America's Talking

Former President Donald Trump accepted the GOP nomination for President Thursday night, less than a week after surviving an assassination attempt at a campaign rally in Pennsylvania. Concluding the Republican National Convention in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Trump laid out his policy priorities and described in detail the attack that nearly killed him at the Saturday rally. “I stand before you this evening with a message of confidence, strength, and hope,” Trump said to begin the speech. “Four months from now, we will have an incredible victory, and we will begin the four greatest years in the history of our country." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. House Oversight Chair Rep. James Comer, R-Ky., said Wednesday he is subpoenaing the head of the Secret Service, the latest step in the ongoing investigation and scrutiny of the agency after the near assassination of former president Donald Trump on Saturday. U.S. Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle in particular has faced criticism and calls for her resignation over how the Secret Service handled, and in many ways failed, during Saturday's event. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Republicans who once criticized former President Donald Trump are on the presumptive Republican nominees' short-list for vice president ahead of the Republican National Convention next week. Trump's campaign reportedly sent informational requests to eight GOP leaders: Ohio U.S. Sen. J.D. Vance, North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum, South Carolina U.S. Sen. Tim Scott, Florida U.S. Rep. Byron Donalds, New York U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, Florida U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, Arkansas U.S. Sen. Tom Cotton and former Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson. Trump has mentioned several of those same names during public appearances in recent weeks, teasing at his pick before the convention.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_68bd03ec-3ec9-11ef-ae8b-f317a887eadd.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his first news conference since his critically panned debate performance two weeks ago, President Joe Biden on Thursday made numerous mistakes while talking for about an hour on a range of policy issues. He answered questions from 10 hand-picked reporters focused mostly on his fitness for office, but included issues such as the conflicts in Israel and Ukraine. "I've been given a list of people to call on here," Biden said when the Q&A portion of his news conference began, later mistakenly referring to Vice President Kamala Harris as "Vice President Trump."Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_03a75b0c-3fb8-11ef-8200-6b92d524c8c4.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden’s attempt to re-interpret Title IX and thereby implement a sweeping LGBTQ agenda at schools around the country may be put on hold after a few key court rulings. The Biden administration’s overhaul of Title IX is set to take effect Aug. 1, but a flurry of court decisions in recent weeks may be enough for critics to stop the changes before they fully take effect. One of those cases included a win for “Moms for Liberty,” a group that successfully sued the Department of Education and obtained an order this week blocking the enforcement of the Title IX changes in several states. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden Monday night said the U.S. Supreme Court's ruling that the president has "absolute immunity" when acting in his core constitutional duties is "a dangerous precedent" that "undermines the rule of law of this nation." Earlier in the day, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 decision ruled that the "president's exercise of his core constitutional powers, this immunity must be absolute. As for his remaining official actions, he is entitled to at least presumptive immunity." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Two federal judges on Monday ruled to block part of President Joe Biden's recent attempt to indefinitely postpone or cancel nearly half a trillion dollars in student loan debt. U.S. District Judge John Ross in Missouri and U.S. District Judge Daniel Crabtree in Kansas issued two separate rulings on Monday after Republican-led states' attorneys general filed a legal challenge to Biden's plan, which would have indefinitely postponed payments for a huge swath of borrowers, likely costing taxpayers about half a trillion dollars. Ross' ruling is a preliminary injunction halting part of Biden's plan until a ruling is made. The issue will likely be appealed and could move up through the courts. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

More than 12 million people have illegally crossed the border into the U.S. since 2021, data obtained and analyzed by The Center Square show. That includes the more than 241,000 apprehensions of illegal border crossers in May. The total number who’ve illegally entered the U.S. nationwide in fiscal 2024 through May is more than 2.2 million, according to U.S. Customs and Border Protection data. The majority of illegal border crossers are overwhelmingly single adults. In fiscal 2024 through May, they totaled over 1.35 million. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump grappled over inflation, illegal immigration, abortion and more during the first debate of this election cycle Thursday night in Atlanta. A Quinnipiac poll released the day before the debate shows Trump with a 49%-45% lead over Biden, showing Biden needed to turn the tide Thursday night. But throughout the debate, Biden showed moments of murmuring, blank stares, trailing off in his responses, or seeming to lose his train of thought. “I really don’t know what he said at the end of that sentence,” Trump said early in the debate. “I really don’t think he knows what he said either.” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A coalition of leading Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives is raising concerns about allegations that the Internal Revenue Service has retaliated against whistleblowers. IRS whistleblowers Gary Shapley and Joseph Ziegler came forward and testified before Congress last year that the Biden administration mishandled the investigation into the alleged tax misdeeds of Hunter Biden, President Joe Biden’s son. The whistleblowers testified before Congress, as the Center Square previously reported, that Hunter received special treatment. Hunter Biden faces pending tax charges. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

This 2024 election cycle has seen several major developments in recent weeks as the nation barrels toward November. At the end of May, a jury in New York found former President Donald Trump guilty of 34 counts related to his alleged hush money payments to Stormy Daniels. Polling since that verdict, though, shows the conviction has not hurt Trump’s chances against Biden. A new Reuters/Ipsos poll released last week shows Trump with a two point lead over Biden. The current Real Clear Politics average of recent polls shows Trump with a 0.8 point lead. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden announced a new plan on Tuesday that will fast track a path to citizenship for hundreds of thousands of foreign nationals who’ve been living in the country illegally for more than 10 years and married a U.S. citizen. He also expanded protections for DACA recipients, according to several reports. In a statement issued by the White House, the president blamed Republicans in Congress for not securing the border and fixing the "broken immigration system." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A New York jury convicted former President Donald Trump on 34 felony counts last week, but so far it seems to have done little to dampen Trump's electoral hopes. The conviction naturally raised the question of whether they would topple Trump’s 2024 White House bid. For now, the answer appears to be no. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Delaware jury convicted President Joe Biden's son of gun charges on Tuesday, marking the first-ever criminal conviction of a president's son. Special counsel David Weiss indicted Hunter Biden in September 2023 in federal court in Delaware on three counts tied to the possession of a gun while using drugs. Two of the counts involve allegations that he allegedly lied on a form attesting that he was not using illegal drugs when he bought a .38 Special Colt Cobra revolver in October 2018. The third count alleges that he possessed a firearm while using illicit drugs. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former President Donald Trump has kicked off a western U.S. campaign tour, stopping in Phoenix on Thursday. Though the rally was held indoors at the Dream City Church, the heat outside of the event sent several people to the hospital, according to multiple news reports. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning until Friday night for the Phoenix area, noting highs reaching near 110 degrees later in the day. Like previous events held at the church, Thursday's event, which was held by Trump-allied Turning Point Action, was expected to draw upward of 3,000 people.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/arizona/article_16d295b0-2461-11ef-9608-571bae01b13d.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden on Tuesday announced what he dubbed a border security plan – five months ahead of the November election and after at least 11 million foreign nationals illegally entered the country since his inauguration. At a news conference at the White House, Biden said, “I’ve come here to do what Republicans in Congress have failed to do, take the necessary steps to secure our border. … Today, I’m moving past Republican obstruction and using executive authorities available to me as president to do what I can on my own to address the border.” The president said that foreign nationals illegally entering the country between ports of entry would be barred from receiving asylum.Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxxFull story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_95eace28-22bb-11ef-9284-dfb452577a04.html Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Manhattan jury on Thursday convicted former President Donald Trump on all counts in his hush money case, a history-making verdict that could reshape the 2024 presidential election. Trump was convicted of 34 counts of falsifying business records for disguising hush money payments to an adult film actress as legal costs ahead of the 2016 election. Under New York state law, falsifying business records in the first degree is a Class E felony that carries a maximum sentence of four years in prison. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Lawmakers have threatened to revoke the appropriations for a federally-funded scholarship program that an audit found favors liberally leaning students over conservatives by a ratio of 10 to 1. The Harry S. Truman Scholarship Foundation was established in the 1970s to award scholarships to students who “demonstrate outstanding potential for and who plan to pursue a career in public service.” An audit of those scholarships performed by the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute, though, reported strong liberal bias at the taxpayer-funded foundation. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donald Trump's defense team rested, wrapping up its side of the case after calling two witnesses, including one who contradicted testimony provided by former Trump attorney and fixer Michael Cohen, the prosecution's star witness. Trump had said he would testify at his trial if necessary, but decided not to take the stand in the history-making trial. His defense team rested Tuesday, clearing the way for jury deliberations to begin next week. Justice Juan Merchan told jurors to return for closing arguments next Tuesday after the Memorial Day weekend. Deliberations could begin the next day, Reuters reported. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Congress has spent more money on interest so far this year than it has spent on both national defense and Medicare. Spending on net interest hit $514 billion in the first seven months of fiscal year 2024. That's more than spending on both national defense ($498 billion) and Medicare ($465 billion). Medicare is the federal health insurance program for those 65 and older and younger people with disabilities. During the same time period, the U.S. spent $873 billion on Social Security, the federal program that provides retirement, disability, survivor, and family benefits to more than 67 million Americans. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden said Wednesday that he plans to debate former President Donald Trump twice before the November election, but the details have yet to be worked out. Biden challenged Trump to debate in a video message posted Wednesday. "Well, make my day, pal," Biden said in the video. "I'll even do it twice." Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A judge on Monday fined former President Donald Trump for violating a gag order in his New York hush money case for a tenth time. Prosecutors had alleged Trump violated the gag order an additional four times, but Judge Juan Merchan found only one instance violated the order. In his ruling, the judge fined Trump $1,000 for comments he made during an April 22, 2024, interview with "Just the News No Noise." During the interview, Trump said the jury was packed with Democrats. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Tennessee and West Virginia led a five-state lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Education challenging the federal overhaul of Title IX of the Educational Amendments Act. The lawsuit is one of several filed nationally on the topic after Biden’s administration rewrote the Title IX statute to expand the definition of “sex” to include “gender identity.” “The U.S. Department of Education has no authority to let boys into girls’ locker rooms,” Tennessee Attorney General Skrmetti said in a statement. “In the decades since its adoption, Title IX has been universally understood to protect the privacy and safety of women in private spaces like locker rooms and bathrooms. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former President Donald Trump weighed in online on the ongoing chaos on college campuses as pro-Hamas protesters occupy and vandalize colleges around the country. “THIS IS A RADICAL LEFT REVOLUTION TAKING PLACE IN OUR COUNTRY,” Trump wrote Thursday on TruthSocial, his social media site. Trump’s comments capture a repeated conservative argument, that conservative protesters like those on Jan. 6 were met with severe consequences while liberal protesters, like the Black Lives Matter rioters and the college campus pro-Hamas protesters, have been given a pass. Biden has remained silent as local leaders navigate the protests, which have featured arrests, vandalism, some viral moments of fights, and calls for violence against Jews. Many of the protests have also expressed outright support for Hamas, the group that killed hundreds of Israelis, many of them civilians and children, in the Oct. 7 attack last fall. The State Department has officially named Hamas a terrorist organization. Full Story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_b3eeff10-0886-11ef-a8b5-3bc6a77b3376.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A Jewish Yale student was reportedly stabbed in the eye with a Palestinian flag during a pro-Hamas protest on campus over the weekend, the latest incident highlighting the ongoing tensions on college campuses since the Hamas terror group attacked Israel Oct. 7 and ignited an ongoing war. Amidst ongoing calls for violence, lawmakers have ramped up calls for accountability for the taxpayer-funded universities as well as groups supporting Hamas, which the State Department has officially labeled a terrorist organization. Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_01f1743e-005a-11ef-bcdc-9b5bcee28d7f.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Supreme Court Justices on Thursday grappled with multiple questions about what a president can and can't do as they heard oral arguments in a case that could have wide-reaching political ramifications not only for the 2024 election, but well beyond. Supreme Court justices are considering a case involving former President Donald Trump and if presidents have immunity from criminal prosecutions. Trump's attorney D. John Sauer said the president must have immunity for a functioning democracy to flourish. Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_3e8012f8-02a2-11ef-856b-37be46049bb5.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The White House Office of Management and Budget openly criticized a report from a Congressional watchdog that estimated the federal government loses up to $521 billion a year to fraud. Jason Miller, the deputy director for management at the Office of Management and Budget, detailed OMB concerns in a 3-page letter to officials with the Government Accountability Office. He said the fraud estimate was "not plausible." Full Story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_36e9fdba-fccb-11ee-ad77-57171fd78925.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., has set up a week of controversy, political posturing and even risked his own job over federal funding for Israel, Taiwan, and Ukraine. The Senate passed a $95 billion aid package earlier this year that combined Israel and Ukraine funding that included $60 billion for Ukraine and $14.1 billion for Israel. That bill made no progress in the House so far, but the escalating tensions between Iran and Israel have pushed the issue to the forefront. Full Story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_c40105ae-fc12-11ee-b11a-339751511969.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A coalition of states has filed a legal challenge to President Joe Biden’s latest executive effort to forgive a portion of Americans' student loan debt. The lawsuit comes after Biden on Monday announced the plan, which the states in question say is an overreach of executive authority. The White House claims that Biden has so far canceled at least some of the debt for 4 million Americans, totaling $146 billion so far. The White House said the newest effort would partially forgive debt for 30 million Americans, though independent analyses have not confirmed that figure. Full Story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_80cc5f48-f688-11ee-82c6-93cf698c33d0.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden this week touted what he called a major drop in inflation, saying prices had fallen more than 60%. Those comments come on the heels of more federal data showing prices are on the rise, raising the question: Has inflation really fallen or is something else going on? The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics released its Consumer Price Index, a key marker of inflation that has spiked recently. BLS found the CPI rose another 0.4% last month, part of a 3.5% increase over the previous twelve months. Soon after that data was released, Biden released a statement boasting of a drop in inflation. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The federal government reported hundreds of billions of taxpayer dollars in improper payments last fiscal year and trillions over the last two decades. According to a new report from the Government Accountability Office, the federal government reported $236 billion in improper payments in fiscal year 2023. The true number, though, is actually much higher, but federal reporting is often lacking. “GAO has found that these payments represent a material deficiency or weakness in internal controls,” GAO said. “Specifically, GAO has noted that the federal government is unable to determine the full extent of its improper payments or to reasonably assure that appropriate actions are taken to reduce them.” Full Story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_e0f897fc-f137-11ee-811d-5b4aa35ab139.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Republican members of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security are demanding answers from Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas after learning that Border Patrol agents are releasing known or suspected terrorists (KSTs) into the country. The demand comes after Republican members led the charge to impeach Mayorkas in February and after FBI Director Christopher Wray testified before Congress expressing concerns about those illegally entering the U.S. with ties to the terrorist group ISIS. Full Story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_24207312-f2b7-11ee-9fd7-df016d720a58.html Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn, R-Tenn., blasted the Biden administration Wednesday for cutting back on a federal effort to increase union accountability and transparency. The Center Square exclusively obtained a letter this week that was sent from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management to 10 U.S. senators. In the letter, OPM Director Kiran Ahuja defended the agency’s decision to remove a webpage built to hold unions accountable. The federal webpage in question included data on “official time,” a common practice where federal employees use work time to do union business and are therefore paid by taxpayers to do so. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Americans want states to have a role in stopping the flood of illegal immigration, which comes as the federal government and Texas grapple over who has the right to secure the southern border amidst the ongoing crisis there. According to the survey, 29% said border states, 29% said the federal government, and 37% said a combination of both should have the final say on immigration policy. The rest are unsure. This new poll comes as the Biden administration and Texas Gov. Greg Abbott are embroiled in a legal battle over what Abbott says is the state's right to defend itself from an invasion. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments Monday in a case evaluating how the federal government censored Americans’ speech online, especially about COVID-19 and other controversial topics. During the arguments, justices seemed to express doubts about a prior ruling that limited federal cooperation and coercion of social media companies, particularly when the federal government pushes those companies to censor Americans’ speech. “My biggest concern is that your view has the First Amendment hamstringing the government in significant ways in most important time periods,” Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson said during oral arguments for Murthy v. Missouri Monday. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

(The Center Square) – Former President Donald Trump is narrowly beating President Joe Biden in a head-to-head faceoff going into November, a new national poll shows. The Center Square’s Voter’s Voice poll conducted with Noble Predictive Insights was released Wednesday, showing Trump beating Biden 46%-45% with likely voters. The rest are unsure. When you include options to vote for third party candidates as well, Trump’s lead over Biden grows. When the poll includes Robert F. Kennedy Jr., Cornel West and Jill Stein, Trump’s lead grows to 3 points. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

FBI Director Christopher Wray on Monday confirmed that a smuggling organization working with the terrorist organization ISIS is funneling criminals through the U.S. border. He also said the FBI is currently investigating its operations that “we’re very concerned about.” In a U.S. Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing held on Monday on worldwide threats to the United States, U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Florida, asked Wray about threats coming through the U.S. border. “Over the last three years, millions of people crossed the U.S. border illegally and many have been released into the country,” Rubio said, asking first about “people with ties to dangerous gangs.” Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden's budget proposal seeks to set aside billions of dollars to push progressive gender, sexuality and race ideology at home and around the globe. Released this week, the $7.3 trillion budget also proposes spending hundreds of millions of taxpayer dollars to train school teachers in diversity, equity, and inclusion dogma. The White House touted the spending in its announcement of Biden’s budget, which includes $3 billion to “advance gender equity and equality worldwide.” Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former U.N. ambassador and South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley dropped out of the Republican presidential primary Wednesday and declined to endorse former President Donald Trump. "I am filled with the gratitude for the outpouring of support we have received from all across our great country, but the time has now come to suspend my campaign," Haley said during her remarks. "I said I wanted Americans to have their voices heard. I have done that." Haley said she has no regrets. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

President Joe Biden delivered a wide-ranging State of the Union address Thursday evening, touching on the economy, Ukraine, the border and more while attacking Republicans during his remarks, possibly his last time to give the address as president. “Good evening, if I were smart I’d go home now,” Biden said to begin, drawing laughs from the assembly. Biden quickly turned serious, though, saying that freedom and Democracy have not been under such great threat since the Civil War, making reference to the Jan. 6 riots. He said that the same threat is abroad, beginning his speech focusing not on domestic issues, but on the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In his first trip to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas since he took office, President Joe Biden blamed Republicans for the border crisis that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, 25 Republican governors, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and many others argue he created. Biden arrived in Brownsville on Thursday afternoon and met with local law enforcement, Border Patrol agents and Democratic officials around the same time that former President Donald Trump arrived in Del Rio, Texas, and met with Abbott and Republican officials. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former President Donald Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in Michigan’s Republican presidential primary while President Joe Biden cruised to an easy victory on the Democrats' side. The races were called within an hour of polls closing, with the GOP primary determined with about 80% of the vote counted. Biden received more than 126,000 votes while the “uncommitted” spot received more than 23,000 votes, a vote protesting the Israel-Hamas conflict and the U.S’s continual funding of the war. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The rise of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses often feature protesters calling for violence against Jews, leading to Jewish students feeling unsafe and frustrated by the lack of response from school administrators and federal officials. Pro-Palestine sentiment is not new to many of these campuses, but the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians and the ensuing war in Gaza have sparked far more frequent and zealous demonstrations. For Ethan Melman, a born-and-raised Chicagoan attending the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, that issue came to a head last fall when he, a Jewish student, attended one of the pro-Palestine protests to investigate. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

James Biden, the president’s brother, testified before lawmakers Wednesday in the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The testimony comes as the indictment of a key witness in the inquiry has left Republicans playing defense and Democrats calling for the inquiry to end. Several media outlets reported Wednesday that during his opening statement, James defended his brother, President Biden, saying the president was not involved in his dealings and did not financially benefit from those deals. House Republicans on the Oversight, Judiciary and Ways and Means Committees are leading the inquiry, alleging that the Biden family and associates, with the president’s knowledge, raked in more than $20 million from entities in adversarial nations, including Russia and China. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

In its second vote attempt in exactly a week, the U.S. House on Tuesday night impeached Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who becomes the first sitting cabinet member to be impeached in U.S. history. Mayorkas was impeached largely along party lines by a vote of 214-213, with three Republicans voting with 210 Democrats against. As more than 10 million illegal border crossers entered the country in three years and a record number of known or suspected terrorists have been apprehended under Mayorkas’ watch, House Committee on Homeland Security Chairman Mark Green, MD, R-Tenn., led the charge to impeach him. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial date, in a case involving porn actress Stormy Daniels, will be March 25. A New York judge rejected a request from Trump to dismiss the case. He faces charges in multiple states while commanding the lead for the Republican nomination in the presidential race. His lawyers, appearing before Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, said the case will interfere with his campaign to return to the White House. Trump has three other prosecutions unresolved, one of which involved a district attorney under heavy scrutiny in Georgia on Thursday. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

All nine U.S. Supreme Court justices challenged constitutional arguments for removing former President Donald Trump from Colorado’s 2024 presidential primary ballot during arguments before the court on Thursday. During arguments scheduled to last 80 minutes, the justices spent almost 130 minutes listening to and questioning three attorneys: Jonathan Mitchell representing Trump, Jason Murray representing six Colorado Republicans who filed suit last year to remove the former president from the ballot, and Shannon Stevenson representing the Colorado secretary of state. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday against impeaching U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with four Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against impeachment. The vote was 216 to 214 after one Republican changed his vote from "aye" to "nay," breaking what initially appeared to be a 215-215 tie. After the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson sought to have a revote, which hasn't happen. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualified purchases) Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

A visibly upset President Joe Biden addressed the nation late Thursday to respond to news that the special counsel tasked with investigating his handling of classified documents had chosen not to charge him, but also detailed numerous examples of his memory loss. The blockbuster special counsel report, while clearing Biden, sparked questions about Biden’s mental fitness when it called him an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Biden is 81 years old. "My memory is fine," Biden fired back before getting hostile with reporters who asked about his mental fitness to serve as president. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan tax bill with a vote of 357-70 late Wednesday, but that bill now faces an uncertain future in the Senate. The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act had bipartisan support after months of behind-the-scenes deals involving both parties. Whether the Senate can get the bill passed, though, remains unclear. The Senate faces several other deadlines, including a March deadline to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Act, two looming government shutdown deadlines the same month, as well as a border bill and a potential spending bill for Israel, Taiwan and Ukraine. Meanwhile, the potential impeachment of Homeland Security Secretary could soon land in the Senate’s lap. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.