https://drudge.com/user/lfthndthrds+ New links and comments. en-us http://www.rssboard.org/rss-specification Wordzilla/0.58 10 https://drudge.com/news/293699/tx-gov-abbott-requires-data-centers https://justthenews.com/nation/states/texas-gov-abbott-requires-data-centers-provide-more-information-connecting-grid?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators Texas Republican Gov. Greg Abbot this week directed state authorities to audit all data centers in the state's queue before the facilities can be hooked up to the grid. Abbott's directive went out to the state public utility commission and its grid operator, ERCOT, requiring them to audit all data centers' electricity and water use before they can connect to the grid, The Hill reported. Any project that fails to comply with the requirements of the commission or ERCOT must be denied connection to the grid, Abbott's directive stated. To comply with the audit, data centers must provide information about whether they will provide their own power or utilize power from the grid, whether they are bringing and reusing their water, their estimated water consumption and anticipated water supply. They also have to provide information on any noise mitigation measures and information on who owns the facility. Tue, 04 Aug 2026 17:48:07 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293699/tx-gov-abbott-requires-data-centers#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293699 discussion, 0.5 daily 293699 https://drudge.com/news/293654/louisiana-law-banning-debit-card-surcharges https://justthenews.com/nation/states/center-square/louisiana-law-banning-debit-card-surcharges-takes-effect?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators Louisiana retailers can no longer charge customers extra for using debit cards under a new state law that took effect Saturday, giving consumers new legal protections and expanding the attorney general's authority to enforce the ban. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:pzt2hepn3ta77cjehoyec6xn/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrmrnsrqvc2i" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreicycz6ksbyqqk3k7t7gi5occsbnhyrzqpkehlrtfs5g7nc72vjqvu" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">The DMV calls the amount you have to pay for using a debit card a processing fee, not a surcharge. It's still coming out of your wallet.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:pzt2hepn3ta77cjehoyec6xn/post/3mrmrnsrqvc2i?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- The News & Observer (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:pzt2hepn3ta77cjehoyec6xn?ref_src=embed">@newsobserver.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:pzt2hepn3ta77cjehoyec6xn/post/3mrmrnsrqvc2i?ref_src=embed">7:20 AM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 27, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Mon, 03 Aug 2026 23:32:49 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293654/louisiana-law-banning-debit-card-surcharges#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293654 news, 0.5 daily 293654 https://drudge.com/news/293622/ex-cdc-chief-fauci-diary-shows-americans https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/ex-cdc-chief-admits-fauci-diary-shows-americans-misled-covid-virus-vaccine?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators "It is interesting if you read Tony's [Fauci] diaries and his diaries. We didn't know it at the time, but he talks about how he got vaccinated, then later had a pulmonary embolism, which we now know microcoagulation and embolism is a significant injury that's associated with the mRNA vaccines," Redfield said. "So I think the American public was misled in that regard too." He further excoriated narrative pushes around the purpose of the vaccine and the origins of the virus. "This vaccine never prevented infection, so when people said 'vaccinate your children so they don't infect grandma,' that was just a false statement. So very unfortunate," he added. "The American public was definitely misled. [Fauci] definitely had an intentional role, unfortunately, in misleading the American public around the origin of the virus, for sure, around the efficacy of the vaccines, and it's really sad." Fri, 31 Jul 2026 11:14:09 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293622/ex-cdc-chief-fauci-diary-shows-americans#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293622 discussion, 0.5 daily 293622 https://drudge.com/news/293574/fauci-invokes-fifth-amendment-senate https://justthenews.com/government/federal-agencies/fauci-invokes-fifth-amendment-right-not-answer-questions-senate-hearing?utm_source=justthenews.com&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=external-news-aggregators Dr. Anthony Fauci on Wednesday during a Senate hearing on COVID-19 invoked his constitutional right not to answer questions. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:h3t5rqlvuaorq42yckpijirj/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrsepbnbnc2n" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreihixudrt7hywcn5d5ieger75or2nu73u4ljens7nsolkrl64armo4" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">The GOP scapegoating attacks on Dr. Fauci, a spectacle designed to affirm the conspiracy theories of a brain-wormed base, are chilling. What scientist or public servant, in their right minds, will choose to put themselves on the line during the next pandemic or crisis? www.cnn.com/2026/07/29/p ... <br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:h3t5rqlvuaorq42yckpijirj/post/3mrsepbnbnc2n?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Kate Starbird (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:h3t5rqlvuaorq42yckpijirj?ref_src=embed">@katestarbird.bsky.social</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:h3t5rqlvuaorq42yckpijirj/post/3mrsepbnbnc2n?ref_src=embed">12:44 PM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 29, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 31 Jul 2026 09:30:38 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293574/fauci-invokes-fifth-amendment-senate#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293574 news, 0.5 daily 293574 https://drudge.com/news/293575/suittulane-denied-funding-application-due https://www.legalnewsline.com/louisiana-record/suit-tulane-denied-funding-application-due-to-owner-s-race/article_b779392b-f082-43fd-8aee-66e20dafdd6e.html NEW ORLEANS " A Louisiana company accuses Tulane University of its funding application due to its owner's race. Plaintiff Revier Technologies Inc. filed its lawsuit in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana. The named defendants are Tulane University, Tulane Ventures GP LLC, Tulane Innovation Fund, the Louisiana Economic Development Corp., and Susan Bourgeois, secretary of Louisiana Economic Development. According to its website, the LED is the state agency responsible for "cultivating jobs and expanding economic opportunity for the people of Louisiana." Revier, located in Thibodaux, Louisiana, is owned by Matthew Schultheis, who is white. "By denying Revier Technologies's application to the Fund because its owner, Mr. Schultheis, is the wrong race, the Tulane Defendants engaged in unlawful racial discrimination in violation of Title VI and Section 1981, and the LEDC violated Title VI and the Fourteenth Amendment," the 17-page complaint states. Wed, 29 Jul 2026 09:35:23 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293575/suittulane-denied-funding-application-due#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293575 discussion, 0.5 daily 293575 https://drudge.com/news/293558/dnc-2million-hole-going-into https://www.deseret.com/politics/2026/07/28/democratic-national-committee-broke-midterm-elections/ Going into the 2026 midterm elections, the Democratic Party is in the red. The party has $16.3 million in cash on hand, and $18.5 million in debt, leaving them about $2 million in the hole. Meanwhile, the Republican National Committee has $128.5 million in cash and zero debt. Tue, 28 Jul 2026 17:22:05 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293558/dnc-2million-hole-going-into#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293558 discussion, 0.5 daily 293558 https://drudge.com/news/293534/biden-tapes-include-references-notes https://www.cbsnews.com/news/biden-tapes-released-classified/ Audio recordings that former President Joe Biden fought for years to keep private have now been released. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:ln72v57ivz2g46uqf4xxqiuh/app.bsky.feed.post/3mriocdquja2o" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreicszdpnu3yflslxfjxar6os7bh5mbzt2n5nfesvsno3xqfqdwvggu" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Former President Joe Biden is declining to appeal a court ruling that allows the Justice Department to publicize recordings of conversations between him and a writer collaborating on his memoir. n.pr/4xntLhx<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ln72v57ivz2g46uqf4xxqiuh/post/3mriocdquja2o?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- NPR (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ln72v57ivz2g46uqf4xxqiuh?ref_src=embed">@npr.org</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ln72v57ivz2g46uqf4xxqiuh/post/3mriocdquja2o?ref_src=embed">4:09 PM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 25, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Tue, 28 Jul 2026 15:31:46 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293534/biden-tapes-include-references-notes#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293534 news, 0.5 daily 293534 https://drudge.com/news/293457/federal-court-upholds-tennessees-redraw https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/federal-court-upholds-tennessees-redraw-house-maps-win-gop?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home Tennessee's redraw was one of several that occurred across the South in the wake of a landmark ruling at the Supreme Court ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s/app.bsky.feed.post/3mrfgxpzdci2t" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreibmckr4xoekjfpn4rizbbtbjbbcjkhlmmvhfq3ay5psw45mp7ajfi" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">A federal judicial panel allows Tennessee to use a new congressional map that breaks apart a majority-Black district in Memphis.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s/post/3mrfgxpzdci2t?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- NBC News (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s?ref_src=embed">@nbcnews.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:wmho6q2uiyktkam3jsvrms3s/post/3mrfgxpzdci2t?ref_src=embed">9:20 AM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 24, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Sat, 25 Jul 2026 08:30:58 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293457/federal-court-upholds-tennessees-redraw#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293457 news, 0.5 daily 293457 https://drudge.com/news/293481/colo-gov-polis-democrats-should-reject https://www.newsmax.com/newsmax-tv/polis-democrats-reject/2026/07/23/id/1263857/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home Democratic Colorado Gov. Jared Polis told Newsmax on Thursday that he is concerned about the rise of socialism within his party. He said that Democrats should reject government ownership of businesses and instead embrace free-market capitalism as the path to achieving progressive policy goals. Fri, 24 Jul 2026 18:10:37 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293481/colo-gov-polis-democrats-should-reject#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293481 discussion, 0.5 daily 293481 https://drudge.com/news/293438/41-states-risk-losing-federal-snap https://thehill.com/homenews/state-watch/5981659-41-states-at-risk-of-losing-federal-snap-funds-new-data-shows-what-to-know/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home Dozens of states are going to have to start forking over more money to fund SNAP (or end up cutting food assistance) if they don't get their error rates in check. <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp/app.bsky.feed.post/3mr46cwd7wc2h" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreidgem7izdj6vrbfyfjzrxhbhzktdbqjmkcvuzk2cpbdt47nsh2zsa" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="en">It's been a year since Donald Trump slashed SNAP funding in his "Big Beautiful Bill." Here's how many people have lost food assistance so far.<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp/post/3mr46cwd7wc2h?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Elizabeth Warren (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp?ref_src=embed">@warren.senate.gov</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:ornpixmpy5ts36lh7hmi7wkp/post/3mr46cwd7wc2h?ref_src=embed">4:51 PM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 20, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Wed, 22 Jul 2026 17:31:55 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293438/41-states-risk-losing-federal-snap#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293438 news, 0.5 daily 293438 https://drudge.com/news/293437/democrats-take-money-epstein-tied https://justthenews.com/politics-policy/elections/two-democrat-candidates-take-cash-epstein-linked-megadonor-after-slamming?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home James Talarico and Sen. Jon Ossoff, D- Ga., who is running for re-election, have both received donations from Reid Hoffman, a billionaire who has admitted to spending time on Epstein's Caribbean island, Fox News reported. Hoffman donated $11.5 million to a Talarico-aligned super PAC called Lone Star Rising, according to The Texas Tribune. Hoffman donated $7,000 to Ossoff's campaign, the maximum legal amount. Both Talarico and Ossoff have referred to the "Epstein class" when discussing billionaires. Talarico, for example, has said in an interview, "The Epstein Class has no place in Texas," while Ossoff said in a news statement earlier this year that "MAGA [ ... ] is the Epstein class, ruling our country." Wed, 22 Jul 2026 14:56:54 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293437/democrats-take-money-epstein-tied#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293437 discussion, 0.5 daily 293437 https://drudge.com/news/293347/james-talarico-has-bad-week-epstein-tied https://www.bizpacreview.com/2026/07/18/james-talarico-has-very-bad-week-after-campaigning-against-epstein-class-1651084/ Texas Senate candidate James Talarico, a Democrat, faced a week of hell thanks to the release of multiple bombshell reports about him and his allies. The first report revealed that LinkedIn co-founder Reid Hoffman, a prominent billionaire venture capitalist, donated $10 million last month to a PAC supporting Talarico's campaign. This is problematic because Hoffman has ties to deceased pedophile Jeffrey Epstein. "The release of the Epstein files' showed Hoffman maintained contact with Epstein after the financier pleaded guilty to soliciting a minor in 2008," according to The Texas Tribune. Yet Talarico has repeatedly insisted in his attacks on Republicans that "the Epstein class has no place in Texas." Unless, it appears, the so-called "Epstein class" is donating to one's campaign? Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:35:42 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293347/james-talarico-has-bad-week-epstein-tied#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293347 discussion, 0.5 daily 293347 https://drudge.com/news/293346/sheriff-somali-gangs-terrorizing https://archive.ph/XiwjH#selection-1267.0-1267.63 A dozen Somali gangs with hundreds of members, mainly teenagers, are wreaking havoc in Minnesota, committing public shootings and murders out in the open, according to local officials. Ramsey County Sheriff Bob Fletcher, whose office patrols the metropolitan region surrounding Minneapolis and St. Paul, told the Washington Examiner that as many as 300 Somali youth are engaged in gang activity around the Twin Cities area. According to Fletcher's office, Somali gangs were responsible for at least 14 homicides in the past two years, as well as over 100 shootings, including gunfights that broke out at massively attended gatherings, such as high school graduation ceremonies and the Minnesota State Fair. Sat, 18 Jul 2026 09:22:59 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293346/sheriff-somali-gangs-terrorizing#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293346 discussion, 0.5 daily 293346 https://drudge.com/news/293322/kansas-city-woman-faces-20-years-prison https://justthenews.com/accountability/waste-fraud-and-abuse/kansas-city-woman-faces-20-years-prison-welfare-fraud?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home "As part of a broader employment investigation, it was discovered that Luna-Mejia's employer had removed her from the wage and hour tax reporting required by the State of Missouri," the DOJ alleged in its press release. "Further investigation determined Luna-Mejia had been receiving wages from that employer the entire time she received SNAP, but she did not report it on her recertifications. She also did not report the existence of her bank account in which she deposited her paychecks to further conceal her income. Investigators determined that had she been truthful about her income, she would have been ineligible for nearly $40,000 in benefits she received during that time." In February, 29-year-old LaTasha Thomas of Minnesota was sentenced to one year in prison followed by one year of supervised release for mail fraud, according to the DOJ. She was also ordered to pay $325,159 in restitution. Thomas and her daughter defrauded the SNAP program for two years by illegally acquiring Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards to purchase groceries. Thomas created fake temporary drivers' licenses and submitted them for EBT cards, alleging the recipients had medical issues requiring increased benefits and bolstering their fraud with fake doctor's notes. Fri, 17 Jul 2026 09:16:33 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293322/kansas-city-woman-faces-20-years-prison#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293322 discussion, 0.5 daily 293322 https://drudge.com/news/293307/ntsb-says-tesla-driver-accelerated-into https://www.reuters.com/legal/litigation/tesla-driver-accelerated-into-house-fatal-texas-crash-ntsb-says-2026-07-15/?utm_source=referral&utm_medium=offthepress&utm_campaign=home The National Transportation Safety Board said the driver of a Tesla (TSLA.O) Model 3 that killed a 76-year-old woman when it ploughed into her home at high speed in Katy, Texas in June had overridden the vehicle's advanced driver assistance system ... <blockquote class="bluesky-embed" data-bluesky-uri="at://did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/app.bsky.feed.post/3mqprrxprio2m" data-bluesky-cid="bafyreia5i37l6bydv2ic4h2lumrtzo73pb2kau77wzg6y2irpvlt2bfyda" data-bluesky-embed-color-mode="system"><p lang="">Tesla driver accelerated into house in fatal Texas crash, NTSB says reut.rs/4fe7Q4D<br><br><a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/post/3mqprrxprio2m?ref_src=embed">[image or embed]</a></p> -- Reuters (<a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r?ref_src=embed">@reuters.com</a>) <a href="https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:jbvnehrrdqoulco4rf5gxg5r/post/3mqprrxprio2m?ref_src=embed">6:35 PM &Acirc;&middot; Jul 15, 2026</a></blockquote><script async src="https://embed.bsky.app/static/embed.js" charset="utf-8"></script> Fri, 17 Jul 2026 08:30:39 -0400 lfthndthrds https://drudge.com/news/293307/ntsb-says-tesla-driver-accelerated-into#discuss tag:drudge.com,2005:weblog.293307 news, 0.5 daily 293307