Biden Administration Finalizes Rule That will Open Up ObamaCare to Illegal Immigrants

DACA Supporters

The Biden administration published a new rule Friday that will allow tens of thousands of illegal immigrants to receive health care through ObamaCare.

The new rule, according to a White House statement, removes a prohibition on illegal immigrants protected from deportation under the 2012 Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program from accessing healthcare through the Affordable Care Act.

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Gains in Government Jobs Couldn’t Save Biden’s Economy in April

Business Meeting

Growth in government jobs slowed in April, bucking the pattern that has contributed to above-trend job growth over the past several months, according to data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

Employment in government grew just 8,000 in April, lower than the average over the past year of 55,000 per month, according to data from the BLS. A slowdown in government hiring led total job growth in April to be largely anemic compared to recent months, with the U.S. adding only 175,000 nonfarm payroll positions in the month, lower than the average over the past year of 242,000.

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Leaders at College in Tennessee Cave to Demands of Pro-Palestine Protestors

Dr. Robert Pearigen

Leaders at the University of the South reportedly caved to the demands of pro-Palestinian protestors who were occupying the All Saints’ Chapel on the school’s campus. 

Among other things, the protestors demanded full disclosure of how the school spends its $400,000 endowment, and that the school cut ties with any organizations that makes weapons used against Palestinians. 

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Florida Legislature Passes Bill Removing ‘Climate Change’ from State Laws, Awaits DeSantis Signing

Climate Change

Florida’s Republican-controlled legislature has passed a measure to replace mentions of “climate change” in many state laws and has sent it to GOP Gov. Ron DeSantis for him to sign into law 

The bill, which focuses on energy security, removes all explicit mentions of climate change, according to Scripps News, and directs the state only to “promote the cost-effective development and use of a diverse supply of domestic energy resources.”

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Pennsylvania State Sen. Mastriano Introduces Bill to Defund Colleges Providing ‘Safe Harbor’ for Antisemitism

Pro-Palestine Protest

State Senator Doug Mastriano on Thursday introduced legislation that would strip state funding from Pennsylvania colleges and universities that become a “safe harbor” for antisemitism in the months since the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israel.

Mastriano introduced SB 1185 in response to the “pro-Hamas and anti-Israel protests and encampments” his office noted “recently took root at the University of Pennsylvania, University of Pittsburgh and other Pennsylvania colleges and universities that benefit from tax dollars.”

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Youngkin Meets with President of Finland During International Trade Mission

Glenn Youngkin Finland

Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin met with Finland President Alexander Stubb, discussing opportunities the commonwealth and the northern European country can strengthen their business relationship.

The two leaders met in the nation’s capital, Helsinki as part of the governor’s economic tour of Europe. Youngkin used the visit to cement an established relationship between Virginia and Finland.

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Georgia Governor Signs Workforce Development Bills

Brian Kemp

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp signed a series of bills aimed at growing the state’s workforce, including measures aimed at making it easier for Georgians to get occupational licenses and job training.

“As our state continues to grow, measures like this will help us stay ahead of the curve and cut red tape,” Kemp said during a bill signing at the Jordan Vocational High School in Columbus.

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Commentary: Jobs Report Shows the Specter of Stagflation Has Returned

Meeting

The specter of stagflation has returned. The monthly jobs report released Friday showed only 175,000 jobs were created last month, well below the recent average and expectations.

More than half of new jobs were created in the unproductive government and quasi-government healthcare and social services sectors that don’t generate growth. Average wages grew at a slower rate than inflation, meaning Americans’ real wages and living standards are declining.

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Arizona Supreme Court Unanimously Reverses Sanctions Against AZGOP for Its Lawsuit Challenging Maricopa County’s Hand Count

The Arizona Supreme Court issued a unanimous ruling on Thursday reversing an award of sanctions against the Arizona Republican Party (AZGOP) and its attorneys for bringing an election integrity lawsuit. The AZGOP sued Maricopa County election officials over how they conducted the mandatory hand count audit after the 2020 election. The state’s highest court said there is some merit to election lawsuits, even if a “long shot,” and ruling against them for questioning an “election’s legitimacy” would have a “chilling effect.”

The AZGOP issued a statement after the state Supreme Court’s decision.

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Connecticut Wrangles over Spending Controls amid $1 Billion Surplus

Connecticut Capitol

Connecticut will end the fiscal year with a record surplus, according to a new report, which is fueling calls by progressive Democrats to roll back the state’s spending controls.

The consensus revenue forecast, released by the Office of Policy and Management and Office of Fiscal Analysis on Monday, shows the state is likely to close out the fiscal year more than $645 million above initial budget projections. That’s a roughly $1 billion surplus through 2026, according to the report.

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Recruit More Queer, Trans Scholars to Help Environment: University of Minnesota Report

University of Minnesota

A new University of Minnesota report advocates for more “2SLGBTQIA+” individuals in environmental work, arguing their communities are disproportionately harmed by pollution and natural disasters.

Published in the university’s Gender Policy Report, the article “Environmental Justice for Queer and Transgender Communities” says queer and transgender communities tend to be left out of environmental health policies and planning even though they “experience discrimination leading to social, economic, and health disparities that place them at an increased risk for environmental injustices.”

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Maricopa County School Superintendent Faces Primary Challengers After Numerous Allegations of Financial Misconduct

Maricopa County

The Festival Ranch Republican Club recently hosted an educational forum, inviting the three Republican candidates in the primary running for Maricopa County School Superintendent to speak. This race holds significant importance amidst allegations of financial mismanagement and an intense focus on education in Arizona. The incumbent, Steve Watson, and challenger Nickie Kelley attended the forum. The second challenger, Shelli Boggs couldn’t attend due to a conflict, but The Arizona Sun Times interviewed each candidate for this article.

Nickie Kelley previously told the Sun Times, that the stakes were high for  Republicans to maintain control of this office. Kelley tracked the data and  in 2016 Watson beat the incumbent Democrat by about 36,000 votes. In 2020, he defeated the Democratic candidate by only 11,000 votes. But this year, Democrats have a formidable candidate running and Watson has battled negative allegations for years regarding mismanagement of funds.

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Commentary: Finding Authentic Male Friendship in a Loneliness Epidemic

Male Friendship

In an increasing online world, people are lonelier than ever, especially men. In a 2021 study, 15 percent of men reported having no close friends, up from only three percent in the early 1990s. Perhaps more alarmingly, 28 percent of young men (under 30 years old) reported not having any close social connections.

As a man, I can speak to this deficit of male friendship. Many of us can say hello in passing, talk about the weather, and maybe discuss the latest sports news, but how many of our connections truly care about us and would be there when we need them?

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