A test of moral compass. The post Why the Images of Hamas Prisoners Sparked Outrage appeared first on Frontpage Mag.

A new existential struggle. The post Americans Must Choose Between Civilization—or Its Destroyers appeared first on Frontpage Mag.

The roots of a death cult. The post The Dark World of Hamas’ Sadism and Sexual Torture appeared first on Frontpage Mag.

According to NBC News‚ Xi warned Joe Biden in San Francisco during his visit that he planned to reunify Taiwan and preferred to do it peacefully. The date hasn’t been set. Xi told Biden in a group meeting attended by a dozen American and Chinese officials that China prefers to take Taiwan peacefully‚ not by […] The post President Xi Told Joe Biden He Was Reunifying Taiwan appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

Sources in TX Governor Greg Abbott’s office told Bill Melugin of Fox News that Texas is now flying illegal aliens to sanctuary cities‚ with the first flight of 120 migrants landing at Chicago’s O’Hare airport last night after taking off from El Paso‚ Texas. They say all migrants signed voluntary waivers as they do with […] The post Buses with Migrants Blocked in Chicago‚ Now Abbott Flies Them in appeared first on www.independentsentinel.com.

The GOP-led House widened an investigation into Harvard University with a new line of inquiry regarding plagiarism allegations levied at the school’s president‚ Claudine Gay‚ dating back to the 1990s when she was a student. Education and the Workforce Committee Chairwoman Virginia Foxx (R-NC)‚ who just weeks ago announced a probe into Harvard and other prestigious universities over concerns about “rampant anti-Semitism displayed on their campuses‚” sent a letter on Wednesday requesting information on how the Ivy League has responded to the “credible” plagiarism claims reported by the Manhattan Institute’s Christopher Rufo and journalist Chris Brunet‚ the Washington Free Beacon‚ and others. “An allegation of plagiarism by a top school official at any university would be reason for concern‚ but Harvard is not just any university. It styles itself as one of the top educational institutions in the country‚” Foxx wrote in the letter addressed to Harvard Corporation Senior Fellow Penny Pritzker. Foxx mentioned the Harvard College Honor Code‚ which stresses academic integrity while denouncing plagiarism‚ and questioned whether the university is holding its faculty and leadership to the same standards. The chairwoman also noted how federal funding to Harvard University is “conditioned upon the school’s adherence to the standards of a recognized accreditor‚” which in this case is the New England Commission of Higher Education. “Our concern is that standards are not being applied consistently‚ resulting in different rules for different members of the academic community‚” Foxx added. “If a university is willing to look the other way and not hold faculty accountable for engaging in academically dishonest behavior‚ it cheapens its mission and the value of its education. Students must be evaluated fairly‚ under known standards – and have a right to see that faculty are‚ too.” The Harvard Crimson reported last week that Gay submitted corrections to articles after the Ivy League’s top governing body‚ the Harvard Corporation‚ claimed that it became aware of plagiarism allegations in October‚ opened an “independent review‚” and “found no violation of Harvard’s standards for research misconduct.” But a CNN review published on Wednesday found that the corrections fail to remedy other instances of alleged plagiarism‚ including when she was vying for her Ph.D. at Harvard in the 1990s. In her letter‚ Foxx demanded a variety of records‚ including documents concerning the “independent review‚” disciplinary action taken against faculty or students for plagiarism‚ and communications between Harvard and its regional accreditor about its “academic dishonesty standard.” The Daily Wire reached out to Harvard seeking comment on the plagiarism allegations and the new letter from Foxx. Gay has already released a statement on the matter‚ declaring‚ “I stand by the integrity of my scholarship. Throughout my career‚ I have worked to ensure my scholarship adheres to the highest academic standards.” The plagiarism controversy took off as Gay faced blowback for her testimony during a congressional hearing in early December. She told lawmakers that “context” dictated whether calling for the genocide of Jews on campuses violated her school’s policies on bullying and harassment. Her testimony‚ along with that of the presidents of MIT and the University of Pennsylvania‚ prompted Foxx to open an investigation into “the learning environments at Harvard‚ UPenn‚ and MIT and their policies and disciplinary procedures” as well as a House resolution condemning their comments. UPenn’s president‚ Elizabeth Magill‚ has resigned under pressure. Gay released a statement on her testimony‚ posted to X by Harvard‚ that said: “There are some who have confused a right to free expression with the idea that Harvard will condone calls for violence against Jewish students. Let me be clear: Calls for violence or genocide against the Jewish community‚ or any religious or ethnic group are vile‚ they have no place at Harvard‚ and those who threaten our Jewish students will be held to account.”

NEW YORK—A couple strode to the entrance of The Roosevelt Hotel before being stopped by a security guard. They explained they just wanted to get drinks at the bar before the guard informed them that the hotel was closed.   “When did that happen?” they asked‚ surprised.   It’s an easy mistake to make. Despite closing in 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic‚ the hotel doesn’t look closed. Scripted awnings bearing the name of the iconic hotel‚ named after President Theodore Roosevelt‚ still hang above the entrances‚ and a buzz of activity surrounds its doors.   The facade of The Roosevelt Hotel in New York City‚ which is now a shelter for illegal aliens. (Photo: Virginia Allen/The Daily Signal) After the hotel closed‚ and with a rising wave of illegal aliens arriving in New York City‚ city officials began directing migrant families to the hotel in May‚ The New York Times reported‚ as the Biden administration continued to allow hundreds of thousads of illegal aliens into the United States.   Today‚ The Roosevelt Hotel has become a central processing location and homeless shelter for illegal aliens arriving in the Big Apple.   On a chilly December evening‚ The Daily Signal spoke briefly with illegal aliens outside the New York hotel who said they were from Venezuela‚ China‚ Chad‚ Senegal‚ and Mauritania.   The security guards at the door could not‚ or would not‚ share how many illegal aliens stay in the hotel at any given time or how long they stay. The press office for New York City Mayor Eric Adams told The Daily Signal in an email Wednesday: “There are approximately 850 rooms at the Roosevelt Hotel‚ all of which are currently occupied by migrant families with children. It’s approx. 3‚000 individuals.” A family of five from Venezuela who entered the country illegally told The Daily Signal outside the hotel that they traveled through nine countries to get to the U.S. The family wasn’t staying at the Roosevelt‚ but the father and husband explained that since arriving in New York they had registered their three boys for school. He said he hoped to find work in the city.   “I don’t see an end to this flow if we don’t have real changes in Washington‚ D.C.‚” Adams told reporters Tuesday when questioned about the city’s continual influx of illegal aliens.   As many as 4‚000 illegal aliens arrive in the city each week‚ Adams said. Given the number of illegal immigrants crossing the U.S.-Mexico border this week‚ New York isn’t likely to see a drop in numbers before year’s end.   U.S. Customs and Border Protection logged a new record this week after encountering nearly 27‚000 illegal aliens at the border in a two-day period‚ according to data obtained by the Washington Examiner from the agency.   On Monday alone‚ the Washington Examiner’s Anna Giaritelli reported‚ 14‚509 illegal aliens crossed the border into the U.S.   NEW! Government numbers obtained from Border Patrol show yesterday had the most-ever immigrants encountered at the southern border: 14‚509. This is a phenomenon like we’ve never seen before.26‚758 in custody5‚197 in Del Rio5‚004 in Tucson4‚968 in RGV4‚722 in El Paso pic.twitter.com/wC5sDPFwHg— Anna Giaritelli (@Anna_Giaritelli) December 19‚ 2023 An additional 12‚242 migrants crossed the southern border illegally Tuesday‚ the Examiner reported.   Meanwhile‚ in Congress‚ negotiations over a border security bill are ongoing. The Republican-led House passed a border security bill known as HR 2 in May‚ but the Democrat-led Senate hasn’t taken it up.   Senators have been negotiating a spending bill that would secure the border and provide aid to Israel and Ukraine‚ but lawmakers won’t attempt to pass such legislation until the new year.   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 Roosevelt Hotel: NYC’s Central Processing Point for Illegal Alien Families appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Officials associated with the political party in power act to ban the opposition’s leading candidate from even competing on the ballot.  Not to fear‚ the Biden administration—and before that‚ the Trump administration—stepped up to sanction other nations that did that. The Colorado Supreme Court’s controversial ruling Tuesday disqualifying former President Donald Trump from the state’s ballot invited comparisons to other countries sanctioned by the United States for barring opposition candidates from their ballots.  Sen. Marco Rubio‚ R-Fla.‚ posted Tuesday evening on X: “The U.S. has put sanctions on other countries for doing exactly what the Colorado Supreme Court has done today.” The U.S. has put sanctions on other countries for doing exactly what the Colorado Supreme Court has done today— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 19‚ 2023 Sen. Mike Lee‚ R-Utah‚ in a similar post‚ wrote: “We’d threaten sanctions against countries that had their courts exclude a challenger to protect the incumbent.” We’d threaten sanctions against countries that had their courts exclude a challenger to protect the incumbent.— Mike Lee (@BasedMikeLee) December 20‚ 2023 In a post Wednesday on X‚ Rep. Tim Walberg‚ R-Mich.‚ wrote:  “The ruling from Colorado is fundamentally undemocratic and the type of action we’d condemn or even sanction another country for doing. Americans should have the right to vote for whoever they choose.” The congressional lawmakers’ remarks are accurate. The United States has sanctioned several countries‚ including Venezuela‚ Belarus‚ and Nicaragua‚ for kicking opposition candidates or opposition parties off the ballot.  Similar to the Colorado case leading to Trump’s disqualification‚ these foreign governments cited laws to rationalize their actions. However‚ most did not adjudicate the matter through court proceedings.  The Colorado Supreme Court decided 4-3 to disqualify Trump from the state ballot‚ based on the legal argument that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution prevents the former president from holding federal office because the Capitol riot on Jan. 6‚ 2021‚ constituted an “insurrection.”  Although the House then impeached Trump for incitement to insurrection‚ the Senate acquitted him in a trial.  Earlier this year‚ special counsel Jack Smith secured a grand jury indictment charging Trump with conspiracy for challenging the outcome of the 2020 election‚ but didn’t charge him with insurrection.  Colorado’s highest court relied on the official report of the Democrat-dominated House Select Committee on the January 6th Attack on the Capitol‚ which did accuse Trump of insurrection.  U.S. sanctions on other nations generally include freezing or restricting U.S.-held assets and property of foreign individuals or entities.  Here are some recent examples of countries that the United States announced sanctions against for barring opposition candidates from elections. 1. Venezuela In October‚ the Biden administration announced some sanctions relief for Venezuela‚ a reversal of intense sanctions by the Trump administration regarding violations of human rights‚ including the right to free and fair elections.  The Treasury Department suspended some sanctions‚ but left others in place in response to the Maduro regime’s signing onto and “electoral roadmap agreement” with Venezuela’s Unitary Platform‚ the opposition party.  The United States and some allies don’t recognize Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro’s regime as the legitimate government. Key to the sanctions relief from the Biden administration is dropping the suspension of ballot access for opposition candidates. In a public statement Oct. 18‚ Secretary of State Antony Blinken said:  The United States has also conveyed our expectation and understanding that Venezuela will take the following steps before the end of November:   Define a specific timeline and process for the expedited reinstatement of all candidates. All who want to run for president should be allowed the opportunity‚ and are entitled to a level electoral playing field‚ to freedom of movement‚ and to assurances for their physical safety. Begin the release of all wrongfully detained U.S. nationals and Venezuelan political prisoners. Failure to abide by the terms of this arrangement will lead the United States to reverse steps we have taken.  The Treasury Department issued licenses authorizing transactions involving Venezuela’s oil and gas sector and its gold sector‚ and removed a ban on secondary trading‚ Brian E. Nelson‚ under secretary for terrorism and financial intelligence‚ said in a public statement.  “Treasury is prepared to amend or revoke authorizations at any time‚ should representatives of Maduro fail to follow through on their commitments‚” Nelson said. “All other restrictions imposed by the United States on Venezuela remain in place‚ and we will continue to hold bad actors accountable. We stand with the Venezuelan people and support Venezuelan democracy.” Still‚ Maduro’s regime reportedly intends to ban Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado from running for president next year. The ban would follow the signing of  an “electoral road-map agreement.”  “Last month Maria Corina Machado‚ a former right-wing legislator‚ won the opposition’s presidential primary‚” NPR reported in November. “However‚ with polls predicting she would crush President Maduro in a free election‚ the regime has banned her from running. That will likely force the opposition to nominate an alternative candidate‚ says Phil Gunson‚ who’s based in Caracas for the International Crisis Group.” 2. Belarus In late 2020‚ the Trump administration’s Treasury Department imposed numerous sanctions against entities and individuals with ties to the government of Belarus for their roles in an August 2020 presidential election that the U.S. determined was fraudulent and included violent crackdowns on opposition parties.  The Treasury Department concluded that the August 2020 election in Belarus “included a myriad of election irregularities‚ including barring opposition candidates‚ denying access to poll observers‚ and falsifying voting results‚ robbing the Belarusian people of their right to choose their leaders through free and fair elections.”   The government of Belarus is aligned with Vladimir Putin’s Russian regime. Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted an agency called the Central Commission of the Republic of Belarus on Elections and Holding Republican Referenda‚ also known as the Belarusian CEC.  The agency was led by Chairwoman Lidziya Yarmoshina‚ Deputy Chairperson Vadzim Ipatau‚ and Secretary Alena Dmukhayla‚ who all three helped managed the election.  “The election [in Belarus] included a myriad of irregularities that made it neither free nor fair‚ including barring opposition candidates‚ denying access to poll observers‚ and certifying inaccurate vote tallies‚” the Treasury Department announced in a press release.  “The Belarusian CEC is being designated pursuant to [Executive Order] 13405 for being responsible for‚ or having participated in‚ actions or policies that undermine democratic processes or institutions in Belarus‚” the press release continued.  In June 2021‚ the sixth month of the Biden administration‚ Treasury announced that Canada‚ Britain‚ and the European Union joined to apply similar sanctions on those tied to corruption in Belarus.  This announcement included condemning Belarus for “prevention of multiple opposition candidates from appearing on the ballot and restrictions on the ability of the opposition to campaign.” “Andrei Ivanovich Shved … was named Belarus’ prosecutor general one month after the August 9‚ 2020‚ fraudulent presidential election‚” Treasury’s press release continued. “In that position‚ he has filed politically motivated terrorism charges and extradition requests against presidential candidate Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya and publicly defended his office’s prosecution of peaceful protesters.”  3. Nicaragua In November 2021‚ the Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control imposed economic sanctions on the Public Ministry of Nicaragua and nine government officials in relation to what the U.S. government said it considered “sham” elections.  The election results that year retained the government of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega. Biden’s Treasury Department criticized Ortega’s “imprisonment of nearly 40 opposition figures since May‚” and said “the blocking of political parties from participation rigged the outcome well before election day.” “Relying on Nicaraguan law‚ including Law 1055‚ the Public Ministry has unjustly arrested and investigated presidential candidates and prevented them from running for office‚ thereby undermining democracy in Nicaragua‚” the Treasury Department announced at the time. The country’s Law 1055 prohibits from public office anyone the government designates as “traitors‚” or those advocating “foreign interference” in Nicaragua’s sovereignty‚ according to the Treasury Department. “In June 2021‚ the Public Ministry used Law 1055 and requested that leading opposition presidential candidate Cristiana Chamorro‚ whom it was investigating on groundless charges relating to ‘the crimes of laundering‚ forgery of official documents‚ and abusive management‚’ be disqualified from the electoral process‚” Treasury said in the announcement.  “The Public Ministry also initiated investigations or filed charges against leading presidential candidates Arturo Cruz [Sequeira]‚ Felix Maradiaga‚ Juan Sebastian Chamorro‚ and Miguel Mora‚ all of whom were detained since June of this year in the run-up to the sham November elections‚” the announcement continued.   4. Congo Congo is perhaps not the strongest comparison‚ as a much more crass method allegedly was used to knock opposition candidates off the ballot.  In September 2016‚ during the Obama administration‚ the Treasury Department imposed sanctions on government officials from Congo.  The sanctioned officials included Gen. John Numbi‚ former national inspector for the Congolese National Police.  “During the March 2016 gubernatorial elections in the DRC’s [Democratic Republic of Congo’s] four ex-Katangan provinces‚ Numbi used violent intimidation to secure victories for candidates affiliated with President [Joseph] Kabila’s MP coalition‚” the Treasury Department’s announcement of sanctions said at the time.    “Numbi threatened to kill opposition candidates who did not voluntarily withdraw from the race‚ and on the same day these exchanges purportedly took place‚ three candidates withdrew‚” Treasury’s announcement said. “Numbi also reportedly gave provincial deputies a unique numeric code to write on each of their ballots so he could verify their votes after the election.  Though he is no longer a DRC government official‚ Numbi is reportedly an influential adviser to President Kabila.” Have an opinion about this article? To sound off‚ please email letters@DailySignal.com and we will consider publishing your remarks in our regular “We Hear You” feature. The post Fact Check: Would US Sanction Other Countries for Doing What Colorado Supreme Court Did to Trump? appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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