New Docs and Whistleblowers Reveal Joe Biden’s Involvement with Selling U.S. Natural Gas to the ChiComs

Republicans on the House Oversight and Reform Committee have obtained bombshell documents proving that Joe Biden was deeply involved in the family business of selling American natural gas to the Chinese–while he was planning to run for President. According to multiple whistleblowers, the Biden family made promises to those who worked with them in 2017 and onward that they would “reap the rewards in a future Biden administration.” These explosive revelations “pose national security concerns,” Oversight Republicans proclaimed Tuesday night.

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Exclusive: Senator Blackburn Completes Annual 95-County Tour of Tennessee

A U.S. Senator from Tennessee released a video recapping a 95 county tour of the state, which she does annually, meeting with members of local communities statewide. 

“We just finished our annual 95 county tour, visiting with all our county mayors, elected officials, our business owners and citizens of this great state,” said U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn in a video uploaded to her YouTube page. 

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Commentary: U.S. Farmers Grab the Lobbying Pitchforks as Greens Sow Costly New Reporting Mandates

Echoing conflicts from Sri Lanka to Canada to the Netherlands, tensions between farmers and green-minded government policymakers are building in the United States, where producers are squaring off against a costly proposed federal mandate for greenhouse-gas reporting from corporate supply chains.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission in March proposed requiring large corporations, including agribusinesses and food companies, to report greenhouse gas emissions down to the lowest rungs of their supply chains as a means of combatting climate change, which environmental campaigners contend imperils the planet and life on it.

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Tennessee Committed to at Least $60 Million in Economic Incentive Grants This Year

Tennessee has committed to more than $60 million in FastTrack economic incentive grants to businesses this year after committing more than $200 million of the grants to businesses in 2021.

FastTrack grants are state grants sent to local governments for specific infrastructure improvements or to companies to help offset the costs of expanding or moving into the state with the goal of increasing the number of full-time jobs and the average wages of jobs available in an area.

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New York City Education Department Fires 850 More Teachers for Refusing COVID Vaccine

The New York City Department of Education has fired another 850 teachers and aides for refusing to comply with its COVID vaccine mandate, bringing the total number of school staff terminated over the mRNA shots that have not prevented the spread of infection to 2,000.

Some 1,300 department employees agreed to comply with the vaccine mandate by September 5 after taking a year of unpaid leave with benefits, the New York Post reported. The department informed personnel they would have to be vaccinated by that date or be “deemed to have voluntarily resigned.”

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Fed Hikes Interest Rates for Third Time in Four Months

The Federal Reserve has raised target interest rates by 75 basis points for the third time this year following a Wednesday meeting of the Federal Open Market Committee.

The new target range for the federal funds rate is anywhere between 3% to 3.35% up from the current 2.37%, making it the most aggressive hike since the early 1980s. The Federal Reserve is expected to continue this trend into March of 2023 as an attempt to curb ongoing increases in inflation, CNBC reported.

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Georgia’s $130 Million Plan for Electric Vehicle Charging Stations Receives Federal Approval

The Federal Highway Administration has signed off on Georgia’s National Electric Vehicle Infrastructure Plan, opening the door to millions in federal taxpayer dollars for the state.

With this approval, the Georgia Department of Transportation can start planning how the state will spend roughly $130 million to pay for electric vehicle charging infrastructure over the next five years.

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Florida School Board Implements Sex Ed Curriculum for 12-Year-Olds, Despite Parent Pushback

A Florida school board approved a new sexual education curriculum that teaches 12-year-olds about the purpose of condoms, despite push back from parents.

The Hillsborough School Board in Tampa, Florida, voted 5-2 Tuesday to implement a new sexual education curriculum for seventh graders. Parents pushed back against the proposed curriculum, saying the lesson plans are sourced by Planned Parenthood documents, according to the Tampa Bay Times.

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Youngkin to Stump for Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp and Kansas GOP Gubernatorial Candidate Derek Schmidt

Governor Glenn Youngkin will attend a meet and greet in Kansas Thursday with gubernatorial candidate Attorney General Derek Schmidt, stop in Texas Friday for an appearance at the Texas Tribune Festival, and then headline an event for Georgia Governor Brian Kemp on September 27. Republican governors campaigning for other Republicans are a normal feature of an election year with a number of high-profile races, but Youngkin’s national appearances have also raised questions about Youngkin’s aspirations for higher office, which Youngkin himself has largely brushed off.

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Hold on Ohio Abortion Restriction to Last at Least Two More Weeks

Hamilton County Court of Common Pleas Judge Christian Jenkins (D) this week indicated he will extend his hold on a significant Ohio abortion-restricting law for two additional weeks. 

Jenkins’s decision prolongs the effect of a decision he made last week to obstruct the Heartbeat Act’s implementation, with the initial freeze to last two weeks. The state General Assembly passed and Governor Mike DeWine (R) signed the bill (SB 23) in 2019. The legislation, which prohibits aborting unborn children who have detectable heartbeats, could not take effect until this year after the U.S. Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide. 

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Owner of Historic Mall Struggles to Bring Property Up to Code Before Court Date

Central Ohio’s oldest mall faces demolition if it cannot be brought back up to code, owing to two years’ worth of accumulating citations and warnings by City Code Enforcement and a judge declaring it a public nuisance.

“The owner is working on improvements,” mall manager Nihal Weerasinghe told The Ohio Star. “He is committed to uplift the mall by the end of the year.”

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Parents Threaten Ohio School District with Federal Lawsuit After School Says It May Hide Gender Conversations Between Students and Staff

Parents of students in Hilliard City Schools are threatening to sue in federal court if the district fails to provide adequate answers by October 17 to several questions parents have about school policies.

Parents want to know if they will be made aware of gender and sex-related conversations between students and school staff. They also want to know if there is political activism going on inside Hilliard schools stirred up by an LGBTQ+ organization.

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Fetterman Being Outspent by Oz as Polls Show Narrowing Race

Allies of Republican Senate candidate Mehmet Oz in Pennsylvania have dramatically increased their funding for his candidacy in the state, with new polls released Tuesday suggesting that their contributions are impacting the race.

John Fetterman currently leads Oz by under 2%, gaining 47.7% of the vote to Oz’s 45.9%, per a September poll by the Trafalgar Group – within the margin of error of 2.9%. In July, the same poll showed Fetterman leading Oz by 5%, outside the margin of error.

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Trump-Endorsed Mark Finchem Leads Adrian Fontes by over Six Points in Arizona Secretary of State Race: Poll

A new poll from The Trafalgar Group shows Trump-endorsed State Representative Mark Finchem (R-Oro Valley), who is running for Arizona secretary of state, more than six points ahead of his opponent, Democratic former Maricopa County Recorder Adrian Fontes. Conducted between September 14 and 17, the survey of 1,080 likely voters by the Republican-aligned pollster found that 47.5 percent chose Finchem and 41.1 percent chose Fontes.

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Michelle Ugenti-Rita Fires Back at Save Our Schools Arizona Director After Being Called a ‘MAGA Extremist’

Arizona State Sen. Michelle Ugenti-Rita (R-Scottsdale) fired back at the Director of Save Our Schools Arizona (SOSAZ), Beth Lewis, after being called a ‘MAGA extremist’ Sunday.

“Expressing our beliefs is the foundation of democracy not interfering with it. Instead of name calling try using substantive and persuasive facts to sell your perspective. Otherwise you simply come off as a simpleton,” Ugenti-Rita tweeted.

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Gov. Doug Ducey Touts What Arizona Has Done Without the Federal Government’s Help

Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) spoke at the Regan Foundation Tuesday about what he hopes to see for the Conservative movement as the county moves forward, giving state governments more power to enact policies that help the people.

“There is an exodus from the Golden State. Americans are voting with their feet. The conservative ideas applied outside of Washington, D.C. are winning and it’s not even close. Here is why I believe it’s happening: Conservative states have better policies, policies that are working for everyday Americans. There is far more freedom and opportunity in these states. And there is a sense of priority for personal safety in our states,” Ducey said.

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Ohio Debate Commission Director Donated to Democrats, Including Tim Ryan, Records Show

The leader of a “nonpartisan” group that schedules political debates in Ohio, including for the U.S. Senate race, has donated to Democratic candidates like Rep. Tim Ryan, according to federal records.

Jill Miller Zimon is executive director of the Ohio Debate Commission, a 501(c)(3) charity composed of “civic and media organizations” that hosts debates in the Buckeye State. But Zimon, a former Democratic U.S. House candidate in 2016 and 2014, contributed over $13,000 to Democratic causes and candidates between 2006 and 2018, records show.

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Music Spotlight: Chase Wright

NASHVILLE, Tennessee –In the past few years, a name that kept showing up in my feed was Chase Wright. (Not to be confused with another country singer/songwriter, Chase Rice.) Recently, as I was driving to work, I heard SiriusXM The Highway’s Storme Warren talking to Chase Wright. He invited him to become SXM The Highway’s next “Highway Find,” a platform that has launched many artists’ careers from Florida-Georgia Line to Carly Pearce.

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Gas Prices Rise for First Time Since June

Following nearly 100 days of declines, gas prices rose slightly Wednesday, and are forecasted to change little in the near future.

The national average price rose by about a cent to $3.68, snapping a 98-day streak of declines since prices peaked at $5.02 in mid-June, according to data from the American Automobile Association (AAA). A slight increase was expected to occur soon after prices fell only four cents last week, the smallest decrease in months, which the AAA attributed to the impacts of “war, COVID, economic recession, and hurricane season,” in a statement Monday.

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Job Creators Network and Gingrich Call on Congress to Adopt Their ‘Small Business Prosperity Plan’

The Job Creators Network rolled out a “small business prosperity plan” endorsed by former House Speaker Newt Gingrich on Wednesday.

Job Creators Network President and CEO Alfredo Ortiz said small businesses need regulatory and tax policy certainty, and the prosperity plan gives lawmakers a roadmap to follow. He said that Congress and President Biden should make the Trump-era Tax Cuts and Jobs Act permanent.

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Appeals Court Panel Allows DOJ to Continue Reviewing Documents from Trump Raid

A panel of three judges for the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals has allowed the Department of Justice to continue reviewing documents the FBI seized from Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate, upending part of an earlier ruling from the district court judge.

U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon earlier this month enjoined further federal review of the documents and appointed New York Judge Raymond Dearie as special master to independently review them.

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Amazon Spends Big to Keep Drivers from Leaving

After years of high turnover that left some employees feeling expendable, Amazon is spending just shy of half a billion dollars for delivery partners to raise pay and provide benefits for drivers amid growing concerns of a labor shortage.

The $450 million investment into Amazon’s Delivery Service Partners (DSP) network gives money to partnered companies to offer drivers pay increases, alongside funding for new benefits such as a 401(k) plan and education and training programs, according to Amazon’s announcement. The announcement, which Amazon said is part of efforts to build and retain “great teams,” comes less than four months after internal documents were leaked revealing Amazon’s concern that if its current hiring practices and treatment of employees continued, it would run out of people willing to work for the company by 2024, according to Vox.

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McConnell to Fundraise for Blake Masters Despite Past Discord

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell is fundraising for Republican Arizona Senate candidate Blake Masters, according to Punchbowl News.

McConnell will be the special guest at a Wednesday fundraising event for Masters, according to Punchbowl. The news comes amid an apparent conflict between Masters and McConnell: the Senate Leadership Fund, which is affiliated with McConnell, pulled millions of dollars in ad buys for Masters in August after Masters publicly criticized him multiple times.

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‘Dismantling Capitalism’: California School District Sponsors Activist Training Facility

A California school district features a “social justice academy” to teach kids to be activists and challenge capitalism, homophobia and white supremacy, according to the academy’s website.

San Leandro High School in San Leandro, California, uses their Social Justice Academy to educate students on how to “disrupt systems of power and oppression,” according to the academy’s website. The academy is a three-year program aimed at students in 10th through 12th grade and requires the students to run an activist “campaign” as their final project.

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Report Reveals ‘Shocking Long-Term Gaps in Federal Oversight’ over Prison Deaths

The Department of Justice’s tally of how many people died while in custody missed hundreds of deaths over the past couple of years, a 10-month U.S. Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations probe revealed.

The problems spanned many years over multiple administrations, and committee staffers said there is widespread blame for the oversight. The investigation found that changes to the methods for collecting the data and a transition of the agency within the Justice Department responsible for carrying out the act’s requirements led to the problems.

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California Files Antitrust Lawsuit Against Amazon

California Democratic Attorney General Rob Bonta announced on Wednesday an antitrust lawsuit against Amazon, claiming that the retail giant “stifled competition and caused increased prices” in the state. 

“Amazon coerces merchants into agreements that keep prices artificially high, knowing full well that they can’t afford to say no. With other e-commerce platforms unable to compete on price, consumers turn to Amazon as a one-stop shop for all their purchases,” Bonta said. “This perpetuates Amazon’s market dominance.” 

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Commentary: Advances in Medical Testing Making Health Challenges Easier to Diagnose

You may suffer from autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, or aPAP, but you might not know it yet. Importantly, your doctor may not know it either. 

Thousands of Americans suffer from aPAP, a rare autoimmune lung disease caused by the progressive build-up of an oily substance normally present in the lungs called surfactant. In healthy people, surfactant forms a thin layer that lines the tiny air sacs (alveoli) of the lungs and helps them function while we breath. In people with aPAP, the surfactant over-accumulates, making the layer thicker in some air sacs and filling others, blocking oxygen from moving out of the air sacs and into the bloodstream. 

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Tennessee Starts New Fiscal Year $130 Million Above Expectations in Tax and Fee Collections

The total taxes collected by Tennessee in the first month of the new fiscal year continued last year’s increasing trend.

Tennessee collected $1.5 billion in August, which was $130.5 million more than what was budgeted and $100.6 million more than what the state collected in August 2021, despite a moratorium on personal care and autocycle registrations.

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Memphis Record Pressing Predicted to Become North America’s Largest Producer of Vinyl Records

Memphis Record Pressing, located in Bartlett, Tennessee, is predicted to be North America’s largest producer of vinyl records by next year. Producing around 130,000 records a day, Memphis Record Pressing will produce over 10 million records this year.

Brandon Seavers, co-founder and CEO of Memphis Record Pressing, said, “It’s a humbling experience for me, and for Mark as well, to see where we are today. Literally every day when I drive up, I say, ‘This is not real. There is no way that we are manufacturing a legacy, analog format/medium in the 21st century, and we’re actually breaking ground and constructing a new facility to do this.”

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Proposed Constitutional Amendment Could Change Tennessee Governor’s Succession Line

A ballot initiative that will be voted upon this November could change the way Tennessee’s gubernatorial line of succession is structured. 

” On the November 8 ballot, Tennessee voters will have the opportunity to weigh in on a proposed amendment to the state constitution that establishes a framework for a temporary transition of power for the highest elected official in the state,” said a press release from the Tennessee General Assembly. “If approved, the amendment would be invoked if the governor is temporarily incapacitated and unable to perform his or her duties, most likely due to a medical emergency. Tennessee is the only state that does not have a provision in its state constitution to address this issue.”

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