FRIDAY PDB – Marine veteran caught up in Jan. 6 conspiracy theory sues Fox News.
A former Donald Trump supporter who became the center of a conspiracy theory about Jan. 6, 2021, filed a defamation lawsuit against Fox, saying the network made him a scapegoat for the Capitol riot.
Raymond Epps, a former Marine who said he was forced from his Arizona home because of threats, is asking for unspecified damages and a jury trial.
The suit also says the Justice Department told Epps in May that he faces criminal charges for his actions on Jan. 6, and blames that on “the relentless attacks by Fox and Mr. Carlson and the resulting political pressure.”
Epps, who had traveled to Washington for the Jan. 6 demonstration, was falsely accused by Fox of being a government agent who was whipping up trouble that would be blamed on Trump supporters, the lawsuit claims.
FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Here's a roundup of today's other top defense stories from conservative national security expert PAUL CRESPO.
Not the President's Daily Brief, but almost as good – PAUL'S DAILY BRIEFING – the PDB:
PENTAGON WOKE WATCH
WORTH THE FIGHT – House Dems bail on defense bill as GOP votes to repeal abortion policy. House Republicans voted to add several conservative Freedom Caucus amendments on abortion and transgender troops to the previously bipartisan defense bill.
Tuberville speaks with Biden defense chief amid hold on military confirmations. Sen. Tommy Tuberville (R-Ala.) spoke with Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin on Thursday as he continues his months-long hold on hundreds of military nominations over DoD abortion policies.
The left is attacking me but they are the ones jeopardizing our military. For more than 50 years the Gallup poll has asked people about their views of our nation's institutions. This past week, Gallup released this year's results, and they are deeply disturbing. – Republican Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate
CHINA THREAT
Air Force general who predicted war with China leads ‘unprecedented' training exercise. “I don't believe conflict is inevitable. I don't believe it's unavoidable,” Gen. Mike Minihan said. “But I also believe that [being] ready now is what matters most.”
Chinese military's three-day show of force increases headache for Taiwan. China's military has been on a surge of activity around Taiwan this week, sending dozens of warplanes past the median line of the Taiwan Strait and into the key regions of the island's air defense identification zone (ADIZ).
Navy surveillance plane transits Taiwan Strait as Chinese troops train around island. The aircraft flew as Chinese forces moved into their third day of drills around Taiwan.
Pacific allies want more exercises with US, munitions similar to what US is sending to Ukraine. China's neighbors are learning from the Ukraine war and asking for long-range fires in scarce supply.
RUSSIA THREAT – UKRAINE WAR
Russian general's dismissal reveals new crack in military leadership. A Russian general in charge of forces fighting in southern Ukraine was relieved of his duties after speaking out about the problems faced by his troops.
Russia-Ukraine war: List of key events, day 506. Ukrainian officials said air defences shot down 20 Iranian-made Russian drones and intercepted two Russian cruise missiles.
Biden says 3,000 Reserve troops can be sent to Europe to support NATO, Ukraine. Joe Biden signed an executive order Thursday making up to 3,000 reservists available to support NATO efforts amid the war in Ukraine.
California Guard troops have helped Ukraine beat Russia on battlefield, Army official says. The troops have become vital partners to Ukrainian forces for the past 17 months.
US paying contractor to quietly supply Bulgarian 155mm shells to Ukraine. A $402 million contract suggests the former Soviet-bloc country is now producing NATO-standard artillery rounds.
NORTH KOREA THREAT
North Korea's nuclear blackmail, an ongoing threat, is worsening. It has mostly fallen off our foreign policy radar, overshadowed by Ukraine and Taiwan concerns. But North Korea's launch of yet another ICBM missile is a stark reminder: The ominous peril of a nuclear North Korea continues to grow. In fact, the next crisis may be just around the corner.
SPACE THREAT
Biden nominates Space Force's Whiting to lead US Space Command. The White House nominated Lt. Gen. Stephen Whiting to take the helm of U.S. Space Command as the Pentagon's top military space operations leader.
INTERNATIONAL SECURITY
Bombers surge in the Pacific: B-52s arrive in Guam, B-1s in Japan. The Air Force's bomber presence in the Indo-Pacific swelled significantly in the past two weeks.
US military chief praises Japan's defense funding boost as a buttress against China and North Korea. He encouraged Japan's commitment to doubling its defense spending over the next five years.
US Army Green Berets conducted unconventional warfare training in Sweden. Forming and training a guerrilla force to take on a rival government or an occupying power is a classic unconventional-warfare scenario.
Turkey's double dealing in the Ukraine War. Though Ankara has provided help to Kyiv, its real aim is to prolong a conflict that extends its regional influence and diplomatic clout.
HOMELAND SECURITY
NO, IT'S NOT – Oath Keeper Army vet Rhodes' jail term too short, says Justice Dept. DoJ is appealing the 18-year-prison sentence handed down for Oath Keepers founder Stewart Rhodes in the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol riot.
US MILITARY
US Army takes out one-way attack drones in desert demonstration. To address the threat seen most prominently in Ukraine over the past year, the Pentagon's Joint Counter-Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems Office tackled how to defeat them in a June demonstration at Yuma Proving Ground in Arizona.
Boot camp tragedy: A recruit died. His drill instructor faces the blame. A look at the upcoming negligent homicide trial at Parris Island, South Carolina.
POLITICS – DEFENSE BUDGET
House GOP pressures Pentagon on lack of financial accountability. They convened a hearing on Thursday to spotlight the Department's repeated failures to pass an audit, with conservatives joining liberal Democrats in a scathing rebuke of the Pentagon's financial management.
END of PDB
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the positions of American Liberty News.
READ NEXT: Feds Issue New Recommendations – Downplay Potential Risks To Babies?
Name names then Epps OK name others