Tommy Tuberville says some military nominees need to be thoroughly vetted
U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has continued to draw criticism from the Biden Administration and the mainstream media for his refusal to give unanimous consent to over a hundred senior military promotions. Tuberville’s stand protests a Pentagon directive allowing service members to provide abortion services to soldiers even in states like Alabama that have banned abortions. Now, Tuberville has suggested that some of these nominees need to be more thoroughly vetted. “I warned the Pentagon that I would hold their most senior nominees if they broke the law. They did it anyway, and forced my hand. Since then, [Senate Majority Leader] Chuck Schumer and the Biden Administration have refused any serious negotiations, and so this situation has dragged on,” Tuberville said in a statement to Breitbart News on Friday. “This has given me more time to look more closely into the background of some of these nominees, and I have deep concerns about some of them,” Tuberville said. “I will continue this process of oversight, and I will announce my opposition to specific nominees in the weeks ahead.” Tuberville has been denounced by President Joe Biden, congressional Democrats, senior leaders at the Department of Defense (DoD), and the mainstream media for his refusal to give unanimous consent to senior military and DoD civilian promotions over his objection to Biden-era rules on ensuring abortion access. Tuberville claims he is receiving strong veteran support for his standoff with President Biden and Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin over the department’s decision to pay for abortion-related expenses for service members using taxpayer dollars. Alabama Republican Party Chairman John Wahl defended Tuberville after President Biden denounced the Alabama Senator’s position. “President Biden needs to get his house in order before attacking other people!” Chairman Wahl said. “This situation started because he ignored the will of the people and the U.S. Congress by circumventing the Hyde Amendment. As Commander-in-Chief, President Biden needs to take responsibility for his administration’s actions and reverse this flawed policy. He single-handedly has the power to end the Pentagon’s violation of the Hyde Amendment and stop the holds coming from the Senate floor. Coach Tuberville is not just representing the interests of his constituents here in Alabama but also the majority of Americans who have repeatedly expressed that they do not want taxpayer funds being used for abortion-related expenses. Senator Tuberville’s stance also upholds the constitutional understanding that spending decisions must originate with the legislative branch. I call on the President to end this standoff now, by reversing this unlawful policy.” The Alabama Republican Executive Committee overwhelmingly endorsed Tuberville’s position earlier this month. Tuberville was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2020 after a long career in football coaching and sports broadcasting. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Thousands converge on National Mall to mark the March on Washington’s 60th anniversary
Thousands converged Saturday on the National Mall for the 60th anniversary of Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s March on Washington, saying a country that remains riven by racial inequality has yet to fulfill his dream. “We have made progress, over the last 60 years, since Dr. King led the March on Washington,” said Alphonso David, president and CEO of the Global Black Economic Forum. “Have we reached the mountaintop? Not by a long shot.” The event was convened by the Kings’ Drum Major Institute and the Rev. Al Sharpton‘s National Action Network. A host of Black civil rights leaders and a multiracial, interfaith coalition of allies rallied attendees on the same spot where as many as 250,000 gathered in 1963 for what is still considered one of the greatest and most consequential racial justice and equality demonstrations in U.S. history. Inevitably, Saturday’s event was shot through with contrasts to the initial, historic demonstration. Speakers and banners talked about the importance of LGBTQ and Asian American rights. Many who addressed the crowd were women, after only one was given the microphone in 1963. Pamela Mays McDonald of Philadelphia attended the initial march as a child. “I was 8 years old at the original March, and only one woman was allowed to speak — she was from Arkansas where I’m from — now look at how many women are on the podium today,” she said. For some, the contrasts between the size of the original demonstration and the more modest turnout Saturday were bittersweet. “I often look back and look over to the reflection pool and the Washington Monument, and I see a quarter of a million people 60 years ago and just a trickling now,” said Marsha Dean Phelts of Amelia Island, Florida. “It was more fired up then. But the things we were asking for and needing, we still need them today.” As speakers delivered messages, they were overshadowed by the sounds of passenger planes taking off from Ronald Reagan National Airport. Rugby games were underway along the Mall in close proximity to the Lincoln Memorial while joggers and bikers went about their routines. Yolanda King, the 15-year-old granddaughter of the Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr., roused marchers with remarks delivered from the same spot her grandfather gave the “I Have A Dream” speech sixty years ago. “If I could speak to my grandfather today, I would say I’m sorry we still have to be here to rededicate ourselves to finishing your work and ultimately realizing your dream,” she said. “Today, racism is still with us. Poverty is still with us. And now, gun violence has come for places of worship, our schools, and our shopping centers.” From the podium, Sharpton promised more demonstrations to push back against injustices, new and old. “Sixty years ago, Martin Luther King talked about a dream. Sixty years later, we’re the dreamers. The problem is we’re facing the schemers,” Sharpton said. “The dreamers are fighting for voting rights. The schemers are changing voter regulations in states. The dreamers are standing up for women’s right to choose. The schemers are arguing whether they are going to make you stop at six weeks or 15 weeks.” After the speeches, the crowd marched to the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial. Several leaders from groups organizing the march met Friday with Attorney General Merrick Garland and Assistant Attorney General Kristen Clarke of the civil rights division, to discuss a range of issues, including voting rights, policing and redlining. Saturday’s gathering was a precursor to the actual anniversary of the Aug. 28, 1963 March on Washington. President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris will observe the march anniversary on Monday by meeting with organizers of the 1963 gathering. All of King’s children have been invited to meet with Biden, White House officials said. Martin Luther King Jr.’s Washington remarks have resounded through decades of push and pull toward progress in civil and human rights. But dark moments followed his speech, too. Two weeks later, in 1963, four Black girls were killed in the 16th Street Baptist Church bombing in Birmingham, Alabama, followed by the kidnapping and murder of three civil rights workers in Neshoba County, Mississippi, the following year. The tragedies spurred passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. The voting rights marches from Montgomery to Selma, Alabama, in which marchers were brutally beaten while crossing the Edmund Pettus Bridge in what became known as “Bloody Sunday,” forced Congress to adopt the Voting Rights Act of 1965. Speakers warned that King’s unfinished dream was in danger of being further whittled away. “I’m very concerned about the direction our country is going in,” Martin Luther King III said. “And it is because instead of moving forward, it feels as if we’re moving back. The question is, what are we going to do?” Rosetta Manns-Baugh knew the answer: Keep fighting. “I think we have accomplished a lot, but I also think we lost.” said Manns-Baugh, who was a Trailways bus counter worker in 1963 when she left her seven children and husband at home in Virginia to come to D.C. Now she’s so disillusioned she’s stopped singing “We Shall Overcome,” the anthem of the civil rights movement. But even at age 92, she returned to Washington for the 60th anniversary, bringing three generations of her family, all the way down to her 18-month-old grandchild. “I think that’s why we all are here because we do expect the world to get better,” Manns-Baugh said. “We can’t stop working at it that’s for sure.” Republished with the permission of The Associated Press.
Dale Strong insists that the fight for Space Command Headquarters is not over
In July, President Joe Biden made the decision to override military planners and the nonpartisan process that decided that national security would be better served by relocating Space Command headquarters (SPACECOM) from Colorado Springs, Colorado, to Red Stone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama. On Thursday, Congressman Dale Strong (R-AL05) sent an email to constituents saying that this fight is not over. There will be a hearing before the House Armed Services Committee. Air Force Secretary Frank Kendall, Space Command Commander General James Dickinson, and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman will have to testify before the Committee on the Space Command basing decision. “I’m excited to tell you that the next steps related to Space Command are starting to materialize,” Rep. Strong said. “I am fighting the Biden Administration’s corruption and reckless spending from all angles, and President Biden’s decision to award Space Command to the blue state of Colorado is no different.” “Following the July announcement from the White House that the President decided to keep Space Command in Colorado, I sent Chairman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) a letter requesting the committee bring Secretary Kendall and General Dickinson to testify “at the earliest opportunity” regarding the basing decision,” Strong continued. “I am writing today to let you know that Chairman Rogers has agreed with my request, and announced a hearing in the House. I wasn’t kidding when I said this is far from over. Our next step is to bring these military leaders before the Committee to answer questions under oath.” “The findings of the Defense Department’s robust basing process, and two separate and independent investigations supporting the Department’s initial selection of Redstone, were completely ignored when the fifth best location in Colorado was chosen to host the Space Command headquarters,” Strong stated. “The way the Biden administration and Department of Defense leadership has handled the Space Command situation is something that should worry every American. Inserting pure politics into the Defense Department’s basing process does untold damage to our national security, threatens the credibility of the DOD, and sets a dangerous precedent for all future military decisions. I’ve certainly got a lot of questions I’m ready to ask, and I hope you will tune in.” “In May, I opened a Congressional investigation into the Biden administration’s shameful delay to finalize the permanent basing decision for U.S. Space Command,” Rep. Rogers said. “When the Secretary of the Air Force finally made a decision, he upheld his predecessors’ decision to base U.S. Space Command in Huntsville, Alabama. President Biden then usurped the Air Force Secretary’s authority and named Colorado Springs the permanent basing site for U.S. Space Command in order to improve his political standing for next year’s re-election.” “I have invited Secretary Kendall, General Dickinson, and General Saltzman to testify to the House Armed Services Committee in a public hearing,” Rogers explained. “We will get answers on President Biden’s political manipulation of the selection process.” Strong is serving in his first term representing Alabama’s Fifth Congressional District. He previously served the people of Madison County as head of the County Commission. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Republicans hold first presidential debate – minus Donald Trump
The Republican Presidential Debate was held on Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The debate revealed some major policy differences between the candidates. Over 80 members of the combined Shelby County, St. Clair County, and Greater Birmingham Young Republicans were present at Hoover Tactical Firearms to watch the event and eat barbecue. Former President Donald Trump was conspicuous by his absence. Former Vice President Mike Pence said that Trump asked him to violate his oath to the Constitution by invalidating the Electoral College results on January 6, 2021. Pence said that he will always follow the Constitution. Trump claimed then, and still does, that the election was “stolen.” His efforts to overturn the 2020 election results have resulted in his being indicted. The other candidates said that Pence did the right thing that day. Both former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchison and former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said President Trump violated his oath of office and likely cannot run again. Hutchison cited the 14th Amendment, which prevents anyone who has led an insurgency against the United States from serving. Christie said that Trump has been indicted 99 times and that lawlessness cannot be allowed. Businessman Vivek Ramaswamy said that Trump was the greatest president of the twenty-first century. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis said Republicans should move on from this issue as it only benefits Democrats. U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina) said that he was raised in poverty by a single mother and that his success shows that the American dream is alive and well. The candidates all seemed to agree that President Joe Biden’s economic policies have led to inflation, homelessness, and a significant reduction in the quality of life of most Americans. They blamed government spending. They also agreed that Biden is in mental decline. Ramaswamy, who is 38, said that America needs a new generation of leadership to lead a new American Revolution. Pence disagreed, saying that he has been in the halls of power as a member of Congress, Governor of Indiana, and Vice President, making him the most qualified to serve as President. The United States has spent $77 billion in aid for Ukraine, and President Biden has asked for $24 billion more as it appears that Ukraine’s summer offensive has stalled. Ramaswamy objected to giving any money to Ukraine, saying he wanted to move those resources to the U.S.’s southern border. “Ukraine is not a priority for the U.S.” “We can do both at the same time,” Pence said, objecting to Ramaswamy’s isolationist foreign policy. Former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley slammed Ramaswamy, saying, “You have no foreign policy experience, and it shows.” Haley said that Ramaswamy’s policies would lead to a world war. Pence agreed, saying that if Russian President Vladimir Putin is allowed to win in Ukraine, eventually, he will cross a NATO border, and the U.S. will have to send American troops to stop him. Haley said that Republicans need to tell Americans the truth and acknowledge that the GOP does not have the 60 votes required for the U.S. Senate to pass a nationwide abortion ban. Pence strongly disagreed and advocated for the passage of a nationwide abortion ban, saying that he would be a staunch defender of life as President. North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum said that he represents a very pro-Life state but agreed with Haley that abortion policy should be left to the states and there should be no nationwide ban. Christie condemned the lawlessness on the U.S. southern border. Since Biden has been president, six million migrants have entered this country. Ramaswamy wanted to put troops and military forces on the border. DeSantis said that the U.S. should use deadly force and kill migrants crossing the border illegally. Pence said in his (and Trump’s) administration, illegal border crossing decreased by 90% (and they didn’t gun anyone down). Hutchison said that his tenure as the head of the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) taught him how to interdict dangerous drugs like fentanyl. Hutchison noted that there also needs to be an education component to combat fentanyl. DeSantis said that the COVID lockdowns “should never have happened.” Ramaswamy said that if he had been President during the COVID-19 pandemic, he would have fired Dr. Anthony Fauci. Scott said his mother taught him to work hard, have faith, and “if God made you a man, you compete in sports against men.” Ramaswamy called the concept of manmade global warming a “hoax” and called on the U.S. to mine for coal, drill for oil and natural gas, and adopt nuclear energy. Haley said that climate change “is real” but noted that the U.S. should be focused on getting India and China to reduce their carbon emissions rather than mandating that Americans buy electric cars where half the batteries are made in China, While the other contenders for the Presidency were on Fox News debating, Trump gave a lengthy interview to Tucker Carlson. Trump will surrender to Georgia authorities on Thursday. The Alabama presidential primary will be held on Tuesday, March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
AG Steve Marshall calls for inspector general investigation of Joe Biden’s SPACECOM headquarters decision
On Tuesday, Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall submitted a letter to the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General requesting an investigation into the sudden reversal of the decision to locate U.S. Space Command headquarters from Huntsville, Alabama, to Colorado. Marshall made the request for an investigation after news that the head of Space Command, General James Dickinson, a previous advocate for the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville, changed his recommendation to President Joe Biden for headquarters to be located in Colorado. Marshall said that the decision to make a change of preference occurred just as General Dickinson, in April 2023, purchased a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado location. This purchase was never disclosed to members of the Alabama congressional delegation. “Since taking office, this president has targeted red states for daring to resist his radical progressive agenda. But when it comes to national security, politics must take a backseat,” said AG Marshall. “I implore the Inspector General to investigate the oddly timed investment by General Dickinson which coincided with his recommendation against the Air Force’s preferred site in Huntsville. And I will continue to use the unique power of my office to hold President Biden accountable and demand transparency into this politically motivated charade.” In January 2021, after a thorough vetting process, the Secretary of the Air Force identified the Redstone Arsenal site in Huntsville for the U.S. Space Command headquarters. The recommendation for the site was then affirmed by the U.S. Department of Defense’s Inspector General’s Office and the Government Accountability Office, finding that the Air Force had conducted an accurate analysis and Huntsville was the superior location. The Colorado congressional delegation staunchly opposed the planned move of Space Command to Alabama. On July 31, 2023, government officials reported that President Biden reversed the decision to locate Space Command’s headquarters in Huntsville and instead selected a location in Colorado. News reports credited General James Dickinson with convincing Biden to choose Colorado, stating, “General James Dickinson, who argued that moving his headquarters now would jeopardize military readiness. Dickinson’s view, however, was in contrast to Air Force leadership.” Gen. Dickinson had spoken to Alabama officials as recently as June 2023, where he confirmed with Alabama’s congressional delegation that Redstone Arsenal would be the headquarters for U.S. Space Command. “I have invited Secretary [Frank] Kendall, General Dickinson, and General [Chance] Saltzman to testify to the House Armed Services Committee in a public hearing.” Congressman Mike Rogers (R-AL03) said on Twitter. Rogers chairs the House Armed Services Committee. “Biden Administration officials have consistently evaded Congressional Oversight on the Space Command basing decision,” Rogers added. “It’s past time for them to answer the questions my colleagues and I on @HASCRepublicans have related to the matter.” The General did not disclose that in April 2023, he had registered a deed to a $1.5 million, 20-acre ranch near the Colorado headquarters location. It is still unknown whether or not he disclosed his personal interest in Colorado to President Biden or other superiors. Colorado voted largely for Biden in 2020. To win in 2024, he will need to keep Colorado in the Democratic fold. Alabama is a solid red state. Biden has no chance of carrying Alabama, even if the state were awarded Space Command. The decision to keep Space Command in Colorado is widely regarded as political. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Rudy Giuliani turns himself in on Georgia 2020 election charges after bond is set at $150,000
Rudy Giuliani turned himself in at a jail in Atlanta on Wednesday on charges related to efforts to overturn then-President Donald Trump’s loss in the 2020 presidential election in Georgia. The former New York mayor, was indicted last week along with Trump and 17 others. Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis said they participated in a wide-ranging conspiracy to subvert the will of the voters after the Republican president lost to Democrat Joe Biden in November 2020. Bond for Giuliani, who was released after booking like the other defendants, was set at $150,000, second only to Trump’s $200,000. Giuliani, 79, is accused of spearheading Trump’s efforts to compel state lawmakers in Georgia and other closely contested states to ignore the will of voters and illegally appoint electoral college electors favorable to Trump. Other high-profile defendants also surrendered Wednesday, including Jenna Ellis, an attorney who prosecutors say was involved in efforts to convince state lawmakers to unlawfully appoint presidential electors, and lawyer Sidney Powell, accused of making false statements about the election in Georgia and helping to organize a breach of voting equipment in rural Coffee County. Georgia was one of several key states Trump lost by slim margins, prompting the Republican and his allies to proclaim, without evidence, that the election was rigged in favor of his Democratic rival Biden. Giuliani is charged with making false statements and soliciting false testimony, conspiring to create phony paperwork and asking state lawmakers to violate their oath of office to appoint an alternate slate of pro-Trump electors. Outside the Fulton County Jail Wednesday afternoon, Giuliani laughed when asked if he regretted allying himself with Trump. “I am very, very honored to be involved in this case because this case is a fight for our way of life,” Giuliani told reporters. “This indictment is a travesty. It’s an attack on — not just me, not just President Trump, not just the people in this indictment, some of whom I don’t even know – this is an attack on the American people.” Trump, the early front-runner in the 2024 Republican presidential primary, has said he plans to turn himself in at the Fulton County Jail on Thursday. He and his allies have characterized the investigation as politically motivated and have heavily criticized District Attorney Willis, a Democrat. Also Wednesday, Willis’ team urged a judge to reject requests from two of the people indicted — former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows and former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark — to avoid having to be booked in jail while they fight to move the case to federal court. Willis has set a deadline of noon on Friday for the people indicted last week in the election subversion case to turn themselves in. Her team has been negotiating bond amounts and conditions with the lawyers for the defendants before they surrender at the jail. Misty Hampton, who was the Coffee County elections director when a breach of election equipment happened there, had her bond set at $10,000. David Shafer, who’s a former Georgia Republican Party chair and served as one of 16 fake electors for Trump, and Cathy Latham, who’s accused in the Coffee County breach and was also a fake elector, turned themselves in Wednesday morning. Also surrendering Wednesday were lawyers Ray Smith and Kenneth Chesebro, who prosecutors said helped organize the fake electors meeting at the state Capitol in December 2020. Attorney John Eastman, who pushed a plan to keep Trump in power, and Scott Hall, a bail bondsman who was accused of participating in the breach of election equipment in Coffee County, turned themselves in Tuesday. The Fulton County Sheriff’s Office has said it will release booking photos at 4 p.m. each day, but Shafer appeared to post his on the social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter, just after 7 a.m. Wednesday with the message, “Good morning! #NewProfilePicture.” While Republicans in Georgia and elsewhere are calling for Willis to be punished for indicting Trump, a group of Black pastors and community activists gathered outside the state Capitol in Atlanta Wednesday to pray for and proclaim their support for the Democratic prosecutor. Bishop Reginald Jackson, who leads Georgia’s African Methodist Episcopal churches, said that Willis is under attack “as a result of her courage and determination.” Former White House chief of staff Meadows and former Justice Department official Clark are seeking to move their cases from Fulton County Superior Court to federal court. Both argue the actions that gave rise to the charges in the indictment were related to their work as federal officials and that the state charges against them should be dismissed. While those motions are pending, they argue, they should not have to turn themselves in for booking at the Fulton County Jail. In a filing Wednesday, Willis’ team argued that Meadows has failed to demonstrate any hardship that would authorize the judge to prevent his arrest. The filing notes that other defendants, including Trump, had agreed to voluntarily surrender by the deadline. In a second filing, Willis’ team argued that Clark’s effort to halt any Fulton County proceedings while his motion is pending amounts to an attempt “to avoid the inconvenience and unpleasantness of being arrested or subject to the mandatory state criminal process.” Republished with the permission of The Associate Press.
Republican Presidential Debate set for tonight; Donald Trump not participating
The first Republican presidential debate is on Wednesday at 8:00 pm on Fox News Channel. “The Republican Party is officially kicking off the primary process in Wisconsin with the first debate and ending it in Wisconsin with the convention,” Republican National Committee Chairwoman Ronna Romney McDaniel said on Twitter. “We need every Wisconsin Republican to go to https://BankYourVote.co/gopchair and join the team that will Beat Biden!” Frontrunner former President Donald Trump is not participating. “New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by ‘legendary’ numbers,” Trump said, explaining why he was not participating. “TRUMP 62%, 46 Points above DeSanctimonious (who is crashing like an ailing bird!), Ramaswamy 7%, Pence 5%, Scott 3%, Haley 2%, Sloppy Chris Christie 2%, “Aida” Hutchinson 1%,” Trump wrote. “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” Coming into the debate, polling shows that Florida Governor Ron DeSantis is running in second place, followed by businessman Vivek Ramaswamy. The other candidates on the stage will be U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-South Carolina), former South Carolina Governor and U.N. Ambassador Nikki Haley, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson, North Dakota Governor Doug Burgum, former Vice President Mike Pence. A key issue overshadowing the normal presidential political process is the over 50 indictments against Trump. To this point, the legal controversy has benefited Trump, but will that continue? There are also concerns by some that Trump may not be able to serve if he is found guilty of participating in an insurgency. Trump supporters scoff at assertions that President Trump could be barred constitutionally and dismiss the indictments as Democrats politicizing the legal system. The Madison County Young Republicans are hosting a Republican presidential debate watch party. The debate Starts at 8 pm and ends at 10 pm. The event will be at The Best Pizzeria in Huntsville. The St. Clair County Young Republicans, the Shelby County Young Republicans, and the Greater Birmingham Young Republicans are co-hosting a debate watch party at Hoover Tactical Firearms. The event is from 6:30 – 9:30 pm, and food will be provided. Dues-paying YRs get in for free, $5 tickets for everyone else. The Republican delegates to the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will formally select the GOP nominee. Incumbent President Joe Biden appears to be the Democratic nominee, but he is being challenged by former Congressman Robert Kennedy. At present, President Biden has not agreed to any Democratic presidential debates. The Republican primary season will begin in Iowa in January. The Democratic primary season this year will start in South Carolina. The Alabama presidential primary is on March 5. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Donald Trump confirms he will skip Republican debate
Former President Donald Trump confirmed Sunday that he will skip the Republican presidential primary debate this week. In a post on TruthSocial, Trump’s social media site, he touted a recent CBS poll showing a 46-point lead on Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis. Trump announced he will “not be doing the debates,” saying he is already well-known enough. “New CBS POLL, just out, has me leading the field by ‘legendary’ numbers. TRUMP 62%, 46 Points above DeSanctimonious (who is crashing like an ailing bird!), Ramaswamy 7%, Pence 5%, Scott 3%, Haley 2%, Sloppy Chris Christie 2%, “Aida” Hutchinson 1%,” Trump wrote. “The public knows who I am & what a successful Presidency I had, with Energy Independence, Strong Borders & Military, Biggest EVER Tax & Regulation Cuts, No Inflation, Strongest Economy in History, & much more. I WILL THEREFORE NOT BE DOING THE DEBATES!” The CBS poll of 2,061 adults was conducted Wednesday through Friday and has a ±3% margin of error. It began two days after Trump’s fourth indictment, this time from a grand jury in Fulton County, Georgia. The Center Square Voters’ Voice Poll of 2,500 registered voters, was conducted July 31-Aug. 3, in conjunction with Noble Predictive Insights, found that in a potential general election matchup, Biden and Trump are nearly tied. That survey found Trump has 41% support compared to Joe Biden’s 44% support, while 15% remain unsure. The poll also found DeSantis doing a tick better than Trump against Biden. DeSantis also had 41% support, but Biden against him was 43%, with 16% unsure. The first Republican debate hosted by the Republican National Committee and the Fox News Channel is Wednesday in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, site of next July’s national party convention. The only other debate thus far on the schedule is Sept. 27 at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Foundation and Institute in Simi Valley, California. The New York Times was first on Friday to report Trump would skip the debate and instead do an interview with Tucker Carlson, the former show host fired by Fox in April. Carlson does interviews now on X, the social media site formerly known as Twitter and considered something of a rival to Trump’s TruthSocial. The platform to broadcast the interview has not been announced. The Washington Post, citing the Times, reported Saturday the interview would be released about the same time as the debate and that it already had been recorded. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Republicans investigate alleged political interference in Hunter Biden case
Two key House Committees issued subpoenas for Biden administration officials as part of an investigation into allegations of political interference on behalf of Hunter Biden, who faces an array of legal issues. Republican leadership on the House Committee on Ways and Means and House Committee on the Judiciary issued the subpoenas for IRS employees and two FBI agents. Whistleblower testimony about U.S. Attorney for the District of Delaware David Weiss, who is now special counsel in the Hunter Biden case, is what sparked the lawmakers’ inquiry. In particular, whistleblowers say Weiss told personnel from the IRS and DOJ that he had tried to bring charges against Hunter Biden multiple times and in multiple jurisdictions but was denied. House Ways and Means Chairman Jason Smith, R-Mo., and Judiciary Chairman Jim Jordan, R-Ohio, said in a joint statement that the whistleblower allegations point to “political interference in the investigation into Hunter Biden’s foreign influence peddling and tax evasion.” “Unfortunately, the Biden Administration has consistently stonewalled Congress,” the lawmakers said. “Our duty is to follow the facts wherever they may lead, and our subpoenas compelling testimony from Biden Administration officials are crucial to understanding how the President’s son received special treatment from federal prosecutors and who was the ultimate decision maker in the case.” The whistleblower testimony contradicts both Weiss and Attorney General Merrick Garland, who recently led Congress to believe that Weiss was the final decision-maker in the case. Hunter Biden is currently expected to face trial after his plea deal over tax and gun-related charges fell apart over questions of whether he would be immune to future prosecution for other alleged crimes. The subpoenas come after two IRS whistleblowers testified before the House Oversight Committee in July, saying that the DOJ acted improperly in the Hunter Biden investigation. As The Center Square previously reported, the testimony came from Supervisory Special Agent Gary Shapley and Criminal Investigator Joseph Ziegler, both IRS employees with a total 27 years of experience at the agency. They said that Hunter Biden’s preferential treatment was unlike than other cases in their decades of experience. Notably, they testified that Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf helped prevent investigators from conducting an interview with President Joe Biden along with a search warrant of the Biden residence in Delaware. The pair also testified that they tried to report the alleged abuse of power using the standard channels but ultimately felt compelled to blow the whistle. Ziegler said in his testimony that there was abuse of authority, ethical violations and “gross mismanagement” in the Hunter Biden case and called for a special counsel to investigate. Shapley testified that in the Hunter Biden case, evidence was kept hidden from investigators and that decisions were repeatedly made that benefited Hunter Biden and the president. Shapley called it an “undeniable pattern of preferential treatment and obstruction of the normal investigative process.” Smith and Jordan said they tried normal interview requests with the IRS and FBI employees but were denied. How the federal employees will respond to the subpoenas remains to be seen. In the past, Trump administration officials ignored Congressional subpoenas. “Americans deserve to know the truth, especially now that Attorney General Garland has appointed as special counsel the same U.S. Attorney who oversaw Hunter Biden’s sweetheart plea deal and botched the investigation into his alleged tax crimes,” Smith and Jordan said. Republished with the permission of The Center Square.
Local governments are spending billions of pandemic relief funds, but some report few specifics
Joplin officials say they have big plans for $13.8 million of pandemic relief funds the tornado-ravaged southwestern Missouri city received under a two-year-old federal law. Yet the latest federal records show none of the money has been spent — or even budgeted. In fact, about 6,300 cities and counties — nearly 1 in 4 nationwide — reported no expenditures as of this spring, according to an Associated Press analysis of data released by the U.S. Treasury Department. About 5,100 of those listed have no projects — either planned or underway. So what gives? Is the money not needed? Are cities just sitting on it? Local and federal officials told the AP in interviews that the publicly available data is misleading — pockmarked by differing interpretations over exactly what must be reported, lagging in timeliness, and failing to account for some preliminary planning. Critics contend it’s an indication of a flawed pandemic response. Federal officials estimate that governments have spending commitments for more than 80% of the funds, even if that’s hard to tell from their reporting requirements. Joplin, for example, plans to spend its pandemic aid on housing projects, high-speed internet, streets, a bicycle park, public safety equipment, and more. The City Council approved the plan last month. But it won’t show up on federal reports until October. The city, which was devastated in 2011 by one of deadliest tornadoes in U.S. history, took a deliberate approach with its pandemic aid to develop “really transformational projects,” said Leslie Haase, the city’s finance director. Over the past couple of years, it leveraged the pandemic aid to win millions of additional dollars of state grants. With the combined funds, it plans to relaunch an expired post-tornado program that helps people make down payments on homes. The city also plans to spend millions of dollars to repair or demolish old houses. “I think by the time 2026 rolls around, Joplin will be a better community,” Haase said. The $1.9 trillion American Rescue Plan — passed in 2021 by a Democratic-led Congress and signed by President Joe Biden — contained $350 billion of flexible aid to states, territories, tribes, counties, cities, and towns. The Biden administration says the money was intended to provide both immediate aid amid a health crisis and a longer-term boost for communities. Governments must obligate that money for projects by the end of next year and spend it by the close of 2026. As of their April reports, more than 26,500 governments collectively had spent 43% of their funds and approved plans for spending 77% of the money, according to the AP’s analysis. The actual amount of spending commitments likely is well over 80% when accounting for lag times and different reporting approaches taken by local governments, said Gene Sperling, the White House American Rescue Plan coordinator “What you see across the country is that counties, cities, states overwhelmingly have committed these funds, are using them, are on track to meet their legal deadlines to have all the funds obligated by the end of 2024,” Sperling said. But Republicans and fiscal conservatives have questioned whether the spending is necessary, noting that most states rebounded quickly from an initial tax plunge during the pandemic to post large budget surpluses. “Although the Left claimed their $2 trillion bill was designed to fight COVID, they wasted hundreds of billions of Americans’ hard-earned tax dollars on ridiculous things,” Republican U.S. Rep. Jason Smith, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, said in a statement to the AP. Among other things, the money helped finance an upscale hotel in Florida, a minor league baseball stadium in New York, and prisons in Alabama — drawing outrage from some members of Congress. Some governments waited to do anything with the money until the Treasury Department finalized its rules in April 2022. Details are lacking on how some governments are using their funds because the Treasury relaxed reporting requirements for any money categorized by state or local officials as a replacement for lost revenues. According to the AP’s analysis, more than 6,000 local governments categorized their entire federal allotment as “revenue replacement” — often taking advantage of a Treasury rule that allows up to $10 million of assumed revenue loss without having to prove it. Though they can provide more details if they choose, governments categorizing all their federal aid as replacement revenue only have to report it as one project, the Treasury told the AP. But some didn’t even do that. The Denver suburb of Lakewood, Colorado, claimed its entire $21.6 million allotment as a revenue replacement since it had dipped into reserves to pay police during the pandemic. It reported no projects. Yet the federal aid helped the city to construct sidewalks, replace computer software, upgrade the police radio system, and make fire and safety improvements to a civic center, among other things, said Lakewood Chief Financial Officer Holly Bjorklund. Those were “essential things that really needed to be done and would cost more if we waited longer to address them,” she said. Maryland’s capital city of Annapolis also described no projects in its April report. But Annapolis already has used $1.2 million of its $7.6 million allotment as a revenue replacement for its depleted public transit funds, said city spokesperson Mitchelle Stephenson. It expects to tap more of the federal aid for city operations in the 2024 budget. The Treasury’s guidance about how to report revenue replacement funds used for government services wasn’t very clear, said Katie Buckley, federal funding assistance program director for the Vermont League of Cities and Towns. But Buckley said she advised local officials to report it all as one project for government services, and then list what that included. Counting the federal money as replacement funding for government services shouldn’t relieve local officials of describing what they did with it — even if it just went toward salaries or office supplies, said Sean Moulton, senior policy analyst at the nonprofit Project on Government Oversight. “This is taxpayer money and a lot of it,” said Moulton,
Katie Britt opposes paying $6 billion ransom to Iran
According to multiple media reports, the Biden Administration has negotiated a deal with Iran to swap five “unjustly detained” Americans in exchange for several jailed Iranians and access to approximately $6 billion in sanctioned oil revenue that’s being held in South Korea. When the news broke last week, U.S. Senator Katie Britt (R-Alabama) expressed her concerns that the $6 billion being paid to Iran was “ransom” paid to Iran in exchange for the five captive Americans: “While I will always join my fellow Americans in welcoming home our citizens held hostage around the world, I’m deeply troubled by the naive ‘deal’ the Biden Administration reportedly struck,” Sen. Britt said in a statement. “Handing $6 billion to the world’s largest state sponsor of terrorism is a reckless and dangerous decision that threatens the lives of Americans and our allies across the globe. This appeasement will only embolden our adversaries and invite hostile actors to take more American hostages in the future, as they know doing so could score them massive payouts from this Administration. As we near the anniversary of his disastrous withdrawal from Afghanistan, President [Joe] Biden has once again shown the world that his failed foreign policy is built on a foundation of weakness. It’s time to get back to achieving peace through strength.” The agreement comes after at least two years of negotiations, according to CNN and the New York Times, which first reported various elements of the negotiations. The five Americans all are dual citizens of Iran. They have reportedly been transferred from Iran’s notoriously harsh Evin Prison to a hotel in Tehran, where they will be held for a few weeks under house arrest before being allowed to leave the country. National Security Council spokeswoman Adrienne Watson said that the detained individuals are: · Siamak Namazi · Emad Sharghi · Morad Tahbaz · and two Americans whose families don’t want their identities made public. The ongoing negotiations are considered very dynamic and far from a done deal. The U.S. maintains that these U.S. citizens should have never been detained in the first place. The Iranian regime has a 43-year history of using hostage-taking to advance its foreign policy. Sen. Tom Cotton (R-Arkansas) also opposed the deal. “While we always welcome the release of American hostages − if they are in fact released after President Biden pays Iran $6 billion in ransom − this craven act of appeasement will only embolden the ayatollahs to take more hostages and use these ill-gotten gains to attack our troops, fund terrorism and arm Russia,” said Sen. Cotton. “This cycle will continue until President Biden stops dancing to Iran’s tune and starts responding firmly and decisively to their aggression.” Some conservatives have questioned whether these negotiations with Iran are part of a broader effort to revive the failed Iran nuclear deal negotiated during the Obama administration. Katie Britt was elected to the U.S. Senate in 2022. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
Tommy Tuberville defends record on broadband
President Joe Biden has made expanding broadband one of the top goals of his administration. U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-Alabama) has repeatedly expressed his commitment to rural broadband expansion, yet he voted against the President’s infrastructure bill that contains broadband funding. The President recently chastised Tuberville for being inconsistent. Sen. Tuberville tweeted that broadband was a vital success for the rural communities of Alabama. President Biden mocking then mocked Sen. Tuberville in a retweet that quipped, “See you at the groundbreaking.” On Wednesday, Tuberville responded to Biden’s attack in a lengthy statement. Tuberville said in a statement, “I’ve said all along I’d be for a bill that invests every penny of every dollar in improvements to our roads, bridges, waterways, and rural broadband. Unfortunately, Democrats have missed an opportunity to deliver the bill that the American people truly need. Instead, the final legislation is loaded with giveaways to big cities and pet projects that have little to do with real infrastructure. Worse, we’re using fuzzy math and IOUs to hide the real cost of this massive legislation. I can’t vote for a bill that fails to give Alabama a fair slice of the pie while also saddling Alabama taxpayers with even more debt.” To support Tuberville’s positions, his office released arguments against the bill: Tuberville said that he opposed the bill in part because it didn’t do enough for rural broadband; while funding too many liberal priorities that Tuberville opposed. Tuberville said that broadband funding should be based on merit, not on politics. Tuberville accused Biden and his allies of politicizing broadband. Tuberville said that broadband remains one of Tuberville’s top 5 priorities for the upcoming farm bill, where he is the top Republican on the relevant subcommittee for the Agriculture Committee. The coach also recently gave a floor speech on this issue. Sen. Tuberville’s office said that there is no contradiction between voting against a massive bill like the stimulus or BIF and supporting individual provisions of it, or between voting against such massive legislation and believing that Alabama deserves a fair share of existing funding, just like every other state does. Tuberville was elected to the Senate in 2020 after a lengthy career as a teacher, coach, and broadcaster. Before his run for the Senate, Tuberville was best known for his tenure as the head football coach at Ole Miss, Auburn, Texas Tech, and Cincinnati, and often goes by the title of Coach. To connect with the author of this story or to comment, email brandonmreporter@gmail.com.
