FIRST ON THE DAILY SIGNAL—A new letter from Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., puts federal health agencies on notice that he plans to subpoena unredacted records withheld by the Biden administration on potential adverse effects of the COVID-19 vaccines.  “It appears that even in the waning days of the Biden administration, your agencies will remain defiant in providing the public with complete information about the COVID-19 vaccines,” writes Johnson, incoming chairman of the Senate’s Permanent Select Subcommittee on Investigations, in the Dec. 5 letter shared with The Daily Signal. “If it becomes necessary to subpoena these and other requested records in the next Congress when I become chairman of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, I will do so,” the Wisconsin Republican adds.  Johnson’s letter went to Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra; Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Robert Califf; and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Dr. Mandy Cohen. (CDC and FDA are agencies within the Department of Health and Human Services.) All three public health officials likely will be replaced shortly after President-elect Donald Trump takes office.  In 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Health requested data from officials with the CDC and FDA about adverse reactions to COVID-19 vaccines. Israeli health officials cited their concerns about heart conditions, myocarditis, and pericarditis in individuals who got a shot.  However, government documents released on the matter have been heavily redacted. “As a result of your agencies’ excessive redactions and incomplete productions, the complete account of how your agencies reviewed and analyzed the concerning health information from the Israeli Ministry of Health remains unclear,” Johnson writes in his letter to the HHS, CDC, and FDA officials.  The senator requested unredacted documents regarding the Israeli officials’ concerns as well as data on the COVID-19 vaccines.  “Your agencies’ lack of transparency is unacceptable,” Johnson tells the three Biden administration officials in the letter. “The public deserves the complete truth about your agencies’ awareness of and lack of response to the glaring health risks associated with the COVID-19 vaccines.” Johnson’s nine-page letter includes images of records and over 40 pages of enclosures demonstrating the heavily redacted documents he seeks information about. JohnsonLetter-2024-12-05 RHJ to HHS FDA CDC re COVID-19 vaccine documentsDownload After Republicans won a majority in the Senate in the Nov. 5 election, Johnson wrote to request that the three public health agencies produce other documents by Dec. 3. The agencies ignored his Nov. 19 request, perhaps because Johnson was still a ranking GOP member in the Democratic majority and not a chairman with the authority to compel production of records.  Spokespersons from the HHS, CDC, and FDA did not respond to inquiries from The Daily Signal for this story.  Johnson’s Dec. 5 letter includes a detailed timeline noting on Feb. 28, 2021, that CDC and FDA officials were notified about a request from the Israeli Ministry of Health for reports of young people contracting myocarditis after receiving Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine.  On March 3, 2021, less than two months after President Joe Biden was sworn in, the Israeli Ministry of Health notified CDC again about reports of “a large number of myocarditis and pericarditis cases in young individuals.” The age range later was specified to be 16 to 30. A memo dated March 10, 2021, from Dr. Tom Shimabukuro, a member of the Biden administration’s COVID-19 Vaccine Task Force, says: “The [Israeli] Ministry of Health stated they received reports of around 40 cases of this adverse event. They did not provide additional details about these cases.” The CDC’s March 10 response to Israel’s health officials says adverse conditions were found in only an “estimated 0.7 per million doses of vaccine administered.”  But, the CDC response notes, “limitations of passive surveillance such as under-reporting, lack of a control group, [and] missing and incomplete data make it challenging to assess causation.” By April 2021, the Israeli Ministry of Health had sent slides to the CDC and FDA, stating that “by the end of March 2021, 5.2 million Israelis received the first dose of the vaccine and 4.8 million received a second dose.” The Israeli agency added: “The incidence of myocarditis following dose 1 was 1.1 per million, and 11.7 per million following dose 2—a 964% increase in incidence between the two.” The Permanent Select Subcommittee on Investigations, which Johnson is expected to chair when the new Republican majority takes over Jan. 3, is part of the Senate Homeland and Governmental Affairs Committee.  Any member of Congress may request documents from an executive branch agency, but only a committee or subcommittee majority has the subpoena power to compel the production of information.  The post EXCLUSIVE: Sen. Ron Johnson Poised to Compel HHS to Cough Up COVID Documents appeared first on The Daily Signal.

Two dozen FBI confidential sources were part of the crowd outside the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and four of those informants illegally entered the building, according to a new report by the Department of Justice’s Office of Inspector General.  Another 13 of the 26 confidential human sources were in restricted areas around the Capitol that day as lawmakers prepared to certify the results of the 2020 presidential election, the report by the DOJ’s internal watchdog found.  “None of the CHSs [confidential human sources] who entered the Capitol or a restricted area has been prosecuted to date,” the report from Inspector General Michael Horowitz says. “The WFO [the FBI’s Washington Field Office] did not know that a total of 26 CHSs would be in DC for the events of January 6 because only four field offices had informed the WFO or FBI Headquarters that CHSs under the relevant field office’s jurisdiction—5 CHSs in total—would be traveling to DC on January 6.” The electoral certification of Joe Biden’s win over incumbent Donald Trump in the presidential race was delayed by the Jan. 6 protest when a mob breached the Capitol.  As a result, the Justice Department has prosecuted nearly 1,500 defendants, almost all of whom were charged either with illegally entering the Capitol or entering a restricted area around the Capitol. The Justice Department has said it charged over 500 with assault, resisting arrest, or impeding police officers.  “We determined that of the 26 CHSs [confidential human sources] who were in DC on January 6 in connection with the events of January 6, four entered the Capitol during the riot; an additional 13 entered the restricted area around the Capitol, which was a security perimeter established in preparation for the January 6 Electoral Certification; and nine neither entered a restricted area nor entered the Capitol or otherwise engaged in illegal activity,” the DOJ inspector general’s report says. The IG report comes one day after FBI Director Christopher Wray announced he is resigning from his position before President-elect Donald Trump takes office. Members of Congress have raised questions about the roles played by FBI informants leading up to the breach of the Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, by some of the protesters who walked there after hearing Trump speak on the Ellipse south of the White House.  Marcus Allen, an FBI employee who raised questions about FBI informants at the Capitol that day, was suspended without pay.  The report from Horowitz released Thursday also says that only three of the 26 confidential human sources were authorized by the FBI’s Washington Field Office to attend the Jan. 6 protest.  “In addition to these three CHSs, we found that 23 other FBI CHSs were in DC on January 6 in connection with the events planned for January 6,” the report says. “None of these FBI CHSs were authorized to enter the Capitol or a restricted area, or to otherwise break the law on January 6, nor was any CHS directed by the FBI to encourage others to commit illegal acts on January 6.” The Office of Inspector General recommended that, in the future, the FBI “clearly define a mechanism for making a formal determination whether and what kind of a nationwide intelligence and CHS canvass is necessary and appropriate under FBI policies; and provide sufficient guidance to ensure that relevant intelligence can be timely shared among the relevant FBI components and with non-FBI stakeholders.” The IG’s office announced later in 2021 that it would begin the investigation, but Horowitz said his office “paused” the probe pending the Justice Department’s ongoing criminal investigations. He said his office reinitiated the probe last year. The FBI did not respond to an inquiry from The Daily Signal for this story.  IG-J6-CHSDownload The post 26 FBI Informants Were at Capitol on Jan. 6, Investigation Finds appeared first on The Daily Signal.

THE CENTER SQUARE—New York Republicans are calling on Gov. Kathy Hochul to fire Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg following his failed prosecution of Daniel Penny over Jordan Neely’s chokehold death.  On Monday, a 12-member Manhattan jury found the ex-Marine not guilty in a verdict that came after days of jury deliberations and courtroom wrangling. Penny was cleared of criminally negligent homicide in Neely’s death after a more serious manslaughter charge was dismissed last week because the jury was deadlocked. But the decision by Bragg’s office to prosecute the case is drawing calls for him to resign or be removed from office, with critics arguing that the prosecution was politically motivated.  “Alvin Bragg has failed in his responsibilities to enforce the law and keep New Yorkers safe. Sadly, he has engaged in political prosecutions on numerous cases, including once and future President Donald Trump, Daniel Penny, and Jose Alba,” Rep. Mike Lawler, R-N.Y., posted on social media. “He should be removed from office immediately.” [Editor’s note: Alba, then 61, was the Harlem bodega clerk who in July 2022 made international headlines when he fatally stabbed a violent customer after being attacked in a dispute over chips, the New York Post reported.] New York City Councilman Bob Holden, a Queens Democrat and chair of the council’s Common Sense Caucus, said Bragg “demonstrates contempt for reality and common sense—pursuing heroes like Daniel Penny while allowing criminals to roam our streets.”  “For the sake of New Yorkers, the governor must remove him,” Holden said in a statement. “This cannot continue.” Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman called Penny a “hero” and praised the 12-member jury for seeing through “the political nonsense” to find him not guilty.  Bragg hasn’t addressed the calls for him to resign, but issued a statement after the verdict saying his office simply “followed the facts and the evidence” in the case and accepted the jury’s decision. But the criticism of Bragg echoed far beyond New York City, with Republican lawmakers from other states weighing in on the controversial prosecutor’s tenure, including his criminal prosecution of Trump, which resulted in his conviction on 34 felony charges.  Rep. Chip Roy, R-Texas, told Fox Business on Sunday that he wants the incoming Trump administration’s Department of Justice to investigate “civil rights abuses” against Penny by the DA’s office to “hold New York accountable.” “You can’t do this to American heroes,” Roy said. “The fact that an American jury stood against the crazy, tyrannical lawlessness of the New York prosecutor’s office, and Alvin Bragg, and stood up and said that this man, this American hero, should be let free. God bless. That means things are heading in the right direction.” To be sure, Bragg has long been the target of Republicans and other critics who argue that he has taken a soft-on-crime approach and selectively prosecuted high-profile cases to win headlines.  However, New York City Mayor Eric Adams bristled at the suggestion that Hochul should use her executive powers to remove Bragg from office, noting that Bragg was elected by the city’s voters. “The people voted for the district attorney,” Adams told reporters. “We have a process, and I am totally against using mechanisms to overstep the boundaries of the electeds.” Originally published by The Center Square The post Bragg Faces Calls to Quit After ‘Political Prosecution’ of NYC Subway Hero appeared first on The Daily Signal.

President Joe Biden released a list of 39 pardons and 1,499 commutations of sentences Thursday, setting the record for presidential clemencies in a single day. The White House described the majority of those pardoned as having committed “nonviolent drug offenses.” The list did not go into detail on specific crimes. The pardon list includes Mikhail Zemlyansky, a Long Island, N.Y., man who committed a $35 million fraud. New York City’s WNBC-TV reported prosecutors called it “the largest single no-fault car insurance fraud scheme ever prosecuted.” John Paul Garcia’s name also appears on the list. The Las Vegas Optic’s jail log from July 26 reports Garcia was booked into the San Miguel County Detention Center for battery on a household member, despite the White House describing his crime as a “nonviolent offense.” The full list of pardons and commutations can be found here. The president is reportedly considering issuing preemptive pardons to President-elect Donald Trump’s political opponents, some of whom could include Dr. Anthony Fauci and former Rep. Liz Cheney, R-Wyo. “America was built on the promise of possibility and second chances,” Biden said in a White House press release.  “As president, I have the great privilege of extending mercy to people who have demonstrated remorse and rehabilitation, restoring opportunity for Americans to participate in daily life and contribute to their communities, and taking steps to remove sentencing disparities for nonviolent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offenses.” Trump promised he is “going to be acting very quickly” to pardon those imprisoned from the Jan. 6 protests in an interview with NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday. Joe Biden on Dec. 1 granted his son, Hunter, a “full and unconditional pardon” for every federal offense that Hunter committed or may have committed from Jan. 1, 2014, through Dec. 1 of this year. That reneged on the promise the elder Biden made multiple times that he would not pardon his son. Biden concluded his statement on Thursday’s clemency list by stating “my administration will continue reviewing clemency petitions” over the coming weeks. He leaves office on Jan. 20. The post Biden Nullifies Crimes in Biggest Day of Clemency to Date appeared first on The Daily Signal.

“I love the fashion sense of Melania Trump. I love the fashion sense of Michelle Obama. I love the idea that these iconic women did something for America, whether good or bad or influential.  I love all of them.”  That’s what self-described gay Asian American celebrity fashion designer Andre Soriano told The Daily Signal about his new designs more than a month after the tiny town of Occoquan, Virginia, forced him to take down Trump-for-president signs from his storefront, Fox Business reported.  Soriano is the designer of the iconic “Make America Great Again” gown that singer-songwriter Joy Villa wore at the 2017 Grammy Awards at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, drawing considerable national attention, along with controversy and death threats, according to Fox Business.   Conservative pro-Trump singer Joy Villa models an updated version of Soriano’s MAGA dress on the steps of the CrystalView Weddings & Events venue at Glitz and Glamour: A Charity Gala in Fairfax, Virginia, on Nov. 22. (Binh Le/BK Photography) “As an American designer, you know, I designed for all people of humanity,” Soriano told The Daily Signal. “When I made a Trump dress, I felt like I was kind of, just like … pushed aside by half of Americans because of my support for President Trump.” “And essentially, this is how I can weave the country together,” he continued. “I designed for Democrats, Republicans, pink, red, blue, and all feminists, and all women of this great nation and the world.” Soriano says he doesn’t like being treated as an outcast by some due to his personal political beliefs.  “I think, in the land of the free, we are allowed for freedom of artistic expression, regardless,” he said. “You know, that’s why we’re here in America … I believe in our Constitution … . That’s how I feel about it as an Asian American.” Soriano starred in Hollywood’s fashion reality show “Style to Rock,” executive produced by singer Robyn “Rihanna” Fenty. His work has also been featured in renowned fashion magazines, such as Italian Vogue, Vanity Fair, and Elle, and his designs have drawn praise from prominent celebrities such as Miley Cyrus, Courtney Love, Carly Rae Jepsen, and Macy Gray, according to GlitzandGlamour.org. Soriano designed a collection called “FLOTUS,” honoring 25 of the first ladies of the United States. The collection includes the wives of presidents on both sides of the political aisle, not just Republicans or conservatives. Sydney Walters models a dress inspired by former first lady Michelle Obama and designed by Soriano at the Nov. 22 gala in Fairfax, Virginia. (Afshin Amir/Afshin Photos)  That collection was featured at Glitz and Glamour charity gala’s most recent event, partnering with beneficiaries We Will Survive Cancer and Children’s National Hospital.  Join us at The Glitz & Glamour Charity Gala, to celebrate the life of Papa Tom, who we lost to cancer, #CharityGala #WeWillSurviveCancer #andresoriano #fashion #FLOTUSCollection ????Glitz & Glamour: A Charity Gala | Where Elegance Meets Purposehttps://t.co/3POH0MJWpT pic.twitter.com/1khV88foI9— Andre Soriano (@andresoriano) October 13, 2024 Glitz and Glamour is a nonprofit organization dedicated to making a difference and bringing hope to the less fortunate, according to one of its founders, Michelle Nguyen. The three founders of Glitz and Glamour, from left: Mrs. DC America 2022 Gift Thongpia Hughes, Andre Soriano, and Michelle Nguyen pose at the gala. (Binh Le/BK Photography) “We host events that bring people together to have fun, celebrate, and embrace glamour,” Nguyen told The Daily Signal. “But our true focus is supporting nonprofit organizations in maximizing their impact. It’s all about helping those in need.” The first ladies featured in Soriano’s “FLOTUS” collection are Mary Lincoln, Francis Cleveland, Nancy Reagan, Lou Hoover, Edith Wilson, Pat Nixon, Michelle Obama, Lucretia Garfield, Florence Harding, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Rosalynn Carter, Eleanor Roosevelt, Lady Bird Johnson, Bess Truman, Grace Coolidge, Jackie Kennedy, Betty Ford, Mamie Eisenhower, Barbara Bush, Helen Taft, Edith Roosevelt, Lucy Hayes, Dolley Madison, Eliza Johnson, and Melania Trump. A spokeswoman for Soriano explained that the absence of current first lady Jill Biden there was not intended as a slight. “The event was put together so quickly, and the document that Andre was working off had only the first ladies up till Melania 2020, so it wasn’t showing Jill.  The document had pictures of all the previous first ladies in their iconic dresses so Andre could create a modern version of the dresses,” the spokeswoman told The Daily Signal. “Jill also has great fashion. It wasn’t left out intentionally, actually.”  Lucy Denkes models a dress inspired by former first lady Mary Lincoln at the charity gala. (Afshin Amir/Afshin Photos)  Emily Abrom models a dress inspired by former first lady Nancy Reagan at the Nov. 22 event. (Sarosh Mir/Sarosh Photography)   Alexandra Shaye models a dress inspired by former first lady Frances Cleveland at the Glitz and Glamour event. (Sarosh Mir/Sarosh Photography)   “Each first lady represents a cause and a purpose, and all of them did something great in our great nation,” Soriano said. “For instance, … Dolley Madison brought glamour to the White House. All of these women are very important. That’s why I use this as a platform, because they’re very iconic.” Kanruthai “Muk” Thasabu of Thailand, a Miss Universe third runner-up, models a dress inspired by former—and soon to be again—first lady Melania Trump at the gala. (Sarosh Mir/Sarosh Photography)   Soriano said that his next collection will be for men and will be called “The American Dream.” He says it was inspired by, among others, tech giants Bill Gates and Steve Jobs, and President-elect Donald Trump.?  The post MAGA Fashion Designer Aims to ‘Weave the Country Together’ With First Ladies Dress Collection  appeared first on The Daily Signal.