Category: State News

Biden Trails Trump in Six Swing States After Debate, Including Pennsylvania, Georgia and Arizona

Tom Pappert
Donald Trump and Joe Biden

A poll released on Monday claims President Joe Biden now trails former President Donald Trump in six battleground states following their first presidential debate, where the president’s performance prompted at least five Democratic congressmen to call for him to step aside.

First revealed by Alex Ward, a reporter for German-owned Politico, the poll was conducted by Emerson College on behalf of Democrats for the Next Generation, a political group which appears to highlight Democratic alternatives to the 81-year-old incumbent.

Read the full story

Democrats Could Face Legal Hurdles in Georgia over Potential Effort to Replace President Joe Biden

Tom Pappert
President Joe Biden

Democrats could face legal challenges in Georgia should they attempt replace President Joe Biden on the November ballot, according to an analysis of state election laws published ahead of his poor debate performance against President Donald Trump on June 27.

The analysis, published to the social media platform X by The Heritage Foundation’s Oversight Project days prior to the debate, notes Georgia, Nevada and Wisconsin “have specific procedures for withdrawal of a presidential nominee,” with each state differing on when a withdrawal must be filed and who can replace the nominee.

Read the full story

Veteran Lawmen Face Off in Competitive Republican Maricopa County Sheriff Primary

Christy Kelly
Maricopa County Sheriff Candidates

The 2024 Republican primary for Maricopa County Sheriff is set to be a very close contest, featuring three prominent candidates with extensive law enforcement backgrounds. Mike Crawford is a veteran with a multifaceted career as a sheriff deputy, police officer, and former DEA agent. Colonel Frank Milstead, is the former Mesa Chief of Police and the past director of the Arizona Department of Public Safety. Jerry Sheridan, with a 40-year tenure in the Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office (MCSO), has served in roles ranging from detention officer to chief deputy.

Read the full story

Philadelphia Radio Host Fired After Admitting to Using Biden’s Prepared Questions

Christy Kelly
Andrea Lawful-Sanders, President Joe Biden

WURD Radio, the only African-American owned and operated talk radio station in Pennsylvania, has terminated the morning radio host Andrea Lawful-Sanders after she admitted to using questions pre-provided by President Joe Biden’s team during an interview. The station made this decision in response to Lawful-Sanders’ revelation that she received eight questions from Biden’s team and used four of them during the broadcast, which they stated violated their commitment to “independent journalism.”

Read the full story

Dave McCormick Argues Sen. Bob Casey, Democrats Engaged in ‘Conspiracy of Silence’ to Protect President Joe Biden

Tom Pappert
Senator Bob Casey with Joe Biden

Republican U.S. Senate nominee told “One Nation” host Brian Kilmeade on Saturday that Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) and other Democrats engaged in a “conspiracy of silence” to obscure the truth about the physical and mental fitness of President Joe Biden.

McCormick first noted to Kilmeade the close friendship between Casey and Biden, who the Republican explained often “refer to each other as ‘best friends’ or ‘best buddies,'” before explaining his view that Casey worked with other Democrats and allies of the president to protect Biden’s public image.

Read the full story

Report: Warner Hopes to Enlist Senate Democrats to Encourage Biden to Leave Race

The Center Square
Joe Biden with Sen. Mark Warner

Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., is trying to gather a cohort of his Democratic Senate colleagues to convince President Joe Biden to withdraw from the 2024 presidential race, the Washington Post reported Friday. 

Last week’s debate has apparently persuaded Warner that a Biden campaign is untenable, and he wants to take a group of Democratic senators to the White House on Monday to speak with the president about exiting the race, according to two Washington Post sources who wished to remain anonymous.

Read the full story

New York Judges Disbar Rudy Giuliani for ‘False Statements’ About Election Fraud, But Don’t Consider the Evidence

Rachel Alexander

A panel of five New York appeals court judges this week unanimously disbarred former President Donald Trump’s former attorney, Rudy Giuliani, over statements he made about election illegalities in the 2020 presidential election.

The opinion from the Supreme Court of the State of New York Appellate Division, First Judicial Department relied on ethics rules used to target conservative attorneys: “engag[ing] in conduct involving dishonesty, fraud, deceit or misrepresentation,” “engag[ing] in conduct that is prejudicial to the administration of justice,” and “engag[ing] in any other conduct that adversely reflects on the lawyer’s fitness as a lawyer.”

Read the full story

Georgia Democratic Party Chair Declares President Joe Biden ‘Only Person’ Capable of Deciding to Stay in Race amid Polling Deficit in State

Tom Pappert
Nikema Williams

Georgia Democratic Party chair and U.S. Representative Nikema Williams (D-GA-05) stated in a Wednesday interview that President Joe Biden is ultimately the “only person” who will determine whether to step down and allow another Democrat to face former President Donald Trump in November.

Williams was asked about Biden’s political future in the aftermath of his poor debate performance during an interview with 11 Alive, when the Democrat explained, “Biden is the only person who can make the decision,” and confirmed she will support the 81-year-old president until he makes such a choice.

Read the full story

Funds for African Immigrants and Delivery Fee Among New Laws on the Books in Minnesota

Admin
African Immigrants

The latest round of legislation passed by the Minnesota Legislature includes $1 million in funding for the African Immigrants Community Services nonprofit and an added delivery fee on retail orders.

The Minnesota House of Representatives released a list of legislation which was due to go into effect on July 1, all of which were sponsored by members of the DFL. Chief among the pieces of legislation passed during the most recent session is new spending. $23.85 million was delegated to the Department of Employment and Economic Development for “job training and economic development programs in fiscal year 2025.” Included in that spending was “$1 million to African Immigrants Community Services for workforce development for new Americans” as well as “$1 million to the Minnesota Black Chamber of Commerce for technical support to Black-owned small businesses.” Furthermore, “the law also appropriates General Fund money to support programs through Explore Minnesota Tourism,” including “$400,000 to Ka Joog for Somali community and cultural festivals and events.”

Read the full story

Sen. John Fetterman Claims Media Obsessed with ‘Smearing’ President Joe Biden After CNN Debate

Tom Pappert
John Fetterman and Joe Biden

U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) claimed on Thursday the media is obsessed with “smearing” President Joe Biden in the wake of his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump, which left Democrats debating whether he should step aside in favor of another candidate.

Fetterman, in a post to the social media platform X, suggested the media is ignoring negative news stories about Trump after the current and former presidents sparred in the first presidential debate.

Read the full story

Michigan Budget Includes Tuition-Free Pre-K and Community College

The Center Square
Gretchen Whitmer

The recently passed Michigan budget would guarantee tuition-free community college for all residents, and expands access to tuition-free preschool.

The tuition-free community college program is paid for by $330 million in taxpayer dollars, an increase of $30 million from last year. The new program gets rid of income caps, so any student can receive free tuition at an in-district community college.

Read the full story

More Police Officers Relocating to Florida from Other States

The Center Square
Sarasota Police

Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody welcomed new police officers to the state after they relocated from Georgia, Illinois, Maine, Massachusetts, New Mexico and New York.

“Florida is the most pro-law enforcement state in the nation because we back our blue,” Moody said. “We’ve been spreading the word about all the great incentives to join our ranks, and individuals like the new Sarasota recruits have answered the call – leaving behind places where their service was not as appreciated as it is here.”

Read the full story

Virginia House and Senate Reach Deal on Military Education Program

The Center Square
Virginia Military Bill

Monday ended with another disappointment for those unhappy with recent changes to a state education assistance program for military families, but by Tuesday night, things had turned around.

Tuesday evening, the Senate of Virginia issued a press release stating that the House of Delegates and Senate finance chairs had finally reached an agreement on the Virginia Military Survivors and Dependents Education Program after a month and a half of upheaval surrounding changes made to the program in the latest state budget.

Read the full story

Arizona State Republicans Lament Water Basin Bill That Didn’t Find Hobbs’ Desk

The Center Square
Katie Hobbs

Some Republican lawmakers have expressed disappointment with the fact that a water basin management bill did not make its way to Arizona Gov. Katie Hobbs’ desk this session, which finished last month.

Senate Bill 1221 would have stopped “new groundwater pumping” in the Gila Bend, Wilcox and Hualapai basins as well as cut back on current usage of the water by 10-15% over the course of the next two decades, according to a news release. The bill passed the Senate in February, but absences from the Republican side and united votes against the bill on the Democratic slide led the bill to die in June.

Read the full story

Arizona State Rep. David Cook Challenges State Sen. Wendy Rogers amid Controversial Election Integrity Stance

Rachel Alexander
David Cook and Wendy Rogers

State Representative David Cook (R-Globe), an election fraud denier who regularly receives very low ratings from right-leaning organizations, is running for the Arizona Senate against election integrity champion State Senator Wendy Rogers (R-Flagstaff). Rogers, who raised over $3 million in recent years, the most of any legislative candidate in state history, mainly due to that issue and tireless campaigning, is widely expected to defeat Cook in the LD 7 primary.

After the 2022 election, Cook denied that there was cheating. He posted on X, “I realize today my party has been taken over by people that like to yell and scream and blame everyone but themselves for a loss.”

Read the full story

Virginia Democrat Reportedly Compared President Joe Biden to Jesus Christ in Fundraising Pitch

Tom Pappert
Don Beyer

U.S. Representative Don Beyer (D-VA-08) reportedly compared President Joe Biden to Jesus Christ during a Tuesday fundraising event in McLean, Virginia, drawing similarities between the suffering Jesus experienced when crucified to the various political and personal tragedies of the president’s life.

Beyer apparently “invoked the crucifixion of Jesus” during the fundraising event, according to The Washington Free Beacon.

Read the full story

Raise the Wage Ohio Toes Deadline for Petition Signature Submissions

The Center Square
Minimum Wage Protest

Ohio Secretary of State Frank LaRose said Wednesday he expects Raise the Wage Ohio to turn in petition signatures for a proposed constitutional amendment that would raise the minimum wage, joining two other filings for the November ballot this week.

The Raise the Wage Ohio campaign, made up mostly of volunteers, needs 413,487 valid petition signatures for the amendment to reach the ballot.

Read the full story

McMaster Removing $2.3 Million from South Carolina’s 2024-25 Budget

The Center Square
Henry McMaster

South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster announced 21 budget vetoes totaling nearly $2.3 million from the Palmetto State’s fiscal 2024-25 budget.

The Republican governor announced his vetoes during a Wednesday media briefing, calling on state lawmakers to replace earmarks with merit-based and competitive grants. The budget includes more than 500 earmarks totaling $424.7 million.

Read the full story

Pennsylvania State Senate Passes Bill to Help Schools Ban Cell Phones

Tom Pappert
Student with Cell Phone

The Pennsylvania State Senate on Wednesday passed SB 1207, which seeks to amend the Public School Code of 1949 in order to establish a Cell Phone Lockable Bag Pilot Program that would encourage schools to restrict cell phone use among students.

Introduced by State Senator Ryan Aument (R-Lancaster), the legislation would “provide funding to cover the costs of purchasing secure cell phone lockable bags,” which will be available to schools throughout the commonwealth who establish a “policy that prohibits the use of cell phones during school time” and requires students to store their phones in “lockable bags.”

Read the full story

Leaked Post-Debate Poll Claims Biden Tied in Virginia, Down Seven in Pennsylvania as Nearly Half of 2020 Voters Want Him Replaced

Tom Pappert
Joe Biden and Donald Trump

A leaked memo published on Tuesday claims internal polling data shows President Joe Biden was down by more than 7 percent in Pennsylvania, and at risk of losing Virginia and other swing states, following his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump last week.

The memo, which claims to contain the contents of a poll completed within 72-hours of the presidential debate, was leaked to Puck News, which reported it was distributed by OpenLabs, a progressive nonprofit that conducts “polling and message-testing” for Democratic groups including a nonprofit associated with “the preferred Super PAC for Biden’s reelection campaign.”

Read the full story

California Gov. Gavin Newsom to Stump for Biden Campaign in Pennsylvania amid Rumored Effort to Replace President

Tom Pappert
Gavin Newsom and Joe Biden

The campaign to reelect President Joe Biden confirmed on Wednesday that Governor Gavin Newsom (D-CA) will appear at two events to stump for the 81-year-old president. The campaign stops come amid a rumored push to replace Biden following his poor debate performance against former President Donald Trump.

Newsom is first expected to travel to Pittsburgh when the Pennsylvania Capital-Star reported the Biden campaign confirmed “he’ll be stumping for the president” on Thursday.

Read the full story

Virginia Board Certifies Primary Results, Declares Victory for John McGuire over Bob Good

Just the News
Bob Good and John McGuire

Virginia GOP Rep. Bob Good officially lost his primary on Tuesday, after the Virginia Board of Elections certified the election results in the state’s fifth Congressional district in favor of challenger John McGuire.

McGuire, who was endorsed by former President Donald Trump, defeated Good by approximately 375 votes, according to the final results of last month’s Republican primary, ABC News reported.

Read the full story

Criminals Released in Arizona by Border Patrol Later Arrested in New England

The Center Square
Illegal Immigrants

Border Patrol agents continue to release violent criminals into the U.S. who are later arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers thousands of miles away. While numerous examples exist, in three recent cases, Border Patrol agents in Arizona released violent criminals who were later arrested nearly 3,000 miles away in New England.

On June 12, ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations-Boston agents arrested an Ecuadorian illegally living in Northampton, Massachusetts, who was wanted by Ecuadorian authorities.

Read the full story

Federal Judge Halts Georgia’s Charitable Bail Law

The Center Square
Inmates

A federal judge on Friday afternoon halted part of a new state law barring charitable bail from taking effect while a legal challenge proceeds.

U.S. District Judge Victoria Marie Calvert issued a temporary restraining order for 14 days following a Friday hearing. The ACLU of Georgia and the Institute for Constitutional Advocacy and Protection at Georgetown University Law Center filed the lawsuit asking a judge to declare Section 4 of Georgia Senate Bill 63 unconstitutional.

Read the full story

Sen. Tim Kaine Defends President Joe Biden After Abysmal Debate as Opponent Hung Cao Promises to ‘Flip Virginia Red’

Tom Pappert
Virginia Senate Race

Senator Tim Kaine (D-VA) at a campaign stop on Monday defended President Joe Biden after his poor debate performance provoked calls for the 81-year-old president to end his reelection campaign and allow a younger candidate to face former President Donald Trump in November.

Kaine confirmed he continues to support the 81-year-old president after Petersburg Vice Mayor Darrin Hill called for Democrats to “turn down the noise” about Biden’s candidacy, reported USA Today.

Read the full story

Wisconsin Crime Labs Not Meeting New DNA Testing Deadline

The Center Square
DNA Testing

A new audit raises questions as to whether Wisconsin’s attorney general will be able to meet a new state requirement to get sexual assault kits tested within six months.

The Legislative Audit Bureau released its new report on the state’s crime recently, saying there are fewer requests for sexual assault DNA kits at the crime labs, but it is taking the labs longer to process each kit.

Read the full story

Judge Who Supported Trump Reprimanded After Denying Felons the Right to Vote

Admin
Judge Matthew Quinn

A Minnesota district court judge was publicly reprimanded by the Minnesota Board of Judicial Standards after denying several convicted felons the right to vote when issuing probation orders to those felons.

On June 27, Judge Matthew Quinn of Minnesota’s Seventh Judicial District was reprimanded by the Minnesota Board of Judicial Standards (MBJS). According to the Board’s findings, Judge Quinn began issuing probation sentencing orders to convicted felons in October of 2023 which denied those individuals the right to vote.

Read the full story

Reporter Tom Pappert Points Out Panic Among Democrats amid President Biden’s Disastrous Debate Performance

Kaitlin Housler
Tom Pappert and MPL

Tom Pappert, lead reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Pennsylvania Daily Star, suggested that there is a sense of panic among Democratic candidates across the country, including Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), as the Democratic Party scrambles to explain President Joe Biden’s disastrous debate performance last week against former President Trump.

Last Thursday, during a 90-minute televised debate hosted by CNN, Biden appeared absent-minded and confused, stumbling over his words and losing his train of thought multiple times.

Read the full story

Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares Teases Run for Governor at Trump Rally Where Lt. Gov. Winsome Earle-Sears was Not Invited

Tom Pappert
Virginia A.G. Jason Miyares

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares hinted he may announce his run for governor following the conclusion of the 2024 presidential election. Miyares made the remarks while attending former President Donald Trump’s rally in Chesapeake, Virginia on Friday.

Miyares made the comments after National Review asked the attorney general whether he was considering a run to succeed Governor Glenn Youngkin, who is unable to seek another term.

Read the full story

Dave McCormick Named in ‘Carpetbagger’ Article Despite New York Times Confirming His Childhood in Pennsylvania

Tom Pappert
Dave McCormick

Pennsylvania U.S. Senate candidate Dave McCormick was mentioned by The Washington Post among a list of Republican candidates across the United States who have faced questions about their ties to the state where they seek office, even after the New York Times confirmed the Republican nominee spent his childhood and formative years in the commonwealth.

McCormick was mentioned by the Post due to claims about his residency, which were advanced by the campaign of Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) in an advertisement that declared, “McCormick’s running for Senate in Pennsylvania but he doesn’t live here.”

Read the full story

Feds Indict Newton County Chairman and Georgia Commissioner-Elect

The Center Square
Marcello Banes and Stephanie Lindsey

A federal grand jury has indicted the Newton County Board of Commissioners chairman and a commissioner-elect on federal charges of conspiring to launder money obtained from wire fraud and honest services wire fraud.

A federal grand jury indicted Marcello Banes, 48, of Covington, the board’s chair, and Stephanie Lindsey, 52, of Covington, a real estate broker and attorney who was elected to the county commission earlier this month, on conspiracy to launder money obtained from wire fraud and honest services wire fraud and money laundering. The grand jury also indicted Lindsey for federal income tax fraud and Banes for making materially false statements to FBI special agents.

Read the full story

Arizona Senate Primary Heats Up: Lake Leads, Lamb Continues to Fight

Christy Kelly
Kari Lake and Mark Lamb

As the primary election day in Arizona approaches, the race to replace outgoing Senator Kyrsten Sinema (I-Tucson) intensifies. For the Republicans, the contest is between Kari Lake and Sheriff Mark Lamb, with the winner set to face Democrat Reuben Gallego (D-AZ-03). According to the latest poll by Noble Predictive Insights on May 24, Kari Lake leads with 46% support, while Mark Lamb trails at 21%. Additionally, 25% of voters remain unsure, and 9% support other candidates.

Many voters expressed a desire to see the Republicans square off against each other. The sole opportunity to watch the candidates is a virtual debate that was held on May 23, hosted by the Association of Mature American Citizens (AMAC) Action. This forum provided Arizona primary voters with a clear view of their contrasting perspectives. Opting out of the Arizona Clean Elections Commission debate, Lake chose instead to engage directly with voters throughout the day at a series of events.

Read the full story

Three Dead After Crossing Border in Arizona Despite CBP Warnings of Heat Risk

The Center Square
Arizona Desert

Three people crossing the border from Mexico into the United States died as a result of the high summer temperatures.

United States Customs and Border Protection announced on Friday that three Mexican migrants were found dead after a search and rescue mission near Ajo, Arizona, by federal border authorities on Wednesday morning. The border law enforcement agency explained that human smugglers routinely take advantage of those seeking to come to the U.S.

Read the full story

Arizona’s 7th District Sees Butierez vs. Grijalva Showdown in Congressional Race

Christy Kelly

Daniel Butierez endured nine and a half years in jail for a crime he was never charged with or tried for. After a three-decade battle, the courts finally admitted their mistake and cleared his record. Now, driven by a deep passion for justice, Butierez is challenging Representative Raúl Grijalva (D-AZ-03), who has held the seat since 2003. As the only Republican candidate stepping up to represent Arizona’s 7th Congressional District, Butierez stands ready to face Grijalva, who announced on April 2 that he is battling cancer. Grijalva’s last confirmed public appearance was in mid-February 2024, when he placed a vote in the House of Representatives.

Read the full story

Judge Weighing Injunction in Georgia Organized Online Retail Crime Bill

The Center Square
Chris Carr

A federal judge is weighing whether to grant a preliminary injunction to halt a Georgia law targeting organized online retail crimes set to take effect on Monday.

Earlier this month, NetChoice filed a lawsuit over Senate Bill 472, the “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.” Proponents of the measure, which Republican Gov. Brian Kemp signed on May 6, say it protects businesses against organized online retail crimes.

Read the full story

Dave McCormick Slams Bob Casey for ‘Lying to Pennsylvanians’ About Joe Biden’s Fitness, Drops Ad Highlighting Senator’s Friendship with President

Tom Pappert
Senator Bob Casey (D-PA)

Following the poor debate performance by President Joe Biden last Thursday, Pennsylvania U.S. Senate nominee Dave McCormick accused Senator Bob Casey (D-PA) of “lying to Pennsylvanians” about the mental and physical fitness of President Joe Biden on Friday and released a new advertisement highlighting their purported friendship on Sunday.

“Bob Casey has been protecting Joe Biden for years and lying to Pennsylvanians about his ability to serve as Commander-in-Chief,” wrote McCormick in a Friday post to the social media platform X.

Read the full story

Fetterman Argues Biden Can Recover from Poor Debate Performance, Notes Pennsylvania Voters Forgave Performance Against Dr. Oz

Tom Pappert
Sen John Fetterman (D-PA)

U.S. Senator John Fetterman (D-PA) argued on Sunday that President Joe Biden can recover from his debate performance that has Democrats questioning his candidacy, with the Pennsylvania Democrat noting his own 2022 victory followed a difficult debate against former Republican U.S. Senate nominee Dr. Mehmet Oz.

Fetterman argued on “Fox News Sunday” that Biden will recover from his poor debate performance, which left some Democrats questioning whether he should be replaced as the party’s nominee.

Read the full story