It is a huge mistake to trust Republicans with the country.

January 4, 2022
By Kirby Wilson

Byron Daniels for Congress (click here)

...During the fourth and fifth rounds of voting (click here) for speaker of the U.S. House, at least 20 of Donalds’ Republican colleagues — all staunchly conservative members — cast their votes not for McCarthy, R-Calif., the party’s longtime House leader, but for Donalds.

Given the narrow Republican majority in the House — and the Democrats’ unity in supporting their leader, Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., for speaker — those 20 votes comprised the difference between McCarthy winning the office of speaker and a historic stalemate. (Prior to this week, no vote for House speaker had gone past the first round of voting in a century.)

It’s not Donalds’ first foray into Republican U.S. House leadership. Late last year, he ran for the No. 3 leadership position but lost to Rep. Elise Stefanik of New York, 144-74.

Donalds is being backed by a small but vocal group of Republican holdouts who do not want to see McCarthy gain the powerful House speaker position. It’s unlikely Donalds will gain the votes to hold the position this time around. But as of Wednesday afternoon, it was also unclear whom Republicans could nominate who could gain the needed majority of votes....

January 4, 2023
By Ryan Dailey

As Gov. Ron DeSantis (click here) targets “trendy ideology” in higher education, his administration is asking state colleges and universities for information about resources they are putting into activities related to diversity, equity and inclusion and critical race theory.

DeSantis has made the fight against critical race theory — which is based on the premise that racism is embedded in American institutions — a linchpin of his education and political agenda.

During an inauguration speech Tuesday to start his second term, DeSantis took aim at ideological issues on campuses.

“We must ensure school systems are responsive to parents and to students, not partisan interest groups, and we must ensure that our institutions of higher learning are focused on academic excellence and the pursuit of truth, not the imposition of trendy ideology,” the governor said in his prepared remarks.

Chris Spencer, director of DeSantis’ Office of Policy and Budget, sent a memo Dec. 28 to Education Commissioner Manny Diaz Jr. and state university system Chancellor Ray Rodrigues, who oversee the college and university systems....