Month: August 2023

‘Liberty Village’ to Counter the Left’s Attacks on America with Real History

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A nonprofit organization is launching a new historical theme park to bring American history to life and to reveal some inspiring stories that counter the Left’s narrative that the nation’s promise does not apply to women and racial minorities.

“Youth today are in the middle of an educational firestorm,” Dennis Leavitt, chief executive officer of the nonprofit United We Pledge, told The Daily Signal. He said his organization, based in St. George, Utah, aims to “light a fire in youth that causes them to become better Americans” through the project, known as Liberty Village.

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Tennessee Department of Education Provides Update on Implementation of New Student Funding Formula

TC Weber

The Tennessee Department of Education (TDOE) updated the State Board of Education (SBE) last week on the state’s progress in implementing its new school funding formula – Tennessee Investment in Student Success (TISA). Tennessee is moving from a systems-based funding formula to a student-based funding formula with TISA.

The new system uses a formula that starts with a base amount for each student and then adds money for various factors. Those components include poverty, district size, English learners, and special education needs. This year, the base allocation per student is $6,860 per student.

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Ohio Representative Hillyer Appointed to CPAC’s National Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Advisory Council

Hannah Poling

The Conservative Political Action Coalition (CPAC), the nation’s oldest conservative grassroots organization, appointed Ohio State Representative Brett Hillyer (R-Uhrichsville) to serve on its National Prosecutors and Law Enforcement Advisory Council.

The press release details that in this position, Hillyer (pictured above) will work with other council members to develop best practices and policy recommendations to boost public safety through conservative justice system reforms.

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Abe Hamadeh Asks Arizona Supreme Court for New Trial, Says Previous Trial Revealed Enough Uncounted Votes to Possibly Change Election

Rachel Alexander

Abe Hamadeh filed a Petition for Special Action with the Arizona Supreme Court on Friday asking the court to consider providing him with a new trial in his election lawsuit contesting losing the attorney general’s race. Mohave County Superior Court Judge Lee F. Jantzen denied Abe Hamadeh’s request for a new trial in July, despite the fact Hamadeh discovered that then-Secretary of State Katie Hobbs withheld evidence of undervotes in Pinal County, which led to Kris Mayes’ lead shrinking to only 280 votes over Hamadeh, making it the closest statewide race in Arizona history. Hamadeh believes up to 76,339 “undervotes” statewide were not counted in the election.

Hamadeh said in a statement provided to The Arizona Sun Times, “I stand by my commitment to keep fighting for the people of Arizona and protect their sacred right to vote. As a veteran, I took an oath to serve our country overseas, and I will continue to serve Arizona and our country. The evidence cannot be ignored — there are thousands of uncounted ballots. Although we have faced unusual roadblocks at the trial court, we are confident we will have our day in court to present the evidence and ensure that the will of the people is honored.”

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Eight Former Georgia Employees Indicted for Unemployment Insurance Fraud

The Center Square

A Fulton County grand jury has indicted eight former state employees on unemployment insurance fraud charges.

Prosecutors say the eight submitted false claims and weekly certifications to the Georgia Department of Labor during the COVID-19 pandemic to receive unemployment insurance benefits when employed by the state. According to the State of Georgia Office of the Inspector General, the eight received $170,931 in unemployment insurance benefits and federal supplements.

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Wisconsin Governor Seeks Prosecution of 2020 Alternate Electors

Just the News

Wisconsin Democratic Gov. Tony Evers on Friday contended that a group of alternate electors for the state who supported former President Donald Trump’s efforts to challenge the 2020 election ought to face prosecution.

Amid allegations of election fraud in key battlegrounds, Trump allies put together alternate elector slates in the swing states who asserted that the former president won reelection. 

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Granite State Republicans Largely Unmoved by Latest Trump Indictment

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If special prosecutor Jack Smith hoped his latest round of indictments against Donald Trump would convince Republicans to reconsider their support for the former president, he failed — particularly in the Granite State.

But if, as many political operatives believe, part of Smith’s goal is to get Republicans to rally around Trump’s troubled candidacy and help him become the GOP nominee, it’s mission accomplished.

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Progressive Third-Party Candidate Gives Trump Edge over Biden in Michigan: Poll

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Former President Donald Trump would win Michigan if the 2024 presidential election were held today against President Joe Biden when Green Party candidate Cornel West is included on the ballot, according to a new poll released on Friday.

Michigan was a critical swing state for Trump’s 2016 victory, where he won by 0.2%, and Biden’s 2020 victory, where he won the state by 2.78%. Should West be on the ballot, he would draw votes away from Biden and enable Trump to win the state, according to the new poll conducted by Emerson College.

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Commentary: Democrats’ ‘Freedom to Vote Act’ Is the Death of Free Elections

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Voters cast a their ballot

Last month, House Democrats reintroduced the “Freedom to Vote Act,” signaling the Left’s latest assault on American elections with activist support. Far from restoring their integrity, the bill – like the “For the People Act” and “John Lewis Voting Rights Act” before it – is a cynical measure designed to federalize elections and cement Democrat power for generations.

It’s raw, naked tyranny – and Republicans must defeat it.

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Governors Newsom and DeSantis Agree to Debate on Fox News’ Sean Hannity

The Center Square

California Governor Gavin Newsom and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis have agreed to participate in a debate hosted by Sean Hannity on Fox News, pitting two younger, Generation X governors seen as standard bearers of their respective parties against each other for 90 minutes. 

First discussed between Newsom and Hannity when Newsom was interviewed by Hannity in June, the proposal was made into an official request by Newsom’s office last week, according to Politico, with suggested dates for November 8 or 10.

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Two Navy Servicemembers Arrested on Suspicion of Sending Military Secrets to China

Just the News

Two U.S. Navy servicemembers have been arrested for allegedly transmitting sensitive military information to the Chinese government.

Authorities detained Jinchao Wei, aka Patrick Wei, on Wednesday and charged him with “conspiracy to send national defense information to an intelligence officer working for the People’s Republic of China,” according to a press release from the Department of Justice.

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Another National Sports Body Bans Men from Competing in Women’s Division

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British Rowing announced biological men will be banned from female-only competitions starting next month, according to The Times.

The organization said there is now an open category for anyone who is eligible to compete in it and also a separate category solely for biological women, according to the The Times. It also said that only biological women will be allowed to represent England in international rowing events.

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Commentary: Slaughter of Nigerian Christians Warrants International Attention

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“If we keep quiet, we are going to go extinct,” says Catholic Bishop Chipa Wilfred Anagbe of the Diocese of Makurdi in Benue state, Nigeria.

In June, the Congressional Values Action Team caucus met with Anagbe and the Rev. Remigius Ihyula who shared their testimonies of atrocities committed against Christians in Nigeria by Islamic extremists and about the complacency of the Nigerian government.

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Music Spotlight: Johnny Dailey

Bethany Bowman

Johnny Dailey discovered his love for country music as a kid riding around in his cousin’s truck listening to songs in the rural town of Argo, Alabama, just north of Birmingham.

“I had two sisters, so my cousin became more like a brother. He would always have the latest and greatest country albums to come out like Kenny Chesney, Tim McGraw, Montgomery Gentry, Dierks Bentley, and even some Texas songwriters like Jack Clark and Jerry Jeff Walker,” he said.

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‘Wake-Up Call’: Top Credit Agency Downgrades U.S. Rating

The Center Square

One of the top international credit rating agencies has downgraded the United States government’s credit rating from the highest level of AAA down one tier to AA+, a serious economic signpost as U.S. debt continues to soar and deficits remain elevated.

Fitch Ratings made the decision, pointing to the U.S. government’s high national debt and deficits as well as an “erosion of governance.”

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Health Care Company Agrees to Pay $22.5 Million to Settle Claims of over Billing

The Center Square

A health care company agreed to pay nearly $22.5 million to resolve claims that it violated U.S. laws by over billing government health plans.

Portland, Maine-based Martin’s Point Health Care Inc. agreed to pay $22,485,000 to resolve allegations that it violated the False Claims Act by submitting inaccurate diagnosis codes for its Medicare Advantage Plan enrollees in order to boost reimbursements from Medicare, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

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Tennessee Republican Executive Committee Asks Gov. Lee to Drop Special Session on Gun Safety

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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    

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Federal Judge Tells Trump to Respond to DOJ Protective Order by Monday

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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       

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DOJ Asks Judge to Prohibit Trump from Speaking Freely

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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    

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Five 2020 Election Irregularities, Illegalities That Collide with Jack Smith’s Trump Indictment

Just the News

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.

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American Academy of Pediatrics Reaffirms Support for Trans Activists’ ‘Gender-Affirming Care’

Susan Berry, PhD

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.

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Court Rules in Favor of Pro-Life Pregnancy Centers over Illinois Law Declaring Them ‘Deceptive’

Susan Berry, PhD

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.

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Senator Blackburn Leads Letter Requesting AG Garland, U.S. Attorney Weiss to Testify Regarding Hunter Biden Tax Investigation

Kaitlin Housler

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.

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Florida Rejects College Board Claim That AP Course Is Banned

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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.

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Commentary: Bidenomics Is Pouring Cold Water on the Labor Market

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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.

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Connecticut AG and 13 Other AGs Want Action on ‘Plastic Pollution Crisis’

The Center Square

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.”

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Arizona AG Kris Mayes and Other Democratic AGs File Amicus Brief Supporting Government’s Ability to Pressure Social Media Companies

Rachel Alexander

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.

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Ohio Adult-Use Marijuana Activists Submit Additional Signatures for November Ballot

Hannah Poling

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…

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White House Purges 442 Reporters Using New Press Credential Rules

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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.

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U.S. Prosecutor Jack Smith Sells Nashville Home amid Trump Indictments

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New York Post United States special counsel Jack Smith has sold his Nashville, Tennessee, home amid the latest unprecedented indictments of former President Donald Trump, The Post can report. Smith, 54, and his wife, documentary filmmaker Katy Chevigny, listed their home right after Trump’s first indictment on June 8. The modest three-bedroom, three-bathroom property hit the market on June 9 for $989,000. READ THE FULL STORY            

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Trump Asks Supreme Court to Intervene in Lawsuits Against Him, Citing ‘Election Interference’

Just the News

Former President Donald Trump on Friday called on the Supreme Court to intervene in the numerous lawsuits against him, citing it as election interference.

“CRAZY! My political opponent has hit me with a barrage of weak lawsuits, including D.A., A.G., and others, which require massive amounts of my time & money to adjudicate,” Trump posted on TRUTH Social.

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Appeals Court Lets Biden Admin Enforce Asylum Restrictions

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An appeals court let the Biden administration enforce asylum restrictions used to mitigate the flow of illegal migrants for the time being, according to a Thursday evening court filing.

The Ninth Circuit court panel of judges paused a previous ruling to end the Biden administration’s program that turned away illegal migrants seeking asylum if they passed through a safe country and didn’t seek protections there before, according to the filing. U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California Judge Jon S. Tigar, who was appointed by former President Barack Obama, ruled on July 25 that the policy was “contrary to law” because it violates Congress’ intent.

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TBI Officially Identifies, Charges Thwarted Memphis School Shooting Suspect

Peter D'Abrosca

The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI) on Wednesday officially confirmed that the suspect in the attempted school shooting at Margolin Hebrew Academy/Feinstone Yeshiva of the South (MHA-FYOS) is Joel Bowman and that he has been charged with several crimes stemming from the incident.

“Today, agents secured and served Bowman with warrants, charging him with one count each of Carrying Weapons on School Property, Reckless Endangerment, Criminal Attempted Second-Degree Murder, Possessing a Firearm During the Commission or Attempt to Commit a Dangerous Felony, and Assault Against a First Responder. At the time of this release, he remained hospitalized in Memphis,” TBI said in a press release. 

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Trump Is Crushing the Field in Small-Dollar Donations

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Former President Donald Trump has been leading his Republican presidential nomination rivals in small-dollar donations by a large margin, underscoring the breadth of his support, experts tell the Daily Caller News Foundation.

A small donor contributes less than $200 to an individual candidate’s campaign, out of a maximum of $3,300 for the 2023-2024 electoral cycle, per the Federal Election Commission (FEC), with a greater number of small donations — as a share of total fundraising — indicating a larger base of support. Currently, 81.8% of donations to Trump’s campaign have been made by small donors, according to an Axios assessment of FEC data.

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Biden’s DOJ May Be Working with Leftist Group to Silence Parents Again, America First Legal Warns

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A conservative group is demanding answers about whether the Department of Justice under President Joe Biden is repeating its 2021 strategy of targeting concerned parents after the Southern Poverty Law Center just added concerned parents to its “hate map.”

SPLC staff have met with Biden at the White House, and the administration has adopted the “book banning” rhetoric many activists use to slam parents concerned about sexually explicit books in school libraries.

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