Gallup Poll: Fewer Americans Have Confidence in Higher Education

On Tuesday, a new Gallup poll suggested that Americans across all demographic groups are less confident in the institution of higher education than they were several years ago.

According to Axios, the Gallup survey in question shows that just 36 percent of Americans report having confidence in colleges and universities. In 2018, that number stood at 48 percent, which itself was a drop from 57 percent in 2015.

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Jan. 6 Defendant Appeals to Supreme Court in Case that Could Upend Hundreds of Riot Charges

Jan. 6 defendant Edward Jacob Lang is asking the Supreme Court to hear his challenge against one of the 11 charges he was indicted on – obstruction of an official proceeding – in a case that could upend legal proceedings against hundreds of other defendants indicted on charges related to the Jan. 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol riot. 

The obstruction charge could be levied against “anyone who attends at a public demonstration gone awry,” attorneys for Lang wrote in an appeal to the Supreme Court last week. The proceeding for which the charge was brought refers to the event where Congress certifies the Electoral College votes to confirm the president.

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Largest U.S. Bank Notches Massive Profits Following Government-Assisted Acquisition

The biggest bank in America announced huge profits Friday after previously striking a deal with federal regulators to buy the failed First Republic Bank.

JPMorgan Chase reported $14.5 billion in net income for the second quarter of 2023, which is up 67% compared to the previous quarter and 40% excluding First Republic, according to JPMorgan’s earnings release. First Republic failed in May after a bank run, requiring federal regulators to seize the bank and have other large banks bid on its sale, leading JPMorgan to acquire the bank and maintain funds for depositors.

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‘Anti-Woke’ Alternative to Amazon to Go Public This Month

A new online marketplace that promotes itself as a conservative and patriotic alternative to Amazon is preparing to ring the bell on the New York Stock Exchange and take the company public.

According to the Daily Mail, the San Diego-based PublicSq, which first launched in August of 2022, has already drawn the support of prominent America First figures such as Donald Trump Jr. and former Arizona Senate nominee Blake Masters. The company plans to attract more investors by highlighting its status within the so-called “parallel economy” of conservative alternatives to larger, left-wing businesses, according to excerpts from an investor call on Tuesday.

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Commentary: Who’s Up, Who’s Down, and Who’s Out After Tucker Carlson’s Blow-Out Interviews in Iowa

Who won the Republican blow-out interview lalapalooza with Tucker Carlson in Iowa Friday night? Besides Tucker himself—who was on the Q side of this extended Q & A—the participants were South Carolina Senator Tim Scott, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, former Vice President Mike Pence, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis.

Let me say straight off that the biggest beneficiary was probably Tucker himself. He is a master interviewer, outgoing and friendly in manner, informed about the issues, unrelenting in his questioning. Some of his hosts at the Family Leadership Summit, which with Blaze Media sponsored the event, were so impressed with his performance that they suggested to the audience that Tucker himself should run for president. It’s an idea that has been in circulation for a while and it got a notable “trending” uptick as the evening unfolded. Tucker himself has dismissed the idea in no uncertain terms, but it is worth noting how widespread his support is among the politically mature.

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Sanctuary City Hospital Reverses Course After Emergency Room Overrun with Migrants Seeking Shelter

A Boston hospital became overwhelmed by a surge in illegal immigrants seeking shelter, leading it to change its policy allowing them to stay overnight in the emergency room, according to recent local reports.

The hospital is working to get the migrants out of its care if they’re not needing medical attention, it said in a statementshared with WCVB-TV Boston. The hospital reports an influx in migrant arrivals amid an uptick in illegal immigration at both the southern and northern borders in recent years.

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Trump Pledges to ‘Obliterate the Deep State’ and Create ‘Truth and Reconciliation Commission’

Former President Donald Trump pledged to end corruption in Washington, D.C., by obliterating the deep state and creating a “Truth and Reconciliation Commission” that would declassify all information about government spying, censorship and corruption. 

“When I get back into the Oval Office, I will totally obliterate the deep state,” Trump pledged Saturday at a Turning Point USA conference in Florida, taking aim at the alleged group of federal officials working against his agenda. 

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Australian Titanium Company to Build First U.S. Plant in Bradley County

An Australian company that manufactures titanium alloy is coming to Bradley County, according to a release from the Tennessee Department of Economic and Community Development (TNECD). 

Amaero International Limited will build invest $54.9 million in a manufacturing, research and development (R&D) facility in Cleveland. The R&D facility will serve as the company’s global headquarters. The company will create 105 new jobs in Bradley County. 

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Court Sides with Catholic School That Let Employee Go over Her Gay Marriage

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals ruled against a former Catholic school employee Thursday whose contract was not renewed after disclosing her same-sex marriage.

Michelle Fitzgerald, the school’s former co-director of guidance, filed a lawsuit in 2019 after the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and Roncalli High School informed her that the school did not intend to renew her contract for the next year because she had violated her terms of agreement by being in a same-sex relationship, according to the lawsuit. Judge Richard Young rejected Fitzgerald’s appeal to a previous ruling, noting that she had violated the terms of her contract by entering into a same-sex relationship, which goes against the Archdiocese’s beliefs about marriage.

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Bipartisan Bill Bans JROTC Programs at Chinese Communist Party-Linked Schools

U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz, a member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, introduced a measure that would prohibit the Department of Defense from establishing or maintaining a Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps program at any private school operated by entities linked to the People’s Republic of China, Chinese Communist Party, or the People’s Liberation Army.

U.S. Reps. Mike Waltz, R-Fla., and Chrissy Houlahan, D-Pa., introduced the Deterring Egregious State Infiltration of Schools’ Training Act in the U.S. House of Representatives, according to a news release. 

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Northern Michigan Legislator Pledges to Restore $15 Million to Pure Michigan Campaign

Rep. Ken Borton, R-Gaylord, announced Thursday he’s planning to restore $15 million to the Pure Michigan budget.

The Michigan tourism campaign has spent $450 million since its launch in 2008. Although the bulk of that money came from Michigan residents, the state also appropriated $15 million of federal American Rescue Plan Act funds in the current budget.

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Federal Judge Rejects Challenge to Connecticut’s Ban on Firearms in Parks

A federal judge has tossed a challenge to a Connecticut law banning firearms in state parks, saying the lawsuit lacks standing because the regulation isn’t enforced.

The ruling by U.S. District Court Janet Bond Arterton, issued on Wednesday, upholds a more than a century-old Connecticut law prohibiting lawfully licensed firearm owners from packing in state parks and wildlife preserves. 

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Atlanta City Council Wants Action on Blocked Grade Crossings

An Atlanta City Council committee has passed a measure to advocate for punishing railroads that block grade crossings for prolonged periods, the latest salvo in an ongoing dispute between railroads and communities nationwide.

The Atlanta measure calls on the Georgia General Assembly and Congress to pass legislation limiting how long freight trains can block a grade crossing.

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Federal Program Targets Virginia Landscapes to Combat Climate Change

A Department of Defense-supported program designed to combat climate change came to Virginia on Monday.

The Sentinel Landscape Partnership is tackling two new landscape projects in Virginia abutting its Maryland project, the Middle Chesapeake Landscape. The commonwealth landscapes comprise public and private lands in a swath of nearly three million acres that includes 10 military installations and stretches from Maryland to North Carolina, according to The Pew Charitable Trusts, the lead nonprofit that worked with federal and state officials on the designation.

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Judge Denies Abe Hamadeh’s Request for a New Trial Despite 280-vote Difference

Almost two months after hearing oral arguments to determine whether Abe Hamadeh should be awarded a new trial in his election contest, Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee F. Jantzen denied the request on Friday. Hamadeh’s legal team had requested the retrial based on discovering evidence that was withheld from them during the first trial; “undervotes” discovered in Pinal County that were erroneously not counted. The new votes shrunk Kris Mayes’ lead to only 280 votes. It is the closest statewide race in Arizona history. 

Jantzen said in the short ruling that he will be issuing his full reasoning behind the decision on Monday by noon, stating that it was a “close call in a close contest.” Hamadeh responded in a statement, “[W]e believe the situation is very simple: the contest was not as close as it stands now. If all legal votes are counted, I win this race for attorney general.”

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Popular ‘Sequeerity’ Group Not Licensed as Security Provider in Minnesota

A popular Minneapolis-based security team for hire called “Sequeerity” is not licensed in the state of Minnesota, potentially making the business guilty of a gross misdemeanor, state officials confirmed.

Under Minnesota law, anyone who provides, for a fee or reward, “guards, private patrol or other security personnel to protect persons or their property” is considered to be a “protective agent” and must be licensed, the Minnesota Private Detective and Protective Agent Services Board (PDB) told Alpha News.

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Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Secure Patient’s Rights to Healthcare Advocates

Two Republican Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives to ensure every patient’s right to a healthcare advocate at a hospital or care facility.

House Bill (HB) 236, known as The Never Alone Act, sponsored by State Representatives Melanie Miller (R-City of Ashland) and Beth Lear (R-Galena), looks to protect patient’s rights to have access to a loved one or individual who can advocate for their health during their stay at a medical facility.

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Commentary: It’s Time to Acknowledge America’s Education Crisis

The recent Supreme Court ruling regarding college admissions has once again thrust America’s educational system into the spotlight. A major question that has come from this ruling is whether America’s children are being intellectually and academically prepared to even enter or succeed in these colleges and universities. The tragic answer is that America’s public education system is failing to equip our youth with the tools necessary to succeed in higher education and in their future professional lives. We are failing America’s most valuable asset—our children.

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Arizona Business Leaders Warn of ‘Unattainable’ Federal Air Quality Proposals

The state Joint Legislative Ad Hoc Committee on Air Quality and Energy held a hearing Thursday to discuss how federal air quality policy could impact Maricopa County, as the Environmental Protection Agency is considering raising compliance standards.

Arizona Department of Environmental Quality Air Quality Division Director Daniel Czecholinski went over the state implementation plan backed by the federal Environmental Protection Agency.

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Report Finds 8,241-Vote Discrepancy in Arizona’s 2022 Election Between Number of Individuals Who Voted and Ballots Counted

A report from the America First Policy Institute (AFPI) found that there may be an 8,241-vote discrepancy between those who cast votes in Maricopa County’s 2022 election and the number of ballots that were counted. This is “about 29.4 times” the difference between the contested attorney general’s race, the report stated, which Democrat Kris Mayes won by 280 votes.

On Friday, Mohave County Judge Lee F. Jantzen denied Abe Hamadeh’s request for a new hearing in his election challenge.

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Commentary: Limiting Short-Term Health Care Plans Will Hurt Americans

Mike Pirner had emergency gall bladder surgery shortly after buying short-term medical insurance plan (STM), for $150/month. The costs associated with the procedure were $100,000 — Mike only had to pay his $2,500 deductible, which was also his out-of-pocket maximum. President Biden has proposed rules released Friday of the July 4th week that would limit these plans to three months, with one additional month possible. Currently, these plans can last up to three years. 

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Major Benefactor Pulls $400,000 Annual Donation from Arizona State University, Cites ‘Left-Wing Hostility and Activism’

A major benefactor is pulling funding from Arizona State University amid the firing of an ASU staff member who hosted an event featuring conservatives Charlie Kirk and Dennis Prager.

Tom Lewis of the T.W. Lewis Foundation previously helped fund ASU’s T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development, which is housed in Barrett, The Honors College, at ASU.

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Democrats Lost 26 Points with Hispanic Voters in 2022 Midterm Elections, Says Pew Research Center

The Republican Party saw significant gains during the 2022 midterm elections in large part due to Hispanic voters, according to a new poll released by the Pew Research Center on Wednesday. 

Pew Research Center found that while most Hispanic voters still favor Democratic candidates overall, the Democratic advantage among Latino voters decreased by 26 points, from a 47-point margin in 2018 to 21 points in 2022. 

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Changes Coming to Tennessee’s Model Teacher Prep Program

A program designed to remove financial barriers for potential teachers to enter the profession is undergoing modification. As a result, some prospective teachers may find themselves financially unable to participate. 

The new changes potentially put the program at odds with its original goals. Compounding the issue is a lack of transparency by both the Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) and the Tennessee Grow Your Own Center. 

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Maine Governor Signs Bill Allowing Teenagers to Obtain Cross-Sex Hormones Without Parental Consent

Maine Governor Janet Mills (D) signed into law legislation this week that eliminates the requirement of parental consent for 16-17-year-old minors to be provided cross-sex hormones to change their physical appearance to correspond to their gender identity at a given point in time.

L.D. 535, titled an Act Regarding Consent for Gender-affirming Hormone Therapy for Certain Minors, states “a health care professional may provide gender-affirming hormone therapy and follow-up care to a minor without obtaining the consent of the parent or guardian of the minor,” with the requirements being that the minor is at least 16 years old; has been diagnosed with gender dysphoria; has been judged by a healthcare professional to be experiencing “harm” from not obtaining cross-sex hormones; and the minor’s parents do not support the hormone treatment.

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Dozens of House Republicans to Join Group Pushing ‘Climate Solutions’

Twenty-nine House Republicans are joining 29 House Democrats to resurrect the bipartisan House Climate Solutions Caucus, E&E News reported Friday.

The caucus will seek to find bipartisan compromise on green energy and climate initiatives, which the Biden administration has committed to spending hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars to facilitate. The bipartisan group is the latest iteration of the Climate Solutions Caucus, which sought to pursue bipartisan climate compromise during the trump administration and counted 90 representatives among its ranks before going effectively dormant after the 2018 midterm elections, according to E&E News.

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Fired Diversity Official Sues College for ‘De-Centering Whiteness’

Silicon Valley community college officials said “White gays and lesbians” were not welcome in its LGBT center, called Jews “White oppressors” and refused repeated requests to address antisemitism, and forced staff to mouth a “land acknowledgment” that misidentified local indigenous tribes, according to a former diversity official.

The First Amendment lawsuit by Tabia Lee builds on allegations she made against De Anza College, Foothill-De Anza Community College District and officials after they declined to renew her contract this spring, which she called retaliation for challenging its “empty ‘antiracism’ gesture[s]” that reinforce racial stereotypes such as the “noble savage” and for acting like “an ‘uppity’ Black woman.”

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Probe Launched into FBI’s Targeting of House Intelligence Committee Staffers

On Thursday, the House Judiciary Committee formally opened an investigation into claims that the FBI spied on two Republican staffers with the House Intelligence Committee while the “Russian collusion” probe was ongoing.

As reported by Just The News, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) sent a letter to FBI Director Christopher Wray addressing prior reporting by Just The News that the bureau had seized from Google the private email of Kash Patel, who had served as the chief investigator for then-Chairman of the Intelligence Committee Devin Nunes (R-Calif.).

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Watchdog Group Reports on Ohio State University College of Medicine ‘Anti-Racism’ DEI Practices Post-Supreme Court Decision

A comprehensive report by an organization that seeks to protect health care from discriminatory ideology has published a report that finds Ohio State University (OSU) College of Medicine is steeped in teaching medicine through the lens of the diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) agenda, and notes the school will need to examine its admissions processes to align with the Supreme Court’s recent affirmative action ruling.

The report, by Do No Harm, is released in the wake of the Court’s decision in Students for Fair Admissions, Inc. v. President and Fellows of Harvard College, which struck down affirmative action policies in school admissions.

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