Claims that millions of votes were “missing” after the 2024 U.S. presidential election are false. These votes were not missing but simply hadn’t been counted yet. Due to the decentralized nature of U.S. elections, with thousands of local elections run simultaneously, reporting results can take time. The Associated Press, which calls elections in the U.S., relies on data from county election offices and state websites, and makes projections based on vote trends and the number of uncounted ballots. While the AP called the election for Trump, millions of ballots were still being counted, primarily due to high rates of mail-in voting in certain states. It’s important to wait for all votes to be tallied and official totals released before drawing conclusions about voter turnout between elections.
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Donald Trump’s two federal criminal cases, stemming from his attempt to overturn the 2020 election and his possession of classified documents, are set to be dropped due to the long-standing precedent that a sitting president cannot be prosecuted for federal crimes. While this decision may protect the Department of Justice as an institution, it will likely be used by Trump to claim that the charges against him were politically motivated, further weaponizing the justice system against it. To counter this, Special Counsel Jack Smith should memorialize the cases in writing, including all evidence and testimony, forcing Trump’s team to publicly end them and exposing their actions. This will allow the public to see the full extent of Trump’s alleged criminal behavior and hold him accountable for his actions.
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NATO’s top military official, Admiral Rob Bauer, has stated that the alliance would have intervened directly in Ukraine to expel Russian forces if Moscow did not possess nuclear weapons. The threat of nuclear escalation, however, has prevented NATO from deploying troops on Ukrainian soil, despite the alliance’s support for Ukraine’s defense against the Russian invasion. This stark difference in NATO’s response to the conflicts in Afghanistan and Ukraine highlights the significant role nuclear weapons play in international security and the profound impact they have on the calculus of military intervention. The presence of Russia’s vast nuclear arsenal, coupled with increasingly aggressive rhetoric from Russian officials, has effectively limited the scope of Western military action in Ukraine.
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California’s pistachio industry is booming, driven by rising global demand and the crop’s drought-tolerance. This has led to a surge in acreage and production, making pistachios California’s sixth-largest agricultural commodity by value. The industry is learning from the struggles of almond farming and is focusing on sustainable practices, including water conservation. Despite challenges like groundwater regulations, pistachio acreage is expected to continue growing as recently planted trees reach maturity, solidifying its position as a key player in California agriculture.
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Mike Davis, a potential candidate for Attorney General under President-elect Donald Trump, has outlined his plans for a Trump administration, including firing government employees, indicting members of the Biden family, deporting millions of immigrants, and pardoning January 6th defendants. Davis, in an interview with Benny Johnson, expressed his desire to “rain hell on Washington D.C.” with these drastic measures, raising concerns among the hosts of The New Abnormal podcast who fear the potential impact of such actions. Davis’s comments highlight the contentious atmosphere surrounding the incoming administration and the anxieties many feel about the direction of the country.
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China has announced a $1.4 trillion bailout for local governments to address a looming debt crisis and stimulate the struggling economy. This substantial sum will assist provincial authorities in refinancing existing loans, enabling them to continue providing essential services and paying public employees. While the announcement was widely anticipated, it fell short of expectations for a comprehensive package addressing broader economic challenges, including the struggling real estate sector and high youth unemployment. This limited approach has been met with skepticism, with one economist expressing concern that it may be insufficient to fully address the current economic situation.
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Russia has amassed approximately 50,000 troops, including North Korean soldiers, in the Kursk region, preparing for a potential offensive. While a major offensive has yet to begin, US and Ukrainian officials believe an attack involving North Korean troops is imminent. The North Korean forces, divided into assault and support units, have received training from Russia in artillery fire, infantry tactics, and trench clearing. Although the Ukrainian defense is expected to hold, both Russian and North Korean forces are likely to suffer significant casualties, mirroring the losses experienced in eastern Ukraine.
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Protests erupted across the US on Saturday, with demonstrators in cities like New York, Seattle, and Washington DC taking to the streets to oppose Donald Trump’s re-election. These demonstrations, fueled by anxieties surrounding Trump’s policies on reproductive rights, immigration, and other issues, saw participants from various advocacy groups united in their opposition. Signs and chants expressed concerns about the future of workers’ rights, women’s rights, and the potential for mass deportations. Demonstrators expressed their determination to fight against what they see as an attack on their rights and freedoms.
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A rear admiral in the Mexican navy was shot and killed in Manzanillo, a key port city on the Pacific coast. This marks one of the highest-ranking military officers slain in Mexico in a decade, with the last such incident occurring in 2013 when a vice admiral was killed in Michoacan. While attacks on high-ranking officers are relatively rare, the Mexican government has increasingly entrusted the navy, army, and National Guard with law enforcement duties, placing them at the forefront of the fight against drug cartels. Manzanillo’s strategic location for drug smuggling, with direct shipments from Asia, makes it a highly valuable target for cartels seeking to import precursor chemicals for fentanyl production.
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Kevin Roberts, president of the Heritage Foundation, argues in his new book, *Dawn’s Early Light*, that a “controlled burn” is necessary to revitalize America. This “burn” would target institutions like the FBI, Ivy League colleges, and the Boy Scouts, which he sees as corrupted and hindering conservative aims. Roberts uses fire imagery throughout the book, comparing progressive policies to Dutch elm disease and advocating for “burning away the rot” of existing institutions. His rhetoric, reminiscent of Trump’s own fiery language, has already proven controversial, and with Trump’s victory, his call for a “controlled burn” is likely to alarm progressives.
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John Q. Hosedrinker