America's Talking

(The Center Square) – The U.S. House in a late night vote passed Republicans’ $9 billion rescissions package, delivering another win for President Donald Trump and his promise to cut federal spending. The measure, which cuts already appropriated federal spending on some foreign aid projects and public broadcasting programs, passed 216-213 in the House, the final voted needed to send it to Trump's desk for his signature. Two Republicans – U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Mike Turner, R-Ohio, joined all Democrats in voting against the measure. Originally clawing back a total of $9.4 billion, the package now revokes roughly $7.9 billion in “woke” foreign aid programs and $1.1 billion meant to fund the Corporation for Public Broadcasting, which finances NPR, PBS and some radio stations. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx [https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx] Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_0cb0c42e-56a3-4e84-9c7c-efae2f14222e.html [https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_0cb0c42e-56a3-4e84-9c7c-efae2f14222e.html]

(The Center Square) − Court records reviewed by The Center Square show a pattern in which defendants in Orleans Parish initially facing multiple felony weapons charges have had the vast majority of those charges dismissed, often as part of plea deals that result in minimal jail time and little long-term supervision. Meanwhile, the Orleans Parish District Attorney's office, led by District Attorney Jason Williams, revealed last week that they have refused nearly 40% of felony cases in the last year. Take the case of Tyrone Howard, for instance. Arrested in September 2023 and charged with eight counts of possession of a firearm by a felon, along with illegal weapons possession and drug charges, Howard was facing a potential years-long sentence if convicted on all counts.  Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx [https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx] Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_741d224e-e7a7-47d2-af48-99c78e90a1e9.html [https://www.thecentersquare.com/louisiana/article_741d224e-e7a7-47d2-af48-99c78e90a1e9.html]

(The Center Square) – Ten people have been arrested so far in a “planned ambush” of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers in north Texas. On July 4, the Alvarado Police Department announced that one of its police officers had been shot in the neck after responding to a call without stating the incident occurred outside of an immigration facility. It was the first of two officer involved shootings outside of a federal immigration facility in Texas this week, The Center Square first reported. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx [https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx] Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_a0a1ea2f-c61f-4311-8846-0726c9175e9b.html [https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_a0a1ea2f-c61f-4311-8846-0726c9175e9b.html]

(The Center Square) – Gov. Greg Abbott announced a new agenda for a special legislative session to begin July 21. After the regular legislative session concluded in May, Abbott vetoed 26 bills and called a special session to address six legislative priorities, The Center Square reported. After the historic July 4 flooding and catastrophic loss of life, he announced a revised session agenda that prioritizes emergency preparedness and many other issues. The session will convene at noon July 21 and last for 30 days with the possibility of being extended by another 30 days. Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx [https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx] Full story:  Gov. Abbott revises special session agenda to include emergency preparedness [https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_dd839963-85c5-4d61-bf58-d62df31b4a94.html] Texas Hill Country death toll reaches 119, with 173 missing statewide [https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_b45518af-a35c-481c-85af-ca37a07da139.html] Meteorologists debunk 'cloud seeding conspiracy theorists' [https://www.thecentersquare.com/texas/article_41c34233-199d-41da-a73a-cf977186ad52.html]

(The Center Square) – President Donald Trump traveled to Florida Tuesday to visit ‘Alligator Alcatraz,’ the new, quickly constructed immigrant detention center that will hold up to 5,000 foreign nationals facing deportation. “Very soon, this facility will house some of the most menacing migrants, some of the most vicious people on the planet,” Trump said at a panel Tuesday. The facility – which might ultimately look more like a deportation camp – is the nearly 40-square-mile Dade-Collier Training and Transition Airport in Miami-Dade County. Nestled amidst the wetlands of the Big Cypress National Preserve and with a nearly 11,000-foot runway, it was selected to be quickly transformed into a deportation site. It is typically used for military training.   Support this podcast: https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx [https://secure.anedot.com/franklin-news-foundation/ce052532-b1e4-41c4-945c-d7ce2f52c38a?source_code=xxxxxx] Full story: https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_7908ce1e-4815-4e6e-ad2a-353ff30e71d3.html [https://www.thecentersquare.com/national/article_7908ce1e-4815-4e6e-ad2a-353ff30e71d3.html]