Rising: July 17, 2025
NPR begs for taxpayer funding, denies liberal bias? Ludicrous—Robby Soave | RISING
Robby Soave delivers radar on NPR fighting to keep the taxpayer funding as CEO Katherine Maher denies accusations of liberal bias.
Trump DOJ fires Epstein prosecutor Maurene Comey | RISING
Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger discuss Rep. Thomas Massie (R-Ky.) and Rep. Ro Khanna (D-Calif.) leading an effort to force a vote on the Epstein files.
Kristi Noem says TSA liquid size restrictions may be rolled back | RISING
Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger react to DHS Secretary Kristi Noem teasing the end of the 3.4-oz limit on liquids allowed on carry-on luggage.
Hunter Biden blames 2024 loss on disloyalty, fmr DNC chair defends his job—Lindsey Granger | RISING
Lindsey Granger delivers a monologue on Hunter Biden saying that Democrats lost the presidential election because they weren't loyal to President Biden.
Fmr Biden adviser roasted over NYT illegal immigration op-ed | RISING
Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger weigh in on reaction from the right slamming a former Biden-DHS border official penning a New York Times opinion piece on how to fix the border.
David Hogg slams Dems for not having 'courage' to do bold things | RISING
Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger discuss former DNC Vice Chair David Hogg offered blistering remarks about the Democratic Party.
CNN analyst warns Dems they're falling behind in midterm polling | RISING
Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger weigh in on Democrats' poll performance with just over a hear ahead of the midterms.
Barack, Michelle Obama break silence on divorce rumors | RISING
Robby Soave and Lindsey Granger weigh in on the Obamas shutting down divorce rumors.
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Yahoo
39 minutes ago
- Yahoo
200 Marines deploy to Florida as Pentagon approves more support to ICE
Two hundred Marines are deploying to support U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in Florida, U.S. Northern Command announced. The Marines from Marine Support Squadron 272, Marine Corps Air Station New River, North Carolina, are part of the 700 troops mobilized by Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth to provide logistical support to Department of Homeland Security operations after the agency requested assistance May 9. Those 700 troops will include active duty, National Guard and Reserve forces under Title 10 authority. The Marines traveling to Florida will be the first wave of NORTHCOM's mobilization to assist with 'critical administrative and logistical capabilities at locations as directed by ICE,' according to a Thursday release. Other troops will be deployed to Texas and Louisiana. The support requested by DHS includes tasks related to transportation, logistics and administrative functions. The Marines are not authorized to make arrests or carry out law enforcement functions. 'Their roles will focus on administrative and logistical tasks, and they are specifically prohibited from direct contact with individuals in ICE custody or involvement in any aspect of the custody chain,' according to the release. The use of military personnel to provide logistical support for law enforcement agencies has been standard practice for decades. As the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin noted in 1991: 'Contrary to what many police officers believe, the Posse Comitatus Act permits civilian law enforcement agencies to seek military assistance under some specific circumstances.' Typical logistical support activities in support of law enforcement regularly performed by National Guard units, for example, can include 'training, technical support, services, intelligence analysis, surveillance, the installation of communications towers, permanent and temporary vehicle barriers, and pedestrian fences,' according to a 2010 report. The mobilization of the additional 700 troops comes at a time when the Defense Department is ramping up military involvement in border security, with four military zones recently created at the southern border in Texas and Arizona to halt illegal migration and narcotics trafficking. Pentagon creates new military border zone in Arizona Pentagon spokesman Sean Parnell noted last week that 8,500 military personnel assigned to Joint Task Force Southern Border have conducted over 3,500 patrols, including in cooperation with Mexican military forces. Additionally, he said Marines have 'supported more than 170 missions in over 130 separate locations from nine federal agencies,' including DHS and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. NORTHCOM has not specified the location in Florida where the Marines will deploy and has not provided details of logistical duties they are being assigned. While it has been speculated they could deploy to provide support at Alligator Alcatraz — a newly opened detainment facility administered by ICE in the Florida Everglades — that has not been confirmed. NORTHCOM refused Monday to provide more specifics about the deployment. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
an hour ago
- Yahoo
With the national party in crisis, CT Democrats can't agree on whether it's time for change
With Democrats struggling nationally over their future direction, the party in Connecticut is facing some similar questions of ideological and generational lines as younger liberals challenge the 'Old Guard' that has held office for years. The generational shift includes a challenge by state Rep. Josh Elliott, 40, against Gov. Ned Lamont, 71, with liberals saying that Lamont has not been progressive enough on the taxation of the wealthy and disagree with his recent vetoes of key bills on affordable housing and awarding unemployment compensation for workers on strike for more than 14 days. Lamont supporters counter that the latest polling by Morning Consult shows Lamont among the most popular governors in the country with an approval rate of 63% and a disapproval rating of 29%. In another race, former Hartford mayor Luke Bronin, 46, is seriously considering challenging longtime U.S. Rep. John B. Larson, who turns 77 on July 22. Larson has won 14 consecutive elections, but has suffered two public episodes in which he temporarily 'froze' in the middle of speeches. In a nationally televised speech in February on C-SPAN, Larson suffered a 'complex partial seizure' on the floor of the U.S. House of Representatives as he was making remarks. Larson underwent tests and said later that he had previously had a heart valve replacement years earlier. He suffered a second incident in April during a press conference at the Connecticut Children's Medical Center in Hartford, where he paused again during an answer before recovering and soon after having his picture taken with other attendees. Liberal Democrats are angry at CT's governor and no longer hiding it. 'There will be a challenger' Danbury Mayor Roberto Alves, who was installed as the new state Democratic chairman earlier this year after being endorsed by Lamont, is managing the wide-ranging ideologies and is not trying to deter anyone from forcing a primary. Instead, he follows the mantra of Lamont, who welcomed Elliott to the race. 'We're the big tent party,' Alves told The Courant in an interview. 'Personally, I think we need to be the bigger tent party. With the divisiveness in Washington, D.C., they all have a strategy on what they think they can do better. In Connecticut, it's tough because people see what's going on nationally and they want the Democrats to do more. I look at everything we've done already — we hold every office. We have super majorities in our state Senate and our state House for the first time since 2008. That's because Democrats have been delivering and our message has been resonating with people.' Concerning primaries, Alves added, 'This is democracy. This is a right that people have, and we won't get in the way of democracy. What the governor said is 'Welcome to the race.'' At the same time, younger Democrats are looking for leadership roles while others have held office for decades and have reached higher ages. Besides Larson, U.S. Rep. Rosa DeLauro is 82 years old, U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal is 79, U.S. Rep. Joe Courtney is 72, and Lamont is 71. 'Are younger folks upset with what they're seeing elsewhere and it's maybe permeating into some local stuff? Perhaps,' Alves said. 'Look, I'm a 41-year-old mayor in Danbury and the first Democratic mayor in 22 years. I'm much younger than my opponent that we beat to get here and actually my opponent now.' On the national level, Democrats have been frustrated as they try to find their way in the ongoing battle against President Donald Trump, who has consolidated power with Republicans controlling the U.S. House of Representatives and the U.S. Senate. Deputy House Speaker pro tempore Bob Godfrey of Danbury said that the national leaders, such as Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer of New York, need to do more. He said they missed their chance when President Joe Biden was in the White House and the Democrats controlled both chambers of Congress in 2021 and 2022. 'Where's the Democratic platform? I don't see any,' Godfrey said in an interview. 'So far, your platform has one plank, and it's 'We're not Trump.' Not enough. We lost working-class voters. What are you doing to get them back? Crickets.' Kevin Rennie: The smarts of this CT candidate are what people are talking about Noting that he was an elector for Democrat Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2016, Godfrey said the party needs to get back on its feet after Trump defeated former Vice President Kamala Harris of California. 'Concentrating on marginal issues instead of working class family issues has hurt the party nationally,' Godfrey said. 'Happily, we've retained the working class vote here in Connecticut, and we've worked at it.' Democrats differ sharply over the lessons learned from the stunning primary victory of Zohran Mamdani for New York City mayor over former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and others. Mamdani came out of nowhere after Cuomo led by wide margins in the early polls based largely on his name recognition as the former governor. Liberals and young Democrats have been highly energized by Mamdani's victory, and he is now facing Cuomo and current mayor Eric Adams in the general election in November. Liberals said the win showed that the 33-year-old Democratic socialist could take out the 67-year-old former governor from the Old Guard. But others say there are no widespread lessons to be learned from Mamdani. 'That's such a New York City parochial thing,' said Godfrey, who graduated from Fordham University in The Bronx. 'It doesn't translate into Westchester County or Long Island, for crying out loud. Or northern New Jersey. … I have no qualms about saying New York City's issues and voting don't translate outside of the city.' Alves agreed, saying that New York is 'unique' with its own issues and problems. 'The lesson we can learn is that relentless campaigning, engaging younger voters, talking to people about kitchen-table issues are important,' Alves said. 'Grassroots campaigns still work. It's not about money and the last name. It's about engaging your voters and talking about things that are on their mind. That's what wins elections.' State Republican chairman Ben Proto agreed with Democratic counterparts, saying, 'I think New York City is reflective of New York City. Ultimately, I don't think it's reflective of Connecticut as a whole or upstate New York or Long Island in that regard. New York City is kind of an entity unto itself.' For frustrated Connecticut Democrats, Alves is encouraging activists to help the national push to recapture the U.S. House of Representatives in 2026. 'If what is going on in Washington is really bothering you, we need to flip four Congressional seats,' Alves said, referring to the House. 'Let's ensure that our Democratic delegation wins here, but then let's help with resources to other folks. Let's find those four Congressional seats and support them by making calls, donating, knocking doors, being a part of their campaigns as well and finding things that we can do. … Be part of the solution. Be part of that strategy, that fight and that team that can help change these things in two years and four years.' Asked by The Courant about the turmoil in the Democratic Party nationally, Lamont responded, 'I think the Democrats know where they stand. I don't know where the Republicans stand. I don't think there's a Republican in this building or down in Washington who would have voted for that budget-busting deficit bill that Trump put forward say 10, 15 years ago. This time around, they all saluted. Not one of them has the right to ever use the words fiscal conservative again.' Lamont added, 'I'm surprised there is no unrest amongst the Republicans. They voted for a budget they would have said no — hell no — to just 10 years ago. I have no idea where they stand now. I don't think they do, either.' One of the defining issues in the governor's race is that liberals oppose Lamont's stance on blocking any tax increases on the state's wealthiest residents beyond the current highest rate of 6.99%. Democrats have called for a surcharge on capital gains, which generate huge amounts of money for the wealthiest investors. Lamont, a Greenwich multimillionaire who funds his owns campaigns, has opposed tax increases for the past seven years as the state has rolled up large budget surpluses. 'For some people, a tax increase is a first resort,' Lamont told reporters recently. 'For me, it's an absolute last resort. We don't need it. We've done well. We're growing the economy. People are moving into the state.' Elliott, 40, represents the other end of the spectrum, saying that the middle class pays too much of a percentage of their income in a variety of taxes, including sales and property. Beyond taxes, Elliott has other concerns. 'I was astonished and horrified that our governor went to D.C. for Trump's inauguration after he had already seen the kind of president that Trump was,' Elliott said. But Lamont, who held fundraisers at his Greenwich home for the Democratic campaigns of both Joe Biden and Kamala Harris, said earlier this year that he went to Trump's inauguration out of respect for the office of the presidency. Lamont spent part of the time chatting with fellow governors and did not attend the inaugural balls or participate in the Republican celebrations during a trip that lasted less than 24 hours in Washington, D.C. Proto said, 'If Elliott thinks being the Mamdani of Connecticut is the way to win, then he's living in a fantasyland.' Going forward, Lamont will be working with the legislature in a special session as early as September to plug holes in the federal government's support for Connecticut on issues like Medicaid and food stamps. Top legislators have repeatedly said they do not know how much money will be cut, but the Kaiser Family Foundation estimated that Connecticut could lose as much as $13 billion over 10 years. Godfrey said the governor needs to work closely with the General Assembly during the special session and during the next regular session that starts in February 2026. 'The governor made a big mistake in vetoing the housing bill and vetoing the striking workers bill,' said Godfrey, a liberal Democrat. 'In Connecticut, it's not ideology. The governor just needs to improve his relations with the General Assembly and actually collaborate with us. We'll see how that goes.' While many liberals are backing Elliott, the House moderate caucus is strongly backing Lamont, even after the two vetoes. Overall, 18 House Democrats, including moderates from more upscale communities like Greenwich, Glastonbury and Simsbury, voted against the housing bill, which was crafted by Democratic leaders to address the state's affordable housing crisis. 'With the recent vetoes, Governor Lamont demonstrated the thoughtful, steady leadership Connecticut needs,' the moderates wrote in a statement. 'As proud moderate Democrats, we believe we reflect the views of the majority of Connecticut residents — and we're proud to stand with a governor who does the same.' Concerning various Democratic primaries for Congress and governor, Proto said, 'For years, it's always been said the Republican Party was a dysfunctional party. It looks like the Democrats are taking on that mantle in 2026. It will be fun to watch what they're going to do to each other.' Longtime Democratic strategist Matthew Hennessey of Hartford said Lamont's only threat is in the primary because he believes that Lamont could defeat any Republican in the field, including Sen. Ryan Fazio of Greenwich and Mayor Erin Stewart of New Britain. 'Ned has left the door open on the left side of the party,' Hennessey said. 'That's his only threat. His threat is not in the general election, even though Republicans like to say that. It's just never going to happen. … I don't think Josh can beat him, but there is going to be a lot of people who are going to use Josh's campaign as the vehicle to tell Ned that these things that he's been doing are not where the Democratic Party is today.' With liberals and moderates often at odds on key issues, the state party chairman is the one who plays the role of keeping the party together. 'What Democrats have to understand is Democratic messages don't have to be uniform all the time,' Alves said. 'Everybody has a seat at our table because nobody has the market cornered on good ideas. We might not always agree with each other, but as long as we disagree respectfully and come out with policies that can work. Not everybody is always going to be happy. At the end of the day, it's the Democratic values and the Democratic principles that are important to keep our progress and keep our state moving forward.' Christopher Keating can be reached at ckeating@
USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Trump just made it harder to close the Education Department
Trump has said he wants to close the Education Department, but he just gave the agency a long to-do list WASHINGTON – When President Donald Trump signed a megabill with his spending and policy priorities into law on July 4, he distanced himself from another one of his goals: dismantling the U.S. Department of Education. Congressional Democrats have already tried to stand in the way of that effort – sometimes literally. So have the federal courts, which continue to debate the legality of the president's attempts to weaken the agency, whose work impacts students and schools across the country. But there's one obstacle that's less evident: the so-called "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act." Starting next year, the law will create two brand-new federal student loan repayment plans. It also expands Pell Grants, a staple of college financial aid, to include weekslong post-high school training programs. And it binds colleges to a fresh set of rules meant to protect students and save taxpayers money. Under the law, there's one person ultimately responsible for carrying out those directives: Education Secretary Linda McMahon. Her entire department will be required to mobilize its depleting resources to execute the wishes of Congress and the president. That dynamic puts Trump in an awkward position. In February, he said he wanted McMahon to "put herself out of a job." (In order to legally do that, he'd need the support of Senate Democrats, which he doesn't have.) But by signing his signature spending law, Trump gave McMahon a laundry list of important things to do. And those asks won't be simple or easy to turn into a reality, experts and former Education Department employees have said, without the right people to make them work. Trump has already cut the agency's workforce in half this year, and the Supreme Court on July 14 allowed more than 1,000 workers to stay fired while their layoffs are challenged in court. "I do have significant concerns that the speed of the cuts will have left us with a department that is unable to effectively implement this legislation," Beth Akers, a senior fellow at the right-leaning think tank the American Enterprise Institute, told USA TODAY during a recent webinar. Those worries were echoed by Jon Fansmith, senior vice president for government relations and national engagement at the American Council on Education, the country's main higher education association. "You can definitely anticipate a lot of problems," he said. College financial aid administrators are warning of "significant disruption" for students who rely on help to pay for school. Read more: How FAFSA 'fixes' have turned College Decision Day into chaos In spite of that unease, top officials at the Education Department have stressed that the agency is well-positioned to enact the law. On July 18, the agency published some guidance for implementation, and more information would be provided "in the weeks and months ahead," said Jeffrey Andrade, a top agency official. "Just within President Trump's first six months, the Department has responsibly managed and streamlined key federal student aid features," deputy press secretary Ellen Keast said in a statement to USA TODAY. "We will continue to deliver meaningful and on time results while implementing the President's OBBB ('One Big Beautiful Bill') to better serve students, families, and administrators.' New student loan repayment plans, Pell Grant expansion For anyone who takes out new federal student loans after July 1, 2026, the law eliminates all current repayment programs and replaces them with only two: a standard plan and a plan based on borrowers' incomes. The more than 40 million Americans who already have federal student loan debt will still have access to some old repayment plans. But the 8 million borrowers enrolled in President Joe Biden's signature repayment plan will have to be switched to a different one by 2028. All of that work will be carried out by the Federal Student Aid office, a branch of the Education Department. The "One Big, Beautiful Bill Act" also creates a special type of Pell Grant. It will be made available to students enrolled in short-term programs between eight and 15 weeks long in fields like cosmetology and welding. The Education Department has to start vetting and allowing schools to receive that money by July 2026. Different college oversight rules Trump's new legislation additionally tasks the Education Department with enforcing a framework for holding colleges and universities accountable for getting students well-paying jobs after graduation. Republicans call the measure a "do no harm" test. Put simply, it takes away the ability of some college programs to let students take out federal loans if those schools aren't providing a good return on investment. To fully implement the program, staffers at the Education Department have a lot of number-crunching to do. They'll likely need data from colleges, the Internal Revenue Service, the Bureau of Labor Statistics and states, Fansmith said. All of that information will need to be aggregated and calculated across tens of thousands of programs, and thousands of schools, over a yearslong period. Robert Jason Cottrell, who was a data coordinator in the Office of Postsecondary Education before he was laid off in March, said he fears the Education Department may rely too heavily on contractors to get it all done. "I don't know if that's going to work," he said. Echoes of FAFSA challenges It's not the first time in recent years that the Education Department has been tasked with implementing big changes for students. The last time, it didn't go very well. In December 2020, Congress passed a law to simplify the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, or FAFSA, a form that most students must fill out each year to get financial aid. But the rollout went haywire, jeopardizing the college dreams of millions. There were many reasons the agency bungled the law's implementation. Some federal officials blamed outside contractors, who were doing the bulk of the work because the Education Department was short-staffed. Other critics said former President Joe Biden spent too much time prioritizing student loan forgiveness. Read more: How did the FAFSA rollout go so wrong? A look at the key events Regardless of the cause, the effects were devastating: Some students decided to delay college or forgo it altogether. Parents made important decisions without enough information. And universities lost trust in the federal financial aid system. Things turned around, though. After Biden's Education Department brought in a special team to focus on the FAFSA, the form got better. Now, it's easier than ever to fill out. In many college financial aid offices, the wounds from the FAFSA crisis are still fresh. And since the Education Department layoffs, schools have struggled to get in touch with the government for routine requests. Those issues are already affecting their ability to help students. Read more: Colleges report widespread problems with financial aid since Education Department layoffs In a statement on July 14, Melanie Storey, the president of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, emphasized that students and schools need more clarity about what comes next. "With significantly more work on the horizon to implement the One Big Beautiful Bill Act, we reiterate our concerns that the Trump administration has not shared the details of a plan to redistribute the Department's work in a way that does not cause significant disruption for America's college students," she said. Zachary Schermele is an education reporter for USA TODAY. You can reach him by email at zschermele@ Follow him on X at @ZachSchermele and Bluesky at @
