Networks See Dip in Ratings During Primetime January 6 Committee Hearing Broadcast

According to reports citing Nielsen ratings, which keeps track of television viewership, primetime viewership of the first January 6 Committee hearing totaled more than 19 million across all networks. 

Nielsen said that ABC’s coverage totaled 4.8 million viewers, the highest of any network, while NBC’s coverage has 3.5 million viewers and CBS’s coverage had 3.3 million viewers. 

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Outspoken Archbishop Viganò Urges Catholics to Beware ‘Corrupters’ Pope Francis Has Elevated to College of Cardinals

A former apostolic nuncio, or papal ambassador, to the United States, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò has warned Catholics that several of the bishops Pope Francis has recently elevated to the College of Cardinals support leftwing causes and oppose the Church’s traditional Latin, or Tridentine, Mass.

“Pope Francis has chosen his new cardinals for their ‘corruptibility,’” the outspoken Viganò wrote at LifeSiteNews last week.

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Tennessee Politicians Blast Biden, Democrats for Surge in Inflation

Republican politicians in Tennessee are blasting President Joe Biden and Democrats after inflation numbers from May showed prices rising 8.6 percent year over year, a 40-year high. 

“I hope come November when folks head to the polls, they remember Democrats decided to put politics first instead of focusing on the real-life issues we all face today,” Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06) said Friday. 

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Commentary: Justice Department Colludes with Congress to Bolster the ‘Insurrection’ Narrative

This week produced yet another example of the shameless collaboration between the U.S. Department of Justice, the Democratic Party, and the national news media to destroy Donald Trump and everyone around him. The ink was barely dry on the not guilty verdict for Michael Sussmann, just one of many figures who acted as a pass-through between Hillary Clinton’s 2016 presidential campaign and the FBI to manufacture the Russia collusion hoax, before the same players were up to their old tricks.

Members of the January 6 select committee blanketed the Sunday news programs last weekend promising bombshell revelations would shake the nation during a primetime hearing Thursday night. Representative Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) told CBS News’ Robert Costa the committee would present findings to show an “extremely broad . . . extremely well-organized” conspiracy to overthrow the government that day. What the committee uncovered related to the alleged conspiracy, Cheney warned, is “really chilling.’

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Maricopa County Spokesperson Admits 20,000 ‘Late’ Ballots Were Scanned Before Verification; Expert Says Likely a Crime

In an email exchange with The Arizona Sun Times this week, a Maricopa County Recorder’s office spokesperson may have unwittingly admitted that the county mishandled thousands of ballots from the 2020 general election that one watchdog groups says were accepted after the legal deadline.

Megan Gilbertson, the communications director for the Maricopa County Elections Department (MCED) – a department of the Maricopa County Recorder’s Office – said that the department processed ballots by scanning them into the tabulating machines at MCED before transferring their custody the next day to Runbeck Election Services, which verifies their legitimacy with signature verification.

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Nancy Pelosi Justifies Not Passing Bill to Increase Security to Supreme Court Justices: ‘No One Is in Danger’

Despite the arrest Wednesday of an armed man who allegedly claimed he intended to kill Justice Brett Kavanaugh, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi defended not passing a House bill seeking to increase security for the justices’ homes, and gruffly responded to a reporter, “I don’t know what you’re talking about … nobody is in danger.”

On Thursday – just one day after 26-year-old Nicholas John Roske was arrested near Kavanaugh’s home and then charged with attempted murder of a Supreme Court justice – Pelosi was about to leave her weekly press conference when she responded brusquely to a reporter who shouted out to her, “You said the justices are protected, but there was an attempt on Justice Kavanaugh’s life.”

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Another Lawsuit to Force 2022 House Elections Filed After Court Dismisses Goldman Case

Virginia politics author Jeff Thomas has filed a lawsuit against Department of Elections officials to try to force new House of Delegates elections in 2022. He argues that elections held last year on old lines leave him and other voters under-represented.

“Defendants have deliberately played games with the Court and the people’s rights for political reasons,” Thomas’ states in his lawsuit against Elections Commissioner Susan Beals and State Board of Elections Chairman Robert Brink.

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Commentary: Four Moral Panics Not Backed by Science

We humans are social animals, with society serving as the glue that binds us together. Through our ideals, ethics, and actions, we all have a hand in forming the collective views of society. “Work hard”, “take care of your family”, “don’t commit crime”, are a few basic tenets. But sometimes, often when faced with something novel, society can panic. Rather than try to understand this new trend or thing, frenzied members might view it as a threat and seek to banish it. Sociologists call these moments “moral panics”. More often than not, they’re irrational, with little to no support from scientific evidence. Here are four moral panics not backed by science:

1. Dungeons & Dragons. In the 1980s, spurred by a few attention-grabbing incidents, the media, politicians, and many prominent members of society glommed on to the idea that the tabletop roleplaying game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) was driving players to psychosis, suicide, and even murder. The fantasy game has players cooperatively imagine themselves as a party of heroes (or villains) in a magical world filled with demons, beasts, and spells.

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Ohio’s Unfunded State Pension Liabilities Among Worst in U.S.

Ohio State House

Each person in Ohio is on the hook for more than $36,000 in unfunded state pension liabilities, one of the highest numbers in the nation, according to a new report from the American Legislative Exchange Council.

Nationwide, unfunded state pension liabilities have climbed to $8.28 trillion, or nearly $25,000 for every person in the United States. ALEC released the latest edition of its report on pensions in all 50 states Thursday. The report, “Unaccountable and Unaffordable 2021,” shows just a handful of states with outsize pension liabilities accounting for a large share of overall pension debt in the U.S.

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New Contradictions Revealed in Ethics Hearing About Minnesota Democratic State Senator

New discrepancies were revealed during an ethics hearing Wednesday centered around Democratic Sen. Omar Fateh.

Fateh is under investigation by a Minnesota Senate ethics subcommittee for what Republican legislators describe as a “quid pro quo relationship between Sen. Fateh and Somali TV” that saw the senator introducing a bill to give taxpayer dollars to the news station after it helped his campaign. Specifically, he is accused of receiving free advertising on the channel during his campaign, then apparently repaying the favor by fielding a bill to give half a million taxpayer dollars to the outlet.

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16 Michigan Schools Get $205,028 for STEM

Sixteen Michigan schools have been awarded $205,028 to develop Great Lakes-based science, technology, engineering, and math – STEM – programs.

“These grants will support freshwater literacy programs and offer students access to real world STEM experiences,” Gov. Gretchen Whitmer said in a statement. “Our Great Lakes are our greatest asset, and we must empower young Michiganders to learn more about them and continue advancing conservation efforts. Michigan’s economic competitiveness depends on a workforce proficient in STEM and committed to solving our biggest challenges. Investments like these will help prepare our kids to lead our state into the future.”

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Jake Evans Calls the January 6th Committee a ‘Political Witch Hunt’

Jake Evans, the Trump endorsee who made it to Georgia’s Sixth Congressional District primary runoff against Rich McCormick, contended that the “Select Committee to Investigate the January 6th Attack on the United States Capitol” is a “political witch hunt.”

“The hearings [Thursday] are theatre to change the topic from [the Democrats’] failing agenda,” said Evans in a statement released to supporters on Thursday.

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Ashburn Man Sentenced to Nine Years for Weapons Trafficking

U.S. District Judge Leslie Gardner sentenced Demetri Lott, 44, of Ashburn, Georgia, to 9 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to two counts of the theft of a firearm from a licensed dealer on June 1.

“Our office is committed to prioritizing prosecutions of those responsible for the greatest gun violence in our communities, including those who illegally traffic in firearms,” said U.S. Attorney Peter D. Leary.

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Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs Introduces a Resolution Condemning Chuck Schumer for Rhetoric that may Endanger Government Officials

Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs (R-AZ-05) and other House Republican colleagues introduced a resolution on Thursday to condemn Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer for inflammatory rhetoric that may have contributed to the assassination attempt on Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

“Rhetoric that incites violence toward any elected or appointed member of the three branches of our constitutional government is dangerous and condemnable,” Biggs said in a press release. “Unfortunately, Senator Schumer does not understand how his volatile language may potentially incite violent conduct, something that is made more likely as he is the leader of his party in the Senate.”

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Biden DHS Wants to Ramp Up Efforts to Flood U.S. with Illegal Immigrants

U.S. Border Patrol agents assigned to the McAllen station encounter large group after large group of family units in Los Ebanos, Texas, on Friday June 15. This group well in excess of 100 family units turned themselves into the U.S. Border Patrol, after crossing the border illegally and walking through the town of Los Ebanos.

The Biden administration is planning to start funding the transport of migrants from border towns to cities across the country, NBC News reported Wednesday.

The plan, which will start in the coming weeks, will involve sending migrants to Los Angeles, Dallas, Houston, Albuquerque and elsewhere, according to NBC News, which obtained internal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents. DHS  is coordinating with local shelters to support the migrants in those cities before they make their way to other areas of the country on their own. 

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Commentary: The Federal Government’s Own Study Concluded Its Ban on ‘Assault Weapons’ Didn’t Reduce Gun Violence

Do something.

This is a response—and perhaps a natural one—to a human tragedy or crisis. We saw this response in the wake of 9-11. We saw it during the Covid-19 pandemic. And we’re seeing it again following three mass shootings—in Buffalo, New York, Uvalde, Texas, and Tulsa Oklahoma—that claimed the lives of more than 30 innocent people, including small children.

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Georgia to Receive $9.1 Million in Federal Funds for State-Owned Railroads

The federal government is sending more than $9.1 million for a pair of rehabilitation projects on Georgia-owned Class III railroads.

The Federal Railroad Administration will provide nearly $6.2 million to the Heart of Georgia and roughly $2.9 million to the Georgia Southwestern Railroad. The Georgia Department of Transportation owns both lines, and the state will provide a 50% match for the projects.

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Chairman Scott Golden: Tennessee Republican Party Actions ‘Completely Vindicated’ by Unanimous Tennessee Supreme Court Ruling

In a statement provided to The Tennessee Star Friday, Tennessee Republican Party (TRP) Chair Scott Golden reacted to the unanimous decision by the Tennessee Supreme Court that “completely vindicated” the party’s actions in determining that Robby Starbuck, a disqualified Tennessee 5th Congressional District candidate, was not a bona fide Republican because he did not meet the requirements as outline in the bylaws.

Golden said, “We very much appreciate the unanimous decision of the Tennessee Supreme Court today. The ruling completely vindicated the actions of the Tennessee Republican Party and affirmed our authority to ensure that only Bona Fide Republicans are allowed to be Republican candidates for office.”

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Tennessee Supreme Court Unanimously Rules Against Robby Starbuck, Political Parties Not Subject to Open Meetings Act

The Tennessee Supreme Court ruled in favor of the Tennessee Republican Party, vacating the injunction ordering Robby Starbuck on the August Republican Primary ballot and ruled that the TRP is not subject to the Tennessee Open Meetings Act.

The Court stated that Chancery Court Judge Russell Perkins erred in his decision.

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Commentary: FBI Chief Comey Misled Congress’s ‘Gang of Eight’ over Russiagate, Lisa Page Memo Reveals

The FBI deceived the House, Senate and the Justice Department about the substance and strength of evidence undergirding its counterintelligence investigation of President Trump, according to a recently declassified document and other material.

A seven-page internal FBI memo dated March 8, 2017, shows that “talking points” prepared for then-FBI Director James Comey for his meeting the next day with the congressional leadership were riddled with half-truths, outright falsehoods, and critical omissions. Both the Senate and the House opened investigations and held hearings based in part on the misrepresentations made in those FBI briefings, one of which was held in the Senate that morning and the other in the House later that afternoon. RealClearInvestigations reached out to every member of the leadership, sometimes known as the “Gang of Eight.” Some declined to comment, while others did not respond to queries.

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With Water Development Resources Act, Rep. Rose Secures Water Infrastructure for Rural Tennessee Counties

Using a law that has been passed by Congress every two years since 2014, a congressman from Tennessee promoted water infrastructure for three rural Tennessee counties. 

“Today, the United States House of Representatives passed the bipartisan Water Resources Development Act (WRDA) of 2022, which includes language submitted by U.S. Representative John Rose to authorize environmental infrastructure projects in Trousdale, Macon, and Sumner counties and the cities of Carthage and Portland,” said a press release from Rep. John Rose (R-TN-06). “These projects will help these growing communities adapt their water infrastructure to meet the needs of increasing demand.”

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Republican Lawmakers Demand Answers from FDA on COVID Vaccines for Babies and Toddlers

A group of Republican lawmakers in the U.S. Senate and House are demanding answers from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its vaccine panel regarding the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) application for COVID vaccines in babies and young children under five years of age.

Though young children without other significant medical issues bear the least risk of serious illness from catching the COVID infection, White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha is already planning for the distribution of COVID vaccines for babies and toddlers under five years of age as early as June 21 if the FDA and CDC approve.

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Stanford Health Policy Professor Debunks White House Claim COVID ‘A Far Greater Threat to Kids Than Flu’

As the White House anticipates approval of the Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) application for COVID vaccines for babies and young children, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, professor of health policy at Stanford University, and a founding fellow at the Academy for Science and Freedom, says the claim that COVID is “a far greater threat to kids than the flu is” amounts to “scare-mongering.”

Bhattacharya responded in a column at the Wall Street Journal Sunday to White House COVID-19 Response Coordinator Dr. Ashish Jha’s recent tweet in which he made the claim “COVID is a far greater threat to kids than the flu is.”

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Senate Minority Leader Saslaw Kills Washington Commanders Stadium Negotiations After Defensive Coordinator Jack Del Rio’s Comments About January 6

A bill to create an incentive to bring the Washington Commanders NFL team to Virginia is dead after months of accumulating concerns over tax breaks, traffic, the team’s brand quality, and its controversial leadership. On Thursday, bill sponsor Senate Majority Leader Richard Saslaw (D-Fairfax) told The Washington Post that the final issue was Commanders defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio’s comments about the January 6 riot in the U.S. Capitol.

Del Rio had tweeted about 2020’s “summer of riots,” and in followup comments recorded by NBC Washington, he said, “Businesses are being burned down. No problem. And then we have a dust-up at the Capitol, nothing burned down, and we’re not gonna talk about — we’re going to make that a major deal. I just think it’s kind of two standards.”

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Governor DeSantis Responds to ‘Leftist’ Call for Special Session on Gun Laws

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis made it clear that he does not support the call for a special session on gun laws as proposed by several legislators.

Last week State Rep. Joseph Geller, D-Miami-Dade, sent a letter to all state lawmakers and the Florida secretary of state in an attempt to have a special session called to address gun violence.

In order for a special session to be granted, 60% of the lawmakers in the house and senate would have to approve the request. The governor could also issue a proclamation calling for the special session.

On Wednesday, DeSantis responded to the request by noting that Florida has adopted a number laws to  address gun violence.

DeSantis said, “What we’ve done in this budget is have record funding, continued record funding for school safety and school security as well as mental health. We’ve done three-quarters of a billion dollars just for school security, just since 2019, so we took the Stoneman Douglas recommendations, we put those into effect in both policy and with resources and it’s made a really, really big difference.”

DeSantis then took a shot at the “leftist.”

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Paul Gosar and Other Arizona Reps. Blast the New Gun Restriction Bill That Passed the U.S. House

Arizona Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) released a statement opposing a new gun restriction House Rule (HR) that passed through the US House yesterday, calling it “unconstitutional.”

“It didn’t take long for Joe Biden and House democrats to use the tragedies in Buffalo and Texas to push for more gun control measures. They blatantly disparage our God-given and Constitutionally protected right to self-defense. As crime rises to record levels across our country, thanks to democrat socialists who run our major cities, self-defense is more important than ever. In Washington, D.C., the democrats suggest with a straight face that if it wasn’t for a gun, these murderers would be well-adjusted individuals. Millions and millions of people are law abiding gun owners, knife owners and car owners. If a knife, car or gun is used in a crime, it is the person using those tools that should be prosecuted for their actions. Punishing law abiding gun owners is non-sensical and I won’t stand for it,” Gosar said.

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Pennsylvania House Committee Advances Liquor Privatization

Pennsylvania’s House of Representatives Liquor Control Committee this week passed legislation to privatize liquor sales.

While the Republican-run General Assembly passed and Gov. Tom Wolf (D) signed a 2016 measure allowing grocery stores to sell wine and liberalizing some other alcoholic-beverage regulations, the Keystone State remains among the most tightly controlled in terms of liquor distribution. The commonwealth owns 600 “Fine Wine & Good Spirits” stores which have sole permission to sell both wine and hard liquor; only Utah’s system is equally monopolistic.

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