The Daily Signal - TOP NEWS | Debt Default Approaches, U.S. Military Heads to Southern Border, Oklahoma Gov. Signs Law Banning Transgender Surgeries | May 2

Starting point is 00:00:01 I'm Samantha Sherris. I'm Virginia Allen. And this is the Daily Signal Top News for Tuesday, May 2nd. Here are today's headlines. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said yesterday that the U.S. could default on its debt as early as June 1st. In a letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Yellen said, after reviewing recent federal tax receipts, our best estimate is that we will be unable to continue to satisfy all of the government's obligations by early June and potentially as early as June 1st if Congress does not raise or suspend the debt limit before that time. Yellen also said this estimate is based on currently available data as federal receipts and outlays are inherently variable and the actual date that Treasury exhausts extraordinary measures could be a number of weeks later than these estimates. Yelan's letter

Starting point is 00:01:08 comes just days after the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Republican-led Limit Save Grow Act of 2023. McCarthy responded to Yellen's letter saying House Republicans did their job and passed a responsible bill that raises the debt ceiling, avoids default, and tackles reckless spending. Meanwhile, President Biden has refused to do his job, threatening to bumble our nation into its first ever default, and the clock is ticking. Following Yellen's letter, Biden invited McCarthy, Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries to meet at the White House on May 9th to discuss the debt ceiling. As we have reported on this show before, Title 42 is going to be lifted on May 11th.

Starting point is 00:01:57 As you all will recall, Title 42 is a public health measure that was set in place by the Trump administration under the COVID-19 pandemic. It has allowed Border Patrol to quickly expel some illegal aliens from the country. As the end of the health measure nears, Biden has authorized 1,500 active duty U.S. Army troops to be deployed at the border for 90 days to assist mainly with transportation and administrative tasks. That's going to free up Border Patrol and law enforcement to be able to do their jobs. The Department of Homeland Security says they expect encounters at the Southwest Border to increase as smugglers spread disinformation, which will place a strain on our immigration system, our communities, and our dedicated workforce. We will keep you all updated on the situation at the

Starting point is 00:02:48 border as we approach the May 11th deadline for Title 42. Republican Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has signed a bill into law today banning all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies for children under the age 18. That's according to a press release. Stitt said in a statement, last year I called for a statewide ban on all irreversible gender transition surgeries and hormone therapies of minors. So I am thrilled to sign this into law today and protect our kids. The governor also said we cannot turn a blind eye to what's happening across our nation. And as governor, I am proud to stand up for what's right and ban life-altering transition surgeries on children in the state of Oklahoma.

Starting point is 00:03:36 According to the press release, SB613 bans the use of any medications or surgical procedures for the purpose of gender transition. Penalties for violation include felony charges, license revocation, and civil actions which can be filed by a parent or guardian. State Senator Julie Daniels weighed in on the governor's actions, saying in a statement, I commend Governor Stitt for signing SB 613. This law protects children and families from making life-changing irreversible decisions until the child reaches some level of maturity to better understand the risks and irreversible effects of gender transition procedures. Virginia Governor Glenn Yonkin will not be launching a bid for the White House this year.

Starting point is 00:04:26 The Wall Street Journal's editor-at-large Gerard Baker asked the governor on Monday, about a potential presidential run. Yon replied, no. Of course, Yonkin was elected to governor in Virginia in 2021. Yonkin replied to a follow-up question about him not running and said, I haven't written a book and I'm not in Iowa. I'm spending time representing Virginia this year. McCulley Porter, a spokeswoman for Yonkin, responded to NBC News request for comment

Starting point is 00:04:57 by saying, I would refer you to the governor's arrest. original comments and the question which directly ask him about this year. NBC also reports that an aide said the moderator was clearly asking about this year, and the governor was answering with that in mind. So far, some notable Republican candidates who have officially announced their bid for the Republican nomination for president include former President Donald Trump, former South Carolina Governor Nikki Haley, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramoswamy. The adult website Pornhub has prevented people living in Utah from accessing its site. The Salt Lake City outlet Fox 13 reports that Pornhub had a 403 message on its website Monday morning,

Starting point is 00:05:44 and later in the day, the site was changed to a lengthy message to users notifying them of why they were blocked. The message said, as you may know, your elected officials in Utah are requiring us to verify your age before allowing you access to our website. While safety and compliance are at the forefront of our mission, given your ID card every time you want to visit an adult platform, is not the most effective solution for protecting our users, and, in fact, we'll put children and your privacy at risk. Fox 13 also reports that the site's message urged viewers

Starting point is 00:06:20 to contact their elected lawmakers to demand solutions that make the Internet safer, while also respecting your privacy. In other news, the Senate Judiciary Committee held a hearing today about Supreme Court ethics reform. Witnesses included Jeremy Fogle of the Berkeley Judicial Institute, Kedric Payne of the Campaign Legal Center, Amanda Frost of the University of Virginia Law School, Michael Beamer Casey, former U.S. Attorney General, and Thomas Dupree of the Constitutional Law Practice Group. During the hearing on Supreme Court ethics reform, Republican senators Ted Cruz and Josh Holly tore into their Democrat colleagues for threatening to cut off the funding for the security at the Supreme Court, as Cruz said. Let's take a listen to some of Cruz's comments via our colleague Mary Margaret's Twitter.

Starting point is 00:07:16 What I'm suggesting is this committee is corrupt because this is a kangaroo circuit circus. and I will note, we had 15 Senate Democrats, including six members of this committee, send a letter to the Appropriations Committee, threatening to cut off the funding for security at the Supreme Court. The left is willing to threaten the lives of the justices. Justice Samuel Alito this weekend in the Wall Street Journal said that the attacks directed at the justices are making them targets of assassination. This is disgraceful.

Starting point is 00:07:52 And be sure to check out today's show notes for a link with our colleague Fred Lucas's and Mary Margaret O'Lohan's reporting on this hearing. And that'll do it for today's episode. Thank you for listening to The Daily Signals Top News. And if you have not done so already, be sure to take just a moment to check out our morning show that's right here in the same podcast feed. Every weekday, we interview lawmakers, experts, and leading conservative voices. Join us tomorrow morning for the interview. edition of the Daily Signal podcast, I'll be sitting down with Alfredo Ortiz. He's the president and CEO of the Job Creators Network. We'll be discussing the ongoing debt ceiling debate right

Starting point is 00:08:34 here in the nation's capital, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen's letter to House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, and much more. And if you like what you heard today or like what you hear tomorrow morning, be sure to take just a moment to leave us a five-star rating and review wherever you like to listen to podcasts. Thanks again for listening. Have a great rest of your Tuesday, and we'll be back with you all tomorrow morning. The Daily Signal podcast is brought to you by more than half a million members of the Heritage Foundation. Executive producers are Rob Luey and Kate Trinko. Producers are Virginia Allen and Samantha Asheras. Sound designed by Lauren Evans, Mark Geinney, and John Pop. To learn more,

Starting point is 00:09:16 please visit DailySignal.com.

The Daily Signal - TOP NEWS | Debt Default Approaches, U.S. Military Heads to Southern Border, Oklahoma Gov. Signs Law Banning Transgender Surgeries | May 2

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