Day: August 23, 2024

Tennessee AG Joins Lawsuit Against DHS Program to Grant ‘Parole in Place’ to Illegal Aliens

Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti was one of the state attorneys general who joined a lawsuit challenging the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) new program process to allow hundreds of thousands of illegal aliens who are the spouse or stepchild of a U.S. citizen to “parole in place.”

The 56-page complaint, filed in the Eastern District of Texas U.S. District Court on Friday, challenges DHS’ “Keeping Families Together” program, which began accepting applications on Monday.

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Tom Zawistowski Details Findings in Latest Poll Surveying Ohio Voters

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Zawistowski

Tom Zawistowski, president of the We the People Convention, conducted a poll for the closely watched Ohio U.S. Senate race between incumbent Sherrod Brown (D-OH) and Republican nominee Bernie Moreno, which showed that the race is “dead even.”

Zawistowski said he polled 273 individuals chosen randomly from a phone database over a two-day period earlier this week and asked respondents about the U.S. Senate and presidential races and the overall direction of the nation.

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Reporter Christy Kelly: RFK Jr. Announcement Knocks Kamala Harris’ DNC Acceptance Speech Out of the News Cycle

Kaitlin Housler
Christy Kelly

Christy Kelly, reporter at The Arizona Sun Times, said Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s Friday morning announcement in Arizona may have been planned to knock Vice President and Democratic presidential nominee Kamala Harris out of the news cycle less than 24 hours after her acceptance speech at the Democratic National Convention on Thursday night.

On Friday, Kennedy announced the suspension to his presidential campaign and that he would be endorsing former President Donald Trump in the race moving forward.

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‘Ceasefire Is Dead’: Biden Admin Shifts Focus to Freeing Hostages in Gaza as Chances of Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Crumble

Daily Caller News Foundation
Joe Biden and Israel

The Biden administration has turned its focus to securing the release of hostages from Hamas as chances for a ceasefire deal appear to be fading, Politico reported on Thursday.

A ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas — who went to war in October after Hamas invaded Israel — has been a months-long goal of the U.S. and international negotiators, though it has been nearly impossible to reach an agreement. U.S. and Western officials have become concerned that the possibility of a ceasefire is quickly dimming, with the priority now being shifted toward freeing the remaining hostages in Gaza, according to several officials who spoke to Politico.

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Trump Calls for Death Penalty for Sex Traffickers of Minors and Women

ADN America
Donald Trump

Former US President and Republican candidate Donald Trump (2017-2021) advocated this Thursday for imposing the death penalty for sex traffickers of minors and women and for large drug traffickers.

The New York tycoon said from a rally in  Arizona, on the border with Mexico, that, if he wins the elections on November 5, harsher sentences will be imposed against “illegal foreign criminals.”

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Man Drowns After Shootout with Tennessee County Deputies

Peter D'Abrosca

A man drowned after a highway pursuit and gun fight with Chester County and other law enforcement entities, according to the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation (TBI). 

“Preliminary information indicates the incident originated in Chester County near Henderson when a Chester County Deputy initiated a traffic stop of a vehicle driving recklessly at approximately 9:15 a.m.,” according a TBI release. “The driver refused to stop, and a pursuit ensued. During the pursuit, the driver briefly stopped and presented a weapon, pointing it at deputies, and causing the deputies to fire their service weapons.”

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Southwest Airlines to Add Three New Nonstop Flight Routes from Nashville International Airport

Kaitlin Housler
Southwest Airlines

Southwest Airlines announced this week that it is expanding service at Nashville International Airport (BNA) to offer three new nonstop flight routes to Cabo San Lucas/Los Cabos, Mexico; Punta Cana, Dominican Republic; and Indianapolis, beginning next year.

Daily flights will commence from BNA to the Indianapolis International Airport on March 6, 2025.

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Judge Finds RFK Jr. Can Bring Censorship Lawsuit Against Biden Admin After Supreme Court Rejects States’ Challenge

Daily Caller News Foundation
RFK Jr. in a courtroom (composite image)

A federal judge ruled Tuesday that Robert F. Kennedy Jr. can continue to pursue his censorship lawsuit against the Biden administration.

The Supreme Court ruled in June that state and individual plaintiffs who alleged the Biden administration violated their First Amendment rights when it pressured social media companies to suppress speech did not have standing to sue. District Court Judge Terry Doughty found Kennedy meets the standard set by the Supreme Court because there is “ample evidence” to show he has been censored in the past at the direction of government actors and “substantial risk” that the censorship will continue.

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Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell Touts ‘Improved Infrastructure’ in Transit Referendum Despite Legal Concerns from Watchdog

Tom Pappert
Freddie O'Connell

Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell raised the infrastructure elements of his transit referendum as evidence that even Nashvillians who do not use the city’s bus system will benefit if it passes. He did not acknowledge the possibility the infrastructure elements are illegal under Tennessee law, as alleged by government watchdog Ben Cunningham.

O’Connell was interviewed about his transit referendum on Thursday by Nashville Scene. When asked about individuals who are only familiar with his proposed improvements to Nashville’s bus system, the mayor turned to the “improved infrastructure” promised in the referendum.

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Ex-Gov. Terry McAuliffe Disputes Virginia Poll Showing Trump Tied with Harris, Argues Federal Employee Turnout Pivotal

Tom Pappert
Terry McAuliffe

Former Governor Terry McAuliffe on Thursday disputed the results of a Virginia poll that showed former President Donald Trump statistically tied with Vice President Kamala Harris in the commonwealth, raising allegations about the pollster’s credibility and claims its data was skewed, before arguing federal workers would turnout in sufficient numbers to propel the Harris-Walz ticket to victory.

McAuliffe claimed the pollster who released the Tuesday survey showing Trump and Harris statistically tied, with the Democrat leading the former president by just 3 percent, “has never had a poll that’s been correct in their life,” according to The Washington Times.

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Connecticut’s Early Voting Faces Scrutiny amid Low Turnout

The Center Square
Voting Station

Connecticut Republicans are calling for changes to the early voting law after the state’s top election official suggested that the weeklong voting period should be shortened amid lackluster turnout. 

“For many months, Connecticut Republicans raised repeated concerns over the burden that many days of early voting would place on town budgets statewide,” Senate Republican Leader Stephen Harding, R-Brookfield, and other GOP lawmakers said in a statement calling for reforms to the system. “Simply put, it’s a waste of taxpayer money which puts unnecessary heavy burdens on our hard-working local election officials.”

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Supreme Court Reinstates Part of Arizona Voter Citizenship Law

Just the News

The U.S. Supreme Court revived part of Arizona’s proof of voter citizenship law on Thursday, allowing for restrictions regarding the state voter registration form.

Following a request from the Republican National Committee and Arizona Republicans, the Supreme Court reinstated a provision of the state law after federal courts blocked it, Reuters reported. Individuals filling out voter registration forms for state elections must provide proof of U.S. citizenship, unlike those filling out the federal voter registration forms.

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Georgia’s Raffensperger Announces Indictment of Alleged Double Voter in 2022 Election

Just the News
Brad Raffensperger

Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger (R) announced the indictment of a voter who cast ballots in both Georgia and Arizona in the November 2022 election.

The secretary of state’s office conducted an investigation into double-voting following the 2022 general election and referred the case to the Forsyth County district attorney’s office, according to a press releaseWednesday.

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More than $150 Million Going to Broadband Expansion in Ohio

The Center Square

Ohio plans to spend $150 million in taxpayer money to expand broadband access across the state, including in seven Appalachian counties, one of which was classified at-risk recently by the Appalachian Regional Commission.

The state announced Wednesday that $94.5 million will go to 23 counties as part of the Ohio Residential Broadband Expansion Grant Program. The Broadband Expansion Authority authorized Broadband Ohio to give enough money to Time Warner Cable Midwest and Brightspeed for six projects in the 23 counties.

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U.S. Senate Hopeful Rep. Ruben Gallego’s Record on Public Safety Under Fire Ahead of November Election

Christy Kelly
Ruben Gallego

As voters prepare to cast their vote in the November election, Rep. Ruben Gallego’s (D-AZ-03) record on public safety has emerged as a central issue in the hotly contested U.S. Senate race. Gallego, who has served in Congress since 2015 and previously in the Arizona House of Representatives, faces scrutiny from his opponent, Kari Lake, and other critics over his stance on law enforcement and public safety.

Gallego’s efforts to reform police practices and limit military-grade equipment for law enforcement, as well as his public appearances and fiery social media posts has become a major focus in the contentious Senate campaign.

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Gov. Josh Shapiro Denies Antisemitism Played Role After Being Skipped by Harris Campaign in VP Search

Tom Pappert
Josh Shapiro

Governor Josh Shapiro on Thursday denied that antisemitism played a role in the decision by Vice President Kamala Harris to skip over him in favor of Governor Tim Walz in her bid to find a running mate for the 2024 presidential election.

Shapiro made the remarks to German-owned Politico from the Democratic National Convention (DNC) in Chicago, Illinois, where he delivered a speech on Wednesday.

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Pennsylvania U.S. Rep. Summer Lee ‘Alienating Whole Communities’ over Israel and ‘Anti Police Agenda,’ Says GOP Challenger James Hayes

Tom Pappert
James Hayes and Summer Lee

Republican U.S. House candidate James Hayes told Outside the Beltway host John Fredericks on Thursday that Representative Summer Lee (D-PA-12) is “alienating whole communities” with her positions on Israel and “anti-police agenda” that leaves communities less safe.

Hayes told Fredericks, who is publisher of The Pennsylvania Daily Star, that Lee’s public remarks caused new excitement and enthusiasm for his Republican candidacy in the district that President Joe Biden carried with a 20-point margin.

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Texas AG Ken Paxton Launches Probe of Groups Allegedly Registering Non-Citizens to Vote

Just the News
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton (R) announced Wednesday that his office has launched an investigation into organizations allegedly registering non-citizens to vote.

The AG’s Election Integrity Unit found that multiple nonprofit organizations have opened booths outside Texas Department of Public Safety Driver License offices to assist with voter registration. U.S. citizens have the opportunity to register to vote at the offices when they are being issued or renewing their driver’s license or identification card.

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Commentary: Vo-Tech Education is Taking Off, and It’s Not Your Dad’s Shop Class Anymore

RealClearWire
Students in Butler Tech classroom

Jon Graft is on a mission to reignite the passion for learning by pushing a long-denigrated  classroom practice: vocational education.

The superintendent of the Butler Tech District of high schools in Ohio is a leader in the growing movement to revive public education, marred by low test scores and high absenteeism, through a hands-on approach to learning that prepares students for careers in today’s tech-driven economy. Traditionally a means of funneling disadvantaged kids into outdated shop classes and dead-end jobs, vocational education is being reimagined by Graft and others in sophisticated career and technical education (CTE) programs nationwide, offering high school students of all academic abilities training in healthcare, computer science, engineering, skilled trades, and even the arts.

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Scottsdale Adjusts Sales Tax Proposition Language After Court Ruling

The Center Square
Scottsdale City Hall

The Scottsdale City Council voted 4-3 to adjust the language for a sales tax ballot proposition that would have been killed by an Arizona Court of Appeals if changes were not made quickly. 

The court shot down the original language following a lawsuit from the Goldwater Institute, as the court said it would confuse voters to brand a new 0.15 percent sales tax beginning July 1, 2025, as a cut instead of a new tax to replace the 0.2 percent sales tax expiring June 30, 2025. 

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Hunter Biden’s Former Partner Placed Under Investigation by Chinese Government, Resigned from Fund

Just the News
Hunter Biden

The one-time business partner of Hunter Biden resigned from his role at the head of a major investment fund earlier this month after he was placed under investigation by the Chinese authorities for “personal problems.”

Zhao Xuejun—who Biden and his other business associates referred to as Henry—was the Chairman of Harvest Fund Management, one of the largest asset managers in China. The investigation of Zhao is suspected to stem from Beijing’s wider crackdown on the securities sector.

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Red State Schools Reluctant to Follow Mandate Requiring Bibles Be Taught in Classrooms

Daily Caller News Foundation

Oklahoma school districts have not changed their curriculum despite a mandate requiring the Bible to be taught during the 2024-2025 school year, according to the New York Times.

Oklahoma Education Superintendent Ryan Walters mandated in June that all schools are required to teach the Bible, including the Ten Commandments, in the upcoming school year. The school districts in Oklahoma have been slow implementing the mandate, as some teachers stated that there has been no direction, the NYT reported.

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DHS Watchdog Says Border Patrol Did Not ‘Thoroughly’ Plan for Risks in CBP One Program

Just the News
US CBP Agent with migrants

Some of the issues the investigation found included the functionality of the application, the sufficiency of the program’s language translations, and the “equity of appointment distribution.” This meant users experienced frequent crashes of the system, error messages, and language barriers.

The Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Office of the Inspector General on Wednesday revealed that the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) did not adequately prepare for the risks that came with its latest immigration program.

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