Republicans on the Senate Armed Services Committee demanded a formal briefing from Department of Defense officials on the circumstances surrounding Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin’s unexplained absence in a letter sent Wednesday. Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker‚ the top Republican on the panel‚ led 11 of his GOP colleagues in requiring a briefing from all relevant Pentagon officials by Jan. 19 to answer for Austin’s failure to disclose his hospitalization from Jan. 1 to late afternoon on Jan. 5‚ according to the letter. Wicker called Austin’s behavior “an intolerable breach of trust with the American people at a dangerous moment for U.S. national security.” “Our branches of government share a sacred obligation to work together to keep the American people safe. We cannot do this without clear and open communication‚” Wicker wrote in the letter. Armed Services Republicans told DOD officials to be prepared to provide details about Austin’s capacity during his hospitalization‚ how the breakdown in notification procedures occurred‚ and how Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks could have performed Austin’s duties while on vacation in Puerto Rico. Austin was transferred to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in an ambulance on Jan. 1 and moved to the intensive care unit on Jan. 2 to address severe pain stemming from an elective surgery he underwent on Dec. 22 to treat prostate cancer. Congress did not learn of Austin’s hospitalization until late on Jan. 5‚ one day after the president‚ the deputy secretary of defense‚ and top national security officials were notified. During the period of hospitalization‚ the U.S. conducted a deadly retaliatory airstrike against a militant leader in Baghdad responsible for many of the attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq and Syria. Austin and President Joe Biden approved the strike on Jan. 1 before Austin’s medical complications sent him to the hospital‚ according to the Pentagon. “While our servicemembers are under attack from Iran-backed terrorists‚ our Sec Def went missing in action. No one notified Congress—in violation of the law‚” Republican Iowa Sen. Joni Ernst‚ also on the panel‚ said in a statement on social media after the letter was sent. Austin on Saturday acknowledged that he could have been more forthcoming with his hospitalization‚ but at that point apparently did not disclose his original cancer diagnosis in early December leading to the Dec. 22 procedure and later re-hospitalization. .@SASCGOP is requesting an accounting of the full timeline of the events over the last two weeks and want answers to more than 15 specific questions.There has to be accountability for the Department of Defense chain of command crisis. pic.twitter.com/mIZ7I9xGYq— Senator Roger Wicker (@SenatorWicker) January 10‚ 2024 Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee launched their own inquiry into Austin on Tuesday. Wicker said he did not anticipate Austin resigning but hoped that the administration would be more forthcoming with Congress in the future‚ according to Fox Business. “I think we can put it past us … but I hope everybody’s learned a lesson here‚” he told Fox Business. But Wicker‚ in his letter‚ suggested that Austin may have violated the law in failing to notify Hicks or the White House. “Either Secretary Hicks did not fulfill the statute‚ or someone else at the Department of Defense withheld information from her that would have allowed her to fulfill the statute. Such disregard for clear statutory requirements is unacceptable‚” the letter read. The Department of Defense told the Daily Caller News Foundation it will respond directly to the lawmakers‚ as is the procedure for letters from Congress. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation 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 ‘Breach of Trust’: Senate Republicans Demand Briefing From Pentagon on Defense Secretary’s Unknown Hospitalization appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The last conversation the Guatemalan president had with Vice President Kamala Harris to discuss immigration was in June‚ and the Central American country says its calls for help with border security have largely fallen on deaf ears‚ Kevin Lopez Oliva‚ the spokesman for Guatemala’s president‚ told the Daily Caller News Foundation. The Biden administration tasked Harris with addressing the “root causes of migration from El Salvador‚ Guatemala‚ and Honduras” in March 2021‚ which led Republicans to label her the “border czar.” Guatemalan President Alejandro Giammattei has requested security assistance from the Biden administration and Harris‚ but the administration’s focus has largely been on helping people get to the U.S. in more streamlined ways‚ Lopez Oliva said. The last public event Harris held on the issue was last Feb. 6 after the Biden administration‚ as Harris put it‚ “generated more than $3.2 billion in investments” in Central America and an additional $956 million in “private-sector commitments.” In April‚ the Biden administration announced the opening of “regional processing centers” in Colombia and Guatemala to help migrants come to the U.S. legally. That was the topic of the June phone call between Harris and Giammattei‚ Lopez Oliva said.  “It was a conversation regarding the immigration processing centers that are functioning right now in Guatemala‚” Lopez Oliva said of that phone call in an interview with the Daily Caller News Foundation at the Guatemalan Embassy in Washington. “She called him to celebrate that they were functioning‚” Lopez Oliva said as he reflected on Giammattei’s tenure in office‚ which will end next week. Since that conversation‚ illegal immigration at the U.S.-Mexico border has continued to hit record levels. December marked the highest month on record with more than 300‚000 migrant encounters‚ according to Fox News. The Border Patrol has recorded more that 1 million migrant encounters at the southern border since June‚ according to federal data. Lopez Oliva said the funding to address the root causes of migration has been “diverted and allocated to these nonprofit organizations‚” rather than to the national police and security forces in Guatemala. The U.S. Department of Defense in October 2022 donated 95 vehicles to the Guatemalan military to support border security efforts. These included “Toyota Hilux vehicles‚ 5- and 12-ton Hino trucks‚ Toyota Land Cruisers and Suzuki off-road motorcycles.” Guatemala earlier denied a request from a delegation that Harris sent to the region to allow foreigners who cross into their country illegally to utilize the migration centers in the country‚ according to Lopez Oliva. “We said no. President Giammattei has been really clear in that regard that we are not a safe third country‚” he said. “So‚ then we thought about it. OK‚ so they have the money. Why won’t they give us the money to our police‚ to our military‚ that’s at the border‚” Lopez Oliva said‚ adding‚ “We were asking for money to fund the border security issues with our armed forces. They said that it’s not possible.” The Guatemalan government has enhanced sentences on human traffickers and smugglers with a penalty of up to 30 years in prison and has asked that the Biden administration help in efforts to crack down on migrant caravans. Giamattei has wanted to focus on security‚ rather than creating more pathways for people to enter Guatemala on their way to the U.S. “We have been strengthening the criminal charges and the criminal sentences against human smugglers in Guatemala because we wanted to promote regional security‚” Lopez Oliva said. Giammattei offered to host an Air Force base in his country to carry out deportations before migrants reach the U.S.‚ he said. “Imagine‚ President Giammattei was offering to stop the immigration there‚ and then he was asking for support in fuel‚ vehicles‚ at least to stop the caravans in Central America‚” Lopez Oliva said. The White House didn’t respond to the Daily Caller News Foundation’s request for comment. Originally published by DailyCallerNewsFoundation.org 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 Guatemala Says ‘Border Czar’ Harris Hasn’t Called in 7 Months About Curbing Migration appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Global trade fell 1.3% in December month-over-month as attacks on transport ships through the Red Sea continue to cause delays and losses‚ according to German research institute IFW Kiel. The drop in global trade follows a decline in the number of container ships using the Red Sea in their route‚ falling from 500‚000 containers per day in the month of November to only around 200‚000 containers per day in December‚ according to a report from IFW Kiel. Top shipping companies have diverted their routes to avoid Yemen-based Houthi attacks backed by Iran since Oct. 7‚ 2023. “The detour of ships due to the attacks in the Red Sea around the Cape of Good Hope in Africa means that the time it takes to transport goods between Asian production centers and European consumers is significantly extended by up to 20 days‚” Julian Hinz‚ director of IFW Kiel’s Trade Policy Research Center‚ said in the report. “This is also reflected in the declining trade figures for Germany and the EU‚ as transported goods are now still at sea and have not already been unloaded in the ports as planned.” The European Union was impacted the most by the diverted routes in December‚ with exports falling 2.0% and imports declining 3.1%‚ while exports from the U.S. fell 1.5% and imports dropped 1.0%‚ according to IFW Kiel. Exports from China rose 1.3% in December‚ while the country’s imports increased 3.1%. The fact that there's any kind of narrative on how global trade is decoupling from China is pretty baffling. After all‚ China's trade surplus with the rest of the world is at record highs (black) and not even its bilateral surplus with the US (blue) is down in any meaningful way. pic.twitter.com/j0XAO2sKHv— Robin Brooks (@RobinBrooksIIF) January 7‚ 2024 Many ships that would typically travel through the Red Sea are instead sailing around the tip of Africa‚ adding around seven to 20 days to transport times‚ according to IFW Kiel. Costs have increased drastically because of diverted routes‚ with the price of sending a 40-foot standard container between China and Northern Europe jumping from $1‚500 in November to $4‚000 in December. The U.S. launched Operation Prosperity Guardian in December to combat the attacks from the Houthi rebels and protect ships from attacks like those involving missiles that have plagued the region. The defensive measures have so far been ineffective at deterring attacks‚ which are expected to continue until the war in Gaza ends or the U.S. launches a counteroffensive on the rebels. Originally published by the Daily Caller News Foundation 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 Global Trade Falls as Traffic Through the Red Sea Plummets After Attacks appeared first on The Daily Signal.

The federal government is pouring large sums of taxpayer dollars into pushing diversity‚ equity‚ and inclusion initiatives—known as DEI—on academic science‚ technology‚ engineering‚ and math programs‚ or STEM. The National Science Foundation‚ a government agency‚ is funding a slate of programs aimed at addressing alleged racism in environmental and civil engineering‚ making the field of chemistry more diverse‚ and training engineers that reflect “black/Latinx” communities‚ according to a federal spending database. Grants identified by the Daily Caller News Foundation are part of a broader effort by the National Science Foundation to push racial equity in STEM programs. One National Science Foundation grant‚ worth $1.5 million and distributed to the University of South Florida in July 2022‚ seeks to “challenge anti-black-racism in civil and environmental engineering” by developing “a suite of integrated‚ interdisciplinary‚ community-engaged‚ anti-black-racism training opportunities for civil and environmental engineering undergraduates.” In doing so‚ the foundation and the University of South Florida aim “to build capacity for addressing complex and interconnected challenges of our time.” This grant “serve[s] the national interest‚” according to a description. Another such grant‚ worth about $180‚000 and directed to Tufts University in Massachusetts last September‚ will focus on producing engineers that reflect the “black/Latinx” communities by “broadening notions of what it means to be an engineer and who can become one.” “Students will learn ways of doing engineering as they engage in real-world examples inspired by the realities‚ histories and traditions of afro-Latinx people” under the government-funded program. The Tufts grant is funded through a National Science Foundation program called Racial Equity in STEM Education‚ a broad effort aimed at inserting DEI in the academic sciences. Institutions applying for grants awarded under the program should “conceptualize systemic racism within the context of their proposal‚” make an effort to “describe how the proposed work will advance scholarship of racial equity and address systemic racism‚” and have their projects be “led by or in authentic partnership with those who experience inequities caused by systemic racism‚” according to the National Science Foundation. The federal agency anticipates spending between $15 million and $25 million on this program annually‚ according to its website. Other racial equity grants funded this year by the National Science Foundation include $184‚000 to diversify chemistry research and to develop a program that promotes “equity‚ diversity‚ and inclusion” and $300‚000 to build New Mexico’s IT workforce “through equity and inclusion.” The National Science Foundation and the organizations to which the agency awarded funds didn’t respond to requests for comment. This report originally was published by the Daily Caller News Foundation 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 Latinx Engineers and ‘Systemic Racism’: Government Grants Inject Race Into Science‚ Tech appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Since the day it began‚ the war between Israel and Hamas has resulted in almost nothing but significant tragedy. Thousands in Israel and Gaza have become victims of a violent war‚ and the death toll continues to rise. Additionally‚ the terrorist group wreaking havoc in the Middle East is not only a threat to Israel‚ but to any of Israel’s allies. And in a recent development‚ experts are warning that the Israel-Hamas conflict could trigger a broader war throughout the Middle East. USA Today highlighted “flashpoints” that have occurred since Oct. 7‚ such as the Houthis‚ an Iranian-backed militant group‚ firing missiles into the Red Sea‚ American bases in the Middle East under attack‚ and Lebanon’s Iranian-backed militia‚ Hezbollah‚ increasing its attacks on northern Israel. Additionally‚ with the war in Israel and with America’s southern border wide open‚ terrorist threats are soaring. “The war has already reached much of the Middle East‚” said Paul Salem of the think tank Middle East Institute. “The risk is that the aperture and intensity of conflict will steadily ratchet up in the coming weeks and months unless there is sharp progress to reverse course.” But to see the atrocities of war for himself‚ Sam Brownback‚ former U.S. ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom‚ took a trip to the Gaza border last month. Brownback‚ joined by the Family Research Council’s Ken Blackwell and other evangelical Christian leaders‚ met with hostage families and Israeli military officials. “It’s horrific‚” he said on Wednesday’s episode of “Washington Watch‚” hosted by FRC President Tony Perkins. Brownback said that he’s been to Israel on at least nine separate occasions‚ but no visit compared with this most recent one. “We were at a lunch in Tel Aviv and had a missile attack going on‚” he explained. “Now‚ the Iron Dome stopped it‚ but everybody had to get up and go to the shelter. During that [same visit‚ we also] went to the kibbutz that … had been overrun by the terrorists‚ and people [were] just slaughtered indiscriminately.” Perkins added that‚ despite the realities of what the people of Israel have to endure‚ the Biden administration still insists on a two-state solution. “Isn’t that essentially what we had with Gaza that was self-governed since 2007?” Perkins asked. “And it … doesn’t work.” Brownback agreed‚ insisting that no such solution would be tolerated if it were happening in America. Under a two-state solution‚ he emphasized‚ “You’ve got terrorist groups that want to literally wipe you out and are willing” to do whatever it takes to do so. Brownback urged that the U.S. “needs to be clear on the moral issue” concerning this war. “Do we want to see another genocide of the Jewish people‚ like what happened in Hitler’s Germany? I think not‚ but you’ve got that level of barbarism right there next to [Israel] that wants to destroy them.” And yet‚ Perkins noted‚ the calls for Israel to “back off” continue. According to Brownback‚ the Biden administration has made matters worse by allowing Iran‚ “the center of [the Hamas] terrorist effort‚” to receive funding. He asserted‚ “We have to push back on Iran‚ and things will not change in that region for Israel until they deal with the terrorists and Iran’s leadership is changed.” Otherwise‚ the conflict will only worsen in Israel‚ throughout the Middle East‚ and potentially across the globe. As Perkins reiterated‚ “elections have consequences.” “We need … voices out there keeping this issue before the American people in the international community‚” he said. Originally published at WashingtonStand.com 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 Is the Israel-Hamas War Spreading Throughout the Middle East? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL: Female athlete Macy Petty says she hand delivered a letter from prominent women’s organizations asking for fairness in women’s sports—and NCAA Board of Governors Chair Linda Livingstone wouldn’t even look her in the eye. Petty‚ a member of the women’s organization Concerned Women for America‚ was one of a number of female activists and athletes that rallied outside the annual meeting of the NCAA in Phoenix. “We had so many Olympians and current and former NCAA athletes speak‚” she said. Macy was able to go inside the meeting as she is a current athlete. She shared with The Daily Signal that as she sat outside the meeting waiting for it to conclude‚ she could hear people accusing her and her fellow activists of “crying wolf.” The goal was to give the letter to NCAA President Charlie Baker‚ the former governor of Massachusetts‚ but Petty took a window of opportunity to give the demand letter to Livingstone‚ who is also president of Baylor University (Livingstone did not immediately respond to a request for comment). “When they concluded‚ I found Dr. Livingstone‚ and tried to hand her the demand letter signed by all of us‚ and she wouldn’t even make eye contact with me‚” she explained. “[The NCAA] is an organization that I’ve given my whole life for‚ I am still under their governance‚ and she wouldn’t make eye contact with me. I put the letter in her hands and I told her that I appreciate her consideration of female athletes and that I look forward to her response.” Baylor University President Linda Livingstone exits a room. (Photo: Macy Petty) “They’re discriminating against women‚” Petty said. “They’re shutting the door in our face. They don’t want to hear us. But it was a whole different feeling when I’m trying to have a conversation and I’m not even being treated like a human being‚ to intentionally avoid eye contact with a fellow woman‚ female athlete‚ someone inside the NCAA. It was dehumanizing.” The letter is signed by former NCAA swimmers Riley Gaines and Paula Scanlan as well as leaders from the Independent Women’s Forum‚ Concerned Women for America‚ the Women’s Liberation Front‚ the International Consortium on Female Sports‚ Young Women for America‚ and more. “We write on behalf of a coalition of women’s organizations to demand that the NCAA meet with female athletes adversely affected by its discriminatory practice of allowing male athletes on women’s teams‚” the letter states. “Without single-sex competition there can be no equal athletic opportunity‚” the letter continues. “The NCAA knows this‚ yet it continues to propagate a policy that allows male athletes on women’s teams‚ even as international sports governing bodies and state legislatures increasingly reject these unjust and inequitable policies that harm female athletes.” women-organizations-NCAA_Demand-LetterDownload The women’s groups renewed their demands to the NCAA that it repeal policies and rules allowing men to compete as women‚ establish and enforce the rights of female athletes to participate in sports based on sex‚ and to require the NCAA’s member institutions to provide single-sex locker rooms for female athletes. “The NCAA has not acted on any of these demands‚ and instead‚ women’s rights have been further eroded‚” the letter adds. “Our women’s coalition has worked with sports governing bodies and legislative authorities to help them protect female athletes from discrimination and exclusion on the basis of their sex‚” it continues. “We are willing and able to share our expertise with the NCAA – if the NCAA wants to renew its commitment to providing equal opportunity for female athletes.” Just hand delivered our demand letter on behalf of female athletes and the women’s sports coalition. Linda Livingstone‚ Chair of the NCAA Board of Governors‚ wouldn’t even make eye contact with me. @NCAA https://t.co/AKqsxsZGxA pic.twitter.com/23tIOVYevw— Macy Petty (@macypetty0416) January 11‚ 2024 The NCAA did not immediately respond to requests for comment from The Daily Signal. 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 NCAA Board Member Reportedly Snubs Female Athlete Demanding Fairness in Women’s Sports appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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It’s sad when a dog is found wandering the streets with no one to care for them. The video below begins with one such story by introducing us to an abandoned dog‚ whose days are filled with joy as it plays with the children at the school. The dog’s enthusiasm and playful nature are evident‚... The post Lonely dog dumped at school has no one who cares about him until guy comes along and notices him appeared first on Animal Channel.