Out of 8,000 Federal Donations Made to PACs and Politicians by CDC Employees in the Last Five Years, FEC Records Show Only Five Went to Republican Causes

Employees at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have made more than 8,000 contributions totaling over $285,000 to Democratic candidates and causes since 2015, according to a Daily Caller News Foundation analysis of political contributions.

Only five contributions were sent to a Republican PAC or candidate. Out of these five contributions, which totaled just over $1,000, three sent money to President Donald Trump’s 2016 campaign efforts, Federal Election Commission (FEC) records indicate.

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Music Spotlight: Lucas Hoge

Lucas Hoge hails from Hubbell, Nebraska, a tiny town with two churches. He grew up singing in a little Methodist church his family attended. While his parents were rehearsing in the choir, the pastor gave Hoge a little electric drum pad to keep him occupied. He started playing along and the pastor cultivated his love for music at a very young age.

In high school, he was introduced to a music teacher who helped him craft his love of music.  “My music teacher was great, Mrs. Riggs. She was amazing,” he said. “She just wanted everyone to explore the love of music that they had in them.”

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Commentary: The Left Uses Junk Studies to Show Racism

On March 23, 1989, a room full of reporters and scientists was buzzing in anticipation of an announcement of a breakthrough that, if it panned out, would propel humanity into a new era of unlimited pollution-free energy. The University of Utah’s vice president for research introduced two scientists, Dr. Stan Pons, and Dr. Martin Fleishman. The scientists then announced that a simple device using palladium and heavy water could generate energy from a type of cold fusion resulting from chemical reactions.

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Civil Rights Legend, Celebrated Congressman: John Lewis Dies at 80

by Calvin Woodward and Desiree Seals   ATLANTA, Georgia (AP) — Representative John Lewis, who became a household name at the height of the Civil Rights movement in the 1960s and then went on to become a celebrated Congressman, died. He was 80. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi confirmed Lewis’ passing late Friday night, calling him “one of the greatest heroes of American history.” “All of us were humbled to call Congressman Lewis a colleague, and are heartbroken by his passing,” Pelosi said. “May his memory be an inspiration that moves us all to, in the face of injustice, make ‘good trouble, necessary trouble.’” Lewis’s announcement in late December 2019 that he had been diagnosed with advanced pancreatic cancer — “I have never faced a fight quite like the one I have now,” he said — inspired tributes from both sides of the aisle, and an unstated accord that the likely passing of this Atlanta Democrat would represent the end of an era. Lewis was the youngest and last survivor of the Big Six civil rights activists, a group led by the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. that had the greatest impact on the movement. He was best known for leading…

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Commentary: Are the State-Led Pandemic Shutdowns a Trial Run for the Green New Deal?

At the height of the state-led COVID-19 pandemic economic shutdowns in April, 25.3 million Americans had lost their jobs as businesses shuttered up and families stayed behind closed doors, waiting for the worst of the virus to pass.

While working from home or being furloughed, millions of Americans stayed off the roads, driving much less and monthly fuel consumption down 47.1 percent in April, according to the Energy Information Agency.

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AG Barr Lashes Out at ‘Double Standard’ in How Big Tech Treats US Versus the Chinese Communist Party

Attorney General Bill Barr lambasted Apple Thursday, suggesting the iPhone maker’s business ties in China reveal a double standard in how tech companies treat U.S. officials versus the Chinese Communist Party.

China’s goal is to “raid” the United States and bilk American businesses, Barr said during a speech in Michigan. He also suggested there could be serious repercussions for Silicon Valley companies that give deference to China over the U.S.

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Man Arrested After Illegally Obtaining $8.5 Million in Coronavirus Relief

A California man was arrested on Thursday after being charged with fraudulently claiming $8.5 million in coronavirus relief funds through the Payment Protection Program (PPP) and spending hundreds of thousands at a Las Vegas casino, the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced.

The criminal complaint charges Andrew Marnell, 40, of Los Angeles, CA, with submitting fake documents in the PPP funding application, lying about the expenses and business operations of several businesses and using fake aliases to obtain these federal government sourced funds.

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Pentagon Bans Confederate Flag

After weeks of wrangling, the Pentagon is banning displays of the Confederate flag on military installations, in a carefully worded policy that doesn’t mention the word ban or that specific flag. The policy, laid out in a memo released Friday, was described by officials as a creative way to bar the flag’s display without openly contradicting or angering President Donald Trump, who has defended people’s rights to display it.

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Manny Sethi Gains Endorsement From Former U.S. Sen. Jim DeMint of South Carolina

Tennessee Republican Senate candidate Dr. Manny Sethi said in a statement he was endorsed Friday by former U.S. Sen Jim DeMint (R-SC).

Sethi tweeted a quote from DeMint: “I am endorsing Dr. Manny because Tennessee needs to send a rock solid conservative to DC who will take on the Swamp, fight Amnesty, and stand with President Trump. Dr. Manny is a proven fighter, with the courage to not cave to the Washington Establishment.” – Senator @jimdemint”.

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Rep Eliot Engel Officially Loses Primary to Jamaal Bowman

New York Democratic Rep. Eliot Engel officially lost his primary in the state’s 16th congressional district Friday to Jamaal Bowman, a middle school principal from the Bronx, 55% to 40%.

The final result was reported nearly a month after New York’s primary elections June 23. Bowman, a progressive who was endorsed by the likes of Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and New York Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, beat the 16-term incumbent and Chairman of the House Foreign Affairs Committee by nearly 12,000 votes.

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Justice Ginsburg Says Cancer Has Returned, but Won’t Retire

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg said Friday she is receiving chemotherapy for a recurrence of cancer, but has no plans to retire from the Supreme Court.

The 87-year-old Ginsburg, who has had four earlier bouts with cancer including pancreatic cancer last year, said her treatment so far has succeeded in reducing lesions on her liver and she will continue chemotherapy sessions every two weeks “to keep my cancer at bay.”

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Gov. DeWine Vetoes Bill Looking to Limit Emergency Public Health Order Violations

For the first time as governor, Mike DeWine vetoed a bill Friday that restricted penalties for people who violate public health orders.

Senate Bill (SB) 55, which was introduced by state Senator Theresa Gavarone (R-Bowling Green), would have allowed Ohioans who violate public health orders to receive a warning rather than receive fines. According to the bill, if people did not follow the public health orders then it would result in a fine no more than $100 for each subsequent violation.

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Columbus Statue to Remain on Ohio Statehouse Grounds for Now

A statue of Christopher Columbus will not be removed from the grounds of the Ohio Statehouse until at least 2025, officials said Thursday.

The 9-foot-tall, copper statue of Columbus, in place since 1932, will remain erected in front of the Statehouse in the largest city that bears the explorer’s name until a formal process for removal is undergone by the agency that manages the grounds.

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Antone Melton-Meaux Outraises Ilhan Omar in 2020’s Second Quarter Just Ahead of the August 11 Democratic Primary

Democratic congressional candidate Antone Melton-Meaux experienced big fundraising numbers in 2020’s second quarter as he tries to unseat Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN-05) at the August 11 primary.

The winner will face Lacy Johnson, the Republican candidate, in November’s general election to represent Minnesota’s 5th Congressional District.

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US Rep. Amash Officially Won’t Seek Reelection to Congress

U.S. Rep. Justin Amash of Michigan, a former Republican who backed the impeachment of President Donald Trump, is officially not running for reelection.

Amash had suspended his congressional campaign in February and later explored seeking the Libertarian Party’s nomination for president. Thursday was Michigan’s deadline to run as an independent, though some were also holding out hope he might seek the Libertarians’ nomination at a state convention Saturday.

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Legislators, Gov. Walz Face off Over Emergency Powers via Zoom Court Battle

The result of a court hearing Thursday could impact the daily lives of about 5.6 million Minnesotans.

Ramsey County District Court Judge Thomas Gilligan heard from Minnesota Solicitor General Liz Kramer and Erick Kaardal, who’s representing more than a dozen state legislators and the Free Minnesota Small Business Coalition that claim harm under Gov. Tim Walz’s executive orders.

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Mortality Rate Not Listed as Factor in Davidson County’s Reopening Metrics Plan

Davidson County has a plan for reopening the city from COVID-19. This plan uses a number of data points including the status of transmission rate, 14-day new case trend, public health capacity, testing capacity, and the number of regular hospital beds and ICU beds.

However, a key metric that is missing from the county’s reopening plan is mortality rate.

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