The Daily Signal - TOP NEWS | GOP Senators Opposes Feinstein Replacement, Disney’s “Pride Nite,” COVID-19 Origins Hearing, DeSantis-Disney Feud | April 18

Episode Date: April 18, 2023

On today’s Daily Signal Top News, we break down: Republicans are standing in the way of Democrat efforts to temporarily replace Democrat Sen. Diane Feinstein of California on the Judiciary Committee. The House Oversight and Accountability Chairman laid much of the responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic on Dr. Anthony Fauci during a hearing today. Fred Lucas' reporting: https://www.dailysignal.com/2023/04/18/after-china-firmly-opposes-this-hearing-on-covid-19-origins-here-are-4-takeaways/ The United Nations said in a March report that “sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual in fact, if not in law.” Disney has announced its first-ever pride night in June.  Former President Donald Trump is speaking out against DeSantis’ feud with Disney.  Relevant Links Listen to other podcasts from The Daily Signal: https://www.dailysignal.com/podcasts/ Get daily conservative news you can trust from our Morning Bell newsletter: DailySignal.com/morningbellsubscription   Listen to more Heritage podcasts: https://www.heritage.org/podcasts Sign up for The Agenda newsletter — the lowdown on top issues conservatives need to know about each week: https://www.heritage.org/agenda Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

I'm Samantha Sherris. I'm Virginia Allen. And this is the Daily Signal Top News for Tuesday, April 18th. Here are today's headlines. Republicans are standing in the way of Democrat efforts to temporarily replace Democrat Senator Diane Feinstein of California on the Judiciary Committee. Feinstein, who is 89 and recovering from shingles, recently asked Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer to find a replacement for her on the committee. Republican Senator Tom Tillis of North Carolina tweeted, I will vote against any attempt by Senate Democrats to temporarily replace Senator Feinstein on the Judiciary Committee. I deeply respect Senator Feinstein, but this is an unprecedented request solely intended to appease those pushing radical activist agendas. Republican Senator John Cornyn of Texas also weighed in saying, I, for one, am not going to help President Biden's most unqualified nominees,

to get confirmed. I don't think you'll see us help in that effort. As you'll recall, Democrat Representative Rocana of California called on the senator to resign last week, tweeting, we need to put the country ahead of personal loyalty. While she has had a lifetime of public service, it is obvious she can no longer fulfill her duties. The Hill reports that Feinstein has been absent since late February due to a case of shingles, leaving the judiciary panel deadlocked 1010 and unable to pass partisan nominees along four floor votes. The House Oversight and Accountability Chairman laid much of the responsibility for the COVID-19 pandemic on Dr. Anthony Fauci during a hearing today. Fauci served as the former director of the National

Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases during the pandemic and testified before Congress today on the origins of COVID-19. The Chinese regime, does not appear pleased that lawmakers are investigating the origins of the pandemic. The Chinese embassy sent a letter to lawmakers expressing concerns and opposition to the investigative hearing. But the Select Committee on the coronavirus pandemic responded to the letter saying any attempt to silence members won't work. Representative James Comer chaired the House Oversight and Accountability Hearing. During the hearing, Comer referenced a March 2020 article, in the scientific and medical journal, Nature Medicine. Comer said of the article,

it was prompted by Dr. Fauci and written to suppress the lab leak hypothesis. This paper stated that no type of lab-based scenario is possible. Comer added that these scientists have flipped 180 degrees with no new evidence, produced a paper not based on facts, and then may have used that paper to brief the intelligence community and suppress the lab leak hypothesis. Comer went on to say, this is a how-to manual in orchestrating a cover-up by using some of the most powerful and influential institutions in our country. If you ask me, this was set in motion by Dr. Fauci to hide U.S. funding of gain of function research and dodge accountability for a that has killed more than one million Americans.

The term gain of function describes a risky process of making a pathogen more dangerous or contagious for the purpose of studying a response. Former Director of National Intelligence John Ratcliffe testified at the hearing. Let's take a listen to what he had to say via the Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemics Twitter. My informed assessment as a person with as much access as anyone to our government's intelligence during the initial year of the pandemic has been and continues to be that a lab leak is the only explanation credibly supported by our intelligence, by science, and by common sense. From a view inside the IC, if our intelligence and evidence supporting a lab leak theory was placed side by side with our intelligence and evidence pointing to a natural origins or spillover theory, the lab leak side of the ledger would be long, convincing. even overwhelming, while the spillover side would be nearly empty and tenuous.

Were this a trial, a preponderance of circumstantial evidence provided by our intelligence would compel a jury finding of guilt to an accusation that coronavirus research in the Wuhan labs was responsible for the pandemic. Republican Representative John Joyce of Pennsylvania also asked during the hearing, had China cooperated and not suppressed actions by the World Health Organization, could this pandemic have not spread worldwide. Radcliffe's response? Yes.

We will include a link for Fred Lucas's reporting on this subcommittee hearing in today's show notes. The United Nations said in a March report that sexual conduct involving persons below the domestically prescribed minimum age of consent to sex may be consensual, in fact, if not in law. The report also says the enforcement of criminal law should reflect the rights and capacity of persons under 18 years of age to make decisions about engaging in consensual sexual conduct and their right to be heard in matters concerning them. Live actions Cassie Fiona Chesser writes that minors, of course, cannot truly consent to sex with an adult, something these so-called experts should know. The report also calls for all criminal laws relating to sex work to be abolished, which could easily serve to aid traffickers, pimps, and abusers. She also writes, in turn, this serves the abortion industry as well, which has aided traffickers and abusers by failing to report suspected abuse and returning victims to their abusers after their abortions. decriminalizing sex work, sex crimes against minors, and abortion would only serve to doubly suit traffickers and abusers who are known to use abortion as a means to cover up their crimes.

Disney has announced its first ever Pride Night in June. Disney tweeted on Monday afternoon, the first ever Disneyland after dark. Pride night is coming to Disneyland during Pride Month in June. This separately ticketed event celebrates the LGBTQIA Plus community and allies will have themed entertainment, Disney characters, specialty menu items, and more. A Disney blog says this after-hours event includes themed entertainment, Disney characters, one-of-a-kind photo opportunities, specialty menu items, event merchandise, and more. It begins with a three-hour pre-party mixing from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Then the private party runs from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. when guests can ride some popular attractions after regular park hours. Kids are allowed to attend the event. In other Disney news on Monday, Republican Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced new actions related to Disney World in Florida. Remember that in February, Ron DeSantis signed a bill ending the self-governing staff. status Disney World has enjoyed for decades. Under the new law, Disney would no longer be exempt from state regulatory reviews and approvals. But Disney has sought to maintain its freedoms

through an obscure law, and now DeSantis is firing back. The Florida governor said Monday, Disney's corporate kingdom is over, despite their repeated and futile attempts to circumvent the legislature and the will of the people. Their cheerleaders in the media thought that Disney outsmarted the state, but the new controlled board uncovered their sloppy scheme, and the agreements will be nullified by new legislation that I intend to execute. Disney will operate on a level playing field with every other business in Florida. I look forward to the additional actions that the state control board will implement in the upcoming days. In related news, former President Donald Trump is speaking out against,

against DeSantis' feud with Disney. The former president posted on Truth Social this morning saying, DeSantis, referring to DeSantis, is being absolutely destroyed by Disney. His original PR plan fizzled, so now he's going back with a new one in order to save face. Disney's next move will be the announcement that no more money will be invested in Florida because of the governor. In fact, they could even announce a slow, withdraw or sale of certain properties, or the whole thing.

Watch, that would be a killer. In the meantime, this is all so unnecessary, a political stunt. Ron should work on the squatter mess. Former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie also weighed in on the Desantis Disney feud, saying on Tuesday, I don't think Ron DeSantis is a conservative based on his actions toward Disney. Christy also said, where are we headed here now? That if you express disagreement in this country, the government is allowed to punish you. To me, that's what I always thought liberals did.

And now, all of a sudden, here we are participating in this with a Republican governor. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thank you for listening to The Daily Signals Top News. If you haven't had the chance, be sure to take out our morning show right here in this podcast feed, where we bring you interviews with lawmakers, experts, and leading conservative voices. Join us tomorrow morning for the Daily Signal interview edition. I'll be sitting down with the Heritage Foundation's Michael Cunningham to discuss the FBI's arrest of two New York City residents for their alleged involvement with a Chinese overseas police station

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