Contentious Defense Policy Bill Approved by Senate, Heads to House

TL/DR - The US Senate has passed a defense policy bill that authorizes the largest pay raise for troops in over two decades, but leaves out many policy priorities that social conservatives sought to include. The bill, which passed with a vote of 87-13, authorizes $886 billion for national defense programs for the current fiscal year, a 3%…

USDA Puts $2.1M Into Hoosier Rural Businesses

TL/DR - Indiana State University reports that 72 of Indiana’s 92 counties are rural, with small businesses in these areas playing a crucial role in the economy. The USDA has been supporting these industries since 2008 through the Rural Energy for America Program (REAP), most recently awarding $46,025 to farming equipment company New Holland for…

AZ Supreme Court’s Future Decision on Reproductive Rights

TL/DR - The Arizona Supreme Court is set to reconcile conflicting state laws on abortion: Title 36, which prohibits abortions after a 15-week gestational period except in medical emergencies, and Section 13-3603, a near-total ban on abortions dating back to 1864 that makes exceptions only to save the mother's life. The legal conflict arose after…

Ex-Gastonia Officer Faces 32 Felonies for Alleged Gun Purchases – WSOC TV

TL/DR - Xana Dajanae Dove, a former Gastonia police officer, faces 32 felonies including buying guns for people and using her position to commit crimes. She's accused of running searches for warrants and checking license plates on police equipment and providing that information to others, helping sell marijuana and fentanyl, and purchasing guns…