'He did not get a single question in that room about American suffering'

North Carolina continues to suffer under the weight of the horribly run Federal Emergency Management Agency. On the latest episode of “The Tony Kinnett Cast,” we list the countless billions of dollars spent on everyone but American citizens by the very federal agencies constitutionally obligated to give them aid. The legacy media sits in awkward silence as allegations of “Second Gentleman” Doug Emhoff’s domestic abuse circulate on social media. How many times did any other political candidate or their spouse get this kind of polite ignoring, and does this kind of wink-and-nod favor any particular political party? We dig into some “Mail Time” and answer some of the burning questions, both serious and silly, sent in by viewers and listeners every week. 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: Billions for Ukraine and Illegals. North Carolina, Not So Much. appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Editor’s note: This commentary originally was published in September 2023. Federal spending is hard enough to keep track of at the best of times, but the Biden-Harris administration is highly adept at hiding how it funds its open-borders agenda. In a cynical budget negotiation tactic, the White House is trying to push through a $40 billion “supplemental” funding bill that holds bailout money for the Federal Emergency Management Agency hostage to sending billions more to Ukraine with insufficient accountability. It gets worse. If the White House tactic works, and Congress coughs up enough aid to Ukraine that rescue money for FEMA can get through, hundreds of millions of that funding won’t go to disaster-afflicted Americans. Instead it will go to providing housing, food, health care, and transportation for illegal immigrants through grants to activist nongovernment organizations and “sanctuary” cities. That’s right. Even though FEMA grants are meant to help taxpaying Americans prepare for and cope with hurricanes, fires, and floods, the Biden-Harris administration has used these same funds to pay activist NGOs to settle migrants illegally in the United States. FEMA’s major disaster relief and flood insurance programs are already in debt and need to be refilled each year. The White House’s supplemental request uses that as a smokescreen to slip in grant money for their open-border operation. FEMA’s Emergency Food and Shelter Program is already being siphoned for over $332 million “to assist communities receiving noncitizens released from custody,” which means housing migrants here illegally at the border, then transporting them to places such as New York City. New York has been promised $104 million from this pot, though at a burn rate of $8 million a day, it won’t last long. Big city mayors gripe about a few buses carrying illegal aliens sent by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, but the main train delivering migrants to their sidewalks is driven by the Department of Homeland Security, using FEMA money.  And the Biden-Harris administration is getting even more brazen. FEMA grant money, unlike its Disaster Relief and Flood Insurance programs, doesn’t require the president to declare a federal disaster—which would at least highlight the self-defeating results of his policies. So it should come as no surprise that DHS, in its fiscal 2024 budget, already asked for a directly appropriated $83.5 million for FEMA Shelter and Services Program grants to “nonprofits and local entities to provide support to noncitizens released from DHS custody.” Furthermore, the Department of Homeland Security asked for $800 million—$650 million more than the year before—“for communities to support migrants who have been released from DHS custody pending the outcome of their immigration proceedings.” Bear in mind that with the asylum system backlogged as never before, this outcome would be far in the future in most cases. The money would come from a $4 billion “Southwest Border Contingency” fund in DHS’ proposed fiscal 2024 budget. In plain English, this means that having created a giant magnet for illegal immigration, the Biden-Harris administration wants to continue to burn your tax dollars to sustain hundreds of thousands of people who entered the U.S. illegally, for an indefinite period. To be clear, not only did these people have no right to enter the country, but they stand little chance of getting asylum even after a due process lasting many years. Naturally, Biden faces resistance in Congress. Republicans have seen DHS use appropriated money to facilitate mass illegal entry over the past two years, and they are wise to the White House’s attempt to ramp this up in the fiscal 2024 budget. Hence the attempt to Trojan-horse the border-related funds into the Ukraine-FEMA bundle. In the supplemental request, DHS is asking not only for $203 million more for Customs and Border Protection’s industrial migrant processing machine—which includes tent housing, transportation, and medical care—but also $600 million more for the FEMA Shelter and Services Program grants. In a recent hearing before Congress, FEMA Administrator Deanne Criswell tried to “clarify for the record that FEMA is not an immigration agency.” Yet she also proclaimed her support for Biden’s Southwest Border Contingency Fund, which would channel money to FEMA to spend on services to immigrants here illegally. But as a firefighter for two decades, Criswell surely knows which arsonist set the dumpster fire on the border that her agency’s cash-hose is now being pointed at. All this only adds to the reasons that Congress should oppose this corrupt deal. Tying a FEMA top-up to Ukraine aid—in the middle of hurricane season, and shortly after Hawaii’s deadly Maui fires—shows that the Biden-Harris administration will maintain open borders at any price. This commentary originally was distributed by Tribune News Service The post FEMA Money Is for Disaster-Stricken Americans, Not Those Here Illegally appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Israel Should Strike Nuclear Sites in Iran, Not Energy Infrastructure

Interviewer to Harris: Why Haven't You Accomplished Your Agenda as VP? Harris: Uh ... Trump?

On Friday, President Biden made his first appearance in the White House Briefing Room with only three and a half months left in office after years of calls from reporters across the political spectrum. Sure, he only took questions for just over eight minutes, but the press corps made sure to throw this unique opportunity away with a combination of open-ended foreign policy queries and softballs, including one from taxpayer-funded NPR dialing up the fear porn about post-election violence. Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre picked the reporters herself, so that was the first indication this would be a joke. The Associated Press’s Josh Boak went first because that’s how these things go (or risk serious hissy fits, like Sean Spicer learned) and put this pathetic question on the tee for Ol’ Joe: “Florida Senator Marco Rubio described today's jobs report as having fake numbers. What do you make of that and how worried are you that many Americans are hearing that the jobs numbers aren't real?” Biden repeatedly quipped about how he had to choose words carefully (or he’d presumably get in trouble), but said the jobs numbers are “real” and “sincere” and also par for the course for “MAGA Republicans” calling “anything…they don’t like…fake.” Boak’s second question was about Iran and left Biden refusing to commit to anything: “[C]ould you clarify some of your comments yesterday with regard to strikes on Iranian oil facilities. What did you mean by them given some of the reactions we're seeing in the market?” CBS’s Weijia Jiang went next and invited him to tee off on Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the increasingly growing conspiracy theories that he’s interfering in the U.S. presidential election (for Donald Trump): CBS’s @Weijia Jiang: “This week, Senator Chris Murphy said it's certainly a possibility that the Israeli government is not going to sign any diplomatic agreement prior to the election, which is what you have been calling for – for so long, potentially to try to influence the… pic.twitter.com/y3V1DBsW8o — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 4, 2024 ABC’s Selina Wang followed up: ABC’s Selina Wang: “What are you advising the Israelis to do in terms of their retaliation to Iran and, at this point, you still haven't spoken to Netanyahu. Is it fair to say that you have little personal influence over what he decides to do?” President Biden: “No. Look, our –… pic.twitter.com/c7QGNtwvlj — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 4, 2024 Wang’s second question was even more of a lament: “But over the past few months they've consistently defied your administration's own advice, so do you believe that the Israelis are going to listen to the advice you're giving them?” After a third Wang question wondering how “should [Israel] respond,” NPR’s Tamara Keith stepped up to the plate and, instead of asking about those affected by Hurricane Helene, the hundreds dead, and the growing uproar surrounding the federal response, she wondered about election legitimacy and post-election violence: NPR’s Tamara Keith: “The election is a month away. One, I'd like to know how you're feeling about how this election is going? And then, also, do you have confidence that it will be a free and fair election, and then it will be peaceful?” President Biden: “Two separate… pic.twitter.com/LmlBsQmUo2 — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 4, 2024 Keith doubled down on the MSNBC-speak: “Are you making any preparations, getting security briefings related to domestic security?” Biden shot back that he “always[s] gets those briefings.” Bloomberg’s Akayala Gardner predictably had two economy-related questions, with one on possible Iranian oil sanctions and the other on the temporarily suspension of a dock worker strike on the east coast. AFP’s Danny Kemp had another Middle East question. This time, it was an acknowledgment that the region seems to be “pretty close to that definition” of “all-out war” and if there’s truly anything he could “really do to stop that”. Amid more shouting from reporters, Jean-Pierre picked The Washington Post’s Toluse Olorunnipa to come up clutch with one final softball: Washington Post’s @ToluseO: “There have obviously been a number of crises that the country has been facing over the past several days with the hurricane, with the port strike, with the situation in the Middle East. Can you talk about how your Vice President, who is running for… pic.twitter.com/YQL9WwLn3U — Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 4, 2024 Jean-Pierre tried to wrap things up, but amid a torrent of reporters shouting, she tried to call on Reuters’s Nandita Bose, but EWTN’s Owen Jensen caught Biden’s attention by asking for comment about Pope Francis’s call for a day of prayer and fasting on Monday to mark one year since Hamas’s terror attacks on Israel. Once Biden said, he would follow suit, the shouting resumed and he left the room to much rejoicing and chuckling (click “expand”): JEAN-PIERRE: Alright, guys, that's it. Thank you, everybody. Thank you, Mr. President. Thank you, sir. Thank you. [REPORTERS SHOUTING] UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: On Ukraine, any decision on long range weapons? UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Do you want to reconsider dropping out of the race? BIDEN: I’m back in! [REPORTERS LAUGH] JACQUI HEINRICH: What made you want to come here today, Mr. President? JEAN-PIERRE: All right, everybody. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, Mr. President! UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Thank you, Karine. UNIDENTIFIED REPORTER: Can we do that again? JEAN-PIERRE: No. [REPORTERS LAUGH] How incestuous. To see the relevant transcript from the October 4 briefing, click here.

A former makeup artist for Garth Brooks has accused the country music star of sexual assault and battery in a lawsuit.The complaint — filed Thursday in a California state court — claims the alleged incidents of sexual abuse occurred in 2019. The makeup artist and hairstylist accused Brooks of raping her during a work trip in Los Angeles, according to CNN. 'We are very confident in our case, and over time the public will see his true character rather than his highly curated persona.'The alleged victim — identified only as "Jane Roe" in the lawsuit — claimed that the sexual abuse left her "physically" and "emotionally injured."The lawsuit claims the woman and Brooks traveled to Los Angeles in 2019 for a Grammys tribute to R&B singer Sam Moore. The suit alleges that only one hotel room was booked for both of them to share. Trapped in the room"After they arrived, suddenly Brooks appeared in the doorway to the bedroom, completely naked," the complaint read, according to Fox News. "He stood there and flexed his muscles. Ms. Roe immediately had a sick feeling in her stomach, knowing she was trapped in the room alone with Brooks, with no one to help and far away from Nashville."The lawsuit claims that Brooks then raped her. In the suit, the woman also accuses Brooks of repeatedly exposing his genitals and buttocks, talking about sex and sharing sexual fantasies with her, regularly changing his clothing in front of her, and sending sexually explicit text messages.Longtime employeeThe alleged victim began handling hair and makeup services for Brooks in 2017, according to the lawsuit. The woman said she was first hired in 1999 to do hair and makeup for Brooks' wife, Trisha Yearwood. The woman's legal team said in a statement that they "applaud our client's courage in moving forward with her complaints against Garth Brooks.""The complaint filed today demonstrates that sexual predators exist not only in corporate America, Hollywood, and in the rap and rock and roll industries but also in the world of country music," the statement read. "We encourage others who may have been victimized to contact us, as no survivor should suffer in silence."'Hassled to no end'Brooks vehemently denied the scathing allegations. "For the last two months, I have been hassled to no end with threats, lies, and tragic tales of what my future would be if I did not write a check for many millions of dollars," Brooks said in a statement. "It has been like having a loaded gun waved in my face."The award-winning country music singer continued, "Hush money, no matter how much or how little, is still hush money. In my mind, that means I am admitting to behavior I am incapable of — ugly acts no human should ever do to another."Brooks revealed that his legal team filed a lawsuit against his accuser "nearly a month ago to speak out against extortion and defamation of character."The "Friends in Low Places" singer said his suit was filed anonymously "for the sake of families on both sides."Brooks contended that he would "trust the system." "I do not fear the truth, and I am not the man they have painted me to be," Brooks concluded. Back to workHours after the searing accusations were revealed, Brooks performed in Las Vegas. After he performed at the Colosseum at Caesars Palace — where the 62-year-old country music singer has had a residency since May 2023 — Brooks penned an emotional message on social media. On Instagram Brooks shared a photo of himself onstage in front of a sold-out crowd during his show with the caption: “If there was ever a night that I really needed this, TONIGHT was that night! Thank you for my life!!!!! Love, g.” Douglas H. Wigdor — an attorney representing the woman in question — on Friday told CNN, “I cannot get into settlement discussions, but the suggestion made by Brooks that he was unwilling to pay millions is simply not true. We are very confident in our case, and over time the public will see his true character rather than his highly curated persona.”Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

A viral TikTok video showed just how easy it is to use fake information while seeking asylum at the southern border.An American man, purportedly from Michigan, provided no authentic information while using the U.S. Customs and Border Protection phone app. 'All they do is go off of the picture I submit.'The CBP One app is a mobile application that serves as a portal to government services for illegal immigrants and asylum-seekers."Through a series of guided questions, the app directs each type of user to the appropriate services based on their needs," CBP says on its website. "As part of CBP's comprehensive effort to improve the security of our nation's borders while enhancing legitimate travel and trade, CBP One™ provides increased accessibility and transparency to some of CBP's most utilized services."No ID neededThe official description makes the phone app sound professional and secure. The reality, however, as alleged in recent social media posts, is that the Department of Homeland Security makes almost no effort to establish a person's identity before the person is allowed to make an appointment in hopes of being granted asylum.A recent TikTok video that has circulated online shows just how little information is required in the app."Once you create an account, on the main page you just have to choose if you're the smuggler or the smuglee," the video creator joked.The first page opens with the following options for the user to self-describe:Broker/Carrier/ForwarderTravelerAircraft OperatorBus OperatorSeaplane PilotCommercial Truck DriverInternational OrganizationFake biosUsers are then prompted to fill out their "biographical information," which the content creator filled out with fake information. The name "Jesus Gonzalez" was used, with the country of birth entered as Mexico. He also entered his country of citizenship as Haiti and country of residence as American Samoa.The user then selected his gender as "unknown."At this point, the user is asked to provide a photo, for which he used a Google image of comedian Carlos Mencia; scanning a passport was listed as "optional."The app then asks where the user is traveling to; the fake applicant left the address and city as "unknown" and simply entered "California" with a zip code of "90001."He admitted that the zip code was the first option provided by Google maps."And that's it, I'm good to go," the voice-over stated. "It does let you choose between like eight different bridges to meet under; I chose the Eagle Pass bridge."The bridge listed on the app was Camino Real International Bridge 2. The Eagle Pass bridges have been hot spots for media coverage, showing thousands of migrants being gathered and cordoned off while they wait for processing. The CBP One app is meant to streamline this process and reduce the poor optics without lessening the number of applicantsViral outrageThe viral video was posted on the "FollowForLaughs" TikTok page and hosted by a man who said he was a "regular guy" from Michigan. He estimated that it took just five minutes to apply for asylum and get an appointment."I said I have no documentation. ... There is no way to cross-check who I say I am. ... All they do is go off of the picture I submit."Viewers were both angry at the results and thankful that vice presidential candidate JD Vance exposed the app during a recent debate."OK, so Vance was yelling the truth," one TikTok user wrote."And it was created in 2023 not 1990 like Walz said," another replied."So Vance had to push to get us this information and it's true," a viewer also said.In a repost of the video on X, a user suggested that America's homeless should simply register at the border to reap the benefits that illegal immigrants appear to receive."Wait so should people round up the homeless populations and register them as illegal aliens so that the government will provide them with food[,] housing[,] and jobs?"Wait so should people round up the homeless populations and register them as illegal aliens so that the government will provide them with food housing and jobs?— jcy (@newspeakdev) October 2, 2024 Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

On Latina Equal Pay Day, Kamala Harris Gets WRECKED for Her Pathetic Pandering

David Axelrod Makes Insulting, Elitist Remark on Post-Helene Trump, 'Upscale' Liberal Voters in NC