Day: July 22, 2023

January 6 Security Footage: Secret Service Brought Kamala Harris Within Yards of Undetected DNC Pipe Bomb

Just the News

U.S. Capitol complex security footage shows the Secret Service brought Vice President-elect Kamala Harris into a garage at the Democratic National Committee headquarters on Jan. 6, 2021, just a few yards from where a pipe bomb had been planted the night before by an unidentified suspect.

The video footage, obtained by Just the News and released on Friday, raised immediate concerns with experts on presidential security and top lawmakers in Congress on how the explosive device was overlooked during security sweeps.

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Magna, Ford Electric Truck Supplier, to Build Three Facilities

The Center Square

A supplier will spend $790 million to build two facilities at BlueOval City to supply Ford’s new electric truck factory, according to Tennessee’s Department of Economic and Community Development.

On Thursday morning, the new Magna 800,000-square-foot frame and battery enclosures facility and a 140,000-square-foot seating facility were announced along with a third facility for stamping and assembly in Lawrenceburg, Tennessee.

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‘The Chosen’ Overtakes Mainstream Shows in CW Network Broadcast TV Premiere

Susan Berry, PhD

The 90-minute broadcast-TV debut Sunday of faith-based series The Chosen on The CW Network averaged “a far mightier audience” than other CW shows, such as Riverdale and Nancy Drew, which aired at the same times the week before, TVLine reported.

While The Chosen “averaged 520,000 viewers and a 0.1 rating, 200,000 viewers watched Riverdale and 400,000 viewed Nancy Drew, SpoilerTV also reported.

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National Pro-Life Group Condemns Democrats and Media Allies for Encouraging Abortionists to Illegally Mail Abortion Drugs to Pro-Life States

Susan Berry, PhD

A national pro-life group is shaming Democrats for encouraging abortionists to mail dangerous abortion-inducing drugs into pro-life states after the Washington Post touted such actions are legal.

“Mailing abortion pills into pro-life states is not legal, no matter how the Democrats and their media cheerleaders want it to be,” said Marjorie Dannenfelser, president of Susan B. Anthony (SBA) Pro-Life America, in a statement sent to The Star News Network. “And the strong majority of Americans agree it is not safe.” 

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White House Plans for Zero-Emission Federal Fleet by 2035 Off to Slow Start

The Center Square

President Joe Biden’s executive order to convert the federal fleet of automobiles to all zero-emission vehicles by 2035 is off to a slow start, according to a new report. 

The U.S. Government Accountability Office found that federal agencies subject to Biden’s executive order replaced or acquired about 45,000 vehicles in fiscal year 2021. About 260 of those 45,000 were considered zero-emission vehicles. That’s 0.58% of the total. While many federal agencies have started planning for an all-electric future, they face challenges such as limited vehicle availability, costs and limits on the ability to charge vehicles at federal facilities, some of which are leased, according to the Government Accountability Office report.

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Inflation Tanks Small-Dollar Donations to 2024 Campaigns

Admin

As prices across the country remain high, small-dollar donations have decreased for 2024 political campaigns, Politico reported Friday.

Although inflation fell in June, prices are still above pre-pandemic levels, and candidates who previously reaped the benefits of grassroots donations are not receiving them at the same degree, according to Politico. The campaign arms of House Republicans and Democrats, as well as presidential candidates, saw a drop in small-donor donations compared to previous cycles.

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Zuckerberg’s Twitter Clone Continues to Crash in Popularity: Report

Admin

Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Twitter rival Threads has plummeted in popularity for a second consecutive week, according to market intelligence company Sensor Tower, The Wall Street Journal reported.

The so-called “Twitter Killer” has experienced a substantial fall in engagement, down to 13 million daily active users, which is a 70% drop from July 7, according to Sensor Tower estimates, the WSJ reported. Meanwhile, billionaire Tesla CEO Elon Musk’s Twitter steadily maintains around 200 million active daily users, who spend an average of 30 minutes on the platform.

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Early Debt Repayment Could Save Florida Taxpayers Nearly $34 Million in Interest

The Center Square

Florida taxpayers are set to save millions of dollars after Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that some of the Sunshine State’s debt had been paid down early.

A total of $400 million in state debt has been paid back through the Debt Reduction Program, designed to accelerate the payment of bonds before they mature and saving Florida taxpayers almost $34 million in interest.

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Gov. Whitmer Signs Record $24 Billon Michigan Education Budget

The Center Square

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer signed the 2024 education budget with a record per-student investment in which taxpayers will foot all public school students’ breakfast and lunch, as well as pre-kindergarten for some 4-year-olds.

Democrats holding a political trifecta for the first time in 40 years say Senate Bill 173 will improve student success through tutoring, extra school programming, and literacy support.

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Federal Lawsuit Targets Race-Based Government Grant Decisions Alleged to Discriminate Against White and Other Business Owners

M.D. Kittle

In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling striking down affirmative action in college admisssions, a San Antonio-based government program that allegedly uses race-based preferences to hand out federal grants faces a federal discrimination lawsuit.

The lawsuit, filed this week by the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty (WILL), could spark a national re-examination of such taxpayer-funded, race-focused initiatives.

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Virginia and Maryland Debate New Criteria for FBI Headquarters

The Center Square

In response to talks with Maryland and Virginia officials, the GSA – the government agency tasked with choosing a location for the new FBI headquarters – has again adjusted its criteria, leaving the neighboring states still jockeying for selection after years of indecision.

It took a decade of complaints about the security, space and functionality of the existing Washington, D.C., FBI headquarters for Congress to appropriate funds and authorize the search for a new one in 2012.

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Former State Representative Outraises Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur in Second Quarter Fundraising for Ohio’s 9th Congressional District

Hannah Poling

Former State Representative from Defiance and current candidate for Ohio’s 9th Congressional district in 2024 Craig Riedel has outraised U.S. Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), who is currently in that seat, in the second quarter fundraising by roughly $177,000.

According to Riedel, he has raised $537,951 in the second quarter of fundraising compared to Kaptur’s $360,540 a difference of $177,411.

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Delaware Court Blocks Release of Biden’s Senate Papers

The Center Square

Delaware’s highest court has blocked a request by conservative groups seeking to access President Joe Biden’s Senate papers at a state university. 

The July 6 ruling by the Delaware Supreme Court upheld a lower court decision that sided with the University of Delaware in denying a request from Judicial Watch and another group seeking access to the records, which Biden gifted to the public university in 2012. 

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Rochester Could Join List of Cities Imposing Moratorium on Marijuana Sales Until 2025

Admin

As the calendar continues to creep closer to Aug. 1 — when it becomes legal for Minnesotans to possess, consume and grow limited amounts of recreational cannabis — cities across the state are preparing for the inevitable marijuana retail market that will (eventually) follow.

In Rochester on Monday, July 24, members of the public will continue to weigh in on a proposed ordinance that would prohibit marijuana sales in the city until Jan. 1, 2025. This comes after a handful of cities have already passed similar pot shop moratorium ordinances, including: Brooklyn Center, Ramsey, West St. Paul and Mankato.

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Arizona Legislative District 17’s Freedom Team Endorses Donald Trump for President

Hannah Poling

The Arizona Freedom Team of Legislative District 17 has announced their official endorsement of former President and current presidential candidate Donald Trump in his run for United States President in 2024.

On Thursday, State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tucson) and State Representatives Cory McGarr (R-Tucson) and Rachel Jones (R-Tucson) released a joint statement officially giving their full and total endorsement for United States President to Trump.

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Commentary: Bidenomics Is Behind Jerome Powell’s Woke Turn

Admin

In February 2021, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell told Congress, “We are not climate policymakers here who can decide the way climate change will be addressed by the United States. We’re a regulatory agency that regulates a part of the economy.” When Powell said that, less than a month into the Biden administration, inflation was 1.6%.

Just eight months later, in remarks on November 22, 2021, President Biden said Powell – then up for renomination and facing stiff opposition from congressional progressives – “made clear to me: A top priority will be to accelerate the Fed’s effort to address and mitigate the risks – the risk that climate change poses to our financial system and our economy.” At that time inflation was 6.8%, on its way up to a 40-year high of 9.1%.

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