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    Disgraced GOP Lawmaker Lands New Gig After Stunning Primary Loss

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Official White House Photo by Joyce N. Boghosian, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    So the saying goes, “those who can’t do, teach.”

    It seems that recently ousted Wyoming Congresswoman Liz Cheney has accepted a position with The University of Virginia as a professor at its Center for Politics.

    According to The Hill, Cheney will participate in university-wide lectures, serve as a guest lecturer in student seminars, contribute to the department’s research, and participate in university and community events.

    “With democracy under fire in this country and elsewhere around the world, Liz Cheney serves as a model of political courage and leadership,” the center’s director, Larry Sabato, said in a statement.

    “Liz will send a compelling message to students about integrity. She’s a true profile in courage, and she was willing to pay the price for her principles — and democracy itself.”

    Cheney, the daughter of former Vice President Dick Cheney, was vice chairwoman of the House select committee that investigated the Jan. 6., 2021 attack at the Capitol. The Republican lawmaker was also one of the 10 House Republicans who voted to impeach Trump for his role in the riot.

    In a statement, Cheney, who lost her primary to Trump-endorsed Harriet Hageman after becoming a leading critic for former President Trump within her party, expressed her excitement with her new role, saying that “preserving our constitutional republic is the most important work of our time, and our nation’s young people will play a crucial role in this effort.”

    “There are many threats facing our system of government and I hope my work with the Center for Politics and the broader community at the University of Virginia will contribute to finding lasting solutions that not only preserve but strengthen our democracy.,” Cheney added. 

    Cheney’s appointment with the department is effective immediately and will run through the fall 2023 semester, with an option to renew for one or more additional years. 

    Critics of the former Congresswoman reacted on Twitter.

    Report: Sidney Powell Pleads Guilty In Georgia Election Interference Case

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Tom Williams, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

    Pro-Trump attorney Sidney Powell pled guilty in the Georgia election subversion case brought forward by Fulton County DA Fani Willis.

    Per reports from The Hill, Powell appeared before Fulton County Superior Court Judge Scott McAfee on Thursday to enter her plea, just days before her trial was scheduled to begin next week.

    “How do you plead to the six counts of conspiracy to commit intentional interference with performance of election duties?” asked Daysha Young, a Fulton County prosecutor. 

    “Guilty,” Powell said. 

    McAfee accepted Powell’s plea and said that she could not withdraw it. Powell was sentenced to six years’ probation, a $6,000 fine and $2,700 restitution. She will also be required to “testify truthfully” in future proceedings and must turn over any documents requested by the district attorney’s office.  

    CNN’s Marshall Cohen reports that as part of her guilty plea, Powell will be required to testify at future trials and write an apology letter to the citizens of Georgia, prosecutors said at a hearing Thursday.”

    Powell is the second of 19 co-defendants in the case to plead guilty. 

    Powell was indicted on seven charges in August, accusing her and the others of violating Georgia’s Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act statute by entering a months-long conspiracy to try to keep Donald Trump in the White House following the 2020 election. 

    This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    Rupert Murdoch Steps Down As FNC Chairman

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    David Shankbone, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

    Media mogul Rupert Murdoch announced Thursday he will be transitioning to a new role within his media empire, handing over the reins to his son Lachlan.

    Murdoch, 92, announced the news to colleagues in a letter Thursday, noting he was in good health. He will officially make the transition in November, and his son Lachlan will become the sole chairman of both companies.

    “I am writing to let you all know that I have decided to transition to the role of Chairman Emeritus at Fox and News,” Murdoch wrote. “For my entire professional life, I have been engaged daily with news and ideas, and that will not change. But the time is right for me to take on different roles, knowing that we have truly talented teams and a passionate, principled leader in Lachlan who will become sole Chairman of both companies. Neither excessive pride nor false humility are admirable qualities. But I am truly proud of what we have achieved collectively through the decades, and I owe much to my colleagues, whose contributions to our success have sometimes been unseen outside the company but are deeply appreciated by me.

    “Whether the truck drivers distributing our papers, the cleaners who toil when we have left the office, the assistants who support us or the skilled operators behind the cameras or the computer code, we would be less successful and have less positive impact on society without your day-after-day dedication. Our companies are in robust health, as am I. Our opportunities far exceed our commercial challenges. We have every reason to be optimistic about the coming years – I certainly am, and plan to be here to participate in them.” 

    “In my new role, I can guarantee you that I will be involved every day in the contest of ideas,” he wrote.

    Lachlan Murdoch released an announcement congratulating his father and the legacy he’s left at his enormously influential companies.

    “On behalf of the FOX and News Corp boards of directors, leadership teams, and all the shareholders who have benefited from his hard work, I congratulate my father on his remarkable 70-year career,” said Lachlan Murdoch. “We thank him for his vision, his pioneering spirit, his steadfast determination, and the enduring legacy he leaves to the companies he founded and countless people he has impacted. We are grateful that he will serve as Chairman Emeritus and know he will continue to provide valued counsel to both companies.”

    Murdoch’s media empire includes FOX News Channel, which launched in 1996 under News Corp.

    Murdoch was Executive Chairman of 21st Century Fox from 2015 to the closing of the merger of 21st Century Fox and The Walt Disney Company in March 2019. Murdoch served as CEO of 21st Century Fox from its inception as News Corporation in 1979 until 2015 and as its Chairman from 1991 to 2015.

    Georgia Supreme Court Rejects Trump’s Effort To Halt Election Probe

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Donald Trump via Gage Skidmore Flickr

    The Georgia Supreme Court unanimously shut down former President Trump’s attempt to stop a potential indictment for tampering with the results of the 2020 presidential election in that state.

    In a five-page decision issued Monday afternoon, all nine justices of the Georgia Supreme Court said Trump’s lawyers had failed to make a persuasive case for shutting down the inquiry led by Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis. She has signaled that indictments are possible in the election-related probe in the next few weeks as a grand jury convenes to consider possible charges.

    The Georgia court said there was no reason to permit that in these circumstances.

    “He makes no showing that he has been prevented fair access to the ordinary channels,” the high court wrote in an opinion not attributed to any specific justice. “He is asking this Court to step in and itself decide the motions currently pending in the superior court. This is not the sort of relief that this Court affords, at least absent extraordinary circumstances that Petitioner has not shown are present here.”

    Willis’ probe reportedly focuses on pressure Trump and his allies put on Georgia officials the weeks after the 2020 election to try to reverse Trump’s loss to Joe Biden in the Peach State. A key piece of evidence in the probe is an audio recording of a call Trump made to Georgia Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger urging him to “find 11,780 votes,” which would have pushed Trump across the threshold to claim victory.

    Various election officials and national GOP figures have testified during the special grand jury probe.

    Trump’s attorneys also filed a petition in March with Fulton County Superior Court Judge Robert McBurney, asking that Willis’ probe be halted. However, McBurney has yet to rule on that motion. 

    Kevin McCarthy Makes Key Concession in House Speaker Battle

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy delivers remarks at the 2021 Capitol Christmas Tree lighting ceremony in Washington DC, December 1, 2021. USDA Forest Service photo by Tanya E. Flores.

    Current House Republican Leader Kevin McCarthy just made a key concession in what has become an uphill battle to become Speaker of the House once the GOP takes control of Congress on Jan. 3rd.

    Six Republican sources familiar with internal discussions told CNN that McCarthy conceded to reducing the threshold that is required to force a floor vote on ousting the sitting speaker in an effort to win over holdouts.

    One of the numbers that has come up in recent conversations between McCarthy and GOP lawmakers – and which has not been previously reported – is a five-person threshold, according to two of the Republican sources.

    Currently, the majority of the House GOP is required to call for the so-called motion to vacate the speaker’s chair. However, some conservatives such as Reps. Matt Gaetz (FL) and Ralph Norman (S.C.) are pushing for a single member to be able to call for such a vote, which they see as an important mechanism to hold the speaker accountable.

    A five-person threshold, however, may be too low for the moderate wing of the party, some of whom have privately suggested they would be willing to agree on a 50-person threshold.

    The compromise which McCarthy previously said he would not budge on could be key to unlocking the votes he needs to secure the speakership. But his willingness to negotiate on the issue also shows how desperate McCarthy is to seal the deal, even if it means giving away some of his power.

    “The ‘devil is in the details’ as far as threshold & other rule concessions,” Norman said. “Until the details are spelled out, in writing and sealed with social media posts, people will not move on votes.”

    Appeals Court Rules Over Trump’s Presidential Immunity In Civil Jan. 6 Suits

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Elvert Barnes, CC BY-SA 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons

    On Friday, an appeals court found former President Trump is not immune from civil lawsuits blaming him for the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol.

    The Hill has more:

    A three-judge panel affirmed that presidents can carry out their official duties without exposure to civil liabilities, but when they are not acting in that capacity, the protection doesn’t carry over.

    “The President…does not spend every minute of every day exercising official responsibilities,” Chief Judge Sri Srinivasan of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia wrote in an opinion. “And when he acts outside the functions of his office, he does not continue to enjoy immunity from damages liability just because he happens to be the President.”

    This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

    Report: Trump Media Company Truth Social To Become Publicly Traded Company

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    Image via Piaxabay

    On Friday,  shareholders voted in favor of making Trump Media & Technology Group, the parent company of Truth Social, a publicly traded entity.

    According to Fox Business, shareholders voted in favor of Trump Media & Technology Group (TMTG) merging with its special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Digital World Acquisition Corp., a publicly traded shell company.

    Last month, though, the SEC approved the merger.

    Trump Media & Technology Group first launched in October 2021. 

    Trump launched Truth Social in February 2022, a year after he was banned from platforms such as then-Twitter, Facebook and Instagram, following Jan. 6, 2021. Those bans have been lifted but the former President has refused to rejoin.

    Fox Business has more:

    The merger approval means TMTG stock will trade on Nasdaq as “DJT” as early as next week. 

    Former President Trump, the presumptive 2024 GOP presidential nominee, holds 78.7 million shares in Trump Media & Technology Group. His personal stake in the company at its current stock price of approximately $44.17 would be worth between $3 billion and $4 billion. 

    There is a six-month lock-up on Trump’s shares, but the board could vote to waive that rule. 

    The merger brings Truth Social, which describes itself as a free-speech platform and a “safe harbor” from censorship on other Big Tech platforms, approximately $300 million to expand the platform.

    The deal’s approval comes as Mr. Trump is facing a Monday deadline to cover a $454 million penalty in a civil fraud case in New York. 

    Former Trump Ambassador Endorses Ron DeSantis

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    0

    Donald Trump is known for his bombastic personality and his no-nonsense approach to politics but while that attracted voters and donors in 2016 it seems to be having the opposite effect now.

    Major Republican donors seem to be turned off by Trump’s recent attacks on GOP challengers, especially Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis.

    Donald Tapia, a prominent businessman from Arizona and Trump’s former ambassador to Jamaica from 2019 to 2021, was a strong financial backer of Trump in 2016 and 2020, contributing hundreds of thousands of dollars to the former president over his two elections.

    “The name-calling has turned a lot of people off,” Tapia said to Politico. “Let me tell you, we don’t like that.”

    Tapia is now amongst a growing group of Republicans choosing to throw their support behind DeSantis, despite the fact he hasn’t even launched a presidential campaign yet.

    Recently, DeSantis has been the target of a number of Trump’s Truth Social tirades, even earning the nickname “Ron DeSanctimonious.”

    However, despite Trump’s barrage of attacks the Florida governor has opted to play coy, a tactic that seems to be drawing in more and more supporters.

    Popular podcast star Joe Rogan recently defended the Sunshine State governor from Trump’s criticsms.

    “All of the Fake News is reporting that I spend large amounts of my time coming up with a good ‘nickname’ for Ron DeSanctimonious, who is obviously going to give the presidential ‘thing’ a shot,” Trump claimed. “They are all 100% wrong; I don’t even think about it — A very unimportant subject to me!!!”

    When Rogan’s guest noted that Trump was losing “losing his touch” in coming up with nicknames, Rogan responded that the task would be even harder for Trump to do with the Florida governor.

    “Well, there’s not a good one that you can come up with for Ron,” Rogan said. “Because Ron, he’s too good with that base and his success in Florida is pretty unparalleled.”

    “I think Ron DeSantis would work as a good president. I think, I mean, what he’s done for Florida has been admirable,” Rogan said last summer. “I feel like what he did for Florida, a lot of people gave him a lot of grief, but ultimately, he was correct. He was correct when it comes to like deaths. He was correct when it comes to protecting our vulnerable populations. He was correct in terms of distribution of monoclonal antibodies, and he was furious when the government tried to pull those, they were trying to pull very effective treatments.”

    Earlier this week, DeSantis finally shed some light as to when Americans can expect his decision on a White House run.

    During an appearance with “Fox & Friends” DeSantis charted out the next few months saying that he will embark on a tour to promote his new book, “The Courage to be Free,” and work through the Florida legislature’s regular session, which begins in early March.

    “We’re going to sell some books, we’re going to spread the message of Florida. And then on March 8, I have our Legislative Session that’s kicking off,” DeSantis said.

    “You ain’t seen nothing yet,” he added. “This is going to be the most productive Legislative Session we have had across the board and I think people are going to be really excited … So those are what we’re going to be doing over these next few months as we get beyond that, then we can decide from there.”

    Report: Sec. Mayorkas Tells Border Official ‘Resign or Be Fired’

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    NEW YORK CITY (September 11, 2022) Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas lays flowers for USSS Master Special Officer Craig Miller and participates in the September 11th Anniversary Commemoration Ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City, NY. (DHS photo by Sydney Phoenix)

    A Biden administration border official is reportedly being pressured to resign from his role.

    Multiple sources close to the matter informed Politico that Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Chris Magnus is being pressured by leaders to resign or be fired after criticizing their ineffectiveness at tamping down the border surge.

    Magnus was reportedly told on Wednesday by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas that he should either resign or be dismissed and, so far, the CBP chief has refused to step down, according to four people.

    Some executive assistant commissioners at CBP have indicated they would leave the agency if Magnus does not resign, according to one of the current DHS official and the former DHS official.

    Mayorkas has since shifted Magnus’ duties and responsibilities to his deputy secretary, John Tien, and has deputy CBP commissioner Troy Miller, a career government official, running the agency’s day-to-day operations, according to three of the people.

    POLITICO reported in October that five current administration officials who work with Magnus described him as unengaged in his job, saying he often failed to attend White House meetings on the situation on the border, badmouthed other agencies to colleagues and superiors, and has not built relationships within CBP and across other immigration agencies to address the influx of migrants at the border. Several also said he fell asleep in numerous meetings, which Magnus blamed on the effects of his multiple sclerosis.

    Magnus has been leading the border agency since December and it’s currently unclear who might permanently take over his Senate-confirmed position if he complies with Sec. Mayorkas’ wishes.

    CBP is responsible for securing U.S. borders at and between ports of entry. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is the agency responsible for arresting and detaining undocumented people within U.S. borders and both agencies are encompassed within DHS.

    The latest DHS data shows that for the fiscal year ending in September, nearly 2.4 million migrants were detained at the border, a 37% increase from the year before.

    Long-Shot Candidate Drops Out Of Race, Endorses Trump

    By
    Madeleine Jackson
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    1
    Gage Skidmore Flickr

    A long-shot presidential candidate has suspended his campaign and endorsed former President Donald Trump to become the Republican nominee.

    On Tuesday, Texas pastor Ryan Binkley announced his decision to end his campaign.

    “Today, I am suspending my campaign for the Presidency of the United States of America and offering my endorsement and unwavering support for President Trump,” Binkley wrote on X. 

    “When I began this journey, it was with a message in my heart that our country needs to awaken to the fact that the unsustainable deficit spending and debt path we are on will undoubtedly lead us to a generational economic disruption,” he continued. “I believe that we can get off that path and begin a journey to balance the federal budget by transforming and demonopolizing the healthcare system which has been bankrupting our nation. I also felt deeply that as bad as the U.S. fiscal and monetary policy is, the political corruption and cultural divide in our country is an even greater threat. Throughout my campaign, I have seen our party struggle to find a place for a new vision while weighing the corrupt allegations and indictments against President Trump. He will need everyone’s support, and he will have mine moving forward.” 

    Binkley, the co-founder and current CEO/president of Generational Equity Group, a merger and acquisitions business advisory in Texas, announced his bid in April of last year.

    “Currently our nation is lost, divided, and in financial trouble. Here’s the good news: united, we can rise to change it as we restore our faith in God, freedom, and each other,” Binkley’s website said.

    According to Fox News, Binkley’s campaign platform focused on issues like immigration reform and border controls, boosting the economy, privatizing healthcare, utilizing cheap energy sources like nuclear energy, and supporting pro-life policies.

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