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Republican debate: Who has qualified so far, and how to watch

The Republican National Committee is set to host the first debate of the 2024 presidential nomination cycle on Aug. 23 at the Fiserv Forum Arena in Milwaukee. This is the same venue that will host the Republican National Convention next July 15-18, when the GOP presidential ticket will be confirmed.

Set to run from 5-7 p.m. Alaska Time, the debate will be broadcast by Fox News Channel, simulcast on the Fox Business Network, and streamed online at foxnews.com.

As the RNC’s official digital live stream partner, Rumble will feature the debate on the platform’s homepage and make it available for viewers across the country on the RNC’s Rumble channel. Fox News personalities Bret Baier and Martha MacCallum will co-moderate the event.

Tickets will be scarce, and are being managed by the Republican National Committee, in partnership with Fox News, Rumble, Young America’s Foundation, and participating candidates. The audience is anticipated to include members of the RNC, grassroots activists, college students, and elected officials.

To qualify for the debate, each Republican candidate must attract 40,000 individual donors and meet a polling threshold set by the party. This includes either receiving at least 1% of support in three national polls or 1% of support in two national polls and two early-voting state polls.

The RNC also requires candidates to sign a promise to support the eventual Republican nominee. All proof of meeting these criteria must be presented 48 hours prior to the debate. To date, none of the candidates appears to have signed the pledge.

The candidates’ podiums on the stage layout will reflect their polling numbers, placing the highest polling candidate in the center.

Current frontrunner Donald Trump has met the qualifications, but his presence at the debate is unlikely. Several top Republicans have speculated that Trump might keep everyone guessing until the last minute.

On Truth Social, Trump suggested that the debate would give him a look at potential running mates: “Let them debate so I can see who I MIGHT consider for Vice President!”

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, former South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley, U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina, entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, and North Dakota Gov. Doug Burgum have all met the polling and fundraising thresholds. Former Vice President Mike Pence is still working to meet the donor requirements.

Several other potential candidates, including former Arkansas Gov. Asa Hutchinson, former Texas Rep. Will Hurd, Miami Mayor Francis Suarez, former National Security Adviser John Bolton, and radio host Larry Elder, have not met the basic thresholds yet and do not appear to be gaining traction among Republican voters.

Milwaukee has not had any notable riots since May 2020, when riots broke out relating to the death of repeat criminal George Floyd in Minneapolis while he was being arrested. During that Milwaukee riot, which was one of dozens around the nation, one police officer was shot by a rioter and many businesses were looted by gangs of vandals and thieves.

More information about the debate is at this RNC link.

Alex Gimarc: Sen. Lisa Murkowski beclowns herself on Trump

By ALEX GIMARC

Alaska’s senior U.S. senator took to Twitter (X) midweek in full-throated support of the four newest indictments of former President Donald Trump. Blowback was immediate and harsh both on Twitter and here in MRAK.  

Sen. Lisa Murkowski is in her happy place, a world where Trump is about to get his, and she couldn’t be more pleased or sanctimonious. Sadly, the damage to the body politic by the indictments and her support for it will be significant.  

Lisa tweeted the following:

“In early 2021, I voted to impeach former President Trump based on clear evidence that he attempted to overturn the 2020 election after losing it. Additional evidence presented since then, including by the January 6 Commission, has only reinforced that the former President played a key role in instigating the riots, resulting in physical violence and desecration of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021. I encourage everyone to read the indictment, to understand the very serious allegations being made in this case.”

There has been no formal press release from her office on this round of indictments like there was in June on the classified documents indictments.  

Her comments are borderline amazing.  Let’s take a look at what she says and apparently believes.

She starts off proudly reminding readers of her vote to impeach Citizen Donald Trump in Feb 2021 weeks after he left office. 

Note that Congress does not have the authority to impeach, try or convict anyone after they are out of office, yet Lisa wears this profoundly unconstitutional act like a badge of honor. 

Don’t forget the other aspects: Trump not being allowed to defend himself or present any contrary evidence before either house of Congress in this.

She then goes on to state there is clear evidence that he attempted to overturn the 2020 election after losing it. 

Trump was questioning the results, something elections losers have been doing since Andrew Jackson lost the presidency in the Corrupt Bargain of 1824.  Nearly 200 years later and we are doing the same thing, yet in Lisa’s world, these questions are somehow a new and awful thing.  

She then mentions evidence. Sadly, there was no evidence presented either in support of or in opposition to the 2020 results. Why? Not a single court took the case. They were all thrown out, usually due to lack of standing and poor timing (too early or too late). No court case equals no evidence. It simply doesn’t exist. Lisa thinks it does.  

As it turns out, the courts are not the place to decide this. Congress is the place, which is why Trump was trying to force Congress to do its job.Congress — Lisa included — refused, which is a choice. It was the wrong choice, but a choice nonetheless.  

Lisa talks about additional evidence presented including that of the Jan. 6 Commission, yet she appears to be completely oblivious to the fact that nobody on the Trump team was allowed to present any alternative evidence to the commission. 

Indeed, unlike the normal House Committee, it didn’t have a functional minority, with all minority nominees rejected by Speaker Nancy Pelosi. The Committee was singularly uninterested in FBI informants embedded in the crowd, why National Guard troops weren’t called up, why the Capital Police were told to allow protesters into the capital, and any or all communications between Speaker Pelosi’s office, the police, FBI, Pentagon, and other entities responsible for security. 

It turns out that Lisa isn’t much interested in that either, as her mind, like any steel trap, is already made up that it is “Bad Orange Man’s fault.”

She ends her tweet reminding us all how scary the riot was for her and her fellow swamp dwellers, and calls on us all to read the indictments.  

I get it that the event was scary. It was supposed to be, intended by whomever organized it to stampede Congress into mindlessly certifying the 2020 election results. 

But Lisa is singularly disinterested in finding out who was behind it, who participated in the organization, planning and execution of it, opting to believe the carefully constructed fantasy that a bunch of unarmed people taking selfies in a single building are capable of flipping the government of the most powerful nation in the known history of the planet.

Really?

Lisa needs to think long and hard about what is going on here. The Biden Justice Department is going after former President Trump with everything they’ve got, meddling in yet another national election like they did in 2016 (Russia Collusion), 2020 (Hunter laptop), and 2022 (social media censorship), none of which Lisa seems to be interested in solving, much less acknowledging.  

In the courts, they are going after Trump using the very same techniques they used to target and fraudulently convict Ted Stevens in 2008, removing him from office. 

You would think Lisa would be more sensitive to that, too, for all her professed sadness at Ted leaving the Senate. She isn’t, however, because her mind is made up, and this is her last best chance to get rid of Trump completely.  

This mess has grown every single day of the 21 years Lisa Murkowski has been in the US Senate. She is generally uninterested in even acknowledging we have a problem other than taking the occasional opportunity to blast away at Trump.  She could have done something, anything, to solve it. She still can. Yet she has chosen to focus on other things. 

She has chosen. Poorly. What a waste of a career in the Senate.  

Alex Gimarc lives in Anchorage since retiring from the military in 1997. His interests include science and technology, environment, energy, economics, military affairs, fishing and disabilities policies. His weekly column “Interesting Items” is a summary of news stories with substantive Alaska-themed topics. He was a small business owner and Information Technology professional.

World Aquatics announces ‘open category’ for transgender athletes

World Aquatics, the preeminent global swimming federation that administers water competitions and qualifiers for the International Olympic Committee, is ready to incorporate an “open category” for transgender athletes. The organization’s governing body initially disclosed the proposal in June 2022.

In an address during World Aquatics’ General Congress in Fukuoka, Japan, federation president Husain Al-Musallam confirmed the open category, although he didn’t disclose any specific timeline or details.

World Aquatics, previously known as FINA, last year banned transgender athletes from participating in high-profile events such as the Olympics and world championships in order to maintain fairness in women’s swimming competitions.

“It was very important that we protected fair competition for our female athletes,” Al-Musallam said during his announcement. “But you have heard me say many times there should be no discrimination. Nobody should be excluded from our competitions.”

The new category is a response to World Swimming Coaches Association, which advocated for a separate division to address the physiological dominance of male over female athletes and to uphold competitive fairness.

The controversy around transgender athletes, especially biological men competing in women’s sports, has only become more contentious as men increasingly take over women’s competitions, while taking hormones and claiming to be women.

Lia Thomas, a male collegiate swimmer with the University of Pennsylvania, has amped himself up on hormones to present as a woman and he competed in the women’s division after having competed for three season’s in the men’s division. He went on to dominate NCAA women’s 500-yard freestyle.

World Aquatics’ decision aligns with those from other sports governing bodies that are beginning to take a stand for fairness.

The World Boxing Council now bans transgender athletes from participating in women’s boxing. World Athletics, the governing body for track, field and running competitions, no longer allows transgender women who went through male puberty to compete in women’s events at international competitions.

Trump pleads not guilty to all charges relating to 2020 election results

By CASEY HARPER | THE CENTER SQUARE

Former President Donald Trump pleaded not guilty Thursday afternoon to all charges related to his role in protesting the 2020 election results.

Trump was indicted for the third time this week. According to the latest indictment, Trump faces four federal charges related to his contesting the 2020 election and connection to the Jan. 6, 2021, storming of the U.S. Capitol building.

The indictment charges include conspiracy to obstruct an official proceeding, conspiracy to defraud the United States, obstruction, and conspiracy against rights.

The former president is the current frontrunner for the Republican nomination in 2024 by a wide margin.

Trump appeared before Magistrate Judge Moxila Upadhyaya at a federal courthouse in Washington, D.C. about 4 p.m. eastern Thursday.

“This is election interference at its finest against the leading candidate right now for president for either party,” Trump’s legal spokesperson Alina Habba told reporters outside the courthouse Thursday. “President Trump is under siege in a way that we have never seen before.”

Outside the courthouse, Trump’s supporters and detractors gathered with signs while authorities stood guard.

The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia released a 45-page indictment of the former president earlier this week. 

“Look, it’s not my fault that my political opponent in the Democrat Party, Crooked Joe Biden, has told his Attorney General to charge the leading (by far!) Republican Nominee & former President of the United States, me, with as many crimes as can be concocted so that he is forced to spend large amounts of time & money to defend himself,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday.

“The Dems don’t want to run against me or they would not be doing this unprecedented weaponization of ‘Justice,'” he added. “BUT SOON, IN 2024, IT WILL BE OUR TURN. MAGA!”

Trump also has recently been indicted in two unrelated cases related to payments to former porn star Stormy Daniels and his handling and retention of classified documents after his time as president.

Trump blasted the latest indictment after it was released, calling it part of a “witch hunt.” His team argues the string of court dates will slow down Trump’s campaigning for president.

“I AM NOW GOING TO WASHINGTON, D.C., TO BE ARRESTED FOR HAVING CHALLENGED A CORRUPT, RIGGED, & STOLEN ELECTION,” Trump wrote on Truth Social Thursday. “IT IS A GREAT HONOR, BECAUSE I AM BEING ARRESTED FOR YOU. MAKE AMERICA GREAT AGAIN!!!

Republicans were quick to criticize the indictment as well, saying it is politically motivated while Biden avoids charges for his own alleged overseas deals with his son, Hunter.

“The American people are smart and they see Biden’s lies and corruption. President Trump has never been in a stronger political position,” U.S. Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., said on social media just before the arraignment.

Democrats, though, have backed the indictment, characterizing it as a solemn day for the country.

“This indictment is the most serious and most consequential thus far and will stand as a stark reminder to generations of Americans that no one, including a president of the United States, is above the law,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., said in a joint statement earlier this week. “The legal process must continue to move forward without any outside interference.”

Details: Shooting at Fred Meyer

Aug. 4 Update: 32-year-old Daire Lashae Dilworth has been arrested and charged with two counts of Assault I and one count of Assault IV. He was arraigned on Friday afternoon.

A shooting incident at Fred Meyer on Abbott Road left two people injured on Thursday morning.

According to Anchorage Police, an adult male, adult female, and their juvenile children became engaged in an altercation occurred outside the store between themselves and a man who was unknown to the family.

During the disturbance, at least two shots were fired. The second man and one of the couple’s juvenile children were each struck one time in the upper body by bullets. The person or persons responsible for firing the shots is still being determined.

The parents drove away with the children. The male parent dropped off the injured child and the female at a hospital, and then left with the other juveniles, who were not injured.

Responding officers located the vehicle being driven near the hospital, conducted a traffic stop, and took the man into custody without incident. He has been transported to the Anchorage Police Department for questioning. 

The injured male was transported to a hospital by fire department medics for treatment.  The injuries of both victims are currently considered to be non-life-threatening.  Police believe they have contacted everyone involved. This report may be updated.

Alaska task force says at least $67 million needed to alleviate state’s dependence on food imports

By MERRILEE GASSER | THE CENTER SQUARE

The Alaska Food Strategy Task Force said it would take at least $67 million to alleviate the state’s dependence on imports for food.

The dependence on outside sources makes the state vulnerable to shortages and food insecurity, according to the task force’s report.

For some recommendations, like extending the Alaska Railroad to Fort Greely, the report does not list an estimated cost but says it would need a combination of state and federal funds.

The recommendations in the report released this week cover three priority areas: sustainably growing Alaska’s agriculture industry, growing markets for local products, and improving transportation and infrastructure.

Alaska is one crisis away from a food shortage, said Sen. Shelley Hughes, R-Greater Palmer, Knik-Fairview, the task force chair.

“An earthquake, a labor strike at a major port, a pandemic – and we would see our store shelves empty out in short order. Rather than an academic discussion about interesting ideas, the report includes specific, workable strategies that list responsible entities, any required statutory or regulatory changes, proposed timelines and action steps, and metrics to be used to measure progress and success.”

The task force recommended creating an Alaska Department of Agriculture, which would cost more than $20 million, according to the report. It also called for $3 million for forgivable loan programs to improve access to capital for food producers.

Another $43 million is needed to increase research capacity and programs through the University of Alaska Fairbanks Institute of Agriculture, Natural Resources and Extension, according to the report.

Other suggested action steps for expanding agriculture included extending leases on state-owned land and encouraging tax exemptions for farmland.

The creation of an Alaska Grown Marketing Institute and re-establishing an Alaska Meat Inspection Service would cost approximately $600,000, according to the report.

The task force also recommended requesting grocery stores to track and sell more Alaska-grown food and expanding the Agriculture Revolving Loan Fund to food processors and manufacturers, among other things.

The task force recommended nine actions to improve transportation and infrastructure. They include working to strengthen maritime and aviation infrastructure, improving bypass mail operations, data collection and analysis, creating a Supply Chain Coordination Council, increasing food storage for Community Food Banks and disaster preparedness, and extending the Northern Rail.

“Alaska’s food security is complex but requires both sound management of wild food systems and robust supply chains that provide high-quality and affordable food to populations across a vast area,” said AFSTF Executive Board Member Michael Johnson. “This task force has identified many actionable and data-driven proposals across three initial focus areas that can support local production, reduce waste, and foster economic growth. We hope these intervention options foster high-level discussion and will be strongly considered as our team begins work on the remaining four focus areas.”

The task force’s next report is due on Aug. 1, 2024.

Downing: Biden, targeting rifle and archery clubs for youth, is really targeting America

By SUZANNE DOWNING

The Biden Administration is, if nothing else, busy getting up in our business. While interfering in the 2024 presidential election in court, pressuring Facebook to ban conservatives, and forcing schools to adopt radical gender ideology, President Joe Biden is now bullying youth rifle and archery programs.

Last week, it was revealed that the Department of Education is blocking funding for school districts that offer training in archery, hunting, or precision shooting sports, contradicting America’s deep-rooted values of independence, self-reliance, and federalism.

The Biden anti-hunting agenda has the goal of transforming the country’s heartland into the hellscapes of the big cities, where gender dysphoria is encouraged and where firearms are kept out of the hands of law-abiding citizens, so that lawbreakers can rule the streets.

Rifle and archery training activities are proven programs that build self-confidence, skill, poise, and a sense of teamwork among young people. These clubs are particularly popular in rural and small-town America – places where a country singer like Jason Aldean is revered for boldly reminding the ruling class that small towns across the country have their own ways.

Youth who participate in shooting sports are able to use the activities to win highly competitive ROTC and other college scholarships. Some of these young people go on to regional, national, and Olympic teams.

As Rep. Mark Green, R-Tenn. says, “It’s hard enough to get kids outside these days without the Biden administration discouraging it. You don’t learn to respect nature by staying inside and playing video games, but this is what the Biden administration would rather kids do instead of allowing students to learn these time-tested and cherished skills.”

Yet for political purposes, the Department of Education interprets the “Bipartisan Safer Communities Act” to shut down school activities that are favored by conservatives.

Why target rifle and archery teams? They are “training in the use of a dangerous weapon,” prohibited by the act that was passed last year. 

“There is no question that different states and regions have different cultures and values. It’s part of the beauty of our country. Tennessee and Alaska clearly value shooting sports, that might not be the case elsewhere,” Rep. Green says. “But that’s why our Founders set up a federal system of government. The Biden administration has no place telling local schools which elective classes or programs they can or cannot have. I know many of the students in my state would be devastated to lose these educational opportunities. It’s them I am fighting for.”

Meanwhile, millions of students across the nation are impacted by the Biden decision to strip funding from these programs, which comes at the same time America sees young people living sedentary lives and joining the national epidemic of obesity.

Fully 17% of our young people considered obese and Pentagon study published in 2022 shows that 77% of young Americans cannot qualify for military service without a waiver because they are obese, are using drugs, or they have mental or physical health conditions. 

Alaska will have to rely on Rep. Green from Tennessee to fight for local control, because our own member of Congress, Rep. Mary Peltola, won’t  stand up to President Biden and, in fact, has fully endorsed him in his bid for reelection.

Rep. Green filed the Protecting Hunting Heritage and Education Act during the August recess to address this federal overreach. It amends the 1965 Elementary and Secondary Education Act to specify that “training students in archery, hunting, or other shooting sports” is, indeed, eligible for school funding.

Green, who chairs the Homeland Security Committee, will have to wait to have his legislation heard, as members are in their districts for the entire month. Even then, if the bill passes the House, the Senate is in the hands of Sen. Chuck Schumer and his anti-Second Amendment Democrats who may bury the bill in committee.

Then there’s Joe Biden, who apparently believes only the government should be armed and that the public is better off if young people play Fortnite for hours on end.

Thus, it’s not likely that the Department of Education will reverse course before the school bell rings this fall. There’s just not enough pressure from Congress.

Federal taxpayer funding will continue to be made available by the CDC for schools to start LGBTQ clubs this fall, but schools offering rifle and archery clubs will have to throw some bake sales to keep their programs alive.

Suzanne Downing is publisher of Must Read Alaska.

 

Bill Popp lets it slip: He’s running for mayor

It looks like it will be three liberals against one conservative running for mayor of Anchorage in 2024 — at least so far.

Bill Popp, the executive director of the Anchorage Economic Development Corporation, gave a swan song presentation at the Dena’ina Convention Center on Wednesday, as he had last month announced he will be leaving AEDC.

After the luncheon he was overheard telling people he was running for mayor of Anchorage.

Others in the community have said they’ve been contacted by Popp’s team to pledge money for his campaign, but Popp has not filed with the Alaska Public Offices Commission and is not expected to announce officially until September.

Already announced as candidates and filed with APOC are Democrats Suzanne LaFrance, Chris Tuck, and Republican Mayor Dave Bronson.

Alaska Pollster Ivan Moore published results of one of his recent surveys on Wednesday, which had the following outcome:

  • Dave Bronson, 33%
  • Suzanne LaFrance 20%
  • Chris Tuck 13%
  • Bill Falsey 9%
  • Bill Popp 8%
  • Undecided 16%

Moore said, “As it stands right now, it would likely go to a runoff between Bronson and LaFrance. We don’t have data on that head-to-head, but given that Bronson’s positive-negative rating in this same [likely voter] sample is 30-56… Likely winner – Suzanne LaFrance.” His poll went to 555 likely voters with a margin of error of about 4.2%.

Tuckerman Babcock steps off of UA Board of Regents

Tuckerman Babcock, who was appointed to serve as a regent for the University of Alaska, has resigned, saying he has decided he cannot spend the time required to fulfill the duties of a regent.

Babcock was appointed by Gov. Mike Dunleavy after the Legislature refused to confirm his first pick for the vacant seat, Bethany Marcum. He reappointed her to the Alaska Redistricting Board.

Babcock, the former chairman of the Alaska Republican Party and Dunleavy’s first chief of staff, was named to the Board on May 31, and was to serve until his legislative confirmation hearing next spring. He and his wife Kristie live in Soldotna.