The Department of Justice directed Delaware U.S. Attorney David Weiss not to respond to congressional inquiries, according to an email provided exclusively to The Federalist. That same email stressed that under DOJ policy, only its Office of Legislative Affairs, or OLA, can respond to requests from the legislative branch. 

Yet Weiss would later sign and dispatch a letter to the House Judiciary Committee in response to an inquiry sent directly to Attorney General Merrick Garland. And in that letter, Weiss misleadingly claimed he had “been granted ultimate authority over” the Hunter Biden investigation. The DOJ’s disregard of its own policy provides further proof that both Garland and Weiss intended to obfuscate the reality that Weiss never held the reins of the Hunter Biden investigation.

On May 9, 2022, Republican Sens. Chuck Grassley of Iowa and Ron Johnson of Wisconsin wrote to Delaware U.S. Attorney Weiss inquiring about several aspects of the Hunter Biden investigation. After the senators sent a follow-up email to the Delaware U.S. attorney’s office requesting a response by week’s end, Delaware’s First Assistant U.S. Attorney Shannon Hanson asked the DOJ about protocol and then updated Weiss, stating in an email:

Consistent with my conversation with [redacted] last night, we are supposed to forward this and any other correspondence to OLA. Per DOJ policy, only OLA can respond on behalf of the Department to a request from the legislative branch.

Missouri AG Andrew Bailey, who is suing the Biden Regime, the FBI, CDC and Department of Homeland Security over their illegal violations of the 1st Amendment together with the Gateway Pundit , has obtained an injunction against the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency CISA prohibiting them from taking away our God-given right to free speech!

“BREAKING: We’ve just obtained an injunction against CISA, an agency within the Department of Homeland Security, that blocks them from violating the First Amendment rights of millions of Americans. The order also applies to the White House, Surgeon General, CDC, and FBI”,  Missouri AG Andrew Bailey wrote on Twitter.

The Capitol Police officer assigned to the protective detail of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) on January 6, 2021, appears to have given false testimony about his whereabouts during a key encounter with members of the Oath Keepers, according to an examination of Capitol closed-circuit TV video obtained by Blaze Media.

This is the beginning of a series analyzing video evidence recently made available to the public. The full release of the videos was delayed Tuesday by the House vote to oust Speaker Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.)

Democracy on trial

One of the most important federal trials in America in 2022 was barely a blip on the average U.S. citizen’s radar. The first of three January 6 trials bringing seditious conspiracy charges against members of a quasi-militia group known as the Oath Keepers began in late September and concluded in late November of last year.

For each of these trials, the U.S. Justice Department brought out its big guns. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Nestler’s opening statement threw down the gauntlet, declaring five Oath Keepers were “the leaders” of the “insurrection.” The Oath Keeper trials were a central part of the overarching case made by the Biden administration and Democratic Party leaders to the American people that the protests on January 6, 2021, were a premeditated attack on democracy itself.

A beer brand that was launched earlier this year as an alternative to Bud Light amid a months-long boycott has shattered its own company records by marketing a special edition can that featured former President Donald Trump's mug shot, according to the company's head.

Ultra Right Beer CEO Seth Weathers told Fox News last week that the special edition can was launched after President Trump's mug shot was taken in August after he was indicted in Fulton County, Georgia, on racketeering and other charges stemming from his activity following the 2020 election.

Mr. Weathers told Fox Business that sales of the limited edition offering have amounted to more than five tractor-loads of cans, saying that it's now the "most sought-after collector beer can in American history."

"We knew people would go wild over these collector cans, but we had no idea the response would be this crazy," he said in a recent statement, adding that sales of the beer would top $2 million by 11:59 p.m. on Oct. 1 when it's taken off the market.

Soon after news spread that Sen. Feinstein passed, people started asking about her replacement. According to federal law, a state governor has the power to fill a vacant senate seat. On the very day Feinstein died, the Democrat governor of her state was talking about replacing her.

Gov. Newsom had previously vowed to put a woman of color in that Senate seat. Some suspected he’d select Barbara Lee, who is currently running in the primaries for the seat.

This week, the governor has officially announced his replacement. And she is not remotely a moderate.

From The Post Millennial:
California Democratic Governor Gavin Newsom has chosen Laphonza Butler, the President of EMILY’s List – a pro-abortion organization, to fill the vacancy left by the late Senator Dianne Feinstein…

Infamous state senator Scott Wiener, who is known for posing in bondage gear and promoting child sex changes, praised the pick, tweeting “Laphonza Butler is an exceptionally talented leader & a strong pick by Gavin Newsom…”

Just two days after Dianne Feinstein passed, Gov. Gavin Newsom announced her replacement. The quick decision was most likely influenced by Democrat urgency within the Senate. Losing one vote could jeopardize the Democrats’ agenda, given their very slim majority.

Newsom selected Laphonza Butler, a Maryland-based abortion activist, to replace Feinstein. This selection upholds his promise to put a black woman on the Senate. But it is unclear what qualifications, if any, this woman has.

China has been warned that one “mishap” in the South China Sea could lead to a conflict with the US, an analyst told Daily Express US.

As tensions in the region rise, the US, the Philippines and other allied nations are conducting military exercises in what Beijing considers its backyard.

Geopolitical analyst Kervin AuCoin told Daily Express US that China would likely view these exercises with “concern” as Beijing sees the US as the aggressor in the region.

Although Washington has described conflict with Beijing as “not inevitable” the US military is still training for “potential conflicts”, according to the CEO of AuCoin Analytics.

He said: “The United States is concerned about the current tensions between China and the Philippines, particularly given the increase in aggressive actions towards US assets within the South China Sea.

Webmaster addition: "I dare you to step across this line!!!" -- Official White Horse Souse

North Dakota State Senator Doug Larsen was killed in “freakish” plane crash along with his wife and two children in Utah on Sunday.

Earlier this year, Sen. Larsen made himself a target of Big Pharma when he spoke out in support of a bill to study “the long-term health effects” of mRNA vaccines.

Sen. Larsen shared this story on the Senate floor:

The Republican senator’s death was confirmed by his fellow legislator and Majority Leader David Hogue.

The plane was piloted by Doug Larsen which crashed Sunday evening after he took off from Canyonlands Airfield about 15 miles north of Moab. 

Grand County Sheriff’s Department statement posted on Facebook saying all four people on board the plane were killed.

On Monday, the sheriff’s department noted: “The county’s dispatch center received a report of an isolated incident involving a single aircraft taking off from the Canyonlands Regional Airport and then crashing into the ground.”

Webmaster addition: That rates a "Hmmmmmm..."

Rep. Jim Jordan is having conversations with House GOP allies as he seriously entertains a bid for speaker, two Republicans with direct knowledge told POLITICO.

A person familiar with the situation said an announcement that Jordan will throw his hat into the ring for speaker not necessarily imminent, but could formally come by the end of the week.

With Kevin McCarthy out of the speakership, the conservative Ohio Republican is weighing jumping into the competitive race to replace him.

Congressman Troy Nehls (R-TX) has thrown a curveball into the already tumultuous race for Speaker of the House. Taking to Twitter, Nehls announced that he will nominate former President Donald J. Trump for Speaker of the House.

This bombshell comes on the heels of a historic 216-210 vote to remove Kevin McCarthy from the Speaker’s chair, marking the first time in U.S. history that a Speaker has been ousted mid-term.

On Tuesday, the House of Representatives voted 216-210 to remove McCarthy, making him the shortest-serving Speaker since 1876.

The vote was spearheaded by Florida Republican Rep. Matt Gaetz and saw a few conservatives joining Democrats in the unprecedented action. Among the Republicans voting for the removal were Reps. Andy Biggs of Arizona, Ken Buck of Colorado, Tim Burchett of Tennessee, Eli Crane of Arizona, Bob Good of Virginia, Nancy Mace of South Carolina, and Matt Rosendale of Montana.

Los Angeles County has reportedly implemented a zero-bail system, a policy that officially took effect this past Sunday.

This new system eliminates the practice of setting a defendant's cash bail amount based on the severity of the crime they are accused of committing.

According to Fox News, critics of the previous policy, which determined bail amounts in proportion to the gravity of the crime, argued that it unfairly favored the affluent. They could afford to buy their freedom while the system failed to adequately safeguard public safety.

In a recent development, Justice Clarence Thomas of the U.S. Supreme Court has excused himself from a case linked to the U.S. Capitol riots on January 6, 2021.

The Justice's decision comes amid criticism from the left due to his wife's political activities, which notably included support for the reversal of the official 2020 election results.

While Justice Thomas did not provide a reason for his recusal, speculation suggests it may be connected to one of his former law clerks, John Eastman, who is a litigant in the case. Eastman had previously lodged an appeal against a ruling that permitted his former employer, Chapman University in Orange, California, to disclose his archived emails from his tenure as a law professor.

John Kerry’s daughter has urged world governments to urgently ramp up the WEF’s propaganda so that members of the public are mentally prepared to witness the deaths of billions of human beings in the global elite’s great depopulation drive.

Vanessa Kerry was speaking at a World Economic Forum panel to discuss the elite’s plans to brainwash the public into accepting their fate in order to save the planet from so-called “global boiling.”

According to Kerry, the people of the world have been softened-up by the Covid pandemic and they are now “emotionally” ready to accept that culling the vast majority of the population is in the best interests of humanity.

But there is just one problem for Kerry and her cronies in the corridors of power at the World Economic Forum in Davos. The entire world is a crime scene and the WEF has left its fingerprints all over it.

The Ukrainian armed forces have started deploying drones coated with toxic substances and Cheryomukha grenades filled with tear gas-like agents in the special military operation (SMO) zone, a member of the Union of SMO Veterans told TASS.

"They drop Cheryomukha grenades on our fighters in trenches using quadcopters," he said. Such grenades contain the toxic chemical warfare agent phenacyl chloride, which is a lachrymator, commonly known as mace or tear gas, a substance often used for riot control that irritates the eyes, causing tears to flow. Apart from watery eyes, it can also cause sharp pain in the eyes, a burning throat, coughing and even skin burns.

In addition, the SMO veterans’ union member said that Ukrainian troops are also coating drones with other poisonous substances, which have not yet been identified. Russian service members have experienced severe illness, dizziness and a fever if they touched such unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) with their bare hands after such UAVs had been forced to land.

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will conduct an emergency alert to all consumer cell phones on Wednesday, October 4, at 2:20 p.m. ET. This test measures the effectiveness of Wireless Emergency Alerts to determine how well FEMA can alert people of emergencies via cell phone.

Ukrainian soldiers are appalled by the rampant corruption among the state's top officials and the lack of interest of President Vladimir Zelensky to do anything about it, Politico reported with reference to Ukraine's ex-Minister of Infrastructure (2016-2019) Vladimir Omelyan who is currently an officer in the armed forces.

"We are furious that some of our leaders prefer to cheat and steal when we are dying on the battlefield. We believe that Zelensky should swap his camouflage for a tie and suit and analyze what is happening around him and his team," the publication quoted Omelyan as saying.

Numerous corruption scandals and cases of officials abusing their power are causing outrage among the Ukrainian people amid a record budget deficit of $38 billion planned for this year. Reports about the Defense Ministry taking a cut when purchasing food for the army, military equipment not being up to standards, unjustified spending by the Ministry of Culture, and local authorities embezzling money have drawn a lot of attention. This problem is also causing increasing discontent in the West, which is covering the budget deficit. Citing a government document in its possession, Politico reported on Monday that the administration of US President Joe Biden is seriously concerned about the level of corruption in Ukraine, something that may lead Western countries to refuse to provide aid to Kiev.

The average rate on the popular 30-year fixed mortgage rose to 7.72% on Tuesday, according to Mortgage News Daily.

Mortgage rates follow loosely the yield on the 10-year Treasury

, which has been climbing this week following strong economic data. Rates have not been this high since the end of 2000.

At the beginning of this year, the 30-year fixed rate dropped to about 6%, causing a brief burst of activity in the spring housing market. But it began rising steadily again over the summer, causing sales to drop, despite strong demand. The current trend appears to be even higher, with the possibility of rates crossing over 8%.

Matt Gaetz on Tuesday night angrily denied that he had worked to unseat Kevin McCarthy in revenge for McCarthy failing to protect him.

Gaetz, 41, is facing a House Committee inquiry into allegations of sexual misconduct, use of illegal drugs, and misuse of funds. 

Gaetz has argued that the two-year, wide-ranging inquiry into his conduct is the work of McCarthy and his allies, who he argues are bent on smearing him. 

A parallel investigation by the Justice Department into allegations of sex trafficking and sex with a minor was dropped in February, when prosecutors concluded they did not have enough evidence to bring charges.

McCarthy on Monday insisted once again he could not block the investigation into Gaetz: on Tuesday, after he was ousted, McCarthy said it was because Gaetz had a personal dislike of him.

Fifty-five Chinese sailors are feared dead after their nuclear submarine apparently got caught in a trap intended to ensnare British sub-surface vessels in the Yellow Sea.

According to a secret UK report the seamen died following a catastrophic failure of the submarine's oxygen systems which poisoned the crew.

The captain of the Chinese PLA Navy submarine '093-417' is understood to be among the deceased, as were 21 other officers.

Officially, China has denied the incident took place. It also appears Beijing refused to request international assistance for its stricken submarine.

Martina Navratilova last night slammed a video of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland speaking with drag queen Pattie Gonia at New York City's Stonewall monument as 'a joke' and a 'pathetic parody of women'. 

The tennis legend, who has long been seen as a symbol for gay and lesbian rights, hit out in response to the video posted by the Interior Secretary's official social media account for LGBT History Month.

In it, Haaland is seen asking the drag queen, who is sporting a park ranger's shirt, miniskirt and knee-high boots, about the importance of the Stonewall Monument.

'I think it's because queer rights are more under attack than ever,' Gonia said. 

'At a place like Stonewall, this beautiful place, it's a place where so much discrimination and hatred occurred against the queer community, but it's also a place where resistance and queer joy and queer liberation happened.

'I think that is worth celebrating and commemorating. So, I think that we need to not ignore hate as it exists today. We need to acknowledge it because it's not just our past, but it's our present.'

A Qatari official said Doha could potentially host diplomats from Russia and Ukraine for negotiations aimed at ending the war. Qatar recently played a crucial role in brokering the release of American prisoners in Iran. 

In an interview with Newsweek, Qatari diplomat Mohammed bin Abdulaziz Al Khulaifi said Doha could play a role in ending the war in Ukraine. “If asked to mediate in the Ukraine conflict, we would of course be ready to work towards facilitating dialogue and achieving peace in Europe.” 

“This is desperately needed,” he stated. “In fact, Qatar supports any and all constructive dialogue and negotiations that could lead to an end of the conflict. As has been our position from the beginning, we continue to call for an immediate cessation of military action in Ukraine.”

Before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Kremlin offered the White House a proposal that included ending NATO expansion to avert the conflict. The Joe Biden administration declined to engage Russian President Vladimir Putin on several of Moscow’s key negotiation points. 

The House on Tuesday voted to remove Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) as speaker, marking the first time in history a House speaker was removed through a resolution to oust them.

The effort was launched on Monday by Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL), who introduced a privileged resolution to vacate the speakership after accusing McCarthy of cutting a secret side deal with President Biden on Ukraine aid.

Since a handful of Republicans supported Gaetz’s maneuver, McCarthy needed some Democrats to support him to survive, but none did. The final vote was 216-210, with eight Republicans and every Democrat voting to remove McCarthy.

There’s no clear nominee to replace McCarthy, but in the meantime, according to CNN, Rep. Patrick McHenry (R-NC) will serve as interim speaker.

Gaetz had long been threatening to launch an effort to remove McCarthy. His decision to go through with the motion came in response to the stopgap funding bill that was passed by the House on Saturday and signed by President Biden to avert a government shutdown.

Russia has no plans for an additional mobilisation of men to fight in Ukraine as more than 335,000 have signed up so far this year to fight in the armed forces or voluntary units, Defence Minister Sergei Shoigu said on Tuesday.

Russia has been bolstering its armed forces and ramping up weapons production in the expectation of a long war in Ukraine, where front lines have barely shifted for a year.

"There are no plans for an additional mobilisation," Shoigu was shown telling top generals on state television. "The armed forces have the necessary number of military personnel to conduct the special military operation."

Shoigu, an ally of President Vladimir Putin, hailed the patriotism of those who had signed up.

JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has warned Americans could soon be facing 7 percent interest rates - the highest level since 1990.

In a new interview, Dimon said the US needed to prepare for further rate hikes - adding his own bank was prepared for them to go as high as 8 percent. 

The stark warning is at odds with most analysts' predictions that the Federal Reserve will likely only raise rates one more time this year by 0.25 percentage points. Currently the Fed's funds rate is hovering between 5.25 and 5.5 percent. 

When asked if it could reach 7 percent, Dimon told Bloomberg TV: 'Yeah, it's possible. When I talk to my board I say 'can it go to 7%?' Yes.

'Are there factors that would drive it higher than it is today? Yes.'

Via a Responsible Statecraft piece I came onto a EU study that tried to predict the future demographics of Ukraine's population.

The War and the Future of Ukraine’s Population

The study is from early 2022 and is based on Ukrainian casualty numbers from only the very first month of the war. Their worst case scenario was this:

Our third and fourth scenarios assume that the war will continue for a month or longer so that further casualties and refugees are expected. We assume the following casualties: 5,000 deaths among soldiers and 1,500 civilian deaths based on the current trends. There will be 5 million refugees, which is an estimate by UNHCR (UNHCR 2022a)

The real refugee numbers are twice as high and the casualty numbers, wounded and dead, are of course about 100 times higher than the study assumed. It was thus not worth the money that had been spend on it.

Still, some graphs in it are usable.

Yesterday I shortly discussed the op-ed by the former British Minister of Defense Ben Wallace in which he asserts:

The average age of the soldiers at the front is over 40.

NBC News and the Associated Press on Tuesday reported glowingly on the news that right-wing writer and commentator Alain Soral was sentenced to prison in Switzerland for calling a journalist a "fat lesbian" two years ago on Facebook.

There is an active shooter gunning down innocent students at a historically black college campus in far-left Baltimore.

The Associated Press reported multiple people were shot at Morgan State University in Baltimore Tuesday night.

Baltimore Police said on X (formerly Twitter) that people need to shelter in place and avoid the Morgan State campus at this time.

Webmaster addition: Oh, the gun-grabbers are having orgasms!

More than 1,600 leading scientists from around the world have signed a “World Climate Declaration” stating there is “no climate emergency.” Calling themselves the Global Climate Intelligence Group, scientists from around the world, including Nobel Laureate Professor John F. Clauser from the United States and Nobel Laureate Professor Ivar Giaever from Norway,  signed onto a letter claiming there is no climate emergency in contrast to a narrative portrayed by popular mainstream media. Climatologists, meteorologists, geologists, engineers, and physicists from a wide range of Universities, private, public, and government entities, including NASA, the USDA, and the U.S. Navy, signed onto the document which can be read in its entirety here: There is No Climate Emergency.

“Climate science should be less political, while climate policies should be more scientific. Scientists should openly address uncertainties and exaggerations in their predictions of global warming, while politicians should dispassionately count the real costs as well as the imagined benefits of their policy measures,” the letter said.