'Did forcing 2-year-olds to wear masks save lives?' Congressman grills HHS secretary on mask mandates



Republican Rep. Kevin Kiley (Calif.) questioned U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra over the Biden administration's mask policy that recommended those who are 2 years old or older wear a mask, "even outdoors," according to the congressman.

"Mr. Secretary, did forcing 2-year-olds to wear masks save lives?" the congressman from California asked.

"Making sure people wear masks when it was appropriate was essential to make sure that we were able to get out of this pandemic," Becerra replied.

"Sure, but that wasn't my question. Could you answer the question that I asked, which is did forcing 2-year-olds to wear masks save lives?" Kiley continued.

As Rep. Kiley pressed for answers, the HHS secretary held his position that the administration did not have the authority or jurisdiction to force masking.

"And who did the forcing?" Becerra answered.

"Well, your department, or the Head Start, which is under your department, had a mask mandate until late last year for 2-year-olds and above, even outdoors. So can you point to any public health benefit of that policy?" Kiley insisted.

"We never forced anyone to do anything because we don't have the jurisdiction or authority to do that. What we did was provide guidance —" Becerra began to explain before the congressman interrupted.

"Did Head Start have a mask mandate?

HHS directs mask guidance inquiries to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, which states, "Children ages 2 years and older can wear masks or respirators to protect themselves and others from COVID-19."

Head Start, which is under HHS, is a federally funded program that receives approximately $10 billion annually to provide early childhood education services to low-income children and families.

"We provide a mask mandate, a requirement for jurisdictions that wish to receive money to provide particular service," the secretary explained. "We had a mask mandate for agencies that wish to get federal dollars," he continued.

When the congressman continued to ask about any public health benefits that derived from the masking policy, the HHS secretary said that "families benefit" from using "all precautions."

When asked for evidence that there was a public health benefit, Becerra pointed to the fact that "today we are not losing lives the way we lost them when we first got into this pandemic."

\u201cMUST WATCH: @KevinKileyCA absolutely eviscerates HHS Secretary Becerra, "Did forcing 2-year-olds to wear masks save lives?"\u201d
— Justin Hart (@Justin Hart) 1686684649

Along with mask requirements for Head Start recipients, it was also revealed by the HHS secretary that states that don't allow sex changes or hormone therapy for minors would not receive federal hospital grants.

"Mr. Secretary, does this mean that HHS is seriously threatening to withhold hospital grants from states like [Indiana] if they refuse to go along with surgeries or puberty blockers for kids?" asked Republican Indiana Rep. Jim Banks.

"We’re going to protect the rights of any American to get the health care they’re entitled to, and if someone tries to stop them from that, that’s a violation of the law," Becerra responded.

\u201cThe Biden admin wants to withhold hospital grants and school lunch money from institutions that don\u2019t go along with their radical gender ideology. \n\nHistory books will not look fondly on the Biden admin\u2019s obsession with sterilizing and mutilating confused children!\u201d
— Jim Banks (@Jim Banks) 1686672681

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'That's enough of that!' CNN anchor gets upset over footage of Trump meeting with supporters after court appearance



CNN anchor Jake Tapper was not happy with his producers on Tuesday for showing video of former President Donald Trump meeting with supporters after being arraigned in federal court.

Upon leaving federal court, Trump stopped by the famed Cuban restaurant Versailles in Miami. While there, Trump met with religious leaders and supporters. At one point, the group sang "Happy Birthday" because Trump's 77th birthday is Wednesday.

"And as we watch Donald Trump attempt to turn his arrest and indictment into some sort of campaign commercial, we need to remember that the reason we are watching this is because Donald Trump is accused of breaking some very serious national security laws and then obstructing and refusing to cooperate with the FBI," Tapper said as CNN aired footage of Trump smiling and taking photos with supporters.

After commentary from legal analyst Elie Honig, Tapper rebuked CNN producers for continuing to show the footage.

"The folks in the control room, I don't need to see any more of that!" Tapper said. "He's trying to turn this into a spectacle, a campaign ad. That's enough of that! We've seen it already."

\u201cJake Tapper asks the CNN control room to stop running footage of Trump visiting a Miami cafe right after his arraignment.\n\n"I don\u2019t need to see any more of that. He\u2019s trying to turn it into a spectacle and into a campaign ad. That is enough of that. We\u2019ve seen it already."\u201d
— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1686687769

Later in the day, while interviewing Rep. Alexandria Ocsaio-Cortez (D-N.Y.), Tapper said CNN would not air Trump's post-court speech because it was "potentially dangerous."

"We're not carrying his remarks live because, frankly, he says a lot of things that are not true and sometimes potentially dangerous," Tapper said.

Tapper did not, however, specify what "dangerous" things Trump might say. Hee then added a disclaimer before playing remarks from the speech.

"Of course, I just want to note, he begins this — this clip we're about to show you — by making unfounded claims about the charges against him, untrue and unfounded claims about the charges against him and the people he thinks are behind it. So, I just want to preface it by saying that," Tapper said.

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Tucker Carlson says the cable news business is 'controlled' and 'has a limited future'



Tucker Carlson, who previously hosted a popular primetime program on Fox News, said that the cable news business is "controlled" and that he believes it "has a limited future."

"I really do think the cable news business has a limited future," Carlson opined two weeks after his show was suddenly dropped from the Fox News Channel lineup, according to Chadwick Moore, author of the upcoming book "Tucker."

"It's too obviously controlled. It's like Google — it's just become too clear that there’s a certain selection of stories that are allowed, and a very thick file of stories that are not allowed. And I think people have come to understand that, and it's just not sustainable," Carlson said, according to Moore.

"I see these clips of people on podcasts or just taking video of themselves on Twitter, and you can tell when someone's really telling the whole truth," Carlson said. "It's obvious right away. Maybe I don't agree with the person, but I can see this person is not lying, he's saying what he really thinks, and that’s immediately perceptible. You can tell when someone's lying to you or when someone’s shading the truth or trying to spin you. And there's a lot of artifice in television."

Carlson launched a new show on Twitter last week. The tweet containing the first episode has amassed a whopping 115 million views so far, while the tweet containing the second episode has surpassed 55 million views.

Fox News reportedly sent the media personality a cease-and-desist letter.

"Doubling down on the most catastrophic programming decision in the history of the cable news industry, Fox is now demanding that Tucker Carlson be silent until after the 2024 election," Harmeet Dhillon, who is involved in representing Carlson, said in a statement, according to Axios. "Tucker will not be silenced by anyone ... He is a singularly important voice on matters of public interest in our country, and will remain so."

Justin Wells said in a tweet that Carlson is planning to release a new episode on Tuesday responding to the federal indictment of former President Donald Trump.

\u201cNext Episode of Tucker on Twitter coming Tuesday: Tucker\u2019s response to the indictment of President Donald Trump\u201d
— Justin Wells (@Justin Wells) 1686519817

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Mayorkas stops reporter mid-sentence after she repeats debunked narrative — but his response is even more telling



Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas fact-checked reporter April Ryan on Thursday after she accused Border Patrol agents of having whipped Haitian migrants.

But perhaps the most interesting aspect of the exchange is Mayorkas' admission that the Border Patrol agents are innocent.

What happened?

At the White House press briefing, Ryan, a correspondent for the Grio, asked Mayorkas how the Biden administration is caring for black migrants. That's when she regurgitated the debunked falsehood about migrant whipping.

"The southern border is not just Mexicans. It is Haitians, it's Africans, as we've seen, particularly with that issue with the Haitians being whipped with the reins on the horses. What is there —" she said before Mayorkas interjected.

"Well, let me just correct you right there," he interrupted. "Actually, the investigation concluded that the whipping did not occur."

But Ryan still pushed back.

"I’m sorry, I saw it differently. They were whipped with something from the horse — reins from a horse," she responded. "Maybe the video or the picture was fixed, but what I saw was totally different."

Mayorkas fired back, "Yeah, I'm going to leave you as corrected."

\u201cMayorkas corrects April Ryan when she brings up the "Haitians being whipped with the reins of the horses," noting "the investigation concluded that the whipping did not occur."\n\nRyan: "Maybe either the video or the picture was fixed but what I saw was totally different."\u201d
— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1683826542

Wait, what did Mayorkas just say?

After Democrats and the media feigned outrage against mounted Border Patrol agents by accusing them of "whipping" Haitian migrants, Homeland Security initiated an investigation and President Joe Biden promised the agents would "pay."

But witnesses — including the photographer who snapped the infamous images — quickly debunked the false narrative. The Biden administration, however, has never publicly exonerated the mounted Border Patrol agents, until Thursday apparently.

The closest the government has come to clearing the agents of guilt was a report from Customs and Border Protection's Office of Professional Responsibility, which admonished the agents for using "unnecessary" force but concluded that agents never whipped migrants. The report was released last summer.

There has not been, however, an admission from a top official like Mayorkas that the Border Patrol agents are innocent.

Despite the CBP report, some of the agents were reportedly subjected to discipline, according to Fox News, and the administration has never — at least publicly — said the investigation is closed.

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Oh boy: Trudeau and other leftists offer the message you'd expect from them on International Women's Day



Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau declared that "trans women are women" in a statement celebrating International Women's Day.

In point of fact, transgender women are biological men who identify as women — but that has not stopped the proponents of radical, leftist gender ideology from repeating the preposterous claim that transgender women are women.

"As we mark International Women's Day, we celebrate and recognize the achievements of women and girls in Canada and reaffirm our commitment to removing systemic barriers to advance gender equality in Canada and around the world," Trudeau said in the statement. "With a disturbing recent rise in anti-transgender hate here in Canada, we reiterate today that trans women are women and we will always stand up to hate whenever and wherever it occurs."

\u201cAnd with a disturbing rise in anti-transgender hate here in Canada and around the world recently, I want to be very clear about one more thing: Trans women are women. We will always stand up to this hate \u2013 whenever and wherever it occurs.\u201d
— Justin Trudeau (@Justin Trudeau) 1678284140

But Trudeau was not the only leftist to include biological men while celebrating women.

The Biden administration honored a transgender woman at the International Women of Courage Award ceremony at the White House on Wednesday. One of the award recipients was Alba Rueda, who, according to the U.S. State Department, is the special envoy for sexual orientation and gender identity in Argentina's Ministry of Foreign Affairs, International Trade and Worship. U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and First Lady Jill Biden participated in the ceremony.

"On this International Women's Day I want to make it clear that trans women are women, they are welcome here, and any bill that harasses or threatens their safety will swiftly meet my veto stamp," Democratic Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs said in a tweet.

Democratic Rep. Cori Bush of Missouri marked the day by tweeting, "Wishing a happy International Women’s Day to all women – cis, trans, femme, and non-binary folks celebrating today."

The ACLU of Indiana claimed that celebration of International Women's Day includes supporting transgender women.

\u201cCelebrating International Women's Day means supporting:\n\n\u270a\ud83c\udfff Trans women\n\u270a\ud83c\udffe Women of color\n\u270a\ud83c\udffd Women of different sexual orientations\n\u270a\ud83c\udffc Women in jails and prisons\n\u270a\ud83c\udfff Immigrant women\n\u270a\ud83c\udffe Women with disabilities\n\u270a\ud83c\udffd Women of every religion\n\u270a\ud83c\udffc ALL WOMEN\u201d
— ACLU of Indiana (@ACLU of Indiana) 1678285501

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Justin Trudeau Almost EATS IT

Justin Trudeau Almost EATS IT

Man hits at least 8 people with U-Haul truck in New York City the day Islamic terrorist faces sentencing for killing 8 people with rental years earlier



A 62-year-old Asian man driving a U-Haul truck allegedly ran over several people in New York City Monday before leading police on a high-speed chase. While two of the victims are in critical condition and another two are in serious condition, no one has yet died from their injuries.

This grievous attack, which Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell described as a "violent rampage through Brooklyn," coincided with the beginning of death penalty sentencing for convicted Islamic terrorist Sayfullo Saipov, who murdered eight people in 2017 while similarly driving a rented truck in New York City.

What are the details?

Police first responded around 10:50 a.m. to reports of a single male erratically driving a U-Haul truck in the Bay Ridge area of Brooklyn.

According to the Daily Mail, the suspect, who has been identified as Weng Sor, first hit a person riding an e-bike around 11 a.m. near Fifth Avenue and Bay Ridge Parkway. When the suspect sped off, going northbound, police gave chase.

ABC7 indicated that when police attempted to pull over the suspect, he yelled, "Shoot me, I'm not stopping," and then veered onto the sidewalk.

The suspect managed to hit seven other people, including a police officer, during his 30-minute rampage before officers were finally able to bring the mayhem to an end.

Eyewitnesses saw pedestrians and e-bike riders splayed out on the ground after the truck barreled through, reported the Associated Press.

A surveillance camera captured the moment when the suspect smashed into an e-bike, sending the driver hurtling through the air, and then nearly flattening a pedestrian:

\u201c\ud83d\udea8#UPDATE: brand new surveillance footage has just been released and shows the moment pedestrians were struck in Brooklyn police are now reporting the driver was a 62 year old asian male\u201d
— R A W S A L E R T S (@R A W S A L E R T S) 1676308775

New York City Councilman Justin Brannan, who deals with Bay Ridge, indicated on Twitter that the suspect was ultimately arrested near the Brooklyn-Battery Tunnel, which connects Brooklyn to Manhattan.

\u201cSuspect was actually arrested near the BK Battery Tunnel. We think he hit at least 6 people with the truck and 2 are in very bad shape. PLEASE pray for these folks.\u201d
— Justin Brannan (@Justin Brannan) 1676306077

Highway patrol units boxed the U-Haul and its driver against a building at Hamilton Avenue and Columbia Street. The suspect was taken into custody for questioning at the 68th precinct.

"At this time, we have no indication that there is any terrorism involvement in this incident, said Police Commissioner Sewell. "However, as always, we will continue to investigate this incident with the full resources of the NYPD and our partners."

The suspect reportedly rented the U-Haul in Daytona Beach, Florida, in January, and had at least one previous address in Brooklyn. The New York Post suggested that the suspect may have been living out of the truck.

While Sewell maintains that there is presently no evidence of "terrorism involvement," the coincidence of the timing of the attack and the death penalty phase of the Islamic terrorist Saipov's trial has prompted some to consider the other similarities between the two rampages.

Former NYPD Chief of Detectives Robert Boyce told ABC News, "I worked the Sayfullo Saipov case I remember how dangerous it was and what he did and how deadly it was. That was the first thing that came to mind when I heard about the rented truck. So let's hope it's not that and it's a person in mental distress at this point and it's nothing more than that. It's difficult to link the two right now but how can you not think about that?"

35-year-old Saipov drove a rented truck on a West Side bike path, murdering eight people on Oct. 31, 2017. The terrorist said he was inspired by ISIS.

Former President Donald Trump called for Saipov to be taken out via the death penalty. If Trump gets his way, Saipov will reportedly be the first person sentenced to death in the city since 1963.

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Breaking: US F-22 fighter jet takes down unidentified 'high-altitude airborne object' flying over Canada



The North American Aerospace Defense Command announced that it was monitoring a "high-altitude airborne object over Northern Canada" on Saturday afternoon. Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau said the flying object has been shot down.

NORAD issued a statement:

Military aircraft are currently operating from Alaska and Canada in support of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) activities. NORAD confirms that we have positively identified a high-altitude airborne object over Northern Canada. While we cannot discuss specifics related to these activities at this time, please note that NORAD conducts sustained, dispersed operations in the defense of North America through one or all three NORAD regions. NORAD is a United States and Canada bi-national organization charged with the missions of aerospace warning, aerospace control and maritime warning for North America.
\u201cBreaking: NORAD says it has spotted a high-altitude airborne object over Northern Canada. Full statement via @paulanewtonCNN \u2014\u201d
— Natasha Bertrand (@Natasha Bertrand) 1676150404

Trudeau wrote on Twitter: "I ordered the take down of an unidentified object that violated Canadian airspace. @NORADCommand shot down the object over the Yukon. Canadian and U.S. aircraft were scrambled, and a U.S. F-22 successfully fired at the object. I spoke with President Biden this afternoon. Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage of the object. Thank you to NORAD for keeping the watch over North America."

\u201cI spoke with President Biden this afternoon. Canadian Forces will now recover and analyze the wreckage of the object. Thank you to NORAD for keeping the watch over North America.\u201d
— Justin Trudeau (@Justin Trudeau) 1676152531

There are yet to be reports identifying the "high-altitude airborne object," and whether it could be similar to the purported Chinese spy balloon that was shot down off the coast of South Carolina on Feb. 4 or the unidentified flying object roughly the size of a small car that was flying at an altitude of around 40,000 feet off that was downed in northeastern Alaska on Friday.

This story is breaking news and will be updated with more details as they become available.

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Florida says AP African-American studies class runs afoul of state law, largely 'lacks educational value'



The Florida Department of Education has rejected an AP African-American studies class, asserting that the course runs afoul of state law and largely "lacks educational value."

"As presented, the content of this course is inexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value," a letter from the Department of Education's Office of Articulation to College Board Florida Partnership senior director Brian Barnes reads. "In the future, should College Board be willing to come back to the table with lawful, historically accurate content, FDOE will always be willing to reopen the discussion."

\u201cThe Florida Department of Education has rejected AP African American Studies. This letter to the College Board Florida Partnership says the course is \u201cinexplicably contrary to Florida law and significantly lacks educational value.\u201d\u201d
— Justin Schecker (@Justin Schecker) 1674164556

College Board indicates that the course is being piloted at 60 schools for 2022-2023 and that this will increase to hundreds more schools high schools in 2023-2024. According to National Review, a Florida State University lab school is involved — the outlet reported that the James G. Martin Center in North Carolina sought the release of curriculum and related material, but associate general counsel of Florida State University Gavin D. Burgess rejected the request, writing in December, "The vendor, College Board, has asserted that the materials you are seeking are trade secret and confidential."

"Like all new AP courses, AP African American Studies is undergoing a rigorous, multi-year pilot phase, collecting feedback from teachers, students, scholars and policymakers," College Board said in a statement, according to reports. "The process of piloting and revising course frameworks is a standard part of any new AP course, and frameworks often change significantly as a result."

"As submitted, the course is a vehicle for a political agenda and leaves large, ambiguous gaps that can be filled with additional ideological material, which we will not allow," Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis' press secretary Bryan Griffin noted, according to reports. "As Governor DeSantis has stated, our classrooms will be a place for education, not indoctrination."

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Fox News co-host blames capitalism for Southwest Airlines meltdown: 'This is not even about Pete Buttigieg'



Fox News contributor Richard Fowler, guest co-host on "The Five," blamed capitalism on Wednesday for the Southwest Airlines meltdown.

Southwest Airlines, previously thought to be one of the better airlines to fly on, has left tens of thousands of travelers stranded over the holiday season after the company canceled thousands of flights. Indeed, the vast majority of canceled flights over the holiday season have been Southwest flights.

Outdated systems and brutally cold winter weather are being blamed for the problems, but that is no consolation to stranded travelers.

What did Fowler say?

Republicans, and even some Democrats, are partially blaming Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg for the meltdown. They argue he has abdicated his vocational responsibilities, which include responding to transportation crises.

Fowler, however, completely rejected the argument.

"Democrats had a lot of hope in Pete Buttigieg. Are they embarrassed of just how he's performed over the last couple of years?" co-host Rachel Campos-Duffy asked Fowler.

"This is not even about Pete Buttigieg, though," he responded, amused by the suggestion.

"Ninety percent of the flights canceled in the United States today are from Southwest Airlines because you have a bad management, they have bad software," he went on to say. "You can't blame the flight attendants, you can't blame the pilots, you can't blame the ramp agents.

"You have to blame the people who sit in the corporate suites of Southwest Airlines for canceling flights. Period. The end of story," Fowler declared. "To blame Pete Buttigieg for the fact that Southwest can't manage their planes is ridiculous."

Instead, Fowler blamed capitalism for the meltdown.

"Once again, this is about capitalism and an airline that cannot manage it," he claimed. "Don't fly Southwest Airlines."

\u201cFox's Rachel Campos-Duffy asks resident liberal Richard Fowler a "sincere question" on whether Dems recognize how much Mayor Pete sucks at his job.\n\nFowler says it's "ridiculous" to blame Buttigieg for flight cancellations as over 90% are from one airline that can't manage them.\u201d
— Justin Baragona (@Justin Baragona) 1672267696

Anything else?

Southwest chief commercial officer Ryan Green issued a new apology on behalf of the airline Wednesday.

"My personal apology on behalf of myself and everyone at Southwest Airlines for all of this," Green said in a video message.

The airline executive said Southwest Airlines is committed to re-earning customers' trust and will start doing so by giving travelers increased "flexibility" for travel arrangements impacted by the meltdown and reimbursing them for expenses directly related to Southwest's problems.