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Wednesday, March 1, 2023

Don't miss The Daybreak Daily — scroll to the bottom of these top news stories

Supreme Court Hears Oral Arguments on Student Loan Cancellation

Axios: Progressive lawmakers are accusing conservative Supreme Court judges of putting politics over legal analysis on President Biden’s student debt forgiveness plan. Those lawmakers say existing legislation gives the Biden administration the authority to eliminate debt, a decision that is in the best overall interest of the economy. Several conservative justices suggested on Tuesday that lawmakers should be involved in the Biden administration’s desire to eliminate about $400 billion in debt without congressional authorization. The court has used the “major questions doctrine” to strike down Democratic priorities like environmental regulations and COVID vaccine mandates (Axios). BBC: The Biden administration argues that, under a 2003 law known as the Higher Education Relief Opportunities for Students Act or Heroes Act, it had the power to “waive or modify” loan provisions to protect borrowers affected by “a war or other military operation or national emergency.” At oral arguments on Tuesday, government lawyers were pushed on that broad interpretation of the law (BBC). National Review: The initial signs are ominous for the Biden administration, whose only real chance of surviving these cases is to persuade the Court that none of these challengers have standing to sue (National Review).

Lori Lightfoot Loses Mayor’s Office

Fox News: Democratic Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot has lost her bid for re-election as race heads to runoff without her after no candidate reached the required 50% vote threshold to be elected. Lightfoot faced challenges from eight other candidates in the race, including Chicago Public Schools CEO and city budget director Paul Vallas, who held a significant double-digit lead in the polls ahead of Election Day (Fox News). Benny Johnson: Lori Lightfoot is OUT as Mayor of Chicago (Twitter).

Biden Asks Congress to Extend FISA Program

CBS: Biden administration officials urged Congress on Tuesday to renew a surveillance program that the U.S. government has long seen as vital in countering overseas terrorism, cyberattacks and espionage operations. The program, which is under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), grants American spy agencies sweeping powers to surveil and examine communications of foreigners located outside the United States. It’s set to expire at year’s end unless Congress agrees to renew it (CBS). Associated Press: Republicans still angry over FBI errors during the investigation into links between Russia and Trump’s 2016 Republican presidential campaign say they’re skeptical of the government’s need for broad spy powers and maintain the authorities are ripe for abuse and overreach. The new Republican majority in the U.S. House has already formed a panel on the “weaponization” of the federal government, aligning with progressive Democrats who have pushed for more curbs on warrantless surveillance (Associated Press).

China Accountability Committee Approves Seven Bills in First Meeting

CNBC: The Select Committee on the Strategic Competition Between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party was formed in January shortly after Republicans took the majority in the House. The administration’s move prompted the advancement of several bills designed to bolster U.S. national security against China. Seven out of 10 bills passed by the House Financial Services Committee Tuesday addressed China or its neighbor, Taiwan. While they would still need to clear the full House and Senate before becoming law, the volume and speed of the anti-China bills moving through the lower chamber indicate a growing chasm between Washington and Beijing (CNBC). Associated Press: The hearings come at a time of heightened rivalry and tensions between China and the United States. Both sides — the U.S. and its allies, and China — are consolidating military positions in the Indo-Pacific in case of any confrontation over self-ruled Taiwan, which China claims as its territory (Associated Press).

Mother Who Lost Children to Fentanyl Testifies Before House Homeland Security Committee

Townhall: Rebecca Kiessling from Rochester Hills, Michigan testified on Tuesday a the House Homeland Security Committee about how the ongoing crisis at the U.S.-Mexico border impacts Americans who live far from the border in form of the fentanyl crisis. Kiessling lost two sons to fentanyl poisoning after taking they thought they were taking percocets in 2020 (Townhall). Julio Rosas: Gut-wrenching opening statement from Rebecca Kiessling, who lost two sons to fentanyl poisoning, at border hearing: “You talk about children being taken away from their parents. My children were taken away from me…It’s not about race, fentanyl doesn’t care about race” (Twitter). House Homeland GOP: “Mayorkas lied and Americans are dying” – Rep. Mark Green (Twitter).

College Professors Fear Speaking Opinions for Risk of Losing Their Jobs

Daily Mail: US academics increasingly bite their tongues for fear of losing their jobs — and conservative scholars feel the heat more than their liberal counterparts, a shock campus survey has revealed. Research by the Foundation for Individual Rights and Expression (FIRE), a free speech group, found that 52 percent of professors said they worried about losing their jobs or reputations because of being misunderstood or taken out of context. Those on the right feel it the most — 72 percent of conservative respondents feared being canned for their views, compared to 56 percent of moderates and 40 percent of liberals (Daily Mail). New York Post: Free speech on campus is critical to ensuring that professors and students alike can wrestle with difficult ideas and ask tough questions. That is, after all, the very purpose of a college education. But when significant numbers of professors are being threatened and even punished for daring to being controversial, it sends a chilling message to others around them: conform or risk the same fate (New York Post).

Air Force Leaks Records to Democratic Oppo Research Firm

Fox News: Rep. Anna Paulina Luna, R-Fla., revealed that she could be the latest Republican to have her private military records allegedly leaked to a Democratic opposition research firm by the U.S. Air Force, adding to the scandal already plaguing the Department of Defense. The freshman congresswoman accused the Air Force Monday of likely leaking her own military records and failing to respond to official correspondence demanding answers about a series of leaks that has affected a number of other GOP lawmakers and former candidates (Fox News). Anna Paulina Luna: The USAF, after admitting that records of service members were wrongfully obtained, just let me know that they will need until 3/17 to give us the information we requested. Today was the deadline. The USAF leaked information of USAF candidates in the 2022 midterms to a DEMOCRAT OPPO research firm. Yes, I also have reason to believe my records were leaked. This is likely going to be a criminal investigation (Twitter).

Jim Jordan Demands to Know Why DOJ Has Not Appointed Special Counsel in Hunter Biden Investigation

Washington Examiner: Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH) is demanding documents and answers from Attorney General Merrick Garland regarding the Justice Department of Justice’s investigation of Hunter Biden. In a letter to Garland on Tuesday, Jordan expressed his concern about the “appearance of a conflict of interest” by the DOJ in not appointing a special counsel for investigations into President Joe Biden’s son. The Justice Department has been resistant to cooperating with the Jordan-led Judiciary Committee, with the department missing deadlines for requested documents relating to classified documents investigations of Joe Biden and Jordan accusing the department of being “scared to cooperate” with investigations (Daily Mail). Spencer Brown: Clearly, House Republicans are not messing around after their return to majority party status in the lower chamber of Congress, and the number of areas the Judiciary Committee — as well as Oversight and other committees — intend to bring some sunlight to the Biden administration’s machinations is refreshing after two years of uninterested Democrat “oversight” (Townhall).

Smithsonian to Include Trans Women in “American Women’s History Museum”

Daily Wire: The interim director of the Smithsonian’s new American Women’s History Museum understands DNA — well at least in a metaphorical sense. Interim director Lisa Sasaki told The New York Times that “transgender women” — AKA men pretending to be women — will be included in the potential new museum which has already received millions in funding because its “inclusivity” defines what the homage to American women is all about. Ironically, the DNA of the actual Americans found in this new museum does not matter to Sasaki. They simply have to “identify” as a woman while having made some contribution to American society deemed historic by the powers that be with this museum (Daily Wire).

10.

Football Star Seeking a New Team Looks for a State with a Friendlier Tax Code

Daily Wire: Buffalo Bills safety Jordan Poyer took a shot at New York’s political leaders over the weekend for the state’s high taxes, saying that he wants the next team that he plays for to be in a state with a much friendlier tax code (Daily Wire). Sports Illustrated: With the recent success has come a spike in compensation. The soon-to-be free agent made $5.6 million in salary in 2022, slightly more than his salaries in ’19, ’20 and ’21 combined. Poyer said on his podcast, “I would love to go to a state that doesn’t take half my money. It’s crazy to me how taxes work. Some people will say, ‘You’re already making X amount of money.’ Taxes play a big part in all of our lives” (Sports Illustrated). New York has the highest tax burden at 12.75 percent (CNBC).

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