In his first trip to the Rio Grande Valley in Texas since he took office, President Joe Biden blamed Republicans for the border crisis that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, 25 Republican governors, Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and many others argue he created. Biden arrived in Brownsville on Thursday afternoon and met with local law enforcement, Border Patrol agents and Democratic officials around the same time that former President Donald Trump arrived in Del Rio, Texas, and met with Abbott and...
Mar 02, 2024•9 min•Ep. 233
Former President Donald Trump defeated former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley in Michigan’s Republican presidential primary while President Joe Biden cruised to an easy victory on the Democrats' side. The races were called within an hour of polls closing, with the GOP primary determined with about 80% of the vote counted. Biden received more than 126,000 votes while the “uncommitted” spot received more than 23,000 votes, a vote protesting the Israel-Hamas conflict and the U.S’s continual funding...
Mar 01, 2024•9 min•Ep. 232
The rise of pro-Palestinian protests on U.S. university campuses often feature protesters calling for violence against Jews, leading to Jewish students feeling unsafe and frustrated by the lack of response from school administrators and federal officials. Pro-Palestine sentiment is not new to many of these campuses, but the deadly Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israeli civilians and the ensuing war in Gaza have sparked far more frequent and zealous demonstrations. For Ethan Melman, a born-and-raised Chi...
Feb 24, 2024•9 min•Ep. 231
James Biden, the president’s brother, testified before lawmakers Wednesday in the ongoing impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden. The testimony comes as the indictment of a key witness in the inquiry has left Republicans playing defense and Democrats calling for the inquiry to end. Several media outlets reported Wednesday that during his opening statement, James defended his brother, President Biden, saying the president was not involved in his dealings and did not financially benefit from...
Feb 23, 2024•9 min•Ep. 230
In its second vote attempt in exactly a week, the U.S. House on Tuesday night impeached Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, who becomes the first sitting cabinet member to be impeached in U.S. history. Mayorkas was impeached largely along party lines by a vote of 214-213, with three Republicans voting with 210 Democrats against. As more than 10 million illegal border crossers entered the country in three years and a record number of known or suspected terrorists have be...
Feb 17, 2024•8 min•Ep. 229
Former President Donald Trump’s first criminal trial date, in a case involving porn actress Stormy Daniels, will be March 25. A New York judge rejected a request from Trump to dismiss the case. He faces charges in multiple states while commanding the lead for the Republican nomination in the presidential race. His lawyers, appearing before Judge Juan Manuel Merchan, said the case will interfere with his campaign to return to the White House. Trump has three other prosecutions unresolved, one of ...
Feb 16, 2024•10 min•Ep. 228
All nine U.S. Supreme Court justices challenged constitutional arguments for removing former President Donald Trump from Colorado’s 2024 presidential primary ballot during arguments before the court on Thursday. During arguments scheduled to last 80 minutes, the justices spent almost 130 minutes listening to and questioning three attorneys: Jonathan Mitchell representing Trump, Jason Murray representing six Colorado Republicans who filed suit last year to remove the former president from the bal...
Feb 11, 2024•8 min•Ep. 227
The U.S. House of Representatives voted Tuesday against impeaching U.S. Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, with four Republicans joining all Democrats in voting against impeachment. The vote was 216 to 214 after one Republican changed his vote from "aye" to "nay," breaking what initially appeared to be a 215-215 tie. After the vote, House Speaker Mike Johnson sought to have a revote, which hasn't happen. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we ea...
Feb 10, 2024•9 min•Ep. 226
A visibly upset President Joe Biden addressed the nation late Thursday to respond to news that the special counsel tasked with investigating his handling of classified documents had chosen not to charge him, but also detailed numerous examples of his memory loss. The blockbuster special counsel report, while clearing Biden, sparked questions about Biden’s mental fitness when it called him an “elderly man with a poor memory.” Biden is 81 years old. "My memory is fine," Biden fired back before get...
Feb 09, 2024•9 min•Ep. 225
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bipartisan tax bill with a vote of 357-70 late Wednesday, but that bill now faces an uncertain future in the Senate. The Tax Relief for American Families and Workers Act had bipartisan support after months of behind-the-scenes deals involving both parties. Whether the Senate can get the bill passed, though, remains unclear. The Senate faces several other deadlines, including a March deadline to reauthorize the Federal Aviation Act, two looming governmen...
Feb 04, 2024•7 min•Ep. 224
The world is awaiting President Joe Biden’s response to a drone attack in Jordan over the weekend that left three U.S. service members dead and more than 30 injured. In his statement Sunday, Biden said “we know [the attack] was carried out by radical Iran-backed militant groups operating in Syria and Iraq” and pledged to respond to the “despicable and wholly unjust attack.” That statement raised questions about what the response could look like and if it would be severe enough to escalate to a b...
Feb 03, 2024•8 min•Ep. 223
The U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security voted along party lines early Wednesday to advance two articles of impeachment against Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. It did so after over several hours of debate , multiple motions filed, objections, appeals, points of order and motions to table; multiple voice and recorded votes, several recession breaks and even arguments over the breaks, as Democratic committee members continuously tried to delay the final vote. Sup...
Feb 02, 2024•10 min•Ep. 222
Former President Donald Trump touted his victory Wednesday afternoon in the state of New Hampshire, where he won the Republican presidential primary and may have sealed the fate of his only remaining opponent: former UN Ambassador and South Carolins Gov. Nikki Haley. Trump won contested races in Iowa last week and New Hampshire this week, making him the first non-incumbent presidential candidate to do so in modern history. In another record, Trump’s win was fueled in part by record voter turnout...
Jan 27, 2024•9 min•Ep. 221
Support continues to pour in for Texas Gov. Greg Abbott from fellow Republican governors who have sent their National Guard troops to Texas. They are also participating in an Emergency Management Assistance Compact with Texas, sending personnel to assist in Abbott’s border security mission, Operation Lone Star. In the face of ongoing threats by the Biden administration to strip Texas of what Abbott says is its constitutional right to defend itself, the governors have vowed to “stand with Texas.”...
Jan 26, 2024•11 min•Ep. 220
House Republicans have the votes to impeach Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, U.S. Rep. Mark Green, MD, R-Tenn., said Thursday. Green, who chairs the House Committee on Homeland Security, said all 18 Republican committee members support impeaching him. Three articles of impeachment have been filed against Mayorkas alleging he is derelict in duty, violating laws established by Congress, and creating a national security threat. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.s...
Jan 21, 2024•7 min•Ep. 219
One-third of Americans say that President Joe Biden is guilty of corruption and should be impeached, including some Democrats, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voter’s Voice Poll found that 34% of likely voters say “Joe Biden is guilty of corruption and should be impeached.” An additional 35% said it’s not clear if the president did anything wrong but that a Republican-led House investigation into the president should continue. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/s...
Jan 20, 2024•9 min•Ep. 218
Former President Donald Trump dominated the Iowa Caucuses Monday evening, leaving little room for his opponents to forge a path forward and make the pitch they are viable candidates. Regardless, they seem intent on trying and still do have hope, since Iowa only has 40 delegates to offer and it takes 1,215 to win the GOP nomination. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’s campaign suffered this week in particular, investing heavily in time and campaign funds in Iowa, his best chance to prove his viability be...
Jan 19, 2024•8 min•Ep. 217
Consumer costs increased at an elevated level again in December, according to newly released federal economic data, raising new concerns about spiking inflation. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics on Thursday released the Consumer Price Index, a key marker of inflation, showing the cost of a range of every day goods and services for Americans rose more than expected. According to the federal data, the CPI rose 0.3% in December alone, a break from the recent months of very low inflation. Overall...
Jan 14, 2024•9 min•Ep. 216
U.S. lawmakers will hold a hearing Thursday on “woke ideologies” influencing the military and how that may be negatively impacting national security, including recruitment of new members. Subcommittee on National Security, the Border, and Foreign Affairs Chairman Glenn Grothman, R-Wisc., will host the hearing. “The men and women who bravely serve within the military must stay focused on combat readiness, not left-wing objectives which serve no military purpose,” Grothman said in a statement. “It...
Jan 13, 2024•9 min•Ep. 215
Former South Carolina Gov. and ambassador Nikki Haley has surpassed Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis among Republican voters, according to a new poll. The Center Square Voter’s Voice poll shows former President Donald Trump with a wide lead and Haley in second, surpassing DeSantis by one percentage point. Get your Audible Membership today! (As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualified purchases) Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
Jan 12, 2024•8 min•Ep. 214
The Republican primary’s Iowa caucuses are scheduled for Jan. 15, the first chance for voters to determine who they want to represent their party in November's presidential election. Iowa's January caucuses are a regular tradition for a presidential primary season that – this time around – has been unusually enshrouded in indictments, impeachment inquiries and lawsuits heading into election year. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
Jan 06, 2024•10 min•Ep. 213
As the U.S. gross national debt topped $34 trillion, groups across the political spectrum continue to call for a fiscal commission to address the mounting federal debt. The thinking behind the idea is that a bipartisan commission could help facilitate agreement on difficult fiscal issues. However, few see such a commission as a panacea for a problem with deep roots and politically controversial solutions. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
Jan 05, 2024•11 min•Ep. 212
The Michigan Supreme Court has refused to hear a case that would have attempted to ban Donald Trump from being on the state's 2024 presidential primary ballot. In November, Michigan Court of Appeals Justice James Redford ruled Trump would remain on the primary ballot. The state's highest court declined to hear an appeal. There has been a nationwide movement to have Trump removed from state ballots across the country, alleging he incited an insurrection against the government on Jan. 6, 2021, dur...
Dec 29, 2023•9 min•Ep. 211
President Joe Biden's approval rating has hit a new low on the eve of 2024, when the president will seek a second term in the White House, according to a new poll. Monmouth University on Monday released the poll, which show's Biden's approval rating has dropped to 34% approval, the lowest rating Monmouth has collected since Biden became president. The same poll shows Biden has 61% disapproval rating, the highest since Biden took office. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/sh...
Dec 23, 2023•10 min•Ep. 210
The Colorado state Supreme Court voted 3-4 Tuesday to block former President Donald Trump from receiving votes on the 2024 presidential ballot, saying he is disqualified because he “engaged in an insurrection,” a reference to his role in the Jan. 6 Capitol protests gone awry. The majority opinion acknowledged the U.S. Supreme Court could weigh in, and as a result postponed the effect of its ruling until Jan. 4, giving the court about two weeks. The Colorado secretary of state has until Jan. 5 to...
Dec 22, 2023•11 min•Ep. 209
Abortion-providing groups received $1.89 billion in taxpayer money from fiscal years 2019 to 2021, a newly released federal watchdog report shows. The Government Accountability Office, a federal agency, conducted the report at lawmakers' request, showing that Planned Parenthood received the lion's share, taking in $1.78 billion in those years. Planned Parenthood is estimated to have performed more than one million abortions during that time. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/p...
Dec 16, 2023•10 min•Ep. 208
The U.S. House of Representatives voted 221 to 212 Wednesday to formalize the impeachment inquiry into President Joe Biden, who faces allegations that he personally benefited from and lied about his son's overseas business dealings, which raked in millions of dollars. This vote was not a vote to impeach the president, only to formalize the impeachment inquiry which has been gathering and releasing evidence for months. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus...
Dec 15, 2023•9 min•Ep. 207
Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis attacked former President Donald Trump’s age and sparred with former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie over Trump’s mental fitness to be president during the Republican primary debate at the University of Alabama on Wednesday night. The remarks came after DeSantis was asked about previous comments in which he said Trump has “lost the zip on his fast ball” and whether that meant he was questioning Trump’s mental fitness. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/...
Dec 10, 2023•10 min•Ep. 206
The rapidly growing debt of the U.S. federal government has hit another milestone, topping more than $100,000 per person. While the U.S. population and the U.S. national debt are large numbers that are difficult to calculate, the rough debt estimate and rough population estimate end up at about $100,000 of federal debt per person in the U.S. Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/america-in-focus/support...
Dec 09, 2023•8 min•Ep. 205
President Joe Biden's son, Hunter, is facing new charges. Federal prosecutors released a 56-page indictment late Thursday. The indictment unsealed in the Central District of California alleges Biden failed to file and pay taxes, evaded an assessment and filed false or fraudulent tax returns. The indictment alleges Biden attempted to dodge paying taxes of at least $1.4 million from 2016 through 2019. The new indictment contains nine charges, including lying about the taxes he eventually filed in ...
Dec 08, 2023•10 min•Ep. 204
