The combined net worth of the most prominent billionaires in the United States would not be enough to pay a single year’s interest payment on America’s ballooning national debt‚ which currently stands at an astonishing $34 trillion. The combined net worth of some of America’s most prominent billionaires‚ Elon Musk‚ Jeff Bezos‚ Mark Zuckerberg‚ Bill Gates‚ Ken Griffin‚ Mark Cuban‚ Ray Dalio‚ and George Soros‚ adds up to approximately $726 billion according to data compiled by the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. Meanwhile‚ the net interest on our national debt is currently at $730.8 billion‚ dwarfing the sum for previous years. Interest payments on the United State’s national debt have risen sharply in recent years and remain on track to continue increasing. Net interest payments on the national debt hit a whopping $659 billion in fiscal year 2023‚ marking a massive 39% jump from 2022‚ when the government paid $475 billion in interest on the national debt. The comparison signifies that increased taxation suggested by Democrats isn’t a viable path towards erasing the national debt‚ especially as interest payments pile up. The United States collected $4.4 trillion in federal taxes in fiscal year 2023‚ up from $4.19 trillion in fiscal year 2022‚ yet the debt increased by more than $2 trillion. The ANNUAL INTEREST on the National Debt is now $730‚000‚000‚000+ (BILLION) If Feds stole every penny from combined net worth of @elonmusk‚ @JeffBezos‚ @BillGates‚ Zuckerberg‚ Ken Griffin‚ Ray Dalio‚ George Soros &; @mcuban … It wouldn't fulfill one INTEREST payment! pic.twitter.com/Mh3SQ3zPzK — Rob Lockwood (@RobLockwood) January 16‚ 2024 The debt interest payments continued to spike in October 2023‚ the first month of fiscal year 2024‚ when the government paid $76 billion on the national debt interest. The figure marked a shocking 77% increase from October 2022 when the government paid $43 billion on the interest. Interest payments on the national debt are poised to reach an astonishing $1.4 trillion in just under a decade in fiscal year 2033‚ surging even higher to a projected $5.4 trillion in fiscal year 2053. The projected growth does not just mark an increase in raw numbers‚ but also an increase relative to the size of the American economy. While the payments in fiscal year 2022 accounted for 1.9% of the United States gross domestic product (GDP)‚ they are projected to account for 3.2% and 6.7% of GDP in 2030 and 2053 respectively.  The national debt itself is also set to reach new highs in coming years‚ currently on a trajectory to reach over $46 trillion by 2028 at a ratio of over $300‚000 in debt for every American taxpayer.

Following former President Donald Trump’s dominant win in the Iowa caucuses on Monday‚ the GOP primary now shifts to New Hampshire‚ where Trump holds a smaller lead in the polls.  The most recent polls of the Granite State show Trump in the lead by an average of 13 points‚ according to Real Clear Politics‚ suggesting the New Hampshire primary will be a far more competitive race than Iowa‚ where Trump blew out his GOP opponents by nearly 30 points and won in 98 of the state’s 99 counties.   According to the RCP average of New Hampshire polls‚ Trump stands at 44.5%‚ and former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley is at 31.3%. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis‚ who finished in second place in Iowa‚ is polling just under 6% in New Hampshire‚ the RCP average shows‚ as he remains behind former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie and tech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy‚ who have both dropped out of the race.  The most recent poll‚ conducted by the Boston Globe/Suffolk this week‚ shows Trump nearing his numbers in Iowa‚ hitting 50%‚ while Haley places second at 34%. DeSantis was in a distant third in the state‚ taking just 5% of the vote. The Haley campaign remains hopeful for an upset in the first-in-the-nation primary‚ however‚ pointing to a CNN/UNH poll conducted earlier this month that shows the former U.S. ambassador to the U.N. just seven points behind Trump‚ trailing him 32% to 39%.  The CNN/UNH poll also showed that Haley is the most to benefit from Christie’s decision to suspend his campaign. Sixty-five percent of voters in New Hampshire who picked Christie as their first choice back Haley as their second option‚ according to the poll.  Trump’s 51% in Iowa was just 1.5 percentage points shy of his RCP average in the polls leading up to the caucuses. Meanwhile‚ DeSantis’ support in Iowa was slightly underestimated by the polls as the Florida governor took second place with 21.2% while the RCP average had him at 15.7%. The RCP average for Haley was spot on with the actual result in the Iowa caucuses as she finished at 19.1%‚ just three-tenths of a percent higher than her average‚ according to RCP.  Trump’s win in Iowa has convinced more Republicans that the former president will be the nominee heading into the 2024 election and a potential rematch with President Joe Biden. Ramaswamy‚ who received nearly 8% of the vote in Iowa on Monday‚ endorsed Trump and appeared with the former president at an event in New Hampshire on Tuesday. Trump also received the endorsement of Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) after his win in Iowa.  CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “I’m a big believer in letting democracy play out‚” Cruz said on Tuesday. “Well‚ last night it played out and I gotta say‚ Trump’s victory was across the board‚ he won 51% of the vote‚ he won 98 of the counties. Congratulations to President Trump on that dominating victory. And at this point‚ I believe this race is over. So I am proud to endorse Donald Trump for President of the United States. I look forward to supporting him enthusiastically because I think it’s time for the Republican Party to unite‚ for us to come together.”

A South Carolina state judge has placed limitations on convicted murderer Alex Murdaugh’s defense that will make it more difficult for him to get a new murder trial. Former South Carolina Supreme Court Justice Jean Toal ruled on Tuesday that Murdaugh’s defense attorneys will be limited in what they can ask witnesses and set a high burden of proof regarding Murdaugh’s claims that Colleton County Clerk of Court Becky Hill unduly influenced jurors‚ the Associated Press reported. At issue is whether Hill had improper communications with jurors during Murdaugh’s trial last year‚ and if she did‚ whether those communications created a bias or prejudice that influenced the outcome of the trial‚ KATU 2 reported. Toal said this week she would not ask about other accusations against Hill‚ including claims that she plagiarized parts of her book on the Murdaugh case or misused public funds. Toal also implied she would not admit many of Hill’s emails as evidence. “I’m very‚ very reluctant to turn this hearing about juror contact into a wholesale exploration about every piece of conduct by the clerk alleged to have been improper on its own‚ indicative of her characteristics or personality‚ or anything of that nature‚” Toal said‚ according to the AP. “This is not the trial of Ms. Hill‚” she added. Hill has denied most of the allegations against her‚ and state police are investigating whether her actions amount to jury tampering and whether she misused her office. She has not been charged with any crimes. Her attorneys have acknowledged that Hill sent reporting from a BBC journalist to her co-author‚ implying that it was “her own words.” The original judge in Murdaugh’s trial‚ Clifton Newman‚ is not overseeing the appeals process‚ and Toal said she would not seek testimony from him. Murdaugh’s attorneys‚ Dick Harpootlian and Jim Griffin‚ filed a pre-trial earlier this month arguing that they don’t have to prove that Hill influenced the jury into finding Murdaugh guilty of killing his wife‚ Maggie‚ and youngest son Paul. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “Mr. Murdaugh does not need to show actual bias on the part of any juror to obtain a new trial.” his attorneys wrote‚ according to the New York Post. “If Mr. Murdaugh proves his allegation that Ms. Hill communicated with the jury about the evidence presented by the defense during his murder trial‚ South Carolina and federal law require that Mr. Murdaugh receive a new trial‚ irrespective of whether the court believes the outcome of the trial would have been the same had Ms. Hill’s jury tampering not occurred.” However‚ state prosecutors argued in their pre-trial filing that Murdaugh’s defense attorneys have to prove Hill’s communications swayed the jury. A jury found Murdaugh guilty of murder on March 2‚ and he was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. Evidentiary hearings regarding Murdaugh’s appeal begin on January 29.

According to Sky News Arabia‚ an official from the U.S. Defense Department informed them that the Houthis in Yemen have prepared plans to target American bases in the Arab region. مسؤول في وزارة الدفاع الأميركية لـسكاي نيوز عربية: الحوثيون في اليمن أعدّوا خططًا لاستهداف القواعد الأميركية في المنطقة العربية — سكاي نيوز عربية-عاجل (@SkyNewsArabia_B) January 17‚ 2024   The Houthis were delisted as a terrorist organization by the Biden Administration in February 2021‚ only one month after former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo put them on the terrorist list. Reports on Tuesday indicated the Biden administration will re-designate the Houthis as “global terrorists.” “The new SDGT designation‚ which will come into force in 30 days‚ will also bar people and companies in the U.S. from offering any support to the Houthis‚” the BBC reported. The record of Houthi military aggression goes back years. In 2014‚ the group seized a large swath of the northern part of Yemen‚ including the capital‚ Sana’a‚ with the help of Iran‚ while the government fled. In March 2015‚ Saudi Arabia led a coalition to restore the government. On November 10‚ 2021‚ the Houthis invaded the U.S. embassy in Sana’a‚ which had been closed because of the war‚ and looted it. In January 2022‚ the Houthis launched two ballistic missiles at Al-Dhafra Air Base in Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates‚ where 2‚000 American troops were located. The troops had to go in bunkers and launched Patriot missiles in response. “The combined efforts successfully prevented both missiles from impacting the base‚” Navy Capt. Bill Urban‚ a spokesperson for U.S. Central Command‚ stated. The Houthis now control the majority of Yemen. They have been accused of weaponizing water by placing landmines in and near water infrastructure and facilities in their war against the government. Since November they have been firing drones and missiles as they attacked merchant vessels and commercial tankers traveling through the Red Sea. The U.S. and U.K. launched airstrikes against Houthi targets last week‚ which were supported by Australia‚ Bahrain‚ Canada‚ and the Netherlands. U.S. Central Command acknowledged on Tuesday that U.S. forces seized “Iranian-made ballistic missile and cruise missiles components‚” including “propulsion‚ guidance‚ and warheads for Houthi medium range ballistic missiles (MRBMs) and anti-ship cruise missiles (ASCMs)‚ as well as air defense associated components” intended for the Houthis. U.S. Central Command said the weapons matched the ones the Houthis have been using in their attacks.

An Idaho judge has ruled that prosecutors must turn over “a portion” of the genetic genealogy evidence used to link a 29-year-old man to the killings of four University of Idaho students in 2022. The suspect‚ who is not being named by The Daily Wire due to a policy on mass killers‚ has been arguing with the court to have prosecutors turn over investigative genetic genealogy (IGG) for months. Last week‚ District Court Judge John Judge ordered prosecutors to turn over some of that evidence‚ Newsweek reported. “The court has now completed its review of the information provided by the state and orders the state to discover to the defense a portion of the IGG information‚” Judge ruled‚ according to the outlet. “The specific material to be provided is set forth in a sealed order to protect the privacy of the IGG information‚ including individuals on the family tree.” The suspect’s attorneys are seeking to discredit the DNA evidence‚ which linked the suspect to the crimes. The suspect has been charged with four counts of murder and one count of burglary relating to the killing of Ethan Chapin‚ 20; Kaylee Goncalves‚ 21; Xana Kernodle‚ 20; and Madison Mogen‚ 21‚ in the early morning hours of November 13‚ 2022‚ in the college town of Moscow. Prosecutors have argued that they didn’t need to turn over detailed information about how genetic genealogy was used to link the suspect to the crimes since a DNA sample provided by the suspect directly matched DNA found on a knife sheath found at the crime scene. The genetic genealogy wouldn’t be used at trial‚ prosecutors argued. Once police had their suspect‚ they tracked him to his parents’ house in Pennsylvania and collected garbage from the trash cans outside. They obtained DNA that partially matched the DNA collected from the knife sheath‚ indicating they had the DNA of the suspect’s father. Collecting DNA from the suspect later directly linked him to the sheath. The sheath was found on a bed next to Goncalves and Mogen’s bodies‚ partially under one of them. The type of knife the sheath held would have been consistent with the knife used to murder the four victims. Anne Taylor‚ the defense attorney‚ has repeatedly argued that the prosecution had not provided full DNA information from the crime‚ CBS News reported. CLICK HERE TO GET THE DAILYWIRE+ APP “They have provided full DNA discovery for the sheath‚ the knife sheath‚ but not the other three unidentified male DNA samples‚” she told the judge in August‚ referring to DNA from three men she said was found at the off-campus residence in Moscow‚ Idaho. Prosecutors countered at the time by saying they had turned over everything they had. “We have given the defense everything that we have received from the lab. They’ve asked for DNA work-ups on other people. To the extent that they don’t have them‚ they weren’t done‚” Latah County Prosecuting Attorney Bill Thompson argued. “We can’t produce something that doesn’t exist.” In July‚ the suspect’s defense attorneys claimed that their client’s DNA may have been planted at the scene by police but could not explain why he would have been targeted for the crime. In a June court filing‚ the suspect’s other attorney‚ Jay Weston Logsdon‚ filed a motion objecting to the prosecutor’s attempts to avoid turning over a detailed breakdown of how authorities used genetic genealogy to link the accused to the murders. Logsdon wrote in the motion that investigators found DNA from three other men in the off-campus residence where Chapin‚ Goncalves‚ Kernodle‚ and Mogen‚ were murdered. DNA from two men was found inside the house‚ while DNA from a third man was found outside the home on a glove‚ the filing says‚ according to Inside Edition. None of the three reported samples match the suspect’s DNA‚ though it is unknown when this particular DNA was left at the home‚ which was the location of frequent parties. The suspect and his attorney say these DNA samples were never run through the national DNA database to find a match.

Singer Enkh-Erdene stunned the audience with his incredible performance on the AGT: Fantasy League stage. However‚ it wasn’t just his gorgeous voice that wowed the crowd‚ but also his choice of song. This former Mongolia’s Got Talent winner delivered a spot-on cover of Friends in Low Places by country star Garth Brooks. Enkh-Erdene sang with all the swagger of a cowboy‚ even though he doesn’t actually speak English! Heidi Klum couldn’t have been prouder to have the talented singer on her team as the audience cheered him on. She even donned a cowboy hat during the cover! The other judges were floored by Enkh-Erdene’s performance‚ as was AGT host Terry Crews. “I was not expecting that!” he exclaimed. However‚ there was one judge who almost didn’t believe that what he was hearing was real. Howie Mandel was skeptical of the perfect Garth Brooks cover that Enkh-Erdene delivered on AGT. “Is he lip-synching?” the judge asked‚ adding‚ “How would you even know this kind of music?” “It’s called the internet‚” Simon Cowell replied. Screengrab from Facebook We’ve seen so many acts on this show‚ it’s amazing that there are still performers out there who can take us by surprise. Great job‚ Enkh-Erdene; we can’t wait to see what else you have in store for us on “AGT.” You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post “Is He Lip-Syncing?” Mongolian Singer Shocks AGT Audience With Unexpected Voice. appeared first on InspireMore.

A band called Arizona made a little girl’s first concert magical when they brought her on stage to sing along with them. The pop-rockers are getting plenty of fanfare following a post on TikTok. It shows a young lady named Chloe getting VIP treatment after the musicians noticed she was holding a sign that read‚ “This is my first concert. I love Arizona. I’m freaking out!” TikTok After spotting her‚ the lead singer‚ Zach Hannah‚ paused his show to bring attention to the lady of the hour. He realized why the event was so special for her. Despite being in a band‚ he admitted that he’d only been to four or five concerts in his life. Chloe was lucky enough to have a front-row spot‚ which Zach knew was even more epic. Every time he went to a show‚ he was tucked away in the back. @arizona “Just be yourself” — thank you for making everyone’s night Chloe #livemusic #liveshow #concert #concerts #altpop #popmusic #electronic #alternative #live #liveconcert ♬ original sound – A R I Z O N A “I have no idea what it’s like‚” he told Chloe with a smile. “Is it cool?” Chloe—beaming with excitement—nodded “yes.” Zach took the sign and wrote‚ “We love you‚ Chloe‚” and the crowd joined in to make the little girl’s night even better. TikTok Chloe Helps Arizona Then Offers the Band and Audience a Bit of Advice Everyone started chanting “Chloe‚ Chloe‚ Chloe” while clapping in rhythm. With that‚ Arizona invited her on stage to help the band sing their hit Oceans Away. The happy little girl and Zach crooned the lyrics and danced while their fans waved their phones in the air and helped sing along. TikTok When they finished the duet‚ Zach asked Chloe to share her best piece of advice with the crowd. So she did‚ and it was the most wholesome advice a kid could offer. “Just be yourself‚” she said into the microphone. Watch the video above to see the heartfelt experience‚ and don’t forget to share to help Chloe feel like even more of a star! TikTok You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Band Makes Little Girl’s First Concert The Most Memorable Ever! appeared first on InspireMore.

Raising a child is never easy‚ but it can be especially trying from birth to the one-year mark. When you live in an apartment complex with a baby‚ your chances of neighbor complaints rise exponentially. Knowing how to be a good neighbor despite the increased noise emanating from your abode can be a tightrope walk. One couple found a way to be neighborly and allow their toddler to be a toddler. The clever couple crafted a note to their neighbors explaining their current child-rearing problems. The humorous and well-worded note warned the neighbors of the potential for loud crying. The shift came when the couple opted to begin “cry-it-out” training their child. This method serves to teach a child to soothe themself at night rather than needing a parent to rock or cuddle them to sleep. This method is harder on parents (and neighbors) than it is on children. As a baby learns to sleep on their own‚ crying is a natural side effect. Image from Pexels. The apologetic letter begins‚ “Apartment 207 here. I regret to inform you that we have begun sleep training our son.” It continues to explain that their son is experiencing “the dreaded 4-month sleep regression” and that they are ready to commence with drastic measures‚ meaning the cry-it-out method. Image from Pexels. Urging the neighbors to ignore the crying. They added that they were also crying (and going insane). The test period would be four days‚ with a week or two break before recommencing. Understanding of their plight was requested. There was an offer of a shot of tequila to mend the neighborly friendship if necessary. They added‚ “It’s cheap tequila but it will calm your nerves‚ it’s been tested and proven to work by yours truly.” Image from TikTok. The entire letter was an apologetic masterpiece. These folks really understand how to neighbor! There was a quick request to “keep us in your prayers and turn the TV volume up.” The couple added an offer to reciprocate with milk‚ sugar‚ or eggs. They revisited the offer of tequila and ended the neighbor note by signing it‚ “tired and sorry neighbors.” If you enjoyed this story‚ please share it with other parents or neighbors. You can find the source of this story’s featured image here. The post Courteous Neighbor Leaves Perfect Note When They Start Sleep Training Their Toddler. appeared first on InspireMore.

'She is unlikely to return to public duties until after Easter'

Calling all Patriots!