Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin made a public appearance on Tuesday‚ his first since the controversy over his secretive hospitalization‚ and opted not to mention his health situation in a break with his script. The Cabinet official beamed into a virtual meeting of a group focused on discussing support for Ukraine to deliver an opening statement in which Austin deviated from prepared remarks that were published by the Department of Defense (DoD). Austin was expected to say‚ “As you can tell‚ I’m joining from home today. I’m feeling good and looking forward to being back at the Pentagon very soon. And I’m grateful for all of your warm wishes‚” but he skipped that part to get right into talking about Ukraine. LIVE: @SecDef Lloyd J. Austin III speaks from the Pentagon at a virtual meeting of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group. https://t.co/SBTX6R8Fs5 — Department of Defense 🇺🇸 (@DeptofDefense) January 23‚ 2024 During a press briefing‚ a reporter asked Pentagon Press Secretary Air Force Maj. Gen. Pat Ryder why Austin did not mention being at home or address his health in his first public appearance since being released from the hospital. “It’s his prerogative on any remarks that he gives to amend those in delivery‚” Ryder said. “I will say I am glad that everyone was able to watch his remarks about the impact of the Ukraine Defense Contact Group and the important work that it’s doing to save lives from Russia’s illegal and unprovoked aggression.” Q: Why didn't Defense Sec. Lloyd Austin address his health in his first public remarks since his incapacitation scandal? Pentagon spokesman Maj. Gen. Patrick Ryder: "It's his prerogative" pic.twitter.com/PBYYBarqCn — RNC Research (@RNCResearch) January 23‚ 2024 Austin‚ 70‚ was hospitalized on January 1 for complications following a December procedure to treat prostate cancer. He faced blowback when it emerged that many top officials‚ including President Joe Biden and the deputy who took on some of his duties‚ were not privy to his health situation for days. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Several investigations‚ including a probe by the Department of Defense’s inspector general‚ a White House review of Cabinet protocols‚ and an inquiry in the GOP-led House‚ have been announced. Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle and former President Donald Trump have called for Austin to resign or be fired over the controversy. Austin is also being called to testify before Congress. The DoD announced last week that Austin was being released from the hospital‚ ending a roughly two-week stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. Austin said he would continue to perform his duties from home as he recuperates. White House officials have insisted that Biden has “complete confidence” in Austin‚ who has said he takes responsibility for the lack of disclosure‚ and they emphasized that the president plans to keep the secretary in place through the remainder of his term despite it being “not optimal” that the commander-in-chief and other leaders did not know what happened for so long.

An Illinois city councilman has suggested that the wealthier citizens of his city host illegal immigrants in their homes amid a surge of crossings at the southern border.  Naperville City Councilman Josh McBroom suggested last week at a council meeting that residents should consider creating a signup sheet for residents to open up their homes to illegal immigrants. Naperville‚ a suburb of Chicago‚ is home to about 149‚000 people.  “I do know there’s a lot of people who do care and I think we live in a compassionate community‚” he said. “We do have a very affluent community‚ a lot of big homes. What I’d like to do is direct staff to create a sign-up sheet for individuals that would be willing to house migrant families. And if there’s people that would do that‚ God bless them.”  Naperville Councilman Josh McBroom wants a sign-up list for residents to host illegals in their homes: "We do have a very affluent community. We have a lot of big homes." Naperville is a wealthy liberal suburb on the outskirts of Chicago. Biden won there by a 20% margin in… pic.twitter.com/UdO61MmRKW — End Wokeness (@EndWokeness) January 23‚ 2024 “I think we need to find out who would be willing to house migrant families‚” he added.  According to the Naperville Sun‚ fellow city council members Nate Wilson‚ Paul Leong‚ and Jennifer Bruzan Taylor all appeared to back McBroom’s suggestion‚ but no formal vote was taken. McBroom said staff would be told to “come back with their ideas on how they could facilitate something like this.” A city spokesperson said that at least six busloads of illegal immigrants have been dropped off in Naperville since December 21‚ even as nearby Chicago has been sent thousands of illegal immigrants from Texas. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “You know‚ if we had a number of homes who said yes‚ we are willing to take in migrants into our home‚ who do we contact and how do we coordinate? Or would (the city) play a role in that? Or will we provide them the resources. Say here’s where you could contact‚” McBroom told the Sun. “I don’t know‚ and there’s probably a lot of legal questions that would need to be answered.” Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has repeatedly asked the Biden administration for more funding to deal with the influx of illegal immigrants into his city and has condemned Texas for sending the migrants to his city. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker has also repeatedly complained about Texas sending illegal immigrants to his state.  Under Biden‚ a record number of illegal immigrants have crossed the southern border and Texas has responded by sending them to sanctuary cities like Chicago. Johnson has imposed restrictions on arrivals in the city and Texas has responded by dropping off the illegal immigrants at nearby suburbs.

The U.S. Military conducted airstrikes against an Iranian-backed terrorist group in Iraq on Tuesday in response to continued attacks that the group has launched against U.S. forces in the region. “In response to attacks by the Iranian-backed militia group Kataib Hezbollah (KH)‚ including the attack on al-Asad Airbase in western Iraq on Jan. 20‚ on Jan. 24 at 12:15 a.m. (Iraq time)‚ U.S. CENTCOM forces conducted unilateral airstrikes against three facilities used by Iranian-backed Kataib Hezbollah militia group and other Iran-affiliated groups in Iraq‚” U.S. Central Command said in a statement. “These strikes targeted KH headquarters‚ storage‚ and training locations for rocket‚ missile‚ and one-way attack UAV capabilities.” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin claimed that the Biden administration would “not hesitate to take necessary action to defend” U.S. forces in the region from the attacks‚ despite U.S. forces in the region having already been attacked more than 150 times since October 17‚ 2023. Kataib Hezbollah is an Iraqi Shia terrorist group that was founded in 2007. The group “seeks to establish an Iran-aligned government in Iraq‚ expel US and coalition forces from the country‚ and advance Iranian interests throughout the Middle East‚” according to the office of the Director of National Intelligence. The group has received extensive training‚ funding‚ logistic support‚ weapons‚ and intelligence from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps-Quds Force (IRGC-QF).

Former “Doctor Who” actor Christopher Eccleston revealed in a recent interview that he was once falsely accused of “copping a feel” while filming a sex scene with someone he described only as an “A-list actress” who was “not Nicole Kidman.” Eccleston‚ who played the 9th Doctor in the popular British sci-fi series‚ gave no other hints as to who the actress might be‚ telling The Independent only that he was relieved it had happened prior to the #MeToo movement and the fallout surrounding disgraced film executive Harvey Weinstein. “I did a sex scene with an A-list actress – not Nicole Kidman‚ who was brilliant – and she implied‚ in front of the crew‚ that I was copping a feel. Because she didn’t like me‚” he said‚ explaining that he knew he was “fortunate that happened to me before the Harvey Weinstein stuff came to light‚ so I wasn’t put in the stocks for it. But I’ve never felt more betrayed by a fellow actor than I did that day.” “I have to say to you that I would sooner have put my hands in a food blender than copped a feel of that person‚” he added. “It was an abuse of power‚ what she did. I don’t think that would have happened with an intimacy coordinator on set. I could have been accused of all manner of things.” Part of the reason Eccleston felt so betrayed was that he had always felt it was part of his responsibility — both as an actor and as a man — to make sure that the actress was comfortable in any sex scene they did together. “As a bloke‚ as a young man‚ you walk onto the set and see the majority of people in the crew are male‚” he said. “Then there’s a beautiful woman who’s naked. So unless you are a complete a***hole‚ you just continually ask her: are you comfortable? Is there anything I can do?” CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP That experience coupled with the #MeToo movement‚ he said‚ has made him appreciate the addition of an intimacy coordinator on set. “I’m here to protect you too‚ Chris‚” he quoted one intimacy coordinator as saying. “I’d not thought about that. You don’t think that maybe somebody’s copping a look at you. You just don’t‚ not from a working-class northern British background‚” the actor continued. “I was born in ’64‚ when men were really not the objects of desire as far as I knew.” Eccleston’s interview comes along with the recent season four premiere of HBO’s “True Detective: Night Country” — in which Eccleston stars alongside Oscar-winning actress Jodie Foster.

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