UPDATE: After jury agreed punitive damages were warranted, Zachary Young’s forensic economist, Robert W. Johnson, took the stand to assess CNN’s revenue to determine potential punitive damages and CNN’s ability to pay. Young estimated CNN makes $5 million per day. A 30-day award would be $150 million. Quickly CNN agreed to settle the punitive damage award for an undisclosed amount. The punitive award is secret.

CNN was sued for defamation by plaintiff Navy veteran Zachary Young. Mr. Young sued CNN for defamation after the cable network ran a hit piece against him and his company accusing Young of running a “black-market” rescue operation in the wake of the failed Afghanistan withdrawal. The hit piece ran on Jake Tapper and Jim Acosta’s segments on CNN.

The lawsuit progressed in the trial with the jury ultimately being handed the case for compensatory and punitive damages. Punitive damages were judged as warranted in the case because during the discovery phase of the trial Mr. Young’s lawyers were able to gain emails and internal correspondence within CNN showing intentional malice and willful intent to target and lie about Zachary Young.

Today the jury returned a verdict against CNN, awarding Mr. Young $5,000,000.00 in compensatory damages for his lost reputation, lost security clearance and complete loss of his business and income. The punitive damage award could be substantially higher and is yet determined.

FLORIDA – A Florida jury found that CNN liable of defaming Navy veteran Zachary Young on Friday and awarded him a total of $5 million in addition to finding that punitive damages were warranted against the network.

In his lawsuit against the cable news network, Young sought damages over a November 2021 report in which CNN chief national security correspondent Alex Marquardt claimed that bad actors were reportedly running a black market and charging exorbitant fees to Afghans attempting to flee their country after the Taliban retook control of it earlier that year.

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South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem will appear before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee today as part of the confirmation process for her nomination to Dept of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary.  This nomination hearing will likely be combative and filled with opposition.

The original hearing for Noem was postponed due to “paperwork issues.”  Democrats now will advance against Noem because the DHS role is critical to border insecurity.  However, with President Trump appointing Border Czar Tom Homan to the border and illegal alien crisis, Noem has a point of support but not direct action in her responses.  Noem has previously held a very strong pro-immigration perspective given her deep connection to Big Ag.

The Democrats will likely shift to issues of ‘national security’ in their pointed questions.  However, these are also the types of national security issues that Noem has a tendency to frame around constitutional freedoms, liberties, and restrictions against the rights of Americans. Points that are directly in her wheelhouse.  The Democrat Senators would also like to weaponize the controversial parts of Noem’s recent book.  Livestream Links Below:

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Making the announcement Thursday, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson announced Arkansas Republican Representative Rick Crawford would be the new Chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI).

As chair of HPSCI the position automatically elevates Rick Crawford onto the Gang of Eight, the legislative group that holds information within the legislative branch at the same level of information as the President.  Crawford now joins Mike Johnson, Tom Cotton and John Thune as the four republicans on the intelligence Gang of Eight.

Because of both the power and sensitivity of the HPSCI Chair position, the appointment comes directly from the Speaker of the House with no other member input.  Crawford is Johnson’s personal selection.

Additionally, Johnson announced the following members are added to the House intel committee: Ben Cline (Va.), Pat Fallon (Texas), Greg Steube (Fla.), Claudia Tenney (N.Y.) and Ann Wagner (Mo.).  Overall, a larger MAGA alignment on this very key intelligence committee.

WASHINGTON DC – […] The sea change on the panel is already triggering intense backlash from some Republicans on the committee and across the conference, who worry it’s a warning sign about the House’s willingness to stay independent of Trump. That’s to say nothing of Democrats, who fear the return of the partisan warfare that wracked the panel during Trump’s first term.

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According to a statement released by the White House, the people in control of Joe Biden have granted executive clemency to 2,500 non-violent drug offenders.

“Today, I am commuting the sentences of nearly 2,500 people convicted of non-violent drug offenses who are serving disproportionately long sentences compared to the sentences they would receive today under current law, policy, and practice. With this action, I have now issued more individual pardons and commutations than any president in U.S. history. … I am proud of my record on clemency and will continue to review additional commutations and pardons.” ~ Joe Biden

According to a report from Politico:

[…] “his statement hinted that more are likely to be made public before he leaves office Monday.

According to three people familiar with private conversations granted anonymity to discuss them, the president has been presented with a number of options for preemptive pardons — efforts to protect certain individuals worried about being targeted by the Justice Department or FBI once Donald Trump is sworn into office.” (source)

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“This was no small thing, to restore a republic after it had fallen into corruption. I have studied history for years and I cannot recall it ever happening. It may have been that our task was impossible. Yet, if we did not try then how would we know it could not be done? And if we did not try, it most certainly would not be done. The Founders’ Republic, and the larger war for western civilization, would have been lost.”

“But I tell you this: We did not go gently into that bloody collectivist good night. Indeed, we made with our defiance such a sound as ALL history from this day forward will be forced to note, even if they despise us in the writing of it.”

~ Mike Vanderboegh (adapted)

This thread will refresh daily and appear above the Open Discussion Thread.

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Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.

For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †

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Incoming deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller is one of the most valuable people in the administration, perhaps only surpassed by Dan Scavino.  Mr Miller’s ability to collate and articulate actionable policy goals is exceptional.  “We cannot spare this man, he fights.”

In this recommended segment, Stephen Miller articulates the non-pretending reality of what the people around Joe Biden have done with horrific outcomes for our nation.  Then Miller quickly moves to articulate what exactly President Trump is going to do about it.  WATCH:

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No flinching!

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Sometimes DC is a fishbowl, and they don’t realize the background of what we know, when they are speaking.  Testimony today is a case study of one bubble within that fishbowl.

Former House Impeachment Manager Adam Schiff organized the first impeachment effort against President Donald Trump.  Schiff is now a Senator.  Schiff’s former lead staff in the impeachment investigation was Mary McCord.

Today, during the question session for AG Pam Bondi’s nomination, Adam Schiff asked Mary McCord about whether AG Bondi should recuse herself from investigating Adam Schiff and Mary McCord. It’s a little funny if you understand the background.

I prompted the video to the part at 01:36:14 when Schiff asks McCord, and Mrs. McCord responds with “yes, Pam Bondi should recuse.” WATCH:

Mary McCord says Pam Bondi must recuse herself from any investigative outcome related to the first impeachment effort. Who was the lead staff working for Adam Schiff and Jerry Nadler on the first impeachment effort? Mary McCord.

Now, triggering that first impeachment effort… Who worked with ICIG Michael Atkinson to change the CIA whistleblower regulations permitting an anonymous complaint? Yep, that would be the same Mary McCord.

In essence, the woman who organized, structured, led and coordinated the first impeachment effort, says Pam Bondi must recuse herself from investigating the organization, structure, leadership and coordination of the first impeachment effort.

You just cannot make this stuff up.

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Not a surprising appointment all things considered.  Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has appointed Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody to replace Senator Marco Rubio, pending Rubio’s resignation from his Senate seat which will follow his confirmation.

This will provide an opportunity to position DeSantis loyalist, his Chief of Staff, James Uthmeier, as Florida Attorney General to replace Moody. This also positions congressman Byron Donalds to run for Florida Governor, supporting the MAGA coalition.

Moody will take up a pro-DeSantis position in the Senate in preparation for a head-to-head contest between Ron DeSantis and JD Vance in 2028 for the GOP presidential nomination. As senator, Ashley Moody will be unlikely to challenge any of the Trump agenda and will likely support it given the stakes for Ron. All in all, a predictable outcome.

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The alligator emojis will be happy, so too will the MAGA coalition.

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Today at 10:30 am EST, Scott Bessent will appear before the Senate Finance Committee for a confirmation hearing on his nomination to be United States Treasury Secretary.  Livestream Link Below:

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