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Democrat Indicted for Bribes Reappointed to Key Spending Committee

In one of the most glaring examples of Washington’s broken standards, Congressman Henry Cuellar (D-TX) has been reappointed to the powerful Appropriations Conference Committee—despite being under federal indictment for bribery and corruption. 

The move signals not only poor judgment but also a complete disregard for accountability in Congress.

Cuellar, who represents Texas’s 28th Congressional District, was indicted earlier this year on charges that he accepted hundreds of thousands of dollars in bribes from foreign companies and governments in exchange for political favors. 

According to federal prosecutors, he and his wife received payments funneled through shell companies tied to entities in Azerbaijan and Mexico. 

The Department of Justice detailed how Cuellar allegedly used his position to influence U.S. policy while personally enriching himself. 

These charges are among the most serious faced by any sitting member of Congress in decades.

Yet, instead of stepping back while the legal process unfolds, Cuellar is being rewarded with a seat at the table where the nation’s spending decisions are made. 

The Appropriations Conference Committee is no ordinary assignment. It brings together members of the House and Senate to finalize government funding bills—deciding how trillions of taxpayer dollars will be spent. 

For decades, this committee has been considered one of the most influential in Congress.

The irony is staggering. At a time when trust in government is near historic lows, the Democrat party has decided to empower a member facing corruption charges with direct control over how federal funds are allocated. 

This is not just tone-deaf; it undermines every claim Democrats make about protecting “integrity” in government.

Cuellar’s defenders point to his long tenure in Congress and his reputation as a centrist. First elected in 2004, he has positioned himself as a moderate voice on issues such as border security, veterans’ services, and agriculture. 

His district, which spans from Laredo up toward San Antonio, undoubtedly benefits from his seniority. But the fact remains: the allegations against him are not minor. Bribery, foreign influence, and abuse of office go to the heart of whether a representative can be trusted with public responsibility.

The message this sends to the public is devastating. 

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Educational Crisis: Baltimore High School Fails To Produce A Single Proficient Math Student In Four Straight Years

President Trump’s executive order earlier this year to dismantle the Department of Education comes as the president highlighted a disturbing and inconvenient truth about Baltimore City’s Democratic Party-run “failure factory” school system: 40% of public high schools have zero students proficient in math. This damning statistic follows eight years of Fox45 investigative reporter Chris Papst’s coverage of the crime-ridden city’s education crisis. Keep in mind, the metro area is mainly controlled by leftists at City Hall, with virtually no diversity when it comes to Republicans holding positions of power.

A new report by Papst released this past week may catch the White House’s attention, highlighting yet another inconvenient truth about the stunning failure of Baltimore City Public Schools in terms of academic outcomes, proving that simply throwing more taxpayer funds at the problem is not a viable solution.

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Data Centers And The Power Grid: A Path To Debt Relief?

Could data centers and the power grid be America’s next “renaissance?” With the U.S. national debt exceeding $37 trillion and interest payments surpassing defense spending, many articles have been written about the “debt doomsday” event coming. Such was a point we made in “The Debt and Deficit Problem.”

“In recent months, much debate has been about rising debt and increasing deficit levels in the U.S. For example, here is a recent headline from CNBC:”

“The article’s author suggests that U.S. federal deficits are ballooning, with spending surging due to the combined impact of tax cuts, expansive stimulus, and entitlement expenditures. Of course, with institutions like Yale, Wharton, and the CBO warning that this trend has pushed interest costs to new heights, now exceeding defense outlays, concerns about domestic solvency are rising. Even prominent figures in the media, from Larry Summers to Ray Dalio, argue that drastic action is urgently needed, otherwise another “financial crisis” is imminent.”

As we discussed in that article, the “purveyors of doom” have been saying the same thing for the last two decades, yet the American growth engine continues chugging along. Notably, Ray Dalio and Larry Summers focus on only one solution: “cutting spending,” which has horrible economic consequences.

“Furthermore, investors must understand a critical accounting concept: that the government’s debt is the household’s asset. In accounting, for every debit there is a credit that must always equal zero. In this case, when the Government issues debt (a debit), it is sent into the economy for infrastructure, defense, social welfare, etc. That money is “credited” to the bank accounts of households and corporations. Therefore, when the deficit increases, that money winds up in economic activity, and vice versa. In other words, those shouting for sharp deficit reductions are also rooting for a deep economic recession.” – The Deficit Narrative

The other challenges with cutting spending are that it is politically toxic, and tax hikes drag on growth.

However, one solution that all the mainstream “doomsayers” overlook is raising productivity and GDP through private-sector capital investment. In other words, as the U.S. did following World War II, it is possible to “grow your way out of your debt problem.”

That’s where the AI data center boom and massive electricity demand come in.

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The Covid Response Was Not a Mistake – It Was Just Wrong

he Covid response was not an error, and it was not the result of rushing to address a crisis due to an unknown pathogen. It was a lot of people, mostly professionals in the field, systematically and collectively doing what they knew was wrong. It is helpful when this is systematically laid out, as such facts can form a basis from which to stop it being repeated. 

Early in 2025, some statisticians from Scotland and Switzerland wrote a discussion paper with a characteristically (for Scots and Swiss) understated, even boring, title: “Some statistical aspects of the Covid-19 response.” Good science is stated clearly without fanfare, while “bombshell” announcements, or similar rants indicate a need to embellish. Good data speaks for itself. However, it only speaks widely if people read it.

The paper, by Wood and co-authors, was written for presentation at a meeting of the Royal Statistical Society in April 2025 in London. It remains one of the best reviews of the early response to Covid – in this case with a United Kingdom focus but relevant globally. However, some people don’t avidly read the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society – Series A: Statistics in Society, or attend their London meetings. A pity, as London is nice for three days in summer and this particular Royal Society seems to have a grasp of reality lacking in some of its siblings.

The paper provides simple statistical truths, as statisticians should. Truths are particularly valuable when applied to subjects where fallacies are more profitable. This is why, in public health, they have become so rare, and therefore so worth reading. Stating truths dispassionately regarding Covid helps to grasp how bad the public health response actually was. 

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Texas State University Student Forced Out of School for Cruelly Mocking Charlie Kirk’s Assassination Breaks His Silence By Playing the Race Card and Begging for Money

The Texas State University student who was forced out of school for mocking Charlie Kirk’s assassination has broken his silence by playing the race card and wants money.

As The Gateway Pundit reported, a viral video emerged online earlier this week showing a student at Texas State University taunting others at a Kirk memorial event hosted by the local TPUSA chapter.

In the footage, the young man mimicked the shooting by tapping his neck and writhing while his ‘friends’ film.

“Charlie Kirk got hit in the neck, b**ch!” he said. “Look, I’m Charlie Kirk!”

He then walked up to a statue and mocked Kirk getting assassinated once again, and fell to the ground while his friends guffawed.

The loser then got up and walked away. While leaving, he turned to a video camera and said, “f**k that n****!”

Following a national uproar, Texas State University announced Tuesday on X that it had identified the student responsible and kicked him out of school.

“TXST has identified the student in the disturbing video from Monday’s event,” the post reads. “The individual is no longer a student at TXST.”

“Federal law prevents the university from commenting on individual student conduct matters.”

The student, Devion Canty Jr., has now come forward and is begging for money on GoFundMe. He also has a different take on the situation.

“Recently, I faced a situation where I had to choose between immediate expulsion or withdrawing from the university,” Canty Jr said on GoFundMe. “I made the decision to withdraw—not because I wanted to leave, but for my own safety and the well-being of the campus community.”

He went on to cry racism as the reason he was forced out of school, claiming he was spat on and called racial slurs.

“The only public narrative out there is that I am an ‘out-of-control, disrespectful young Black man,’” Canty Jr whined. “In reality, I am a passionate student who made a mistake in the heat of the moment after being repeatedly disrespected—spit on, called racial slurs, and witnessing women being cursed at and pushed around.”

“I spoke up, and while I recognize my actions weren’t perfect, I did not harm anyone.”

The video shows no evidence of what the former student alleges.

Canty Jr said that giving him money will either allow him to return to Texas State or pursue his education at another college.

“This fundraiser will help me cover the costs of pursuing my education elsewhere or taking the necessary steps to return to Texas State,” he wrote. “I still believe in my education and my future, and I would love to be welcomed back on campus one day.”

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Team Gavin Newsom Posts an Apparent Threat to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem – Trump Admin Responds With Fire – Newsom Statement Referred to Secret Service

California Governor Gavin Newsom sparked an uproar on Saturday after his team posted a cryptic message to Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

As TGP readers know, Newsom has made himself the leader of the resistance against the Trump Administration, particularly on the issue of illegal immigration. This feud has been heightened ever since Trump sent ICE agents to LA to round up illegals earlier this year.

Perhaps with this in mind, Newsom’s press team posted a tweet that many read as a threat on Noem’s life. It was certainly vague enough to be interpreted that way.

The post reads, “Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today. “You’re welcome, America.”

Kristi Noem is going to have a bad day today.

You’re welcome, America.

— Governor Newsom Press Office (@GovPressOffice) September 20, 2025

As TGP readers know, several accounts on X posted somewhat similar statements shortly before Charlie Kirk was assassinated. For example, one account, “Fujoshincel,” posted on September 5 about “something BIG coming soon.”

They urged followers to check the news. Five days later, shortly after Kirk’s death was confirmed, they quoted the post and wrote, “Well that’s that,” and followed up by saying, “Another Chud Bites the Dust.”

The Trump Administration agreed that Team Newsom’s tweet looked like a threat. Assistant Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security Tricia McLaughlin slammed Newsom for hiding behind a keyboard to ‘threaten’ Noem when he’s too cowardly to trash-talk her to her face.

“This reads like a threat,” McLaughlin wrote. “This is ugly, @GavinNewsom.”

“Your keyboard warrior team may hide behind their laptops and spew this kind of vitriol but you would never have the guts to say this to her face,” she added.

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NATO Country’s Defense Chief Urges Shooting Down Russian Warplanes

A top government official from a NATO country is calling for shooting down Russian aircraft the next time they breach an alliance member’s airspace, following several drone and border incidents this month.

“NATO’s border in the North East is being tested for a reason. We need to mean business,” Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė wrote on X Friday, the same day that three Russian warplanes reportedly breached neighboring Estonia’s airspace over the Gulf of Finland.

“Three Russian fighter jets over Tallinn is one more hard proof that Eastern Sentry is long due,” she stated.

The Lithuanian defense chief concluded her message by invoking an incident which makes clear she’s in favor of shooting down Russian jets.

“Türkiye set an example 10 years ago. Some food for thought,” the minister wrote.

This was in reference to the unprecedented incident in which Turkish Air Force F-16s downed a Russian Su-24 over the Turkey-Syria border area in November 2015.

Lithuania has joined Poland’s call for urgent consultations with members of the NATO alliance under its Article 4. Article 4 consultations can lead to the alliance taking action if the consensus is reached. 

Regional observer Notes from Poland says “It has previously been invoked seven times, including by Poland and seven other countries when Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.”

Upon Friday’s incident the Estonian foreign ministry described that three Russian MiG-31 fighter jets “entered Estonian airspace without permission and remained there for a total of 12 minutes.”

Additionally, EU diplomat Kaja Kallas, who hails from the Baltic country and was the first female prime minister, blasted the incursion as “an extremely dangerous provocation”.

European leaders are using these increasing instances to push for an ‘eastern flank’ aerial defense shield protecting NATO. Just last week the two largest eastern members of NATO said that Russian drones breached their airspace.

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Sex tests brought in after data showed 50-60 DSD athletes in finals, World Athletics says

Between 50 and 60 athletes who went through male puberty have been finalists in the female category in global and continental track and field championships since 2000, according to a senior World Athletics official.

World Athletics has introduced SRY screening, a gene test that uses a cheek swab to assess if someone is biologically male or female, for the world championships in Tokyo.

In a presentation to a scientific panel in the Japanese capital on Friday, Dr Stéphane Bermon, head of health and science at World Athletics, outlined why the sport’s governing body believes such screens are necessary as he presented data collected over the past 25 years. He said it showed that athletes with differences of sex development (DSD), who have a 46 XY karyotype with male testes but were reported female at birth, were significantly “over-represented” in major finals and that it “compromises the integrity of the female competitions”.

“Everyone is watching World Athletics and we are leading in this area,” Bermon said before telling his audience that there were “approximately 50-60 cases of DSD in athletics”.

In total between 2000 and 2023, Bermon said there had been 135 DSD finalists in elite international events, given some of the 50 to 60 athletes competed in more than one final. He also showed a slide that said that DSD cases are 151.9 times more likely than would be expected given the number of DSD individuals in the general population.

The numbers, which were derived by anti-doping tests that revealed high testosterone levels – and arguably therefore may not capture every case – are significantly higher than many in the sport had expected.

There have been several high-profile cases of athletes with a DSD athlete winning global medals, most prominently the South African Caster Semenya, who won women’s 800m Olympic gold at the 2012 and 2016 Games. Christine Mboma also made significant headlines four years ago when the Namibian claimed a silver medal in the women’s 200m at the Tokyo 2020 Games.

Neither athlete has competed at elite level since World Athletics ­introduced rules requiring DSD ­individuals to suppress their ­testosterone levels.

When the new SRY testing policy was unveiled, Sebastian Coe, the president of World Athletics, made it clear his determination to ensure only biological females competed in the category.

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Eerie final message daughter sent her mom before vanishing on road trip

A frantic search for a Florida woman is underway after she sent an eerie last message to her mom before vanishing on a road trip in California.

Ganna Kovrizhnykh, 38, lost contact with her family on July 5 while on a cross-country road trip near Potrero, near the border with Mexico. 

Kovrizhnykh, who also goes by the name Angel Volnaya, was reported missing on July 12 by a friend, according to the San Diego Sheriff’s Office. 

The Florida native left her mother an eerie final message including a photograph of a letter and GPS coordinates from Potrero. 

The letter told her mother to take possession of her personal assets, according to a National Missing and Unidentified Persons System post.

One week later, Kovrizhnykh’s Jeep Grand Cherokee and camper trailer were found abandoned in Potrero. 

‘We believe she was just kind of touring the country and she left her vehicle in Potrero and never came back to her vehicle,’ Sergeant Jacob Klepach told KNSD. 

‘We don’t really have any belief one way or another at this point if there is foul play involved or if she just strictly voluntarily left.’

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Feds Charge Somalis with Massive $8.4 Million Medicaid Fraud

The U.S. attorney in Minnesota announced charges against eight Somali migrants connected to $8.4 million in Medicaid billing fraud hidden inside a state-funded housing program.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Thompson announced Thursday that an investigation found that the eight suspects provided Medicaid with long lists of “clients” who they claimed to have worked with to enroll into Minnesota’s Housing Stabilization Service and billed Medicaid for this work. But, investigators say that no such work was ever performed and the clients were fictional.

The HSS fraud only adds to the growing number of fraudulent and mismanaged state programs, including the hundreds of autism clinics that wasted tens of millions in state tax dollars, and the $250 million fraud in a coronavirus relief program that was supposed to pay for food for children.

“Most of these individuals did not receive the stable housing they so desperately needed,” Thompson said during a Thursday press conference said. “The money was just simply stolen.”

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