At this point you don’t need to be an avid court-watcher to know that the right of self-defense — one of the most fundamental rights that exists — has effectively been suspended in major cities in this country. The cases of Kyle Rittenhouse‚ the McCloskeys‚ George Zimmerman‚ Daniel Penny‚ George Allan Kelly‚ Jose Alba‚ Daniel Perry‚ and so on all make it clear that defending yourself generally means that the government will try to destroy your life.  At the behest of wealthy foreigners — billionaires like George Soros‚ who don’t live anywhere near the carnage they’re inflicting on American cities — prosecutors now seek to make an example out of anyone who takes action to defend their life or property. And they have the full support of Joe Biden’s DOJ as they do it. This is the reality of living in any jurisdiction controlled by Leftists‚ who can easily select sympathetic juries and secure a conviction. Defend yourself‚ and you’ll be accused of breaking the law. Most people are aware of that now. What most people probably don’t know is that conservatives are now helping the Left neutralize the right of self-defense. But yesterday’s ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court is proof that’s exactly what’s happening. It’s undeniable. By a 5-4 vote‚ with two supposedly conservative justices in the majority‚ the Supreme Court gave the Biden administration the green-light to terminate the right of self-defense along the southern border with Mexico. This ruling is maybe the single most significant attack on your right to defend yourself and your property that we’ve seen in the last decade‚ and it’s happening because of the “conservative majority” on the Supreme Court that we’re supposed to be so grateful for. Here’s the upshot of the ruling: The Supreme Court allowed the Biden administration to remove razor-wire fencing placed by the state of Texas on private property‚ with the consent of private property owners‚ in order to keep hundreds of thousands of illegal migrants from flooding across the border every single month. To restate: the Supreme Court is letting the Border Patrol destroy border fencing set up by Texas. WATCH: The Matt Walsh Show This is the kind of ruling that’s so incompatible with the fundamental principles of self-defense‚ self-determination‚ and common sense that it defies explanation‚ really. And appropriately enough‚ the Supreme Court didn’t provide one. There was no majority opinion explaining the reasoning here. But if you look at the docket from the lower courts‚ it’s not hard to see what might have convinced the justices. In one filing‚ the Biden administration’s solicitor general argued that the razor-wire fencing endangered the lives of foreign criminals who are swimming in the water and trying to sneak into this country. Here’s what Solicitor General Elizabeth Prelogar told the court. She said that the fencing prevents agents from‚ “accessing or getting near the border along this 2.5-mile stretch of the river” and therefore “effectively prevented [agents] … from monitoring the border to determine whether a migrant requires … emergency aid.” What was left unexplained in the solicitor general’s filing is why anyone in the United States has any obligation to provide “emergency aid” to foreign criminals who are trying to invade this country. You won’t find that requirement in the Constitution or in any federal or state law. It’s just invented out of thin air. We’re now responsible for making sure that Mexicans and Haitians and Guatemalans get top-notch medical care as they swim across the Rio Grande‚ apparently. Which is to say‚ it is our responsibility to provide medical care to non-citizens who are injured while in the process of attempting to break our laws. But if it’s anyone’s responsibility‚ why isn’t it Mexico’s or Haiti’s or Guatemala’s? Why don’t we simply tell them to take care of their own people? These are all good questions that the Supreme Court decided are irrelevant‚ somehow. It goes without saying that this is the inverse of the right of self-defense. The Biden administration — and now the Supreme Court— is saying that you don’t have the right to protect yourself from foreign criminals. Instead‚ you have an obligation to protect these foreign criminals from themselves. It’s obscene. But obviously Joe Biden’s solicitor general doesn’t mean anything she’s saying. It’s been clear for months now that the Biden administration wants to tear down the razor-wire fencing so that it can import as many foreigners into this country as possible. This is not about “emergency medical aid.” Back in October‚ the outlet Border Hawk captured live footage of federal border patrol agents using heavy machinery to lift the razor-wire fencing — installed by Texas authorities at Eagle Pass Texas — so that hundreds of migrants could stream across. Watch this footage and you will notice a distinct absence of illegal aliens in need of “emergency aid”: 🚨BOMBSHELL BORDER HAWK EXCLUSIVE🚨 Biden Regime Deploys Heavy Machinery to LIFT Razor Wire for Massive Mob of Illegals at Rio Grande Border Hawk cameras captured the moment Border Patrol used heavy machinery to raise concertina wire erected by Texas authorities – just as a… pic.twitter.com/61wQEXJFDS — Border Hawk (@BorderHawkNews) October 31‚ 2023 As the reporter with Border Hawk notes‚ “Somehow‚ these large groups of migrants are informed about the place and time when the forklifts raise the barbed wire to cross in groups.” It’s almost like the solicitor general was lying. But we all knew that. We all know that the Biden administration wants to destroy the razor wire for the same reason it sued Arizona for building a makeshift wall out of shipping containers along the border. They want to transform the population. They want to lead all these people into the country with fake asylum claims‚ give them court dates ten years into the future and forget all about them. That’s obvious. What’s less clear‚ by contrast‚ is why Amy Coney Barrett and John Roberts — two justices we were once told were conservative — would go along with this fraud. It’s important to clarify that this case is still making its way through the court system. On February 7th‚ the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals (based in New Orleans) is going to hear arguments on the issue of whether the Biden administration has the legal authority to cut razor-wire along the southern border. So this is still a live issue. Before it heard those arguments‚ however‚ the Fifth Circuit entered a temporary injunction prohibiting the Biden administration from cutting any more wire while the case was proceeding. The Biden administration filed an emergency appeal of that injunction‚ because they really want to cut the wire as quickly as possible. And the Supreme Court‚ in a 5-4 vote‚ lifted the injunction‚ and allowed the fence-cutting to continue. Three of those five votes were always in the bag for the Biden administration. That’s because‚ unlike Republicans‚ Democrats know how to appoint justices to the Supreme Court who will faithfully carry out the political objectives of their party. But Republicans are incapable of doing that. So John Roberts and Amy Coney Barrett — who we were told was a major win for conservatives when Trump appointed her — voted with Ketanji Brown Jackson‚ Sonia Sotomayor‚ and Elena Kagan. We all know why John Roberts would do that. He’s openly admitted that he’s preoccupied with making sure the court appears nonpartisan‚ rather than applying the law. But why would Amy Coney Barrett join the Leftist judges? Whatever the explanation — and I’ll get into one theory in a moment — this is becoming something of a pattern. An analysis by the Washington Examiner found that “in 2020 and 2021‚ Barrett voted similarly with liberal justices in just over half of the cases heard.” And she’s continued to side with them since. Last year‚ for example‚ Barrett and John Roberts sided with the court’s Leftists to ban the sale of so-called “ghost guns‚” which is an invented term that’s intended to criminalize the transportation of firearms parts. Just a few weeks ago‚ Barrett rejected a challenge to Illinois’ ban on so-called assault weapons‚ which is a category of firearms that doesn’t actually exist. She also blocked a challenge to Indiana University’s requirement that all students and employees take the COVID shot. And‚ as Daniel Horowitz pointed out‚ during COVID‚ Barrett had no problem with the state of Illinois locking down its own citizens. She indicated that‚ under the constitutional police power‚ states can close businesses and schools to protect the public health.  What’s odd about Amy Coney Barrett’s reasoning is that it apparently doesn’t apply to the state of Texas‚ or any citizens living there. They don’t have a right to invoke the police power to prevent foreigners from streaming across the border‚ according to Amy Coney Barrett‚ even though many of these illegal immigrants do have communicable diseases. This isn’t an invented concern. It’s very real. You can go to pretty much any hospital anywhere near the border and you’ll see that they’re completely overwhelmed. Here’s the Yuma Regional Medical Center for example: This is a hospital that was set up for the benefit of American citizens. And because the Biden administration is deliberately flooding this nation with diseased foreigners‚ it may have to shut down. It’s losing millions of dollars. And if it does shut down‚ obviously that would impact the public health in Yuma. But the “conservative” swing votes on the Supreme Court don’t care‚ apparently. It’s only American citizens who have to endure quarantines and lockdowns in the name of “public health.” This isn’t just happening in border towns by the way. Hospitals in large cities like New York — which of course is nowhere near the border — are also overwhelmed by the surge of migrants. Watch: These are hospitals in the largest cities in the United States‚ which are thousands of miles from the southern border‚ and they can’t handle all of these illegal migrants. How is this not considered a massive threat to public health‚ exactly? Where are all the “schools of public health” that lectured us about the importance of wearing masks‚ worshiping George Floyd‚ and forcing our children to look at iPads all day? They’re all silent‚ strangely enough. Again‚ so is Amy Coney Barrett‚ who supposedly cared a lot about public health a few years ago. It’s not clear what explains the way Amy Coney Barrett is voting. One possibility is that she believes that the Constitution gives total authority to the Executive Branch to handle immigration matters‚ to the point where the federal government can totally ignore immigration and asylum laws passed by Congress‚ and import millions of illegal aliens without any vetting whatsoever. That seems dubious‚ which is probably why four conservative justices didn’t go along with that reasoning. Another possibility is that it’s not a coincidence that all of the women on the court (plus Roberts‚ who is close enough) sided against Texas’s border wall. The argument against border enforcement has always been a purely emotional one. But being guided by emotions is one thing‚ and bad enough for Supreme Court Justices. The problem is that all of the sympathy is being directed towards the illegal immigrant‚ and no sympathy is being directed towards the American families this invasion is destroying. And that’s odd‚ because at this point‚ the federal government isn’t just failing to defend our border and uphold our sovereignty. They’re taking active steps to ensure that we have no borders or sovereignty. Very soon‚ our critical infrastructure will fail because of it. It’s often said that civilizational decline is a choice‚ and we’ve never seen a clearer case of it. There’s just no other way to spin the story‚ when the Biden administration is literally going to court to get permission to destroy border fencing. Without a border‚ you don’t have a country. One of the most basic responsibilities of the government is to ensure that we have a border and that we enforce our laws. And our government’s not doing that anymore. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILY WIRE APP If this continues‚ the solution is obvious‚ which is that red state governors will need to ignore the Supreme Court‚ and do what needs to be done to protect their citizens and the border. All of these rules that have sustained this country for so long can be broken. They operate on mutual agreement. You proceed through traffic lights when they’re green on the assumption that everyone perpendicular to you is going to stop on red. Once people start going through reds‚ you have no reason to pay any attention to your own traffic light. Everyone’s on their own. Once one side decides that laws and borders no longer matter‚ then everyone else is released from their obligations to obey the federal court system. That’s how covenants work. It’s happened before in this country’s history‚ and it can happen again. The Supreme Court can’t enforce its own rulings. And once red states decide not to go along with them — what happens then? What happens when federal agents try to destroy border fencing‚ and state troopers stand in their way? Does Biden send in the military at that point? These might not be hypothetical questions for long. The last Civil War was unimaginable until suddenly it wasn’t. That was a lesson this country learned in the middle of the 19th century. And if the Biden administration is somehow still in office after this next election‚ then just as abruptly‚ we might have to learn it again.

Rep. Dean Phillips (D-MN)‚ a long-shot challenger to President Joe Biden‚ tore into the Democratic Party as primary day in New Hampshire got underway following an eye-opening experience visiting with supporters of former President Donald Trump. During an interview on CNN‚ which aired on Tuesday after a New Hampshire newspaper endorsed his campaign‚ Phillips shared his “conviction” that Biden would lose in a 2020 rematch against Trump and warned of a “crisis of participation” within his party. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I’ve got to tell you guys‚ I went to a Donald Trump rally a couple nights ago. Never been to one. I had an event across the street. I saw the line of people waiting in the cold for hours and I thought‚ what the heck‚ you know‚ I’m going to be a leader who actually invites people‚ doesn’t condemn them‚” Phillips said. Joe Biden's primary opponent Dean Phillips trashes the Democrat Party: "My party is completely delusional right now"pic.twitter.com/BCgIkeMYp8 — Citizen Free Press (@CitizenFreePres) January 23‚ 2024 “Met probably 50 Trump people waiting in line. Every single one of them‚ thoughtful‚ hospitable‚ friendly‚ all of them so frustrated that they feel nobody’s listening to them but Donald Trump‚” he added. “A diverse crowd. People who had never been to a Trump event before. My party is completely delusional right now‚ and somebody had to wake us up. And if that’s my job‚ so be it.” Phillips‚ like other challengers against Biden‚ trails the incumbent by a wide margin in polls and has been critical of the Democratic Party for not hosting debates and vying to keep them off the ballot in key states. However‚ New Hampshire will be different. New Hampshire opted to defy the Democratic National Committee (DNC) by holding its first-in-the-nation primary for Democrats on January 23 after the national party decided to shake up its primary schedule by selecting South Carolina to go first on its calendar. Biden’s name is not appearing on the New Hampshire primary ballot after his campaign chose not to file for it in compliance with DNC rules — though there has been a write-in effort to boost the incumbent — while Phillips will be on the ballot. Phillips said he “absolutely” prefers Biden defeating Trump‚ but he argued in favor of competition versus a “coronation.” While he voiced support for other Democrats to get in the race‚ Phillips said he is “trying to extend an invitation to the president to get in the game because if you want to be the president again the only way to even possibly win is to get out here‚ listen to voters.”

CBS announced on Tuesday that the Kansas City Chiefs and Buffalo Bills AFC showdown was watched by a whopping 50.4 million viewers‚ making it the most watched NFL Divisional Playoff game ever. The Chiefs’ 27-24 victory over the Bills came down to the last minutes and ended up scoring the honor of not only the most-watched playoff game‚ but the first ever to surpass 50 million viewers‚ a press release from CBS Sports and Paramount+ read. Sunday night’s playoff game was up by more than 10 percent from last year’s — and beat out the previous record set in 2017 when the Dallas Cowboys and Green Bay Packers NFL Divisional playoff game delivered 48.5 million viewers. CBS announced that Sunday’s Chiefs vs. Bills game was the most-watched Divisional Round game ever‚ with a whopping 50.393 million viewers. pic.twitter.com/3bsT4ST3xp — Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) January 23‚ 2024 To put the Chiefs-Bills playoff game numbers into further context‚ the comparable playoff game that took place in Jan. 2023 — between NFC leaders Cowboys and the San Francisco 49ers — garnered 45 million viewers‚ the press release noted. At one point‚ viewership for the game spiked to 56 million viewers and gave Paramount+ its most-streamed live event ever. The nail-biting game between Kansas City and Buffalo was also the most-watched program on any network since Super Bowl LVII (Feb. 12‚ 2023)‚ the press release added. All four of the playoff games over the weekend saw great numbers‚ with the Packers and 49ers game on Fox coming in second place with 37.5 million viewers and the NFC Divisional Playoff game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Detroit Lions taking the third spot with 37.2 million viewers‚ Deadline noted. The numbers for Sunday’s viewership aren’t completely unwarranted given the fact that there was plenty of excitement as the Bills and Chiefs fans saw the lead in the game change five times in 60 minutes. Kansas City now advances to the AFC Championship game on Sunday‚ where they will be on the road against the Baltimore Ravens. The winner will move on to the Super Bowl. Throughout the regular season‚ the NFL’s viewership was up over the last few years‚ with the numbers being the best the league has seen since 2015‚ Deadline noted.  Related: WATCH: NFL Fan Catches Fire While Tailgating At Bills-Chiefs Playoff Game

Immigration is now the top concern on voters’ minds‚ bumping inflation‚ which was previously at the top of the list‚ to second place‚ a new poll shows. About 35% of voters said immigration was their top concern‚ while about 32% said inflation was their main concern‚ according to a Harvard CAPS-Harris poll released Monday. The third biggest concern was “economy and jobs‚” with 25% of people citing this as their top issue. The next biggest concerns were “crime and drugs‚” and health care‚ which were both cited by 16% of voters. After those was the national deficit and national security‚ which tied at 14%‚ and then corruption and the environment‚ which were each cited by 13% of people. Despite immigration jumping seven percentage points since last month’s poll‚ inflation was mentioned by the most people as the issue that affects them personally. About 38% said inflation affects them directly‚ while only 17% said immigration does so‚ about three percentage points more than last month’s poll. Inflation remains high at 3.4% in December‚ but it has come down from its year-over-year peak of 9.1% in June 2022. Prices for many everyday necessities‚ including groceries‚ remain much higher than they were in 2019 before the pandemic. About three in five people say the economy is currently weak‚ and just under half of voters believe their financial situation is getting worse‚ according to the poll. Only 7% of people said abortion and racial equity‚ two other controversial issues‚ affect them directly‚ the poll found. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP The crisis at the border has continued to cause headaches for the Biden administration and other Democrats. More than 225‚000 migrants were apprehended at the southern border in December‚ the highest monthly total since 2000‚ according to preliminary Homeland Security statistics. Texas has sent more than 90‚000 migrants to cities run by Democrats‚ including New York City‚ Chicago‚ Los Angeles‚ Philadelphia‚ Denver‚ and Washington‚ D.C.‚ causing those cities to strain their resources caring for the migrants. Meanwhile‚ President Biden’s approval rating remains at a dismal 42%‚ the poll showed. His approval has not topped 46% since September 2021. The president’s approval rating is especially low on the two top issues‚ immigration and inflation‚ with just 36% of people saying they strongly or somewhat approve of how he has handled inflation‚ and only 35% of people saying they approve of his handling of immigration‚ the poll showed. The low numbers for Biden come as the presidential race heats up. New Hampshire’s Republican primary on Tuesday night so far looks optimistic for former President Donald Trump‚ who appears likely to be the party’s nominee‚ meaning November’s general election would be a rematch between Trump and Biden.

The federal government dropped nearly $20 billion taxpayer dollars on refugee resettlement programs in just the last two years‚ a new watchdog report reveals‚ with the sum climbing as record numbers of foreign nationals attempt to enter the United States. The funds went to the Office of Refugee Resettlement (ORR)‚ which operates under the control of the Department of Health and Human Services’s (HHS) Administration for Children and Families‚ and claims to provide “social services that help refugees become self-sufficient as quickly as possible after their arrival in the United States.” ORR received a whopping $8.93 billion in taxpayer funds for fiscal year 2022 before the budget ballooned to $10.93 billion the following year‚ according to a new report from watchdog group Open the Books. The total sum of $19.85 billion in taxpayer funds were used to facilitate the resettlement of foreign nationals into the United States through a wide range of programs‚ with some offering housing assistance‚ school placement support‚ and assistance with public benefits applications. The President’s budget allocates just over $10 billion to the office in 2024. The figures mark massive increases from the beginning of Biden’s administration — just $2.6 billion was allocated to the ORR in 2021. The expenditures from the ORR come as the office has failed to account for unaccompanied children comes an unparalleled surge of illegal aliens at the southern border‚ all while over 10 million foreign nationals have attempted to cross the border into the United States since Joe Biden took office. There’s been a spike in funding for Refugee and Entrant Assistance Discretionary Grants over the last two years‚ covering programs that allow eligible individuals to receive financial assistance from non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that receive ORR funding. While $1.5 billion in these discretionary grants were dispersed from 2013 to 2023‚ the majority of the grant spending has occurred in the last two years‚ with price tags of over $400 million in 2022 and $615 million in 2023. Within the discretionary grant program is the ORR’s Preferred Communities Program‚ which accounted for over half of the discretionary grant spending in 2022. The program seeks to offer “intensive case management to overcome barriers” to “extremely vulnerable individuals.” The Preferred Communities Program allocates federal funds to participating NGOs that provide various services for refugees. The ORR states that such services should “increase client’s level of self-sufficiency in one or more of the following domains‚” listing “mental health‚” “transportation‚” “linkages to benefit systems‚” and “immigration status‚” as areas in which NGOs can provide support with government money. “Potential migrants from an ever-broader range of countries are trying to enter the country by any means necessary‚” Open the Books Founder &; CEO Adam Andrzejewski explained before adding that the ORR’s grantmaking incentivizes mass migration into the United States. “The news traveling back home is: come to America. Entry is easy and the benefits are aplenty once you’ve arrived. The grantmaking in particular is a powerful magnet for more people to keep flooding our borders; who would turn down not just a free lunch but a leg up on a new life?” “This is creating an endless flow of people seeking help with anything from travel to health care to loans‚” Andrzejewski said. “By extending so many benefits we are creating an endless spiral of spending – and the pain can be felt everywhere from hospitals‚ to schools to shelters across the country.” Former HHS Director of the Office of Civil Rights Roger Severino contended in a recent report that “HHS and ORR have forgotten their original refugee-resettlement mission and instead have provided a panoply of free programs that incentivize people to come to the United States illegally.” Two of the non-governmental organizations that have historically received the most funding from ORR are also the previous employers of the ORR’s current director. The current director of ORR‚ Robin Dunn Marcos‚ is a 23-year veteran of the International Rescue Committee (IRC)‚ an organization that receives grants from ORR. During her time at the IRC‚ Dunn Marcos worked as the Senior Director for Resettlement‚ Asylum‚ and Integration Programming as well as the Executive Director of the organization’s Phoenix‚ Arizona branch. Dunn Marcos also worked as the Regional Representative for sub-Saharan Africa for the Church World Service (CWS)‚ another recipient of grants from ORR. In 2023‚ IRC received more than $66 million in government grants for the Preferred Communities program‚ while CWS received over $64 million‚ both figures marking a significant increase over 2022. Meanwhile‚ IRC received over $180 million while CWS was awarded $125 million total from 2013 to 2023 in Refugee and Entrant Assistance Discretionary Grants. A spokesperson for the ORR addressed the grants to Dunn Marcos’ previous employers‚ stating “Consistent with the Ethics Pledge‚ Robin Dunn Marcos is recused from participating in particular matters involving specific parties in which IRC is or represents a party. That recusal obligation lasts for two years from her date of appointment‚ which was September 11‚ 2022.” While nearly $20 billion in taxpayer funds were granted to the ORR‚ the office has been unable to reach up to 85‚000 unaccompanied children that it has placed with sponsors in recent years. Many unaccompanied children have ended up working in factories and food processing plants in violation of child labor laws‚ an investigative report from The New York Times found. Meanwhile‚ the ORR budget has spiked as the number of foreign nationals attempting to enter the U.S. has hit new highs. November 2023 set a new record for southern border encounters‚ with nearly a quarter million foreign nationals attempting to enter the United States. The increased figures include a record-breaking number of Chinese nationals and a 1‚000% increase in illegal immigration from Afghanistan‚ Ethiopia‚ and the Dominican Republic‚ among other countries. Border security and mass illegal immigration are set to become key issues of the presidential election‚ with multiple public opinion polls finding that over 60% of respondents do not approve of President Biden’s handling of the border.

Hollywood actor Gary Graham‚ best known for his roles in “Star Trek: Enterprise” and “Alien Nation‚” died at the age of 73 from cardiac arrest‚ according to a statement from his wife. Graham was beloved by fans for his Star Trek role as Ambassador Soval from 2001 to 2005. He also played the character Tanis in an episode of “Star Trek: Voyager” in 1995‚ and Ragnar in both “Star Trek: Of Gods and Men” and “Star Trek: Renegades.” “I always say he was my knight in shining armor‚ and I was his port in the storm‚” Becky Graham‚ his wife of nearly 25 years‚ said. “He was loved by many.” Graham’s ex-wife Susan Lavelle‚ who is also the mother of his daughter‚ shared her feelings about the tragedy of his death with a Facebook post. “It is with deep profound sadness to say that Gary Graham‚ my ex husband‚ amazing actor and father of our beautiful only child together‚ Haylee Graham‚ has passed away today. We are completely devastated… especially our daughter‚” she wrote. “I met Gary when I was just 20 years old and he was one half of the star duo on the tv series‚ Alien Nation. But he had already been in movies like  ‘All the Right Moves’ with Tom Cruise. Of course‚ Gary has many more credits.” “Gary was funny‚ sarcastic sense of humor but kind‚ fought for what he believed in‚ a devout Christian and was so proud of his daughter‚ Haylee‚” she added. “This was sudden so please pray for our daughter as she navigates through this thing called grief. Fly high into the heavens Gar! Thank you for our journey and thank you for the gifts you left me in acting‚ my love of horses and most importantly‚ our daughter.” The actor had a Hollywood career spanning five decades beginning in the 1970s. He has appeared in more than 38 TV roles and was also in more than 40 movies‚ acting opposite some of the biggest names in Hollywood from Bruce Willis to Tom Cruise. Graham also loved music‚ playing in several bands during his lifetime. He was also a contributor to Breitbart News. Hollywood shines a little less brightly without a person of good character and great talent like Graham in it.