Trump Officials, Allies Move To Dismantle Obama-Era Guidelines That Pressured Banks To Drop Conservatives

President Donald Trump is expected to sign an executive order directing federal regulators to eliminate Obama-era guidelines that pressure banks to deny services to conservative groups. It also calls to punish banks that drop customers because of politics.

The executive order could come as soon as this week, the Wall Street Journal reported after reviewing a draft.

"Conservatives for years have accused banks of denying them services on political or religious grounds, and cryptocurrency companies have said they were shut out of banking services under the Biden administration," the Journal reported. Click here to read more.

 

Michigan’s Green Energy Plan Means Higher Bills, More Blackouts

MIDLAND, Mich. — Michigan’s net-zero energy law could more than double utility bills, increase blackout risks, and deliver negligible climate benefits, a new report from the Mackinac Center for Public Policy warns.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s “MI Healthy Climate Plan” mandates 100% clean energy by 2050 through a rapid transition to wind, solar, and battery storage as well as the phasing out of fossil fuels.

“Michigan’s Expensive Net-Zero Gamble: Projecting the Costs of Gov. Whitmer’s MI Healthy Climate Plan” was conducted in partnership with the Center of the American Experiment and Always On Energy Research. The report concludes that the governor’s proposed transition will strain the state’s power grid and impose major costs on taxpayers. Click here to read more.

 

Trump Donates First Presidential Paycheck to White House Historical Association

President Donald Trump has donated his first presidential paycheck to the White House Historical Association, continuing his unusual practice from his first term of donating his salary, unlike most of his predecessors.

Trump took to Truth Social on Tuesday to announce the donation, a day after he paid a visit to the White House Historical Association.

“I am proud to be the only President (with the possible exception of the Late, Great George Washington) to donate my Salary. My first ‘Paycheck’ went to the White House Historical Association, as we make much needed renovations to the beautiful ‘People’s House,'” Trump wrote. Click here to read more.

 

Number of homeschool students grows in Florida

ORLANDO, Fla. — As teachers across Central Florida gear up for the new school year, parents who homeschool are also getting ready for another year.

In Florida, the latest data shows 155,000 students participated in homeschool during the 2023-2024 school year. In the last five years, that number has increased by 46%.

There is no morning bell for Pearl Tindell — she gets up on her own time. But instead of heading to the bus stop, she heads to the open field with a horse.

Pearl is at her happiest up in the saddle, belting out her favorite songs. She spends countless hours training for horse competitions, doing horse therapy, singing and so many other hobbies.

“I am going to go on stage on a horse and sing. That is what I want to do,” Pearl said. Click here to read more.

 

Will federal money-hungry Gretchen Whitmer pass up $608 million FEMA ‘detention support grant’?

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has spent months lobbying President Donald Trump for federal support for Selfridge Air National Guard Base, ice storm recovery, a Mundy Township mega site, and other priorities.

But a coalition of 30 left-wing activist groups known as No Detention Centers in Michigan on Tuesday issued an open letter urging the governor to ignore a $608 million “detention support grant program” offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the construction of immigration detention facilities.

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer has spent months lobbying President Donald Trump for federal support for Selfridge Air National Guard Base, ice storm recovery, a Mundy Township mega site, and other priorities.

But a coalition of 30 left-wing activist groups known as No Detention Centers in Michigan on Tuesday issued an open letter urging the governor to ignore a $608 million “detention support grant program” offered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency for the construction of immigration detention facilities.

The letter came the same day Whitmer met with Trump at the White House to discuss tariffs, Medicaid changes, and other issues.

 

 

Banned From Banking? How Political Bias Is Freezing Out Everyday Americans

The America First Policy Institute warns that banks are shutting down accounts based on political beliefs instead of legitimate financial concerns, leaving people and businesses suddenly cut off from their money. They say this growing problem threatens free speech and calls for new laws to protect everyone’s right to fair and equal access to banking.

The report argues that vague government rules and political pressure are fueling these closures, creating a hidden blacklist that can destroy reputations and livelihoods overnight. It urges lawmakers to rein in regulators and make sure banking decisions are based only on financial risk, not personal or political viewpoints. Click here to read more.

 

Pro-life activist petitions Supreme Court over arrest for silent ‘peaceful’ prayer outside Southfield abortion clinic

A pro-life activist wants the U.S. Supreme Court to weigh in after he was arrested and jailed for silently praying outside a Southfield abortion clinic in 2023.

Matthew Connolly, 42, filed a petition petition with the nation’s highest court last week, asking justices to strike down a vague ordinance in Southfield that criminalizes “annoyance” or “disquiet” in public areas he alleges violates the U.S. Constitution, the Christian Post reports.

This case is not just about Mr. Connolly,” Erin Mersino, attorney with Advocates for Faith & Freedom representing Connolly, said in a statement. “It is about whether the government can silence pro-life Americans and criminalize public prayer. If this unconstitutional gag order is allowed to stand, then no one’s speech is safe.” Click here to read more.

 

How DOGE Saves Taxpayers Almost $1 Billion by Cutting Energy Department Contracts

By the end of July, the Energy Department accrued more than $950 million in contract savings with assistance from the White House’s Department of Government Efficiency.

In some cases, the terminated contracts were tied to regulations. In other cases, the contracts were about “environmental justice” or related to energy “justice.”

One example was a $259 million contract with Guidehouse for “appliance standards analysis and regulatory support service.”

The contract had been partially paid, but the cancellation resulted in $165 million savings for taxpayers, according to the Energy Department and DOGE.

A spokeswoman for Guidehouse declined to comment for this story. Guidehouse says it has public and private sector clients with consultants that focus on efficiency. Click here to read more.

 

RFK Jr. Drops Bombshell About mRNA Vaccines and Pandemic.

President Donald Trump's Secretary of Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., dropped a bombshell on Tuesday about mRNA vaccines and how they actually prolonged the COVID-19 pandemic. Yes, really.

Kennedy announced that the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority, or BARDA, after reviewing 22 mRNA vaccine development investments, began canceling them because, to put it simply, they fail to protect against infections like COVID.

Guidehouse has done technical work for the Energy Department for years to maintain a certification database for the federal government to keep illegal products—such as appliances and parts—from being imported, Pro Publica reported earlier this year in an article opposing the cut. Click here to read more.

 

ICE Agents Narrowly Escape Arson Attack In Washington State

An arsonist attacked an Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) office in Washington state over the weekend, throwing a rock through a window and lighting a fire on the property.

The unidentified arsonist targeted an ICE field office in Yakima, Washington, about 140 miles away from Seattle. Federal agents, the Department of Homeland Security says, managed to escape from the attack unscathed.

Department of Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin slammed Democrat politicians for their incendiary rhetoric against ICE agents, accusing them of contributing to the surge in violence against the federal law enforcement force.

“Make no mistake, Democrat politicians like Hakeem Jeffries, Mayor Wu of Boston, Tim Walz, and Mayor Bass of Los Angeles are contributing to the surge in assaults of our ICE officers through their repeated vilification and demonization of ICE,” McLaughlin charged. “From comparisons to the modern-day Nazi Gestapo to glorifying rioters, the violent rhetoric of these sanctuary politicians is beyond the pale.” Click here to read more.

 

 

State worker fired after reporting SNAP theft scheme

A longtime Michigan state employee says she was fired after exposing a scheme where her colleagues allegedly stole taxpayer-funded food benefits from a program that feeds 1.3 million low-income residents.

Ashanta Butler worked for the state for 23 years with no complaints before she was fired on April 24, 2024, according to the complaint she filed on July 25 in the Eastern District of Michigan.

“In or around early 2024, Plaintiff reported concerns to the Office of the Attorney General of the State of Michigan regarding fraudulent activity by State employees who were allegedly conspiring to unlawfully receive public benefits, including food assistance.”

The complaint implicated state employee Angela Barbee.

“Shortly after Plaintiff made the protected report, her supervisor, Rachel Hill, informed her that she had been instructed by Manager Angela Barbee to target and ‘get rid of’ Plaintiff due to her cooperation with the Michigan Department of Corrections and her role as a whistleblower. Angela Barbee, who was later transferred to another office for engaging in similar misconduct, was among the managers implicated in the benefits fraud reported by Plaintiff.” Click here to read more.

 

Airbnb Tries to Stick Traveler with $7,000 Repair Bill After Host Uses AI-Generated Images to Claim Damage

A London-based academic has received an apology and $5,700 refund from Airbnb after a New York apartment host allegedly claimed she caused over $15,963 in damages, using AI-generated images as evidence of the supposed damage. The company initially tried to charge their customer $7,000 for the damages and refused her appeal until a newspaper investigation caused them to change their tune.

The Guardian reports that Airbnb, the popular short-term rental platform, has found itself at the center of a troubling case involving a host who allegedly submitted AI-generated photographs to support a false claim of extensive property damage. The incident has raised concerns about the ease with which AI-generated images can be used to deceive and defraud, and has prompted Airbnb to launch an internal review of its claims handling process. Click here to read more.

 

High school principal arrested for DUI and cocaine possession, police say

TAMPA, Fla. - It was just last year when Scott Hazlett, an assistant principal at the time, was credited for helping save a student’s life, but over the weekend, he was arrested for driving under the influence.

Linda Unfried, the co-founder of Mothers Against Drunk Driving in Hillsborough County, Florida, feels like Hazlett put lives at risk.

“Thank God that Temple Terrace police officers stopped him, saved him from killing someone, killing himself,” she said.

Temple Terrace Police said early Saturday morning, they were conducting speed checks when they caught Hazlett driving 15 miles per hour over the speed limit. Click here to read more.

 

Third person charged in West Tennessee quadruple homicide, murder suspect still at large

A third person has been charged with accessory after the fact in the quadruple homicide case out of West Tennessee that has made national headlines.

This comes after four people were found dead in Lake County, Tennessee, and a baby was abandoned in a front yard nearly 30 minutes from the crime scene.

Dearrah Sanders, of Jackson, Tennessee, was arrested Monday morning for allegedly helping Austin Drummond after the murders, the Tennessee Bureau of Investigation reports. She is charged with accessory after the fact t o first-degree murder and will be booked into the Lake County Jail.

SWAT teams were spotted in the area Monday with TBI confirming agents were following up on a lead related to the possible whereabouts of Drum. Click here to read more.

 

Why Soros Network Donated Over $1M to This Republican Organization

A conservative watchdog is calling for a Republican organization that took more than $1 million from the Soros network’s Open Society Action Fund to “sever its relationship.”

The Open Society Action Fund, typically known for donating for leftwing causes in both the United States and abroad, contributed $1.67 million to the International Republican Institute for a 19-month grant that began in 2023. The fund described the grant as “to support the grantee’s work on capacity building for East Asia diaspora communities.”

The GOP-aligned group says the money was to support persecuted Uyghurs in China.

The National Legal and Policy Center flagged the unusual pairing of a Soros-backed Republican organization.

“I write to ask that the International Republican Institute (IRI) sever its relationship with the so-called Open Society Action Fund, and any other entities founded and/or funded by George Soros,” National Legal and Policy Center President Peter Flaherty said in a letter Thursday to International Republican Institute Chairman Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska. Click here to read more.

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