Cross-Examination

• WHO wants to undermine U.S. sovereignty: The Biden administration is working with global elites to effectively undermine U.S. sovereignty, all under the guise of seeking to “protect” people from the next pandemic. The means of accomplishing this is via a new treaty dubbed the WHO Convention, Agreement or Other International Instrument on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, also known as the WHO CA+. The aim of the agreement is to effectively transform the WHO, which currently serves only as a world health advisory organization, into a centralized global health enforcement agency. The WHO would be granted authority to both declare a pandemic and “emergency powers” to impose international health policies onto all nations, irrespective of their own sovereignty rights. These “emergency powers” would not only include directing healthcare response but also information/speech control over populations. In other words, Americans’ First Amendment right to freedom of speech would be (further) curtailed in order to serve the “needs” of the WHO. Furthermore, the treaty would place the International Court of Justice as the primary arbitration authority should any country fail to fall in line with WHO diktats. Since any international treaty agreement requires two-thirds Senate approval, making this terrible deal dead on arrival, the Biden administration is looking to take a page out of Barack Obama’s book, as the treaty is being written up to allow for “provisional” membership pending formal ratification, like the Paris Climate Accords.

Update 2/25: Then again, don’t worry about it. USA Today has a “fact-check.” “Health law experts said the document … won’t give the World Health Organization control over U.S. pandemic policies, which are decided by federal and state governments. Rather, the proposed accord is meant to encourage global cooperation in responding to a pandemic.” The health experts were right about everything (wink, wink), so maybe the health law experts are too.

• Biden imitates Trump: In the Biden administration’s latest effort to deflect criticism of its de facto open-borders policy and the “humanitarian disaster” — to borrow Joe Biden’s own words — it has created, the Department of Homeland Security is proposing a new asylum rule. The rule would deem individuals who illegally cross into the U.S. ineligible for asylum. In other words, it’s a resurrection of Donald Trump’s “Remain in Mexico” policy. DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas argued that this new policy proposal would provide “a safe, orderly and lawful path to the United States” that is less risky to the lives of migrants who are preyed upon by smugglers and human traffickers. Naturally, Biden officials rejected the notion that this proposal is a return to the Trump-era policy, contending that “the purpose of this is not to cut off people seeking asylum.” Indeed, the Biden administration doesn’t want to slow the flow of migrants. If anything, Team Biden is simply looking for a means of making that flow appear less alarming.

• The AP’s “balanced” journalism: Once again, the Associated Press exposes itself as nothing more than a shill for the political Left. The media outlet’s latest style guide says reporters must no longer refer to pregnancy resource centers as such, but instead call them “anti-abortion centers.” That this change comes after the overturning of Roe v. Wade last summer is telling, as pro-abortion activists and politicians like Senator Elizabeth Warren falsely smeared pregnancy centers as “deceptive organizations.” While these obviously pro-life centers don’t support abortion, they are far from “anti-abortion centers,” as they exist as a refuge to serve pregnant women in need. Their activities consist of everything from providing pregnancy tests, diapers, formula, clothing, and car seats to parenting training and adoption services — often at little or no cost to women. By labeling these pregnancy centers as “anti-abortion centers,” the AP also has effectively painted them as political targets, inviting even more attacks against them. Since Roe was overturned, more than 80 pregnancy centers have been attacked or vandalized. One of the arguments that abortion zealots regularly raise against pro-lifers is the question of who will take care of poor women who can’t afford a baby. Yet when pregnancy centers have arisen across the country to meet women’s needs, they are smeared and attacked. That raises the question: Who are the ones actually engaging in deception? One thing’s for certain: The AP isn’t a trustworthy source.

Headlines

• Vivek Ramaswamy announces candidacy for 2024 presidential election (Washington Examiner)

• Back to the basement, Joe? Biden reportedly wants 2024 campaign HQ in his Wilmington home (RedState)

• Justices puzzled as Supreme Court hears arguments over internet liability shield (The Hill)

• Biden reaffirms U.S. commitment to Ukraine, says Russia responsible for crimes against humanity (Just the News)

• Putin issues nuclear warning to U.S., threatens to resume weapons tests (Fox News)

• EPA orders Norfolk Southern to handle all Ohio train derailment cleanup, pay triple if it cuts corners (Daily Wire)

• Pete Buttigieg announces visit to Ohio crash site (Fox News)

• Cross-country winter storm unleashes its wrath with millions at risk of blizzard conditions, significant icing (Fox Weather)

• Border Patrol now begs for help to stop 800% surge of migrants sneaking in from Canada (NY Post)

• Existing home sales record 12th straight monthly decline, 37% year-over-year collapse (Not the Bee)

• Household debt soars to highest level since 2008 financial crisis (Daily Wire)

• Unborn baby seeks release from jail in test of fetal personhood in Florida (Washington Examiner)

• Southern Baptists disfellowship Saddleback Church over female pastor (Daily Wire)

• Policy: No, Biden’s push for red-flag laws won’t keep anyone safer (The Federalist)

• Humor: 41,000 hours of January 6 tapes reveal AOC died 13,941 times (Babylon Bee)

For more editors’ choice headlines, click here.