PN>>18129496, >>18129667, >>18129968 Republicans see new reason to investigate Joe Biden, may have mishandled classified documents
Is anyone going to search his or brothers island in the Bahamas? So many places to search.
Former Nebraskas GOP Gov. Ricketts appoint to fill seat of outgoing Republican Sen. Sasse
Ricketts was appointed by Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen.
Updated: January 12, 2023 - 10:40am
Former Nebraska GOP Gov. Pete Ricketts was appointed Thursday to fill the Senate seat of Republican Sen. Benn Sasse, wh officially resigned this week to become president of the University of Florida.
Ricketts was appointed by Nebraska Republican Gov. Jim Pillen.
Ricketts will serve the remaining two years of Sasse's six-year term, ahead of a 2024 special Senate election, according to NBC News.
https://justthenews.com/government/congress/former-nebraskas-gop-gov-ricketts-appoint-fill-seat-outgoing-republican-sen
Pete Ricketts
United States Senator-designate from Nebraska
Assuming office
January 23, 2023
Appointed by Jim Pillen
Succeeding Ben Sasse
40th Governor of Nebraska
In office
January 8, 2015 – January 5, 2023
Lieutenant Mike Foley
Preceded by Dave Heineman
Succeeded by Jim Pillen
Chair of the Republican Governors Association
In office
November 19, 2021 – November 17, 2022
Serving with Doug Ducey
Preceded by Doug Ducey
Succeeded by Kim Reynolds
Children 3
Relatives Joe Ricketts (father)
Marlene Volkmer (mother)
Thomas S. Ricketts (brother)
Laura Ricketts (sister)
Todd Ricketts (brother)
Education University of Chicago (BA, MBA)
John Peter Ricketts (born August 19, 1964) is an American politician who is the United States Senator-designate for the state of Nebraska. He previously served as the 40th governor of Nebraska from 2015 to 2023. He is a member of the Republican Party.
Ricketts is the son ofJoe Ricketts, founder of TD Ameritrade. He is also, with other family members, a part owner of Major League Baseball's Chicago Cubs.[1] In 2006, he ran for the U.S. Senate against incumbent Ben Nelson, losing in a landslide. He ran for the Nebraska governorship in 2014, narrowly winning a six-way Republican primary, and defeated Democratic Party nominee Chuck Hassebrook, 57% to 39%. He was reelected in 2018, defeating Democratic nominee Bob Krist, 59% to 41%.
In January 2023, Ricketts was appointed by his successor Governor Jim Pillen to be the replacement choice for retiring U.S. Senator Ben Sasse.[2]
2006 U.S. Senate campaign
Main article: 2006 United States Senate election in Nebraska
Ricketts was the 2006 Republican nominee for the U.S. Senate seat held by Democrat Ben Nelson. His opponents in the primary were former Nebraska Attorney General Don Stenberg and former state Republican chairman David Kramer. Ricketts spent nearly $5 million of his own money, outspending his opponents 10–1 in winning the nomination.[19]
Ricketts received somehigh-profile campaign assistance, most notably from President George W. Bush and Vice President Dick Cheney. Bush appeared at a campaign rally for Ricketts on November 5, 2006, just days before the election, in Grand Island, Nebraska.
Ricketts ran on a conservative platform, emphasizing fiscal responsibility,[20] immigration reform,[21] and agriculture,[22] as well as championing a socially conservative platform opposing same-sex marriage[23] and abortion.[24] In all, he contributed $11,302,078 of his own money to his campaign, triggering the Millionaire's Amendment which allowed his opponent to raise larger amounts from each donor.[25][26] He spent more money than any Senate candidate in Nebraska history,[27] but lost to Nelson by a margin of 36%–64%.[28]
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pete_Ricketts
FBI raids alleged Chinese police outpost in New York's Chinatown, report
Chinese officials have described the outposts as "overseas police service centers" that effectively collect intelligence and solve crimes.
By Madeleine Hubbard
Updated: January 12, 2023 - 10:25am
FBI counterintelligence agents reportedly raided an office building that contained an alleged covert Chinese police outpost in New York's Chinatown. Theraid last fallwas part of a criminal probe from the U.S. attorney's office in Brooklyn, according to people with knowledge of the investigation, The New York Times reported Thursday.
Beijing's outpost is one of more than100 similar officesaround the world suspected of carrying out police activities without jurisdiction or diplomatic authorization. Officials in Ireland, Canada and the Netherlands have called for the Chinese Communist Party to end police activities in their countries.
"The F.B.I. raid is the first known example of the authorities seizing materials from one of the outposts," the Times stated. The Chinese Embassy in Washington said volunteers run the outposts to assist Chinese nationals in tasks such as renewing their licenses in China.
"They are not police personnel from China," embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said. "There is no need to make people nervous about this."
However, Chinese state media reports reviewed by the paper show thatChinese officials have described the outposts as "overseas police service centers" that effectively collect intelligence and solve crimes.
Netherlands-based Chinese dissident Lin Shengliang said he and other expats are concerned they are being tracked. "I am extremely anxious about them," he said. "There are no channels to report this, and there’s nothing we can do about it."
China has a history of surveilling both dissidents and foreign citizens abroad. Last month, the FBI arrested a Chinese national for allegedly harassing a pro-Democracy activist from China at a Boston college. Meanwhile last year, the Federal Communications Commission called the popular Chinese-owned video platform TikTok "a sophisticated surveillance tool."
https://justthenews.com/government/security/fbi-raids-alleged-chinese-police-outpost-new-yorks-chinatown-report
Pennsylvania Senate indefinitely delays impeachment of Philly DA Krasner(Cowards)
After a state court ruled Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s time in office did not constitute misbehavior, the Pennsylvania Senate has voted for an indefinite delay of his impeachment trial.
By Anthony Hennen
Updated: January 12, 2023 - 7:48am
After a state court ruled that Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner’s time in office did not constitute misbehavior, the Pennsylvania Senate has voted for an indefinite delay of his impeachment trial.
State senators voted 28-20 on Monday to delay impeachment indefinitely while readopting the rules of impeachment.
The trial was set to take plan in late January but no new date has been proposed.
In early January, the Commonwealth Court ruled the actions of Krasner alleged in the articles of impeachment did not rise to the level of “misbehavior in office.”It did not, however, dismiss the impeachment proceedings.
The House voted to impeach Krasner in November based on Republican lawmakers’ arguments thatKrasner failed to enforce the laws of Philadelphia and prosecute criminals, spurring a recent crime wave sweeping across the city. Though the House decided to impeach, the trial itself would be conducted by the Senate.
Other cities in the commonwealth, such as Pittsburgh and Harrisburg, have also seen a rise in crime – especially murder – but Philadelphia’s murder increase has stood out in comparison. It’s unclear when a date for the trial would be established.
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/pennsylvania-senate-indefinitely-delays-impeachment-philly-da-krasner
Arizona’s growing school choice program saving taxpayers money, analysis finds
Nonprofit report comes as new Democrat Gov. Katie Hobbs said the expansion of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program would bankrupt the state’s budget.
By Cole Lauterbach
Updated: January 11, 2023 - 11:00pm
In her Jan. 9 State of the State address,Gov. Katie Hobbs said the expansion of Arizona’s Empowerment Scholarship Account program would bankrupt the state’s budget.
“Funding this expansion is poised to cost Arizona taxpayers an estimated $1.5 billion over the next 10 years if left unaddressed,” she said.
In an analysis released Wednesday, the nonprofit Common Sense Institute posits that theshift of students away from public schools is likely to save enough money to cover the increaseand leave the state with more income than it had before.
According to Arizona Department of Education data, public school enrollment has fallen by 31,000 students since 2019. Meanwhile, charter school enrollment has increased by 20,000.
Arizona’s ESA program, which allows applicants to spend a portion of taxpayer dollars on private school costs, has dramatically expanded since it was made available to all students in 2021. The institute’s analysis of state spending shows 20,000 additional students are expected to draw funds from the program for their non-public school education.
“Based on current data, the increase in annual ESA program costs attributable to universal eligibility is $197.9 million. Existing program costs add another approximately $179 million, for a total cost of about $377 million,” the report said. “While the cost of the ESA’s program under universal eligibility exceeds the additional $33 million initially appropriated by the Legislature, the Arizona Department of Education likely has sufficient excess funding to more than cover the difference, due to continued post-pandemic enrollment declines.”
Using ADE data, CSI estimates an $8 million end-of-year surplus as of the first quarter of the year, given system-wide enrollment trends.
The report came on the same day newly-elected Superintendent Tom Horne announced ADE had approved 24,366 delayed ESA requests, totaling more than $22.2 million delayed since the second quarter of 2022.
“When I took office, the commitment I made is that the Arizona Department of Education is a service organization committed to raising academic outcomes and empowering parents. On my first day on the job, I demonstrated my resolve to fulfill that mission. Delays and inefficiencies of this kind are unacceptable and won’t be repeated,” Horne said.
https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/despite-increased-use-analysis-says-arizonas-school-choice-program
GOP leadership faces surging revolt as support for McConnell, party chair thrown into question
Ronna McDaniel and Mitch McConnell are being challenged by Republican donors, lawmakers, and party officials.
Updated: January 12, 2023 - 12:13am
(YES DO IT!)
A growing number of Republican donors, officials, and lawmakers are distancing themselves from GOP Chairwoman Ronna McDaniel and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, signaling frustration within the party's current leadership.
House Republicans and former President Donald Trump have been publicly critical of McConnell for approving the year-end $1.7 trillion omnibus spending bill.
"The big problem the Republican Party has is Mitch McConnell," Trump told Just the News on Tuesday, suggesting the senator's history of big spending and family ties to China will undercut the messaging that House Republicans have mapped out for 2023.
Former congresswoman and Republican presidential candidate Michele Bachmann echoed Trump's concerns about McConnell, calling on the veteran senator to retire."People really do want a change," Bachmann told the John Solomon
Reports podcast on Wednesday. "And I hope that Mitch McConnell will take the hint and enjoy the rest of his life with his wife quietly in Kentucky. And we wish him well. I think that's exactly what former President Trump was saying. And I think that the Republican base would agree with that."
Bachmann added she doesn't think McConnell enjoys much support among the Republican base or the American people more broadly.
"One thing politicians need to realize is they have a window of time on the stage, the political stage," she explained. "I don't think Mitch McConnell understands that his time is over. And people don't want his kind of back-scratching politics, big spending politics. People are done with that. And I would hope, with all due respect, that Mitch McConnell will just recognize that and leave. I think even to leave now in his term would be wise, and to hand the reins over."
Rep. Ralph Norman (R-S.C.) expressed similar sentiments on the "Just the News, No Noise" television program on Wednesday, saying McConnell doesn't stand for conservative principles and should step aside.
"His time has come and gone," said Norman. "Mitch McConnell is a problem that's standing in the way of America being great again. And Donald Trump is exactly right and others. The base senses that, and you just cannot continue under his rule … the American people are going to have to let their senators know they're not going to stand for Mitch McConnell."
As Republicans increasingly abandon McConnell, they're doing the same with McDaniel as she seeks another term in what's become a highly contested reelection bid for RNC chair.
The latest blow came on Wednesday, when one of the country's foremost conservative donors endorsed attorney and former Trump campaign adviser Harmeet Dhillon, who's challenging McDaniel to be the next chair of the Republican National Committee.
"I am supporting Harmeet Dhillon to become the next chairwoman of the RNC because America's path forward is at stake,"Home Depot cofounder Bernie Marcuswrote in a letter to RNC members obtained by Just the News…
Marcus' endorsement came after more thantwo dozen major GOP donors collectively endorsed Dhillonin a separate letter published Monday.
https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/gop-leadership-faces-surging-revolt-support-mcconnell-party-chair-thrown
Devin Nunes applauds Adam Schiff's expulsion from House Intel Committee, says it should go further
"I'm not sure that he should have any committees," Nunes said.
Updated: January 11, 2023 - 8:07pm
Former California GOP Representative and current CEO of TRUTH Social Devin Nunes says that it’s good that Democrat Rep. Adam Schiff is now off the House Intelligence Committee, and he shouldn't be on any others.
"I'm not sure that he should have any committees," Nunes said on Wednesday's edition of the "Just the News, No Noise" TV show. "He belongs nowhere around intelligence. He was a guy that lied for many, many years, lied about me, attacked me attacked my staff — which I think was a really low blow."
When Schiff was chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, he released information regarding Devin Nunes's phone calls and information regarding reporters. New York GOP Rep. Elise Stefanik characterized Schiff's actions as being illegal and unethical.
House Speaker Kevin McCarthy confirmed on Monday he would be booting Reps. Adam Schiff, Eric Swalwell and Ilhan Omar from their House committees.
"I think what Speaker McCarthy is doing is exactly the right thing to be doing right now," Nunes said. "In fact, like I said, the only thing I think they're missing is the need to kick him off all committees.There's probably other Democratic members who should be kicked off also."
The TRUTH Social CEO accused former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi of damaging Congress by setting this precedent.
"The problem is that Pelosi destroyed the Congress," Nunes stated. "Back in the old days, this would not happen. The Republicans would pick the Republicans on committees and Democrats picked Democrats. But no one's ever going to forget the January 6 fake committee. Jim Jordan, my longtime colleague was placed on the committee as a lead Republican, and was immediately kicked off by Pelosi. Because of that, there is now a new normal."
https://justthenews.com/government/congress/devin-nunes-applauds-adam-schiffs-expulsion-house-intel-committee-says-it
SCOTUS declines to block New York's concealed carry regulation, pending litigation
(This title is a misrepresentation of what the SC stated, see at the bottom)
New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney lamented the court's refusal to halt the law's implementation.
Updated: January 11, 2023 - 5:08pm
The Supreme Court on Wednesday declined to block a New York law restricting concealed carry from taking effect.
In June of 2022, the Supreme Court struck down a New York requirement that concealed carry permit applicants demonstrate a need to carry a firearm. In turn, the state legislature passed the sweeping Concealed Carry Improvement Act, including an exhaustive list of "sensitive locations" in which permitholders could not lawfully carry.
That law has since been the subject of considerable legal scrutiny, with a U.S. District Judge imposing an injunction on the law from taking effect last year. The Second Circuit Court of Appeals had stayed that injunction without specifying its reason. Plaintiffs had asked the nation's top court to reimpose the injunction, which the court declined to do.
A statement from Associate Justice Samuel Alito, whom Associated Justice Clarence Thomas joined, noted that the Second Circuit has previously "issued unreasoned summary stay orders, but in those cases it has ordered expedited briefing" and encouraged plaintiffs to again seek relief " if the Second Circuit does not, within a reasonable time, provide an explanation for its stay order or expedite consideration of the appeal."
New York Republican Rep. Claudia Tenney lamented the court's refusal to halt the law's implementation, saying on Twitter that "I am disappointed that SCOTUS did not stop NY’s unconstitutional CCIA from going into effect."
"The Supreme Court must intervene like they did in NYSRPA v. Bruen," she continued, referencing the court's 2022 ruling that ended the state's "proper cause" requirement for permit applicants.
https://justthenews.com/government/courts-law/scotus-declines-block-new-yorks-concealed-carry-law-pending-litigation
Statement of ALITO , J. (Explaining that the other courts had to finish their work, and don’t hesitate to come back if they don’t do it in a timely manner)
SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES
The New York law at issue in this application presents novel and serious questions under both the First and the Second Amendments. The District Court found, in a thorough opinion, that the applicants were likely to succeed on number of their claims, and it issued a preliminary injunction as to twelve provisions of the challenged law.
I understand the Court’s denial today to reflect respect for the Second Circuit’s procedures in managing its own docket, rather than expressing any view on the merits of the case.Applicants should not be deterred by today’s order from again seeking reliefif the Second Circuit does not,
within a reasonable time, provide an explanation for its stay order or expedite consideration of the appeal.