Arizona U.S. Senator Mark Kelly ‘Concerned’ by No Labels After Party Holds Event With Joe Manchin

Senator Mark Kelly (D-AZ) confirmed he is “concerned” about the No Labels Party (NLP) of Arizona after the group announced an event with Senator Joe Manchin (D-WV) when asked whether the nascent party could cost President Joe Biden the 2024 election.

Kelly made the remarks during an appearance on “State of the Nation” with Jake Tapper, who reminded viewers that Biden won Arizona by “less than half of a percentage point” and asked the former astronaut if he thinks “Manchin and No Labels could potentially cost Joe Biden his reelection?”

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Voters to Decide on Cincinnati Southern Railway Sale to Norfolk Southern in November

Cincinnati voters are to decide in November whether the city can sell a city-owned rail line for over $1.6 billion to Norfolk Southern, the same company that caused the toxic disaster in East Palestine earlier this year.

The Cincinnati Southern Railway Board of Trustees unanimously voted to place the proposed sale of the rail line on the November 7th ballot.

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Wisconsin Constitutional Amendment Would Ban Places of Worship from Closing During States of Emergency

A proposed amendment to the Wisconsin constitution that would clarify that state and local officials “may not order the closure of or forbid gatherings in places of worship,” in response to a state of emergency declared at any level of government during a public health emergency, will go before a state Senate committee Tuesday.

State Republican lawmakers introduced the Senate Joint Resolution 54 in June in response to the 2020 COVID-19 shutdown order that restricted worship gatherings, even though the Wisconsin Supreme Court struck down that order.

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Georgia Supreme Court Declines to Hear Appeal of Rivian Project’s Bond Agreement

Georgia’s Supreme Court has denied a request to hear an appeal challenging the bond agreement state officials used to lure a controversial electric vehicle manufacturing project to the state.

At issue is a deal the Georgia Department of Economic Development and the Joint Development Authority of Jasper, Morgan, Newton and Walton struck to give $1.5 billion in incentives to electric vehicle manufacturer Rivian Automotive. The company is building a $5 billion plant in Morgan and Newton counties.

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Florida Task Force Prosecuted 67 for Fraud Related to the COVID-19 Pandemic

The Middle District of Florida United States Attorney’s Office has announced the results of an investigation into fraud related to the COVID-19 pandemic.

In March 2020, the Middle District U.S. Attorney’s Office, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement, combined resources to form the Middle District of Florida COVID-19 Fraud Task Force to investigate and prosecute cases of fraud that happened during the pandemic.

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Minnesota A.G. Ellison Calls for Impeaching Justice Clarence Thomas, Compares Him to House Slave

Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison called for impeaching U.S. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas and compared him to a house slave during a recent media interview.

Ellison recently returned to his hometown of Detroit to promote his new book, “Break the Wheel: Ending the Cycle of Police Violence.” While there, he sat down for an extended interview with the Michigan Chronicle and discussed recent Supreme Court decisions on affirmative action and student loan debt.

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Commentary: There is a Good Reason Why Democrats are so Frightened of ‘Moms for Liberty’

For most Americans, “Mom” evokes images of kindness, courage, sympathy and love. Likewise, “liberty” calls up concepts like individual rights, freedom of expression, equality and justice. Yet, the perversity of the current political environment is such that a parental rights group whose name combines these two words has been demonized by Democrats, the corporate media and the reactionary left. Just recently, a New Hampshire Democrat denounced the group as “Assholes with casseroles,” the Hill ran a story titled, “Six reasons why Moms for Liberty is an extremist organization,” and the Southern Poverty Law Center added them to its Hate Map.

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‘Commander in Chief:’ GOP Presidential Hopeful Tim Scott Launches New Ad Before Key Campaign Events in Iowa and New Hampshire

U.S. Senator and Republican presidential hopeful Tim Scott rolled out a new campaign ad Monday in Iowa and New Hampshire in front of two significant campaign events in the first nominating states. 

In the ad, titled “Commander in Chief,” the South Carolina senator denounces China for spying on children, stealing U.S. jobs, and buying up American farmland.

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Commentary: FBI Chief Replies with Less-than-Inspiring ‘Not to My Knowledge’ When Asked About Tricky FISA Warrants, Criminal Investigations

“Not to my knowledge.”

That was FBI Director Christopher Wray’s response to questioning from U.S. Rep. Tom McClintock (R-Calif.) at the House Judiciary Committee on July 13 about whether the Justice Department and FBI utilize parallel construction — where law enforcement agencies are handed information obtained from Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) warrants or via warrantless surveillance by intelligence agencies, not unlike the FISA surveillance of the Trump campaign in 2016 that became the Russiagate counterintelligence and eventually criminal investigation — and then act on it.

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Ohio College Employees Could Be Held ‘Personally Liable’ for Violating Affirmative Action Ban: Attorney General

Ohio higher education employees “will face personal risk” if they violate the Supreme Court ban on considering race during admissions, state Attorney General Dave Yost wrote in a recent letter.

His office won’t be able to protect public colleges and universities if they act counter to the ruling, Yost wrote, according to The Columbus Dispatch.

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Ohio Governor DeWine Announces New Cybersecurity Training for Local Governments

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine and Lt. Governor Jon Husted announced that CyberOhio is now to provide free services to local governments to improve their preparedness and resilience towards cybersecurity threats.

Local governments will be guided through three levels of cybersecurity preparedness by the new Ohio Persistent Cyber Improvement (O-PCI) program. Each level of cybersecurity advancement will include five steps: education, training, exercise, mentoring, and improvement.

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Candidate for Maricopa County Recorder Steven Hines Identifies Areas of Improvement for Early Voting

Arizona Republican businessman and candidate for Maricopa County Recorder in 2024, Steven Hines, has started identifying and listing specific ideas on how to improve the early voting process in Maricopa County.

Hines announced his candidacy for the position last week stating that if voters choose him as Maricopa County Recorder for 2024 he would “vastly improve” voting accuracy, security, and traceability.

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Governor Kemp Appoints New Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation

Governor Brian Kemp appointed Chris Hosey to serve as Director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation (GBI).

“Chris has dedicated his career to protecting the people of our state as a proud member of law enforcement,” Kemp said in a Saturday statement. “With over 35 years of experience at the GBI, he brings a wealth of institutional knowledge and skill to this role. I’m confident he will bring the same level of commitment to the job that he has shown throughout his years of service.”

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Commentary: Hong Kong – at China’s Direction – Offers $1 Million Bounties for Dissidents Abroad

The government of Hong Kong is offering a bounty of up to $1 million to anyone who can help find eight activists who fled to other countries and continue to fight against its authoritarian government.

I am not one of the eight, but all of us who fight for democracy in Hong Kong are in danger from a Chinese government that is chasing us for showing that it has broken its promises to keep Hong Kong a vibrant and free city-state.

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Public Library Moves Sexually Explicit Book to Adult Section After Community Backlash

A New Jersey public library moved a pornographic book out of its young adult section following community backlash, according to Northjersey.com.

Cedar Grove Public Library displayed “Gender Queer,” a book that contains cartoon images of masturbation and oral sex, as a part of its Pride display in June where it was available to children, according to Northjersey.com. Following community pushback to the display, the library took the book off the Pride exhibit and moved it from the young adult section to the adult section.

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Jim Gingrich Drops Out of Nashville Mayoral Race

WSMV There’s now one less candidate in the mix to become the next mayor of Nashville as Democrat Jim Gingrich announced he’s dropping from the race. Gingrich is Chief Operating Officer at Alliance Bernstein and helped bring the company to Music City. Gingrich released the following statement on Monday: “With deep gratitude to the city of Nashville and a heavy heart, I have made the decision to suspend my campaign for Mayor. After deciding what was best for my family, how to honor my campaign team, respect every single supporter we have gained, and in consultation with the electoral data available, we have decided to put the best interest of the Nashvillians first and allow voters to rally behind another candidate. READ THE FULL STORY    

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Transgender NCAA Swimmer Lia Thomas Embraces Domestic Terror Group Antifa

Breitbart News Controversial NCAA swimming champion Lia Thomas is stirring the pot once again, this time by posting images to social media showing him modeling a militaristic t-shirt in support of the domestic terror group Antifa. Thomas is seen in the photo wearing dark sunglasses and the Antifa shirt, reading “Antifa Super Solder,” along with a bondage-style, military-esque leather gear. He is also holding up his hand in a mock peace sign. Antifa is widely considered a domestic terror group and has been at the forefront of destructive protests that resulted in millions in property damage for over a decade. READ THE FULL STORY    

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Angel Studios’ ‘Sound of Freedom’ Projecting to Cross $100 Million in Box Office Revenue

Crowdfund platform Angel Studios announced Sunday its July cumulative-to-date box office revenue for its true-life child trafficking thriller Sound of Freedom is projected to be over $85 million through Sunday with the anticipation of crossing the $100 million mark this week.

Angel Studios, which has also distributed the blockbuster faith series The Chosen, said Sound of Freedom, driven by its star Jim Caviezel, showed a $27 million box office draw in the second week of the film’s release in America since it opened July 4, and earned the top spot at the box office with the help of its Pay It Forward fans.

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It Could Take ‘Decades’ to Refill America’s Oil Reserves Drained by Biden, Experts Say

It may take decades to refill the U.S. strategic petroleum reserve (SPR) after President Joe Biden released unprecedented amounts from its supply in 2022, according to Bloomberg News.

Aging infrastructure, higher oil prices and budget constraints have impeded the administration’s efforts to substantially replenish the SPR after Biden tapped its supply to tame spiking energy prices in the lead up to the 2022 midterms, according to Bloomberg. The massive underground salt caverns that hold the SPR oil now sit half-empty with no easy route to replenishment, and experts say it could take decades to refill the reserves, according to Bloomberg.

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Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose Jumps Into Race to Unseat Dem Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024

Frank LaRose

Republican Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose announced a run for Senate on Monday to unseat Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown in 2024, according to a campaign launch video.

LaRose enters a growing GOP primary field where he will face businessman Bernie Moreno and state Sen. Matt Dolan, who both unsuccessfully ran for Senate during the 2022 midterms. The secretary of state touched on issues he feels plague the country, like parental rights in education, the border crisis and inflation, when announcing his run for Senate, according to a Twitter video.

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Arizona State University Faces Crisis as Donor Pulls Money, Lawmakers Probe Free Speech Concerns

Arizona State University is facing a crisis as state lawmakers launch an investigation and at least one donor pulls his money over allegations the school is not supporting free speech. 

Ann Atkinson, executive director of the T.W. Lewis Center for Personal Development at ASU’s Barrett Honors College, lost her job last month in what she called a politically motivated move for organizing an event earlier this year titled “Health, Wealth and Happiness,” with conservative commentators Dennis Prager and Charlie Kirk.

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Evacuations Ordered in Pennsylvania After 40-Car Train Derails: Officials

The Epoch Times A Norfolk Southern freight train derailment in Pennsylvania has forced the evacuation of the town of Whitemarsh Township, officials said Monday. The derailment took place at around 5 a.m. ET on Monday in the township, officials told local media. The train was carrying silicone pellets and other materials, police said. “As of now, the only thing that is leaking from any of the rail cars involved, is silicone pellets which pose no risk to the community,” said the department in a Facebook post. “We are still gathering information at this time and ask you to follow us here for any important factual updates. We thank all the community partners and resources that are working with us on scene ensuring the safety of our community.” READ THE FULL STORY      

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University Slaps Trigger Warning on Hemingway’s ‘Old Man and the Sea’ over ‘Graphic Fishing Scenes’

A university in a prominent Scottish fishing sector cautions its students that a classic Ernest Hemingway novel contains “graphic fishing scenes” that may upset some readers.

Students at the University of the Highlands and Islands are informed prior to their reading assignment that “The Old Man and the Sea” includes descriptive fishing passages, reported the Daily Mail, which obtained a copy of the warning through a public records act request.

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Elite NYC All-Boys School to Start Admitting Biological Girls

A historic all-boys school in New York City will begin allowing trans students who identify as male, according to the New York Post.

Browning School is an elite K-12 school on the Upper East Side that costs $62,500 a year per student and was founded to educate Percy and John D. Rockefeller, according to the Post. The school will “consider for admission any child who (i) identifies as a boy or (ii) was assigned male at birth, who wishes to join a boys’ school and is well-served by our mission,” according to their website.

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Obama-Appointed Judge Reinstates Kentucky Ban on Child Sex Change Procedures

A federal judge ruled Friday that Kentucky can enforce its state law which prohibits sex change treatments for minors, according to Reuters.

U.S. District Judge David Hale, an Obama appointee, decided that Kentucky can prohibit the use of puberty blockers and hormone treatments for minors after ruling in June that the state law likely violated the U.S. Constitution, according to Reuters. The decision was made because a federal appeals court reinstated a similar ban in Tennessee ahead of the Sixth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals hearing both state’s cases together.

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DeSantis, Trump Lead in Fundraising Gains by the 2024 Republican Presidential Hopefuls

Presidential candidates filed their second quarter totals on Saturday, which provided a glimpse into how much hard cash the 2024 GOP hopefuls have heading into the third fundraising period.

Candidates had until the end of day Saturday to file their Q2 totals with the Federal Election Commission (FEC), with Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis and former President Donald Trump reporting the highest receipts among the crowded field of GOP contenders. The cash on hand totals provided a clearer picture as to how many hard dollars the respective campaigns have going into the fall, and indicated South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott sits just behind the former president, according to the FEC filings.

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Cycling Officials Boot Men from Competing in Women’s Division

The International Cycling Union (UCI), the world cycling governing body, announced Friday that it will bar biological males who transition after puberty from competing in the women’s division, the Associated Press reported.

Recent public outcry over transgender athlete Austin Killips, the first openly transgender athlete to win a U.S. race in the female division, prompted the cycling officials to review the transgender athlete policy and ban males from the woman’s division.

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Arizona Lawmakers Launch Committee to Investigate Free Speech at Public Universities

Arizona Republican lawmakers have launched a new committee to investigate the freedom of speech in Arizona’s public universities and to look into the events surrounding a program titled “Health, Wealth and Happiness,” presented by Arizona State University’s T.W. Lewis Center.

This follows officials at Arizona State University allegedly firing University administrator and Director of the T.W. Lewis Center, Ann Atkinson, for bringing conservative speakers Dennis Prager and Charlie Kirk onto campus earlier this year for the “Health, Wealth and Happiness” program which focused on professional development and networking.

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Red Tape, Low Prices to Blame for Pennsylvania’s Natural Gas Production Decline

As natural gas production expands in other states, Pennsylvania’s has flatlined and seen productivity declines. Industry leaders blame permitting issues and other roadblocks, while environmentalists say the economic outlook for gas has weakened and nature benefits.

“Productivity declines and limits on natural gas takeaway capacity resulted in a 0.4 (billion cubic feet per day) decrease in Pennsylvania’s total natural gas production in 2022,” the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported. “Until last year, output had increased every year since 2013 on the back of drilling efficiency gains.” 

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Arizona Democrats Attempt to Have No Labels Party Disclose Donors or Lose Ballot Access

Woman voting at booth

The Arizona Democratic Party (AZDP) filed a complaint against the No Labels Party (NLP) last week, seeking to force Arizona’s newest third party to disclose its list of donors or lose its status within the state amid potential Democratic concerns that NLP’s presence on the ballot could help former President Donald Trump win Arizona in 2024.

AZDP’s complaint specifically demands Secretary of State Adrian Fontes suspend NLP until the party discloses its donors. NLP told The Arizona Sun Times that the development amounts to “voter suppression.”

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Florida Man Gets 18 Years After Buying Guns, Plotting Attacks to Aid ISIS

A judge sentenced a 26-year-old Florida resident to 18 years in federal prison for aiding a foreign terrorist organization, according to a Department of Justice press release.

Muhammed Momtaz Al-Azhari of Tampa, Florida, was under FBI investigation beginning in December of 2018 for allegedly providing support to ISIS which is recognized as a foreign terrorist organization under federal law, court documents revealed. Agents arrested Al-Azhari after he engaged with a confidential human source (CHS) who he obtained a gun and silencer from in 2020.

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Legal Battles Leave Natural Gas Pipeline in Virginia Short

With the passage of the Fiscal Responsibility Act in June, it looked like the Mountain Valley Pipeline would finally be completed in Virginia, but environmental groups are fighting back in a legal battle that could end up at the Supreme Court.

The Mountain Valley Pipeline (MVP) is a natural gas pipeline routed to run 303 miles from Wetzel County in northern West Virginia to Pittsylvania County in southern Virginia. Mountain Valley, LLC, began construction in 2018 and, by November 2021, had completed 270 miles of the pipeline. At that time, the company planned to finish the project by the summer of 2022.

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Ohio Lawmakers Introduce Legislation to Stop Meddling in Party Primaries

Two Republican Ohio lawmakers have introduced a bill into the Ohio House of Representatives to reinforce election integrity and stop meddling in party primaries.

House Bill (HB) 210, sponsored by State Representatives Jennifer Gross (R-West Chester) and Gary Click (R-Vickery), aims to require electors who want to change political parties to register as a member of that political party by December 31st.

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Arizona Reps Pitch Bill to Stop Biden Drilling Ban That ‘Ignored Navajo Nation’

Arizona U.S. Representatives Eli Crane (R-AZ-02) and Paul Gosar (R-AZ-04) introduced a bill recently that would nullify the Biden administration’s block on oil and gas drilling on federal land surrounding New Mexico’s Chaco Canyon National Historical Park near the Navajo Nation. 

Crane and Gosar introduced the bill in response to a new, 20-year ban the Biden administration placed on oil and grass drilling for what PBS reports is “hundreds of square miles” in the area immediately surrounding the Chaco Canyon National Historical Park.

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Commentary: Michelle Obama Could Really Be the Choice of the Democrat Establishment

The Democratic establishment is laying the groundwork to dump Joe Biden. When the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, Axios, and the Atlantic desert a liberal president, you know the knives are out. Which raises two questions: when will they stick the shiv into Biden? And how do they plan to deal with the “Kamala problem”?

To all but her most ardent fans, it is obvious that having Kamala on the 2024 ticket would be a disaster for the Democrats. Her 2020 campaign collapsed before a single vote was cast. Biden made her his running mate, not because she was a good candidate, but solely because he had backed himself into a corner when he promised he would choose a black woman as his running mate.

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Grass Lawns Banned from New Scottsdale Homes

Grass lawns will become a thing of the past for new homes in Scottsdale starting Aug. 15, as the city council unanimously passed an ordinance banning them as a method of saving water.

“The City Council’s decision further establishes Scottsdale’s commitment to sustainable water management,” Brian Biesemeyer, Scottsdale’s Water’s executive director, said in a news release Tuesday. 

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