Lake Mead’s decline points to scary water future in West
The Hoover Dam is seeing record-low water levels, a significant and scary development with major implications for water and climate in the entire American Southwest.
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Over 40% increase in killed police officers so far in 2021
The number of police officers intentionally rammed by vehicles, killed by gunfire, or stabbed to death has increased over 40% throughout the first six months of 2021 compared to last year as crime in major cities in the United States continues to rise, a review by the Washington Examiner found.
Texas ‘trigger bill’ would automatically outlaw abortion if Roe v. Wade overturned
A bill signed this week by Texas Gov. Greg Abbott would prohibit abortion in that state in the event that the landmark Roe v. Wade Supreme Court ruling is overturned.
Georgia audit documents expose significant election failures in state’s largest county
Documents that Georgia’s largest county submitted to state officials as part of a post-election audit highlight significant irregularities in the Atlanta area during last November’s voting, ranging from identical vote tallies repeated multiple times to large batches of absentee ballots that appear to be missing from the official ballot-scanning records.
Supreme Court rules for Catholic foster care agency in gay discrimination dispute
The Supreme Court on Thursday ruled for a Catholic-run foster care agency in a dispute over Philadelphia’s nondiscrimination policy against gay and transgender people.
Supreme Court upholds ObamaCare law, dismissing challenge from red states
The Supreme Court kept the Affordable Care Act alive Thursday, ruling in a 7-2 decision that Texas and 17 other states – plus two individuals – lacked standing to challenge its constitutionality.
DeSantis: Florida to send law enforcement to Mexico border to combat immigration ‘crisis’
Flanked by dozens of state troopers, sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement personnel in Pensacola, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday that Florida will send its own law enforcement officers to the Mexican border in Arizona and Texas to combat what DeSantis called a “created crisis” at the southern border that he claims has led to increased criminal activity in Florida.
Abbott bans Texas government from closing places of worship with religious freedom law
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a law banning state agencies and public officials from closing houses of worship.
Fed officials now say they expect to raise rates by 2023
The Federal Reserve has decided to keep interest rates near zero even as too-high inflation concerns continue to percolate.
Texas has begun building wall along border, Abbott says
The state of Texas launched border wall construction along its border with Mexico, marking the first step in building a barrier to prevent noncitizens from illegally crossing into the United States.
Federal judge blocks Biden’s bans on leases for drilling for oil and gas on public lands
A federal judge in Louisiana has blocked President Biden’s temporary ban on new leases to drill for oil and gas on public lands, setting back his efforts on climate change.
Florida Gov. DeSantis Signs Bill Requiring ‘Moment of Silence’ for School Prayer
Florida’s Republican Governor Ron DeSantis has signed a bill that would require at least one minute of silence, and possibly more, in public schools at the beginning of every day, so children can pray or meditate.
Virginia school board appealing against reinstatement of teacher suspended for objecting to transgender policy
Virginia’s Loudoun County Public Schools (LCPS) board has said it is appealing against a Circuit Court order that reinstated Christian teacher Tanner Cross, who had been suspended for refusing to address children by a gender pronoun of the opposite sex, CBN News reports. LCPS said it “respectfully disagrees with the Circuit Court’s decision to order the reinstatement of Cross to his position at Leesburg Elementary school.
House Republicans demand Congress reviews any new Iran nuclear deal
Republican members of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs have sent a letter to Secretary of State Antony Blinken demanding a congressional review of any nuclear agreements reached with Iran.
Nevada to pay church $175,000 for legal fees in lawsuit against pandemic restrictions
Nevada is to pay Calvary Chapel Dayton Valley church $175,000 for legal fees it incurred in its lawsuit against state COVID-19 restrictions on houses of worship, the Christian Post reports. The Nevada Board of Examiners unanimously approved a request from the Office of the Attorney General to pay the funds as the result of a tort claim.
Drought causes largest US reservoir to reach lowest level since 1930s
An increasingly severe drought across the Southwestern United States has resulted in Lake Mead, America’s largest reservoir, reaching its lowest level of water since the 1930s on Wednesday, Axios reports. The Southwest is currently suffering the most severe and widespread drought of this century.
Wisconsin Supreme Court: local health departments have no power to shut schools in emergencies
Delivering a victory to private and religious schools, the Wisconsin Supreme Court ruled Friday that, while the state’s Department of Health does have legislated power to shut schools in emergency situations like the COVID-19 pandemic, local health authorities do not have that power, Fox6 reports. The conservative majority court gave the ruling in a 4-3 decision.
Supreme Court sides against Biden administration in drug sentencing case
The Supreme Court on Monday found that certain low-level crack cocaine offenders are not eligible for sentencing reductions, a repudiation of the Biden administration’s late case change in opinion.
Federal judge dismisses lawsuit from Texas hospital employees over COVID vaccine requirement
A federal judge on Saturday dismissed a lawsuit brought by some employees of a Texas hospital over its requirement that workers be vaccinated against COVID-19, CBS affiliate KHOU-TV reports. Nearly 200 employees at Houston Methodist were suspended without pay last week for their failure to get fully vaccinated, per the hospital system’s requirements.
Judge halts Biden’s race-based aid for farmers, says challenge is ‘likely to succeed’
A Wisconsin federal judge ordered a temporary halt to a $4 billion race-based federal relief program for farmers on Thursday.