Day: October 1, 2023

California Gov. Newsom Picks Laphonza Butler to Replace Sen. Dianne Feinstein

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Politico California Gov. Gavin Newsom will appoint EMILY’s List President Laphonza Butler to fill the seat of the late Sen. Dianne Feinstein, elevating the head of a fundraising juggernaut that works to elect Democratic women who support abortion rights, according to a person familiar with the decision. Newsom is moving swiftly to name the next senator, two days after Feinstein’s death and just as a perilously split Congress narrowly averted a government shutdown. Senate Democrats are in need of every vote in the closely divided chamber. The announcement was expected to come Monday, and an adviser to the governor, Anthony York, told POLITICO that Newsom is making his appointment without putting limitations or preconditions on his pick running for the seat in 2024. That means Butler could decide to join the sprawling and competitive field of Democratic contenders seeking to succeed Feinstein, with special elections now layered on top of the March primary and November runoff.  READ THE FULL STORY    

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Appeals Court Reverses Previous Ruling That Halted Idaho’s Abortion Ban

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The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals overruled a lower court decision to block Idaho’s abortion ban Thursday, according to court documents.

U.S. District Court Judge for the District of Idaho B. Lynn Winmill, who was appointed by former President Bill Clinton, ruled in August that the law could stop doctors from referring patients to abortion clinics in other states in an emergency due to fear of prosecution. A panel of judges appointed by former President Donald Trump, however, determined that the state’s case to uphold the ban was likely to succeed and that for the time being “public interest is best served by preserving the force and effect of a duly enacted Idaho law,” according to court documents.

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Potential Candidates California Gov. Gavin Newsom May Consider for Dianne Feinstein’s Vacant Seat

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After Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California passed away on Friday, the Daily Caller News Foundation compiled a list of politicians who may be appointed to her seat by Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom, in keeping with his pledge to name a black woman to the position.

Newsom pledged to nominate a black woman to temporarily fill a potential vacancy in Feinstein’s seat in March of 2021, when health complications had raised questions about whether she would complete her term. After Newsom updated his pledge on Sept. 10, saying that he would only appoint someone who isn’t currently a candidate for the seat, the DCNF compiled a list of Democratic black women politicians from California who may be appointed based on his requirements.

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Tennessee U.S. Reps. Burchett, DesJarlais, Green, Harshbarger, Ogles, and Rose Vote No on McCarthy’s Fiscally Reckless Continuing Resolution, Hagerty and Blackburn Vote No in Senate

Michael Patrick Leahy

Six of Tennessee’s nine member delegation to the U.S. House of Representatives voted “no” on Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s last-minute 45 day Continuing Resolution Saturday afternoon. Late Saturday, the U.S. Senate passed the bill in an 88 to 9 vote, just a few hours before the midnight deadline when the current fiscal year ends.

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Dem-Appointed Judge Blocks Montana Ban on Sex Change Treatments for Minors

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A state judge appointed by former Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock ruled Wednesday to temporarily halt the enforcement of a Montana law that would have banned sex-change medical procedures for minors, according to The Associated Press.

Senate Bill 99 was signed into law by Republican Gov. Greg Gianforte in April and was set to take effect on Oct. 1 until the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Montana filed a lawsuit with the plaintiffs in July arguing that the law was “inhumane,” according to a press release. Judge Jason Marks claimed in his ruling that the law was likely unconstitutional and would result in harm to those with gender dysphoria, according to the AP.

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Witness in Disbarment Trial of Trump’s Former Attorney John Eastman Found ‘Vote Laundering’ of 280,000 to 300,000 Votes in Pennsylvania’s 2020 Election

Rachel Alexander

The sixth week of the disbarment trial of Donald Trump’s former attorney and constitutional legal scholar, John Eastman, wrapped up Friday with testimony by two witnesses from Eastman’s team. Attorney Kurt Olsen, who is representing Kari Lake in her election challenge, testified first. Next, Ray Blehar, a retired Department of Defense analyst, testified, discussing his findings that 280,000 to 300,000 votes in Pennsylvania were “vote laundered” through the electronic tabulating machines.
Olsen began his testimony explaining why he decided to become involved in an election lawsuit over the 2020 election. He said, “I believed that something was not right.” He listed what concerned him: video clips of poll workers not allowed to watch tabulation, the controversy in Michigan’s Antrim County, results that didn’t make sense such as the stopping of counting ballots overnight in key counties, and “clear violations of law.” 

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Commentary: The New Right Cares About More than Taxes

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New research is challenging assumptions about the Republican Party’s core values, showing the GOP of the 2020s is an entirely different animal from the GOP of the 2010s. The research captures an increasing shift toward populism and America First priorities that has been growing since Former President Trump’s election in 2016.

The study by American Compass divides Republicans into two camps, the Old Right and the New Right, based on their economic priorities and approach to cultural issues.

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Report Gives Florida Nation’s Best Overall Grade for Education Freedom

The Center Square

After a legislative session where Florida lawmakers passed universal school choice, the state was recognized as the nation’s best in a recent report for its policies on education. 

The nonprofit American Legislative Exchange Council, which previously published the Report Card on American Education over the past 25 years, has a new publication, The Index of State Education Freedom: A 50-State Guide to Parental Empowerment.

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Multiple Voting Access Bills Move to Michigan Senate

The Center Square

Four bills aimed at voting that passed the Michigan House continues to get pushback from Republicans who say they will corrupt the state’s election system.

The bills, introduced earlier this week, are aimed at military voting, voter ID, voter transportation and online absentee ballot access. Rep. Josh Schriver, R-Oxford, took to social media to voice his opposition to each of them.

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Minnesota’s Largest County Dedicates October to ‘Diversity’ with Lessons on ‘Dismantling Whiteness,’ ‘Respecting Pronouns’

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Hennepin County holds an annual “Celebrating Diversity Month” for employees, which features “learning opportunities” on “dismantling whiteness” and “respecting pronouns.”

Some of the training sessions are hosted by explicitly left-wing organizations, such as OutFront Minnesota, whose training manager Hannah Edwards will be leading two sessions called “2SLGBTQIA+ 101.” Employees will learn “general terms relating to gender and sexuality, respecting pronouns, and how to be an ally to gender non-conforming people.”

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Georgia Largely Eliminates the Use of Hotels for State’s Foster Children

The Center Square

Georgia rarely houses foster children in hotel rooms, a reversal of a controversial practice that caught the attention of federal authorities.

The news that the state no longer uses hotel rooms follows reports of widespread, systemic breakdowns within Georgia’s foster care system. Last year, the state spent $28 million to house children in hotels, sometimes for months.

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November Elections Will Determine Control of Virginia House

The Center Square

Republicans currently hold a 49-46 majority in the Virginia House, and the Nov. 7, 2023, election will determine control of the state legislature and Virginia’s trifecta status. Virginia’s trifecta status changed from Democratic to divided as a result of the 2021 elections. Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) was elected to succeed term-limited incumbent Ralph Northam (D). Democrats also lost control of the Virginia House. If Republicans maintain control of the House and win the Senate, Virginia would become a Republican trifecta. If Democrats win control of the House or maintain control of the Senate, Virginia would remain a divided government.

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E-Buses Bought from Now-Bankrupt Manufacturer in Wyoming Are Now All Out of Commission

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A Democratic enclave in Wyoming purchased electric buses to reduce emissions, but the buses are indefinitely inoperable after their manufacturer went bankrupt earlier this summer, the Cowboy State Daily reported.

Jackson, Wyoming, and Teton County formed the Southern Teton Area Rapid Transit (START) system, which bought eight electric buses from Proterra to add to its fleet of 31 diesel buses, the Cowboy State Daily reported. Proterra, which itself was at the center of a conflict of interest controversy including Energy Secretary Jennifer Granholm, went bankrupt in August, and START’s eight e-buses are now out of commission given that the manufacturer can no longer readily supply the parts needed for repairs.

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Commentary: Pope Francis Creates 21 New Cardinals

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On September 30, in advance of the Synod of Bishops on Synodality, Pope Francis created 21 new cardinals in St. Peter’s Square. The ceremony to install them, called a consistory, was the ninth during Pope Francis’s pontificate.

Cardinals play an important role in the Catholic Church and serve as principal advisors to the Pope, chief officials of the Roman Curia, and archbishops of major dioceses around the world. Additionally, cardinals under the age of 80 serve as cardinal electors in conclaves. 

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Poll: One-Third of Democrats Say Americans Have ‘Too Much Freedom’ of Speech

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A new poll from RealClearPolitics shows that a staggering number of registered Democrats think there is “too much freedom” to speak freely in the United States.

As reported by the Washington Free Beacon, the RCP survey on Friday revealed that 34% of Democrats believe that Americans have “too much freedom” of speech, compared to just 14.6% of Republicans who believed the same. By contrast, 46% of Republicans believe that Americans have “too little freedom,” with only 22% of Democrats agreeing.

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Commentary: Public Spaces Are in Decline

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Former Trump official William Wolfe recently lamented the neglect steadily encroaching his local grocery store. “Let me tell you: I’ve never seen stores in such bad shape as they are now,” he wrote. “No one staffing the main check out lines, massive line for the self check outs, stores messy, items unstocked. … It’s like watching a country decline in real time.”

Wolfe’s tweet resonated with many Americans, garnering interactions from nearly 1 million people. Here were two of the responses: “I said nearly those exact words today to my husband when I came home from my local Kroger market” and “The fall of an empire happens gradually, and then all at once.”

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Justice Clarence Thomas to Hear Gun Rights Lawsuit from New York

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Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas will hear a lawsuit that has been filed by pro-Second Amendment groups in New York, challenging the state’s strict laws on the concealed carrying of firearms.

As reported by Just The News, Justice Thomas has arranged for a conference with the entire court that will take place on October 6th, during which he will consider a challenge to the New York Concealed Carry Improvement Act’s provision on background checks for purchases of ammunition. The law went into effect just several weeks ago.

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Researchers Warn Molnupiravir Causes New Variants; mRNA Shots Contaminated with DNA Fragments

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Medical scientists and researchers are increasingly challenging public health orthodoxies on FDA-approved COVID-19 treatments and vaccines.

A peer-reviewed paper published in Nature on Monday confirmed that Merck’s COVID-19 pill Molnupiravir causes viral mutations that can lead to new variants. Meanwhile, scientists have been raising the alarm about the Pfizer and Moderna Covid injections, warning that they are contaminated with tiny fragments of dangerous plasmid DNA that can cause genome changes that can “last for generations.”

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