Cross-Examination

• Facebook reinstates Trump: Meta Platforms Inc., the parent company of social media platforms Facebook and Instagram, officially reinstated Donald Trump’s accounts on Thursday. Facebook president of global affairs Nick Clegg announced last month that “in the coming weeks” the company would lift the ban against Trump implemented in the wake of the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot. Clegg explained the reversal decision by stating: “We’ve always believed that Americans should be able to hear from the people who want to lead the country. We don’t want to stand in the way of that.” That explanation appears dubious, especially given the revelations from the Twitter Files of the federal government’s collusion with Big Tech to silence and censor conservative and politically inconvenient speech. Meta’s reinstatement of Trump comes months after Twitter, under Elon Musk’s ownership, reinstated his account, though Trump has yet to use it, as he has stuck to his own Truth Social. Trump being back on Facebook and Instagram gives him access to some 57 million followers. The fact of the matter is that Trump drives traffic, which of course equates to a monetary windfall for the social media companies that find themselves struggling in Joe Biden’s economy. If he does return, his followers will be happy. Democrats will be even happier.

• The other border crisis: Not only have migrants been illegally streaming into the U.S. over our southern border, they have also begun spilling across our nation’s northern border from Canada. One northern border sector between Vermont and Canada has witnessed a 700% increase in the number of illegal migrant crossings. The majority of these illegals are Mexican nationals who, due to the Title 42 policy remaining in place at the southern border, have flown into Canada to cross the northern border, where the chance of deportation is less due to a lower Title 42 enforcement rate. While the numbers of illegal crossings are not nearly as high as the southern border, the percentage increase has been significant. From October through December of last year, 6,706 migrant families illegally crossed. During that same time period the year prior, the total number of migrant families crossing was 1,500. Thanks to Joe Biden’s de facto open border, these illegal aliens know that if they can get in, they have a good chance of being able to stay. That, more than anything else, is why they keep coming.

• Two New Jersey Republicans murdered: On Wednesday, a New Jersey Republican who served as a councilman in the town of Milford was found murdered in his car. Fifty-one-year-old Russell Heller, who worked at the local energy company, had been shot to death, and the man who killed him was found not far away, dead from a self-inflicted gunshot. Heller is the second New Jersey Republican murdered in a week. Last week, Sayreville Councilwoman Eunice Dwumfour was shot to death outside her apartment. In the case of Heller, a clear motive has yet to be determined, though it does appear that he was the intended target. Years prior, Heller had a working relationship with the perpetrator, as the two worked at the same energy company. So while the two murdered individuals were elected Republicans, there is not yet any evidence to support the assumption that at least the second one was politically motivated.

Headlines

• House Republicans press Hunter Biden, James Biden, Eric Schwerin for business deal documents (Fox News)

• Biden: Americans “not going to pay attention” to House GOP Hunter probes (NY Post)

• Biden gives Fox News the cold shoulder, refuses to commit to traditional Super Bowl interview (RedState)

• FBI whistleblower raises fresh concerns about bank record mining, undercover agents in J6 probe (Just the News)

• FBI rescinds memo citing Southern Poverty Law Center after Daily Signal report (Daily Signal)

• Project Veritas issues statement amid reports of James O'Keefe being ousted (Townhall)

• Oil prices jump 2% on Russian plan to cut output (Reuters)

• CDC adds COVID vaccine to routine immunization schedule for kids, adults (The Hill)

• Whistleblower pulls back curtain on transgender “treatments” for minors (Daily Signal)

• Missouri attorney general launches investigation into trans center for “harming hundreds of children” (Daily Wire)

• “Lia” Thomas exposed himself to female teammates (PJ Media)

• Protesters renew calls to change Kansas City Chiefs name, mascot ahead of Super Bowl LVII (Fox News)

• Church of England considers shift to gender-neutral God (National Review)

• Satire: To cover rising costs, Hunter now charging 15% for the Big Guy (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.