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LANSING, Mich - Michigan taxpayers gave $2 million to Mammoth Distillery to help the company create a new whiskey recipe. The business will purchase and redevelop Pugsley Correctional Facility, which was permanently closed in 2016.

The 2025 state budget conference report (p. 115) said the money will go toward “the redevelopment of a former corrections facility in Grand Traverse County into an agricultural tourism hub.”

Rep. Betsy Coffia, D-Traverse City, whose district includes the company’s address, told CapCon told Michigan Capitol Confidential in an email that she did not request the funds. The budget does not indicate which legislator made the request.

Crain’s Grand Rapids Business in July identified Mammoth Distillery, owned by Chad Munger, as the recipient of the $2 million state grant. Munger, it said, is working with farmers to grow Rosen Rye, a cultivar that was once grown in Michigan. Click here to read more.

 

FT. MYERS, FLA - A house in Florida caught fire in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene after a Tesla burst into flames in the garage purportedly due to coming into contact with saltwater, Reuters reported.

Nine people were in the Siesta Key home Sunday night when the Tesla vehicle, a Model X Plaid caught fire, KOLOTV reported. Siesta Key, a barrier island, is located about 68 miles south of Tampa.

The homeowners told Reuters they were asleep when two of their grandchildren heard strange popping noises and woke up the elders to determine when the sound was coming from. The family ran downstairs and were shocked to see their vehicle on fire, forcing them to flee into the street. The blaze engulfed the car and garage in under a minute, Reuters reported. Click here to read more.

 

ASHEVILLE, NC - The federal government's disaster response agency doesn't have enough money to help Americans left in distress by Hurricane Helene after blowing billions on illegal migrants.

Over the last two years, the Federal Emergency Management Agency has handed out more than $1 billion taxpayer dollars to specifically support illegal migrants with housing.

But now there's no money to help out the 150,000 American citizens who have reached out for federal assistance after their homes were damaged by Hurricane Helene.  

FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season,' Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas admitted on Wednesday.

Only last week, Congress passed a funding bill for an additional $20 billion for the anticipated hurricane season. Click here to read more.

 

SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (Dakota News Now/Gray News) — We all know that famous old line our elders used to illustrate how much harder they had it when they were your age and had to walk to school.

“Ten miles, uphill, both ways, through snow.”

And one man has come about as close as anyone to this experience on a daily basis -- for six years.

So, before you bemoan your commute to work consider the daily commute of Alex Rust.

The 24-year-old doesn’t walk 10 miles both ways, but up until last week, Rust pedaled a traditional bicycle 4.2 miles each way, each workday, to and from his home on the far west side of Sioux Falls to Josiah’s Coffeehouse, Cafe & Bakery in downtown, where he works as a dishwasher.

Some of those days were beautiful, and Rust enjoyed the ride. Click here to rad more.

 

Last week, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Cella warned about dangers the Chinese Communist Party-linked Gotion battery plant pose to national security, particularly the Camp Grayling National Guard base used to train Taiwanese soldiers.

On Wednesday, federal prosecutors charged five University of Michigan graduates from China with spying on the military base as it conducted Northern Strike, one of the largest National Guard exercises in the nation that also involved the Taiwanese military, The Detroit News reports.

“Camp Grayling is the hub of the National All-Domain Warfighting Center, which trains our troops and those of our allies, including Taiwan, in strategic and tactical battle operations,” Cella told the House Committee on Oversight and Accountability during a hearing on the CCP last week, according to the Taipei Times. Click here to read more.

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WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sparked criticism Wednesday after announcing that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacks sufficient funds to support Americans through the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane season. This follows a significant allocation of emergency funds to address the migrant crisis.

“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” Mayorkas told reporters aboard Air Force One, en route to survey the damage from Hurricane Helene in North and South Carolina. “We are expecting another hurricane to hit. We do not have the funds. FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season and what is imminent.”

If you are not already, consider becoming a paid subscriber for $5 a month so I can continue to keep doing this and keeping it free for everyone to see.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allocated $640.9 million in FEMA-administered funds this year to assist state and local governments in managing the influx of asylum seekers. Critics argue that this spending has depleted FEMA’s ability to respond to natural disasters like hurricanes.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a frequent critic of Mayorkas, voiced his frustration on social media. “Mayorkas and FEMA — immediately stop spending money on illegal immigration resettlement and redirect those funds to areas hit by the hurricane. Put Americans first,” Abbott tweeted.

Billionaire Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter) and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, echoed Abbott’s sentiment, tweeting his agreement with the Texas governor.

DHS allocated $780 million last year for migrant-related expenses through FEMA's Shelter and Services Program and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has killed at least 202 people and caused severe flooding across the Southeast, a comparatively modest $4 million has been distributed directly to affected families and individuals, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

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Hurricane Helene’s damage is expected to cost billions, President Joe Biden said during a briefing in North Carolina on Wednesday, urging Congress to ensure adequate funding for recovery efforts. “It’s going to cost billions of dollars to deal with this storm and all the communities affected,” Biden said. “Congress has an obligation to ensure the states have the resources they need.”

Congressional Republicans, who are not scheduled to return to session until after Election Day, expressed outrage at the funding gap. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) tweeted, “FEMA spending over a billion dollars on illegals while they leave Americans stranded and without help is treasonous. U.S. citizens are dying. Pray for our country, folks.”

Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) added, “The Biden-Harris FEMA spent over $1 billion on funding illegal aliens. America LAST.”

As hurricane season continues, concerns over FEMA’s ability to support disaster-stricken communities remain high, with many calling for an immediate reallocation of funds to prioritize American citizens.

WASHINGTON — Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas sparked criticism Wednesday after announcing that the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) lacks sufficient funds to support Americans through the remainder of the Atlantic hurricane season. This follows a significant allocation of emergency funds to address the migrant crisis.

“We are meeting the immediate needs with the money that we have,” Mayorkas told reporters aboard Air Force One, en route to survey the damage from Hurricane Helene in North and South Carolina. “We are expecting another hurricane to hit. We do not have the funds. FEMA does not have the funds to make it through the season and what is imminent.”

If you are not already, consider becoming a paid subscriber for $5 a month so I can continue to keep doing this and keeping it free for everyone to see.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has allocated $640.9 million in FEMA-administered funds this year to assist state and local governments in managing the influx of asylum seekers. Critics argue that this spending has depleted FEMA’s ability to respond to natural disasters like hurricanes.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, a frequent critic of Mayorkas, voiced his frustration on social media. “Mayorkas and FEMA — immediately stop spending money on illegal immigration resettlement and redirect those funds to areas hit by the hurricane. Put Americans first,” Abbott tweeted.

Billionaire Elon Musk, owner of X (formerly Twitter) and CEO of Tesla and SpaceX, echoed Abbott’s sentiment, tweeting his agreement with the Texas governor.

DHS allocated $780 million last year for migrant-related expenses through FEMA's Shelter and Services Program and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. Meanwhile, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene, which has killed at least 202 people and caused severe flooding across the Southeast, a comparatively modest $4 million has been distributed directly to affected families and individuals, according to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre.

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Hurricane Helene’s damage is expected to cost billions, President Joe Biden said during a briefing in North Carolina on Wednesday, urging Congress to ensure adequate funding for recovery efforts. “It’s going to cost billions of dollars to deal with this storm and all the communities affected,” Biden said. “Congress has an obligation to ensure the states have the resources they need.”

Congressional Republicans, who are not scheduled to return to session until after Election Day, expressed outrage at the funding gap. Rep. Tim Burchett (R-Tenn.) tweeted, “FEMA spending over a billion dollars on illegals while they leave Americans stranded and without help is treasonous. U.S. citizens are dying. Pray for our country, folks.”

Rep. Eli Crane (R-Ariz.) added, “The Biden-Harris FEMA spent over $1 billion on funding illegal aliens. America LAST.”

As hurricane season continues, concerns over FEMA’s ability to support disaster-stricken communities remain high, with many calling for an immediate reallocation of funds to prioritize American citizens.