Date: December 9, 2022
Host: Jim Schneider
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Here’s a brief look at some of the stories that made the cut for this week’s edition of the News Round-Up:
–The House passed the so-called “Respect for Marriage Act” which threatens the religious liberty of all Americans that believe marriage is the exclusive union of one man and one woman. It would allow individuals to sue Christian business owners who refuse to participate in same-sex ceremonies. It would jeopardize the ability of Christian adoption agencies that do not place children with so-called “married,” same-sex couples. It would force all 50 states to recognize any marriage contracted by another state, repeal the Defense of Marriage Act, and endanger the tax exempt status of faith-based non-profits. It now goes to President Biden who has promised to promptly and proudly sign it into law.
–Raphael Warnock was declared the winner of the run-off election in Georgia to give Democrats a 51 to 49 majority in the U.S. Senate.
–Arizona Senator Kyrsten Sinema has left the Democratic Party citing increasingly partisan interests and radicalization of both political parties. She is now registered as an independent.
–Elon Musk announced that former FBI attorney James Baker, who came to Twitter to serve as a deputy general counsel, has been fired after vetting recently released evidence of Twitter’s election interference unbeknownst to Musk.
–Twitter boss Elon Musk has revealed that the most important data from the social media platform’s internal communications on free speech suppression, known as the “Twitter Files,” was hidden and some may have even been deleted.
–“We’ve never had a family that has influence-pedaled to this degree.” That’s a remark from Congressman James Comer from Kentucky. He said this while talking to Sean Hannity of Fox News about the millions of dollars the Biden family received through Hunter Biden from foreign adversaries of the U.S.
–Congressional investigators are being denied access to 148 suspicious activity reports filed with the Department of the Treasury by banks concerning financial dealings of President Joe Biden’s son Hunter and brother Jim according to incoming House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan.
–Government watchdog group Judicial Watch says the U.S. Secret Service essentially is being irresponsible with its response to questions relating to an incident in which Hunter Biden apparently submitted the wrong answer on a federal form in order to buy a handgun.
–A top FBI official has stepped down just as the House Republicans have announced plans to investigate recent operations and actions at the bureau.
–According to a Politico report, Pentagon officials are concerned that Viktor Bout, the Russian arms dealer who the Biden administration freed from U.S. custody Thursday in a prisoner swap for basketball star Brittney Griner, may return to his illicit trade.
–The Griner/Bout prisoner swap sends the wrong message to American adversaries says Wisconsin Congressman Mike Gallagher.
–The U.S. covertly altered a critical weapons system sent to Ukraine in an effort to prevent Ukrainian forces from striking Russian territory amid fears of provoking Russia’s ire against the West.
–Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has been chosen Time Magazine Person of the Year.
–As of late Wednesday evening, electricity had been restored to more than 40,000 residents of Moore County, North Carolina, who had been without power since Saturday evening.
–The top Republican on the Senate Energy Committee launched an inquiry Wednesday into a Biden administration grant to a Chinese-based battery company under scrutiny from U.S. financial regulators.
