The U.S. Air Force has become increasingly focused on Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts, and critics say it is hurting recruitment. Chief of Staff of the Air Force Charles Q. Brown has been a major backer of the DEI efforts. Brown said in the fall of 2020 that DEI was a key focal point of recruiting and a factor in promotions. The Air Force launched a Diversity and Inclusion Task Force in September 2020. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/suppor...
Jul 08, 2023•9 min•Ep. 143
The Committee on Oversight and Accountability plans look into how cocaine ended up in the West Wing of the White House. Committee Chairman James Comer, R-Kentucky, sent a letter to United States Secret Service Director Kimberly Cheatle on Friday requesting a briefing and information related to the discovery of cocaine in the White House. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
Jul 07, 2023•7 min•Ep. 142
The national debt will be nearly twice as large as the U.S. economy in 30 years, the U.S. Congressional Budget Office projects. That figure assumes no new major spending projects from Congress in that time, which is unlikely, meaning that debt levels could actually rise much more quickly. Conversely, Congress could slow that trend by cutting spending. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
Jul 02, 2023•5 min•Ep. 141
The U.S. House Committee tasked with reviewing the federal pandemic response is ramping up its investigation into what influence teachers unions had over federal rules that kept schools closed. Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic Chairman Brad Wenstrup, R-Ohio, sent a letter to U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Director Rochelle Walensky demanding all records and communications between her and American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. Support this podc...
Jul 01, 2023•7 min•Ep. 140
The U.S. Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Harvard and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s race-based affirmative action admission policies violate the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support
Jun 30, 2023•8 min•Ep. 139
The majority of Americans oppose a federal ban on gas stoves, according to a new poll. The Harvard CAPS Harris poll found that 69% of those surveyed opposed such a ban. The question rose to national prominence after news broke that the federal government was considering regulatory changes that would make gas stoves either banned or prohibitively expensive for Americans. Since that news broke, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Democratic lawmakers in the state implemented a ban on gas stoves in most...
Jun 25, 2023•6 min•Ep. 138
President Joe Biden’s son, Hunter Biden, will reportedly plead guilty to two federal misdemeanor tax-related charges. Court documents made public Tuesday show that Hunter Biden also faces a charge related to possessing a gun while being a drug user. The firearm charge will be subject to a pretrial diversion agreement, which means Hunter Biden's team cut a deal and will likely not see prison time for the gun charge. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/su...
Jun 24, 2023•8 min•Ep. 137
Former Special Counsel for the United States Department of Justice John Durham testified Wednesday that the federal government had no substantive basis to begin its 2016 probe into Russian collusion with the Trump campaign. During the Trump administration, former Attorney General Bill Barr tapped John Durham to investigate Crossfire-Hurricane, the name for the FBI probe into alleged collusion between Russia and the campaign of then-candidate Donald Trump. Support this podcast: https://podcasters...
Jun 23, 2023•7 min•Ep. 136
The federal government wasted over a half a trillion dollars in improper payments during the first two years of the Biden administration, a new analysis from a spending watchdog group found. The analysis comes from Open The Books, which reports that 82 programs across 17 agencies made improper payments in fiscal year 2022 alone, averaging $20.5 billion per month, or $683 million per day. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
Jun 18, 2023•6 min•Ep. 135
At least 1.2 million people have been apprehended or reported evading capture at the southern border in the first five months of this year, according to data obtained and analyzed by The Center Square. The estimate is based on official apprehension data reported by U.S. Customs and Border Protection as well as gotaway data. A Border Patrol agent provides this data exclusively to The Center Square on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisal. Gotaways are those who illegally enter the U.S. and ...
Jun 17, 2023•8 min•Ep. 134
Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Tuesday to 37 counts that allege he kept sensitive military documents, shared them with people who didn't have security clearance, and tried to get around the government's efforts to get them back. Trump's arraignment at the Wilkie D. Ferguson Jr. Courthouse was largely procedural except for heightened security, lots of media coverage and hundreds of supporters outside the federal courthouse in Miami. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spoti...
Jun 16, 2023•8 min•Ep. 133
A taxpayer-funded grant from the Department of Justice distributed $150,000 to “amplify the voices” of transgender people in New Orleans who are accusing the police of discrimination. Based on the assumption that LGBT people of color are discriminated against by police, Rutgers University researchers pledged to find 25 subjects and “conduct narrative interviews” to document their experiences. This study is one of many examples of taxpayer-funded federal research dollars going to projects tailore...
Jun 11, 2023•5 min•Ep. 132
Republican lawmakers are raising concerns about a Biden administration official’s questionable family ties to far-left groups lobbying lawmakers. U.S. Rep. Bruce Westerman, R-Ark., chair of the Committee on Natural Resources, sent a letter to U.S. Department of Interior Secretary Deb Haaland this week demanding records, communications, documents and more related to allegations that Haaland’s family members may be unethically connected to anti-fossil fuel groups. Support this podcast: https://pod...
Jun 10, 2023•5 min•Ep. 131
Former President Donald Trump said on Truth Social Thursday that he had been federally indicted for his handling of classified documents. Trump reportedly faces 7 counts around refusing to give back the documents, allegedly making false statements, an Espionage Act violation, and more. The indictment is not yet public. Trump has already been indicted by a New York grand jury for a different state matter, but a federal indictment from the Department of Justice overseen by President Joe Biden, an ...
Jun 09, 2023•8 min•Ep. 130
Former Vice President Mike Pence will announce his 2024 candidacy for president in Iowa next week. Several media outlets broke the news Wednesday, indicating the announcement will likely come June 7 in Des Moines, Iowa. The latest polling from Morning Consult puts Pence at 5% support, behind former President Donald Trump at 56% and Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis at 22%. Pence earned the ire of Trump and many of his supporters for refusing to back the former president’s challenge to the election resul...
Jun 04, 2023•7 min•Ep. 129
A coalition of education experts, governors and lawmakers are pushing back against the "Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion" policies that have become the norm in public colleges and universities around the country. Several states have legislative efforts underway to require intellectual diversity, and professors tell The Center Square they welcome the change. Texas is the latest state to take on DEI, a broad category that employs teams of administrators to enforce equity and racial policies at the...
Jun 03, 2023•9 min•Ep. 128
The U.S. Senate voted 63-36 late Thursday to pass the debt limit deal brokered by President Joe Biden and U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, R-Calif. “We may be a little tired, but we did it,” Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., said after the vote. The legislation suspends the nation's debt limit until Jan. 1, 2025, notably after the 2024 presidential election; caps non-defense spending but also limits defense spending increases; and expands work requirements for some of those receiving food stamps, am...
Jun 02, 2023•8 min•Ep. 127
U.S. House Speaker Kevin McCarthy said Wednesday that the White House must agree to spending cuts as part of a debt deal. "You have to spend less than you did last year," McCarthy said at a news conference. "That's not that difficult to do, but in Washington, somehow, that is a problem." McCarthy said he was hopeful negotiators would make progress although he described the two sides as "far apart." Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
May 26, 2023•7 min•Ep. 126
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Wednesday evening that he is running for president. "Our border is a disaster. Crime infests our cities," DeSantis said in his announcement. "The federal government makes it harder for families to make ends meet. And the president flounders. But decline is a choice. Success is attainable. And freedom is worth fighting for." DeSantis took subtle shots at former President Donald Trump, saying he had frustration with Trump's inability to enact his agenda and blas...
May 25, 2023•10 min•Ep. 125
Will the Biden administration’s latest energy regulations force Americans out of gas vehicles and into more expensive electric cars? Lawmakers in the U.S. House held a hearing Wednesday tackling that key question. The hearing, held by the Oversight Committee’s Economic Growth, Energy Policy, and Regulatory Affairs Subcommittee, focused on newly proposed Environmental Protection Agency tailpipe emission rules that the federal agency itself called “ambitious.” Support this podcast: https://podcast...
May 21, 2023•8 min•Ep. 124
A new report released Wednesday shows how Chinese researchers and government officials provide evidence that the virology lab in Wuhan, China, could be the origin point of COVID-19. U.S. Sen. Marco Rubio, who serves on the Select Committee on Intelligence and the Committee on Foreign Relations, released the report, which marks another federal-level source backing the Wuhan origins theory, which was once “debunked” as a conspiracy, mocked by news outlets and censored by social media companies. Su...
May 20, 2023•8 min•Ep. 123
A former FBI agent testified before Congress Thursday saying that the FBI manipulated data to make domestic terrorism linked to Jan. 6 seem like a nationwide phenomenon instead of an isolated incident. The revelation came as part of a hearing held by the House Select Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Federal Government where FBI whistleblowers testified before lawmakers about abuse and politicization of the FBI. They also testified about backlash they received, even losing their jobs as r...
May 19, 2023•8 min•Ep. 122
President Joe Biden met with legislative leaders on Tuesday, but neither side gave any indication of progress on the debt ceiling ahead of a potential June 1 default deadline. President Joe Biden met with House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer and Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell at the White House. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
May 14, 2023•4 min•Ep. 121
A Republican lawmaker wants to prohibit the U.S. Department of Defense from using taxpayer funds for drag queen shows and other adult cabaret performances. U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, R-Mont., introduced legislation to stop the department from using taxpayer funds or taxpayer-funded facilities to host such performances. The bill comes after the U.S. Navy said it had one of its sailors, a drag performer and social media influencer, serve as a Digital Ambassador for military recruitment. Support this ...
May 13, 2023•5 min•Ep. 120
U.S. Border Patrol agents are bracing for a surge of foreign nationals entering the U.S. illegally as the public health authority Title 42 came to a close at midnight. At a border conference in El Paso, Texas, Border Patrol chiefs and Department of Homeland Security executives discussed what the end of the federal policy, that’s enabled agents to quickly process some foreign nationals for removal, would be like for federal agents as millions of people are expected to cross after the Biden admini...
May 12, 2023•8 min•Ep. 119
Americans are worried about the safety of their money in the banking system after multiple banks have collapsed in recent weeks, according to a new poll. Gallup released the survey data, which showed that 19% are “very” worried about the safety of their money in banks and another 29% are “moderately” worried. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support
May 07, 2023•5 min•Ep. 118
A rise in crime, looting, and unhindered theft around the U.S. has helped fuel Americans' rising concerns about crime. Some of the nation’s largest cities are experiencing crime waves in recent years, and new polling shows Americans are worried. Gallup released new polling Tuesday showing that more Americans are concerned about higher crime with Americans ranking it as the sixth largest problem facing the nation, behind other issues like “poor leadership” and inflation. Support this podcast: htt...
May 06, 2023•7 min•Ep. 117
The latest in a series of new Biden administration rule changes that charge higher fees to certain home buyers with good credit and lower fees for buyers with worse credit went into effect this week despite pushback from Republicans and many financial experts. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support
May 05, 2023•7 min•Ep. 116
The U.S. Senate HELP Committee on Wednesday voted to send President Joe Biden’s pick to lead the Department of Labor to the Senate for consideration. The lawmakers voted in favor of Julie Su, who served as deputy secretary for the Department of Justice under the Biden administration. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support
Apr 30, 2023•6 min•Ep. 115
President Joe Biden blasted the Republicans' recently unveiled spending plan to raise the debt limit and cut spending, calling it "a reckless attempt to extract extreme concessions as a condition for the United States simply paying the bills it has already incurred." The Biden administration’s Office of Management and Budget released the statement, making clear the president would veto the Republicans’ recently unveiled bill, "The Limit, Save, Grow Act." Support this podcast: https://podcasters....
Apr 29, 2023•6 min•Ep. 114
