Category: Security

New information released by the federal government shows that over 3.4 million acres of United States agricultural land was purchased by foreigners in 2022.

In a recent report, the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) stated, “Foreign persons held an interest in over 43.4 million acres of U.S. agricultural land as of December 31, 2022. This is 3.4 percent of all privately held agricultural land and nearly 2 percent of all land in the United States.”

According to The Daily Wire, while foreign ownership of U.S. farmland has traditionally been minimal, the purchase of U.S. farmland by other countries has increased significantly over the past several years.

Noting the recent increase, the USDA wrote, “Foreign holdings of U.S. agricultural land increased modestly from 2012 through 2017, increasing an average of 0.6 million per year. Since 2017, foreign holdings have increased an average of nearly 2.9 million acres annually, ranging from 2.4 million acres to over 3.4 million acres per year.”

According to the USDA’s report, foreign entities purchased over half a million acres in Alabama and Colorado and almost half a million acres in Michigan. The report indicated that a third of the land was purchased by Canadian entities, with entities in the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and Italy also purchasing notable amounts of U.S. farmland.

“China held 349,442 acres, which is slightly less than 1 percent of foreign-held acres,” the report said. The USDA also noted, “There is considerable interest in this topic.”

READ MORE: Red state orders Chinese company to sell US farmland

The release of the USDA’s report comes just after Congress approved the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2022, which is expected to be signed by President Joe Biden. According to The Daily Wire, the final version of the bill removed amendments from both the House of Representatives and the Senate that would have made it harder for foreigners to purchase U.S. agricultural land.

While Congress ultimately moved away from the provisions that would have restricted the purchase of American farmland by foreign countries, The Daily Wire noted that concerns regarding the increase of foreign countries purchasing U.S. land have been raised by both Republicans and Democrats.

In a statement to The Daily Wire, Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Ark) warned that the United States “can’t allow this to continue.”

“At best, this serves the interests of the companies and other countries, not America’s,” Cotton stated. “At worst, these purchases undermine our security.”

Sen. John Fetterman (D-Pa.) previously raised concerns regarding foreign countries, particularly China, purchasing U.S. farmland. During a Senate Committee on Agriculture meeting in September, Fetterman said, “I hope many of our colleagues agree, the Chinese government and other U.S. adversaries should own zero, zero agricultural land in our country.”

Republican presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy pledged Tuesday night to withdraw from the Colorado Republican primary ballot after the state’s Supreme Court ruled that former President Donald Trump was disqualified from the 2024 ballot for refusing to accept the previous election results and for his alleged role in the Capitol Hill protest on January 6, 2021.

Sharing a video that quickly went viral on social media, Ramaswamy wrote, “I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley do the same immediately – or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous consequences for our country.”

I pledge to withdraw from the Colorado GOP primary ballot until Trump is also allowed to be on the ballot, and I demand that Ron DeSantis, Chris Christie, and Nikki Haley do the same immediately – or else they are tacitly endorsing this illegal maneuver which will have disastrous… pic.twitter.com/qbpNf9L3ln

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 20, 2023

Prior to the release of his video, Ramaswamy released a lengthy statement on X, criticizing the Colorado Supreme Court for removing Trump from the ballot.

“This is what an *actual* attack on democracy looks like: in an un-American, unconstitutional, and *unprecedented* decision, a cabal of Democrat judges are barring Trump from the ballot in Colorado,” Ramaswamy stated. “Having tried every trick in the book to eliminate President Trump from running in this election, the bipartisan Establishment is now deploying a new tactic to bar him from ever holding office again: the 14th Amendment.”

This is what an *actual* attack on democracy looks like: in an un-American, unconstitutional, and *unprecedented* decision, a cabal of Democrat judges are barring Trump from the ballot in Colorado. Having tried every trick in the book to eliminate President Trump from running in…

— Vivek Ramaswamy (@VivekGRamaswamy) December 19, 2023

In a 4-3 decision announced Tuesday night, the Colorado Supreme Court ruled that Section 3 of the 14th Amendment disqualified Trump from running again for public office. According to The Associated Press, Tuesday’s ruling was the first time a presidential candidate had been disqualified on the basis of Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

Ramaswamy argued that Tuesday’s ruling is simply the “latest election interference tactic” that is meant to “silence political opponents” and influence the election for “whatever puppet the Democrats put up this time.” The 2024 Republican presidential candidate claimed that the ruling deprives Americans of the “right to vote for their candidate of choice.”

READ MORE: Trump disqualified from state’s 2024 race

“The Framers of the 14th Amendment would be appalled to see this narrow provision—intended to bar former U.S. officials who switched to the Confederacy from seeking public office—being weaponized by a sitting President and his political allies to prevent a former President from seeking reelection,” Ramaswamy added. “Our country is becoming unrecognizable to our Founding Fathers.”

While Ramaswamy pledged to withdraw his name from the ballot in Colorado’s GOP primary if Trump’s name is not restored to the ballot, the other Republican presidential candidates did not share the same response; however, each of the candidates also expressed their disagreement with the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision.

Speaking at a campaign event Tuesday night, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie said, “I do not believe Donald Trump should be prevented from being president of the United States by any court. I think he should be prevented from being president of the United States by the voters of this country. That’s what I think, and I don’t believe that it’s good for our country if he’s precluded from the ballot by a court.”

Former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley made a similar statement, suggesting, “We don’t need to have judges making these decisions, we need voters to make these decisions.”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, while not mentioning Trump directly, warned, “The Left invokes ‘democracy’ to justify its use of power, even if it means abusing judicial power to remove a candidate from the ballot based on spurious legal grounds. SCOTUS should reverse.”

Actor Alec Baldwin engaged in a heated argument Monday night with an anti-Israel protester at a pro-Palestinian march in New York City.

According to TMZ, Monday’s pro-Palestinian protest in Manhattan was organized by Within Our Lifetime, which is a Palestinian-led community organization.

A video shared on X, formerly Twitter, shows the 65-year-old Hollywood actor in the midst of the pro-Palestinian demonstration in a confrontation with an anti-Israel protester.

In the video, the protester can be heard asking Baldwin if he would “condemn Israel” for the actions the country has taken in order to defend itself in the aftermath of the Oct. 7 surprise attacks by Hamas terrorists that caused the deaths of thousands of Israelis. The protester asked, “You work in Hollywood… so do you condemn Israel?”

“You’ve already got your mind made up,” Baldwin responded. The Hollywood actor added, “I’m in Hollywood’s pocket, is that what you say? You ask stupid questions.”

When Baldwin was repeatedly pressed by the protester regarding his answer, the actor shouted, “Ask me a smart question!”

The video footage of the incident shows New York City Police Department officers attempting to escort Baldwin away from the pro-Palestinian protest after his engagement with one of the protesters.

READ MORE: Alec Baldwin may be charged again for fatal shooting on movie set

As police officers attempt to escort Baldwin away from the scene, the protester can be seen shouting at the movie star, demanding Baldwin answer whether or not he would condemn Israel. In response, Baldwin shouted, “Why don’t you shut the f-ck up?”

The video footage also shows Baldwin and his security escort walking away from the protest while multiple protesters shouted profanity and insults at him.

Baldwin later told a protester, “I want peace for Gaza,” while sarcastically telling another protester who was shouting profanity, “You’re really helping your cause.”

According to TMZ, the reason for Baldwin’s appearance at the protest was not immediately clear.

Congress recently approved legislation requiring any future president to receive approval from the Senate or an Act of Congress in order to withdraw the United States from NATO. The legislation was included as part of the 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, which was approved by both the House of Representatives and the Senate.

According to The Hill, the legislation, included as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024, was led by Sens. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) and Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

The Hill reported that the legislation highlights Congress’s firm stance on the importance of the NATO alliance, which has been viewed as an essential alliance since the start of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February of 2022.

“NATO has held strong in response to [Russian President Vladimir] Putin’s war in Ukraine and rising challenges around the world,” Kaine said in a statement obtained by The Hill. Kaine explained that the legislation “reaffirms U.S. support for this crucial alliance that is foundational for our national security. It also sends a strong message to authoritarians around the world that the free world remains united.”

READ MORE: Trump makes bold prediction about Biden; warns president is surrounded by ‘evil’ people

According to Rolling Stone, former President Donald Trump has reportedly had private discussions regarding the possibility of withdrawing the United States from NATO if he is elected president in 2024. The Hill reported that the former president has often been critical of NATO, demanding that other countries besides the United States fulfill their financial obligations to the alliance.

Rubio described the legislation as an important part of congressional oversight, stating, “The Senate should maintain oversight on whether or not our nation withdraws from NATO. We must ensure we are protecting our national interests and protecting the security of our democratic allies.”

While Congress believes it should have oversight regarding the involvement of the United States in NATO, Michael E. O’Hanlon, a Brooking Institution senior fellow, told The Washington Post that there is already precedent for U.S. presidents to withdraw from international treaties without seeking the approval of Congress.

O’Hanlon claimed that a U.S. president “might challenge such an effort and invoke the president’s authorities as commander in chief under Article 2 of the Constitution.” O’Hanlon added, “It would, I think, be uncharted territory if this issue were forced to a confrontation.”

The Colorado Supreme Court released a ruling Tuesday that disqualifies former President Donald Trump from the state’s 2024 ballot. The court’s decision utilized Section 3 of the 14th Amendment to disqualify Trump from running for office.

This is breaking news that will be updated as more information becomes available. Keep reading below.

In its 4-3 decision Tuesday night, the Colorado Supreme Court wrote, “A majority of the court holds that Trump is disqualified from holding the office of president under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.”

According to The Associated Press, the Colorado Supreme Court’s decision is the first time a presidential candidate has been disqualified by Section 3 of the 14th Amendment.

The decision, made by all Democrat-appointed state supreme court justices, quickly received criticism from legal experts and politicians across the country; however, the Colorado Supreme Court claimed that Tuesday’s decision was made carefully.

“We are mindful of the magnitude and weight of the questions now before us,” the Colorado Supreme Court’s majority wrote. “We are likewise mindful of our solemn duty to apply the law, without fear or favor, and without being swayed by public reaction to the decisions that the law mandates we reach.”

According to the Associated Press, the court’s decision is stayed either until Jan. 4 or when the U.S. Supreme Court provides a ruling on the case.

A New York appeals court denied Donald Trump’s bid to overturn a gag order barring him from talking publicly about court employees during the state’s civil fraud trial against the former president.

Trump argued his free speech was being violated by the gag order barring him from publicly talking about the staff of Justice Arthur Engoron, who is overseeing the trial. But an appellate panel ruled Thursday that the potential harm wasn’t sufficient to vacate the order.

“The gravity of potential harm is small, given that the gag order is narrow, limited to prohibiting solely statements regarding the court’s staff,” the panel said in a four-page opinion.

The ruling comes a day after the final witness in the trial testified and Engoron put the case on hold until Jan. 11, when he’ll hear closing arguments. The trial, in which Trump is accused of inflating his assets by billions of dollars to get better terms on loans, is one of six the former president is facing as he campaigns to return to the White House.

The appeals court said Trump jumped the gun by seeking to overturn the gag order through an “extraordinary” motion known as a writ of prohibition, which aims to expedite an appeal by bypassing another ruling from the trial judge.

‘Procedural Purgatory’

“We filed the petition because the ordinary appellate process is essentially pointless in this context as it cannot possibly be completed in time to reverse the ongoing harm,” Trump attorney Chris Kise said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the decision denies President Trump the only path available to expedited relief and places his fundamental constitutional rights in a procedural purgatory.”

Engoron imposed his first gag order at the start of the trial in early October, after Trump made false claims about his law clerk on social media and posted a photograph of her. The judge said the post resulted in a flood of threatening and harassing calls and emails to the judge’s chambers.

Trump was fined twice for violations: $5,000 for failing to remove a copy of the social-media post from his website, and $10,000 for later commenting about the clerk in remarks to the press outside the courtroom.

Engoron later expanded the gag order to include Trump’s lawyers after they made comments about the clerk in court as well.

The same appellate court on Nov. 30 denied Trump’s request to temporarily block the gag order while his challenge played out, reversing another judge who had granted a temporary stay Nov. 16.

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© 2023 Bloomberg L.P

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

The United States and its allies announced a multinational task force Monday that will address the issue of Houthis repeatedly launching attacks from Yemen against commercial vessels in the Red Sea.

While touring the Middle East, Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin released a statement Monday explaining that the multinational task force, “Operation Prosperity Guardian,” will include nations such as Canada, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, Norway, the Netherlands, Spain, Bahrain, and Seychelles. Austin noted that Operation Prosperity Guardian will be conducted “under the umbrella” of an existing task force in the region.

“The recent escalation in reckless Houthi attacks originating from Yemen threatens the free flow of commerce, endangers innocent mariners, and violates international law,” Austin stated. “The Red Sea is a critical waterway that has been essential to freedom of navigation and a major commercial corridor that facilitates international trade.”

Emphasizing the importance of collaboration between the international community, Austin said countries committed to upholding the “foundational principle of freedom of navigation” must work together to address the “challenge” presented by a “non-state actor” repeatedly launching missiles and drone attacks against “merchant vessels from many nations lawfully transiting international waters.”

READ MORE: Iran-backed group attacks ships in Middle East

The Pentagon has reported multiple attacks against commercial vessels in recent weeks by the Houthis, which are backed by Iran, resulting in U.S. naval forces responding to the distress calls. A list compiled by Reuters shows over ten shipping companies that have either announced the suspension of shipping or are considering suspending shipping transits through the Red Sea as a result of the recent attacks by the Houthis.

“This is an international challenge that demands collective action,” Austin stated Monday. “Therefore, today I am announcing the establishment of Operation Prosperity Guardian, an important new multinational security initiative under the umbrella of the Combined Maritime Forces and the leadership of its Task Force 153, which focuses on security in the Red Sea.”

The Associated Press reported that some of the countries participating in the multinational task force will execute joint patrols throughout the Red Sea, the Bab el-Mandeb Strait, and the Gulf of Aden, while other countries will assist with intelligence support.

Boy Scouts, volunteers, veterans groups and employees of Greenlawn Memory Gardens fanned out through the cemetery on Saturday morning to place more than 1,000 wreaths on veterans’ graves.

The ceremony was part of a Wreaths Across America event which took place at more than 4,000 locations across all 50 states, according to the organization’s website.

Boy Scout Troop 11 from Kingsville Township helped place the wreaths under the leadership of scout leader John Rapasky. Rapasky’s son, also named John, helped worked on the project with fellow scouts.

The assistant patrol leader said he enjoyed participating in the event.

“I think it is a very peaceful, very respectful event and I am glad I had a chance to participate in it today,” said the younger Rapasky, who is 14 .

After the wreaths were placed a, ceremony took place in a packed Greenlawn Memory Gardens mausoleum.

Venie Hinson, local coordinator for the event, was the master of ceremonies and introduced the many participants in the service.

Rev. Jerry Fritz, of First Congregational Church in Andover, prayed for all veterans and gave thanks for the men and women who have served the United States in the military.

Kathy Wright played several selections on the bagpipes and a color guard from the Northeastern Ohio Chapter of the Sons of the American Revolution presented the colors.

Eight different representatives of the Armed Forces placed wreaths at the front of the mausoleum in honor of each branch of the military, prisoners of war and those missing in action.

Ashtabula County Commissioner J.P. Ducro presented a proclamation from the commissioners.

“It is always a highlight of my year to be a part of this ceremony,” he said.

Ducro also told the audience that Ashtabula resident Ceejay Metcalf was able to truck wreaths from northern New England to St. Louis for the ceremony in Missouri. Metcalf earlier said he was honored to transport the wreaths in honor of his son, U,S, Army Sgt. Mike Metcalf, who died serving his country on April 22, 2012.

William Runyan, a U.S. Air Force Staff Sergeant, represented the Gold Star Mothers during the ceremony. He said his family had generations of military members return from their assignments, but his nephew, Michael Runyan, died in Iraq in 2010.

Runyan said he never understood why his own father gave him a huge bear hug when he returned form the U.S. Air Force.

“He didn’t shake my hand. He reached out and hugged me. That was the first time I could remember him hugging me,” he said.

The deeper understanding of that hug came later when Michael did not return from Iraq.

“That is what makes our family a Gold Star family. When we got that call, I understood my father’s hug,” he said.

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(c) 2023 the Star Beacon

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

An honor guard suddenly collapsed on Monday while guarding the flag-draped coffin of former Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O’Connor, who died earlier this month.

Video of the incident shows a female honor guard wobbling back and forth while standing by O’Conner’s casket. Just as the honor guard is about to collapse, a male honor guard grabs her and slowly lowers her to the ground.

It is unclear what caused the honor guard to collapse, and her condition has not been released.

The worrisome footage comes just days after Pedro Henrique, a Brazilian gospel singer, collapsed suddenly during a performance in front of a crowd at a religious festival in Brazil. He was later pronounced dead at a local medical center.

According to TMZ, the 30-year-old singer was performing “Vai Ser Tão Lindo,” when Henrique suddenly collapsed on the floor of the stage. TMZ reported that multiple people quickly rushed over to the singer to provide medical assistance to Henrique, and he was quickly transported to a local medical center. However, Henrique was declared dead by the medical center.

Video of Wednesday’s incident shows the moment the 30-year-old singer collapsed in the middle of his performance.

In an Instagram statement released Thursday that was translated by The New York Post from Portuguese, the record label wrote, “There are very difficult situations in life for which we have no explanation. We just need to understand that God’s will prevails! Pedro was a happy young man, a friend to all. An only son. A present husband and a super dedicated father…The Christian music sector is in mourning. The Todah Music family is in mourning. Heaven in chorus welcomes an illustrious son: Pedro Henrique! So long, dear brother! So long! May the Holy Spirit comfort everyone.”

A 67-year-old woman from Silver Cliff, Colorado, was gored by a mule deer buck just outside of her house Saturday. The deer attack resulted in the 67-year-old suffering a puncture wound and major bruising on her legs.

According to a Colorado Parks and Wildlife (CPW) press release, the goring incident occurred in Silver Cliff, Colorado, which is a small town with a population of roughly 600 people.

“The victim told CPW officers that she was attacked by a small buck mule deer after leaving the front door of her home,” the press release stated. “The buck was described as having two spikes on each antler.”

The CPW explained that the unidentified woman was able to get back inside her house and contact her husband for help. The 67-year-old was ultimately transported to a hospital in Pueblo, Colorado, for medical assistance.

According to the CPW, the woman suffered a puncture wound in her left leg and sustained “significant bruising” on her right leg. A photo posted on X, formerly Twitter, by the CPW shows the graphic nature of the woman’s injuries caused by the mule deer buck.

After the attack involving the 67-year-old woman, two young bucks were observed sparring on the woman’s lawn, according to the CPW’s press release. The CPW noted that sparring is a “common behavior” observed during mating season.

“A wildlife officer went to investigate and found a bird feeder in the yard,” Mike Brown, CPW Area Wildlife Manager in the region, said. “The victim told a CPW officer that she feeds birds and had thrown out bread earlier that day.”

READ MORE: Video: Deer rages through restaurant

The CPW’s press release claimed that prior to the incident, there had not been any recent reports of “aggressive deer” in the Silver Cliff region. Brown suggested that the attack’s close proximity to a house could be an indication that someone had been feeding the deer, resulting in the deer losing its natural fear of humans.

“I believe this is a good example of what happens when deer lose their natural fear of humans,” Brown stated. “They become aggressive and dangerous. This is a good reminder that wild animals should always be treated as such and that people need to give wildlife the space they need. We’re glad this woman wasn’t more seriously injured.”

According to the press release, CPW officers are currently searching for the mule deer buck. The CPW noted that the mule deer buck will be euthanized if it is found in order to prevent “future attacks” against other people.