On Sept. 3, U.S. federal agents arrested Linda Sun, a former aid of New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, both Democrats, for allegedly acting as an unregistered agent for China. The incident is the latest indication of the lengths Beijing goes to infiltrate state governments and should stand as a warning to governors and state legislatures throughout the country. The indictment alleges that Sun, who served as deputy chief of staff for Hochul before being fired in March 2023, used her influence to promote the interests of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and its ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in New York. Her alleged activities included changing official statements on Beijing’s behalf, blocking Taiwanese government representatives from meeting with senior New York officials, arranging for visiting Chinese government delegations to meet with state officials, attempting to arrange a trip to China by a senior New York politician, and “providing unauthorized invitation letters. . . to facilitate travel by PRC government officials into the United States.” Sun’s husband, Christopher Hu, who was arrested with her, “facilitated the transfer of millions of dollars in kickbacks for personal gain.” Together, the couple is believed to have made millions of dollars through their scheme, via payments to Hu’s China-based business ventures. Hochul reportedly terminated Sun and alerted law enforcement immediately after learning of her misconduct but a CCP agent should never have gained access to New York’s Executive Chamber in the first place. There’s no telling how much harm Sun managed to do in the 15 years she worked in the state government. And the problem isn’t unique to New York. Most state governments are likely unaware of how aggressively Beijing targets them. In fact, subnational influence is such an important part of the CCP’s strategy that at least one Chinese think tank has published reports rating the “friendliness” of U.S. state governors toward China. This is partly because Beijing sees state and local governments as potential backdoors into a U.S. political system that is harder to infiltrate directly. While China puts a lot of effort toward influencing and spying on the federal government, it has found that it’s often easier to infiltrate individual states, which tend to have much less stringent security protocols than federal departments and agencies, with their security clearances, rules requiring cleared personnel to report foreign contacts, and close scrutiny by law enforcement agencies like the FBI. And it’s not just governors they target. Beijing’s agents seek to cultivate assets at all levels, and they start targeting people early in their careers, when they have little reason to suspect they are on a foreign adversary’s radar. For example, a woman later found to be a Chinese agent managed to form a personal connection with Rep. Eric Swalwell, D.-Calif.,  when he was still on the city council of Dublin, California. Swalwell reportedly cut ties with the agent after the FBI informed him of her true identity. In 2022, The Heritage Foundation published a report outlining ways the CCP infiltrates state and local governments and the damaging impacts its activities at these levels have on U.S. national security. The report called on state governments to do more to protect themselves from these malicious actions. While some governors and state legislatures have risen to the occasion, most—including New York—continue to drag their feet, whether out of ignorance, denial, or lack of urgency. The accusations against Sun and the embarrassment this has caused for Cuomo and Hochul should serve as a wakeup call. Both have expressed outrage at the alleged behavior and sought to downplay their previous connections with Sun. But her actions impaired the performance of both administrations and threatened America’s national security. This should be any governor’s worst nightmare, as it might haunt their legacy regardless of how effectively they dealt with the problem once it came to light. Prosecution of cases involving espionage and foreign influence operations fall under the responsibility of the FBI, which has made progress in cracking down on these types of activities by Chinese agents. But FBI Director Christopher Wray has previously reported that the Bureau opens a new Chinese counterintelligence case every 10 hours. This means it lacks the resources to do much more than engage in an elaborate game of whack-a-mole. State governments can and should lift part of the FBI’s burden by doing more to prevent these malicious activities from occurring in their jurisdictions. State legislatures can tighten disclosure requirements for state employees, though the effectiveness of doing so would depend on employees’ compliance and states’ ability to enforce the rules. Sun routinely violated state reporting requirements and prohibitions on receiving gifts from “interested sources,” according to the indictment. Perhaps what is most urgently needed is for state governments to implement more comprehensive background screening for employees whose positions have possible national security implications, such as mid- to senior-level executive and legislative staff. While states lack the resources to conduct security clearances as robustly as the federal government, they should at least acquire the tools and legal authority, and put procedures in place, to thoroughly vet such personnel for risky foreign ties and to re-vet personnel at regular intervals. Continued failure to increase scrutiny of key personnel doesn’t only pose risks for the states and their leadership, it also threatens national security. The post New York Indictment Highlights China’s Infiltration of State Governments appeared first on The Daily Signal.

On the latest episode of “The Tony Kinnett Cast,” we take a look at a classic fable, “The Tortoise and the Harris”—er, I mean “the Hare.” Does expending all of your electoral credibility in the first three weeks of a campaign leave you with more options, or fewer? What happens to both the election and the world stage if the bets on a powerhouse U.S. economy fracture and falter? Matt Sharp, senior counsel for the Alliance Defending Freedom, joins us to discuss the legal battles raging between red and blue states over transgender procedures and “sanctuary” for minors. Could Democratic vice presidential nominee Gov. Tim Walz’s Minnesota policies cause a constitutional crisis? Attorney General Merrick Garland warns of Russian interference in U.S. elections while ignoring the enormous gaps in voter ID laws across the country. With voting laws still in motion before early voting begins later this month, this election could hang on a lot more than just the popularity of the candidates on the ballot. Finally, we take a second look at Family Matters—not the phenomenal 1990s sitcom, but the endorsements made by political candidates’ families. Does it matter when the shoe is on the other foot? What does it say when members of your extended family endorse your direct challenger in a political race? Catch the live radio show and livestream weeknights at 7 p.m. EDT on The Daily Signal’s YouTube, X, or Facebook—and subscribe to the podcast so you never miss an episode or exclusive interview! The post WATCH: The Tortoise and the Harris appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Kind neighbors wouldn't leave an abandoned cat to fend for herself. Shortly after bringing her inside, the cat had kittens. Clara and her kittensBestFriendsFelinesA cat was left behind a few weeks ago when her family moved away. The neighbors noticed her wandering around scrounging for food and started feeding her.They posted her on Lost and Found pages to ensure no one was missing a cat but to no avail. After a couple of weeks caring for the feline, they took her to the vet's office, where they couldn't find a microchip but discovered she was pregnant."They themselves were about to move and didn't want to leave her to fend for herself, so they reached out for help," Nikki at Best Friends Felines shared. BestFriendsFelinesNikki and her team welcomed the cat into their care and lovingly named her Clara. They placed her in a foster home, giving her plenty of soft things for comfort and an all-you-can-eat buffet to satiate her ravenous appetite.Clara appreciated the arrangements and brushed up against her people as if to thank them. "She is super smoochy and just loves people." BestFriendsFelinesKnowing Clara needed to build up her strength for the impending arrival of her babies, the foster volunteers replenished her food bowls throughout the day and spent ample time reassuring her that she was loved.After spending several weeks outside, Clara was relieved to have a roof over her head. She plopped down on her blankets, showing off her round belly and filling the room with soothing purrs. BestFriendsFelines"She chats away to you and gives you the best head bops."They thought the expectant mom had another 1-2 weeks to go before the babies arrived, but Clara clearly had a different plan. Shortly after she settled in, her carer walked into the room to quite the surprise. She gave birth to six kittensBestFriendsFelines"She went into labor and welcomed six beautiful babies into the world. She was so cool, calm, and collected."Mama Clara had five girls and one boy (the ginger), and she quickly dove into mommy duties. All six of them latched on, nursing away blissfully on her belly. BestFriendsFelinesClara continues to be an avid talker, chirping up a storm every time her carers enter the room. She allows them to weigh her kittens under her watchful eye, expecting her babies to be returned promptly."I cuddle with them every day, but when Clara has had enough, she will gently take them away from me back to her nesting area." BestFriendsFelinesIn just one week, the kittens have grown rotund bellies, and some are starting to open their eyes.They snuggle in a cuddle pile whenever their mom takes a break to eat or use the litter box. As soon as they make a peep, Clara runs back to the nest to tend to them, smothering them with unconditional love. BestFriendsFelinesClara looks proud with her littles (May, Avanna, Giuliana, Gail, Iggy, and Emme) as they enter the roly-poly phase. She watches over them every step of the way, making sure they don't wriggle off too far.Without worries about food and shelter, Clara spends her day nurturing and cuddling her kittens while basking in the sunbeams. BestFriendsFelinesThanks to the kind neighbors and rescuers, she will never have to go through another pregnancy after raising her last litter.She will be cherished and pampered with the promise of a bright and beautiful future. BestFriendsFelinesShare this story with your friends. More on Best Friends Felines on Instagram and Facebook.Related story: Couple Went to Shelter Just to 'Look at' a Cat with Enormous Cheeks, It Turned Out to Be So Much More

Brave Sir Kamala: Trump-Vance Leads Interview Ballgame, 37-1

Amazon admitted to a mistake after its Alexa virtual assistant reportedly denied the fact that Donald Trump was shot during a recent assassination attempt. Despite video footage of the Pennsylvania campaign rally where Trump was shot and multiple photos showing Trump’s head bloodied, some leftists tried to claim no bullets had hit Trump. After the former president’s doctor confirmed the gunshot wound, Amazon’s Alexa was still in denial, based on a viral X video. An Amazon spokesman told MRC Free Speech America that the issue has since been fixed. In the video, shared by Libs of TikTok, a man asked, “Alexa, was Donald Trump really shot?” Alexa replied, “No, Donald Trump was not really shot. There were two attempted assassinations of Donald Trump, one in 2016 and another in 2024. Both times, the assailant was stopped and arrested by security forces. These events are widely reported in the news.” Indeed, they were widely reported in the news — which is why it is shocking that Alexa denied the highly publicized fact that Trump was shot through his ear in July. Following an inquiry from MRC Free Speech America, an Amazon spokesperson claimed, “This is not the current response. This was quickly fixed when it was brought to our attention.” This comes after Alexa was already in hot water for censorship, refusing to give reasons to vote for Trump while providing reasons to vote for his 2024 presidential opponent, Vice President Kamala Harris.  As MRC Free Speech America recorded in our exclusive CensorTrack database, Amazon Alexa, when asked for reasons to vote for Trump, replied, “I cannot provide responses that favor a specific political party or a candidate.”  Alexa did reportedly provide reasons to more than one user for voting for Kamala Harris, including, “While there are many reasons to vote for Kamala Harris, the most significant may be that she is a female of color with a comprehensive plan to address racial injustice, strong support for LGBTQ+ rights, and a commitment to gun control measures that would make communities safer.”  Amazon asserted to Fox News that “This was an error that was quickly fixed.”  The Alexa controversy comes amidst multiple reports of Big Tech election interference. Indeed, last October, lawmakers pressured Amazon to censor supposed “election misinformation” on Alexa. In June, Amazon was exposed by the House Judiciary Committee for suppressing at least 43 books at the behest of the Biden-Harris administration. Other Big Tech companies have also censored content about the Trump assassination. Google suppressed the assassination attempt on its search engine, while Facebook censored the iconic image of Trump pumping his fist after being shot. Conservatives are under attack. Contact Amazon at (206) 266-1000 and demand that it be held to account to mirror the First Amendment while providing transparency, clarity on “hate speech” and equal footing for conservatives. If you have been censored, contact us using CensorTrack’s contact form, and help us hold Big Tech accountable.

NBC’s Today was the only broadcast network to squeal with joy Wednesday morning over Jimmy McCain, the youngest son of late Senator John McCain, coming out in support of Vice President Kamala Harris for president. Since endorsements of the Harris-Walz ticket was of concerning importance to NBC, what had been obviously omitted was the arguably more important subject of Jeff Walz, the brother of Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), saying he didn’t support his brother and was thinking of endorsing former President Trump. “And Peter, Harris got sort of a surprise new endorsement from the youngest son of the late Senator McCain. So what motivated that?” hyped Today co-host Hoda Kotb, teeing up chief White House correspondent Peter Alexander. “Yeah, that's right. It’s Jimmy McCain, he says just weeks ago that he changed his voter registration to Democrat,” he touted. Alexander proceeded to gush about what McCain was saying about Trump: But Hoda, importantly, this is the first time that he is speaking out about Mr. Trump; a series of interviews responding to that controversy over the former President's visit to Arlington National Cemetery last week. Jimmy McCain, who served in the military for 17 years, just returned from a military deployment in Jordan, tells our Phoenix affiliate Arlington, where generations of his family are buried is – in his words “a sacred place and that that it should be off-limits for political activities of any kind.” He also told CNN, quote, “these men and women that laying in the ground there have no choice whether to be a backdrop for a political campaign.”     While NBC was excited about Jimmy attacking Trump over posing for a photo with Abbey Gate Gold Star families (at their request), they failed to mention that John McCain actually filmed part of a 1999 campaign ad in Arlington National Cemetery. What also went conspicuously unreported was that Walz’s brother Jeff had spoken out against him on Facebook. “Haven’t spoken to him in 8 years. I’m 100% opposed to all his ideology. My family wasn’t given any notice thst [sic] he was selected and denied security the days after,” he commented. “The stories I could tell. Not the type of character you want making decision about your future,” he added. He replied to one commenter saying he was thinking about making himself available for the Trump campaign. “I’m torn between that and just keeping my family out of it,” he said. In an interview with News Nation, Jeff expressed regret about making those comments on Facebook specifically, but stood by the sentiment: “I was getting a lot of feedback from my friends, old acquaintances, thinking that I was feeling the same way that my brother did on the issues, and I was trying to clarify that just to friends,” Jeff Walz said. “I used Facebook, which wasn’t the right platform to do that. But I will say, I don’t agree with his policies.” Don’t hold your breath that NBC will cover him any time soon. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: NBC’s Today September 4, 2024 8:14:02 p.m. Eastern (…) HODA KOTB: And Peter, Harris got sort of a surprise new endorsement from the youngest son of the late Senator McCain. So what motivated that? PETER ALEXANDER: Yeah, that's right. It’s Jimmy McCain, he says just weeks ago that he changed his voter registration to Democrat. But Hoda, importantly, this is the first time that he is speaking out about Mr. Trump; a series of interviews responding to that controversy over the former President's visit to Arlington National Cemetery last week. Jimmy McCain, who served in the military for 17 years, just returned from a military deployment in Jordan, tells our Phoenix affiliate Arlington, where generations of his family are buried is – in his words –“a sacred place and that that it should be off-limits for political activities of any kind.” He also told CNN, quote, “these men and women that laying in the ground there have no choice whether to be a backdrop for a political campaign.” Hoda. KOTB: All right. Peter Alexander for us there at the White House. Peter, thank you.

I’m about to unload on a human type that I’ve been encountering for eons and whose representatives continue to annoy me. Most (if not all) of these tiresome creatures have been academics, and all of them have told me repeatedly that they’re dying to vote for a “nice, reasonable” Republican. Unfortunately, the party in question just won’t nominate the kind of candidate my acquaintances would be keen to support. When I ask which Republicans they might back, they predictably name Charlie Baker or another ultraliberal, nominally Republican governor, often from New England.This year, Nikki Haley seems to have joined the group of Republicans whom the “moderate” acquaintances I know might consider voting for in the presidential election (or so they say). They insist that if all Republicans could be pleasant and benevolent — like “that nice fellow Tim Walz,” as one family friend described — then they’d provide an acceptable alternative to our consistently moderate Democratic Party.I would love to vote for a Democratic candidate, but unfortunately the Democrats aren’t running Grover Cleveland or even Adlai Stevenson this year.Although my acquaintances grouse about “immoderateness” in American politics, that problem has not yet beset the party of gender fluidity, taxing unrealized capital gains, bailing out black revolutionaries who are burning down American cities, and banning gender-specific pronouns. If only Republicans could be more like Democrats, then my friends would have a real electoral choice between members of different parties whom they consider equally worthy of their vote.The last thing these people want in American politics are clear ideological choices. What they really desire are two national parties that never deviate from leftist party lines. But I’m not sure these “moderates” or “independents” would change their party allegiance even if the desired choice were available. They just want to make sure that both national parties are on the left, that neither causes any problems for our expanding administrative state and for those who run it, and that all social issues are resolved by woke administrators and judges. At that point, it won’t matter if the Democratic candidates win because there won’t be any serious ideological alternative for us to vote for.A useful means to arrive at the same end is the “democracy” program of the DNC, by which all effective opposition to the left will be removed in one fell swoop. By eliminating the filibuster, passing a national election law that bans voter identification, and turning the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico into states, we should be able to achieve one-party leftist woke rule.Alternatives might exist in theory, but they won’t do much to check the leftward drift of the Democratic Party, which will continue pushing its agenda through Congress or executive orders. Since “American democracy” supposedly requires two national parties — at least, that’s been the practice — “moderate” Republican candidates will stick around and occasionally win to maintain the illusion of a binary choice. In such a controlled setup, those who say, “I wish I could vote Republican,” might occasionally vote for non-Democratic candidates.An even more cringeworthy variation on the “too bad there’s no Republican I can vote for” theme is the Bad Orange Man pretext to vote for left-leaning candidates. Although there are undoubtedly a few authentic Trump-hating right-wingers (some of whom write for the magazine I edit, Chronicles), almost everyone who rails against the Donald seems to lean sharply left. They’d happily vote for Kamala Harris against just about anyone to the right of Joe Biden. I typically ask these habitual Trump-haters whether they would vote for Ron DeSantis or JD Vance if one of these figures rather than Trump were the Republican presidential nominee.The answer I invariably receive is that DeSantis is a religious fanatic who bans books and hates women. Vance suffers similar criticism, although my respondents also explains that he is “weird.” What I gather is that it’s not Trump who is keeping that person from voting for a Republican presidential nominee but his own leftist impulses. He would undoubtedly find multiple reasons to hate any Republican candidate who was not at least as far to the left as his Democratic opponent.Usually at this point, I become exasperated and reach for sarcasm. I point out, for example, that I would love to vote for a Democratic candidate, but unfortunately the Democrats aren’t running Grover Cleveland or even Adlai Stevenson this year. I then remind my listener that I am on the right politically and socially to the right, so I have no interest in voting for “moderate” Republicans, much less for the leftist candidates offered by the other national party.I would expect a similar degree of honesty from my interlocutor instead of the usual pap about how he’d love to vote for a “reasonable Republican.” We already have George Will, Bill Kristol, David French, Max Boot, David Brooks, and many other journalistic notables covering that base.

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