July 1 marks the start of a new fiscal year for Virginia, which means many bills passed during the legislative session take effect today. Here are some new laws in the commonwealth.
Read the full storyNew Laws Take Effect in Virginia
Day: July 2, 2023
Judges Halt Two New Tennessee Laws
Tennessee’s law blocking the automatic withdrawal of professional organization dues for the state’s teachers has been blocked from going into effect Saturday.
A three-judge panel granted a temporary restraining order in the case and set a Zoom hearing for July 13.
Read the full storyGov. Lee Appoints Leaders of Key Government Positions
Gov. Bill Lee’s office Friday announced the appointment of more than 20 new government officials to fill key roles in the state.
Lee’s first appointment was Tony Treadway, who Lee named a Trustee of the East Tennessee State University Board (ETSU) of Trustees.
Read the full storyTexas Abortion Ban Leads to Additional 10,000 Births, Paper Concludes
An abortion ban in the state of Texas has led to nearly 10,000 additional live births in the state, researchers from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health estimate.
Between April and December of 2022, the researchers conclude that the state witnessed 9,799 additional births that would not have been occurred but for the existence of the state’s abortion ban, the researchers concluded. The state’s previous law allowed abortion up to 22 weeks of gestation, while the current legislation prohibits abortion on detection of embryonic cardiac activity, i.e. the detection of a fetal heartbeat. This can occur as early as 5-6 weeks into pregnancy.
Read the full storySupreme Court Expands Degree to Which Businesses Must Accommodate Religious Workers
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday to expand the degree to which businesses have to accommodate workers for religious purposes.
In the case, Groff v. DeJoy, Postmaster General, the court found that postman Gerald Groff, an evangelical Christian, should not have been disciplined for refusing to work on Sundays for religious reasons. The majority opinion cited Title VII’s requirement to accommodate employees for religious purposes provided it does not cause the employer “undue hardship.”
Read the full storyStudy: Biden Regulations Costing Average American Household $10,000
A new study reveals that the average American household has lost at least $10,000 due to various new regulations implemented by the Biden Administration.
As reported by Fox News, the study was conducted by the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, a conservative economics group, and was authored by Casey Mulligan, an economics professor at the University of Chicago. According to the study, the rate of new regulations being enacted by the Biden Administration has already surpassed the pace of new regulations under the Obama Administration.
Read the full storyThe 2024 Election Could Come Down to These Four States
The upcoming presidential election could potentially come down to Arizona, Georgia, Nevada and Wisconsin, according to the Sabato’s Crystal Ball 2024 Electoral College predictions released Thursday.
The nonpartisan report, facilitated by the University of Virginia’s Center for Politics, labels the four states as “toss-ups” based on the 2020 election and 2022 midterms. The 2024 landscape slightly favors the Democrats and will likely be another matchup between former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden, according to the report.
Read the full storyTennessee Representative Applauds New Department of Defense Rule Regarding Hollywood Film Censorship
Tennessee U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) applauded the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) after it announced it will no longer work with film studios that censor their movies on behalf of the Communist China Party (CCP).
Read the full storyUniversity of Wisconsin to Review Supreme Court Affirmative Action Ruling
The University of Wisconsin says it doesn’t yet know what the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling to end affirmative action university admissions will mean for UW schools.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer Mnookin on Thursday said she will need some time to examine the university’s admission policy, and determine if any changes are needed.
Read the full storyConnecticut Gov. Lamont Signs Healthcare Costs Containment Bill
Gov. Ned Lamont has signed a bill to reel in Connecticut’s rising healthcare costs through stronger regulation of hospitals and drug prices.
The legislation, signed on Tuesday, calls for banning the use of anti-competitive healthcare contracting practices, improving transparency in pricing for medical treatments, limits on hospital “facility fees” and multi-state bulk purchasing program to lower prescription drug costs, among other changes.
Read the full storyArizona Gov. Katie Hobbs Announced New Funding to Support Border Security
Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs announced new funding to support law enforcement on border security issues Friday.
Hobbs, Yavapai County Sheriff David Rhodes, and Prescott Valley Police Department Chief Bob Ticer said that $1.5 million would be allocated to Yavapai County law enforcement agencies to assist mainly with combating drug and human trafficking.
Read the full storyGeorgia’s Gov. Kemp Transfers Millions for Water Wars Fight, Public Safety
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp has transferred more than $8.9 million from the Governor’s Emergency Fund to several state agencies, including millions for public safety and a decades-long fight over water.
As part of the allocation, Kemp, a Republican, is sending $5.7 million to cover costs — including counsel fees and litigation expenses — stemming from a long-standing dispute over water use in the Apalachicola-Chattahoochee-Flint River and the Alabama-Coosa-Tallapoosa River basins.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Receives $42 Million for School Meals, Food Banks
Pennsylvania is set to receive almost $42 million in federal funds to offset rising prices of food for school meals.
States will receive about $1.3 billion for school meals overall, and another $1 billion from the U.S. Department of Agriculture for food banks and community kitchens.
Read the full storyMichigan AG Charges Former Union Leader with Sexual Assault
Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel charged former union leader Jonathan Byrd, 40, of Battle Creek with one count of fourth-degree criminal sexual conduct.
Byrd worked for the Michigan Laborers’ District Council, of the Laborers’ International Union of North America, where he pushed forward the repeal of Michigan’s right-to-work law after the alleged incident.
Read the full storyMinnesota Spent $1,000 of Taxpayer Money on LGBTQ Reel
Minnesota’s tourism arm spent $1,000 to produce an Instagram reel celebrating gay pride month that featured partial nudity.
“Explore Minnesota did not pay Instagram any money to run this video as an ad,” Senior Business Operations Manager Mike Meyer told The Center Square in an email. “Explore Minnesota paid $1000 for the production of the video.”
Read the full storyData Shows Florida’s Electricity Consumption Increased as Population Grows
With one of the fastest-growing populations in the U.S., Florida’s electricity consumption is steadily rising.
According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration, Florida is the second-largest electricity producer nationally, second to Texas. Natural gas fuels the vast majority of electricity in the state, accounting for three-fourths of the state’s net generation capacity.
Read the full storyLumber Company Expanding in Southwest Virginia
Southwestern Virginia is set to benefit from a $7.5 million expansion of Musser Biomass and Wood Products, bringing new, high-paying jobs to the area and more than doubling its production of dried hardwood chips and sawdust.
Musser’s parent company, Musser Lumber Company, has contributed to the Wythe County economy since 1968 when it was founded, and today has customers across the country and worldwide. The company specializes in preparing hardwood lumber for flooring and paneling, and sources lumber from dozens of regional sawmills.
Read the full storyCommentary: The Case for Impeaching Joe Biden
When I defended former President Trump against a Democratic effort to impeach and remove him on grounds that I believe are unconstitutional, I predicted that when the Republicans gained control of the House, they would use that precedent as a justification for trying to impeach the next Democratic president.
Sure enough, Rep. Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) has introduced articles of impeachment that replicated what the Democrats had done just three and a half years earlier.
Read the full storyOhio Professor Reprimanded by University After Giving Student ‘Zero’ for Using ‘Biological Women’ on Assignment
University of Cincinnati administrators reprimanded professor Melanie Nipper earlier this month for violating the free speech of a student when she gave her a zero on an assignment, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Student Olivia Krolczyk released a viral TikTok video discussing how she was given zero points for a section of her project for using the term “biological women” in her Gender in Popular Culture course, the Cincinnati Enquirer reported. Krolczyk submitted a Freedom of Speech claim with the school which resulted in Ashley Currier, head of the Department of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at UC, issuing the reprimand to Nipper on June 14, according to the Cincinnati Enquirer.
Read the full storyCommentary: FreedomFest’s Journey to Memphis Echoes the Anthem of Liberty
This year, from July 12 to 15, FreedomFest takes its spirit of liberty on the road, landing in a city steeped in history, resilience and innovation – Memphis, Tennessee.
FreedomFest isn’t just a conference; it’s a gathering of free spirits and forward-thinkers, a celebration of every aspect of liberty we cherish in our lives – be it political, financial, social, creative, professional, physical or intellectual. From academics and business tycoons to free-market aficionados and cultural powerhouses, the event brings together a melting pot of ideas and individuals all bound by a shared respect for liberty and freedom.
Read the full storyGOP Rep Introduces Bill to Counter Congolese Child Mines, Chinese Influence in Minerals
Republican Rep. Chris Smith of New Jersey introduced legislation Friday which would ban imports containing key minerals extracted by child labor in Congolese mines and counter Chinese control of the global critical minerals supply.
The Countering China’s Exploitation of Strategic Metals and Minerals and Child and Forced Labor in the Democratic Republic of Congo Act would prohibit the importation of all products containing cobalt and lithium extracted by child miners and victims of labor trafficking in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), according to a press release from Smith’s office. The rare minerals are crucial ingredients for the lithium-ion batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs), a key pillar of President Joe Biden’s larger green energy agenda.
Read the full storyCommentary: Today’s Youth Are Digital, De-Churched, and Depressed
The kids aren’t alright, and it’s starting to show. Last week, the New York Post published a front-page story that heralded “The New Great Depression,” tracking the twin rise of social media and juvenile depression.
Since 1991, the University of Michigan has annually polled thousands of students in middle and high school, asking whether they agree with the following three statements: “I can’t do anything right,” “I do not enjoy life,” and “My life is not useful.”
Read the full storyCommentary: Dear America, The Intelligence Community Isn’t Your Friend
The intelligence agencies have been in the news a lot lately — and not because they deserve praise. Recently, the FBI refused for weeks to provide the House Oversight Committee with a document that alleges a bribery scheme involving President Joe Biden during his time serving as vice president.
To avoid a contempt of Congress hearing, FBI Director Christopher Wray decided, at the last minute, to allow the committee’s members to view the document in question.
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