The Mississippi Free Press reports: Brett Favre sought Gov. Tate Reeves’ help to get state funds to pay for volleyball facilities that the former NFL star had vowed to personally fund at his alma mater, according to text messages the Mississippi Free Press obtained through a public-records request to the governor’s office. In 2017, before Reeves was governor, the Mississippi …

Via email from the Family Research Council: Kroger CEO Rodney McMullen and Albertsons CEO Vivek Sankaran appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to answer questions related to a proposed merger between two of the nation’s largest grocery chains. Senator Tom Cotton (R-Ark.) cautioned Kroger against expecting “Republican senators to carry the water for them” while pursuing corporate policies that promote …

Gainesville’s PBS affiliate reports: The U.S. Attorney’s Office said Wednesday that Harding is accused of making fraudulent applications to the disaster-loan program. The release said Harding “made false representations in supporting loan documentation, in the names of dormant business entities, submitted to the SBA.” Harding was indicted by a grand jury on two counts each of wire fraud, money laundering …

CNN reports: With the increasing likelihood that the speaker’s race could go to multiple ballots – something that hasn’t happened since 1923 – McCarthy’s allies and foes alike are starting to quietly game out the next steps if he can’t get the necessary 218 votes on the first round and they move into uncharted territory. McCarthy’s supporters are vowing to …

Raleigh’s NBC affiliate reports: On Thursday, investigators issued multiple search warrants related to attacks on the power grid. The warrants, which will remain sealed, are on the state level. The FBI has also applied for a Federal Order to retrieve cell phone records to identify people in the area of the substations on Saturday night. They are still working on …

CBS News reports: As the holidays near and health care facilities grapple with a “tripledemic” of viral respiratory infections, people are being urged to consider donning masks and calling out sick. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tracked seasonal spikes in influenza, Sars-CoV-2 — the virus that causes Covid-19 — and respiratory syncytial virus or RSV, three viruses …

Reuters reports: Peru’s former President Pedro Castillo faced a first court hearing on Thursday over his arrest on charges of rebellion and conspiracy, as his successor issued her first pronouncements from the presidential palace. Castillo’s swift fall from power on Wednesday came after lawmakers voted overwhelmingly to remove the leader following his failed attempt to rule by decree and dissolve …

Yahoo News reports: Pennsylvania formalized nondiscrimination protections for LGBTQ people after a regulatory board approved new definitions of sex, race and religious creed in the commonwealth’s anti-discrimination regulations. The new regulatory changes provide a more comprehensive definition of the terms “sex,” “religious creed” and “race” as protected classes so that victims of discrimination can better understand how they are protected …

The Associated Press reports: The Colorado Springs gay nightclub shooter had charges dropped in a 2021 bomb threat case after family members who were terrorized in the incident refused to cooperate, according to the district attorney and court documents unsealed Thursday. The charges were dropped despite authorities finding a “tub” full of bomb-making chemicals and later receiving warnings from other …

“These were people who faced times that were much darker than what you and I are facing in America today. Political darkness during the time of the pilgrims in England was at an apex, you would have thought they would have completely given up hope. “They were being run out of the country by a woke mob and what did …

“This quote, unquote ‘trade’ should never have been made, ever. And I don’t really care what the radical left media have to say. They do not care about the security of this country. “And for them, all the talk about equality, the fact is in our country some people are more equal than others, and that is the people of …

CBS News reports: Brittney Griner, the American basketball star detained by Russian authorities in February, has safely returned to the US after being released from custody in a prisoner exchange. Griner stepped off the plane shortly after 5:30 a.m. ET Friday at Kelly Field in San Antonio, Texas. The Biden administration repeatedly made offers to get Paul Whelan released as …

“So at this point, we can assume the obvious, the Biden administration chose Brittney Griner over Paul Whelan. The basketball player over the Marine facing 16 years. There was only room for one in the lifeboat, and the Marine got left behind.  “Well, why’d they make that choice? Well, you should know that Whelan is a Trump voter and he …

Sen. Kyrsten Sinema writes for the Arizona Republic: In catering to the fringes, neither party has demonstrated much tolerance for diversity of thought. Bipartisan compromise is seen as a rarely acceptable last resort, rather than the best way to achieve lasting progress. Payback against the opposition party has replaced thoughtful legislating. Americans are told that we have only two choices …

Deadline Hollywood reports: Discovery+ and ID are exploring the real story behind Fox’s hit series Glee. The streamer has ordered a three-part docuseries from Ample Entertainment, the company behind HBO docuseries The Invisible Pilot and Facebook’s 9 Months with Courteney Cox. The currently untitled series will address the controversies surrounding the series, including the case of Mark Salling, who played …

CNN reports: The House select committee investigating the January 6, 2021, insurrection is considering criminal referrals for at least four individuals in addition to former President Donald Trump, multiple sources told CNN. The panel is weighing criminal referrals for former White House chief of staff Mark Meadows, right wing lawyer John Eastman, former Justice Department official Jeffrey Clark and Trump’s …

The Texas Tribune reports: Gov. Greg Abbott banned the social media platform TikTok from government-issued cellphones and computers on Wednesday, becoming the latest GOP governor to target the video-sharing app over cybersecurity fears. Abbott cited concerns that TikTok posed a threat to state information given that the app is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance Ltd. Republican governors in South …

From Florida state Rep. Joe Harding’s Facebook page: When I decided to run in in 2019 for the Florida House, I did so for two simple reasons: I love people, and I love Florida. Today, I am resigning from my position for the same two reasons: I love people, and I love Florida. I believe in Floridians and want what …

Via email from the Family Research Council: Today is a dark day for religious freedom. The Left’s forces of religious hostility, aided by 12 Republican senators and 39 Republican representatives, advanced what history may ultimately record as one of the greatest assaults on religious freedom in modern history. These members are yielding to the temporal forces of the culture rather …

Via email from hate group leader Mat Staver: Although the House passed the “Respect for Marriage Act” with a 258-169 vote that included 39 House Republicans, this action is a strategic blunder by advocates of same-sex marriage. Rather than a victory, the “Respect for Marriage Act” will make easier the argument to overturn the U.S. Supreme Court’s 2015 5-4 opinion …