeries for Kids.

The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) claims it is child abuse to deny sex changes to children despite growing opposition at home and abroad.

The details: The AAP released a consensus statement on behalf of its 70,000 pediatricians stating that: “withholding [gender-affirming care] is harmful to children and amounts to state-sanctioned medical neglect and emotional abuse.”

Trans-ing kids is dangerous: As conservative website LifeSite points out, allowing children to undergo sex-change procedures “is indeed associated with astronomically high rates of suicide and suicidal ideation. Research published in March 2022 found that 82 percent of people who identify as transgender “have considered killing themselves and 40% have attempted suicide, with suicidality highest among transgender youth.”

Zoom out: A growing number of mostly Republican-led states have enacted laws to prohibit sex change procedures for minors.

Zoom out globally: Our Western allies like the UK, France, and Sweden have all halted allowing children to take puberty blockers or have sex change surgeries for fear of long-term mental and physical health issues.

Big picture: The statement from the AAP is not legally binding, but it does carry a lot of weight as the organization is considered the “gold standard” for child care in America.

This article is from the free ‘Wake Up Right’ newsletter, which you can subscribe to here.

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The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) claims it is child abuse to deny sex changes to children despite growing opposition at home and abroad. show more

Editor’s Notes

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RAHEEM J. KASSAM Editor-in-Chief
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IRS
January 19, 2024
Corruption
Crime

Ex-IRS Consultant Intentionally Took Job to Steal Trump’s Tax Returns.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) informed a sentencing judge Wednesday that a former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Charles Littlejohn, intentionally took on the role so he could steal and leak former President Trump’s tax returns.

Littlejohn pleaded guilty to unauthorized disclosure of tax returns and return information in October of last year. Prosecutors have requested the maximum penalty of five years in prison, citing Littlejohn’s breach of public trust, claiming it “merits significant punishment.”

According to prosecutors, Littlejohn “weaponized his access to unmasked taxpayer data to further his own personal, political agenda, believing that he was above the law.” Littlejohn, who had worked for Booz Allen between 2008 and 2013, returned to the company “with the intention of accessing and disclosing” Trump’s tax returns, viewing the former president as “dangerous and a threat to democracy.”

Prosecutors are pushing for the maximum sentence, arguing that Littlejohn leaked over a thousand individuals’ tax returns, which resulted in significant harm, including invasion of privacy, psychological distress, and undermining “public faith and confidence in the IRS, an institution that is critical to the effective functioning of our government.”

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The Department of Justice (DOJ) informed a sentencing judge Wednesday that a former contractor for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Charles Littlejohn, intentionally took on the role so he could steal and leak former President Trump's tax returns. show more
January 19, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
Election 2024
Politics

‘Zuckerbucks’ Group Begins Interfering in 2024 Election.

The Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), which spent tens of millions of dollars boosting turnout in Democrat districts in 2020, is moving to help election officials secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants ahead of the 2024 election. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) fund includes $701 million in competitive grants, ostensibly to protect public infrastructure against hazards such as floods  — but the CTCL says it can also be used to “improve elections operations” as “elections are a critical service.”

The CTCL is leading a webinar series, starting January 25th, to help election officials apply for the FEMA grants and provide “inspiration for what the grant funds can be used for.” Previously, the CTCL used “Zuckerbucks” from the Chan-Zuckerberg Initiative to fund supposedly nonpartisan projects in collaboration with local officials to increase turnout.

These projects overwhelmingly benefited Democrat-leaning areas. Phillip Kline of the Amistad Project argues the spending was, therefore, illegal, as it resulted in some voters having more opportunities to vote and have their votes counted than others.

“[W] e’ve privatized our elections, that’s the problem,” Kline said of the involvement of actors like the CTCL in elections earlier this month.

“We have private resources in election offices… America’s been kicked out of the counting room, nonprofits, and billionaires have been invited in,” added the former Kansas Attorney General.

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The Mark Zuckerberg-funded Center for Tech and Civic Life (CTCL), which spent tens of millions of dollars boosting turnout in Democrat districts in 2020, is moving to help election officials secure Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) grants ahead of the 2024 election. FEMA’s Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) fund includes $701 million in competitive grants, ostensibly to protect public infrastructure against hazards such as floods  — but the CTCL says it can also be used to “improve elections operations” as “elections are a critical service.” show more
January 19, 2024
News

POISONING THE BLOOD: DEA Seized Enough Fentanyl In 2023 To Kill Every American.

The DEA seized an unprecedented 386 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2023 — enough to kill every single American — according to a press release by the agency’s New York Division.

“In calendar year 2023, DEA seized more than 77 million fentanyl pills and nearly 12,000 pounds of fentanyl powder. This is the most fentanyl seized by DEA in a single year. It amounts to more than 386 million deadly doses of fentanyl—enough to kill every American,” the press statement reads.

In New York alone, the agency’s New York Division “seized 4.2 million fake fentanyl pills and over 500 kilograms of fentanyl powder in 2023, which is the equivalent of potentially 37 million lethal doses,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino in a statement. The amount of fentanyl pills seized in New York increased by 119 percent from 2022 to 2023.

Fentanyl is the leading cause of death for Americans aged 18-45, the DEA press release notes. The Biden regime’s mismanagement of the border crisis has been blamed for the shocking increase in fentanyl — and fentanyl deaths — in the United States. Last year, former President Donald Trump warned that the flow of drugs through the Southern border was “poisoning the blood” of the United States.

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The DEA seized an unprecedented 386 million lethal doses of fentanyl in 2023 — enough to kill every single American — according to a press release by the agency's New York Division. show more
e jean carroll
January 18, 2024
Ed Kozak
News

E. Jean Carroll Just Testified To Owning an Illegal Firearm and Ammo in New York State.

Anti-Trump columnist E. Jean Carroll appeared to confess to owning an illegal firearm and ammunition during court proceedings in New York on Wednesday. Carroll – who is demanding more cash from former President Donald J. Trump as a result of his continued denial over her sexual abuse claims – was asked by Trump lawyer Alina Habba: “You have a gun – do you have a license?”

“No,” Carroll replied, which appears to be a breach of the law of New York State, where Carroll resides. If Carroll has committed a crime, it ranks as a class E felony in the State of New York, punishable by up to four years in prison and a fine of up to $5,000.

Habba then attempted to press Carroll on her awareness of state laws, to which Judge Kaplan appeared to come to Carroll’s defense, shooting back, “Don’t even start.”

Undeterred, Habba continued her line of questioning, asking Carroll if she had bullets for the gun and if she lived in the State of New York. Carroll answered “yes” to both questions.

Judge Kaplan’s attempt to shut down Habba’s line of questioning only adds to concerns about the judge’s political bias.

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Anti-Trump columnist E. Jean Carroll appeared to confess to owning an illegal firearm and ammunition during court proceedings in New York on Wednesday. Carroll – who is demanding more cash from former President Donald J. Trump as a result of his continued denial over her sexual abuse claims – was asked by Trump lawyer Alina Habba: "You have a gun – do you have a license?" show more
January 18, 2024
Jack Montgomery
Corruption
News

Trump Slams Epstein Guest ‘Piglet Reid Hoffman’ over Carroll ‘Hoax’.

Donald Trump has brutalized LinkedIn founder and Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman for funding E. Jean Carroll’s rape and defamation lawsuit against him in New York. Hoffman has also funded Fusion GPS, Nimrata ‘Nikki’ Haley, and other anti-Trump endeavors.

Carroll, 80, initially claimed her first lawsuit against Trump had no outside funding. It later emerged that Hoffman, a former guest of pedophile Jeffrey Epstein’s private island, had provided financial assistance — but Bill Clinton-appointed judge Lewis Kaplan did not sanction her and ruled jurors could not be told about his involvement in the case.

Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday that “[l]ike the now fully discredited RUSSIA, RUSSIA, RUSSIA HOAX, & all of the others, this one is also conceived, funded, & carried out by Democrat Political Operatives like [Carroll’s] lawyer… Roberta Kaplan, Piglet Reid Hoffman, a major Democrat Donor who is funding this Witch Hunt, or ‘Crazed’ George Conway, who lost his wonderful wife, Kellyanne, to another, and has gone completely ‘NUTS!'”

Trump added that Judge Kaplan — reportedly no relation to Roberta Kaplan — “knows this… but won’t let it be revealed.”

Trump also reiterated his denial of having raped Carroll in the changing rooms of a luxury department store in 1995 or 1996, writing he “NEVER TOUCHED HER, OR IN ANY WAY WOULD WANT TO TOUCH HER.”

Carroll has accused many men of having attacked her over the years, including the boyfriend of a babysitter, a camp counselor, an unnamed college date, an unnamed former boss, and a past CEO of CBS. Judge Kaplan has ruled jurors cannot be informed about this.

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Donald Trump has brutalized LinkedIn founder and Democrat megadonor Reid Hoffman for funding E. Jean Carroll's rape and defamation lawsuit against him in New York. Hoffman has also funded Fusion GPS, Nimrata 'Nikki' Haley, and other anti-Trump endeavors. show more
January 18, 2024
Jack Montgomery
News
Politics

Trump Leads Biden in ANOTHER National Poll, While DeSantis Sinks to Just 7%

Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden in another national poll, by 52 percent to 48 percent, as the elderly Democrat’s approval rating plummets to an almost 20-year low. Trump also dominates the GOP primary field, with a 59-point lead over Nimarata ‘Nikki’ Haley and a 65-point lead over Ron DeSantis.

According to the new poll, the 45th President enjoys the support of 72 percent of GOP primary voters from January 16th to January 15th. Haley is in a distant second place, at 13 percent. DeSantis, once considered Trump’s most credible rival, is in single digits at just seven percent.

Trump’s lead over Biden among independents is even stronger than his overall lead, at 46 percent support versus 35 percent.

When third-party candidates are included, Trump’s advantage over Biden shrinks only slightly, from four to three points.

Democrat-turned-independent candidate Robert F. Kennedy Jr. leads among the also-rans, on 11 percent, while far-left candidates Jill Stein and Cornel West each pick up two percent.

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Donald Trump is leading Joe Biden in another national poll, by 52 percent to 48 percent, as the elderly Democrat's approval rating plummets to an almost 20-year low. Trump also dominates the GOP primary field, with a 59-point lead over Nimarata 'Nikki' Haley and a 65-point lead over Ron DeSantis. show more
border
January 18, 2024
Immigration

Family of Woman Slain By Illegal Alien Sues Biden Govt for $100 Million.

The family of Kayla Hamilton, a 20-year-old who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien in 2022, is filing a $100 million lawsuit against the Biden government, asserting that their immigration enforcement policies are partially responsible for the murder. Hamilton’s family plans to name the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services as defendants.

“We bring this landmark lawsuit in honor of Kayla to get answers on how this catastrophic failure occurred and help prevent another senseless murder,” said Brian Claypool, the lawyer for Hamilton’s mother, Tammy Nobles. “The killer had been arrested in El Salvador in 2020 for being associated with an illicit gang. All DHS had to do was make one phone call to verify this and Kayla would be alive,” Claypool said.

Hamilton was raped and strangled with a phone cord by the illegal alien who had unlawfully entered the United States in March 2022. The alien — who had an MS-13 tattoo and was later confirmed to be affiliated with the international criminal group — was apprehended but deemed an Unaccompanied Child (UC) and released into the population.

Hamilton’s mother testified in front of the House Judiciary Committee last year, “If we had stricter border policies, my daughter would be alive today… I am her voice now, and I am going to fight with everything I have to get her story told.”

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The family of Kayla Hamilton, a 20-year-old who was brutally murdered by an illegal alien in 2022, is filing a $100 million lawsuit against the Biden government, asserting that their immigration enforcement policies are partially responsible for the murder. Hamilton’s family plans to name the Departments of Homeland Security and Health and Human Services as defendants. show more