Today: JD Vance to Speak at March for Life

Today marks the annual March for Life—and the fourth since the 2022 Dobbs decision overturning Roe v. Wade. The theme—“Life is a gift”—will be complemented by The Friends of Club 21 Choir, a dynamic group of young adults with Down syndrome who will sing the national anthem. Joining our Vice President as a speaker is Speaker of the House Mike Johnson (R) and host of pro-life activists (March). Pope Leo XIV addressed the participants in advance: Stressing that the protection of the right to life “constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right,” Leo said that society “is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it.” “In this regard,” Leo continued, “I would encourage you, especially the young people, to continue striving to ensure that life is respected in all of its stages through appropriate efforts at every level of society, including dialogue with civil and political leaders” (EWTN).  Catholic State: “‘Life is a Gift’ is a universal message that speaks to the heart and cuts through the noise,” Jennie Bradley Lichter, president of the March for Life Education and Defense Fund, told OSV News …. “Through this theme, we are showing the world that we are a movement of compassion for women and love for unborn children, united by the simple yet world-changing belief that, no matter the circumstances, every single life is a gift” (Catholic Star).

Trump Ends Taxpayer Funding of International Abortions

Expanding on the pro-life Mexico City Policy. Life News: The expansion will bar U.S. foreign assistance from subsidizing abortion. The State Department on Friday is expected to finalize three rules to expand the Mexico City Policy to protect foreign assistance from subsidizing abortions but also DEI and gender policies pushing the LBGTQ agenda. This is a key pro-life achievement hailed by pro-life advocates as protecting unborn babies abroad. The policy, originally established by President Ronald Reagan in 1984, requires foreign nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) receiving U.S. global health assistance to certify that they will not perform or actively promote abortion using funds from any source, including non-U.S. funds. Trump reinstated the policy on January 24, 2025, revoking Biden-era rescissions and building on his first-term expansion that applied it to the vast majority of U.S. bilateral global health assistance (Life News). Also: National Right to Life today praised comprehensive enforcement and policy actions announced by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services to protect health care provider conscience rights and affirm the dignity of human life, consistent with long-standing federal law and the Hyde Amendment (NRLC).

House Passes Set of Bills to Fund Government, Restoring ‘Regular Order’

A big win for the GOP and the president. Democrats had been threatening to defeat the legislation in order to defund ICE. Instead, on the key bill, seven Democrats voted with the GOP to pass the bill by 220-207 vote. The other three spending bills passed by 341-88 vote. Washington Post: With “the passage of this package, Republicans will have finally replaced the last of any Biden-era spending levels with Trump-era spending levels and policies,” House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-Louisiana) said after the vote. Congress is supposed to fund the government through 12 annual spending bills, though it often packages many of them together or simply extends current spending levels. The House has now passed all 12, and the Senate is expected to follow suit. The last time Congress approved all 12 appropriations bills was March 2024 under President Joe Biden; since then, it has kept the government open primarily through funding extensions (WPost). More from Speaker Johnson: Despite slim margins, nonstop media noise, and Democrats’ 43-day government shutdown, House Republicans have made significant progress to restore regular order and return the appropriations process to a committee-led, member-driven approach. Chairman Cole and our appropriators worked tirelessly for months to deliver this outcome, and today, the House joined them in getting the job done (Johnson).

A Closer Look at $839 Billion Defense Appropriations Bill

The bill funding ICE (above) also funds the Pentagon. Defense Committee Chairman Ken Calvert (R-CA): “Keeping America safe is our top priority in Congress and the defense appropriations bill passed today will help achieve that fundamental objective,” said Chairman Calvert. “The bill advances my strategic goals as Chairman of the Defense Subcommittee which align with the Trump Administration’s America First’ agenda…. Our servicemembers are the most essential component of our national security strategy and this bill invests in these heroes with a 3.8% pay raise and continues pay increases for junior enlisted servicemembers.” The Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriations bill advanced Chairman Calvert’s national security priorities: Champions America’s military superiority by: • Enhancing investments in 5th and 6th generation aircraft including the F-35, F-47, and F/A-XX • Boosting production of munitions critical to winning conflicts with pacing adversaries like China. • Maximizing American production through funding the establishment of a Civil Reserve Manufacturing Network at $177.4 million. • Accelerating hypersonic flight tests by providing $4.5 billion for hypersonic test infrastructure, testing, and weapons systems. • Scaling capacity of critical suppliers by allowing the Office of Strategic Capital to access over $4.3 billion in loans and loan guarantees. • Enabling increased competition through elevated investments in the Defense Innovation Unit ($429.5 million) and Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies, or APFIT ($400 million) (Calvert).

USS Abraham Lincoln Aircraft Carrier Group Arrives in Middle East

It is now in the Arabian Sea. All eyes are on whether or not the president will give a green light to military action against the murderous regime of Khomeini. Mossad Commentary: The USS Abraham Lincoln Carrier Strike Group has arrived in the Arabian Sea, signaling a major US military posture shift in the region (Mossad). John Spencer, Chair of Urban Warfare Studies at the Modern War Institute summarizes the firepower our carrier group brings: When the U.S. deploys an aircraft carrier like USS Abraham Lincoln, it’s not “sending a ship.” It’s deploying a Carrier Strike Group — a mobile, self-contained joint combat force. What that actually includes as a minimum: • ~5,000 sailors on the carrier + air wing • ~1,500–2,000 sailors across cruisers, destroyers & logistics ships • The aircraft carrier (floating, nuclear-powered air base) • 65–75 aircraft (fighters, EW, AEW, helicopters) • 1 guided-missile cruiser, usually a Ticonderoga-class cruiser,  (air & missile defense commander) • 2–3 guided-missile destroyers, usually Arleigh Burke-class destroyers, (Anti-submarine warfare, Ballistic missile defense, strike capability) • Nuclear attack submarine (ISR & strike…unannounced locations) • Logistics ships enabling months at sea. This means: – Air dominance without host-nation bases. – Immediate strike and escalation control. – Layered defense against air, missile, surface, and subsurface threats (Spencer).

Disgraced Former Special Counsel Jack Smith Testifies Before House of Representatives

It was Smith’s first public appearance since his two failed prosecutorial efforts against President Trump…. And it was grilling. Wall Street Journal: For Republicans, the hearing was an attempt to put Smith himself on trial, and they lined up to accuse him of improper motives. “It was always about politics,” said the committee’s chairman, Rep. Jim Jordan (R., Ohio). “To get President Trump, they were willing to do just about anything.” When it was his turn to speak, Smith countered: “President Trump was charged because the evidence established that he willfully broke the law—the very laws he took an oath to uphold” (Wall Street Journal). Texas Rep. Chip Roy just discovered a few weeks ago that his phone records were targeted as well. Let’s just say he was not pleased: Roy: “As egregious as a violation of separation of powers this is, as an egregious and abuse of power it is, it’s far more concerning you are clearly targeting American citizens for merely being conservative or supporting the President.” Smith:  “I’m sorry.” Roy: “The indictment involving classified documents was dismissed after determining your appointment violated the Appointments Clause of the Constitution, but you continued to sign your name on court filings until the time you resigned from office. A federal judge just recently stated a prosecutor who continues to sign his name in court filings after a disqualification order should face disciplinary action or disbarment” (Johnson).

Mahmoud Kahlil Set to Be Deported to Algeria

Kahlil is the Hamas-supporting Columbia University graduate student who led the disruptive and dangerous campus upheaval that left Jewish students living in fear. The Trump administration has been trying to deport him. Tricia McLaughlin of DHS, answering a question from Katie Pavlich on whether or not they’d proceed with deportation proceedings: There are, and it looks like he’ll go to Algeria. That’s what the thought is right now. It’s a reminder for those who are in this country on a visa or on a green card: You’re a guest in this country. Act like it is a privilege, not a right to be in this country to live or to study. And if you are a pushing propaganda that relishes the killings of Americans or promotes terrorists doors that way (News Nation). New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani is going to miss his friend: Mahmoud Khalil is a New Yorker. He should remain in New York City. We have seen this attack on him as part of a larger attack on the freedom of speech that is especially pronounced when it comes to the use of that speech to stand up for Palestinian human rights. And I will make that clear to everyone. And I have said it time and again that he deserves to stay in the city. He deserves to be in the city just like any other New Yorker (Yakoby).

Trump Sues JPMorgan for $5 Billion Over Debanking

So many others who were debanked did not and do not have the resources to fight back. Trump, in defending himself, is sending a message: The big banks best not go there again. Wall Street Journal: President Trump sued JPMorgan Chase JPM 0.53%increase; green up pointing triangle and Chief Executive Jamie Dimon for $5 billion on Thursday, alleging the nation’s biggest bank improperly closed his accounts for political reasons after the Jan. 6, 2021 Capitol riot. The lawsuit in state court in Miami-Dade County, Fla., is the latest salvo by Trump against the nation’s biggest banks, whom he has accused of discriminating against him, his followers and conservatives broadly. Last summer, the president used his executive power to order regulators to launch investigations into banks over the allegations of “debanking” (Wall Street Journal). Washington Times: Mr. Trump had been a customer for decades, and the suit says he and his affiliated entities “have transacted hundreds of millions of dollars” through JPMorgan Chase…. The lawsuit, filed Thursday in the Florida state court in Miami by the president’s attorney, Alejandro Brito, was on behalf of the president and several of his hospitality companies. It accuses the bank of trade libel and breach of the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing, adding that Mr. Dimon violated the Florida Unfair and Deceptive Trade Practices Act (Washington Times).

Vance Expresses Optimism for Cooperation of Federal, Local Law Enforcement in Minneapolis

Watching the increasing escalation of tension in the Twin Cities has left many wondering: Where is the offramp? What does de-escalation look like? The vice president may have made progress on Thursday. Just the News: Vice President JD Vance met with local officials Thursday in Minneapolis, Minnesota, where he appeared optimistic that there will be better cooperation between federal, state and local authorities that will decrease tensions in the city…. “I will say on one final positive note, I actually think that there’s some hope, some reason to think that there’s going to be better cooperation in the weeks and months to come,” he continued. “I think that because I’ve talked to some of the local officials here. I think there are reasons to believe that these people are going to step up” (Just the News).

Trump, Administration Officials Advance Board of Peace Initiative in Davos

From the White House: Today, in an historic ceremony in Davos, Switzerland, President Donald J. Trump formally ratified the Charter of the Board of Peace — establishing it as an official international organization. President Trump, who is serving as the Board’s Chairman, was joined by Founding Members representing countries around the world who have committed to building a secure and prosperous future for Gaza that delivers lasting peace, stability, and opportunity for its people (White House). Longtime observers have plenty of reason to be skeptical. One ground for optimism—or at least hopefulness—is that the initiative bypasses the horribly corrupt and flagrantly anti-semitic United Nations. New York Sun: The nations that have accepted his invitations as of Thursday morning include a host of monarchies, dictatorships, illiberal democracies, and countries led by fellow conservatives. One exception is Israel which, despite initial reservations over the inclusion of Turkey and Qatar in the Gaza Executive Board, announced Wednesday it will become a founding member (New York Sun).