Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) sparked controversy on the House floor when he referred to non-white Americans serving in the U.S. military as “colored people” while proposing an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act. Rep. Joyce Beatty (D-Ohio) argued that Crane's language was "offensive and unacceptable" and that it was "unfortunate that we have to debate an amendment that seeks to limit the progress of people of color and women." Crane argued that his amendment was meant to ensure that recruitment and promotion decisions were based on merit, rather than on any other ideological concepts. The amendment was ultimately voted down, highlighting the ongoing struggle to ensure that recruitment and promotion decisions in the military are based on merit.
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This article discusses the current situation in the Senate regarding President Joe Biden's nomination of Julie Su to serve as Secretary of Labor. Sen. Joe Manchin (D-WV) has announced his opposition to Su, likely dooming her chances of confirmation in the narrowly divided Senate. Under a 1946 law, amended in 1986, Su is permitted to continue to run the department without being confirmed, leaving the Democrats to decide how to move forward in order to ensure the Department of Labor is led by an experienced and qualified leader.
After two weeks of negotiations between the Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG-AFTRA) and the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) failed to reach an agreement, SAG-AFTRA has voted to go on strike. The union's chief negotiator, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, said the strike will begin at midnight and affect 65,000 actors, potentially crippling film and TV productions across the U.S. and impacting the entertainment industry.
Alexander Mashinsky, the former CEO of Celsius Network, was arrested on Thursday on federal fraud charges. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) alleged that Mashinsky misled customers about key aspects of the business and illegally manipulated the price of Celsius’s proprietary crypto token. The company agreed to pay a $4.7 billion settlement with government regulators, one of the largest in the FTC’s history, and the settlement highlights repeated deceptions by Celsius and Mashinsky. The indictment against Mashinsky is a sign that the government is taking a hard line against crypto-related fraud.
A federal jury in Pittsburgh has determined that Robert Bowers, the gunman responsible for the 2018 attack on the Tree of Life synagogue, is eligible for the death penalty. The jury concluded that Bowers had formed the legal intent to kill, despite his lawyers' argument that his mental illness and delusional beliefs had impaired his ability to form intent. The jury's decision sets the stage for further evidence and testimony to determine whether Bowers should be sentenced to death or life in prison, with prosecutors presenting evidence to support the death penalty and the defense presenting evidence in favor of a life sentence.
The U.S. Secret Service has concluded its investigation into the discovery of a bag of cocaine at the White House earlier this month, unable to identify a suspect due to a lack of physical evidence. The agency compiled a list of "several hundred" people who may have accessed the area, but no usable fingerprints or DNA were detected. The Secret Service has closed its investigation and will continue to be vigilant in its efforts to protect the White House.
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis has called on former President Donald Trump to “step up” and join the first GOP primary debate next month, emphasizing that no one is entitled to the nomination and that Trump should participate to “earn it with his vision.” DeSantis himself will be attending the debate in Milwaukee on August 23rd and the FAMiLY Leadership Summit event in Iowa hosted by Tucker Carlson. It is still unclear whether or not Trump will participate in the debate.
Key takeaways: The Justice Department has filed court papers to appeal the 18-year prison sentence handed down to Stewart Rhodes, the founder of the far-right…