Month: July 2023

Gov. Abbott: Texas Has the Sovereign Authority to Defend Its Borders

The Center Square

Texas has a right to defend its own border, Gov. Greg Abbott said on Friday in response to the U.S. Department of Justice demanding the state remove marine barriers placed in the Rio Grande River in the Eagle Pass area of Texas.

“The State of Texas’s actions violate federal law, raise humanitarian concerns, present serious risks to public safety and the environment, and may interfere with the federal government’s ability to carry out its official duties,” the DOJ wrote to Abbott in a letter on Thursday. The DOJ gave Abbott until Monday to agree to remove the barriers. If he didn’t agree or reply, the DOJ said it would sue.

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Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Prohibit Adult Cabaret Performances for Children

Hannah Poling

Two Republican Ohio Lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives that aims to prohibit adult cabaret performances in front of children.

House Bill (HB) 245 sponsored by State Representatives Angela King (R-Celina) and Josh Williams (R-Sylvania) looks to ban “adult cabaret performances” outside of venues specifically for adult cabarets.

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New Republican Voter Registrations Continue to Outpace Democrats by over Three Times as Much in Maricopa County

Rachel Alexander

Recent voter registration numbers from the Arizona Secretary of State’s Office show an increasing number of voters in Maricopa County registering as Republican rather than Democrat. Between last fall’s election and April, Republican voter registration in the county increased by 9,905 to 851,047. Democratic voter registration increased by only 2,791, less than a third as much. Republicans maintained their registration advantage at 34.39 percent, while Democrats dipped below 30 percent to 29.69 percent.

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Florida’s DeSantis Asks State Investment Manager to Consider Legal Action Against Bud Light Parent

Just the News

Florida GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis is asking the state’s investment manager to consider legal action against Bud Light parent company AB InBev over recent controversial marketing tactics.

CNN obtained a letter Thursday that states DeSantis suggests that AB InBev “breached legal duties owed to its shareholders” when it decided to associate with “radical social ideologies.” 

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Budget Revisions at Impasse over Tax Cuts and Underfunded Virginia Schools

The Center Square

Virginia entered the fiscal year on July 1 without a revised budget for the first time in over 20 years due to a lack of consensus in the General Assembly – to the tune of roughly $1 billion.

Virginia operates on a two-year budget that is passed in even years, but revisions are made in odd years to keep up with state programs, priorities and changes in legislation.

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Nashville Covenant School Parents Push for New Gun Laws

The Center Square

Families from Nashville’s Covenant School have begun a pair of nonprofits and are pushing Tennessee for gun prevention laws such as expanded background checks, secure storage and red flag laws heading into August’s expected special session of the Tennessee Legislature.

A shooter killed three students and three employees at Covenant School earlier this year. Family members from the school started Covenant Families for a Brighter Tomorrow and the legislative advocacy nonprofit Covenant Families Action Fund.

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Fifth Year of Tuition Freeze Approved in Pennsylvania

The Center Square

Following on the heels of an expected 6% increase in funding from the General Assembly, the Pennsylvania State System of Higher Education voted to freeze tuition for the fifth year in a row.

The 6% represents a $33 million increase over last year, though it’s a 2% overall increase because the General Assembly only provides about 30% of the system’s total revenues, Chancellor Dan Greenstein said.

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Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack Outlines Her Priorities for Next Session

Hannah Poling

Arizona State Senator Justine Wadsack (R-Tuscon) is preparing for the next legislative session by outlining her priorities and beginning to craft legislation for introduction in the State Senate.

Arizona’s regular legislative sessions begin on the second Monday in January and typically conclude after 100 days. However, the House and Senate can mutually vote to extend the regular session beyond 100 days. This happens regularly. It will run as long as lawmakers need it to.

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Commentary: The Man Behind the Movie ‘Oppenheimer’

RealClearWire

This weekend, thousands of Americans will go to movie theaters across the country to watch Christopher Nolan’s newest film, “Oppenheimer.” A star-studded cast of talented actors, including Cillian Murphy, Florence Pugh, Matt Damon, and Emily Blunt, will bring to the big screen the life of Robert Oppenheimer, the brilliant theoretical physicist often called “the father of the atomic bomb.”

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Commentary: The Storied Past and Clouded Future of Pro Golf

RealClearWire

Riding the train from London to Liverpool, I’m filled with anticipation. Tomorrow is the first round of golf’s British Open – or, as they make a point of calling it here – just “The Open Championship.” It’s the final so-called “major” tournament of the year, the last chance for the 156 players teeing off to etch their name in golf history. With the exception of Tiger Woods, every player who has dominated the game of golf since I started paying attention will be teeing off.

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Republicans Move to Defund John Kerry’s Climate Envoy Office

Admin

On Wednesday, over two dozen Republicans in the House of Representatives introduced a bill that would cut all funding for John Kerry’s newly-established “climate envoy” office at the State Department.

As Fox News reports, the No Taxpayer Funding for Climate Zealots Advancing Radical Schemes Act would forbid the use of any federal funds from being appropriated for the purpose of funding Kerry’s office, including for such purposes as travel, administrative, and salary expenses. Biden first created the office specific

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Ruth Bader Ginsburg Gave $1 Million to Unknown Groups

Admin

After receiving a $1 million prize from a left-wing foundation, the late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg vowed to donate the money to numerous different charities; to this day, it is unknown where the money went.

According to the Washington Free Beacon, Ginsburg was awarded the prize money by the Berggruen Institute, founded by left-wing billionaire Nicolas Berggruen, at its annual Philosophy & Culture Award dinner in December 2019. Ethics experts at the time pointed out that the amount was far greater than the $2,000 maximum that Judicial Conference regulations placed on honoraria, thus raising the likelihood of conflicts of interest for Ginsburg.

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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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Secret Tapes and Coerced Payments: Top 10 Biden-Burisma Bombshells from FBI Informant Memo

Just the News

Iowa Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley on Thursday published an unclassified FBI document containing confidential human source information related to an alleged bribery scheme involving Joe and Hunter Biden in which a Ukrainian gas company hired Hunter Biden to secure access to his father to help the firm stifle an investigation into its dealings.

The House Oversight Committee previously issued a subpoena to obtain the document, with which FBI Director Christopher Wray did not comply. Though he ultimately permitted the committee members to view the FD-1023 in a secure location, the contents remained unpublished until Grassley’s Thursday release.

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Battle Lines Drawn in Metro Council Races

Admin

Axios Influential business groups and progressive grassroots organizations coalesced around their preferred Metro Council candidates in recent weeks, creating a tug-of-war for control of the city’s legislative body. Though they sometimes agree on big-picture issues, the business community and the activist groups have differing visions for how Metro should be run. The two sides disagreed several times during the past four years, notably on the $2.1 billion financing plan for the Titans and on the pilot project for the police department to begin using license plate readers. READ THE FULL STORY       

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Meet The Veteran-Led Group Going to War with Human Trafficking in America’s Backyard

Admin

The Daily Wire  It’s just past midnight and a man walks out onto the second-floor balcony of a decrepit motel located in one of the few neighborhoods in Nashville not frequented by bachelorette parties. Perched on a hill across the road that overlooks the motel and looking through a monocular, Aaron Spradlin immediately asks if the man is smoking.  Smoking, Spradlin explains, would be one explanation for why the man would be lingering outside at this time of night. Other reasons would include taking a phone call or just getting fresh air. More nefariously, the man could be waiting for a child or adult to be dropped off for illicit sex. Spradlin, who has spent seven years fighting human trafficking in Tennessee, says that this motel is a known spot for trafficking and he has had investigators from his organization, the Mission America Foundation, surveil the location before watching for suspicious activity or individuals from missing person lists. READ THE FULL STORY  

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NYC Mayor Issues Flyers Warning Migrants That City Has ‘No More Room’

Admin

New York City will start issuing flyers at the southern border warning that the sanctuary city does not have room to house or support any more migrants, Democrat Mayor Eric Adams said on Wednesday.

The mayor said that there is “no more room” for asylum seekers and that migrants will be removed from the city shelter system after 60 days, Adams said during a press conference. More than 90,000 migrants have come to New York City since spring 2022, 54,800 of which are in city care, Bloomberg reported.

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Two Prominent GOP Congressmen Say That Move to Impeach Biden Is Gaining Momentum

Just the News

Representatives Greg Steube (R-Fl.) and Ralph Norman (R-Sc.) say the idea of potentially impeaching President Biden is gaining momentum with some of their colleagues in Congress.

“We’re actually working on our own impeachment resolution for President Biden on all this corruption, and all the laws and crimes that he violated,” Steube said on the Wednesday edition of the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show. 

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More than 175,000 Came Through Southern U.S. Border in June

The Center Square

Over 175,000 people came through the southern border in June, according to newly published U.S. Customs and Border Protection data and preliminary data first published by The Center Square. 

The official CBP data published on Tuesday isn’t as straightforward as it normally is, possibly due to a recent shakeup at CBP with outgoing chiefs leaving June 30. A press release issued on Tuesday doesn’t include data typically published every month.  

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Biden Administration Shuts Down Government Funding for Wuhan Lab

Admin

After years of scrutiny and controversy, the Biden Administration announced on Tuesday that it had severed all federal funding to the controversial Wuhan laboratory that many have said was the origin of the COVID-19 virus.

As reported by Daily Caller, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) announced its proposal to halt any further government funding to the Wuhan Institute of Virology (WIV) by barring it from participating in any government-funded programs.

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