Chattanooga Time Free Press Tennessee Republican State Executive Committee members Saturday adopted a resolution that encourages Gov. Bill Lee to drop his planned Aug. 21 special legislative session where the Republican governor hopes to bolster the state’s gun-safety laws despite most GOP leaders’ opposition. One committee member charged during the meeting in a Mt. Juliet hotel that the gathering will put House and Senate Republican members in danger with “crazies” from outside Tennessee flooding the state Capitol. The eventual language settled on was proposed by another committee member, Tina Benkiser of Signal Mountain. READ THE FULL STORY
Read the full storyDay: August 5, 2023
Federal Judge Tells Trump to Respond to DOJ Protective Order by Monday
Washington Examiner A federal judge issued a ruling ordering Donald Trump to respond to a protective order filed by the Justice Department that would block the former president from sharing details of evidence from his Jan. 6 criminal case proceedings. In a court order filed Saturday afternoon, Judge Tanya Chutkan ruled Trump’s legal team must respond to the special counsel’s motion by Monday at 5 p.m. The order comes after the DOJ issued a court filing at about 10 p.m. on Friday, calling attention to a message Trump posted on his Truth Social account that prosecutors say raises concerns the former president may improperly share details about his latest criminal proceedings. If Trump’s team seeks to challenge the protective order, which is likely in this case, the former president’s lawyers must file a revised version of the order and submit it to Chutkan ahead of the deadline, according to the judge’s ruling. READ THE FULL STORY
Read the full storyDevon Archer Details Joe Biden’s Role in Son’s Foreign Business Dealings with Tucker Carlson
In the extended 12th episode of his newest production, “Tucker on Twitter,” former Fox News primetime host Tucker Carlson interviewed Hunter Biden’s ex-business partner Devon Archer.
Read the full storyDOJ Asks Judge to Prohibit Trump from Speaking Freely
The Hill Justice Department Special counsel Jack Smith appealed to the federal judge overseeing former President Trump’s election fraud case Friday evening to issue a protective order for evidence, citing social media threats. “IF YOU GO AFTER ME, I’M COMING AFTER YOU!” the former president posted earlier on Truth Social — a move which has already drawn criticism with a former spokesperson for Trump calling it “chilling” and “witness intimidation.” Smith argued that Trump’s case needs a strict order preventing Trump from mentioning details from discovery documents and evidence in public. READ THE FULL STORY
Read the full storyMemphis Man Sentenced to 31 Years for Series of Armed Hotel Robberies
One of three Memphis men involved in a string of 2021 hotel robberies in the city was sentenced to 31 years in prison earlier this week.
According to the United States Attorney’s Office for the Western District of Tennessee, Reginald Rose, 30, of Memphis, will spend the next three decades behind bars.
Read the full storyFive 2020 Election Irregularities, Illegalities That Collide with Jack Smith’s Trump Indictment
Former President Donald Trump has been arraigned on four felony counts alleging he conspired to spread claims of 2020 election fraud that he knew to be untrue to stop certification of the vote.
Federal prosecutors bringing the case, however, will have to contend with at least five high-profile cases of confirmed irregularities or illegalities from the 2020 contest ranging from Iranian interference to unlawful voting procedures.
Read the full storyAmerican Academy of Pediatrics Reaffirms Support for Trans Activists’ ‘Gender-Affirming Care’
The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) reaffirmed its support Thursday for providing children with transgender hormones and surgeries – so-called “gender-affirming care” – at the same time it announced a review of medical research on the life-altering treatments.
The medical organization reaffirmed its 2018 position on the provision of the hormone drugs and surgeries to young people who say they are uncomfortable with their biological sex.
Read the full storyCourt Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers over Illinois Law Declaring Them ‘Deceptive’
A federal judge issued a preliminary injunction Thursday that favors the request of the National Institute of Family Life Advocates (NIFLA) to block Illinois’ new law targeting pro-life pregnancy ministries.
Judge Iain D. Johnston, of U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois, issued a preliminary injunction in the case of National Institute of Family Life Advocates v. Raoul to put a halt to Illinois’ new law.
Read the full storySenator Blackburn Leads Letter Requesting AG Garland, U.S. Attorney Weiss to Testify Regarding Hunter Biden Tax Investigation
Tennessee Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) led a letter signed by every Republican on the Senate Judiciary Committee sent to Chairman Dick Durbin (D-IL) asking him to call Attorney General Merrick Garland and U.S. Attorney David Weiss to testify in light of recent events related to the Hunter Biden tax investigation.
Read the full storyFlorida Rejects College Board Claim That AP Course Is Banned
The Florida Department of Education (DOE) is rejecting the College Board’s claim that its Advanced Placement (AP) Psychology course was banned from the state’s public school classes, according to a statement provided to the Daily Caller News Foundation.
The College Board, an academic organization that administers and writes high school courses for college credit, claimed on Thursday that the Florida DOE had “effectively banned” its AP Psychology course because they cannot modify the course to comply with the state’s guidance prohibiting age-inappropriate lessons on gender identity and sexual orientation in Pre-K-12 classrooms. The Florida DOE clarified that it has not banned the course from its state’s schools and that the class still remains listed in the 2023-2024 course directory, according to a statement to the DCNF.
Read the full storyCommentary: Bidenomics Is Pouring Cold Water on the Labor Market
Friday’s jobs numbers show the labor market is softening due to Bidenomics and Bidenflation. Only 187,000 jobs were created last month. That’s below expectations, 40% less than the 12-month average, and the lowest level since the pandemic. Previous months’ employment growth was also revised down significantly, taking the sheen off recent jobs reports.
Average wages grew slower than core inflation, meaning Americans’ real wages and living standards remain stagnant. Friday’s numbers come on the heels of this week’s JOLTS report showing the fewest number of job openings and the fewest number of Americans quitting their jobs since the pandemic.
Read the full storyKorean Construction Company to Build First U.S. Plant in Georgia
South Korean company Duckshin Housing announced this week it will invest more than $15 million to establish its first U.S. manufacturing presence in Athens.
Read the full storyLawsuit Challenging Michigan’s 2020 President Election Votes Dismissed
A Michigan federal judge Wednesday dismissed a lawsuit filed two years after the 2020 presidential election hoping to decertify the state’s votes.
Instead, U.S. District Judge Paul L. Maloney said the lawsuit was “yet another attempt by misguided individuals who reject the outcome of the 2020 presidential election.”
Read the full storyCampaign for Control of Minnesota’s Largest School District Kicks Off
The filing period for the November local elections officially opened this week and candidates in a few, highly visible and hotly-contested school board races have already lined up influential endorsements prior to submitting their filing papers.
Read the full storyPennsylvania Property Tax, Rent Rebate Expansion Crosses Finish Line
Seniors across Pennsylvania can officially look forward to 2024.
That’s because Gov. Josh Shapiro will finally sign a $134 million expansion of the state’s property tax and rent rebate program for low-income seniors and disabled residents that will go into effect in the new year.
Read the full storyTraditional Virginia Sales Tax Holiday Weekend Delayed, May Be Gone
Every year around this time, Virginians get a sales tax holiday for one weekend before the start of school.
But this year, Virginia’s sales tax holiday for select school-readiness, hurricane preparedness and utilities items may itself be on holiday.
Read the full storyConnecticut AG and 13 Other AGs Want Action on ‘Plastic Pollution Crisis’
Fourteen state attorneys general asked the Biden Administration to do more to “combat the plastic pollution crisis.”
An Aug. 3 media release, the group stated, “Plastic does not fully degrade, instead breaking down into smaller pieces called microplastics, which have been found in drinking water, food, air, and even human blood and living lung tissue.”
Read the full storyArizona AG Kris Mayes and Other Democratic AGs File Amicus Brief Supporting Government’s Ability to Pressure Social Media Companies
Congress and First Amendment supporters have condemned the Twitter Files recently after it came out that government agencies colluded with social media companies to censor information on controversial topics that went against the government’s position. A federal judge in July barred the federal government from communicating with social media companies after two Republican attorneys general sued, but now some Democratic attorneys general, including Arizona’s Kris Mayes, are joining the lawsuit in support of the government.
Read the full storyWisconsin Teen Arrested While Protesting Outside ‘All Ages’ Drag Queen Event
A Christian teenage boy was arrested in Wisconsin over the weekend as he read bible passages outside of an “all ages” Drag Queen Dance Party and Drag Storytime Hour. Police officers in Watertown, Wisconsin were captured on video pulling the boy’s microphone out of his hands and walking him away in handcuffs.
Read the full storyMohave County Board of Supervisors Votes Down Hand Count Ballot Proposal for 2024
The Mohave County Board of Supervisors voted down a proposal to count election ballots by hand rather than using voting machines in 2024.
The board voted 3-2 against adopting the hand count this week with supervisors Ron Gould and Hildy Angius voting in favor and Buster Johnson, Jean Bishop, and Travis Lingenfelter voting in opposition.
Read the full storyOhio Adult-Use Marijuana Activists Submit Additional Signatures for November Ballot
A group of marijuana legalization activists delivered thousands of 6,545 additional signatures on Wednesday to the Ohio Secretary of State‘s Office in an attempt to put an initiative to legalize the purchase and sale of marijuana by Ohio residents aged 21 and older on the ballot in November. This follows the Ohio Secretary of State’s Office ruling last week that the original petitions submitted by The Coalition to Regulate Marijuana Like Alcohol did not contain enough valid signatures to be put on the November ballot. The coalition needed to gather over 124,046 signatures by July 5th to qualify for this November’s ballot. The group submitted 222,198 signatures to the secretary of state’s office before the deadline; however, the secretary of state’s office ruled that only 123,367 were valid signatures. Although the measure fell short, the coalition had 10 additional days to get the few hundred valid signatures needed to put them over the top and refile to get on the November ballot. Boards of elections have eight days after receiving new petitions to verify signatures. After everything is verified, Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose‘s Office will verify everything and state whether it meets the requirements to appear on the…
Read the full storyWhite House Purges 442 Reporters Using New Press Credential Rules
Over the past three months, the number of reporters with access to the White House dropped by 31%. There are now 442 fewer reporters with a coveted “hard pass”—the result of new rules announced in May that took effect Tuesday.
The Daily Signal’s Fred Lucas was among the reporters slated to lose his White House press credentials, although he was given a 10-day extension “to submit the required materials.” The White House now requires reporters to obtain press credentials from Congress or the Supreme Court to fulfill its new requirement; Lucas is currently awaiting a decision on his applications to the other branches.
Read the full storyCommentary: More U.S. Mining Is a Win for People and the Planet
In a continuing trend of mixed signals from the Biden Administration, NASA of all agencies has gone on record as opposing a new lithium mining project in Nevada.
Read the full story