Paul Vallone‚ a former New York City councilman from Queens‚ died of a heart attack Saturday evening. Vallone‚ 56‚ was currently the Veterans Services deputy commissioner in the Eric Adams administration. The former councilman suffered the heart attack at his home and was rushed to a Flushing hospital. However‚ he could not be revived. As a mark of respect for the memory of former New York City Councilman and Deputy @nycveterans Commissioner Paul Vallone‚ all flags have been lowered to half-staff by order of @NYCMayor. Flags will resume full-staff position at sunset on Monday‚ January 29‚ 2024. pic.twitter.com/9BETkyVKpt — NYC Mayor's Office (@NYCMayorsOffice) January 29‚ 2024 “Absolutely heartbroken over the passing of my friend Paul Vallone. Paul Vallone was an incredible person who cared so much for his community in Queens and all of New York City. My heart is with his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace‚” New York Attorney General Letitia James said. Absolutely heartbroken over the passing of my friend Paul Vallone. Paul Vallone was an incredible person who cared so much for his community in Queens and all of New York City. My heart is with his family and loved ones. May he rest in peace. pic.twitter.com/HYjjqoOPTm — NY AG James (@NewYorkStateAG) January 28‚ 2024 The New York Post reports: Vallone served on the City Council from 2014 through 2021‚ three terms which were dominated by a dedication to furthering education in Queens’ District 19. In addition to expanding his schools’ capacities by 4‚500 seats‚ Vallone reinstated the New York City Council Merit Scholarship‚ which awards students up to $350 a semester. He also helped bring the Free Senior Transportation Program to District 19‚ a benefit that shuttles seniors to and from medical appointments at no cost‚ according to the Chronicle. Vallone came from a line of city public servants stretching back over half a century. His grandfather‚ Charles Vallone‚ served as a Queens judge‚ and his father‚ Peter Vallone‚ served as the speaker of the City Council. Vallone’s brother‚ Peter Jr.‚ served on the City Council and is a judge. Tributes have begun pouring in from Queens politicians such as Borough President Donovan Richards Jr.‚ who described Vallone as “a loyal friend to everyone. “In that role and as a member of our administration‚ he was a committed advocate for veterans — serving those who have served our country‚” NYC Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “It was an honor to serve alongside him‚ and I know New Yorkers will join me in keeping the Vallone family in your hearts today‚” he added. From the New York Daily News: Vallone is also credited with leading a decade-long effort to renovate Bowne Park in Queens that concluded last year. He came from a civic-minded family‚ starting with his grandfather Charles Vallone Sr.‚ who’s a former civil court judge. His father‚ Peter Vallone Sr.‚ was the City Council’s first speaker. Paul’s brother‚ Peter Jr.‚ has been both a councilman and a civil court judge. Vallone discovered there’s sometimes a price to pay for unpopular decisions in 2021 when the word “refund” was scrawled across three of his cars in Murray Hill after he voted in favor of cuts to the NYPD budget. But when he ran for office in 2014‚ Vallone was supported by several police unions and supported the city’s stop-and-frisk policy. He enjoyed the endorsement of the Queens Democratic Party and several local officials in his bids for office. His family reportedly asked supporters to donate to St. Mary’s Hospital For Children or the Alzheimer’s Association in lieu of flowers.

U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will temporarily transfer power to a deputy attorney general while he undergoes back surgery this weekend. “On Saturday‚ February 3‚ 2024‚ the Attorney General will undergo a minimally invasive back procedure called an interlaminar decompression at L4-L5 to address stenosis‚” a DOJ spokeswoman said in a statement obtained by Fox News. “The procedure requires general anesthesia and will last about 90 minutes. The Attorney General is likely to go home the same day. The delegation of his duties will go to the Deputy Attorney General shortly before the procedure‚ during the procedure‚ and for a brief period following the procedure to allow for recovery from general anesthesia. The Attorney General will return to work the week of February 5th‚” the statement continued. According to POLITICO‚ the announcement is intended to avoid the severe criticism experienced from Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin’s undisclosed medical procedure. Merrick Garland to undergo back surgery https://t.co/14kxcsyX5U pic.twitter.com/5NNn7BjgmE — The Hill (@thehill) January 30‚ 2024 From POLITICO: Garland‚ 71‚ will turn over his duties to the Justice Department’s No. 2 official — Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco — during the surgery and while he recovers from the anesthesia‚ Hinojosa said. He’s expected to return to work the following week‚ she said. The advance notice from Garland appears aimed at complying with guidelines the White House issued earlier this month‚ directing that Cabinet officials notify the White House chief of staff and Cabinet affairs offices and arrange a delegation of authority before medical procedures requiring general anesthesia or hospitalization‚ traveling to areas that lack good communications or other circumstances where they may be unreachable. U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland will undergo back surgery this weekend and temporarily hand over his official duties to his deputy‚ the Justice Department says. https://t.co/BS383renFy — NBC News (@NBCNews) January 30‚ 2024 Fox News reports: Top government officials usually notify the public when they are undergoing medical treatment that will leave them temporarily incapacitated‚ but that was not the case earlier this month when Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin was hospitalized for several days at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center before the Pentagon confirmed it publicly. Austin underwent a surgical procedure for prostate cancer on Dec. 22 and was released‚ but was then admitted to intensive care days later after experiencing extreme pain. He stayed there for two weeks but did not inform the White House or his deputy that he had cancer‚ had surgery or returned to the hospital until days later. Austin’s lack of disclosure prompted two ongoing reviews as well as changes in federal guidelines to ensure the White House will be informed any time a Cabinet head cannot carry out their job. The Justice Department notified the White House of the plans to delegate his duties under the new guidelines‚ White House spokeswoman Olivia Dalton confirmed. When Garland went in for a routine medical procedure in 2022‚ his office also informed the public a week in advance and outlined how long he was expected to be out and when he would return to work.

The Department of Justice has launched a criminal investigation into Rep. Cori Bush (D-MO). “THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT is conducting a criminal probe into Cori Bush‚ according to six sources familiar with the investigation‚” Punchbowl News’ Jake Sherman said. “The Justice Department subpoenaed the House Sergeant at Arms for records relating to the misspending of federal security money‚” he continued. BREAKING NEWS — THE JUSTICE DEPARTMENT is conducting a criminal probe into @CoriBush‚ according to six sources familiar with the investigation. The Justice Department subpoenaed the House Sergeant at Arms for records relating to the misspending of federal security money.… — Jake Sherman (@JakeSherman) January 30‚ 2024 “Bush has spent $756‚000 on security since she was elected in 2020‚ her largest expenditure by far‚” Daily Mail reports. Just in: The Justice Department is conducting a criminal probe into Missouri Democrat Congresswoman Cori Bush. The Justice Department has subpoenaed the House Sergeant at Arms for records relating to the misspending of federal security money. Per ~ @JakeSherman pic.twitter.com/84Y7SOKsMF — The Calvin Coolidge Project (@TheCalvinCooli1) January 30‚ 2024 More from Daily Mail: A watchdog has demanded the Federal Election Commission (FEC) investigate the $62‚000 Rep. Cori Bush paid her now-husband as a security guard from her campaign account. The nonpartisan Foundation for Accountability and Civic Trust (FACT) asked FEC acting general counsel Lisa Stevenson to look into whether Squad member and BLM activist Bush ‘used campaign funds for personal use.’ It was recently revealed that Bush‚ D-Mo.‚ married Cortney Merritts in a private ceremony in early 2023. In 2022 he was on the payroll of her re-election campaign. ‘It appears Rep. Bush’s campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee‚’ FACT executive director Kendra Arnold said in the complaint. ‘If so‚ these payments would qualify as either impermissible payments to a family member or an impermissible gift. While hiring family members is frowned upon‚ it is not illegal. It would only be illegal if push paid her now-spouse over ‘fair market value.’ Payments to family members must be for ‘bonafide services’ related to their official duties. The Democrat congresswoman has spent hundreds of thousands on private security while advocating for defunding the police. Collin Rugg writes: The Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into Democrat Rep. Cori Bush for misusing money for private security. Gee‚ who could have seen this coming? “’Rep. Bush’s campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair market value because of her personal relationship with the payee‚” FACT executive director Kendra Arnold said in a complaint. The funds in question allegedly went to her now-husband who she claimed was private security. Below is Bush telling Americans to “suck it up” while arguing for defunding the police while increasing her own private security. She also has no idea how taxes work. Let’s stop electing dumb people. WATCH: BREAKING: The Department of Justice is conducting a criminal investigation into Democrat Rep. Cori Bush for misusing money for private security. Gee‚ who could have seen this coming? “'Rep. Bush's campaign may have made payments for services that were unnecessary or above fair… pic.twitter.com/6heIRiUMc4 — Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 30‚ 2024 Per Mediaite: Bush‚ a progressive firebrand‚ was first elected to the House in 2020. After taking office in 2021‚ Bush was pressed on the tension between her support for defunding the police and her campaign’s profligate spending on security. “You faced some criticism in recent weeks over your push to defund the police. Campaign records show that you spent roughly $70‚000 on private security. Critics say that move is hypocritical. What’s your response to those critics?” inquired CBS News’ Vladimir Duthiers in one interview. “They would rather I die? You would rather me die. Is that what you’d want me to see? You want to see me die? You know‚ because that could be the alternative‚” argued Bush in her response. “So either I spend $70‚000 on private security over the last few months and I’m here standing now and able to speak‚ able to help save 11 million people from being evicted. Or I could possibly have a death attempt on my life.” In October 2022‚ the New York Post reported that Bush’s campaign had spent a staggering sum totaling almost $500‚000 on private security during the 2020-2022 campaign cycle.

E. Jean Carroll appeared on The Rachel Maddow Show Monday night where she offered to buy the MSNBC host a “penthouse” with Donald Trump’s money. NEW: E. Jean Carroll’s lawyers visibly uncomfortable as she boasts about what she is going to spend all her money on.This does not look like a r*pe victim.“First thing‚ Rachel‚ you and I are gonna go shopping. We're gonna get completely new wardrobes‚ new shoes‚ motorcycle.”… pic.twitter.com/CFlDxR4PEA— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) January 30‚ 2024 “First thing‚ Rachel‚ you and I are gonna go shopping. We’re gonna get completely new wardrobes‚ new shoes‚ motorcycle.” “Rachel‚ what do you want? Penthouse. It’s yours‚ Rachel. Penthouse and‚ uh‚ France. You want France? You wanna go fishing in France? France?” Watch the revealing moment above.

The list of crises and mistakes from Joe Biden are spiraling out of control. From Iran to the southern border‚ how bad can Biden’s policies get?

Jesse helps The FirstTV make a special announcement about a brand new podcast to listen to. Josh Hammer‚ longtime guest and legal analyst now hosts “America On Trial”‚ a brief morning podcast that gives you a rundown of the most important lawsuits happening in the country. Josh previews just a few of those trials and there are indeed many important ones currently happening.

New three-part series will premiere on Peacock TV on February 1 and explore Run DMC’s rise and impact on hip-hop

Cornish prog quartet The Emerald Dawn celebrate the release of In Time on vinyl with live performance of the album from their Cornwall studio in February

From Bodom tackling Britney to Brujeria doing the Macarena‚ these death metal covers are ridiculously entertaining