Below is the story from FloridaDaily.com
Mississippi Congressman Bennie Thompson Announces $320,000 to Mississippi Children’s Home Society
United States Representative Bennie G. Thompson (D-MS) announced The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services has awarded $320,000 in Mental Health & Substance Abuse Service Grants to the Mississippi Children’s Home Society located in Jackson, Mississippi. The project is titled “Canopy Children’s Solutions School-Based Mental Wellness Expansion Project.”
Florida Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart Statement on Díaz-Canel Announced Visit to the United Nations
Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart (FL-26) issued the following statement regarding Díaz-Canel’s announced visit to the United Nations (U.N.):
“I am appalled by the Biden Administration’s appeasement of dangerous adversaries and rewarding human rights abusers, this time by granting the special privilege of U.S. entry to Cuba’s Díaz-Canel, and the rest of his “delegation” of thugs, particularly after the expulsion of Cuban diplomat-spies over the past two decades from the missions in New York and Washington, D.C. for espionage. Regrettably, the U.N. continues to falter in its duty to protect human rights by allowing some of the worst human rights offenders to partake in critical discussions and even hold positions on the Human Rights Council. As someone entrusted with the leadership of the State, Foreign Operations and Related Programs Subcommittee, I have repeatedly emphasized that I will support America’s friends, and oppose our enemies. For that reason, my bill deliberately excludes funds for the U.N.’s regular budget due to its rampant antisemitism, coddling of dictators, and failure to achieve its core purposes of promoting peace, international comity, and human rights. I am committed to safeguarding American national security interests and taxpayer dollars to defend our values. Once the U.N. takes itself seriously, then I will take it seriously. The U.N.’s continued predilection to amplify the messages of anti-American dictators and the world’s worst human rights abusers, such as Díaz-Canel, only confirms that my decision to defund it was a good one.”
Congresswoman Kathy Manning Announces North Carolina A&T, other NC Universities Awarded Funding from U.S. Department of Energy to Strengthen STEM Education and Research
Below is a press release from North Carolina Congresswoman Kathy Manning.
Congresswoman Kathy Manning (NC-06) announced North Carolina A&T State University was selected for the U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) Reaching a New Energy Sciences Workforce (RENEW) initiative, which will award $70 million in federal funding for student research and workforce training to colleges and universities across the country, including four North Carolina institutions of higher education.
The project titled ‘Sub-seasonal to Interannual Variability and Predictability of Rainfall over East Africa,’ will strengthen the Atmospheric Science and Meteorology Program at North Carolina A&T State University through experiential training and student mentorship. Additionally, the project titled, “Structure Property Relationships in Two-Dimensional MXenes,” co-led by North Carolina A&T State University, Fayetteville State University, and Savannah River National Laboratory, will be awarded funding under the RENEW initative.
“Investing in diverse university research is critical to advancing our country’s global leadership in science, research, and technology,” said Congresswoman Manning. “North Carolina A&T’s inclusion in the RENEW program highlights its status as a national research institution. I’m proud to celebrate NC A&T’s continued accomplishments in STEM research and to champion support for STEM research and HBCUs in Congress.”
The funding supports research by historically underrepresented communities and diversifies leadership in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM). DOE announced a total of $70 million in funding for internships, training programs, and mentor opportunities.
“We are very excited to receive this new funding from DOE,” said Abdellah Ahmidouch, Ph.D., dean of N.C. A&T’s College of Science and Technology. “This support will substantially strengthen our education and research programs in atmospheric science and meteorology and will help us attract more minority students to the field. Our students will receive training in state-of-the-art computational techniques and actively engage in pioneering research in climate science.”
North Carolina A&T State University, North Carolina Central University, University of North Carolina Wilmington, and Fayetteville State University are among the 65 universities selected for the RENEW initiative.
Tim Scott, Marsha Blackburn Want Answers from Biden Regarding a $6 Billion Negotiation for Prisoners
NASHVILLE, TENN. – Two prominent south Republican senators, Marsha Blackburn (Tenn.) and Tim Scott (S.C.) led their GOP colleagues in a letter demanding answers from President Joe Biden’s administration that demanded answers regarding an approximately $6 billion exchange with Iran in for American prisoners.
Below is a transcript of the letter:
Dear Secretaries Blinken and Yellen: We write to express significant concern over the administration’s decision to release approximately $6 billion in frozen assets to the Islamic Republic of Iran in exchange for the release of five American detainees. While we firmly believe the United States must use every appropriate resource to secure the release of American citizens wrongfully detained overseas, this decision will reinforce an incredibly dangerous precedent and will enable the Iranian regime to increase its destabilizing activities across the Middle East.
When the Obama administration released $400 million in liquidated assets to Iran in 2016, we warned that this dangerous precedent would put a price on American lives. Seven years later, the current administration is providing a ransom payment worth at least fifteen times that amount to the world’s largest state sponsor of terror, in yet another violation of the United States’ long-standing “no concessions” policy. In the release of Executive Order 14078 on July 19, 2022, the White House admitted that “terrorist organizations, criminal groups, and other malicious actors who take hostages for financial, political, or other gain—as well as foreign states that engage in the practice of wrongful detention, including for political leverage or to seek concessions from the United States—threaten the integrity of the international political system and the safety of United States nationals and other persons abroad.” The release of such a significant sum to the Iranian regime runs entirely counter to that claim and will only serve to encourage additional hostage taking for financial or political gain.
We are also worried that your administration is attempting to sidestep Congress and pursue other pathways to financially compensate Iran in an attempt to renegotiate a successor to the ill-fated 2015 nuclear deal. Any agreement with the Iranian regime that entails financial reward for malign behavior is wholly unacceptable.
Given the risk this agreement poses to the safety of American citizens overseas and broader United States national security interests, we request an in-person briefing, as well as written responses to the following questions, within 30 days:
- The Iranian assets to be released were initially frozen at South Korean financial institutions in support of existing U.S. sanctions policy. Does the release of the funds violate that policy? Will the President issue a waiver and required report to Congress consistent with Section 1245 of the FY2012 National Defense Authorization Act?
- Financial assets are fungible. How can your departments guarantee that the funds will only be used for humanitarian purposes and will not free up additional resources that the Iranian regime can use to support terrorist networks and weapons proliferation, or increase its nuclear enrichment activities?
Joining Senators Blackburn and Scott were Senators Jim Risch (R-Idaho), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), Tom Cotton (R-Ark.), Bill Hagerty (R-Tenn.), Bill Cassidy (R-La.), Katie Britt (R-Ala.), Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), Steve Daines (R-Mont.), Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Ted Budd (R-N.C.), J.D. Vance (R-Ohio), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), John Hoeven (R-N.D.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), Mike Crapo (R-Idaho), Roger Marshall (R-Kansas), James Lankford (R-Okla.), Thom Tillis (R-N.C.), John Kennedy (R-La.), John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), and Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.).
North Carolina Governor Announces State Boards and Commissions Appointments
Below is a press release from the office of North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper.
RALEIGH, NC –
Today, Governor Roy Cooper announced appointments to boards and commissions.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Acupuncture Licensing Board:
- Dr. Ari David Leib of Charlotte as a physician who has completed 200 hours of acupuncture training. Dr. Leib is an Emergency Medicine Attending Physician for Columbus Regional Medical Center.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Behavior Analysis Board:
- Chris Wensil of Fuquay-Varina as a Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. He is the Executive Director of the Mariposa School for Children with Autism. Wensil has been a member of the North Carolina Association for Behavior Analysis since 2007.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Building Code Council:
- Robert L. Howard of Granite Falls as a licensed general contractor specializing in residential construction. Howard is the President of Howard Building Science, Inc.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Central Piedmont Community College Board of Trustees:
- Bertram L. Scott of Charlotte as a member at-large. Scott retired in 2019 as a Senior Executive of Value Based Care at Novant Health. Scott also serves on the Board of Directors for Dollar Tree Stores, Point32Health, Lowe’s Companies, and the American Heart Association.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Cosmetic Art Examiners:
- Lisa G. Forrester of High Point as a public member. Forrester is an Office Manager and Paralegal for Forrester Law Firm.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities:
- Dr. Carol Ann Hudgens of Clayton as a representative of the Department of Public Instruction. Dr. Hudgens is the Senior Director for the Office of Exceptional Children for the North Carolina Department of Public Instruction.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Disciplinary Hearing Commission of the North Carolina State Bar:
- Mark D. Jerrell of Charlotte as a public member. Jerrell is on the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, where he chairs the Inter-Governmental Relations Committee. Jerrell previously served on the North Carolina Zoological Parks Council.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Board of Examiners of Electrical Contractors:
- Dr. Christopher K. Horne of High Point as a faculty member of the UNC System in the Electrical Engineering Field. Horne is an Assistant Professor at North Carolina A&T University where he teaches undergraduate courses in problem solving, circuits, and electronics.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force:
- Dr. Eugene Reynolds II of Gastonia as a practicing family physician, pediatrician, or internist. Dr. Reynolds is a Family Physician, Disability Consultant, and Team Leader for Kintegra Health.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Henderson County Board of Elections:
- Henry Clay Eddleman III of Hendersonville as chair. Eddleman is a retired physician. Eddleman also serves on the Blue Ridge Community College Board of Trustees and was previously on the North Carolina Human Relations Commission.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Holocaust Council:
- Paul K. Mengert of Greensboro as a member at-large. Mengert is the CEO of Association Management Group, Inc. and is chair of the Piedmont Triad International Airport Board of Directors. He has also served as the President of Greensboro’s Temple Emanual and as a member of the North American Board of Directors of the Union of Reform Judaism.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Marine Fisheries Commission:
- Ryan Stelter Bethea of New Bern as an active or recently retired commercial fisherman from the coastal region. Bethea is the Founder and Owner of Oysters Carolina.
- Samuel J. Corbett III of Hampstead as a commercial dealer or processor from the coastal region. Corbett is a commercial fisher and dealer with more than 20 years of full-time experience in the industry. Corbett previously served on the Commission from 2014-2018.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Military Affairs Commission:
- Carolyn Rose Closs of Louisburg as a public member. Closs is the Founder and CEO of Closs Global Solutions and is a retired U.S. Army Colonel.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Minority Health Advisory Council:
- Dr. Gabriela Plasencia of Durham as a public health representative. Dr. Plasencia is researching Insurance Enrollment among Latinos in North Carolina at the Duke University School of Medicine Department of Family Medicine and Community Health.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the Morehead City Navigation and Pilotage Commission:
- Bill Henderson of Newport as a Carteret County resident. He is the President of H & H Electric Service, Inc. in Morehead City. Henderson also serves on the Carteret Community College Board of Trustees and previously served on the Carteret County Board of Elections and the Carteret County Parks and Recreation Committee.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina State Museum of Natural Sciences Advisory Commission:
- Dawne Coker of Fayetteville as a member at-large. Coker is the K-5 Math Curriculum Specialist for Emerald Education and an Adjunct Distance Education Instructor for East Carolina University.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Center for the Advancement of Teaching:
- Dr. Freddie E. Williamson of Raeford as a representative from Educational Region 4. Dr. Williamson is the Superintendent for Robeson County Public Schools and was previously the Superintendent for Hoke County Public Schools.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Private Protective Services Board:
- Candace L. Ratliff of Mount Holly as a member licensed under General Statute 74C-4. Ratliff is the Captain and Chief of Operations for Professional Police Services Inc.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the North Carolina Rural Electrification Authority:
- Donna Bullard of Roseboro as a member at-large. Bullard is the Executive Vice President and CEO of Star Telephone Membership Corporation, where she has worked for 25 years.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Commission on Volunteerism and Community Service:
- Lindsay McClelland of Gastonia as a representative of local labor organizations in the state. McClelland is the Public Relations Representative with American Income Life for North and South Carolina. McClelland previously worked with Bellsouth and AT&T in Gastonia and Charlotte.
- Dr. Andrea L. DeSantis of Cary as a designee from the Governor’s Office. DeSantis is a Policy Advisor for the Governor’s Office focusing on higher education and workforce issues. She previously worked as a Senior Workforce Development Analyst at the NC Department of Commerce and is an alumna of the AmeriCorps VISTA program.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individual to the Governor’s Western Residence Board of Directors:
- Honor Moor of Asheville as a member at-large. Moor is a professional fundraiser and produced playwright. Moor previously served on the North Carolina Arboretum Board.
Gov. Cooper has appointed the following individuals to the North Carolina Zoological Park Council:
- Demetria M. Davis of Fayetteville as a member at-large. Davis is the Owner of Dee’s Champion Cuisine LLC in Fayetteville. Davis was named 2021 North Carolina Mother of the Year by American Mothers Inc. and serves on the Fayetteville Cumberland County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board.
- Zachary R. Wineburg of Raleigh as a member at-large. Wineburg is a lifelong zoo visitor and enthusiast, who now enjoys taking his own children to the park. A former marketing specialist at Google, Zach owns his own consulting firm.
Georgia Gov. Kemp Announces Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Natural Resources
Below is a press release from Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp:
ATLANTA, GA – Georgia Gov. Brian P. Kemp today announced that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Board voted to appoint Walter Rabon as the DNR Commissioner, effective immediately. Rabon has served as Interim Commissioner for the Department since July 1, following the departure of former Commissioner Mark Williams.
“Throughout his many years of service to the State of Georgia and our Department of Natural Resources, Walter Rabon has dedicated himself to the mission of protecting hardworking Georgians and their ability to enjoy our outdoor spaces,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “I look forward to DNR’s continued success ensuring our state is a good steward of its natural resources as he continues to lead the department.”
Walter Rabon currently serves as Interim Commissioner for the Department of Natural Resources. He first began his career with DNR in 1993 as a Conservation Ranger, now referred to as Game Wardens, and worked his way up through the Law Enforcement Division, serving as a Major before becoming Deputy Commissioner. Rabon earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Administration from Brenau University and a master’s degree from Columbus State University. He and his wife have three sons and five grandchildren, and they reside in Mansfield, Georgia.
Virginia Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger Continues Gun Violence Prevention Efforts, Joins Congressional Amicus Brief to Supreme Court on Upcoming Rahimi Case
Below is a press release from Virginia Congresswoman Abigail Spanberger.
The Amicus Brief Calls on SCOTUS to Set a Clear Standard for Congress to Pass Commonsense Gun Violence Prevention Laws
WOODBRIDGE, Va. — U.S. Representative Abigail Spanberger — a Member of the Gun Violence Prevention Task Force — joined an amicus brief repudiating the Fifth Circuit’s decision in United States v. Rahimi.
The defendant in Rahimi was suspected of five shootings in Texas. Police searched his home and found multiple firearms — though he was under a domestic violence restraining order, which prohibited him from owning a firearm under federal law. The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals ultimately ruled that the federal law prohibiting individuals under domestic violence restraining orders from possessing firearms is unconstitutional due to the new “history and tradition” legal test under Bruen.
The Spanberger-supported amicus brief calls on the Supreme Court of the United States to set a clear standard that allows for Congress to pass commonsense gun violence prevention laws to keep the American people safe. The brief also stresses the importance of making sure that both state and federal legislatures can maintain the flexibility they need to address public safety threats, as permissible under the Second Amendment.
“If the decision in Rahimi is upheld, we risk creating dangerous situations in which abusers can pose a greater threat to their victims, their families, and law enforcement. As a former CIA case officer and federal law enforcement officer, I understand the risks to public safety that would be presented by opening these floodgates,” said Spanberger. “Victims of domestic violence — including children — need protection, not more threats. SCOTUS should make clear that individuals under domestic violence restraining orders pose a risk to our communities — and Congress should continue to support new measures that strengthen mental health services, law enforcement training, and crisis response.”
The amicus brief is led by U.S. Representative Mike Thompson (D-CA-04) and U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-CT).
The amicus brief and the full list of signatories can be found here.
BACKGROUND
Since arriving in Congress, Spanberger has been a consistent voice for commonsense gun violence prevention legislation that can protect the lives of Virginia families, communities, and law enforcement officers. Both in 2019 and 2021, she voted to pass bipartisan gun safety legislation that would close existing federal background check loopholes and make sure individuals already prohibited from gun possession under federal law are unable to purchase firearms.
Earlier this year, Spanberger helped lead an effort to force a vote on three measures — the Assault Weapons Ban, Bipartisan Background Checks Act, and Enhanced Background Checks Act — that would save lives in Virginia and across the country.
And in June 2022, Spanberger voted to pass — and the President signed into law — the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. Specifically, this bipartisan agreement:
- Requires an investigative period to review juvenile and mental health records, including checks with state databases and local law enforcement,
- Clarifies the definition of a “federally licensed firearms dealer” (FFL) and cracks down on dealers who illegally evade licensing requirements,
- Incentivizes states to adopt “red flag laws” to keep guns out of the hands of individuals whom a court has determined to be a significant danger to themselves or others, consistent with state and federal due process and constitutional protections,
- Protects victims of domestic violence by making sure that domestic violence abusers and individuals subject to domestic violence restraining orders are included in the National Instant Criminal Background Check System,
- Increases penalties for “straw purchasing” and gun trafficking,
- Invests in programs to expand mental health and supportive services in schools, including early identification and intervention programs and school based mental health services,
- Makes major investments to increase access to mental health and suicide prevention programs and other support services available in the community, including crisis and trauma intervention and recovery, and
- Invests in programs to help institute safety measures in and around schools, support school violence prevention efforts, and provide training to school personnel and students.
The Gun Violence Prevention Task Force was established in Congress after the mass shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Connecticut in 2012.