It's Been Reported

DC Police Chief Praises Federal Assistance After Trump Admin Helps Arrest Over 100 Suspects (Just the News) — Washington, D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Chief Pamela Smith on Wednesday praised the federal assistance her department has received recently that is helping crack down on crime in the capital city. Law enforcement has arrested more than 100 people in Washington, D.C., since President Donald Trump on Monday announced his assumption of direct federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), Fox News reported. Smith, a Democrat, said the additional help has been welcomed because her officers have been stretched thin over the amount of crime in the city. A recent report found Washington, D.C.'s homicide rate is the fourth highest in the country. “Remember, you’re talking about 500 additional personnel in the District of Columbia,” Smith told WTTG-TV. “As you know, we’ve talked about the fact that we’re down in numbers with our police officers, and so this enhanced presence clearly is going to impact us in a positive way.” See full story	Unearthed Emails Reveal WH Concern Over Biden Walking As They Publicly Defended His Age (Fox News) — Unearthed emails as part of a FOIA request show Biden administration agencies scrapping a plan to visit a vessel at an event because it would have required then-President Joe Biden to take too many steps. Records show, as part of a FOIA request by Protect the Public’s Trust obtained by Fox News Digital, that Biden was set to visit a National Security Multi-Mission Vessel (NSMV) while touring a Philadelphia shipyard in July 2023. However, according to the emails, that visit to the vessel was scrapped because of "how many steps were involved to get on the ship." The emails show that the United States Maritime Administration (MARAD) was engaged in a major project at the Philadelphia shipyard at the time that Biden was planning to visit to tout offshore wind and clean energy jobs. A MARAD official emailed members of the Office of Secure Transportation, with the Department of Transportation cc’d, on July 17, 2023, that said, "No visit to the NSMV vessel is planned after the WH realized how many steps were involved to get on the ship. See full story
Trump Claims DC's 'real' Crime Rates Are 'Probably Five To Ten Times' More Than Reported (Just the News) — President Donald Trump on Wednesday night published a lengthy social media post that claimed the real crime rates in Washington, D.C. are "probably five to ten times" what has been documented because so much crime goes unreported. Trump on Monday announced a federal takeover of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department amid high crime rates in the capital. He also ordered 800 D.C. National Guard troops be deployed to help cut down on crime. A recent report found Washington, D.C.'s homicide rate is the fourth highest in the country, behind major cities like St. Louis, New Orleans and Detroit. Washington, D.C.'s crime rate is also higher than many major cities in Latin America. "Washington, D.C., has one of the Highest Rates of Crime in the World, more than many of the most violent Third World Countries," Trump claimed on Truth Social. "The City’s Homicide Rate is higher than places notorious for their violence, such as Mexico City, Bogota, Islamabad, and Addis Ababa – Almost ten times higher than Fallujah, Iraq. See full story	AG Bondi Strips Power From DC Police Chief, Rescinds Sanctuary City Protections In Crime Crackdown Operation (Fox News) — Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a two-page order on Thursday rescinding illegal immigration protections in Washington, D.C., and naming an "emergency police commissioner" for the city's Metropolitan Police Department. Bondi's order, titled "Restoring Safety and Security to the District of Columbia," mostly took aim at sanctuary city policies within the nation's capital, rescinding any order that limits how Metropolitan police officers can handle interactions and incidents with illegal immigrants. She also stripped power from Metro Police Chief Pamela Smith by naming Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole as the department's "emergency police commissioner," granting him all the "powers and duties vested" in the position. Cole has the ability to issue general orders, executive orders and written directives affecting all members of the department, and existing department leadership must receive his approval before issuing directives of their own. See full story
DeSantis Announces Plans For Second Immigration Detention Facility Dubbed ‘Deportation Depot’ TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Florida Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis’ administration is preparing to open a second immigration detention facility dubbed “Deportation Depot” at a state prison as a federal judge decides the fate of the state’s holding center for immigrants at an isolated airstrip in the Florida Everglades known as “Alligator Alcatraz.” DeSantis announced Thursday that the new facility is to be housed at the Baker Correctional Institution, a state prison about 43 miles (69 kilometers) west of downtown Jacksonville. It is expected to hold 1,300 immigration detention beds, though that capacity could be expanded to 2,000, state officials said. After opening the Everglades facility last month, DeSantis justified building the second detention center by saying President Donald Trump’s administration needs the additional capacity to hold and deport more immigrants. “There is a demand for this,” DeSantis said. “I’m confident that it will be filled.” Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem has trumpeted Republican governors’ efforts to expand their immigration detention capacity, calling Florida’s partnership a model for other state-run holding facilities. See full story	Toronto Film Festival Reverses Course, Will ‘Ensure’ Oct. 7 Doc Is Screened At Festival Following Swift Backlash Over Hamas Footage (NY Post) — In a stunning reversal, the Toronto International Film Festival will “ensure” the screening of a documentary about Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel after initially booting the film because the terror group hadn’t given permission to use its footage. TIFF’s turnaround comes only as the festival faced outrage over reports that “The Road Between Us: The Ultimate Rescue” wouldn’t be screened, because the filmmakers used footage filmed by Hamas but didn’t obtain the rights for the clips. Festival CEO Cameron Bailey defended the earlier decision to bump the documentary from its September lineup, denying accusations that “censorship” played a role. “I want to be clear: Claims that the film was rejected due to censorship are unequivocally false. I remain committed to working with the filmmaker to meet TIFF’s screening requirements to allow the film to be screened at this year’s festival,” Bailey wrote on social media. “I have asked our legal team to work with the filmmaker on considering all options available,” he added. See full story
Wild Rabbits Spotted With Strange 'Horn-Like' Growths Sprouting From Their Heads (Fox News) — Recently, some wild rabbits have been seen in the U.S. with "horn-like" growths spurting from their heads that are caused by a viral infection, according to experts. "Rabbit papillomas are growths on the skin caused by the cottontail rabbit papillomavirus," Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) says on its website, as some people in the state have reported the strange sightings. "It looks like it was black quills or black toothpicks sticking out all around his or her mouth," Fort Collins, Colorado, resident Susan Mansfield, who saw one of the rabbits, told 9News. "I thought he would die off during the winter, but he didn’t. He came back a second year, and it grew." CPW says the infection is typified by "black nodules on the skin, usually the head," adding, "Growths can sometimes become elongated, taking on a horn-like appearance." See full story	HHS Revives Vaccine Task Force After Lawsuit (Epoch Times) — The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on Aug. 14 said it is reviving a long-disbanded task force to improve vaccines, after facing a lawsuit funded by Children’s Health Defense, which Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. used to chair. Health officials said they are reforming the Task Force on Safer Childhood Vaccines, which was disbanded in 1998 after producing a report. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will chair the revived panel. Members will include senior leaders from the NIH, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, all of which are part of the HHS. The task force is going to work with the Advisory Commission on Childhood Vaccines, which is made up of government officials, attorneys, and others, and advises the government on vaccine injuries. It will regularly produce recommendations focused on developing, promoting, and refining vaccines for children that result in fewer and less serious adverse reactions than the currently available vaccines, HHS said. See full story
Pentagon Terminates Security Clearance Of Russia Collusion Hoaxer Susan Miller (The Federalist) — Susan Miller, the retired CIA spook who lied about her leadership role in the intelligence report that lit the fuse on the Russia collusion hoax bomb, has been stripped of her security clearance, according to two Trump administration officials familiar with the matter. Miller, who served as a senior Central Intelligence Agency Officer, has long boasted about her “full clearance,” particularly while attacking President Donald Trump and his top intelligence officers for shining a light on one of the biggest political scandals in U.S. history. That clearance has now been terminated, the administration officials told The Federalist. “This woman totally shouldn’t hold a high level security clearance after pushing the Russia Hoax. All she did was lie to the American people to hurt Trump,” a senior Defense official said of Miller. Miller has made the corporate media rounds of late, attempting to undercut reams of declassified documents exposing the Obama White House and Miller’s former intelligence community bosses for manufacturing the bogus 2017 Intelligence Community Assessment that falsely claimed Russia interfered with the 2016 presidential election with the purpose of electing Donald Trump. See full story	Trump Signs Executive Order Cutting Red Tape For Commercial Rocket Launches (Wash Examiner) — President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Wednesday easing regulations surrounding commercial rocket launches that industry figures say have slowed innovation and testing. The order was just one of Trump’s several executive actions on Wednesday afternoon. It directs Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to “eliminate or expedite environmental reviews for launch and reentry licenses and permits ” and to review and eliminate all “outdated” rules concerning space flight vehicles. Furthermore, the order directs Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to take several steps to bolster domestic space business growth, including moving the Office of Space Commerce from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration directly to the Department of Commerce. “The commercial space industry drives economic growth, supports cutting-edge technology, and advances Federal space exploration objectives,” a White House fact sheet detailing the order reads. “Inefficient permitting processes discourage investment and innovation, limiting the ability of U.S. companies to lead in global space markets.” Although the text of the order itself does not specifically mention SpaceX, the company currently dominates the commercial space flight industry and would stand to reap significant benefits from Trump’s actions. See full story
'Stick Your Subway Sandwich Somewhere Else': U.S Attorney For DC Warns After Assault (Fox News) — A man is facing federal assault charges after allegedly "forcefully" throwing a Subway sandwich at a U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent during a confrontation Sunday night in Washington, D.C. Metro Transit Police said they were patrolling the U Street area, seemingly as part of the Trump administration's initiative to crackdown on crime in the nation's capital, when a man later identified as Sean Charles Dunn shouted obscenities at a CBP agent, standing inches from his face and calling him a "fascist." Moments later, police said Dunn returned, wound up, and "forcefully threw" a sandwich at the agent, hitting him in the chest, according to court documents. He then ran away, with a trail of federal officers chasing him. After being arrested and taken to the police station, Dunn allegedly told another officer, "I did it. I threw a sandwich." He is charged with felony assault on a law enforcement officer. See full story	Mexican Cartels Turn To Timeshare Fraud, Target Americans With Fake Offers (Wash Times) — Your timeshare in Mexico may actually be helping prop up that country’s violent drug cartels, the U.S. government said Wednesday, warning Americans to think twice before buying south of the border. Treasury and State department officials said cartels have stolen lists of American timeshare owners and are using call centers to offer sales or rental services, charging fees up front. Americans pay, but the services are never delivered, with the money ending up funding the cartels themselves. It’s the latest in diversification for the cartels, whose core drug business has in recent years been heavily supplemented by migrant smuggling and oil theft. The FBI collected nearly 900 complaints of Mexico timeshare fraud last year, totaling more than $50 million – and authorities said the real total is probably much higher, because most victims don’t report it. See full story SKIP THE PAYWALL! click Reader View icon or F9