The Daily Signal - Senate Minority Leader McConnell Cleared of Stroke, Dem Senators Asks for Investigation Into Justice Samuel Alito, Mark Meadows Pleads Not Guilty | September 5

Starting point is 00:00:01 I'm Samantha Chiris, and I'm Virginia Allen. And this is the Daily Signal Top News for Tuesday, September 5th. Here are today's headlines. We have an update on Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky's Health. The Capitol's attending physician Brian Monaghan wrote to the 81-year-old Senator in a letter Tuesday that said my examination of you following your August 30th, 2020, brief episode, included several medical evaluations, brain MRI imaging, EEG study, and consultations with several neurologists for a comprehensive neurology assessment. Monaghan continued, there is no evidence

Starting point is 00:00:54 that you have a seizure disorder or that you experienced a stroke, TIA, or movement disorder such as Parkinson's disease. Monahan also wrote, there are no changes recommended in treatment protocols as you continue recovery from your March, 2023 fall. The assessment comes shortly after McConnell froze up for the second time last week when he was speaking with reporters. The Senate is back in session today while the House returns next week. Democrat Senator Sheldon White House of Rhode Island has asked Chief Justice John Roberts to investigate conservative justice Samuel Alito.

Starting point is 00:01:32 The Hill reports that in a seven-page letter, White House, an ethics complaint about Alito's recent interview with the Wall Street Journal's opinion section, in which the conservative justice said Congress has no authority to regulate the high court. Specifically, White House writes on the Senate Judiciary Committee, we have heard in every recent confirmation hearing that it would be improper to express opinions on matters that might come before the court. In this instance, Justice Alito expressed an opinion on a matter that could well come before the court. So what did Alito say in that Wall Street Journal interview?

Starting point is 00:02:15 The justice said, I know this is a controversial view, but I'm willing to say it. No provision in the Constitution gives them the authority to regulate the Supreme Court, period. According to the Hill, White House took Alito's comments as a direct response to his bill, which advances out of the Senate Judiciary Committee this summer and would require the justices to adopt a binding code of ethics. We will keep you all updated on this story as it develops. Our colleague Fred Lucas reports that President Joe Biden said earlier this year that the Family and Medical Leave Act was a first step

Starting point is 00:02:53 when it became law 30 years ago and should be expanded. But some employees hired by Biden's predecessor apparently didn't deserve the benefit, the Daily Signal has learned. Department of Homeland Security Records reveal that Biden's presidential transition team in early 2021 denied a request for paid parental leave for two married DHS employees as they tried to care for the medical needs of a premature baby who spent the first week of life in the neonatal intensive care unit. The couple, Sherry Short and Michael Bars, were political appointees of the Trump administration, who say they weren't interested in salaries, but only health insurance to

Starting point is 00:03:35 help care for their infant. The denial of paid parental leave to them by the incoming Biden administration came after Homeland Security officials said Biden-Harris transition headquarters in Wilmington, Delaware, had reviewed the couple's request. One email reviewed by the Daily Signal said a high-level conversation occurred about whether to grant paid leave for short and bars. Short, then a DHS employee whose premature baby was born weighing five pounds and confined to a neonatal intensive care unit for a week, told the daily signal that Biden had reached an all-time low by targeting working mothers and their children. The federal government's family leave benefits were weaponized politically by the incoming Biden team, she added, and the situation represented the real war on women and a war on babies.

Starting point is 00:04:27 We'll include a link to Fred's full article in today's show notes. Former White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows pled not guilty today in the Georgia election interference case brought forward by Fulton County District Attorney Fannie Willis. Fox News reports that the indictment against Meadows cited a phone call from January 2, 2021, during which former President Donald Trump requested that Brad Raffensberger, who is Georgia's Secretary of State, find votes to overturn the state's election results. Meadows was on the phone call as well, according to Fox, and Willis argues that his participation constituted a legal solicitation of a state official to violate his oath.

Starting point is 00:05:14 John Eastman, Harrison, Floyd, and Michael Roman also had their not guilty pleas posted today, according to USA Today. The Daily Caller News Foundation reports that Meadows, one of former President Donald Trump's 18 co-defendants, faces two charges, violating Georgia's racketeering, Influenced and Corruption Organizations Act, and solicitation a violation of oath by a public officer.

Starting point is 00:05:42 The Daily Caller News Foundation notes that Meadows is trying to have his case moved to federal court, arguing that the charges took place while he was serving as chief of staff. And that's going to do it for today's episode. Thanks so much for listening to The Daily Signal's top news. If you haven't had the chance, be sure to check out our morning show. It's right here in this same podcast feed. And tomorrow morning, The Daily Signal's Tyler O'Neill is going to be sitting down with Bradley Burtzer,

Starting point is 00:06:10 a history professor and the Russell Amos Kirk Chair in American Studies at Hillsdale College to discuss his new book on Tolkien. Also, make sure you subscribe to The Daily Signal, wherever you get your podcast, and help us reach even more listeners. leaving a five-star rating and review. We read and appreciate all of your feedback. Thanks again for being with us today. We hope you all have a great night, and we'll see you right back here tomorrow morning

Starting point is 00:06:36 for an engaging conversation on J.R. Tolkien. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. Executive producers are Rob Bly and Kate Trinko. Producers are Virginia Allen and Samantha Asheras. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. To learn more, please visit DailySignal.com.

The Daily Signal - Senate Minority Leader McConnell Cleared of Stroke, Dem Senators Asks for Investigation Into Justice Samuel Alito, Mark Meadows Pleads Not Guilty | September 5

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