Yearly Archives: 2023

Attorney General Merrick Garland said Thursday he has appointed Robert Hur as special counsel to lead the investigation into President Joe Biden after classified documents were found at Biden’s office at the Penn Biden Center and at his home in Delaware.

Garland said the investigation will determine “whether any person or entity violated the law in this matter.”

“I will ensure that Mr. Hur receives all the resources he needs to conduct his work,” Garland said. “This appointment underscores for the public the Department’s commitment to both independence and accountability in particularly sensitive matters, and to making decisions indisputably guided only by the facts and the law.”

Garland said that in November of last year, the National Archives Office of Inspector General reached out to the Department of Justice. The IG told the DOJ that they had been informed by the White House that classified documents were found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington, D.C.

“That office was not authorized for storage of classified documents,” Garland said. “The [DOJ] prosecutor was also advised that those documents had also been secured at an archives facility. On November 9, the FIB commenced an assessment, consistent with standard protocols, to understand whether classified information had been mishandled in violation of federal law.”

Garland said that on Dec. 20, Biden’s personal counsel told the DOJ that more documents with classified markings were found in Biden’s private garage in Wilmington, Delaware. Those also came from during Biden’s time as vice president.

“The FBI went to the location and secured those documents,” Garland said.

Biden admitted during a news conference Thursday that he did have classified documents in his garage, next to his corvette.

"By the way, my Corvette is in a locked garage, OK?" Biden said. "So, it’s not like they’re sitting out in the street."

Biden said his lawyers "discovered a small number of documents with classified markings in storage areas and in file cabinets in my home and my ... in my personal library. This was done in the case of the Biden Penn – this was done in the case of the Biden Penn Center. The Department of Justice was immediately – as was done, the Department of Justice was immediately ... notified, and the lawyers arranged for the Department of Justice to take possession of the document."

"So you’re going to see," he added. "We’re going to see all this unfold. I'm confident."

Garland said that Biden’s personal counsel reached out to the DOJ yet again Thursday, having found another document with classified markings.

U.S. House Oversight and Accountability Committee Chairman Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., has also launched an investigation into the classified documents

As The Center Square previously reported, Comer sent a letter to the National Archives and Records Administration and the White House Counsel’s Office demanding answers.

“The Committee is concerned that President Biden has compromised sources and methods with his own mishandling of classified documents,” the letter to Biden’s White House Counsel said. “Under the Biden Administration, the Department of Justice and NARA have made compliance with the Presidential Records Act a top priority.”

(The Center Square) – TikTok is now banned from state government in Wisconsin.

Gov. Tony Evers on Thursday signed an executive order that forbids people from installing or using the app on state phones, tablets and computers.

“Defending our state's technology and cybersecurity infrastructure and protecting digital privacy will continue to be a top priority,” Evers said in a statement.

His order comes after a flood of calls from Republicans to ban TikTok because of the company’s Chinese ownership.

Republicans say TikTik’s owners could track Americans, access their data, and censor the news that American users see.

The governor said he decided on the ban after speaking with the FBI and Wisconsin’s emergency preparedness managers.

“I trust professionals who work in cybersecurity, and it was important for me to consult with and get advice from experts in law enforcement, cybersecurity and counterintelligence to make the best decision to protect state technologies, and ultimately, the people of Wisconsin,” the governor added. “We've had regular conversations with our partners, including the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the FBI, and other counterintelligence specialists in making this decision. This order ensures we remain vigilant in monitoring new technologies and evolving cybersecurity issues.”

Evers’ order, among other things:

● Directs state agencies to bar certain foreign technologies, including TikTok, as well as other certain vendors and software, from being utilized, connected to, or installed on state-issued devices, which includes but is not limited to desktop computers, laptops, tablets, cellular phones, and other mobile devices.

● Reiterates that the state should continually reevaluate and identify applications and vendors that could present a potential risk to state information or state information systems, as they currently do, as well as monitor and update the directives of the order based on new and emerging information.

● Directs the Department of Administration’s Division of Enterprise Technology to use its authority to identify foreign vendors that might pose security risks to the state and to implement safeguards to protect state interests.

(The Center Square) – One of the authors of Wisconsin’s proposed constitutional amendments on bail reform doesn’t understand why opponents don’t want judges to have the full picture of people in their courtrooms.

Rep. Cindi Duchow, R-Delafield, told News Talk 1130 WISN’s Jay Weber Thursday that it doesn’t make sense to limit a judge to only considering whether someone is a flight risk when setting bail.

“This is common sense,” Duchow said. “Why wouldn’t we want a judge to look at your past criminal convictions and your danger to society when setting bail? Why wouldn’t we want the judge to have the full picture of the criminal when making these decisions? I don’t know why giving them all of the information is a bad idea.”

Duchow started working on the bail reform proposal back in 2017, but it gained momentum after Darrell Brooks Jr. killed six people and injured 60 others in his attack on the Waukesha Christmas Parade.

Duchow said a Milwaukee County judge released Brooks on $1,000 bail just days before the attack, despite his long criminal history.

“This will help us hold those Milwaukee judges’ feet to the fire,” Duchow added. “I am hoping that the elected officials in Milwaukee will step up and say to these judges ‘It’s time to be reasonable. We can’t let someone with 20 past convictions for beating-up someone back on the street.’”

Duchow’s amendment passed both the state Assembly and Senate last year, with support from both Republicans and Democrats. The amendment had a hearing this week in both an Assembly and Senate committee.

The hope is to vote again on the amendment in time to get it on the April ballot.

Duchow hopes to have Democratic support this time around as well.

“I know that, for sure, I’ve got a couple that are going to sign-on and vote with us next week,” Duchow said of Democrats. “They’re the ones who have the biggest problems. They’re the ones who should be asking for this.”

President Joe Biden touted falling food prices Thursday, but the latest federal data shows the price of food is actually on the rise and has been for more than a year.

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released new inflation data Thursday that showed the overall consumer price index dropped 0.1%, driven in part by a decrease in energy prices.

“For the sixth month in a row, yearly inflation is down,” Biden wrote on Twitter after BLS released the data. “It might be rising in economies around the world, but it's coming down here. And gas prices, food, and more are following. That adds up to a break for families and proof that my plan is working.”

While prices overall dropped, food prices actually rose in December.

“The food index increased 0.3 percent over the month [of December] with the food at home index rising 0.2 percent,” BLS said.

After the tweet, Biden acknowledged in a speech Thursday that food prices did rise in December, but lauded the slower increase.

BLS data shows the “food at home” index rose 0.2% in December and 11.8% in the past year. Food away from home rose 0.4% in December and 8.3% in the last year.

“The index for cereals and bakery products rose 16.1 percent over the year. The remaining major grocery store food groups posted increases ranging from 7.7 percent (meats, poultry, fish, and eggs) to 15.3 percent (dairy and related products),” BLS said.

Some categories did see decreases, and the data fluctuates month to month, but overall the price of food rose in December.

From BLS' data, here are some seasonally adjusted price changes for urban consumers for the major food categories in December as well as the annual numbers:

Cereals and bakery products prices saw no change in December but rose 16.1% in the last year.Meats, poultry, fish, and eggs rose 1% in December and 7.7% in the last year.Dairy and related products prices declined 0.3% in December but rose 15.3% in the last year.Fruits and vegetable prices declined 0.6% in December but rose 8.4% in the last year.Nonalcoholic beverages and beverage materials prices rose 0.1% in December and 12.4% in the last year.BLS’ “other food at home” category saw a 0.4% increase in December and a 13.9% increase in the last year.

Overall, these figures are much higher than when Biden took office, since prices had largely already begun rising before this time last year on a range of goods and services, including food.

While food prices have increased, they are rising at a slower rate than months prior.

“CPI inflation slowed sharply at year-end as consumers got relief from lower gasoline prices, and prices of most foods rose more slowly,” said Bill Adams, chief economist for Comerica Bank. “Comerica forecasts a mild recession in 2023, fueled by surging interest rates, the housing correction, households tightening belts in the face of higher inflation, and businesses adding more carefully to inventories as demand slows. The unemployment rate will likely rise by about a percentage point by the end of this year.”

Biden has repeatedly blamed Russian President Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine for higher food prices.

As The Center Square previously reported, Ukraine is a major food producer as well as a major exporter of key ingredients in fertilizer. The invasion has hurt food production and tied up the supply chain, making food and the fertilizer that helps it grow significantly more expensive.

“The two challenges on the minds of most working families are prices at the pump and prices at the grocery store,” Biden said during remarks in June of last year, the same month gas prices set records with a national average price over $5 per gallon. “Both of these challenges have been directly exacerbated by Putin’s war in Ukraine.”

Experts agree the invasion “exacerbated” the problem, but prices, including food prices, were already rising quickly before Russia invaded Ukraine.

In the middle of February, about two weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine, BLS released consumer price index data showing food prices had already risen significantly.

That data showed that “food at home” prices had risen 7.4% in the previous 12 months. Economists say about 2% inflation annually is a good increase for a healthy economy.

The meat, poultry, fish and eggs category rose 12.2% in that data. An avian flu outbreak also contributed to rising prices recently.

Republicans have continued to attack Biden for the higher prices.

"It's time for Congress to buckle down and focus on paying down the debt, living within our means, and getting our fiscal house in order," U.S. Sen. Rick Scott, R-Fla., said.

(The Center Square) – Madison’s school board president is defending a now-cancelled drag show in school, and is pointing her finger at Wisconsin’s former governor.

Madison Metropolitan School Board President Ali Muldrow called out former Gov. Scott Walker for his comments on the now-cancelled drag show at East High School in Madison.

“I am outraged that politicians would risk subjecting children to hatred and violence while desperately seeking attention, inciting fear and misunderstanding. Using children at school to stoke division is not only irresponsible, it’s dangerous,” Muldrow said.

Walker took to Twitter last week to criticize the drag show at East High.

“Let’s be clear: 'drag shows' are strip shows. They are wrong. They are particularly wrong at school. They are definitely not ‘family-friendly’,” Walker tweeted.

East High promoted the show, which was set for next Thursday, in an email.

“Our GSA has been working hard to plan East’s first annual (family friendly) drag show intended to celebrate, affirm, and support EHS students and staff in our LGBTQIA+ as well as our larger school community,” the school’s email stated.

The show caught the attention of The Libs of TikTok, and that brought national attention.

Muldrow, however, continued to defend the drag show.

“Our young people have every right to have expansive, creative, self-determined and liberating relationships with gender expression,” Muldrow added. “I am so incredibly grateful for every adult who has made our students feel safe to be exactly who they are.”

A Madison Metropolitan spokesman said the attention from The Libs of TikTok brought in both praise and criticism. He said it also brought in threats.

No one is saying who or what was threatened.

Madison Schools are also not saying if the drag show may be rescheduled.

President Joe Biden has come under heavy fire after news reports indicated that classified documents from his time as Vice President were found at the Penn Biden Center for Diplomacy and Global Engagement in Washington.

Attorney General Merrick Garland has handed the case over to a U.S. attorney in Chicago to investigate, according to CBS News.

Republicans were quick to launch accusations of hypocrisy, pointing out federal law enforcement raided former President Donald Trump’s residence for classified documents.

“Why hasn’t the FBI raided Joe Biden’s home?” said Rep. Dan Crenshaw, R-Texas.

Biden’s defenders, though, argue that Trump was given warning from the National Archives and Records Administration before a referral was given to federal law enforcement.

“The difference is that Biden's lawyers cooperated [and] reached out to the National Archives upon discovering the classified documents, unlike Trump [and] his circle obstructing the investigation into the classified docs at Mar-A-Lago,” said Olivia Troye, a national security expert who worked for former Vice President Mike Pence in the White House. “Regardless, the right will distort this [and] use it.”

Critics have shot back, saying there is more to the story, also raising questions about the think tank where they were stored.

“Biden stole classified documents and stored them at his think tank while he was VP,” said Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Texas. “The VP does not have any authority to declassify classified documents. And this ‘think tank’ received $54 million in funding from the CCP.”

It’s unclear to what degree Biden was personally involved in handling and storing the documents, but some Republicans blasted him, saying he knowingly broke the law. When Trump came under fire for similar allegations last year, the media and other officials speculated that he could end up behind bars.

“Biden knew for years that he’s been storing highly classified documents in his personal office,” said Rep. Ronny Jackson, R-Texas. “He knew it when FBI agents were raiding Mar-a-Lago, and he knew it when he appointed a partisan special counsel. He knew the whole time but still had his DOJ goons persecute Trump.”

Some have yet to weigh in, but overall Republicans Tuesday echoed the call for accountability.

“Joe Biden took classified documents from the White House when he was Vice President,” said Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Georgia “The VP does not have the power to declassify, only POTUS. Joe Biden stole classified documents. This is a very serious crime. DOJ [and] NARA can’t sweep this under the rug and persecute Trump.”

(The Center Square) – Gov. Tony Evers is already taking things off the list of possible compromises at the Wisconsin Capitol.

The governor told WISN TV on UPFRONT that he will not sign a flat tax or universal school choice plan if Republicans send him one.

"A flat tax, if that's part of the budget, that could end it. If it’s universal school choice across the state for education, that could be a killer too. But we'll see. I don’t think any of those things are going to happen, so I’m planning on signing a good budget."

Evers says he assumes that he and Republican leaders can “reach conclusions.”

"I'll consider anything except for a flat tax that essentially provides tax relief to people that frankly don’t need tax relief," Evers said. "If there's some other tweaks that can happen to get a deal, we can take a look at that."

The governor said during his inauguration speech that he wants more money for local governments, more money for Wisconsin’s public schools, and more access to abortion. Evers has said he also wants to legalize marijuana.

Republican leaders seem open to some compromise.

The Senate Majority Leader last week opened the door to more money for local governments, and there is growing support among Republicans for a medical marijuana program. Some Republicans have also suggested a new abortion law that allows for exemptions in cases of rape or incest.

Evers seemed open to compromising on medical pot, saying on UPFRONT that it all comes down to who can get a medical pot prescription.

"I don't know as it relates to how restrictive it would be," Evers said. "It seems to me it should be pretty straightforward, so we’ll see what it looks like. But I'm confident they will come up with a law, a bill that I can sign."

The governor has long been an opponent of school choice, and has said in the past that he doesn’t want to see any new laws that take money away from traditional public schools.

It remains to be seen just how much cooperation and compromise there will be about Wisconsin’s state budget.

The governor is due to deliver his plan in February. Lawmakers on the powerful Joint Finance Committee will then start their work of crafting a new two-year state spending plan after that.

(The Center Square) – State Rep. Janel Brandtjen, R-Menominee Falls, is talking about military ballots once again.

Brandtjen on Monday said the Wisconsin Elections Commission has clarified the number of military ballots in the November 2022 election.

“In November of last year, open records requests from the Wisconsin Elections Commission, retrieved by an election integrity watchdog group, showed a substantial drop of military ballots in the November 2022 election. However, we just learned through updated records from WEC that no substantial drop occurred,” Brandtjen said Monday.

Brandtjen said back in late November that the number of military ballots fell by more than 80% in the 2022 election.

“The 2022 active military voters dropped to 1,573 after a 2020 high number of 9,876, 4,966 in 2018 and 6,736 in 2016," Brandtjen said at the time.

The change, however, seems to be a difference of elections, not the number of military voters.

The 2022 race was a midterm election, which usually has a smaller turnout. The 2020 election was a presidential election, which usually has a higher turnout.

USA Today reported about a week ago that the real military ballot comparison should have been 1,295 in the 2018 midterms to 1,574 in the 2022 race.

Still, Brandtjen said military ballots are vulnerable in Wisconsin.

“Obtaining military ballots online in Wisconsin remains unsecure and provides no confidence that our men and women serving in the military are not being disenfranchised by bad actors,” Brandtjen added. “Active military voters do not require ID or registration, but Wisconsin [law] requires clerks to confirm active military voters via a list… It became clear that there is no existing list to allow clerks to verify names of our overseas military members. The proper security measures should be restored since a deputy clerk in Milwaukee exposed this loophole by sending authentic military ballots to my home, without my knowledge. Active military members and their families should be outraged at the lack of security this breach has caused.”

(The Center Square) – Wisconsin is getting ready to ban TikTok from state phones, tablets, and computers.

Gov. Tony Evers on Friday reversed course, and announced a coming-ban.

"We consulted with the FBI and our emergency management and came to the conclusion it's the best idea," the governor told a Milwaukee TV station.

The governor said he will issue an executive order on the ban sometime next week.

Evers initially dismissed the idea of a TikTok ban, saying that not many people in his administration actually use the app.

Evers does not have his own account, but someone did create a TikTok account for him during last year’s campaign.

Republicans in Wisconsin and in Washington, D.C. have been pushing for a ban on TikTok for months. They say the Chinese company that owns TikTok is controlled by the Chinese Communist Party, and could use TikTok to spy on Americans.

Friday’s announcement drew the governor some praise from conservatives in Madison.

"We’re glad to see Governor Evers finally come around and ban an app that could give the Chinese government back-door access to Wisconsin's most sensitive information,” Noah Diekemper, Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty senior research analyst, said. “Every day that Governor Evers turned a blind eye to evidence showing how dangerous TikTok is, we risked security compromises at the hands of malicious actors.”

Washington County became the first government in Wisconsin to ban TikTok last month. The county executive there said he doesn’t want to take the chance that something could happen on TikTok that could expose important information.

More Americans polled in a recent Los Angeles Times/YouGov survey expressed opposition to President Joe Biden’s immigration policies as opposed to supporting them, including catch and release and not detaining and deporting millions of people who’ve illegally entered the U.S. since he’s been in office.

They also expressed support for local and state governments doing more when the federal government fails to do its job.

According to the poll, 35% strongly disapprove and 15% somewhat disapprove of Biden’s handling of immigration compared to only 8% who said they strongly approve and 25% who somewhat approve.

A majority, 64%, said illegal immigration is a problem in the U.S. An addition, 42% said those who illegally enter the U.S. and file immigration claims should be sent back to their country of origin compared to 17% who said they should be able to remain in the U.S.

Another 39% said those illegally living in the U.S. without proper authorization should be required to leave the U.S. By comparison, 35% said they should be allowed to stay and apply for citizenship; 12% said they could stay but not become citizens. Illegal entry and remaining in the U.S. without proper authorization is grounds for deportation, according to Title 8, the federal statute governing entry and deportation. The Biden administration halted most enforcement of it last year, prompting multiple states to sue.

The greatest percentage of respondents, 30%, said only a few of those claiming asylum had valid claims compared to 24% who said most did.

When it came to immigration enforcement, 44% said illegal foreign nationals who committed violent crimes should be arrested and detained; 19% said everyone in the U.S. without proper authorization regardless if they’ve violated laws should be arrested and detained; 36%, said both categories should be arrested and detained.

Another 44% said local police departments should report illegal foreign nationals without proper authorization to federal immigration officials; 24% said they shouldn’t. Over one-third, 34%, said state government officials should enforce immigration laws “no matter what other levels of government are doing;” 14% said they should “if they believe federal enforcement is too weak;” 26% said immigration enforcement should be left to the federal government.

Once illegal foreign nationals are sent to local communities, the majority polled, 45%, said they should be turned over to immigration authorities; 6% said they should be sent “to another part of the country;” 37% said they should be given taxpayer funded food, shelter and support; 12% said local government officials should “do nothing.”

The poll was conducted between Dec. 9-14, 2022, among 1,573 U.S. citizens and has a margin of error +/- 3.1%.

Texas has borne the brunt of illegal immigration and the crime that comes with it, dealing with nearly 1.8 million apprehended and reported evading capture in Texas in fiscal 2022 alone.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott and the Texas legislature have allocated over $4 billion of Texas taxpayer money to an unprecedented statewide border security mission. Since March 2021, Texas law enforcement officers have apprehended over 336,000 illegal foreign nationals and made over 23,000 criminal arrests, with more than 20,000 felony charges reported. They also seized over 354 million lethal doses of fentanyl, enough to kill more than everyone in the U.S.

California Republican Kevin McCarthy continued his losing streak Friday in his bid to serve as Speaker of the House for the Republican majority.

McCarthy has lost a dozen votes across several days this week as a small group of conservative Republicans remain steadfast in opposing him.

Friday afternoon, the House met to vote again. In the 12th vote, McCarthy did not get the needed 218 votes, but he did gather support from more Republicans than in previous votes, a sign he could finally be getting the momentum needed to win the position.

McCarthy can only afford to lose four Republican votes and still win the position if all the lawmakers are there and vote for a candidate, but about 20 have continued to vote against him and for a challenger until the 12th vote Friday, when several holdouts flipped over to McCarthy. However, seven Republicans still voted against him on the 12th ballot, sending the House to a 13th vote.

Those Republicans receiving votes other than McCarthy have varied and included Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, and Rep. Byron Donalds, R-Fla.

The holdouts have reportedly been negotiating with McCarthy and others behind the scenes with some progress.

“In his 14 years in Republican leadership, McCarthy has repeatedly failed to demonstrate any desire to meaningfully change the status quo in Washington,” U.S. Rep. Scott Perry, R-Penn., said earlier this week.

Perry changed his tune on Friday, though, saying he would vote for McCarthy.

“We’re at a turning point. I’ve negotiated in good faith, with one purpose: to restore the People’s House back to its rightful owners,” he wrote on Twitter Friday. “The framework for an agreement is in place, so in a good-faith effort, I voted to restore the People’s House by voting for @gopleader McCarthy.”

As The Center Square previously reported, Perry said earlier this week that he and other conservative members in the House laid out conditions for McCarthy ahead of the votes but that he “balked” when faced with them. Those conditions included a promise to vote on a balanced budget, the “Texas Border Plan,” term limits for members of Congress, and the Fair Tax Act, which would create a national sales tax on certain services and property to replace the current income tax, payroll taxes, and estate and gift taxes.

“We requested transparent, accountable votes on individual earmarks that would require two-thirds support to pass, and to ensure that all amendments to cut spending would be allowed floor consideration,” Perry said at the time. “He dismissed it.”

Rep. Matt Gaetz, R-Fla., has voted for former President Donald Trump to be Speaker of the House. Though the speaker does not have to be a lawmaker, it would be highly unusual for Trump to fill the spot.

Gaetz also re-upped his criticism of McCarthy for preemptively moving into the speaker’s office before being elected to the position. Gaetz sent a letter to the Architect of the Capitol earlier this week saying “no member can lay claim to this office.”

“My question remains unanswered: why is Kevin McCarthy squatting in the Speaker’s office?” Gaetz wrote on Twitter Friday. “After 3 days of voting and 11 failed ballots, no member can lay claim to this office. I’m once again demanding answers from the Architect of the Capitol.”