The Patriot Post® · Wednesday: Below the Fold
- More jobs malaise during the Biden economy: It turns out that Joe Biden’s economy wasn’t the “best in decades,” as the mainstream media and his own administration kept repeating during the last year of his presidency. Newly revised job numbers from April 2024 through March 2025 show that only 847,000 jobs were actually added over the year, less than half of the 1.8 million initially reported. The revised number from the Bureau of Labor Statistics highlights the complexity and apparent outdated methods of the agency’s employment data collection. Furthermore, this serves to confirm what many Americans were feeling: the economy wasn’t as great as they were being told.
Israel targets Hamas leaders in Qatar: On Tuesday morning, Israel launched what the IDF called “a precise strike targeting the senior leadership of the Hamas terrorist organization” — i.e., leaders living in luxury in Doha, Qatar. This strike came two days after the terror group refused to disarm, though President Trump gave a “last warning” to Hamas on Sunday about the consequences of rejecting peace. Following the Israeli strikes on the Hamas headquarters, Qatar announced it would suspend “mediation efforts for a Gaza deal until further notice.” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu made clear that American forces were not involved, stating, “Israel initiated it, Israel conducted it, and Israel takes full responsibility.” This is an important shift in Israel’s posture. With this strike in a country that is not an enemy, Israel is making good on various pledges to target Hamas leadership wherever they are.
Michigan appeals judge gets it right: On Tuesday, District Court Judge Kristen Simmon threw out a case brought by Michigan Democrat Attorney General Dana Nessel against 15 Republicans who sought to form a group of alternate electors for the state following the 2020 election. Two years ago, Nessel raised charges of conspiracy to commit election forgery against them. In Simmons’s decision, however, she determined that “they were executing their constitutional right to seek redress.” The judge saw no intent to commit fraud; irrespective of whether the defendants were “right, wrong, or indifferent,” they “seriously believed” the election had been compromised. Simmons also observed, “This is not an election interference case.”
SCOTUS allows Trump to halt foreign spending: Donald Trump got another win yesterday, at least temporarily, from the U.S. Supreme Court after it stayed a lower court’s directive that the Trump administration immediately begin distributing some $4 billion in foreign aid spending it has withheld. The Trump administration has been angling to use a “pocket rescission,” which allows an administration to delay spending for up to 45 days following a proposal to Congress to revoke the spending. If Congress fails to act before the end of the fiscal year, which is this month, it will permit the administration to follow through on revoking the spending. The justices have stayed the lower court’s ruling until Friday to allow both sides to submit briefs.
Judge blocks Trump’s firing of Fed governor: Lisa Cook is off the hook … for now. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb blocked President Trump’s firing of Cook, a Federal Reserve Board of Governors member, stating that she made a “strong showing” that her removal violates the Federal Reserve Act’s “for cause” provision. “‘For cause’ thus does not contemplate removing an individual purely for conduct that occurred before they began in office,” Cobb wrote. Trump had cited mortgage fraud as “cause” for her firing. Still, Cook’s lawyer argued that she could not be fired for mortgage information that was available during her confirmation hearings in May 2022, also stating that the contradictions were disclosed in documents sent to both the Senate and the White House before then. The Justice Department will appeal, contending that making contradictory statements in financial documents is “more than sufficient ground” for removing a senior official.
Texas A&M removes student for questioning transgenderism: “After serving under President Trump, I was shocked after I got elected in ‘21 to learn that [the] Texas government might be the biggest funder of DEI and LGBTQ indoctrination in America,” said Texas State Rep. Brian Harrison. Highlighting a recent incident caught on video and posted to X, Harrison alleged, “Texas A&M student kicked out of class after objecting to transgender indoctrination… and A&M president defends 'LGBTQ Studies.’” Harrison called for the university’s president to be fired, as well as “all DEI and LGBTQ indoctrination defunded.” Texas A&M President Mark Welsh responded that he “directed the provost to remove the dean and department head from their administrative positions, effective immediately.” Gov. Greg Abbott also weighed in, posting on X, “Good. Now, fire the professor who acted contrary to Texas law.”
Cracker Barrel halts remodels: Though Cracker Barrel has been on the Bud Light path of late, it’s doing one thing that Bud Light didn’t — listen. Company leaders have admitted their mistakes and are returning to commonsense business practices, but only after shelling out $700 million and torpedoing stock prices. The company announced on X, “You’ve shared your voices in recent weeks not just on our logo, but also on our restaurants. We’re continuing to listen. Today, we’re suspending our remodels. If your restaurant hasn’t been remodeled, you don’t need to worry, it won’t be. With our recent announcement that our ‘Old Timer’ logo will remain, along with our bigger focus in the kitchen and on your plate, we hope that today’s step reinforces that we hear you.” The question is whether it’s too little, too late.
Sharia law in Texas: Sharia law don’t go ‘round here, asserts Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott to the imam. A Houston-based imam associated with the Nation of Islam launched a campaign to demand that Muslim-owned stores stop selling products that are “haram,” like pork, alcohol, and gambling products, or they would face public shaming and protests. Abbott sent a clear message not to mess with Texas by signing a law that bans Sharia law and Sharia compounds in the state. Abbott also halted the construction of “Epic City,” a proposed Muslim-only community near Dallas, allegedly designed to operate under Sharia law. Imam F. Qasim ibn Ali Khan’s mosque flies a Palestinian flag and employs private security personnel in uniforms that resemble local police. Abbott didn’t mince words: “Texas takes matters like this seriously,” he wrote. “This is America. We don’t bend the law for imported ideologies.”
Headlines
Kamala turns on Biden in first excerpt from new memoir (Daily Wire)
Trump administration targets Big Pharma for deceptive drug advertising (Fox News)
Georgia judge to dismiss racketeering charges against all 61 “Cop City” rioters (National Review)
Auburn veterinary prof hacked to death by fiend while walking her dog in the park (NY Post)
Iran agrees to give UN atomic agency access to its nuclear sites (WSJ)
NATO warns Russia after Poland shoots down drones that violated its airspace (Fox News)
Satire: Democrats condemn stabbing victims for inflating crime numbers (Babylon Bee)
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