Becker Brief: Morning Report for 2-27-23
Wuhan lab leak conceded as 'likely', Covid lies exposed, silent invasion at the border, climate rationing, 'Squad' member ties the knot & more!
COVID LIES FALLOUT
Lab Leak Most Likely Origin of Covid-19 Pandemic, Energy Department Now Says
The Energy Department’s conclusion is the result of new intelligence and is significant because the agency has considerable scientific expertise and oversees a network of U.S. national laboratories, some of which conduct advanced biological research.
The Energy Department made its judgment with “low confidence,” according to people who have read the classified report.
The FBI previously came to the conclusion that the pandemic was likely the result of a lab leak in 2021 with “moderate confidence” and still holds to this view.
Senate Republicans demand action after Energy Department backs COVID 'lab leak' theory
Senate Republicans demanded transparency and accountability in response to reports that the U.S. Energy Department concluded COVID-19 most likely originated from a Chinese lab leak.
The reports, published by the Wall Street Journal and New York Times on Sunday, revealed that new classified intelligence had prompted the department to join the FBI in concluding that the COVID-19 pandemic was caused by a lab leak in Wuhan, China.
"I think we need to do extensive hearings. I hope our Democratic colleagues in the Congress can support that. I know the Republicans in the House are certainly supportive of that," Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) said. "Look, this is a country that has no problem coming out and lying to the world. We just saw that with this Chinese spy balloon. It's the nature of a Communist dictatorship to lie to their own people, to lie to the world. But I think that we need to make sure every country knows that and then look at what the consequences could be.”
House Republicans Are Set to Get Covid Response Hearings Off with a 'Bang'
“If there are oversight hearings I absolutely will cooperate fully and testify before the Congress,” Fauci told reporters during his final briefing at the White House. “I have no trouble testifying — we can defend and explain everything that we’ve said.”
On Tuesday, House Republicans will hold a hearing for the Covid investigation, which will be livestreamed online at 2 p.m. eastern. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya of Stanford University, Dr. Martin Kulldorff of Harvard University, and Dr. Marty Makary of Johns Hopkins are slated to testify.
92% of Covid Deaths Are ‘Fully Vaccinated,’ Government Study Finds
A bombshell new report has just been quietly published by the United Kindom government, revealing that “fully vaccinated” people accounted for a staggering 92 percent of Covid deaths last year.
The official figures show that those classed as “fully,” “triple,” or “quadruple” vaccinated accounted for nine in ten of all COVID-19 deaths in England over the past two years.
For the entirety of 2022, the fully vaccinated accounted for 92% of Covid deaths. The official government data was revealed in a new report from U.K.-based outlet The Exposé.
The CDC Finally Concedes That Natural Immunity is Superior to Vaccinated Immunity
A major study published at the Journal of Infectious Diseases that comes more than three years into the Covid pandemic concedes what critics of the global pandemic response and vaccine mandates have been saying all along: Natural immunity from prior infection is superior to vaccinated immunity in nearly all aspects for the majority of people.
The medical study titled, "Protection from COVID-19 mRNA vaccination and prior SARS-CoV-2 infection against COVID-19–associated encounters in adults during Delta and Omicron predominance," was peformed by dozens of accredited medical researchers and was accepted for publication in the Journal of Infectious Diseases this past week.
The Mask Mandates Did Nothing. Will Any Lessons Be Learned?
The most rigorous and comprehensive analysis of scientific studies conducted on the efficacy of masks for reducing the spread of respiratory illnesses — including Covid-19 — was published late last month. Its conclusions, said Tom Jefferson, the Oxford epidemiologist who is its lead author, were unambiguous.
“There is just no evidence that they” — masks — “make any difference,” he told the journalist Maryanne Demasi. “Full stop.”
But, wait, hold on. What about N-95 masks, as opposed to lower-quality surgical or cloth masks?
“Makes no difference — none of it,” said Jefferson.
DISASTERS IN AMERICA
East Palestine Residents are Now Reporting ‘Unusual’ Illnesses After Toxic Train Crash
East Palestine, Ohio residents are increasingly complaining about ‘unusual’ health problems in the wake of the Norfolk Southern train derailment and toxic spill in early February.
“Doctors say I definitely have the chemicals in me but there’s no one in town who can run the toxicological tests to find out which ones they are,” resident Wade Lovett told the New York Post.
“My voice sounds like Mickey Mouse. My normal voice is low. It’s hard to breathe, especially at night,” he said. “My chest hurts so much at night I feel like I’m drowning. I cough up phlegm a lot. I lost my job because the doctor won’t release me to go to work.”
THE MARCH OF WAR
Exclusive: Oversight Committee Demands Account of All Economic, Military Aid to Ukraine
The committee is calling on the administration to turn over all documents and internal communications “regarding any economic assistance programs for the Ukrainian government” and to turn over similar material “regarding any anti-corruption efforts” as they relate to both financial and military aid.
“Providing security and humanitarian assistance for warfighting and reconstruction purposes comes with an inherent risk of fraud, waste, and abuse,” Comer wrote, before insisting that the U.S. must develop “oversight mechanisms” to mitigate risks made worse by mandates to spend money “quickly.”
Biden’s DOD Has ‘Lost Track’ of $220 Billion’s Worth of Equipment
Democrat President Joe Biden’s Department of Defense (DOD) has “lost track” of a staggering $220 billion’s worth of military equipment.
According to a Government Accountability Office report, the DOD, one of the largest federal agencies, has admitted to losing the taxpayer-funded equipment after giving it out to military contractors.
Zelenskyy Responds to Americans Who Believe the US Is Giving Ukraine Too Much Support
Ukrainian President Volodymr Zelenskyy is warning Americans who believe the United States is sending his country too much aid.
“I would like to thank all of the American people that are supporting Ukraine: the Congress, the president, the TV channels, the journalists, and everyone that has been supporting us,” Zelenskyy responded.
He added, “And that percentage of Americans… is increasing, I can tell them only one thing: If they do not change their opinion, if they do not understand us, if they do not support Ukraine, they will lose NATO, they will lose the clout of the United States, they will lose their leadership position that they are enjoying in the world.”
Trump Issues Ominous Warning About 'Unprecedented Danger' to U.S.
Former President Donald Trump on Saturday issued an ominous, but vague warning about a coming danger facing the United States.
"This is the most dangerous time in the history of our Country," the former president wrote on his social media platform Truth Social. "World War III is looming, like never before, in the very dark and murky background. 'Leadership' is solely responsible for this unprecedented danger to the USA, and likewise, the World. HOPELESS JOE BIDEN IS LEADING US INTO OBLIVION!!!"
SCOTUS WATCH
Trump Supporters Turn to 'Plan C' to Reinstate Him After Supreme Court Loss
hree Trump-supporting brothers are preparing to roll out their "plan C" to reinstate him as president after the United States Supreme Court once again declined to hear their case.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, Raland Brunson—one of the plaintiffs in the case seeking to overturn the result of the 2020 presidential election and reinstall former President Donald Trump in the White House—said the Supreme Court had once again rejected an effort to hear the case, all but ending the already slim chance current President Joe Biden would be removed from the White House.
"[Second] Petition denied," Brunson wrote in the Facebook post. "Moving on to plan C. I will say more about that within the next few days. We have been working long and hard on these strategies and there are more to come."
The case alleges lawmakers violated their oaths of office by failing to investigate foreign intervention in the 2020 presidential race, which the brothers claim allegedly rigged the election against Trump.
Supreme Court weighs Biden's student loan relief: 5 things to watch
As the Supreme Court prepares to hear two challenges against the Biden administration's student loan relief plan, more than 20 organizations are gearing up to rally in defense of the policy on Tuesday.
President Joe Biden's plan, which aims to nix up to $20,000 in federal student loans for millions of borrowers, has been blocked since last fall by lower federal courts.
ELECTION INTEGRITY
Georgia election chief blasts county for taking $2M in Zuckerbucks, suggests legislative remedy
The DeKalb County Board of Voter Registration & Elections accepted $2 million from a nonprofit linked to Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg.
DeKalb's acceptance of the private funds "is a violation of S.B. 202," Raffensperger told Just the News on Thursday, referring to Georgia's 2021 election reform law.
AMERICA’S BORDER CRISIS
Texas sheriff warns that America is experiencing a 'silent invasion' of military age men
Once they arrive in major U.S. cities, they are embedded with gangs and or cartel affiliates acting like a “Trojan horse,” Coe said.
The “silent invasion,” Coe said, is being committed primarily by single, military age men between the ages of 17 and 45 who are illegally entering the U.S. They’re wearing camouflage and carrying backpacks, according to video captured by cameras placed throughout the county viewed by The Center Square. Many are armed and dangerous, committing robberies and engaging in shootouts with law enforcement, Coe said.
DIRTY DEMOCRAT CITIES
America’s ‘Dirtiest’ Cities Are Run by Democrats, Study Finds
A new study has listed the “dirtiest” areas in America, revealing that the top filthiest cities in the country are all run by Democrats. A survey that analyzed 152 of the largest cities across the country was commissioned by outdoor company LawnStarter.
The study scores each city for pollution, living conditions, infrastructure, and consumer satisfaction. Researchers found that Houston, Texas secured the number 1 spot for the dirtiest city. Houston was followed by Newark, New Jersey; San Bernardino, California; Detroit, Michigan; and Jersey City, New Jersey.
“THE BODYGUARD”
Cori Bush marries campaign security guard in private ceremony: Report
Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO) reportedly married a man who was a security guard for her campaign, with her team paying him more than $60,000 last year in direct payments.
Bush, known for being a member of the "Squad," tied the knot with Cortney Merritts last weekend in a private ceremony in St. Louis, according to news outlet KSDK. The campaign expenses could potentially raise questions from the Federal Election Commission and the Congressional Ethics Office, as federal law and House ethics rules prohibit the use of campaign funds for personal use.
WOKE EDUCATION
DEI is poisoning college campuses
Scott Yenor, a Washington Fellow for the Claremont Institute and a professor of political science at Boise State University, has produced a report on the effect that DEI has had on the campus of Texas A&M University, the 73,000-student university in College Station, Texas. In the last eight years, the university has leaned hard into its DEI programs — for example, requiring staff diversity training and instituting hate-reporting systems. Yenor's report shows these DEI programs have done the exact opposite of what they set out to accomplish.
Chinese-owned private schools in US shouldn't have junior military programs, GOP lawmaker says
American private schools owned by Chinese government-linked groups would not be allowed to operate junior military programs if a bill introduced Monday by Rep. Mike Waltz (R-FL) succeeds.
The proposal, obtained by the Washington Examiner, would bar private schools with ties to the Chinese Communist Party from starting or continuing Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps, or JROTC, programs.
RACISM IN AMERICA
Elon Musk Rips The Media For Racism Against Whites & Asians
The owner of Twitter and Tesla reprimanded the media and elite education institutions for attacking white people and Asians in recent years. “The media is racist. For a *very* long time, US media was racist against non-white people, now they’re racist against whites & Asians. Same thing happened with elite colleges & high schools in America. Maybe they can try not being racist.”
FEDERAL BUREAU OF INTOXICATION
FBI Gone Wild: Internal memos chronicle years of drunk driving, lost weapons and other misconduct
Scores of FBI employees have been caught over the last five years engaging in unethical and illegal conduct such as driving drunk, stealing property, assaulting a child, mishandling classified documents, and losing their service weapons — but they often escaped being fired, according to internal disciplinary files provided to Just The News.
2024 RACE TO THE WHITE HOUSE
Nearly all Republican senators bow out of 2024 race, while governors gear up
This is a stark departure from most election cycles since 2000, in which Senators played a pronounced role in presidential primaries. Instead of Senators, the 2024 Republican season is shaping up to be rife with governors.
Trump's first major GOP primary challenge was former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley. His top speculated foe is Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis (R). Meanwhile, a bevy of current and former Republican governors, such as Chris Sununu (NH), Chris Christie (NJ), Asa Hutchinson (AK), Larry Hogan (MD), Glenn Youngkin (VA), and Kristie Noem (SD), are eyeing the 2024 field.
GLOBALIST WATCH
WWII-style 'rationing' of food, fuel needed to combat climate change, academics claim in new paper
Governments should consider imposing World War II-style policies of rationing on goods such as food, fuel and clothing in order to fight climate change, according to a newly published academic paper.
"We argue that rationing could help states reduce emissions rapidly and fairly," the academic paper states. "Our arguments in this paper draw on economic analysis and historical research into rationing in the UK during (and after) the two world wars, highlighting success stories and correcting misconceptions."
CLIMATE CON ARTISTS
The White House said its goal is to nearly quadruple the number of publicly available chargers from 130,000 to 500,000 by the year 2030.
The press release also noted the Department of Transportation will require that all chargers funded by its National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure program maintain 97 percent uptime reliability, a far cry from the current state of EV charging stations, according to some observers.
BIG TECH BULLIES
DOJ: Google Destroyed Chats It Was Required to Save During Antitrust Investigation
The DOJ says Google destroyed chat messages it was required to save during an antitrust investigation. According to a filing, “Amazingly, Google’s daily spoliation continued until this week. When the United States indicated that it would file this motion — following months of conferral — Google finally committed to ‘permanently set to history on’ and thus preserve its employees’ chat messages.”
Google “systematically destroyed an entire category of written communications every 24 hours,” in violation of federal rules seeking to keep chats potentially relevant to litigation, the DOJ said in a filing.
These 51 big businesses target conservatives. Here’s what you can do to stop them
Banks, transportation firms, retail giants and food companies make up 51 businesses at war with conservatives
The 1792 Exchange recently launched its Spotlight Report, which assesses more than 1,000 companies’ "policies, practices, and other relevant criteria to determine the likelihood a company will cancel a contract or client, or boycott, divest, or deny services based on views or beliefs."