House Short-Term Spending Bill Fails as Government Barrels Toward Shutdown

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The House rejected a short-term spending bill on Friday designed to keep the government open through the September 30 deadline, making a government shutdown almost inevitable.

Speaker Kevin McCarthy’s (R-CA) continuing resolution (CR) failed 198-232 despite his inclusion of significant border security measures included to coax skeptical conservatives. Twenty-one Republicans opposed the measure which would have extended government funding for 30 days.

McCarthy is expected to meet with his Republican colleagues Friday afternoon to discuss a path forward. Majority Whip Tom Emmer (R-MN) alerted colleagues that votes are expected Saturday, a change from the previous schedule.

The Senate, meanwhile, continues negotiations to determine how much Ukraine aid and border security funds to include. Those negotiations are primarily being held between independent Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), who caucuses with Democrats, and a handful of Republicans. (Read more from “House Short-Term Spending Bill Fails as Government Barrels Toward Shutdown” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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Unfiltered View: Musk Warns of ‘Some Pretty Extreme Individuals’ Entering U.S. During Trip to Southern Border

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Billionaire Elon Musk toured the southern border in Texas Thursday and warned “some pretty extreme” migrants are crossing into the US as he offered an “unfiltered” view of the ongoing crisis.

Musk — the owner of X, formerly of Twitter — was accompanied by Texas Rep. Tony Gonzales during his visit to Eagle Pass, a city that declared a state of emergency last week over the unprecedented arrival of thousands of migrants.

Wearing a cowboy hat and aviator sunglasses, Musk livestreamed his first hand observations and told Gonzales that while he is “extremely pro-immigrant,” he doesn’t believe people should be allowed to enter the US if they are “breaking the law.”

“To be clear we’re both very much in favor of expanded legal immigration. I think anyone who is hardworking and honest and is really gonna add to … the economy, we should let them in,” Musk said.

“But what we’re seeing here are in some cases some pretty extreme individuals coming through … obviously not suggesting everyone is like this.” (Read more from “Unfiltered View: Musk Warns of ‘Some Pretty Extreme Individuals’ Entering U.S. During Trip to Southern Border” HERE)

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What’s Going On in Arizona? Here’s Why GOP Official Had to Step in as ‘Acting Governor’

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By Eden Villalovas. Arizona State Treasurer Kimberly Yee stepped in as acting governor for less than 24 hours without an explanation for why Gov. Katie Hobbs (D-AZ) was absent.

Yee announced in a press release on X, formerly known as Twitter, that she would temporarily serve as acting governor of Arizona from Wednesday evening until mid-morning Thursday, stating she’s “pleased to step into this role.” No explanation has been provided as to why Hobbs is absent.

A top Republican, Yee vowed not to use her interim new power to appoint 13 nominees as state agency directors and will refrain from calling the Arizona legislature into session to confirm them.

“While I am pleased to step into this role, I will refrain from naming directors to the 13 agencies that currently have vacancies and will not call the Arizona Legislature into session to confirm them,” Yee wrote. “That being said, I do hope when the Governor returns to Arizona, she will promptly name qualified directors to these important state agencies.”

Yee has been critical of how the Democratic governor bypassed the Senate confirmation process for heads of state agencies by reassigning her 13 picks as “deputy directors.” Hobbs announced on Monday that she was ditching the long-standing Senate vetting process, stating she was fed up with the “political circus” that has caused stalled appointments and will pursue “other lawful avenues” to appoint nominees. (Read more about the acting governor appointment HERE)

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Where Hobbs Was (Allegedly)

By Townhall. On Thursday, the Arizona Republic reported that Hobbs “was in Washington D.C. Wednesday for a meeting about border issues with Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas following a week-long visit to Taiwan, an important Arizona trade ally. She flew back to the state Thursday to meet with President Joe Biden, who arrived Wednesday night for a visit that promoted his campaign messages.”

The report not only sought to address “an erroneous news report” from Fox News about Hobbs, which was later corrected, but sought to downplay the speculation about where Hobbs was. “Hobbs didn’t disappear,” the report claimed, also noting that Treasurer Kimberly Yee “was acting governor for less than 24 hours,” though that’s still a noteworthy 24 hours.

The Arizona Republic revealed Hobbs’ whereabouts at 4:54pm Mountain Standard Time, so people can be forgiven for wondering what was going on when there was so little known for so long.

Further, if Hobbs was indeed “meeting about border issues,” and we have no evidence she wasn’t, wouldn’t that be something Democrats would promote, given how they’ve been rightfully criticized for how the party–the Biden administration especially–has handled the issue?

(Read more from “What’s Going On in Arizona? Here’s Why 4th in Line Had to Step in as ‘Acting Governor'” HERE)

Photo credit: Gage Skidmore via Flickr

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U.S. Government Tells Federal Employees a Shutdown May Be Imminent

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The U.S. government notified federal workers on Thursday that a shutdown appears imminent, as a Republican-led standoff on Capitol Hill forced the Biden administration to begin the formal, methodical process of preparing much of Washington to come to a halt.

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The new warnings underscored the growing likelihood that millions of employees and military service members may stop receiving pay in just three days, even as talks commenced on Capitol Hill in pursuit of a long-elusive, last-minute deal that would extend federal funding beyond Sept. 30.

Across the government, federal officials dusted off the intricate blueprints that help unwind and pare down the sprawling bureaucracy to only its most vital functions. They braced for disruptions that are likely to be significant, especially if the stalemate persists for weeks, potentially dragging down the fragile U.S. economy while complicating many of the services on which millions of Americans and businesses rely.

Some federal programs, including Social Security and mail delivery, would be unaffected because they are funded outside of the annual appropriations process on Capitol Hill. But many other government operations would be rendered inaccessible if funds expire as soon as this weekend — potentially resulting in closed parks and passport offices, and eventually, more worrisome interruptions affecting federal housing, food and health aid for the poor. (Read more from “U.S. Government Tells Federal Employees a Shutdown May Be Imminent” HERE)

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Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Request to Delay Trial Set to Begin Early Next Week

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An appeals court rejected former President Donald Trump’s request Thursday to delay his civil fraud trial.

The trial is scheduled to be held Oct. 2, and Judge Arthur Engoron will be presiding over it. The case stems from a Sept. 2022 lawsuit New York State Attorney General Letitia James filed against Trump and his family members over allegations of fraud while constructing his real estate business, according to The Associated Press (AP).

James has requested the judge ban Trump from conducting business in the state and is seeking $250 million in damages, The AP reported. James also asked for a five-year commercial real estate ban against Trump Organization and the former president, according to Reuters.

Engoron ruled Tuesday that Trump and The Trump Organization exaggerated his net worth and manipulated his assets, which deceived banks and insurance companies during operations, per The AP. Engoron also ruled Trump and his business associates lied on bank statements which allowed them to profit off of favorable loan terms and lower insurance premiums. (Read more from “Appeals Court Rejects Trump’s Request to Delay Trial Set to Begin Early Next Week” HERE)

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University Announces Automatic Admission With Simple Requirement

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Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) has launched a new initiative that will automatically admit local students with a 3.0 GPA or higher.

In a news release on Wednesday, the university — which is changing its name to IU – Indianapolis in 2024 — announced that students from Indianapolis Public Schools (IPS) can submit a form to receive automatic admission for Fall 2024 if the meet the GPA threshold. According to the news release, the goal of the seamless admissions initiative is to persuade students to pursue higher education. (RELATED: Harvard Newspaper Editors Claim New College Application Hurts Those From ‘Marginalized Backgrounds’)

“By eliminating deadlines, application fees or the need for a transcript, we hope this new initiative will give more students the chance to go to school right here in Indianapolis,” IPS Superintendent Aleesia Johnson said.

This fall, students with a 3.0 GPA and higher will receive a postcard and an email with information stating they are eligible for admission. The IPS has also partnered with with Indiana University through programs including tutoring, mentoring and college and career readiness.

After the Supreme Court’s affirmative action ban, multiple universities have moved to change their admissions processes. Johns Hopkins changed the questions in its application essays from reading- and education-based questions to focus instead on identity in order to work around race-based admissions. (Read more from “University Announces Automatic Admission With Simple Requirement” HERE)

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House GOP Signals Classified Docs of Interest in Biden Impeachment Inquiry

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House Republicans signaled that President Joe Biden‘s handling of classified documents is pertinent to their impeachment inquiry into allegations of corruption.

Rep. Mike Turner (R-OH), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, broached the ongoing criminal investigation into the Biden documents matter during the first impeachment hearing held by the House Oversight Committee on Thursday.

The congressman invoked the impeachment inquiry scope memo released by House Republicans late Wednesday evening, which he said “indicates” the clarified materials are “relevant.” In the 30-page document, there is a footnote linked to a section exploring the question of whether Biden abused his power to impede the criminal investigation into his son Hunter.

“For example, the Oversight Committee has requested information regarding the classified materials discovered in the President’s home — where his son has resided during the time period relevant to this investigation — and personal office, but the White House has provided no information to the Committee regarding the contents of or its full approach towards those documents,” the footnote said. (Read more from “House GOP Signals Classified Docs of Interest in Biden Impeachment Inquiry” HERE)

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James Biden Admits to FBI: Family Tried to Help Chinese Firm Buy U.S. Energy Assets

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James Biden, brother of President Joe Biden, confirmed to the FBI last year that his family tried to help CEFC China Energy Co. purchase a U.S. liquid natural gas facility in Louisiana, according to documents released Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee.

CEFC, closely linked to the CCP and Chinese President Xi Jinping, was chaired by Ye Jianming, an associate of Hunter Biden. James Biden told the FBI he personally met once with Jianming about CEFC’s interest in acquiring the liquid natural gas facility.

“James B noted that RHB portrayed CEFC to him as Chairman Ye was a protégé of President Xi,” FBI agents noted in a memo.

“James B recalled that the life changing meeting was the deal with Monkey Island. Monkey Island was off the coast of Louisiana near the Gulf of Mexico. James B stated that there was room for a port to be developed and that the properties were pre-approved,” the FBI memo said. “The island was 50-100 miles from the Gulf of Mexico and that there was a clear passage to offload and load gas. CEFC was supposed to buy it from Greg Michaels (‘Michaels’) (the CEO and Owner in control of Monkey Island).” (Read more from “James Biden Admits to FBI: Family Tried to Help Chinese Firm Buy U.S. Energy Assets” HERE)

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Democrats Fake Trump-Zelensky Phone Call, Again, in First Impeachment Hearing

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Rep. Jamie Raskin (D-MD) repeated a fake version of the infamous 2019 Trump-Zelensky phone call in the first impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden at the House Oversight and Accountability Committee Thursday.

Raskin, the ranking minority member of the committee, claimed in his opening statement that the entire inquiry was a recapitulation of claims of corruption made by Republicans in 2019, of which he said there was no evidence.

In the process, Raskin claimed that Trump associates traveled to Ukraine to dig up dirt on Joe Biden, which he said “culminated in the infamous phone call that then-President [Donald] Trump made to Ukrainian President [Volodymyr] Zelensky, in which Trump threatened to withhold hundreds of billions of dollars in economic, strategic, and military security assistance to Ukraine unless Zelensky embraced their ridiculous fabrication and falsely advertised to the world that Ukraine was investigating Joe Biden.”

Raskin’s version of events repeats a fake version of the phone call, which Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA) performed when he conducted his 2019 impeachment inquiry into Trump, and which formed the basis for Democrats’ subsequent arguments for impeaching and removing Trump.

But the transcript of the call, declassified and released by Trump, did not include any threats to withhold aid at all. Nor did it include any “quid pro quo” in which the president made aid conditional on any investigation of Biden. (Read more from “Democrats Fake Trump-Zelensky Phone Call, Again, in First Impeachment Hearing” HERE)

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Banana Republic: DOJ Investigators Ordered to ‘Remove Any Reference’ to Joe Biden in FARA Warrant

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An email released Wednesday by the House Ways and Means Committee shows Assistant U.S. Attorney Lesley Wolf ordered investigators in August 2020 to remove any reference to “Political Figure 1” from a search warrant. A document subsequently released showed that President Joe Biden is “Political Figure 1.”

“As a priority, someone needs to redraft attachment B,” Wolf wrote in an email. “I am not sure what this is cut and pasted from but other than the attribution location, and identity stuff at the end, none of it is appropriate and within the scope of this warrant.”

“Please focus on FARA [Foreign Agents Registration Act] evidence only. There should be nothing about Political Figure 1 in here,” she added.

A second document the committee released Wednesday showed “Political Figure 1” is “Former Vice President Joseph Robinette Biden Jr.”

The document says:

VP BIDEN is currently the Democratic Party Presidential candidate for the United States and served as the 47th officeholder for the position of the Office of the Vice President of the United States (VPOTUS) in the Barack Obama Administration from January 20, 2009 to January 20, 2017. He is the father of SUBJECT 1.

(Read more from “Banana Republic: DOJ Investigators Ordered to ‘Remove Any Reference’ to Joe Biden in FARA Warrant” HERE)

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