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US Prosecutors Make Surprise Visit to Federal Reserve Office

Prosecutors from U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro's

 

 office made a surprise visit on Tuesday to the Federal Reserve's headquarters renovation project, as the Trump administration continues its pressure campaign against the central bank.

The unscheduled visit was confirmed by a spokesperson for Pirro's office and was first reported by The Wall Street Journal.

After ‌speaking with construction workers, two of Pirro's deputies were advised ​they could not access the site without prior clearance and they were given the contact information for the Fed's legal staff, ⁠the Journal reported.

President Donald Trump has waged an aggressive campaign against top ​Fed officials, including Fed Chair Jerome Powell,

 

 whose term ends in May, with ⁠the goal of lowering interest rates. The campaign has sparked political outcry and court challenges.

The Department of Justice has been investigating Powell for his oversight of the renovations to the central ‌bank's headquarters in the nation's capital.

Though a federal judge has ​found the probe to ‌be a thinly disguised effort to pressure Powell to lower interest rates or resign, the department has said ‌it would appeal.

 

Former Fed chairs and former government economic policy leaders from both the Republican and Democratic parties have raised alarm about the Trump administration's ⁠probe.

The Fed could not be immediately ‌reached for comment. The Journal ⁠reported that an outside lawyer for the Fed, Robert Hur, objected to Tuesday's visit in ⁠a ⁠letter to Pirro's office.

Hur was cited as saying that the prosecutors appeared "without prior notice" at the ‌construction site, where they asked for a tour and said they wanted to check on the progress of the renovation project.

The independence of central banks in setting ‌rates to control ​inflation is considered a ‌central tenet of robust economic policy, insulating monetary policymakers from short-term political considerations to focus on longer-term efforts to keep prices stable.

Former Federal Reserve ​Governor Kevin Warsh has been nominated by Trump to head the central bank.

 

Try That in a Small Town: Wild Video Shows High School Principal Take Down Gunman With His Bare Hands

When armed individuals with bad intentions approach a building or an event where there are lots of people, oftentimes the outcome is devastating and horrific. We saw it with the Columbine and Sandy Hook massacres, the Nashville Covenant School mass shooting, and the Abundant Life Christian School mass shooting, just to name a few.

But sometimes, when all is said and done, it's the good guys who win at the end of the day, which is exactly what happened a week ago at a high school in Oklahoma.

The scene of the attempted mass shooting was Pauls Valley High School. And according to authorities, the school's principal, Kirk Moore, was the main target. 20-year-old Victor Lee Hawkins, a former student who investigators say admitted he was inspired by Columbine, approached the school on the afternoon of April 7th, armed with two semi-automatic pistols, per local reports, both of which were loaded (note: the feature image above is not a picture of the gun used in the shooting).

Here's what happened next after he walked into the front of the school:

Hawkins then pointed a gun at a student in the foyer and attempted to shoot, but the gun malfunctioned and did not fire.

The affidavit says Hawkins then stepped behind a vending machine “to clear the malfunction.”

Investigators say Hawkins then came back out and pointed his weapon at another student and fired a shot.

It says that the student put his hands in the air and asked Hawkins not to shoot him.

The document says Hawkins then lowered his gun. He told both students, whom he had just attempted to shoot, to leave the scene.

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After the students fled, it was at that point that Moore came out to look into what was going on and saw Hawkins, who shot him in the leg. But that didn't prevent Moore from tackling him onto a nearby bench, where the assistant principal was able to retrieve the gun Moore had knocked out of Hawkins' hand. Moore stayed on top of him to ensure he didn't get away:

According to the affidavit, Moore then “wrestled with Hawkins on a bench in the foyer and was able to remove Hawkins’ pistol from his hand.” It says Moore and the school’s assistant principal then lay on top of Hawkins until law enforcement arrived.

The video is incredible. Watch:

Y'all, Kirk Moore is no spring chicken. One report I read quoted someone who said they'd known him for 55 years. So he is at least that age, if not older. But this man did what needed to be done, and countless lives were saved that day:

Pauls Valley, I should also note, is a small town:

Pauls Valley is a community of about 6,000 people 60 miles (96 kilometers) south of Oklahoma City.

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FLASHBACK: So Much Winning: Jason Aldean and 'Small Town' Get the Last Laugh

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As for Principal Moore's condition, he is expected to be okay. He issued this statement in response to the outpouring of support:

Pauls Valley schools are safe communities unaccustomed to the type of threat we witnessed on Tuesday. Nevertheless, like so many educators around the country, we prepare for these events through training and careful assessments of threats. I am grateful that my instincts and training, as well as God’s hand, were available to come to me on Tuesday.

My sincere thanks to the Pauls Valley police and fire departments, as well as the Garvin County Sheriff’s Office, Oklahoma Highway Patrol and ATF agents who responded to provide support. I am especially proud of the Pauls Valley alumni among this group who so selflessly serve our community and demonstrate the values of our school every day.

I look forward to returning to work as soon as possible so that I may continue my life’s work educating the next generation of Oklahoma leaders. Until then, my thoughts are with our outstanding students, safe today in the arms of their families and friends.

Get well soon, Principal Moore. And may God continue to bless you, the school, and its students.

 

Mamdani Announces First City-Owned Grocery Store. Bread Lines Coming Soon!

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani celebrated his first 100 days in office at a former factory in Queens, where he touted his administration’s “historic achievements” like securing $1.2 billion for universal childcare and fixing 100,000 potholes, and announced the location of his first socialist pet project: a new city-owned grocery store.

“I know there are many who use ‘socialist’ as a dirty word, something to be ashamed of,” Mamdani told his supporters. “They can try all they want, but we will not be ashamed of using government to fight for the many, not simply the few.”

Mamdani might believe that city-run grocery stores will benefit the many, but history tells a very different story.

“When corporations control every part of the food supply chain, prices go up, wages stay flat, and workers and customers both lose,” Mamdani said. “That is why we are advancing a public option -- one rooted in the belief that our city can and must intervene where the market has failed.”

Has the market failed in New York City? Not exactly. 

It is true that the price of groceries is well above the national average in the Big Apple. However, it is also true that New York City has one of the most restrictive zoning environments for grocery stores in the nation.

“The most egregious planning barrier is that grocery stores over 10,000 square feet are not generally allowed as-of-right in so-called ‘M’ districts, which are the easiest places to find sites large enough to accommodate the large stores that national grocers are used to,” notes Stephen Smith in an article titled “The Real Reasons New Yorkers’ Groceries Cost So Much.”

Consequently, in New York City, to “open a full-sized grocery store in these areas, a developer must seek a ‘special permit,’ which requires the full City Council to get together and vote for an exception to the rules. This is a long, uncertain process, and has in the past even been an invitation to corruption.”

 

The New York City Council, which seems very enthusiastic about Mamdani’s Soviet-style grocery stores, has used the “special permit” process as a means of stopping national grocers from setting up shop in the city limits on numerous occasions. 

By denying permits to major grocery chains, New York City is suffering from a lack of competition, which is exacerbated by the fact that national grocers like Walmart can use economies of scale to keep prices minimal.

Meanwhile, New York City’s bodegas and mom-and-pop grocery stores have struggled to keep pace with ever-rising rents and property taxes. With fewer people working in downtown office buildings since the pandemic, many small-time corner grocery stores have gone out of business, too.

Mamdani’s solution, opening five city-run grocery stores over the next few years, might be popular with NYC residents, but it will make the problem worse, not better.

“We cannot accept a status quo where even the most basic necessity -- putting food on the table -- feels out of reach. This is about ensuring that every New Yorker, regardless of income or ZIP code, has access to fresh, healthy food at a price they can afford,” said Mamdani.

Unsurprisingly, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT) chimed in and praised Mamdani’s plan. “Today’s announcement by the mayor of new city-run grocery stores is just another example of government working for the people,” said the socialist senator.

But Bernie should know better.

Believe it or not, Bernie Sanders honeymooned in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics in 1988. At the time, the Soviet Union was an economic basket case. Its command-and-control economy was on the brink of total collapse after decades of central planning had gone awry. 

In the late 1980s, during Bernie's 10-day vacation, bread lines were the norm for the millions stuck behind the Iron Curtain.

New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov, one of six Republicans in the 51-seat New York City Council, also knows about breadlines.

“I didn’t escape a childhood of Soviet breadlines just to sit quietly while a Mayoral frontrunner tries to make socialism seem like a great idea for NYC,” Vernikov posted to X late last year.

Government-run grocery stores are not novel, and they have never worked in practice. However, like nearly all stupid socialist ideas, it may take a bitter pill of reality, i.e., breadlines, for New York City residents to learn this hard lesson.

Chris Talgo (ctalgo@heartland.org) is editorial director at The Heartland Institute.

Editor’s Note: New York City is now facing the consequences of Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s socialist takeover.

 

Speaker Johnson Says This Dem Rep Has to Go

Speaker Mike Johnson is probably happy that Reps. Tony Gonzalez (R-TX) and Eric Swalwell (D-CA) 

 

are no longer in Congress. Gonzalez was already out after losing his primary, which was complicated by a personal scandal involving a reported affair with a female staffer that ended with her suicide. Swalwell’s entire career fell apart in less than three days amid rape and sexual misconduct allegations. These two were part of a growing movement on the Hill to expel these members.

Johnson is a process guy, so the hit list for the House got whittled down big league with these resignations. That doesn’t mean the furor has subsided—these two guys were bad news, Swalwell, especially. Yet, one House member, a Democrat, has been through the process and a lengthy investigation, so Mr. Johnson has no qualms about his feelings over Rep. Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (D-FL) 

 

getting the boot.

Cherfilus-McCormick came under fire for reportedly stealing millions in FEMA aid. Even the most left-wing voices in the House couldn’t defend her. The initial plan for Democrats was to throw Swalwell to the wolves if it meant dragging Republicans through the mud, with Republicans. Gonzalez and Cory Mills (R-FL) are on the chopping block. The board has changed again.

 

Here's Joe Biden Awkward Moment With a Black Man at Syracuse University

Why is it that this man can't seem to be normal? Joe Biden stepped out of his darkened lair to attend the unveiling of his portrait at Syracuse University, where he earned his law degree. Like his career in public life, he was an unremarkable student, failing a class for plagiarism and graduating near the bottom of his class. 

Biden saw a black man and decided to claim he looked like Barack Obama.

 

 I, personally, don’t see the resemblance. He might as well have said ‘Corn Pop’ is here, since apparently, all black people look the same to Joe. 

‘Look at this black, doesn’t he look like Obama?’ is peak Joe Biden. It’s still not as good as his remarks about Indians working at 7-Elevens 

 

Former President Joe Biden raised eyebrows Tuesday at Syracuse University after making an awkward onstage remark comparing a Black member of the school’s Board of Trustees to former President Barack Obama.

Biden returned to his alma mater Tuesday to celebrate the unveiling of his portrait, which will be permanently displayed in the law school's Law Library Reading Room.

Video shows Biden speaking at the podium, addressing the law school's leadership by name before making the awkward joke.

"I always want to turn around to one guy and say.. 'Barack what are you doing?" Biden said as the audience laughed.

At least, he didn’t sniff hair, grab anyone, or touch people like we’ve seen him do many times. Please put Grandpa to bed. 

Thank you. 

Also, it wouldn’t shock me if Joe thought this black man was Barack Obama. 

 

Thune: Dems' antics forced GOP to open govt 'the hard way'

Senate Majority Leader John Thune says Democrats’ antics forced Republicans to fund the government “the hard way.”

While speaking to reporters following a policy luncheon on Tuesday, Thune (R-S.D.) called out the left for delaying efforts to reopen the government. 

 

Thune revealed that Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is preparing a budget resolution to begin the reconciliation process to fund U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Border Patrol (CBP), which could be introduced as soon as next week.

He also argued that these steps wouldn’t be necessary if Democrats had not made demands that were later dropped.

 

The Senate Republican also said despite Democrats’ “defund the police” views, the GOP will work quickly and tirelessly to ensure American workers are paid.

 

Churchgoing Catholics Ditch Pope Leo XIV, Back Trump in Shock Poll

Stick with Religion?

 There’s a wild story out now: Even with all the sniping from Pope Leo XIV, President Trump is still crushing it with church-going Catholics. That’s right — 58 percent of those who show up for Mass say they approve of Trump’s job performance. Looks like the Pope’s constant attacks haven’t moved the needle one bit.

Let’s be real. The Vatican has gone soft, worrying more about global piety conferences and climate change than standing up for actual Christian values. Meanwhile, Trump fights tooth and nail for religious freedom, the unborn, and the heartland that the elites forgot. Maybe that’s why real Catholics—the ones in the pews, not the champagne liberals or the out-of-touch bishops—are sticking with Trump.

 

The progressive media loves to parade the Pope around as if he can scold Americans into submitting to their woke agenda. Sorry, but devout Catholics aren’t listening. They know actions mean more than lectures. Trump stands with families, faith, and America’s traditional values. Leo XIV and his globalist pals prefer speeches at Davos.

Just like the left, the Pope thinks people will simply fall in line because an “authority figure” tells them to. That playbook might work in Brussels or Hollywood, but Main Street USA isn’t buying it. These church-goers care about strong borders, safe neighborhoods, and a president who answers to them—not to a global UN crowd or a pontiff obsessed with being “liked” by the liberal elite.

So here’s the real headline: Catholics who take their faith seriously know exactly who’s on their side. And it’s not the guy lecturing from Rome. Maybe the Vatican should start worrying about its own crumbling credibility. Or is that too much common sense for the so-called “moral leaders” of the left?

 

The latest clip from The View that’s gone viral shows the show’s co-hosts lashing out at a young conservative woman who told Americans at CPAC to have courage, marry, and start families — advice the panel treated like a threat rather than a prescription for national renewal. Conservatives are right to be outraged: Isabel Brown was offering a commonsense call to rebuild the family, and instead of engaging, the hosts chose mockery and moralizing.

Sunny Hostin’s line — that it’s “reckless” to suggest people have children given an affordability crisis and that a married household needs over $400,000 for childcare — landed like a cultural grenade and exposed The View’s out-of-touch moral calculus. That claim, repeated across the segment, turned a vital debate about family and duty into a lecture from a privileged panel that apparently believes only the wealthy should reproduce.

 

What makes the moment worse is the double standard: when Democrats or establishment figures praise family values the hosts applaud, but when a conservative mother says the same thing the panel scolds her for being “reckless.” This isn’t debate — it’s gatekeeping: only certain voices get to talk about family and flourishing.

Conservatives aren’t asking for charity; we’re arguing for bold cultural leadership that encourages families and protects the most important institution in society: the nuclear family. When The View sneers at that conviction, they’re revealing an elitism that treats ordinary Americans’ choices as irresponsible unless those choices are backed by elite credentials.

The facts should humble every decent person: our country is seeing declining birth rates and a real demographic challenge, not because people don’t want kids but because cultural elites have made family formation feel foolish or shameful. Instead of lecturing young couples that having children is a reckless financial decision, elites should be fighting to fix the economy and restore the dignity of family life.

Patriots and parents watching this should take this clip for what it is — proof that mainstream media has lost touch with the people who actually build America. Cancel culture wasn’t satisfied with silencing dissent; now it mocks the very idea of having children, and conservatives must push back fiercely, defend family, and remind the nation that children are a blessing, not a calamity.

 

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