GOP Reps Move To Oust Judge Who Freed 14-Time Offender Before Brutal Train Murder
Ten North Carolina Republican Reps., led by Rep. Tim Moore (R-NC), called on Tuesday for the removal of Magistrate Judge Teresa Stokes, who released 14-time offender Decarlos Johnson Jr. before he murdered Ukrainian refugee Iryna Zarutska.
Moore shared a letter, signed by nine of his colleagues, in which he called on Chief Judge Roy Wiggins to begin “formal removal proceedings” against Stokes, saying that her decision to release Johnson — based solely on his written promise to return for his next court date — had been, at best, “reckless.”
“Despite his history of violent and unstable behavior, Magistrate Stokes released Brown without requiring bond or imposing any meaningful conditions to safeguard the public,” the letter read.“This reckless decision had devastating consequences,” the letter continued, referencing Zarutska’s murder. “Ms. Zarutska’s murder was not only a profound personal tragedy but also a direct result of a failure of judicial responsibility. Magistrate Stokes displayed a willful failure to perform the duties of her office and engaged in conduct prejudicial to the administration of justice.” Click here to read more.
Parental Rights, School Choice ‘Hit a Tipping Point’
More than half the nation’s students now live in states with school choice, new data shows.
Over a dozen states made progress on school choice over the past year, including six that adopted universal school choice policies allowing all students to receive some form of funding to attend schools of their choice. Meanwhile, a full 25 states now incorporate a “parent bill of rights” affirming that parents, not the state, are the primary caregivers.
That’s according to Heritage Foundation Report Card, an annual report that ranks states based on how well they advance education freedom and school choice for families. Click here to read more.https://www.dailysignal.com/2025/09/09/parental-rights-school-choice-hit-a-tipping-point/
Home Auto Shop Owners File Constitutional Challenge After Township Threatens to Shut Business Following Dispute with Township Supervisor
Zoning laws were never meant to give government the power to erase a harmless, beloved 24-year-old business. Yet that’s exactly what North Whitehall Township is doing to Gene and Debbie Weierbach’s auto repair shop—weaponizing the zoning code to shut it down. But the repair shop has broad community support and has operated in that location for more than two decades. And yet North Whitehall is singling them out—all because they crossed the township’s most powerful politician.
The Weierbachs run a small, appointment-only auto shop from their home’s garage. Tucked away on their secluded 16-acre property, the shop is hidden from view, has never drawn a single complaint, and enjoys the full support of neighbors. For Gene and Debbie, the shop is more than just a livelihood—it makes it possible for Gene to remain at home to care for their autistic adult son. Click here to read more.
Affordability Crisis Sends Americans Packing From Big Cities
For much of the past century, in both the United States and elsewhere, the inexorable trend has been for people to move from rural areas and towns to ever larger cities, particularly those with vibrant downtown cores such as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Seattle, and dozens of other iconic American cities. Most visions of the future still view urban cores as the uncontested centers of production, consumption, and culture, with rural areas, small cities, and suburbs relegated to the backwaters of modernity.
A RealClearInvestigations analysis has found that we may be on the cusp of a new era. Urban cores have started to shrink, losing first to the suburbs, then to ever further exurbs, and now to small towns and even rural areas. For the first time since the 19th century, America’s growth pattern favors smaller metros – Fargo, North Dakota, as opposed to Portland, Oregon – many of which once seemed out of favor.
This transformation can be hard to detect because demographers often discuss metropolitan regions, which put city centers at their cores. Click here to read more.
Whitmer admin’s bungled pandemic unemployment approvals force 350,000 Michiganders to repay $2.7 BILLION
Ineptitude at Gov. Gretchen Whitmer’s Michigan Unemployment Insurance Agency means about 350,000 Michigan workers must now repay the state $2.7 billion in overpayments.
“We understand the impact of these collections will have on household budgets. That is why we are providing notice and information about applying for a financial hardship waiver,” UIA Director Jason Palmer said in a statement Monday. “At the same time, we are legally obligated under the Michigan Employment Security Act to seek repayment and we must fulfill our responsibility to ensure taxpayer money is returned to the Unemployment Insurance Trust Fund, so workers can count on money being available if they need it in the future.”
A court-approved settlement in the class action lawsuit Saunders v. UIA will resume repayments paused five years ago on Sept. 12, 2025, with the first payments for those affected due on Sept. 29. Click here to read more.
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