Former Wyoming GOP Rep. Liz Cheney announced her endorsement of Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris. She made the endorsement at Duke University in North Carolina.
It may not be an endorsement the Democrats want. For years, they have called the Cheneys a family of war-mongering fascists. Now, she is on their side.
WATCH: Just as Liz Cheney announced her endorsement of Kamala Harris, a video has resurfaced of her SLAMMING Kamala, calling her a radical
"Her voting record is to the left of Bernie Sanders… It's very clear, she [Kamala] is a radical liberal" pic.twitter.com/fIQFVkyKsS
Cheney co-chaired the House investigation into the Jan. 6, 2021 intrusion into the U.S. Capitol. She is a Trump hater who was eliminated from her state’s ballot during the 2022 primary.
“I don’t believe that we have the luxury of writing in candidates’ names, particularly in swing states,” Cheney said. “As a conservative, as someone who believes in and cares about the Constitution, I have thought deeply about this. Because of the danger that Donald Trump poses, not only am I not voting for Donald Trump, but I will be voting for Kamala Harris.”
Cheney, like Sen. Lisa Murkowski of Alaska, now routinely supports Democrats. She campaigned for Rep. Elissa Slotkin, a Democrat, like Murkowski supported Rep. Mary Peltola in 2022.
Cheney also endorsed Ohio Democrat Rep. Tim Ryan, who ran against Republican J.D. Vance for the open seat for Senate left by retiring Republican Sen. Rob Portman. Cheney also endorsed Virginia Democrat Rep. Abigail Spanberger.
Reputation associated with his military record already shattered, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz now faces a reckoning tied to a signature education accomplishment – feeding schoolchildren – from a congressional committee chaired by a North Carolina congresswoman.
Called the “largest COVID-19 fraud scheme in the nation,” U.S. Rep. Virginia Foxx, R-N.C., on Wednesday sent a letter and subpoena to Walz and his state administration associated with the federal child nutrition programs and Feeding Our Future, and to the Biden administration’s U.S. Department of Agriculture and its Office of Inspector General.
Walz is Vice President Kamala Harris’s running mate on the Democratic ticket.
More than 70 individuals were charged in 2022 by a United States attorney for “roles in defrauding the USDA of $250 million in taxpayer funds – money intended to feed hungry children,” a release from the Committee on Education & The Workforce in the U.S. House of Representatives says. Five have been convicted, dozens await trial, with charges inclusive of but not limited to bribery, wire fraud, conspiracy and money laundering.
“As the chief executive and the highest-ranking official in the state of Minnesota, you are responsible for the MDE and its administration of FCNPs,” the letter from Foxx reads. “Statements in the press by you and your representatives indicate that you and other executive officers were involved, or had knowledge of, MDE’s administration of the FCNP and responsibilities and actions regarding the massive fraud.”
On the official website for the office of Minnesota governor, Walz touts an accomplishment in providing free breakfast and lunch at school for the state’s students. The program names involved in the charges are not included.
Walz has been a lightning rod of criticism for the Harris campaign since she picked him Aug. 6. He campaigned for years for Congress and governor falsely representing his National Guard rank and place of service, even wrongly labeling a challenge coin; his record for actions during the COVID-19 era have drawn condemnation; and his handling of riots following the death of George Floyd drew criticism even from himself.
Foxx says letters dated Nov. 14, 2023, and June 14 requested information that shows Walz’ actions, and of other executive officers “were insufficient to address the massive fraud.”
The letter says to Walz, “When you were asked about your decision of not holding agencies accountable and if MDE employees would be disciplined, you replied, ‘This wasn’t malfeasance.’ You also stated, ‘There’s not a single state employee that was implicated in doing anything that was illegal.’”
Foxx said her committee has been “unable to obtain substantive responsive materials in the many voluntary requests made in this matter.”
In the letter to Minnesota Commissioner of Education Willie Jett, Foxx wrote, “On June 25, 2024, and August 9, 2024, the committee received two additional productions of documents. Despite these productions, the documents and information provided to the committee do not explain how your agency and the USDA failed to identify what has been described as the largest pandemic fraud in the nation. The MDE’s production of information has been neither timely nor fully responsive. Accordingly, the committee is invoking compulsory process.”
The USDA funds the Child and Adult Care Food Program and the Summer Food Service Program under the state agency-administered Federal Child Nutrition Program. States set up contracts, and then request reimbursement.
The state of Minnesota – meaning its Education Department – is the administrator in the process, including for funds and meal sites. Feeding Our Future is the nonprofit approved by the Education Department.
The charges tied to the quarter-billion dollars relate to money spent on luxury vehicles, real estate and “other unlawful purchases,” a release says.
Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor has joined an amicus petition before the U.S. Supreme Court to overturn a case that threatens the energy industry of states by how National Environmental Policy Act was applied.
“The case is as much about federalism and State sovereignty as it is about environmental law,” the brief states.
The National Environmental Policy Act requires federal agencies to assess the environmental effects of proposed actions and to allow public input.
In the car at hand, a proposed railroad in Utah would transport crude oil to the interstate network. The Surface Transportation Board authorized the construction of the rail. But the U.S. District Court in D.C. vacated it, citing the need to consider potential downstream environmental effects of the line, some 1,536 miles away, including in states with already established and highly regulated oil industries such as Louisiana and Texas.
“There is an absurdity in a federal judge overturning a federal transportation agency’s decision to authorize a short rail line in Utah because the agency did not consider the environmental effects of crude oil production in Louisiana and Texas. This is NEPA run amok. Under this way of thinking, the purview of an agency would be unending,” said Alaska Attorney General Treg Taylor.“That barrel of hypothetical Utah oil already goes through an assembly line of State and federal regulations. Weaponizing NEPA in this way harms any State that depends on the energy industry for its economy, which strikes a nerve in Alaska. That’s why we joined these states urging the Supreme Court to reverse the judge’s decision.”
Twenty-two other states with Alaska joined the friend of the court brief, led by Louisiana, including Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, South Dakota, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, West Virginia, and Wyoming in Louisiana’s friend of the court.
The brief argues that Congress did not intend NEPA to be so irrationally redundant, “there is zero reason to believe that Congress intended NEPA to be a super environmental law that tasks each federal agency with divining the propriety and effects of every hypothetical activity that could flow from its discrete regulatory action—no matter that the activity may be years and thousands of miles away; or that the agency has no regulatory authority over the activity; or that other actually knowledgeable federal and State agencies will regulate that activity if and when it occurs.”
An Alaska-based soldier at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson who was indicted last month on charges related to possessing child sexual abuse material, had allegedly made thousands of images using artificial intelligence.
There is no federal or military law that outright criminalizes the use of AI to create explicit materials, but military lawyers say that the Department of Defense has other methods to hold service members accountable, according to an account from TaskandPurpose.com, which reports on military news.
The defendant, Seth Herrera, 34, transported, received and possessed files depicting child sexual abuse. Herrera also allegedly used artificial intelligence to generate child sexual abuse materials depicting children who are known to him.
Court documents further allege that law enforcement uncovered tens of thousands of visual depictions of the violent sexual abuse of children as young as infants on cellphones belonging to the defendant. Herrera also allegedly used encrypted messaging applications and network applications to find, receive and download child sexual abuse materials.
Herrera is charged with one count of transportation of child pornography, one count of receipt of child pornography and one count of possession of child pornography. The defendant had his first court appearance on Aug. 27, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska.
If convicted, he faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 5 years in prison and up to 20 years in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
“The misuse of cutting-edge generative AI is accelerating the proliferation of dangerous content, including child sexual abuse material – so the Department of Justice is accelerating its enforcement efforts,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa Monaco. “As alleged, the defendant used AI tools to morph images of real kids into horrific child sexual abuse material. Criminals considering the use of AI to perpetuate their crimes should stop and think twice – because the Department of Justice is prosecuting AI-enabled criminal conduct to the fullest extent of the law and will seek increased sentences wherever warranted.”
“Technology may change, but our commitment to protecting children will not,” said S. Lane Tucker, U.S. Attorney for the District of Alaska. “We will aggressively pursue those who produce and traffic in child sexual abuse material (CSAM), no matter how that material was created. Put simply, CSAM generated by AI is still CSAM, and those who sexually exploit children, through whatever technological means, will be held accountable by our office in conjunction with our law enforcement partners, for justice and the safety of our children.”
“The charges against Herrera, a U.S. military soldier, for trafficking and generating child sexual abuse materials using artificial intelligence represent a profound violation of trust as well as preview of the challenges law enforcement continues to face in this evolving threat to our children” said Special Agent in Charge Robert Hammer of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Pacific Northwest Division. “This appalling misconduct undermines Herrera’s commitment to defending both our nation and its most vulnerable members.”
But according to TaskandPurpose, in a separate case, Air Force Staff Sgt. Remington Carlisle was charged with possessing and viewing anime porn depicting childlike characters. A judge ruled that the videos and images depicted “fictional cartoon characters,” “not persons,” “not human beings,” and therefore do not fall under definitions that are prosecutable with Article 134. in May, an Air Force criminal appeals judges unanimously ruled in the original judge erred in his decision and called for a trial.
“They argue that these anime videos and images do meet the definition of child pornography in accordance with Article 134, UCMJ,” the appellate judges wrote in their decision. “We hold that whether the videos and images meet the definition of child pornography as set forth by the President is a factual question to be resolved by the fact-finder at trial.”
“While there is no UCMJ article that specifically criminalizes actions related to possessing or distributing child sexual abuse material, prosecutors have opted for Article 134 which allows troops to be court-martialed for violating non-capital federal civilian offenses,” TaskandPurpose wrote at this link.
A federal grand jury in Alaska returned an indictment last week charging a Dillingham man with federal crimes associated with a scheme to steal funds from the Curyung Tribal Council while he served as an accountant/ IT specialist.
According to court documents, from October 2023 to February 2024, William Corbett stole over $94,000 from the Tribal Council while employed as an accountant/ IT specialist. Originally, when he was arrested in March, the amount he had allegedly stolen was about $77,000.
Corbett was responsible for overseeing the Tribe’s finances and had access to and control over the Tribal Council’s accounting software data, financial account, payroll information, credit cards and checkbooks.
Checks issued by the Curyung Tribal Counsel were not valid unless signed by at least two authorized signors. Corbett was not an authorized signor. The indictment alleges Corbett unlawfully issued checks from the Tribal Council’s account by forging the signatures of authorized signors. The checks were issued as payable to himself and businesses under his control, Bristol Suppliers and Datton LLC. The earliest check was dated Oct. 6, and the most recent check was allegedly deposited on Feb. 20. He also allegedly fabricated invoices and payroll documents by using personal information of two people, causing direct deposits to be made from the Tribal Council’s accounts to accounts controlled by Corbett.
Corbett, 35, is being charged with one count of embezzlement and theft from an Indian Ttribal organization, five counts of wire fraud and one count of aggravated identity theft. The defendant had his initial court appearance on Sept. 3 before U.S. Magistrate Judge Kyle F. Reardon of the U.S. District Court for the District of Alaska. I
If convicted, he faces a mandatory sentence of two years in prison for aggravated identity theft, in addition to up to 20 years in prison and $750,000 in fines for his other alleged crimes. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.
Last week, the Department of Homeland Security, through the Federal Emergency Management Agency and U.S. Customs and Border Protection, announced the allocation of over $380 million of taxpayer funds through the Shelter and Services Program to communities and nonprofits accepting illegal aliens who are awaiting immigration court proceedings.
The money is in addition to another $259 million given to these communities and nonprofits in April for a total of $639 million in five months. The national debt now stands at $35.2 trillion, or $269,000 per taxpayer.
“Through the SSP, DHS directly supports communities that are providing critical support such as food, shelter, clothing, acute medical care, and transportation to noncitizens recently released from DHS custody and awaiting their immigration court proceedings,” the federal government explained in its news release.
The more than half a billion dollars is to “help prevent the overcrowding of short-term CBP holding facilities.”
Last year, more than $780 million awarded through SSP and the Emergency Food and Shelter Program – Humanitarian Awards (EFSP-H). This brings the total for 2023 and 2024 to over $1.3 billion.
“DHS efforts to manage and secure our borders in a safe, orderly, and humane way include support for communities, as well as strengthened consequences for those without a legal basis to remain and an expansion of lawful pathways that have helped reduce the number of encounters from specific populations,” the federal government said. “U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)’s shows a significant decline in migrant encounters during the first full month after a Presidential Proclamation issued June 4, 2024, by President Biden to temporarily suspend the entry of certain noncitizens across the southern border.”
U.S. Border Patrol encounters in July were 32% lower than in June 2024 and were the lowest monthly total along the southwest border since September 2020. July’s total numbers between ports of entry are also lower than July 2019, and lower than the monthly average for all of 2019, the last comparable year prior to the pandemic,” the government wrote. What the government does not say is that in August of 2023, illegal border crossings reached an all-time high.
The demand for funding from impacted communities far outstrips the grants available, the Department of Homeland Security said in a press release.
Gov. Mike Dunleavy says Nick Begich is the best chance for Alaska to take back the congressional seat held now by Rep. Mary Peltola. He endorsed him in a statement on Monday.
“I encourage all Alaskans to get behind Republican Nick Begich in order to help Alaska turn our great country around,” he said. “We need change and we need it now.”
Begich has had endorsements rolling in. Before Nancy Dahlstrom dropped after the primary, he had already gained 40% of the organized Republican district committees’ in the state endorsing’ endorsements, along with six of the seven Republican women’s clubs and both Alaska Young Republican Clubs.
He also had Rep. Byron Donalds as an early endorser; Donalds is in President Donald Trump’s inner cycle of political advisers. Vivek Ramaswamy, the successful entrepreneur, came in early for Begich, and Sen. Mike Lee of Utah endorsed early.
Others came right over after the Dahlstrom drop. The National Republican Congressional Committee and Speaker Mike Johnson signed on immediately to help Nick Begich, as did Club for Growth.
Peltola was able to get just over 50% of the primary vote, but the turnout was under 18% in August, and political analysts believe turnout in November will be not only higher, but a more conservative voter base will show up. Kamala Harris is not going to excite many Alaska voters in the general election, nor will she secure much of the military vote, while Trump will have a big impact on voter turnout on the conservative side.
Before the deadline on Monday, Republican candidate Matthews Salisbury dropped from the race for Congress. That leaves Nick Begich as the only Republican on the ticket, facing three others this November: Incumbent Democrat Mary Peltola, Alaska Independence Party candidate John Wayne Howe, and Democrat Eric Hafner.
Salisbury had gotten 652 votes in the primary. By taking his name off the general election ballot, he ended up moving a second Democrat into the final four for Nov. 5, when voters are asked to rank the candidates in the order of their preference.
Rather than first through fourth-place finishers being on the ballot, as intended by the new open primary, ranked-choice general, it’s now the first, second, fifth, and sixth place candidates.
In this race, the Republicans intentionally cleared the track for Begich, who was the leading candidate coming out of the Alaska primary in August.
There were a few other last-minute drops in state Senate and House races:
Senate Seat D: Andy Cizek withdrew before the deadline. Sen. Jesse Bjorkman is being challenged by Republican Rep. Ben Carpenter and Democrat Tina Wegener.
Senate Seat R: James Squyres withdrew before the deadline. Republican Rep. Mike Cronk, false-flag undeclared Democrat Savannah Fletcher, and Alaskan Independence Party candidate Robert Williams are the only ones left on the ballot.
House District 6: Nonpartisan Alana Greear withdrew, leaving nonpartisan Brent Johnson and Republican Dawson Slaughter to challenge Rep. Sarah Vance, the Republican incumbent.
During the last legislative session, the conservative Alaska House Majority delivered numerous victories for Alaskans.
The 33rd Alaska Legislature enacted a balanced budget, the largest increase in school funding in history, as well as significant energy policies for the Railbelt. The dedicated efforts of individual members, who collaborated with their colleagues and prioritized the needs of Alaskans over politics, made these successes possible.
A few contests in the Nov. 5 election could significantly influence Alaska’s next legislative session. Julie Coulombe, Anchorage Hillside District 11, is a lawmaker who helped improve life for Alaskans during the last legislative session, her first term in office. Her proactive approach led her to focus on solutions with input from constituents, as she understands that they hold the key to providing personal knowledge and advice on issues that directly affect their daily lives.
She won her seat in 2022, along with 18 other freshman representatives in Alaska’s House of Representatives. The first session of the 33rd Alaska Legislature in 2023 was one of the largest influxes of new legislators in the state’s history.
Coulombe’s legislative goal was to address the issues that individuals and the state need, including infrastructure projects, education, road maintenance, child care, housing, energy, justice for victims of crime, and other statewide concerns that the state and its citizens need in order to thrive today and into the future. With the belief that “a regular person can make a big difference and get a lot done,” she was ready to work across party lines and dedicate the time required to comprehend the underlying causes of challenges. She concentrated her efforts on developing legislation to address the needs of her constituents and the state as a whole. She collaborated extensively with Senator Kaufman to obtain funds for a number of essential Hillside infrastructure projects, including safe pedestrian crossings to schools, routes for emergency evacuation, and stormwater drainage.
Rep. Coulombe sponsored legislation on a wide range of topics. She introduced bills on property assessment, child care tax credits, restorative justice, license requirements for commercial drivers, prohibiting taxes on the transfer of real estate, and crime victim restitution. She successfully navigated the majority of her measures through the legislative process, ensuring their inclusion in other passed legislation.
For instance, Rep. Coulombe sponsored HB 347 as a companion bill to Senator Jesse Kiehl’s SB 242 to establish guardrails in the property assessment process. After its introduction, she skillfully navigated the bill through the legislative process by diligently communicating and engaging with her fellow legislators, providing them with copies of the bill, and meeting one-on-one with their offices.
Her efforts were essential for conveying the bill’s specifics and receiving feedback. She presented the bill as a working document and respectfully listened to any concerns. She was willing to make changes and accept amendments to make it a better piece of legislation. This approach eventually earned co-sponsorships on the legislation from twelve representatives and five senators.
HB 347 received strong bipartisan support and passed on the House floor with only one vote opposed. However, the bill never made it to the full Senate floor for final passage. The Senate Finance Committee held the bill up after they added an unvetted amendment to increase the state’s mandatory senior and disabled veteran exemption. Undeterred, as time grew short in the session, Rep. Coulombe worked with the House Rules Committee and Sen. Jesse Bjorkman to incorporate HB 347 into SB 179.
Rep. Coulombe also sponsored HB 134 to prohibit taxes on the transfer of real estate. The final version of SB 179 included both HB 347 and HB 134, as well as two other measures: SB 161, which exempts farm land and structures from property taxes, and portions of SB 77, which allow property tax exemptions to promote economic development. SB 179, as amended, created comprehensive legislation concerning property taxes and the assessment process. Governor Dunleavy signed SB 179 into law on Aug. 13.
A big achievement for Alaska: Property tax and assessment reform bill passes The same process led to the passage of another bill she sponsored. HB 89, which provides child care assistance, was eventually passed into law as part of SB 189. Rep. Coulombe stated that this legislation was a “huge win for working parents and workforce development.” From her perspective, the bill helps provide the opportunity for young families and single parents to go back to work so they can stay in Alaska, which in turn will assist with workforce development.
Building consensus on the child care legislation necessitated communicating and compromising to gain support from other legislators and the governor. Rep. Coulombe expressed that moving this legislation forward was challenging and that it took two years to pass into law. She stated, “The state can’t fix this issue alone, but we can work to eliminate red tape, provide tax credits, and business partnerships to help with child care costs… Regulation, taxes, and incentives are in the state’s lane.”
Another achievement, HB 124, amended the license requirement for commercial drivers, a bill that benefited workforce development. This legislation proposed the removal of a requirement for individuals new to Alaska to hold a driver’s license for a year before applying for a commercial driver’s license. The Alaska Trucking Association supported this legislation, stating in a letter of support that “Trucking has labor shortages at all levels of its industry, and HB 124 takes a step in the right direction.”
Sen. James Kaufman and Rep. Coulombe worked together to ensure passage of this legislation into law as part of SB 95. The final draft of SB 95 also included legislation introduced in SB 26, which was sponsored by Kaufman to create registration plates commemorating peace officers killed in the line of duty.
In order to steer Alaska toward prosperity, Rep. Coulombe supports policies that benefit growing businesses and the Alaska workforce. Her goal is to assist Alaskans in overcoming the obstacles they encounter while living and working in our communities.
A multi-pronged approach is required to achieve her vision, which includes support for workforce development with a public education system that expands school choice, parental voice, and incentives to attract excellent teachers. Meeting Alaska’s needs for vocational training, child care, housing, public infrastructure, and well-maintained roads is also necessary, along with support for energy and responsible resource development.
Visit Julie Coulombe’s website, Julie for Alaska, for more information about her legislative achievements and vision for Alaska, as well as to donate to her campaign.
Brenda Josephson is a Haines resident. She co-authored the white paper Restoring Public Trust:Legislative recommendations for Alaska’s Property Tax Assessment Process.
