Senator Ron Johnson (R-WI) put the screws to Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas during a Thursday hearing‚ accusing him of aiding and abetting the crimes of illegal immigrants in the United States by refusing to secure the southern border. Johnson joined several of his Republican Senate colleagues in grilling Mayorkas less than 24 hours after Senate Democrats voted to kill the Republican-led House’s articles of impeachment against the DHS Secretary. WATCH: Sen. Ron Johnson accuses Mayorkas of being complicit and aiding and abetting the murder of Americans because of the administration's border security policies: &;quot;You were negotiating for political cover. If you were serious about securing the border you could have done it.&;quot; pic.twitter.com/kr2ltXKtP7 — Real Mac Report (@RealMacReport) April 18‚ 2024 Johnson started by asking Mayorkas if he had “any regrets” for the harm caused by the Biden administration’s “open border policies.” “Do you ever‚ when you go to bed at night‚ do you have any regrets&;#63; Do you have any remorse for your complicity in the crimes — you have — your open border policies aided and abetted the murder of Americans‚ the rape of Americans‚” Johnson said. “People have lost their loved ones because of this catastrophe‚ this open border policy. Do you have any remorse&;#63; Do you have any regrets&;#63;” Mayorkas responded by saying that first‚ “all of our hearts break for the victims of these heinous crimes.” He went on to say that only the people who actually carried out the criminal acts should be held accountable for them. “They wouldn’t have been in this country had you not allowed them in‚” Johnson shot back‚ asking then whether Mayorkas had ever spoken to the families affected by the crimes committed by illegal immigrants. Mayorkas repeated‚ “All of our hearts break for the loved ones of those who have been lost at the hands of criminal conduct.” “So your heart is broken. Do you have regrets&;#63;” Johnson asked again. “Do you admit your culpability here&;#63;” Johnson went on to cite statistics showing that crimes committed by illegal immigrants had risen dramatically in the time since President Joe Biden took office. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Johnson pointed out that former President Donald Trump had taken action to secure the border‚ and Biden has not only refused to do the same but has actively rescinded the actions Trump implemented. Referencing the failed bipartisan border bill — which did not make it past the House — Johnson added‚ “You weren’t negotiating to secure the border‚ you were negotiating for political cover for yourself‚ for President Biden‚ for the Democrats in Congress and the Senate … If you were serious about securing the border you could have done it.”

“Law &; Order: SVU” actress Mariska Hargitay was filming a new episode of the long-running drama series when a lost little girl asked her for help‚ mistaking her for a real police officer. The incident occurred in New York City on April 10‚ according to a Wednesday article from People. A witness told the outlet that the young girl saw Hargitay’s badge and thought it was legit. She had apparently been separated from her mother in the Anne Loftus Playground in Fort Tryon Park and asked Hargitay for help‚ the witness stated. She didn’t seem to notice the film crew or Hargitay’s co-star‚ Ice-T. The actress‚ who is a parent to three children with husband Peter Hermann‚ then stopped production on the scene for 20 minutes until the child’s mother could be located. She was seen by the witness comforting both the mother and the reunited child following the incident. Hargitay has played Detective Olivia Benson on “Law &; Order: SVU” since 1999. Benson is the longest-running primetime drama character in TV history‚ and “SVU” is the longest-running primetime drama series. The show just returned for its 25th season on January 18 and has been renewed for Season 26‚ the outlet noted. The actress previously spoke to People about being part of such a historic TV series. “We’ve been on a parallel journey‚” she said in January. “There’s a thing: WWOBD‚ ‘What would Olivia Benson do&;#63;’ The fans would always talk about it‚ and one day it hit me. I also have those moments where I’ve sort of slipped into her. If there’s a crisis‚ I just take over and lead like that. Being strong and fearless. It’s sort of this perfect feminist story.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Hargitay added‚ “I have two diametrically opposed answers. One is: I can’t believe it’s been 25 years‚ a quarter of a century&;#33; And the other is‚ I can’t see it any other way. I can’t imagine the show ending‚ and can’t imagine not going on this journey with my cast‚ my crew.”  “I have so much to look forward to‚” the actress concluded. “And I’m still growing. I like that you can be so many things at one time. It’s learning to give yourself permission to be all of yourself.”

Famed Allman Brothers Band guitarist Dickey Betts‚ responsible for writing the group’s biggest hit‚ “Ramblin’ Man‚” died Thursday at his home in Osprey‚ Florida. He was 80. Betts’ manager David Spero said that the rocker died from cancer and a chronic obstructive pulmonary disease‚ The New York Times reported. “He was surrounded by his whole family and he passed peacefully‚” Spero told Yahoo.com. “They didn’t think he was in any pain.” An Instagram post on his account said: “It is with profound sadness and heavy hearts that the Betts family announce the peaceful passing of Forrest Richard ‘Dickey’ Betts (December 12‚ 1943 – April 18‚ 2024) at the age of 80 years old.”   View this post on Instagram   A post shared by Dickey Betts (@dickeybettsofficial) “The legendary performer‚ songwriter‚ bandleader and family patriarch passed away earlier today at his home in Osprey‚ FL.‚ surrounded by his family‚” the message added. “Dickey was larger than life‚ and his loss will be felt world-wide. At this difficult time‚ the family asks for prayers and respect for their privacy in the coming days. More information will be forthcoming at the appropriate time.” While never an actual sibling of the Allman brothers‚ Duane and Gregg Allman‚ the singer and songwriter helped co-found the band and define the Southern Rock genre‚ the New York Post noted. In a 1981 interview‚ Betts talked about sharing guitar duties with Duane. “It was hard not to try and have just this complete contest all the time‚ trying to outdo‚ because we were both playing lead‚” Betts said. “The only way that can work is if somebody lays back just a little bit.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “If I had that jealousy and got involved in it too much‚” he added‚ “it just wouldn’t have worked. So in that sense it was kind of hard. But‚ hell‚ I learned more through those years than probably any other period of my playing career.” He shared those lead duties with Duane until he died in a motorcycle accident in 1971.  Before the band split up in 1976‚ Betts released several solo albums‚ including 1974’s “Highway Call” and 1976’s “Dickey Betts &; Great Southern.” In 1995‚ Betts and The Allman Brothers Band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

President Joe Biden’s lead over Donald Trump among the youngest voting bloc has dropped significantly since the 2020 election‚ according to a Harvard poll released Thursday. The latest Harvard Institute of Politics (IOP) Youth Poll shows Biden at 50% to Trump’s 37% in a head-to-head matchup among 18- to 29-year-olds. In a five-way race with Robert Kennedy Jr.‚ Jill Stein‚ and Cornel West factored in‚ Biden’s lead shrinks even more among young voters as he leads Trump by just seven percentage points with 16% of those surveyed saying they were still undecided. In the 2020 election‚ both Gen Z (ages 18-23) and Millennial (ages 24-39) voters favored Biden by 20 percentage points‚ according to Pew Research. “Make no mistake‚ this is a different youth electorate than we saw in 2020 and 2022‚ and young voters are motivated by different things‚” said IOP polling director John Della Volpe. The Harvard poll shows that young men are responsible for nearly all of Biden’s waning support among the youth vote. While Biden’s advantage among young women surveyed remained relatively the same as in 2020‚ his lead has fallen by nearly 20 percentage points among young men. IOP Director Setti D. Warren said that “young people today have clear concerns about where our country is headed.” “From worries about the economy‚ foreign policy‚ immigration‚ and climate‚ young people across the country are paying attention and are increasingly prepared to make their voices heard at the ballot box this November‚” Warren added. According to recent polls‚ the president is also bleeding support from black men and Latinos. A Wall Street Journal poll of the seven battleground states released earlier this month showed Biden’s support among black men has dropped 30 points since 2020. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP An Axios-Ipsos poll released last week also found that Biden’s lead over Trump among Latinos had dropped from a 29-point advantage to a nine-point advantage. On the issues of the economy and crime‚ Trump led Biden among Latinos by 22 points and 11 points‚ respectively. Biden has cut into Trump’s national polling advantage in recent weeks as the former president leads Biden by less than half a point‚ according to the RealClearPolitics average as of Thursday afternoon. In a five-way competition‚ Trump’s lead increases slightly to 1.7 points.

West Virginia will no longer be investing money in Chinese-based companies through its higher education savings investment program‚ according to Republican State Treasurer Riley Moore. Moore announced Wednesday that the state would be designating dollars from the investment program‚ known as SMART529‚ into a fund that wouldn’t back Chinese-based companies. The previous fund included investments in Chinese companies through an emerging markets fund. “We have a fiduciary duty to act in the best financial interests of SMART529 plan participants‚ and we believe excluding Chinese emerging market investments from our Select Plan portfolio will help maximize returns while reducing exposure to the potential regulatory and geopolitical risks that come with investing in companies based in China‚” Moore said. “I’m grateful to the Board members for carefully considering this recommendation to reduce exposure to these more risky Chinese investment options.” Under the former investment plan‚ Chinese companies could be qualified for some of the $40 million SMART529 dollars that were invested in emerging markets. Moore said the decision to shift investments away from China came after a “lengthy period of study” showed that keeping investment in China was risky. He began looking at the move in late 2021. “This decision is in the best long-term financial interests of those individuals who choose to invest in a SMART529 Select Plan and the children whose educational future benefits from these funds‚” he said. Moore had investment consultant company NEPC create a research report for him on potential risks from partnering with Chinese companies. “China’s domestic policies can create periods of heightened volatility and it is possible that ongoing tensions could increase and negatively impact Chinese stocks‚” NEPC told the West Virginia board that oversees the state’s college funding programs. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP State Armor‚ a group dedicated to fighting national security threats on the state level‚ praised the decision. “Excluding Chinese investments will reduce American funding of our greatest adversary‚ and protect participants from China’s volatile economy‚” said Michael Lucci‚ the group’s CEO. “More states should look to West Virginia’s example and examine their own investment portfolios.” “State leaders must take immediate action to protect their education systems‚ which includes divesting from adversaries‚ reviewing and canceling gifts and contracts from adversaries‚ and generally cutting adversary government influence on American campuses‚” Lucci added.

Kansas City Chiefs star Patrick Mahomes said he will keep playing in the NFL as long as it doesn’t “take away from my family time” with his two kids and wife Brittany. Time magazine named the Super Bowl-winning QB as one of 2024’s “World’s Most Influential People” and he opened up about his career and being a father to daughter Sterling‚ 3‚ and son Bronze‚ 1. “I’ve looked‚ if I played until Tom [Brady]’s age (45)‚ my daughter would be 19‚ 20 years old‚” Mahomes said. “That would mean missing plenty of youth sporting events and other commitments.” “I would love to play that long‚” he added. “At the same time‚ I want to be there for my daughter. If I can do that‚ I’ll continue to play. But if I feel like it’s taking away from my family time‚ that’s when I’ll know it’s time to go.” At one point in the piece‚ Mahomes talked about his Super Bowl wins and disputed that he’s even close to a GOAT (Greatest Of All Time) like Tom Brady. Patrick Mahomes is our second 2024 #TIME100 cover star. The Chiefs quarterback reflects on his latest Super Bowl-winning season‚ his place in the GOAT conversation‚ and his team’s most famous fan https://t.co/DPb7VvjX4a pic.twitter.com/sSK5uzajnK — TIME (@TIME) April 16‚ 2024 “You have to build a consistency of a career‚” Mahomes said. “You see that in any sport. I’ve had a great run. I think I’ve done a great job so far. But it’s hard to take away from what Tom [Brady] did for so long‚ what Peyton Manning did‚ or Aaron Rodgers.” “There are so many guys‚ they were at such a high level for such a long time. In order to be in that conversation‚ you have to do that on a year-to-year basis‚” he added. “You can’t take it for granted that you did it the year before. That’s something I’ll talk about when I’m done playing. Then people can make those decisions.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “At the end of my time‚ I just want to say that I didn’t leave anything out there‚” Mahomes continued. “My family and football are the first things I want to be great at. If I can go out there and say that I gave everything I had on the football field‚ expectations are what they are and whatever is going to happen is going to happen. And I can be satisfied with that.” Brittany and Patrick met in high school in Texas. They welcomed a daughter in 2021‚ and the couple finally tied the knot in 2022. In 2022‚ they shared news that they were expecting again and welcomed their son later that year. Related: Patrick Mahomes Says Brittany Is The Key To His Success: ‘I Have A Great Wife’

A fanatical environmentalist group claimed it wrecked a gala at which Alaska Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski was to be honored by a major oil company and called her a “murderer” and an “ecocidal pyromaniac.” A video posted by the group Climate Defiance‚ a self-proclaimed “youth-led group using direct action to resist fossil fuels‚” showed people storming a stage and tussling with other participants at the event. “We just shut down a gala honoring U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski‚” the group tweeted. “Murkowski is a murderer. She incinerates us to enrich her cronies. As Chevron’s top lobbyist gave her an award‚ we stepped in and stopped the ceremony. Respect us or expect us.” BREAKING: We just shut down a gala honoring U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski. Murkowski is a murderer. She incinerates us to enrich her cronies. As Chevron's top lobbyist gave her an award‚ we stepped in and stopped the ceremony. Respect us or expect us. 🧵 pic.twitter.com/Q72mHerpdg — Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) April 18‚ 2024 “Murkowski brands herself as a moderate but in truth she is an ecocidal pyromaniac. She fought tooth and nail to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to big oil. Is nothing sacred&;#63; Is nothing sacred&;#63;” they continued. Murkowski brands herself as a moderate but in truth she is an ecocidal pyromaniac. She fought tooth and nail to open up the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to big oil. Is nothing sacred&;#63; Is nothing sacred&;#63; (2/5) pic.twitter.com/PTcG8TvSvz — Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) April 18‚ 2024 “Murkowski played a lead role in persuading Biden to approve the Willow Project. This monstrosity will transport 200‚000 barrels of oil every single day. This is hideous. This is cruel and barbaric beyond description‚” they added. Murkowski played a lead role in persuading Biden to approve the Willow Project. This monstrosity will transport 200‚000 barrels of oil every single day. This is hideous. This is cruel and barbaric beyond description. (3/5) — Climate Defiance (@ClimateDefiance) April 18‚ 2024 The Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) consists of 19‚286‚722 acres in northeastern Alaska. Polar bears‚ grizzly bears‚ and American black bears reside within the Refuge‚ along with moose‚ caribou‚ wolves‚ and foxes. In August 2020‚ the Department of opened 1.5 million acres of the coastal plain for drilling‚ less than 1% of the area of the ANWR. On January 20‚ 2021‚ President Biden‚ on his first day in office‚ implemented a moratorium on oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Referring to the coastal plain‚ the U.S. Geological Survey has reported‚ “Technically recoverable oil within the ANWR 1002 area (excluding State and Native areas) is estimated to be between 4.3 and 11.8 billion barrels (95- and 5-percent probability range)‚ with a mean value of 7.7 billion barrels.” “Total petroleum imports into the United States amounted to 8.5 million barrels per day in 2023‚” Statista reported. If 7.7 billion barrels could be retrieved from the ANWR‚ that would constitute importation of 8.5 million barrels for 905 years‚ assuring American energy independence for nearly a millennium.

As the news of iconic musician Dickey Betts' passing at the age of 80 spread‚ the world of rock and roll mourned the loss of a true legend. But for conservatives‚ the passing of the Allman Brothers guitarist holds a deeper significance‚ as his life and career embody the values and beliefs that we hold dear. Betts‚ known for his soulful guitar playing and co-writing some of the band's biggest hits‚ was a true American original. His unwavering dedication to his craft and his unapologetic patriotism were evident in every note he played and every song he wrote. And as a conservative‚ I cannot help but admire and celebrate these qualities. Rest in peace to Allman Brothers Band founding member‚ Dickie Betts. 1943-2024. pic.twitter.com/RTPJzcTbRP — Classic Rock In Pics (@crockpics) April 18‚ 2024 In a time when the entertainment industry is saturated with liberal ideologies‚ Betts stood out as a staunch defender of traditional American values. He used his platform to speak out against government overreach and to celebrate the freedoms that our country was founded on. And while he may have faced criticism and backlash for his outspoken beliefs‚ he never wavered in his convictions. But beyond his political views‚ Betts was a true musician's musician. He poured his heart and soul into his music‚ creating timeless pieces that captured the essence of American rock and roll. And as a conservative‚ I believe in the power of art and music to unite people and inspire them to greatness. Betts' legacy will continue to do just that‚ as his music lives on and continues to touch the hearts of generations to come. RIP Dickey Betts The Allman Brothers guitarist passed away at 80 years old today. He penned the hit songs Ramblin’ Man and Blue Sky.pic.twitter.com/Evb7gsZUK8 — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) April 18‚ 2024 As we reflect on Betts' life and career‚ it is important to acknowledge the impact he had on the conservative community. His unwavering determination to stay true to his values and his refusal to conform to the mainstream narrative serve as an inspiration to us all. He embodied the true spirit of conservatism – standing strong in the face of adversity and fighting for what he believed in. Moreover‚ Betts' passing serves as a reminder of the rich history and culture of the South. As a proud Southerner‚ Betts embraced his heritage and incorporated it into his music. And in a time when our history and traditions are under constant attack‚ it is important to honor and remember those who represent the best of our region. While the news of Betts' passing may bring a sense of sadness‚ we can also find solace in the fact that his music will continue to live on and inspire future generations. His legacy will continue to serve as a shining example of what it means to be a true American and a proud conservative. In conclusion‚ the passing of Dickey Betts is a loss not just for the world of music‚ but for the conservative community as well. He leaves behind a legacy of unwavering dedication to his craft‚ unapologetic patriotism‚ and a deep love for his country and its values. And as we say farewell to this musical icon‚ let us remember and celebrate the impact he had on the world and the values he stood for. Rest in peace‚ Dickey Betts. Your music will live on forever. What are YOUR thoughts&;#63; We want to hear from you. Please comment below to join the discussion. The post Legendary Guitarist of the Allman Brothers Band Passes Away at 80 appeared first on The Conservative Brief.

'Rebounding from cyclical lows'

The claim is false and originally stems from an April 15 article published on the satire website 'Real Raw News'