Author: ALN Staff

On Monday, the stock prices of several mid-size banks experienced a significant drop following the collapse of the third major U.S. bank in two months. On Monday morning, First Republic Bank closed after an attempt to save the regional bank failed to materialize. Federal regulators promptly seized control of the bank. Later that day, JP Morgan Chase announced its acquisition of First Republic. After striking a deal to purchase the bank, JP Morgan CEO Jamie Dimon declared, “this part of the crisis is over.” https://twitter.com/business/status/1653045934006362112 CNBC has more: JPMorgan emerged as the winner of a weekend auction for First Republic after regulators decided that…

A three-term United States senator will not seek reelection. Sen. Ben Cardin, D-Md., confirmed the news Monday morning. Pundits expect the vacancy will spark a free-for-all Democratic Party primary in the deep blue state. The Washington Post reports: Cardin, 79, has been a fixture in Maryland politics for decades, building a reputation as a serious, reserved legislator who gravitates toward complex policy issues and avoids the kind of show-horse politicking of some of his peers. His retirement is likely to create a highly competitive Democratic primary to replace him. Democrats have been trying to stem retirements of popular longtime senators…

The North Carolina Supreme Court has overruled an earlier decision that declared partisan gerrymandering illegal. The 5-2 ruling could eliminate as many as four Democrat-held congressional seats, thanks to North Carolina Republicans’ veto-proof majority in the General Assembly. The court’s prior decision came down when it leaned left. https://twitter.com/Redistrict/status/1651983903958224896 As CNN reports: The ruling is a victory for the GOP state legislature, which brought the case back to the state Supreme Court after Republicans flipped seats on the court in the midterms, giving them the majority. The GOP legislature had also taken the case to the US Supreme Court –…

One of the fastest-growing states in the country banned the sale, manufacture and import of assault weapons on Tuesday. With his signature, Gov. Jay Inslee (D) made Washington the 10th state to prohibit the sale of AR-15s and dozens of other semi-automatic rifles effectively immediately. HB 1240 does not ban the possession of assault weapons and allows for law enforcement and military personnel ownership. Critics call it blatantly unconstitutional under the precedent set by the Supreme Court in the Heller and Bruen decisions. The National Shooting Sports Foundation (NSSF) announced it would immediately sue Washington’s Attorney General Bob Ferguson “to…

Tucker Carlson’s last show on Fox News was Friday night. Fox News (FNC) announced this morning that Carlson and FNC “agreed to part ways.” “We thank him for his service to the network,” the statement added. ABC News reports: The news comes nearly one week after the $787.5 million settlement agreement between Fox and Dominion Voting Systems. Dominion’s suit had accused Fox News of recklessly airing false election claims and conspiracy theories in the wake of the 2020 presidential election. This is a breaking news story. Click refresh for the latest updates.

Lawyers for Alec Baldwin are saying that the involuntary manslaughter charges against the Hollywood star have been dropped. Baldwin was originally charged with the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins while filming the low-budget Western “Rust.” The news follows the Santa Fe County District Attorney’s Office’s decision in February to drop the firearm enhancement charges against Baldwin and Hannah Gutierrez-Reed, the film’s armorer. https://twitter.com/therecount/status/1649137880923619335 The Washington Times reports: “We are pleased with the decision to dismiss the case against Alec Baldwin and we encourage a proper investigation into the facts and circumstances of this tragic accident,” according to a joint statement…

Conservative commentator Dan Bongino has officially parted ways with Fox News (FNC). The cable news network reached a $787.5 million settlement with Dominion Voting Systems in a high-stakes defamation case on Tuesday. In a statement, FNC said, “We thank Dan for his contributions and wish him success in his future endeavors.” Mediate has more on the announcement: Bongino, the host of Unfiltered and Fox Nation’s Canceled in the USA, left the network after contract negotiations fell apart, he said Thursday. The network confirmed the departure in a statement to Forbes, which first reported the news, saying “We thank Dan for his contributions and…

The Office of Special Counsel found that Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra violated the Hatch Act when he publicly supported the election of Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Calif., in September 2022. Becerra advocated for Padilla’s candidacy when he spoke “in his official capacity” during the Congressional Hispanic Caucus Institute’s annual awards gala. Special Counsel Henry J. Kerner sent a letter to President Biden relaying the findings on Tuesday, as The Washington Post reports: “The Hatch Act prohibits federal employees from using their official authority or influence to affect the outcome of an election,” Kerner said. “In delivering his speech,…

An actress on Disney’s streaming service is encouraging The Walt Disney Company to have trans princesses, or princes, in new movies. Stand-up comedian Margaret Cho made the remarks during a press junket promoting the latest Disney original movie, “Prom Pact.” The Daily Wire explains: During the 54-year-old actress’ interview with Times of India, the LGBTQ activist described her role in the movie as “a Queer character in the film who’s somebody that the kids look up to, which I think is really amazing,” and said it’s “absolutely” time for a lead LGBTQ character in a Disney movie. “I would love to…

Parler billed itself as a free speech platform, which rose to prominence on the right. That didn’t stop it from dissolving, as users were greeted this morning with a message that the Twitter alternative had been sold and shut down. Digital media conglomerate Starboard confirmed Friday that it had bought Parler for an undisclosed amount. As the Financial Post reports: The move comes months after the collapse of a deal that would have seen American rapper Kanye West, who now goes by Ye, buy the platform’s parent company Parlement Technologies. Starboard, formerly Olympic Media, founded in 2018 houses conservative-leaning platforms American…