It has been about 80 years since the Gilbert and Marshall Islands campaign‚ a bloody struggle against Japan during World War II that cost thousands of Americans their lives. Today‚ Congress is poised to squander their sacrifice for freedom by granting China a generational opportunity to severely undermine America’s security position in the Pacific. At issue are three long-standing‚ bilateral Compact of Free Association agreements between the United States and the Federated States of Micronesia‚ the Marshall Islands and the Republic of Palau. In exchange for modest financial assistance‚ each agreement grants the U.S. strategic denial rights and defense exclusivity with these nations. Strategic denial rights allow the U.S. to unilaterally block the Chinese‚ or any other military‚ from entering the countries covered by the compacts. Exclusive defense rights allow the U.S. to access compact waters and to construct military sites on the first and second island chains. These facilities could prove critical in a possible defense of Taiwan or in protecting and resupplying our Japanese‚ Korean‚ and Filipino allies in the event of a conflict with China. The U.S.-Marshall Islands Compact also allows the U.S. to test and improve missile accuracy by launching missiles from California that land on the Kwajalein Atoll in the Marshall Islands. Furthermore‚ Palau will host the new Tactical Multi-Mission Over-the-Horizon Radar system‚ which will grant the U.S. expanded air and maritime awareness in the Indo-Pacific. The compacts with Micronesia and the Marshall Islands formally expired Sept. 30. The recent short-term funding packages have kept the agreements on life support‚ and the U.S. has agreed to renew the agreements and maintain access for 20 years at a total cost of $7.1 billion. But it has not arranged for the funds to pay that bill. As is common with many congressional fights‚ the key holdup has been a dispute over how to pay for the compacts. In many cases‚ Congress requires spending increases to be offset by either a decrease in spending or an increase in revenue. In other words‚ Congress‚ like the American taxpayer‚ is encouraged to have a balanced budget. Despite knowing for years that an offset would be necessary to cover the relatively small sums involved‚ the White House has refused to make cuts to pay for the deals their negotiators struck‚ and Congress has been unable to agree on a bipartisan proposal that funds the compacts. Because of how the prior compacts were funded‚ Congress needs to offset only about $2.3 billion in new funding for all three countries across 20 years. That averages to around $40 million per country per year. It shouldn’t be difficult to find that money elsewhere‚ considering that between April 2021 and September 2022‚ the U.S. gave nearly $2 billion to Afghanistan‚ Venezuela‚ Pakistan‚ and the Palestinian territories—much less useful “investments” by far. Funding the compacts is the fiscally responsible move‚ as the agreements theoretically save the U.S. tens of billions of dollars‚ given the added military capabilities the U.S. would need to field and deploy to compensate for the loss of access. In comparison‚ since 1986‚ the U.S. has provided about $6.5 billion in assistance to the compact countries in return for defense access and military privileges. In addition‚ failing to renew the compacts leaves the U.S. less safe and raises major doubts about America’s ability to fund its key priorities and support its key allies in the Indo-Pacific. To nobody’s surprise‚ China is ready to pounce if the compact provisions expire. To avoid handing China a major strategic victory‚ Congress must find a way to fund the compacts. While Congress works to identify an offset‚ the Biden administration must offer better solutions. For example‚ rather than requesting $3.1 billion for a National Strategy on Gender Equity and Equality‚ the administration could reallocate its budget request to cover the compacts. Options to pass the compacts seem limited. The National Defense Authorization Act doesn’t include the compacts; this is a missed opportunity. The compacts also could be included in a possible national security supplemental package. If neither of these options is feasible‚ then the House and Senate could pass the compacts as a stand-alone bill. Regardless of the pathway‚ time is not on America’s side. Congress is at a critical juncture. No other agreement in the world may match the value that Micronesia‚ the Marshall Islands‚ and Palau offer the United States in exchange for a relatively modest rounding error in the Pentagon’s budget. Failure to fund the compacts would constitute strategic malpractice by Congress. This commentary first was published by The Washington Times Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com‚ and we’ll consider publishing your edited remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. Remember to include the URL or headline of the article plus your name and town and/or state. The post Let’s Not Hand China a Victory in Pacific appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Government Workers Are Trying to Take Over Congress Now

MSM Frets Over How/If to Cover Trump

RNC Ready to Jump Ahead and Declare Trump as the Party's Presumptive Nominee

The Midwest is known for its harsh winters‚ with plenty of snow‚ biting wind chills‚ and treacherous roads. During these cold months‚ staying warm and close to family is essential. However‚ some aspects of winter remain unaffected by the chill. For example‚ families in rural areas are accustomed to seeing deer roam their properties. While... The post Deer comes across snowman in its path and the way she “greets” it gets over 2.4M views appeared first on Animal Channel.

Why Own a Dog? Owning a dog is like having a bundle of joy that never stops giving. From their adorable antics to their unwavering loyalty‚ dogs bring a unique kind of happiness into our lives. And when it comes to big dogs‚ like the majestic Great Dane‚ everything wonderful about having a furry friend... The post Great Dane blocks owner from entering driveway so he can give her a “special greeting” appeared first on Animal Channel.

It seems many still harbor‚ or want to perpetuate‚ the illusion that our Social Security system is not in trouble. Let me quote here from a press release from the Social Security Administration released March 31‚ 2023: “The Social Security Board of Trustees today released its annual report on the financial status of the Social Security Trust Funds. The combined asset reserves of the Old-Age and Survivors Insurance and Disability Insurance (OASI and DI) Trust Funds are projected to become depleted in 2034‚ one year earlier than projected last year‚ with 80% of benefits payable at that time.” In 2034‚ per the report‚ “if Congress does not act before then ... there would be sufficient income coming in to pay 80% of scheduled benefits.” It couldn’t be clearer. In 10 years‚ with no action from Congress‚ everyone will begin receiving 80% of what they are currently receiving‚ or promised‚ under the existing Social Security system. Can anyone imagine getting a notice from a private retirement provider saying that in 10 years all beneficiaries will begin receiving 80% of what they were promised? How did we get into this situation? It’s the wonders of government planning‚ of socialism. Social Security is not a pension program based on investments. It is a government tax and spend program. The stipends of current retirees are paid with the payroll tax of those currently working. Because life spans have increased and population growth has decreased‚ there are far fewer working now to support each retiree than was the case years ago. Socialism is always mugged by reality. The Committee to Unleash Prosperity estimates that over the last 40 years‚ the annual real return of Social Security for “the typical middle-class worker” has been about 1% per year. Today‚ 30-year government bonds yield over 4%. The historic long-term return on stocks is 6%. Inflation adjusted. The paltry returns on Social Security are going to turn out much worse. To close the 20% deficit between revenues and outlays 10 years from now‚ some combination of tax increases and benefit cuts will be necessary. This will make bad returns even worse. Aside from the terrible economics of Social Security‚ how about the terrible politics? Every young person entering the workforce today has no choice but pay the payroll tax into this bankrupt system. With all our rhetoric about freedom‚ democracy and social justice‚ shouldn’t young people entering the workforce be given a choice whether they want to participate in this system? Why shouldn’t they be given the option -- the freedom -- to join a private retirement plan rather than a socialist government system? How about the injustice this causes low-income Americans under the guise that government socialism is good for them? For a low-income earner‚ the Social Security payroll tax takes the only funds that they have available to invest. Per the Federal Reserve Consumer Finance Survey‚ median wealth of Black families is 15% of the median wealth of white families. Wealth comes from investment‚ not income. The percentage of Black families owning stock is about 60% of white families. Shouldn’t low-income families be given the option of getting out of the government system and investing privately over a 40-year working life and have the option to build wealth? Why should government be telling these free‚ private individuals how to manage their retirement savings? Beyond what this broken system does to individuals‚ it also hurts the nation in the larger fiscal scheme of things. Social Security accounts for 19% of federal spending. Social Security not only points to fiscal and economic bankruptcy but also to political bankruptcy‚ as politicians unwilling to tell the hard truths to citizens tell them everything is OK. It’s time for leadership and truth. And it is time to give American citizens freedom to control their own property and their own lives in our free country.

Former U.N. ambassador and presidential candidate Nikki Haley got a surprise supporter on Thursday when co-host of ABC’s The View‚ Joy Behar proclaimed “I like her.” And when some of the other cast members expressed shock‚ she defended herself and promoted Haley’s ability to take the fight to former President Trump. But her enthusiasm wasn’t shared by everyone at the table. “Look‚ I like her. I mean‚ I like her. I like Nikki‚” Behar repeatedly said to the shock of the rest of the panel. “I like what Nikki’s doing. I don't have to approve of everything in her policies. And at least she won't be governing from cell block 11.” Behar commended Haley’s campaign as “serving a purpose” of “kicking” and “punching” Trump. Moderator Whoopi Goldberg that she was the “gnat” in Trump’s soup: BEHAR: But the woman is‚ like‚ serving a purpose the way Chris Christie was serving a purpose by basically kicking him‚ punching him – what do you call that? – needling him! [Crosstalk] WHOOPI GOLDBERG: A fly‚ a gnat in his soup. BEHAR: He's so‚ like‚ insecure‚ like she says‚ and so transparent. “Remember‚ again‚ I bring you back years when he attacked Rosie O’Donnell on this show. He was so vicious to her. You can’t even imagine. On every station‚” she recalled‚ eager for someone to dish it back at Trump. “He cannot stand any kind of attack. So‚ the more you needle him and punch him a little bit‚ the more insecure he gets‚ the more senile he sounds.”     On the opposite side of Behar’s praise was staunchly racist and anti-Semitic co-host Sunny Hostin‚ who called Haley a hypocrite for getting upset by disgraced former CNN host Don Lemon’s sexist/ageist attack on her: The other thing that I find her to be hypocritical about‚ is she went off because Don Lemon said she was older‚ that she was past her prime. This is what she says Saturday in New Hampshire: “My parents are up in age and I love them. But when you see them hit a certain age‚ there is a decline. That’s a fact.” She's talking about her own parents. Then she says – she starts attacking Joe Biden and Donald Trump on their age. She's an ageist‚ yet she was offended when someone talked about her age. Hypocrite. “Yeah‚ but remember‚ you're talking a man old at 80 and a woman at 50. So‚ that’s the problem!” co-host Sara Haines pushed back. Hosting couldn’t handle the counterargument and started shouting: “It doesn’t matter! It’s still – it’s still –it’s still hypocritical!” Hostin calling Haley a hypocrite was particularly rich considering their history. In 2022‚ Hostin falsely accused Haley of adopting “Nikki” as a fake name to appear white; when‚ in reality‚ it’s her middle name‚ a popular name in India. Haines did the right thing then too and called out Hostin for adopting a fake name for herself. Hostin’s real first name is “Asunción” and “Sunny” was a fabrication. “I have to defend Don Lemon a little bit‚ ‘cause I don't think he meant that he thinks a woman is over the hill. A woman is perceived as over the hill‚” Behar interjected. But that wasn’t true. Lemon was most definitely talking about Haley directly and personally. “Nikki Haley isn't in her prime—sorry‚” he declared. The transcript is below. Click "expand" to read: ABC’s The View January 25‚ 2024 11:04:34 a.m. Eastern (…) JOY BEHAR: Look‚ I like her. I mean‚ I like her. I like Nikki. ALYSSA FARAH GRIFFIN: You like what she’s doing. BEHAR: I like what Nikki’s doing. I don't have to approve of everything in her policies. And at least she won't be governing from cell block 11. [Laughter] But the woman is‚ like‚ serving a purpose the way Chris Christie was serving a purpose by basically kicking him‚ punching him – what do you call that? – needling him. [Crosstalk] WHOOPI GOLDBERG: A fly‚ a gnat in is soup. BEHAR: He's so‚ like‚ insecure‚ like she says‚ and so transparent. Remember‚ again‚ I bring you back years when he attacked Rosie O’Donnell on this show. He was so vicious to her. You can’t even imagine. On every station. He cannot stand any kind of attack. So‚ the more you needle him and punch him a little bit‚ the more insecure he gets‚ the more senile he sounds. SARA HAINES: I love watching him deal with her for two reasons. One‚ I like that it's the last person standing was a woman against him. BEHAR: That was a good one. I like that. That’s kind of cool. (…) 11:07:47 a.m. Eastern SUNNY HOSTIN: The other thing that I find her to be hypocritical about‚ is she went off because Don Lemon said she was older‚ that she was past her prime. This is what she says Saturday in New Hampshire: “My parents are up in age and I love them. But when you see them hit a certain age‚ there is a decline. That’s a fact.” She's talking about her own parents. Then she says – she starts attacking Joe Biden and Donald Trump on their age. She's an ageist‚ yet she was offended when someone talked about her age. Hypocrite. HAINES: Yeah‚ but remember‚ you're talking a man old at 80 and a woman at 50. So‚ that’s the problem! [Crosstalk] HOSTIN: It doesn’t matter! It’s still – it’s still –it’s still hypocritical! HAINES: But I think it’s kind of highlighting and magnifying [inaudible]. [Crosstalk] BEHAR: Can we just say – I have to defend Don Lemon a little bit‚ ‘cause I don't think he meant that he thinks a woman is over the hill. A woman is perceived as over the hill. HAINES: But that's my point‚ is that the world perceives 50 [inaudible] [crosstalk] HAINES: At 80 those men are still kicking it. (…)

This Deviled Eggs Recipe is one of our favorites and it’s also very versatile. We love to add to it‚ or just serve it the way it’s written. If you love deviled eggs‚ you MUST try these delicious Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs. My family loves them and they have wonderful reviews. ❤️WHY WE LOVE THIS...

Officials of the Tulsa School District informed parents that they were investigating claims that a sexually graphic video was filmed inside the library of an elementary school. The letter was sent to parents of students at Eisenhower International after a video was posted to the X social media platform‚ formerly known as Twitter‚ showing two adults having sex in a public school library. No children were present in the video. The features of the library in the video matched those of the grade school library‚ including a very distinctive piece of stained glass art of two dolphins‚ the mascot of the school. The video was sent by a concerned parent to KOKI-TV. In their news report‚ they compare the features of the room in the video with the features of the library in the grade school. The letter to parents only acknowledged the claim and said an investigation was underway. "This was just brought to our attention. While incredibly disturbing‚ we have not yet been able to confirm or identify the location or individual(s) shown in the social media post cited in this story (or how long ago it might have been recorded)‚" read the letter. "Tulsa Public Schools Campus Police are investigating‚ and will work with any additional law enforcement agencies as needed‚" they added. KOKI reported that the person who posted the video to social media said that they had been let into the room by an employee who was working after hours. Parents of students at the school told a KOKI reporter that they absolutely loved the school but that they were angry at whomever filmed the video. They also wanted more transparency from school officials about the investigation. "It gave me more questions than anything‚" said one mom about the district letter‚ "because it doesn't‚ what I remember in the email‚ it doesn't necessarily state who it was‚ whether it was adults‚ kids‚ it just said it was an inappropriate video that was sent in."The video has been deleted from the original post on social media. Here's more about the investigation: Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors‚ sign up for our newsletters‚ and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!