Month: May 2024

NBC News The Justice Department is expected to announce the indictment of longtime Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, on Friday, two sources familiar with the matter told NBC News. Cuellar’s home and campaign office in Laredo, Texas, were raided in January 2022 as part of a federal investigation into Azerbaijan and a group…

Top Story: Swing States Using Taxpayer Dollars to Turn Out Democratic Voters

May 3, 2024 Admin

Swing States Using Taxpayer Dollars to Turn Out Democratic Voters

May 3, 2024May 2, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes

Election officials in two key swing states are using taxpayer money to register and turn out voters who will most likely vote for Democrats in the November election.

As reported by The Federalist, Democratic officials in the states of Arizona and Nevada have announced initiatives to turn out younger voters, who overwhelmingly lean Democratic, with roughly 6 months to go before the election in the fall. Arizona Secretary of State Adrian Fontes (D-Ariz.) announced that his office will partner with the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge to promote the “Arizona Campus Voting Challenge,” which Fontes falsely claims is a “nonpartisan initiative.”

Top Commentary: Unredactions Reveal Early White House Involvement in Trump Documents Case

May 3, 2024 Admin

United Methodist Officially Lifts Ban on LGBTQ Members Joining Its Clergy

LGBTQ members at United Methodist Church congregation

The delegates are also expected to vote on whether to replace its “Social Principles” document with one that changes the definition of marriage from being between a man and a woman to a union between “two people of faith.” It would also remove a line in the document that considers the practice of homosexuality “incompatible with Christian teaching.”

United Methodist delegates voted to remove a ban on members of the LGBTQ community serving as clergy members on Wednesday, ending decades of controversy around the issue.

Emails Show Facebook Chafed at Biden White House Pressure to Suppress COVID-19 Lab Leak Story

The preliminary staff report is the result of a months-long investigation into the alleged coercion, where President Joe Biden’s White House reportedly pushed social media platforms such as Facebook, Amazon, and YouTube, to censor books, videos, and posts.

Emails released Wednesday show Facebook officials chafed at the Biden White House pressure campaign to censor reports that the COVID-19 pandemic came from a lab leak in China.

TSNN Featured: Pennsylvania U.S. Senate Candidate Dave McCormick to ‘Revisit’ Federal Support, Tax Breaks for Colleges with Anti-Israel Encampments If Elected

May 3, 2024 Admin

Commentary: Unredactions Reveal Early White House Involvement in Trump Documents Case

May 3, 2024 RealClearWire

Top Biden administration officials worked with the National Archives to develop Special Counsel Jack Smith’s case against Donald Trump involving the former president’s alleged mishandling of classified material, according to recently unsealed court documents in the case pending in southern Florida.

More than 300 pages of newly unredacted exhibits, containing emails and other correspondence related to the early stages of the hunt for presidential papers, challenge public statements by Joe Biden about what he knew and when he knew it regarding the case against his political rival.

Lawsuit Alleges Pro-Palestinian Groups Behind Campus Protests Collaborate with Hamas

May 3, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

American and Israeli victims of the Hamas terrorist attacks against Israel filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against pro-Palestinian and Muslim advocacy groups over their alleged promotion and support for Hamas.

Hamas attacked Israel on Oct. 7, killing roughly 1,200 people and kidnapping hundreds of others, which prompted sweeping pro-Palestinian protests across the country. A group of law firms representing the victims are suing American Muslims for Palestine (AMP) and National Students for Justice in Palestine (NSJP) over allegations that the groups have worked to propagandize and advance Hamas’ goals — including through recruitment efforts on embattled college campuses — thereby making them accomplices in the terrorist group’s atrocities.

Congressional Republicans’ Bill Seeks to Crack Down on DEI in Med Schools

May 3, 2024May 2, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

Bills that seeks to block med schools from receiving federal funds if they maintain diversity equity and inclusion mandates are winding their way through Congress.

“Embracing anti-Discrimination, Unbiased Curricula, and Advancing Truth in Education,” or the EDUCATE Act, would limit the availability of funds for medical schools that “adopt certain policies and requirements relating to” DEI, it states.

Records Show Archives Official Met With Biden White House Counsel Day of Indictment Against Trump

On June 8, 2023, Gary Stern, the General Counsel of the National Archives arrived at the White House for a meeting with Special Counsel to President Biden Richard Sauber. The meeting reportedly took place in the Navy Mess, a “nautical” themed dining room run by the seafaring military branch, according to White House records.

It is not known what Stern and Sauber discussed, but the very same day, the Justice Department filed its indictment against former President Donald Trump alleging he “unlawfully” retained classified documents.

Commentary: Biden FCC Threatens Free Speech by Restoring Internet Regulations

May 3, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

The Federal Communications Commission has revived regulations for “net neutrality.” According to FCC chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel, “the action we take here is good for consumers, public safety, national security and network investment.” The people have room for doubt and the “neutrality” concept requires some explanation.

The internet developed in fine style long before any such regulation appeared, but in 2015, the FCC reclassified Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from “information services,” to “common carrier services.” The government treated an innovative new technology like a public utility monopoly, in effect turning back the clock to the Communications Act of 1934.

Arizona Governor Signs Repeal of 1864 Ban on Abortion

Arizona’s Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signed the repeal of the state’s Civil War-era near-total ban on abortion Thursday, a day after the legislation passed the state Senate.

Mexican Smugglers Are Increasingly Using Semitrailers to Transport Migrants

May 2, 2024 Admin

Axios Smugglers in Mexico are increasingly using overloaded semitrailers to transport people trying to enter the U.S., often with deadly consequences, an investigation from Noticias Telemundo found. The situation lays bare the human toll of modern migration amid the growing and increasingly dangerous human smuggling industry. Noticias Telemundo, the Latin American journalism consortium…

Top Story: Flight Docs Reveal Which Cities are Receiving Migrants Under Biden’s Parole Program

May 2, 2024 Admin

Tennessee U.S. Rep. Mark Green Introduces Bill to Prohibit New Firearm Export Rule from Being Implemented

May 2, 2024 Kaitlin Housler

Tennessee U.S. Representative Mark Green (R-TN-07) introduced a bill this week that would prohibit federal funds from being used to finalize, implement, or enforce the Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) interim final rule amending the Export Administration Regulations.

Flight Docs Reveal Which Cities are Receiving Migrants Under Biden’s Parole Program

May 2, 2024May 1, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

Nearly 200,000 migrants from four countries have flown into America’s biggest airports under a Biden administration parole program, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) documents reveal.

The House Homeland Security Committee on Tuesday publicized documents, obtained through a subpoena to DHS, that identifies over 50 airport locations used by the federal government to process hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals via a parole program between January-August 2023. About 200,000 foreign nationals were processed under the program — known as the Humanitarian Parole for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans, or CHNV — which was initially launched in October 2022 and grants a two-year parole period as well as work authorization eligibility.

Top Commentary: Republicans Should Stop Complaining About Their Opportunities and Take Advantage of Biden’s Failures

May 2, 2024 Admin

TSNN Featured: Pennsylvania State Sen. Amanda Cappelletti Claims 80 Abortion Clinics Now Closed in ‘Short Period of Time’

May 2, 2024 Admin

Wind Energy Industry Produced Less Power in 2023, Despite Having Increased Total Generation Capacity

The wind industry produce 2.1 percent less electricity in 2023 compared to the previous year. Total wind capacity in the U.S. has tripled from 47 gigawatts in 2010 to 147.5 gigawatts by the end of 2023.

The wind energy industry managed to increase total generation capacity by 6.2 gigawatts in 2023, but the actual electricity generation decreased.

Companies are Slashing Away at Debt as Surging Inflation Casts Shadow over Interest Rate Cuts

May 2, 2024May 1, 2024 Minnesota Sun Staff

Many companies are looking to cut down on their debts as recent high inflation reports have made borrowing more expensive as the prospect of interest rate cuts by central banks diminishes, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Even companies with already high credit outlooks are deleveraging to boost their rating with top agencies and reduce debt costs that have increased along with interest rates, while firms with lower ratings are needing to cut debt to maintain profitable operations, according to the WSJ. Investors have had to adjust their view about when interest rates might decline in recent weeks as persistently high levels of inflation have made it less likely that central banks around the world, including in the U.S., will cut interest rates, reducing the cost of holding debt.

Eight Newspapers Sue Open AI and Microsoft for Copyright Infringement

The lawsuit comes after the New York Times filed their own suit against both companies in December. Authors such as Games of Thrones creator George R. R. Martin, John Grisham, and Jodi Picoult have also sued the companies for copyright infringement.

Eight American newspapers sued OpenAI and Microsoft on Tuesday, for alleged copyright infringement related to their chatbots, which they claim have been stealing millions of copyrighted articles without permission.

Oklahoma Just Became the Latest State to Take Immigration Enforcement Into Its Own Hands

Oklahoma’s Republican governor signed a sweeping immigration enforcement bill into law, making the Sooner State the latest to confront the border crisis through legislative action.

Gov. Kevin Stitt signed House Bill 4156 into law on Tuesday, one week after the Republican-controlled legislature sent it to his desk. The law, which is set to take effect on July 1, makes it illegal to reside in Oklahoma without legal authorization to be in the U.S.

Commentary: Republicans Should Stop Complaining About Their Opportunities and Take Advantage of Biden’s Failures

After I offered a perfectly accurate negative summation of current market/industry conditions when speaking on a business venture I can’t yet discuss (but that will be quite relevant indeed to the interests of our readers), I received an admonishment from my business partner: “Stop complaining about your opportunities!” It’s an even more accurate response than mine.

All too often we spend our time grousing about the state of the world, and yet, the worse things get, the greater the opportunity grows to take control and make them better.

Commentary: Abortion Once Again at Forefront of Election

May 2, 2024 RealClearWire

The prevailing belief in the Democratic Party is that abortion will again be a potent issue against Republicans in this year’s election cycle just as it was in 2022 – and that this time it will not just cost the GOP gaining the majority in the U.S. Senate, but also give Democrats the upper hand in retaining the presidency and winning back the House.

Abortion rights put the brakes on the Republicans’ chances in 2022 when the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, eliminating the constitutional right to abortion after almost 50 years; a decision that transformed American politics that year, benefiting Democrats who were on their way to a bruising midterm election defeat.

‘Would Be Unacceptable’: Blinken and Netanyahu Meeting Hits Crossroads as Israeli Invasion of Rafah Looms

Secretary of State Antony Blinken with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Israeli Prime Minister met in Tel Aviv on Wednesday to discuss the ongoing Israel-Hamas war — and disagreements over the next phase of conflict.

The Biden administration is backing an effort to reach a deal between Israel and Hamas for a temporary ceasefire and the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in exchange for the release of hostages. During their meeting on Wednesday, Blinken discussed the ceasefire deal with Netanyahu and “the need to avoid further expansion of the conflict,” underscoring the Biden administration’s “clear position” on opposing an Israeli invasion of Rafah, the southernmost region of Gaza, according to a readout of the meeting.

DEA Warns over Growing Prevalence of Xylazine in Illicit Fentanyl Supply

May 2, 2024May 1, 2024 The Center Square

The U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency has issued another warning about the growing prevalence of a veterinary sedative in illicit fentanyl supply.

For years, dealers have been mixing xylazine, a non-opioid tranquilizer approved for animal use, with fentanyl and other drugs to increase potency and profits.

House Probe into January 6 to Expand, Seek Interviews with Pentagon Officials and Democrat Staff

House Republicans are expanding their investigation into the January 6 Committee and the security failures that led to the Capitol breach, planning to add staff and pursue new lines of inquiry, the Chairman of the subcommittee leading the investigation told Just the News.

Rep. Barry Loudermilk, Chairman of the House Administration Subcommittee on Oversight, told the “Just the News, No Noise” TV show on Tuesday that he aims to publish a final report by this summer after seeking interviews with top Pentagon officials and any former January 6 committee staff willing to come forward.

Commentary: Big Money Behind the Astroturf Pro-Hamas Campus Riots